The top floor of the Fuyuki Grand Hotel, once chosen as a base by Kenneth ten years ago, had now become Naoki's headquarters.
"—In short, the difficulty of this Holy Grail War has skyrocketed to hellish levels. The King will have to fight hard."
Lying on Naoki's lap, Merry said this while rubbing her body against his stomach.
Hearing the names of the Servants she mentioned, Naoki frowned slightly. "Gilgamesh, Scathach, Odysseus, King Solomon, Okita Souji… almost all of them are tough opponents."
"Indeed. While I'm not too familiar with Okita Souji, the others are undoubtedly formidable enemies that must be faced with full effort."
Artoria's expression was also very serious.
"If Master hadn't returned my scabbard, facing even one of them would have been challenging. And even with Avalon, winning might still be extremely difficult."
Though Artoria had the confidence not to lose to anyone, facing such a lavish lineup of enemies, no matter how confident, she had to be realistic.
Stroking Merry's stomach, Naoki asked, "What about Berserker? If we calculate it, the Master should be Morgan, right? Any news?"
"Nothing. Morgan might be using some kind of concealment. My agents left in England did catch her boarding a plane, but it was just her—no trace of a Servant—ugh, alright, my stomach feels much better."
Rising from Naoki's lap, Merry rubbed her belly. "Good grief, if I'd known, I wouldn't have used this identity. Neither Aoko nor Touko gives me any peace of mind. It'll be troublesome to deal with them later."
"I could help you with Empty Dream Manifestation, but if Arcueid is also an opponent, I'm not sure she'd let me borrow her power." Naoki laughed. "Well, let's forget about that for now. It's getting late—let's have dinner first. Saber, you're hungry too, right?"
"No, Servants don't need to eat. I'll stay here in standby mode—"
*GRUMBLE!*
The unmistakable sound made Artoria blush instantly and lower her head. She said no, but her body was brutally honest.
"Come on, I know our appetite. I remember seeing a buffet restaurant when I arrived here. Let's go there tonight."
"Buffet!"
The ahoge on Artoria's head perked up, and her eyes sparkled slightly.
"Then, it'll just be the three of us. As for Mordred and the others… I don't think I need to worry, with Rei and Gray there."
Due to the number of people and tactical considerations, aside from Artoria, Mordred, Atalanta, Gray, and Rei didn't move together with them. They were stationed elsewhere in Fuyuki City as a reserve force.
As for how much impact they'd have later, that was a matter for another time.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
At the same time, in a shopping mall in Shin Tokyo, in front of a buffet restaurant.
Aoko stared at Touko in front of her.
Touko stared at Aoko in front of her.
Both understood each other well and simultaneously let out a cold snort.
Though they had gone through the Misaki Town incident and had some interactions over the years, the relationship between the two sisters hadn't improved. Especially in this Holy Grail War, as competitors, there was no need to hide the dissatisfaction in their hearts.
(Be cautious, Master.)
Beside Touko, Odysseus, in spiritual form, spoke.
(I can sense a Servant's aura. It's being actively released by the opponent, sharp and powerful. Likely one of the three knight classes.)
One of the three knight classes.
Touko smirked. "Looks like you summoned a decent Servant, Aoko. Are you determined to win this time?"
"It's related to Kouhai-kun, so I can't afford to mess around. Touko, I didn't expect you to bring Shiki as a helper. I thought you'd go for Beowulf." Aoko said, glancing at Shiki behind her. "Shiki… doesn't seem to be a Master."
"I'm not a Magus, but at the very least, it's confirmed I can fight Servants."
Odysseus had been summoned four days ago. After manifesting, Shiki immediately sparred with him. Without using her Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, and with Odysseus refraining from using any Noble Phantasms, their pure martial arts skills were evenly matched.
For a human, this was already beyond reason.
(Oh~ That little girl… I see, with those eyes, she's indeed a formidable opponent, Master.)
Scathach, also in spiritual form, appraised Shiki with great interest. She could naturally see Shiki's condition, a being connected to the Root. Even in the Age of Gods, Scathach had never encountered such an individual.
Combined with those Mystic Eyes, a single misstep could truly lead to her death.
(Are Shiki's Mystic Eyes the death that feels so close, Lancer?)
(Possibly. If there's a chance, I'd like to test her, but now's not the time.)
At the moment, both groups were in a bustling shopping mall. It wasn't a suitable place for a fight. If a battle broke out, it would cause a huge commotion, violating the Holy Grail War's rules.
Taking a deep breath, Aoko looked at her older sister and Shiki. "So, how about we go in for dinner first? We can talk about other matters after eating. I don't have the energy to fight you guys on an empty stomach."
"For once, I agree with you."
For this pair of sisters, reaching an agreement wasn't easy. Seeing his Master de-escalate the tension, Odysseus felt relieved. He also didn't want to fight in a place like this, as his combat style could cause significant collateral damage.
And just as the two groups entered the buffet restaurant—
"Lia, you're taking too much. Take less—it won't run out. You can get more after finishing one plate!"
"But, Master, if I don't take it now, it'll take a long time to get more."
"We can eat something else then. Taking that much at once isn't good."
Hearing this conversation, several people almost instantly turned toward the source of the voices. Near the seafood counter, two golden figures who looked like siblings immediately caught their attention.
Naoki and Artoria, the two King Arthurs, were holding two large plates piled with food, still debating whether to take even more.
As if sensing the gazes from the entrance, they both turned toward the door.
"Aoko? Touko-sensei? Shiki?"
"What a coincidence, you guys came for dinner too?"
Fuyuki City, it turns out, is quite small.