In the living room on the first floor.
"Oh, you're here. What were you two doing upstairs?"
Seeing Naoki and Rei come down, Aoko immediately smiled and waved.
After exchanging glances, the two shook their heads.
"Nothing much, just looking after Merry. She's a bit weak from building the illusion barrier."
"Her being weak is rare. Could she be faking it?" Touko couldn't help but be suspicious. "She's notorious for that."
Riddell nodded immediately. "It's not impossible."
"It doesn't seem like it's that bad. So, what did you want to discuss with me?" Naoki asked.
"Of course, it's about how to deal with Caster, and also about what comes after."
What comes after—this was indeed a point worth discussing. Though it might be a bit premature to talk about it, this was the Holy Grail War. Even though some had allied, after defeating Solomon, they'd still have to fight each other to determine the winner.
Beside Aoko, Scáthach materialized from her spirit form. "You still remember your promise to me, Fairy Magus?"
If they survived afterward, Naoki would duel Scáthach—a promise made before their fight with Arthur to help her rise again.
"That should've been fulfilled that night, but now it's been delayed quite a bit. Still, you have your own circumstances, and I can understand that."
"Saying this now… Lancer, you mean after the fight with King Solomon, I have to fulfill that promise with you, right?"
"Exactly. Honestly, since that night, my hands have been itching. Being near you gives me chills, making me eager to embrace my own death."
Everyone present clearly understood Scáthach's intent, as she made no effort to hide her battle aura.
Naoki nodded. "Got it. If we both still have the strength to fight afterward, I'll use all my power to kill you, Lancer."
"That's more like it. That's my wish. I'm really looking forward to that fight. Of course, if one day you can give me a true death, that'd be even better."
"The Land of Shadows outside the world is a bit tricky to reach." Naoki said with a smile.
"Me too, Naoki." Aoko waved to get his attention. "You'll have to fight me afterward too. No running away or using excuses like being out of energy."
(Aoko wants to fight me too?)
Naoki tilted his head, a bit confused. "Why bring this up all of a sudden?"
"I joined the Holy Grail War just to have a serious fight with you. Opportunities to be on opposing sides are rare. Besides, I want to see how big the gap is between the current me and you—that's the gist of it."
"After defeating King Solomon, I have to fight Lancer, then Aoko… Are you all ganging up on me? I'm a Master, not a Servant."
"Hmm, that Knight King is a good opponent too. Training with her before tomorrow's fight doesn't sound bad." Scáthach seemed somewhat intrigued.
Artoria, who was shopping with Morgan, shuddered unknowingly.
Sighing in resignation, Naoki agreed. "Fine, but I'm not sure if I'll have the energy to fight you then."
"Then fight me when you've got your energy back."
"Just fight in bed, why don't you?" Touko suddenly interjected.
Her comment made Aoko's face turn blue. "That… even if Riddell and I teamed up, we couldn't beat him. Don't push yourself, Touko!"
"Oh? The kid's that impressive?"
Touko's view of her student shifted, and Rei couldn't help but glance downward, while Riddell beside her turned her face away, cheeks slightly flushed.
Only Shiki and Scáthach's expressions remained unchanged. However, compared to Shiki's cold stare, Scáthach praised, "Hmm, a great warrior should have a strong physique. Surrounded by so many women, training your body becomes even more important. In that regard, you're doing very well."
"Why are you praising him, Lancer?"
"Don't say it. It's my personal business." Naoki said, rubbing his forehead. "By the way… Sensei, you're not going to say you want to fight me too, are you?"
Touko took a drag on her cigarette and shook her head. "No way. You think I'm like you all, a battle maniac with a brain made of muscle and violence? I came to find you to seriously discuss how to deal with Caster—Rider."
"Yes, Master."
Odysseus appeared behind Touko, glancing at the others and said, "Regarding how to deal with Caster, I believe some of you already have ideas. However, instead of confronting Caster directly, there's another way, though it's not exactly honorable."
"Speak."
"My idea is that some of us stall Caster at the front line while another group sneaks in to kill Caster's Master." Odysseus explained his plan. "Aside from Archer with Independent Action and a few other Servants, most Servants will return to the Throne of Heroes once they lose their Master's Mana supply or their three Command Spells are used up. I believe Caster is the same."
Naoki pondered for a moment. "If it can be done, that would be ideal, but I'm not sure Marisbury wouldn't have a contingency plan for himself."
"Even if he has a backup plan, it's fine. We have a cheater." Touko said with a smile. "Me, Shiki, and Aoko—while the Servants and the kid hold off King Solomon at the front, we'll sneak in to kill the Lord of the Department of Astromancy. That's the plan. What do you think, Aoko?"
"I'm fine with it, though it's a bit underhanded. What about you, Lancer?"
"Whatever. Using the right tactics to win—nothing wrong with that. But—" Scáthach gave a slight smile, "if we take down Caster before you do, that's fine, right?"
"That would be ideal."
"Seems we're in agreement. Shiki's on board too. Rider, if you want to use your Noble Phantasm later, just go for it. No need to ask my permission."
Hearing this, Odysseus immediately adopted a serious expression. "Understood, Master."
"Rider's Noble Phantasm…" Naoki's eyes flickered, then he hooked his arm around Odysseus's shoulder. "Alright, Rider, come here for a sec. Let's talk about something—it's really important."
"Huh? Okay, go ahead… Wait, you want to do that? Hmm, given the situation, it might be a bit… Standing on its head? A double attack, I see, that's indeed romantic. Yeah, it's very feasible…"
Seeing the two head to a corner to discuss, the women in the living room showed puzzled expressions.
What were these two guys talking about?