Chapter 253: The Pseudo-Servant Host Group
This time period happened to miss the peak hours. Salarymen were already working hard in their offices, and tourists were still wandering the streets, so when the teenagers entered the subway, they had a carriage all to themselves. It was completely different from when they arrived; it didn't feel crowded at all.
"Come to think of it, if there really is a group of people trying to snatch the Holy Grail, what should we do?" Artoria asked.
"Yeah, that's quite a dilemma," Shirou said, feeling very conflicted.
"Eh! Onii-chan, does that mean Komachi and everyone else will become targets for bad people? Isn't that super dangerous!" Komachi said in surprise.
"No, while that is serious and we do need to find a way to investigate as soon as possible—and if the opponents are villains, we must reclaim the Grail to prevent them from doing evil—I'm actually worried about something else," Shirou said with a wry smile.
"Shirou, there's nothing to be conflicted about! If someone comes to provoke us, just leave it to me to finish them off! Coming to this world, I thought it would be boring, but it turns out something interesting has appeared after all. Hehe..." Jeanne said with a smile, her eyes full of fighting spirit.
"Hmph, if such bold people actually exist..." Artoria's cold face also broke into a smile.
"Ah, that's exactly what I'm most worried about!" Shirou said helplessly. If Artoria and Jeanne had a major brawl in this world, it would be terrifying.
With two girls powered by the Holy Grail—one being a battery with infinite shells and the other a fire-breathing fortress—the entirety of Tokyo might be destroyed in less than a day. Whether they fought or not, it made his heart tremble with fear.
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Back in the conference hall, the two quarreling men, under the supervision of the others, stopped their hands and didn't come to blows.
The majestic man nicknamed "Sir" had already jerked his hand away, sat back in his chair, and remained silent and sullen.
He had run away from home as a child and lived a life of cheating and kidnapping. Later, he was scouted by the Organization and received various training. Because his performance and abilities were excellent, he was assigned to be a mole. He successfully entered the police academy and became a police officer.
By coordinating from the inside, he provided intel to the Organization while also making great contributions to several operations that swallowed up other rival Yakuza groups and raided competitors.
To this day, he had become an Inspector at the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Headquarters before the age of thirty-five. Compared to those "second-generation" elites with powerful families, he was already considered part of the most outstanding group.
Now nearly forty, he had already maneuvered things so that he would soon be promoted to Superintendent. If he accepted a provincial transfer, he could immediately rise to a status equivalent to a "Division Chief"—one could say his future was limitless.
But for a man like him, everything he had done previously meant that a Yakuza organization held leverage over him. During a secret meeting, the original Chairman had encouraged him to work hard and strive for merit, promising that the Organization would provide the funds to smooth everything over for him.
Though it was framed as encouragement, the subtext was clear: even if he reached the rank of Senior Superintendent, the Organization still wanted him to remain their informant dog.
Now, even if he wanted to be a "good person," it was too late. To avoid being bound by his past, he had no choice but to actively seek power.
It was at that time that he came into contact with the Pseudo-Servant system. Through a web page that popped up on his phone, he established a contract with a Servant compatible with him, gaining power beyond that of ordinary mortals.
Having obtained the power to change his current situation, the first thing he did was eliminate the Chairman and the veterans of that faction. Because of his background, he couldn't trust anyone else as Chairman, so he had to take over the entire organization himself.
However, because he took power through force, and since he was originally an undercover agent, even as an Inspector he wasn't truly qualified to hold total power. Now that he had suppressed the opposition, the gang—both inside and out—inevitably felt the impact.
In the business world, those who had close ties with the former Chairman looked down on him, and all refused to cooperate. Several other houses were also looking to stir up trouble, wanting to bargain. Once he found the time, he would definitely show these guys what for.
As a mole, it was rare for heaven to open its eyes and grant him new power, but he hadn't expected it to be so difficult to execute.
Recently, a shipment from France sent to a hidden factory near Mount Fuji was found with a huge hole smashed into the container. Because the location was exposed, the factory—built secretly with a large sum of money—had to be abandoned.
And the drug trade in the city was being hindered by this idiot in front of him who refused to make money. He had clearly promised the boy a 50% profit share to bring him in, but the brat insisted on talking about "justice."
"Alright, alright, Kintaro, calm down." The Queen stepped forward and hugged the blond man, making him sit down.
"This isn't over! Not as long as you don't get the hell out of my territory." The blond man sat down, huffing with anger.
He was a native "Edokko" born and raised in Chiyoda Ward. His grades weren't great, but he had a wide circle of friends. His secret was making friends with his fists—as long as someone was a "man," you'd know if you could get along after a fight. To stand up to strong opponents, he had trained himself into a mass of muscle.
After getting his driver's license, he became obsessed with motorcycles. Using his own custom paint jobs, added spoilers, and neon lights, he planted his team's exclusive flag. Then, wearing a long white robe embroidered with "Yoroshiku" (Night Road Death Bones), he would race through the mountain passes at night with his buddies.
He engaged in races that pushed the limits of speed, dancing between life and death against powerful bikers. Though misunderstood by average people, he lived a carefree life.
What he hadn't expected was that someone like him would receive the recognition of a Hero. Though his childhood nickname was also "Kintaro," he never expected he could possess the Herculean strength that used wrestling bears as a pastime, or the Dragon God's ability to command lightning.
After gaining this power, he hadn't thought about doing anything special—until trouble came knocking.
His friend's younger sister had gone out to play at a nightclub without permission and was targeted by some unknown guys. After being drugged and taken away, she never returned home. It wasn't until an acquaintance said they saw the girl in a nightclub that he found her, looking haggard beyond recognition.
He hated that kind of soul-destroying filth from the bottom of his heart. Usually, he ordered his subordinates never to touch that stuff, yet now someone was using it.
He didn't understand grand philosophies, and he never believed that the law or "pigs" (cops) would protect people like them, but he could still tell right from wrong.
One's own people must be protected by their own. In the past, without enough power, he might have only been able to charge in with his subordinates and cause a reckless mess. But now, with this power, he could solve everything alone.
So, he went directly and smashed the opponent's shop, took the girl away, broke the arms and legs of the guys who drugged her, and then hunted down the mastermind.
If killing him could solve everything, he wouldn't hesitate to do it right now.
However, acting here would make him the public enemy of everyone present, so he held back. After all, everyone who came here had only one purpose: to protect the Holy Grail that belonged to them all.
The mustached gentleman spoke up: "Then let us return to the main topic. The war will break out soon. In another week, the chosen ones from China, India, Thailand, Vietnam, Korea—the Asian circle—and Russia will all gather here. We must cooperate to defeat these outsiders and seize all the Holy Grails into our hands."
The man dressed as a host stood up. Skilled in social interaction, he was the best-informed. He also had a subordinate—a man who had summoned a "Hassan" Pseudo-Servant—acting as a scout to spy on various figures.
The man directly connected his phone to the conference hall screen and opened several high-definition candid photos, explaining: "According to the intelligence I've gathered, a group of high schoolers suspected of being related to Chaldea was recently discovered in Okinawa. They seem to be clearing out magical beasts running wild in various pocket dimensions across Japan."
"Eh, they're all delicate and cute girls. I didn't expect them to be doing that kind of work. It seems they are women worth hitting on," someone said in surprise.
The host man warned: "Please do not underestimate them. Each of these girls is very strong; it's very likely their synchronization rates have reached the maximum value. They are students from that famous international high school in Chiba Prefecture. Going to Okinawa was just for a vacation. I believe they will return to Tokyo soon."
"Eh? 100%? How did they manage that? Even though Servants have different personalities, and you can increase synchronization by doing things they like, there should be a limit to that method," the Queen exclaimed in surprise.
Achieving 100% synchronization was easier said than done. If one cannot connect heart-to-heart, it cannot be achieved. Establishing 100% synchronization, in a sense, means establishing an intimate, "soulmate" relationship where nothing is withheld. It's like finding a needle in a haystack.
"Furthermore, at 100%, it means entrusting both body and soul to the Servant, a state of truly becoming one. Won't there be issues?" asked Miss Iron Maiden, frowning.
Inside her was the Assassin, Elizabeth—the vampire famous in legend for bathing in the blood of virgins to maintain her youth. They were both sadists with similar hobbies. They performed the Pseudo-Servant summoning and punished the club's "slaves" together; they were pleasant playmates, and their synchronization had risen steadily during their time together.
Although she understood that Elizabeth wasn't as cold-blooded and ruthless as the legends said, she had no way to soothe the pain in the other's heart. They might be good friends, but to fully trust each other with body and soul to reach 100%... she couldn't imagine it at all.
"If they are strong enemies, we can't just leave them be. Why don't you leave it to me to deal with them?" the middle-aged man, who was a Police Inspector by trade and a Yakuza boss on the side, spoke up.
"You said they were beauties, right? That's good business; I won't let such gems go to waste. As long as we find a way to take their phones and disguise it as an accident, it'll be easy for us. We can lock them up somewhere to break their will and train them. There are plenty of ways to make these women obedient. After a year when the heat dies down, I'll pull some strings to change their status from 'missing' to 'deceased,' erase their household registration, and have them work as illegal slave-escorts in high-end clubs. That would bring in a very nice income," the Yakuza boss said with a twisted smile.
"Hey! The opponents are just high school brats! Your heart really has been eaten by dogs. I'll kill you right now, you bastard!" Kintaro said irritably.
"Why don't you people understand? We are extraordinary beings chosen by the Lord. Everything we do will be right, because we are destined to lead this world into a new.
Those who don't possess this power are already destined to be the dregs discarded by the era. Only by following me can you obtain infinite wealth and supreme glory!" the Yakuza Inspector shouted his declaration with a twisted face. Behind him, the silhouette of a man dressed as a Captain loomed, and a powerful aura erupted from his body.
This was a proof of strength. Among the twenty-plus Pseudo-Servant hosts present, he was one of the few strongest of the strong.
"Don't take your filthy, corrupt heart as the standard for everyone! You aren't the only one with 100% synchronization!" Kintaro also released a powerful surge of magical lightning, looking at the Yakuza Inspector without fear.
"They say every man for himself, or heaven will strike you down, but I never thought about squeezing in to stay with a bunch of animals like pigs and dogs. If there's to be a competition, I'd still prefer to compete with humans," someone spoke up.
"Well, I don't dislike tormenting others, but I only swing the whip and drip wax on those who like being treated that way. I hate forcing people who aren't masochists to act like pigs; those kinds of screams aren't pleasant to the ear at all," the woman known as Iron Maiden said, waving her hand.
But perhaps that was exactly why the Yakuza Inspector could achieve 100% synchronization, while her synchronization with that monster named Elizabeth was only in the 80s.
"I've already sent people with concealment abilities to monitor them, but the opponent seems to have someone with very sharp senses, so we can't get too close," the host man replied.
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At this moment, on the beach of another island, the girls were having fun on the sand. Although the weather was still very cold and they couldn't go swimming in the sea, it was a rare vacation, so they played every game possible on the beach.
Yuigahama and Asuna were playing beach volleyball, Yukinoshita was sitting under a parasol reading a book, and the ponytail girl, Gudako, was applying sunscreen for a pink-haired girl.
The girls didn't notice that not far away, a hidden, transparent dark shadow was standing by a large tree, peeking out at everything happening here.
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