Hearing that, Irisviel was overcome with despair. All of her husband's struggles turned out to be nothing more than lies crafted by her own family. She wanted to tell Kiritsugu the truth, but how could she? Right now, she was nothing more than a prisoner in this house. The thought of negotiating with Allen crossed her mind, but what could she possibly offer that would make him listen? The answer—nothing. She had nothing valuable enough to draw the attention of that mage.
.....
Meanwhile, about 30 kilometers east of Fuyuki, a national highway stretched toward the mountainous region. Along the road, there were no human settlements—only thick forests lining both sides, creating an atmosphere of eerie silence.
To ordinary people, this place was shrouded in mystery. Some believed it was government land, while others claimed it was owned by an unnamed foreign corporation. Those who dared to venture in often came back with strange stories: that deep in the forest stood an ancient castle known as Dreamland Castle. The tale was dismissed as a mere horror legend, as many who entered the woods ended up lost, unable to find their way back.
But for the Masters and Magi involved in the Holy Grail War, the truth was clear—the castle was the Einzbern stronghold. Every six years, the family prepared a new Master to represent them in the war. The castle was protected by layers of illusion and magical barriers so powerful that ordinary humans could never hope to find it. Even rival Masters would struggle without prior knowledge. Only certain Servants—such as Gilgamesh, with his Clairvoyance—could pierce through its concealment.
Inside the castle, corridors were guarded by homunculi whose faces resembled Irisviel. They stood motionless by the doors, like living shadows of their mistress.
In the main meeting room, Kiritsugu sat across from Maiya, while beside him, Saber stood firm, her knightly posture unshaken. Spread across the table was a map of Fuyuki City, alongside several files containing the identities of Masters already confirmed.
"Have you found any information on Rider's Master?" Kiritsugu asked, his voice calm but sharp.
Maiya shook her head slightly. "Nothing. His face doesn't exist in the Mage's Association database. It's as if he appeared out of nowhere." There was a faint note of concern in her tone—she knew Kiritsugu's thoughts were still on Irisviel.
Kiritsugu was silent for a moment, then asked again, "What about Kirei Kotomine?"
The man from the Church was the most suspicious of all. His participation in the Holy Grail War was shrouded in questions—what did he truly seek from the Grail?
Maiya quickly handed him a folder. "All available information on Kotomine is here," she said curtly. This was the same man who had previously attacked her.
"He is the son of the war's supervisor, as well as the disciple of Tokiomi Tohsaka. Born in 1967, he traveled alongside his father, Risei Kotomine, on pilgrimages to various holy sites from an early age. In 1981, he graduated from St. Ignatius Theological Academy in Marseille. He skipped grades, yet still ranked at the top of his class. His record is… impressive."
Kiritsugu lit a cigarette, his expression dark. From the information alone, this man was already shaping up to be a formidable opponent in the war.
"If he had continued his studies, Kirei could have easily become a cardinal of the Church. But why did he suddenly give it up?" he muttered, a faint crease forming on his face. The question gnawed at him.
"Yes, it is strange," Maiya replied. "He had far better options, yet he chose to join the Church's internal organization. Could it be because of his family background?"
"No… not his family," Kiritsugu cut in quietly, shaking his head. "This man… he gives things up too easily. As if he's always searching for something else. He even followed his father into the same organization, yet transferred three times between divisions—as if he grew bored. He even served as an Executor once, and he was still a teenager at the time."
Kiritsugu drew in a long breath, cigarette smoke swirling in the air.
"The Executor Department is the bloodiest division within the Church. They are tasked with hunting, executing, and slaughtering monsters: Dead Apostles, heretics, anyone the Church deems an enemy. Very few survive the training required to serve there. To be recognized as an Executor means enduring brutal training beyond imagination. Their title is clear—first-class killers."
Kiritsugu continued reading through the report on Kirei Kotomine. The document stated that he was skilled in alchemy, spirit manipulation, summoning, divination, and even healing magecraft. He had even surpassed his mentor, Tokiomi Tohsaka, in terms of magical ability.
"This man is strange… and worth keeping a close eye on," Kiritsugu muttered. "His skills are evenly spread—he doesn't have one specialty that stands out, yet he can do everything competently. That's what worries me."
His gaze shifted toward Maiya, remembering how Kirei had attacked her, only to let her go despite having the chance to finish her off. It was as if he was toying with his prey.
"That man is truly dangerous," Maiya replied, her voice trembling slightly from the memory of facing him directly.
"Yes. He is dangerous—far more so than either the Tohsakas or the Einzberns. And I think I finally know his target."
"Who?" Maiya asked quickly.
"Me," Kiritsugu answered coldly. "But I still don't understand what he's after. Why is it that he focuses only on me?"
Saber, who had been silently listening to the exchange, said nothing. Maiya quietly clutched her still-injured hand, realizing that the dangerous man who had attacked her was fixated solely on the person who mattered most in her life.
"Master, what about the issue of the eighth Servant?" Artoria—Saber—asked Kiritsugu. As a knight, she seemed more concerned about the people who had been abducted by the second Caster, whose true identity was still unknown. As the King of Knights, she naturally could not allow such vile acts to go unanswered.
"You don't need to worry about that for now, Saber. Leave it to the other Masters," Kiritsugu replied calmly.
"Besides, it would be difficult for you to face Caster if you act recklessly—especially with your injuries not yet healed. And remember, Caster is not alone… he has Berserker with him."
Hearing her Master's words, Artoria clenched her fists tightly.
...
Meanwhile, at Allen's place. Allen was casually chatting with Sakura over the phone.
"Ohhh, do you really miss me that much?" Allen asked with a teasing tone.
[Onii-chan, Sakura really misses you… don't you miss Sakura too?]
"You silly girl, of course I miss you," Allen replied warmly.
[Then… can Sakura come back home?]
"Nope… at least wait a few more weeks. You know it's not safe for you here right now. Haven't you heard the news? There have been a lot of cases of missing children lately."
[But Onii-chan, you're still a kid too, aren't you?]
"Well… yeah, but the difference is that I'm a strong kid, hehe," Allen answered in a joking tone.
[Then… if Sakura becomes strong too, can she stay with Onii-chan if something like this happens again in the future?]
"Hmmm… let me think… yeah, I guess that'd be fine. How about this—Sakura has to become a strong Magus first. Then, if there's ever another war like this, Onii-chan promises to let you fight by my side. How's that?"
[Then it's a promise, okay Onii-chan?]
"Okay… but for now, I want you to go to sleep. It's almost midnight, and I don't want you getting ugly from staying up too late."
[Hehe, okay Onii-chan. Bye-bye, love you!] Sakura said playfully over the phone.
"Okay, bye-bye. Love you too," Allen replied in the same tone, though he couldn't help but feel a little confused at how a child her age already seemed to understand the meaning of love and romance. Maybe it's my fault she picked up this kind of habit, Allen thought to himself.
When he turned around, he noticed Irisviel staring blankly at him. She had just witnessed Allen's personality shift a full 180 degrees while speaking sweetly to a child on the phone.
"What? …Is something wrong?" Allen asked, as if he had completely forgotten how he usually treated the woman.
"No, Master. Nothing at all," Irisviel quickly shook her head, goosebumps crawling over her skin under Allen's gaze. She didn't want to risk upsetting this Magus's mood.
She wondered if all Magician were truly eccentric by nature… then again, she had heard similar rumors about those at the Clock Tower, who were often said to have bizarre hobbies as well.
Meanwhile, in a dimension between worlds, an old man with white hair and blood-red eyes was sitting on a chair—he was Zelretch.
"Achoo!" he sneezed. "Did someone just mention me? But who?"
Right now, he was observing a timeline that had just been formed. There, he saw a Magician who possessed the First Magic and the Third Magic. Truly astonishing—someone naturally born with both Magics. But how could that be? That was something that could almost be called impossible.
Well, the old man chose to just keep watching for now. If he acted recklessly and made an enemy out of him, that would basically mean looking for trouble. He also didn't want to be chased everywhere by Alaya's dogs, since he had already caused problems in several timelines—like giving a magic staff to a child named Illya and turning that child into something like a mahou shoujo. (PS: this happened in the Fate Prisma Illya timeline).
Allen stood on a bridge in the city of Fuyuki, the night breeze brushing against his face.
Suddenly, a woman with long purple hair appeared by his side—Medusa.
"Master, I sense a summoning spell," she whispered. "The source is in the underground waterway. They're heading toward the mountains now."
Allen raised an eyebrow, as if he had expected this. "Ohhh… so Caster finally made a move. And if they're heading toward the mountains, their destination is obvious—Einzbern Castle."
A faint smile tugged at his lips. "In that case, let's follow them, Rider."
Rider gave a firm nod. A radiant light shimmered as she summoned Pegasus, the divine winged horse that appeared in majestic glory.
Allen leapt onto its back alongside Rider, and in an instant, the mighty wings beat against the night sky, carrying them swiftly through the air.
Before long, they landed in the quiet forest, only a short distance from Einzbern Castle—where a great battle was about to unfold.
From my vantage point, I could see that Caster had already broken through the barrier protecting the castle—but my focus shifted immediately past him and onto the castle itself.
There, Allen spotted Kayneth stealthily slipping through the barrier, clearly searching for Kiritsugu. He even ordered Lancer to move separately from him. At the same time, Kotomine Kirei emerged from the forest, walking casually toward the castle as though nothing around him mattered.
"Why does it feel like everyone is targeting Kiritsugu? Did that man make too many enemies?" Allen muttered, before his gaze caught something else: a swarm of insects fluttering through the night sky.
"Hmph… Zouken. Looks like that old man still hasn't given up on immortality. Could he be aiming for the Lesser Grail? Well… things just got more interesting."
Meanwhile, inside the castle—
"Is that… Caster?" Saber asked, staring at the intruder revealed through the crystal sphere.
"It's not just him," another voice replied. "Rider and an unfamiliar Master have also arrived. But it looks like that one is… waiting for something."
Kiritsugu's expression hardened. "Saber, you deal with Caster." He had no other choice.
Artoria gave a silent nod before dashing off to engage Caster. Yet unease lingered in her heart—especially with the knowledge that Allen, too, was somewhere out in the forest.
Not long after Saber departed, the castle's entrance suddenly shattered into pieces, sliced apart by a force beyond recognition.
The one responsible was Kayneth, who entered boldly, his voice ringing out as he declared his challenge to Kiritsugu.
"He really came here just to duel me? Foolish." Kiritsugu muttered coldly, but his attention quickly shifted to the container holding Irisviel's heart.
"Maiya," he ordered without hesitation, "take the heart and get it out of here. We can't allow the Lesser Grail to be destroyed in the battle that's about to erupt."
Maiya gave a firm nod before swiftly carrying the vessel away, slipping through a hidden passage that led into the forest.
Inside the shattered hall of Einzbern Castle, the air grew heavy with tension. Kayneth stood tall, his elegant robes glowing faintly with the reinforcement of countless layers of magecraft. His eyes burned with disdain as he glared at the man before him.
"Emiya Kiritsugu," Kayneth's voice thundered, filled with pride. "You dared humiliate me… and now you will pay with your life! Face me in a duel, coward!"
*****
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