"Ha."
"That explosion last night, could it have been another participant?"
Jonouchi had just woken up and was looking out the window in the direction of the tremor, mumbling to himself.
He hadn't intervened last night, but it was clear that this so-called "tournament" had already begun.
"Alright! I'll go find someone to duel too!"
Being thick-headed, he wasn't concerned about future consequences, only thinking what came from his heart.
"Hmm?"
He glanced at the Duel Disk on his arm; its Spell & Trap Zones were already filled with cards.
The only monster he had sent out had yet to return.
"Hey, I've got to try."
For Jonouchi, this so-called "war" was nothing more than another duel.
If he could get his wish by collecting the six dragon balls, that would be a huge profit.
He had many companions' souls that he needed to save, and if he could achieve it this way, it wouldn't be bad...
"What does this mean, Kirei?"
Gilgamesh leaned back on the sofa, leisurely sipping wine, and asked Kirei Kotomine, who stood before him.
On the table directly in front of him lay a glowing dragon ball.
"Just a transaction."
Kirei Kotomine did not sit down unbidden; he was merely choosing the course of action most beneficial to him.
"I see."
"Indeed, this orb is something I have never seen in my treasury."
"Its luster and value are immeasurable; it is quite good."
Gilgamesh glanced at the orb with two stars embedded inside, genuinely interested in this item.
Even with his extraordinary experience and knowledge, he had never seen such a miraculous creation.
Perhaps it was the product of some deity?
Or it could be an artificial object from some civilization, but either way, it held a strong appeal for him.
After all, one naturally desires to possess what one does not have.
Especially Gilgamesh, as a "King."
"It seems you have carefully considered my thoughts."
"As a Servant, this indeed pleases me this time."
It was no wonder Kirei Kotomine was so proactive; he must have considered the unique nature of this Holy Grail War.
"Hoh, that is your reward."
Gilgamesh unceremoniously stored the orb before him in his treasury, and Ripples spread behind him, from which a cloth-wrapped object simultaneously flew out.
"This is..."
Kirei Kotomine caught the flying cloth bag with his hand, feeling its weight.
"The immortal elixir possessed by the gods of that country—no, by the immortals as the people call them."
"If you consume it, any injury can be healed."
"You want Assassin to recover, don't you?"
A smirk played on Gilgamesh's lips; he was well aware of Kirei Kotomine's thoughts.
Even if his personal ability among Masters was decent, without the help of a Servant, he would still be unable to proceed.
To prevent the worst-case scenario, Kirei Kotomine naturally wouldn't let Assassin remain in such a severely injured state.
But healing Assassin's injuries in a short time would not be so simple.
After much thought, he had no choice but to seek help from this "King of Heroes."
Of course, this was an action he took secretly, unbeknownst to his teacher, Tokiomi.
"Losing that orb also means you've forfeited your right to a wish, and acting like this behind Tokiomi's back, you're not entirely honest, are you?"
"As long as I still control a Servant, I can always seize new dragon balls from other participants; it's nothing to worry about."
Kirei Kotomine replied unmoved by Gilgamesh's words.
"Hahahaha, you certainly see things very clearly."
"Indeed, this Holy Grail War is different from previous ones."
"There are many new amusements."
At this point, Gilgamesh was quite pleased; he had never encountered such a peculiar war.
Mysterious dragon balls, strange Heroic Spirits, disputes between Master and Servant, wishes.
Even if he did nothing, he wanted to see what the final scene of this battle would be like.
"Truly delightful, Kirei."
..."How is it, Lancer? Not bad, right?"
"Phew, it's delicious."
Inside the hotel, while Kenneth meticulously set up bounded fields and other magical defenses, the Master and Servant were already "feasting."
"I'm telling you. It's useless no matter how perfectly you do it."
"If last night's bombardment had truly aimed, you would merely be toiling in vain."
Sakura Kyoko, as Lancer, turned to look at Kenneth and offered a kind warning.
She found it very difficult to understand what kind of mindset such a stubborn man possessed.
If it weren't for him being her Master's fiancé, she wouldn't even bother with him.
"Yes, you even wanted Lancer to go last night, and luckily I stopped you."
"Otherwise, she would surely have been as badly injured as Assassin, wouldn't she?"
Mentioning this, Sola showed a hint of blame; Kenneth didn't want to miss such a good opportunity yesterday, so he tried to order Lancer to attack.
But from the results, the choice to observe was correct.
Not every lucky person gets to emerge unscathed from such a bombardment.
"Hmph, just being prepared."
Hearing this, Kenneth's expression was terrible, but then he snorted coldly.
Given the current situation, it was indeed right not to go out last night; the battle between Servants was surprisingly "high-level" to this extent, which was beyond his expectations.
He just wasn't sure if last night's bombardment was a Noble Phantasm release.
Furthermore, he hadn't learned the opponent's class, but judging by the situation, it was highly likely to be Caster.
"Although there's a need to conceal mysteries, there are also those who disregard worldly opinions and act independently."
"Your arrangements could easily be for naught."
Sakura Kyoko understood such people well, much like the Magical Girl she knew named Akemi Homura.
Aside from Kaname Madoka, nothing else could sway her or make her care much.
"If you have time to say that, why not go out and gather information? Isn't that what you, as a Servant, should be doing? Instead of gorging yourself here."
"Excuse me, Kenneth, I am the Master now, so could you please not give my Servant orders randomly?"
"Sola."
Despite being repeatedly embarrassed by his fiancée, Kenneth never got angry.
After all, he hadn't become the Master this time but had voluntarily come as a helper.
If it weren't for his insistence, Sola would never have agreed.
"He's right, I've eaten a lot."
"It's time to go gather information on other Servants and Masters."
"After all, I need to give something back."
Finishing her food, Sakura Kyoko stood up and said seriously.
She wasn't here to play this time either.
To save the "comrade" who had turned into a witch, she would try any method.
Therefore, she must win this time!