"Damn it... they actually joined forces with the Church to set such a trap?" Kariya Matou hissed, watching the news through his familiar. He had already guessed the true motive behind the Church's announcement. While it looked like a generous reward, the requirement to collect a Command Spell directly from the Supervisor meant and Master would have to expose their identity.
If Sakura went, she would be unmasked instantly. She was just a little girl, far lacking the physical and protective capabilities of an adult. No matter how powerful Berserker was, he couldn't be everywhere at once to protect her from a city full of hostile Masters and Servants.
Even the familiars were being managed by Kariya, as Sakura had no formal training in magecraft. She was just a child caught in a war she barely understood. If Berserker weren't as exceptional as he was, her safety would have been compromised long ago.
"If we stay away, every other Master will have an advantage over us... but if we go, we lose our secrecy," Kariya muttered, his brow furrowed. He had considered going in her place, but Risei Kotomine would see through his lack of a contract in an instant.
A hand suddenly rested on his shoulder. Kariya turned to see Berserker, who gave him a solemn, stabilizing look. The Servant then picked up a drawing board and wrote several large, neat characters: [No Need to Worry].
"But..."
Berserker quickly wrote two more lines: [No matter how we hide, they will find us eventually.] [Only by ending this conflict ourselves will she truly be safe.]
Kariya fell silent. He couldn't argue with that logic. From the moment Sakura summoned Berserker, her involvement was set in stone. Her Servant was far too powerful to go unnoticed, and Tokiomi Tohsaka's plan was just the beginning of the scrutiny she would face.
It wasn't just Tokiomi who wanted to unmask Berserker's Master. Every team—Saber's, Rider's, all of them—was desperate for information. By framing Lancer, the Church was effectively conducting a 'joint search' for the wildcard Master. To ignore the reward now would only raise more suspicion in the future.
"So, what's your plan?" Kariya asked, looking at his Servant. He had planned to assassinate Tokiomi, but the man had remained stubbornly secluded.
Berserker wrote: [They are hunting Lancer, and I...] [Will be hunting them!]
Kariya swallowed hard, feeling the weight of the resolve behind those words. He watched Berserker's back as the Servant turned away, the conversation effectively over.
...
"What is it?"
"I have a bad feeling about this," Jonouchi replied, his arms crossed as he scanned the quiet street. Kyoko Sakura looked at him, puzzled.
"A bad feeling?"
"Yeah. My intuition has never steered me wrong. I think something big is coming. We need to move."
He didn't wait for her to agree. He suddenly grabbed her hand and began to run. "Hey!" Kyoko shouted, but he ignored her, pulling her away from the area at top speed.
Moments after they vanished, a figure appeared in the shadow of a nearby alley.
"Gone?" Kenshin murmured, looking at the empty street where Lancer had been only minutes before. It was unusual for Two Servants like Caster and Lancer to cooperate so seamlessly without conflict. 'They must have formed an alliance,' he concluded. Caster was an anomaly, and his presence would only complicate the coming siege.
...
"You never fail to surprise me," Gilgamesh said, looking at a map detailing the Fuyuki leylines.
"I simply felt that a King should not be hindered by something as trivial as magical energy restrictions," Kirei Kotomine replied, performing a respectful salute. "I have prepared this gift accordingly."
The 'tribute' Kirei offered was a direct tap into one of Fuyuki's primary leylines, located by Kenshin during his scouting. Using the techniques taught by his father, Kirei had found a way to channel that energy directly into the King of Heroes.
"Hahaha! Well done!" Gilgamesh laughed, thoroughly pleased. "Kirei, you are proving to be far more useful than Tokiomi."
While Gilgamesh had his own ways of replenishing mana via his treasury, he wasn't about to turn down a surplus. He was already considering 'replacing' Tokiomi. The man was a stubborn subject who lacked any sense of the 'atmosphere.' Perhaps a new Master—one more suitable to his tastes—was in order.
"Sit, Kirei. I allow it," Gilgamesh said, gesturing to a nearby chair. Kirei felt a surge of pride; sitting as an equal to the King of Heroes was a privilege few could claim.
"Tokiomi has been making moves behind my back lately," Gilgamesh noted, his tone cooling as he poured a glass of wine.
"It's a trap designed to reveal Berserker's Master," Kirei explained truthfully.
"Boring," Gilgamesh scoffed. "They're so afraid of the Servant that they go after the child instead? Typical small-fry behavior."
Kirei watched the King, and then heard words that chilled him to his core.
"But if Tokiomi knew that Berserker's Master was, in fact, his own daughter... I wonder what expression he would make? I'm quite looking forward to it."
[PS: Servant Status Info]
**Rider (Lelouch):**
Knightmare Summon (A): Commands his signature mecha from his previous life. The mecha is fully functional but requires significant mana to operate.
Geass (A++): The 'Power of Kings' granted by C.C. Can command anyone through direct eye contact, overriding their thoughts, ethics, and even their very identity. Lelouch used this to conquer an empire.