"Speaking of Miss Sola, in your study there is still—"
"Enough! Stop!"
Kayneth's expression twisted with rare savagery. Only when struck at his most vulnerable point did this genius reveal such an undignified face.
"Who exactly are you?!"
With his roar, a torrent of mana surged forth, heat rolling over the room and striking at the three people and one beast present. The air itself felt like dry tinder before a blazing fire.
"Planning to fight?" A cold voice cut across the room, carried by an overwhelming surge of power.
Under that boundless magic, the suffocating heat dissipated instantly.
"Oh? To so easily dispel my Protection of the Sun God? Another powerful Servant is here?"
With that voice, Lancer materialized fully in the room. He stepped forward, fully armed, placing himself firmly before Kayneth. His gallant figure, striking features, and piercing gaze radiated a majestic aura, matched by crushing strength.
A single glance at his bearing was enough to understand why such existences were called Heroic Spirits.
Here stood a true hero who had once strode through myth itself. In another path of fate, he could have matched even the King of Heroes head-on.
The sight made El-Melloi, Ritsuka, and Mash recall their first meeting with Kayneth. Their bodies tensed reflexively into defensive stances against this unparalleled Lancer.
But the figure who appeared next drew all eyes.
If Lancer was the blazing sun in the sky, then Satsuki was the black hole of the cosmos.
Black hair, black eyes, black garments.
Everything was black, yet she drew all gazes toward her. Part of this was her flawless beauty, but more so it was the unfathomable depth of her Saint Graph and her transcendent aura.
"We meet again, both of you."
Her presence made Karna's brow furrow. This Servant was among the few in his lifetime who could suppress him directly. Now, with her so close to his Master, the situation had become perilous in an instant.
"So it was you—the mysterious Servant who fought Lancer that night. You're aligned with them?"
Kayneth too recognized her as the one who had fought his Servant to a standstill at the harbor. The calm strength she displayed then had shaken him deeply. It was not mere attraction to her appearance, but true respect for overwhelming might.
Yet, he now seemed to misunderstand.
Satsuki said nothing, only meeting Karna's eyes, offering no explanation.
Her silence Kayneth mistook as tacit admission.
And with that, he realized just how disadvantageous this negotiation had become.
In terms of information and sheer force, he no longer held the upper hand he once assumed.
The golden Solar Shield shifted, Lancer placing it before his Master.
White-haired Lancer and Satsuki exchanged a gaze. Invisible auras clashed, spiritual pressure rising sharply.
Yet neither invoked their Noble Phantasms. Satsuki did not awaken her Tenseigan, and Karna did not conjure his spear.
They faced each other with raw presence alone—no words, no killing intent, no provocation.
It was another kind of statement. Karna's appearance was a wise move: in the wake of his Master's faltering position, he sought to regain balance through sheer strength. Normally, it would have worked.
But with Satsuki cloaked by her particle form and the Vipralopa's concealment, even Karna's Eye of the Poor could not pierce her depths. Instead of easing tensions, his intervention only made the situation tauter.
Fortunately, both negotiators were rational magi. Kayneth understood well he could no longer seize the initiative in this exchange.
"It is indeed true that I will become Lady Reines' proxy," El-Melloi's voice rang out from behind Satsuki. "But I will only be granted that title four years from now."
"And all I have said just now serves only to prove one fact."
"…Oh."
Even Kayneth was not too foolish to miss what the other was implying, though his reaction did surprise El-Melloi slightly.
"To be able to laugh off such a matter… truly befitting the head of the Archibald family."
"Lancer, stand down."
Kayneth dismissed Karna. The Servant gave a slight bow before stepping back. With Satsuki present, even he dared not fully release his manifestation.
Forcing his gaze back onto El-Melloi, Kayneth said, "This talk of time travel—I have indeed heard of researchers obsessed with such pursuits."
"Though personally, I've always considered it a fruitless, foolish endeavor… I would like you to provide an explanation sufficient for me to understand."
His shock was ebbing, replaced once more with calm. When the subject turned to magecraft, his words brimmed with confidence.
"From its effects, it borders on the domain of True Magic. Hardly something a second- or third-rate magus could ever wield alone."
Thus, the two magi exchanged a discussion on the principles of time travel.
Satsuki did not follow their technical terminology, but two key terms caught her attention: the Spiritron Transfer System of Servant summoning and the Spiritron Calculation Engine.
After several minutes, Kayneth came to a realization. "So the rumors of Atlas' experiments were true… but…"
"Yes, and all of these great magical achievements were only made possible thanks to the Archibald family."
El-Melloi began spouting nonsense with a straight face.
"Eh~"
Through the telepathic link came Ritsuka's awkward tone. Even Satsuki understood his thought: Your flattery is a bit too much, isn't it?
Mash noticed her Master's strained expression and quickly reminded him through the link: "Senpai, now's the time for a poker face."
Kayneth's eyes gleamed with doubt. "You mean to say that in the future, the Archibalds achieve such results?"
"Of course. Such great accomplishments could only be achieved thanks to Lord Kayneth's brilliant leadership and oversight. And in the years to come, your position within the Clock Tower will rise immeasurably…"
Coming from a man of the future, any amount of praise could be taken as truth. El-Melloi seemed to grasp Kayneth's pride with uncanny precision.
Even so, his flattery was so blatant that even Mash felt secondhand embarrassment.
Only now did they realize why Chaldea had sent this man—this substitute Lord who was not renowned for strength—to help deal with this aberrant history.
For in his own way, his tongue was a kind of Noble Phantasm.
Even Dr. Roman, watching from afar through Mash's shield, could not help but feel admiration for El-Melloi's eloquence: If Director Olga Marie could hear this from the afterlife, I wonder what kind of face she would make.
"Hmph. I have no ties to Atlas. In fact, I despise those fanatics. I would never cooperate with such pessimists…"
That part fit Kayneth's pride and magus' worldview perfectly.
But then his expression shifted, twisting into something absurdly smug—as though he was pleased but trying, and failing, to hide it.
The once cold, haughty face warped into something completely out of place—no, not out of place, outright broken.
"I see~ mm-hmm~ well, perhaps it isn't entirely impossible after all!"
"Eh? Eh~~~!!"
"Are all the Lords of the Clock Tower secretly like this?" Mash buried her face behind her massive shield, struggling not to laugh.
Even Karna looked at his Master with an expression that seemed to ask, Who are you, and what have you done with Kayneth?
Though Kayneth quickly composed himself, the upward curl of his lips and the pride shining in his eyes betrayed him. The sharp arrogance he once exuded was softened considerably.
It made Satsuki reassess him slightly: I didn't expect this 'genius' to be so easily swayed.
Just then, the fire alarm suddenly rang without warning.
"…What's going on? Did something happen?"
Ritsuka Fujimaru muttered nervously, confused. Just then, the phone inside the room began to ring, the caller ID showing the front desk.
Kayneth calmly picked up the receiver and listened to the staff member's words. After he hung up, the sharp light unique to magi returned to his eyes.
"It seems a fire has broken out downstairs. The reception says we must evacuate quickly."
He set down the phone and addressed El-Melloi.
"It appears to be a small fire, but the locations are highly scattered. It looks like arson."
"Seems some Master has targeted Lord Kayneth… though it could also be aimed at our group."
Kayneth snorted dismissively, the unseemly loss of composure from earlier now entirely gone.
"If they wished to strike directly, there would be no need for such theatrics." Satsuki considered briefly, then offered another possibility. "This may be a diversionary tactic, a prelude to the real assault."
El-Melloi thought for a moment, then his expression shifted in alarm. He recalled—this was the prelude to the hotel bombing.
"Lord Kayneth, you and your fiancée must leave with us immediately. Our opponent this time is a cold-blooded killer who will exploit every opportunity."
At the mention of Sola, Kayneth's expression softened noticeably.
"I am already here…"
His fiancée stepped forward: a striking beauty with short crimson hair like blazing fire, yet carrying the chilling aura of an icy queen. She looked younger than Kayneth Archibald El-Melloi, perhaps only around twenty, radiant and alluring.
"Most likely. Perhaps just some impatient fool who witnessed the Warehouse Street battle, now seeking trouble. How amusing. Lancer."
"At your command."
"Lancer, head to the lower floors and engage—"
"No. Lancer should stay to protect you. I will go." Satsuki interjected firmly. "This is clearly a trap meant to divide us. They will have prepared countermeasures for every possibility. At worst, even your well-prepared workshop may not withstand it. The safest option is for you to remain together with El-Melloi and the others."
El-Melloi nodded in agreement. "She's right. If my memory is correct, the enemy should be Kiritsugu Emiya, the so-called 'Magus Killer.' He is perhaps the most lethal opponent a magus could face."
This was not the ancient era, but the modern world armed with firearms. For someone like Kayneth, who relied solely on magecraft—times had changed.
Though retreat was not unprecedented for Kayneth, fleeing without a fight was never his or Lancer's style. Yet when his gaze fell upon his fiancée, he forced his pride down.
"Very well. My workshop has a reserved escape route through the sewers. We must go at once."
With that, Kayneth, Sola, and Lancer led the Chaldean group through the tavern's emergency passage.
Meanwhile, Satsuki's figure blurred as she broke through a window, leaping into the street outside.
The streets were filled with evacuees, while hotel staff checked names on a registry as they guided people to safety.
Then, amidst the noise of the crowd, came faint explosions. The sounds were subtle, difficult to distinguish even for Satsuki amid the chaos.
But the towering hotel groaned with the dreadful sound of concrete and steel tearing apart beneath those blasts.
The civilians realized the change at once, panic spreading as they looked up at the collapsing building. This was no mere accident—it was a full-scale terror attack.
"The hotel's collapsing! Everyone, run—stay with your families and get away!"
The once-lively night market transformed instantly into a hell of fire. Screaming crowds scattered, fleeing the flying debris hurled outward by the blasts, surging frantically toward safer ground.
Satsuki's pupils shifted into the golden glow of the Tenseigan. Sweeping her gaze swiftly across the area, she soon locked onto her target.
Two figures stood alone by the empty seaside.
One of the figures was someone Satsuki recognized well—she had even used her as the template for Angra Mainyu's outward appearance.
The woman wore a silk shawl, knee-high boots, and a silver-fox fur coat, all clearly worth a fortune. She possessed excellent magical circuits, but more importantly, Satsuki could sense a connection between her and the Holy Grail itself.
The other figure was a blonde girl.
Her attire contrasted entirely: a crown upon her head, a blue cloak draped across her shoulders, emerald eyes radiating the dignity of a king. The noble aura blazing from her seemed to ignite the very air.
Without question, this was a powerful Servant. Through the Tenseigan, her identity was laid bare layer by layer.
"We should not be meeting for the first time, should we—King of Knights of Britain?"
Satsuki slowly walked toward them, her form manifesting into solidity.
Almost the very instant she appeared, the Knight King had already stepped before the white-haired woman, one hand raised, something gripped within it.
"The mysterious Servant who fought Lancer that night? Why are you here?"
Satsuki was mildly surprised at her vigilance. That skill—Instinct—was stronger than she had expected.
It was not mere extraordinary perception, but a form of future sight, a baseless yet unerring warning of danger. At the brink of crisis, it would carve open a path of survival even from the jaws of doom.
"To think one who upholds chivalry would aid their Master in doing this."
Her words carried quiet mockery, faint disdain. "Perhaps double standards have always been some nations' traditional art."
The unflinching scorn made the Knight King tighten her grip on the object in her hand. She accepted the rebuke silently, her emerald eyes filled with fury—not directed at Satsuki, but at someone else entirely.
"No. Saber is not here tonight to fight."
The long-haired woman stepped forward. "When she learned of tonight's operation, she begged me to accompany her here, to help save those who might be caught in misfortune."
"Is that so?" Satsuki shifted her gaze away from the silent Knight King. "And you are, madam?"
"Irisviel von Einzbern, Saber's Master in the Fourth Holy Grail War."
The mysterious Servant, standing before them, heard the Knight King finally speak. Her voice matched her noble aura, both stern and gallant.
"Might I make a request of you?"
"No. I am not one to owe favors, nor to leave debts unpaid."
"But…"
Before Saber could finish, Satsuki raised her hand, cutting her off. "I act only on what lies within my own interest."
With that, she swiftly formed hand seals. The golden glow of the Tenseigan flared in her eyes, releasing power that shook the heavens.
Under this overwhelming might, shattered rubble was drawn back together. Even the hotel, its structural core ruined by C4 charges, twisted and reformed beneath her power.
"This… what is this…?"
Even Irisviel, well-versed in magecraft, was struck speechless by the sheer miracle unfolding before her.
It was the same power Satsuki had displayed when restoring the coastal warehouses after her battle with Lancer. Saber too had observed it then, and had already guessed what her request might entail.
But this time, the miracle occurred openly before all. Its impact upon ordinary people would be immense.
Satsuki, however, was unconcerned. Her power did not rely on "mystery."
With little effort, she restored the dead matter around her. Thankfully, the civilians had largely evacuated during the process, so casualties were minimal. It was, all told, a relatively "noble" resolution.
Albeit one far from what the orchestrator had desired.
"Well then, the appetizer is dealt with." Satsuki withdrew the Tenseigan's power, turning her gaze to the Knight King. "Tricks of petty villains ill suit us. But the Holy Grail War continues nonetheless."
As she spoke, battle spirit surged from her. The folding fan in her hand dissolved, reforming as a black sword, which she leveled at the Knight King.
"Now—shall we settle this?"
The Knight King saluted her opponent. In her eyes, no longer hostility, but deep admiration and burning will.
"Mysterious Servant, your deeds embody the highest code of knighthood. To fight you is my honor. Thus, I—Artoria Pendragon, King of Knights of Britain—shall meet you in fair combat."