Alaric fulfilled Artoria's "wish."
Their perfect coordination earned both their teams five points each.
... This made them the only pair in this round to fully satisfy both the taste and wish components.
Irisviel and Illya, the mother-daughter duo, could have come close to being the second.
But Irisviel deliberately "messed it up."
Her wish was for Illya to tell her a fairy tale, but the little angel thought her mother's wish was to "make up" with her... she had been ready to act mature and embrace her mother.
In the end, that "embrace" Turned into flailing little fists, pummeling her mother's body.
"Aaahhh... !"
"Let me go, let me go... !"
"I don't want your hugs!"
Illya, scooped up from the ground by Irisviel, pouted unwillingly, struggling while whining... in a way, they had indeed "made up."
"Shall we go home, Illya?"
"No way, I'm not going back."
"There's your favorite honey-glazed roast and strawberry sundae."
"...It's not made by you, right, Mom?"
"Though it's true I didn't make it... that hurts my feelings, Illya."
"But your cooking is just awful, Mom!"
"Then grow up quickly, Illya, and cook for me, okay?"
"Ugh... fine, since you're my mom."
Amid the mother and daughter's laughter, the illusion called [Rome] faded, and the reality of [Fuyuki City] reappeared before everyone.
It was eight in the evening, not too late. Before the night deepened, they could enjoy a brief respite from the war or prepare for the next battle.
... As for this round's competition results?
Who really cared about that?
...
An hour and a half later.
Fuyuki outskirts, Einzbern Castle.
A large group gathered at the castle's entrance.
Masters were there, Servants were there, even Risei Kotomine and Kirei Kotomine... two "informed" individuals with little direct connection to this Holy Grail War... had shown up.
This was the full extent of the "mystic side" forces that could be mustered in Fuyuki City on short notice.
"All the World's Evil, huh."
"If it weren't for the saint's assurance... honestly, I'd still have trouble believing it."
"What a troublesome situation."
Risei Kotomine, once a stern and devout priest, had gradually softened into a more kindly figure since Caren's arrival in the city.
In his youth, he had been an Executor of the Church, dedicated to exorcising evil.
But honestly... an opponent like [All the World's Evil]? Was that really something they could handle?
"It sounds terrifying."
"No disrespect intended, but the last one to bear such a concept... was that Holy Figure."
Risei spoke with concern.
Though he didn't name names, everyone knew who he meant.
The incarnation of God, the founder of the Holy Church, the Messiah who walked the earth, bearing all of humanity's sins... He atoned for mankind with His life.
"But doesn't that also prove that divinity isn't omnipotent?"
"Even if humans are born sinful, those sins don't need divine redemption."
The speaker was Kayneth... somewhat arrogant, somewhat mocking.
It wasn't exactly "elegant."
But it was a necessary stance for him to take.
In his words, only in this remote eastern land could "magi" And the "Church" coexist harmoniously.
In Europe, especially in the Church's strongholds of Southern and Western Europe, magi and the Church were like fire and water.
As for Kayneth, despite his youth, he was the head of the El-Melloi family, one of the twelve lords of the Clock Tower, and a leader of the conservative faction.
His influence in the Magecraft world was equivalent to that of a cardinal in the Holy Church, both representing the highest echelons of their respective domains.
... Above them were only the Wizard Marshall or the Pope.
Kayneth's earlier jab at the Church was his statement on behalf of the [Magecraft side]... this incident was caused by the Tohsaka, Matou, and Einzbern families, so the magi had to be the ones to resolve it.
As for the Church's contributions... in the [Study and Preservation of Fuyuki's Greater Grail System] report, he would include a line like "Gratitude for the assistance and support provided by Fuyuki's local forces."
"Caster, I leave the rest to you."
Kayneth turned to the middle-aged magus.
"Understood."
The magus nodded, sparing no extra words. He activated his [Mystic Eyes of Appraisal], examining the leyline structure beneath the castle.
... Trivia: Magus family strongholds are always built on leyline nodes to better harness the mana within the earth.
Fuyuki City had four leyline nodes, occupied by the Three Founding Families and a temple called Ryuudou Temple.
The Tohsaka and Matou residences were in residential areas, and Ryuudou Temple was unfamiliar, considered an "outsider."
Thus, to "protect secrecy" And partly to "protect civilians." They chose Einzbern Castle, far from populated areas, as the battlefield against [All the World's Evil].
"For the next few days, the saint and I will construct the magical barrier here."
"It'll take about four days... plenty of time."
Caster took on the task of building the barrier without hesitation.
Jeanne Lily's role was to incorporate the critical [Baptismal Chant] into the barrier... a Church-exclusive "Magecraft" particularly effective against enemies like All the World's Evil.
"With this, the basic defensive perimeter against All the World's Evil is complete."
"Now for the second objective."
"How to purify All the World's Evil while preserving the Greater Grail system."
"And... "
Alaric glanced at Irisviel, who was playing with Illya in the garden, lowering his voice slightly:
"How to ensure Irisviel, the Lesser Grail, survives after this Holy Grail War."
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