In the church, Kirei Kotomine sat silently, gazing at the scripture before him.
For a priest, reading holy texts alone was perfectly normal.
But he wasn't alone.
A blond man in a suit, Gilgamesh, smirked mockingly at Kirei. "Ever since that kid came to see you, you've been giddy, like you saw your lover. But now, days with no action, and you're restless again."
"I'm not restless," Kirei said, closing the Bible and turning to the so-called King of Heroes. "I'm just wondering if he's different from his father. Perhaps I expected too much of him."
Kirei smiled faintly. "After all, I'm different from my father, and my daughter is different from me."
"A woman who'd marry you must be pitiable... or perhaps just as unhinged," Gilgamesh sneered.
Kirei didn't bristle at the jab, even nodding in agreement. "She was troubled, choosing to die for someone like me."
Nearby, the blue-clad Lancer, Cú Chulainn, listened to their exchange, barely restraining the urge to roll his eyes. If he could, he'd leave this place. He had little interest in the Grail... just in finding a worthy fight.
But fate wasn't so kind. He was stuck here, bound to his cursed Master, Kirei Kotomine.
Thinking of his original Master, Bazett, Cú Chulainn sighed inwardly. She was experienced in combat, yet her trust in this man led to her betrayal... stabbed in the back, her fate unknown.
Bound by Command Spells, Cú Chulainn had to serve this man, which left him deeply uneasy.
If I could, I'd run him through myself, he thought darkly.
Unfazed by Gilgamesh's taunts, Kirei continued, "It's not just Emiya Shirou. This Grail War's participants are peculiar.
"They're all hiding their identities. Only Rin and Shirou revealed themselves to me. That woman doesn't count... she's out."
Gilgamesh knew Kirei meant Bazett. He'd planned to take her to the basement as a mana battery, but when he went to retrieve her, she was gone.
Kirei seemed unconcerned. He'd severed her hand and left her body carelessly, not bothering with her survival.
What puzzled Gilgamesh was that she'd vanished without a trace... odd, to say the least.
But more pressing to him now was another matter. "Speaking of Emiya Shirou, who's his Servant?"
"No idea, but given when he came to ask questions, Saber was his only option, so his Servant must be of the Saber class," Kirei replied.
Gilgamesh's lips curled. "Saber, huh? Makes me a bit excited!"
Kirei smiled, his expression hinting at unspoken thoughts, all veiled behind that smile.
He knew what Gilgamesh anticipated. In the Fourth Grail War, Saber... Emiya Kiritsugu's Servant... was the legendary King of Knights, a woman.
Gilgamesh had been smitten, obsessively wanting her as his queen, only to be soundly beaten by her.
Having gained a false body from the Grail's black mud, Gilgamesh lingered in this world. Hearing that Kiritsugu's son had summoned a Saber, he was clearly thinking of her.
Noticing Cú Chulainn's bored expression, Kirei said, "Go scout Emiya Shirou's house. See what he's up to. If possible, test his Servant's strength and confirm their identity.
"But if you're outmatched or sense danger, retreat immediately. I'm not flush enough to waste a Servant."
Cú Chulainn said nothing, vanishing in a flash.
Gilgamesh scoffed. "Why send someone? Still can't let go, huh?"
Kirei shook his head. "I just want to know who his Servant is."
Gilgamesh's eyes narrowed, but he said nothing more.
At Emiya Shirou's residence, confusion and uncertainty hung in the air.
The cause was the mature woman now sitting so close to Morpheus she was practically glued to him.
Just moments ago, Morpheus had introduced her as Caster, a participant in this Holy Grail War... someone who should have been an enemy.
Yes, should have been.
Artoria stared at the woman, at a loss for words.
"I'm almost certain Morpheus is right... the Grail is flawed. I've chosen to work with him, and Illya clearly has too. That girl, Sakura, said she's coming over today. She might be a Master, though it's not confirmed.
"Even if she isn't, we've got three Servants cooperating already. Now with Caster, that's four…
"If Sakura's a Master and joins Morpheus, that's five…
"So, we're left with maybe two or three enemy Servants, likely acting alone without allies. This Grail War will be nothing like the last... it's shaping up to be completely one-sided…"
Morpheus spoke up. "I'll start cooking. When Sakura arrives, I'll explain the situation in detail."
Artoria's suspicions solidified.
"As expected, Sakura's a Master too!"
***
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