Rin took Shirou and Black to the back of the Tohsaka Mansion.
Through a step of stairs, they descended to an archaic, stony door, with strange glyphs etched over it.
With a simple touch of Rin's hand, the door opened, raising billows of dust in their faces.
It was a small but mysterious chamber, with ancient spell circles engraved on the floor itself.
As Rin entered with the boys, she lifted the long box she carried in her hand and put it on a slab next to her.
"The Tohsakas have held that treasure's secret for generations," Rin said, looking at Shirou and a pale-faced Black. She opened the box and showed what it held within. "This is the Azoth Sword, which closely resembles the Jeweled Sword of Zelretch. I've infused it with ten years of my Mana. Shirou. Use it to support your projection. Black…"
"… This is not enough," Black cut her off. "The Jeweled Sword is a Conceptual Weapon, capable of wielding infinite Mana from parallel universes. If Shirou projects the Sword, using the Azoth Sword as the basis, he would never reach the true might of that weapon. It's best if we…"
Rin's eyes narrowed. She didn't know how and why Black knew this much about the Jeweled Sword.
"Is Black right, Rin?" Shirou asked.
Rin took a deep breath and nodded.
"Then we must…" Shirou suggested.
"No," Rin said flatly. "We could have attempted to create the original sword IF we had enough time. Days. Weeks! Don't forget that it's all about saving Sakura… and you have only a couple of hours. With Azoth Sword, even if you don't reach the original might, you will end up with something, at least."
And saying that, Rin marched out of the chamber, scoffing at the boys' stupidity.
…
As Black and Shirou began diving into the Einzberns' memories to play the scenes of the past, when the Holy Grail War ritual had originally begun, Kai was seated on the Tohsaka Mansion's roof, Rider standing next to him.
Now that people already knew that there was another existence under the blackish appearance, Kai had decided not to hide himself anymore.
Venom had already fulfilled his purpose in the initial stage of the War by not letting Servants put too much focus on Berserker as a Heroic Spirit.
Most of Kai's face was still hidden under black tendrils, though, and only his eyes and his short, white hair were completely out in the open.
"… Are you sure about it?" Berserker asked. "Will she really go that far… even if she can't control it?"
Rider had crossed her arms on her chest, as if she was constantly trying to hold herself back.
She remembered the last conversation she had with Sakura. Her Master had mentioned how important Black was for this world's salvation. The girl had gone as far as to use a Command Spell, requesting Rider to help Black to the very end.
If it wasn't for that Command Spell, not even all the Servants present last night could have held her back from going to save Sakura.
Letting out a breath, Rider looked at Berserker and nodded. "She will… Because I know I would have…"
Kai's mouth flattened into a thin line. "And you sure you can't summon…"
Rider shook her head. "I lost the ability when your Master divided me into two…"
Suddenly, both Rider and Berserker's heads snapped in one direction before they blurred out of existence.
The next time they appeared, they were in a secluded alley.
In front of them, a small skeletal soldier wobbled, holding a paper.
Berserker and Rider shared a glance before the paper floated to them.
— SHE WILL DIE WITH SUNSET! HAHAHAHA!!! —
"HE DARES?!!" Medusa hissed, the skeletal soldier exploding under the wrath of her Mana.
"Wait…" Berserker said, his hazel, slitted eyes glowing yellow. "It's not what you think… Give me a moment…"
The Ad Infinitum used the Ancient Magical Script to decrypt the magic imbued within the letter, which even Rider hadn't sensed.
With a flash of black light, the entire message changed, making Rider's brows jump.
"… I will go and meet him…" Berserker said. "You go back and inform others…"
Rider nodded before disappearing, Kai vanishing in the next moment as well.
…
It was the same field where the 10th Servant had first appeared.
Under the sunrise, even the black craters seemed to glow gold, despite the vileness they carried.
In the middle of the field, Ainz Ooal Gown was standing majestically, holding his Staff.
Suddenly, the space in front of him blurred as another figure appeared — wearing a white suit and pants.
"In my thousands of years of life," the Overlord praised, "I have seen all kinds of excellent Spells. But the Spells you have shown… and haven't shown… surpass all of them, Mr…"
"Your Identify Spell didn't work on me?" Kai asked, smiling.
Ainz Ooal Gown remained quiet for a while. "… The Root has hidden the info related to you," he guessed. "Which makes it even more interesting, given that you are clearly a Contestant."
Kai was not only a Contestant, but also Berserker — a status acknowledged by The Root itself after he borrowed Heracles' fate. That's why the same set of Spells that had revealed the most intricate secret of Betty Shaw hadn't even revealed Kai's Code Name.
Of course, both Kai and Ainz Ooal Gown were lacking information regarding this.
So, when the Overlord said the next words, the ever-present smile on Kai's face faded, disappearing altogether.
"It can't be due to a… Glitch," Ainz Ooal Gown said casually. "Because the Director, an Order's Contestant I have on my side, has one… and I could see it clearly."
Kai and the Storyline Character, who has surpassed his Timeline, stared at each other, one lacking all emotions, the other's face incapable of showing one.
"What do you want?" Kai asked, contemplating unleashing his Reality Marble.
"I meant no offense," Ainz Ooal Gown said, his bones rattling, sensing doom. "You know my origins… So, I will be very frank with you, bro. I could give two fucks about the Greater Grail. Cannot even have it if I wanted to… I came here for one and one thing only…
"… The Jewel Sword of Zelretch!"
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