"Hm? Who is it?"
Though wearing the guise of a woman, Angra Mainyu was no ordinary person. Draped in a black shawl, she stepped out and opened the door.
Since Satsuki had given no warning, it meant the visitor posed no threat. Though that Servant was cold and merciless, she could be relied upon in certain respects.
"Hm?"
At the door stood a tall man, roughly one meter eighty. He wore a black priest's robe beneath a dark blue coat, a cross pendant hanging from his neck.
This priestly figure's eyes flickered with brief surprise upon seeing Angra Mainyu, before returning to still, deathlike calm.
"Are you the Master of that mysterious Servant?"
"Oh? Then that means you too are the Master of a Servant?"
"Indeed. I am the Master of Assassin, and also an executor of the Eighth Sacrament of the Holy Church, tasked with managing and recovering relics. My name is Kirei Kotomine. I have come to request something of you both."
Angra Mainyu glanced about. She sensed no Servant presence nearby. With narrowed eyes, she replied mockingly: "For an ordinary man with a touch of magecraft and hand-to-hand skill to barge alone into another Master's territory—that's hardly cautious."
"…"
Kirei Kotomine's expression did not waver in the slightest. His eyes were like stagnant water, his movements precise, as though measured by an invisible scale.
"Tch. How dull. Seems you and she would have plenty to talk about."
Angra Mainyu stepped back irritably, leaving space for him to enter. The two passed through the entryway into the living room—just as Satsuki emerged from her bath, wrapped in a bathrobe.
With her Tenseigan, she already grasped the situation. This man called Kotomine had some ability, on par with a chunin at best. Yet to her, he was no more than an insect.
What drew her true interest was his Servant—the source of the killing intent she had sensed after yesterday's battle. And the Holy Grail War itself intrigued her. The ritual that pulled the dead from history, infused them with imagined power, and set them loose upon the present.
In some ways, it resembled Edo Tensei. Yet their personalities were not identical. Each parallel world produced differences. This was one of the rare subjects in this world that stirred her curiosity.
So far, she had already crossed blades with Lancer, Caster, Saber, and Archer. Their strength was undeniable. Yet as their so-called Masters and the Holy Grail itself seemed so thin and fragile, the entire summoning system struck her as subtly off.
Like a teacup said to hold water—it could, indeed. But to pour an entire pond into such a cup? That felt absurd.
Surely, there were hidden factors she did not yet know.
She set those thoughts aside and stretched her awareness outward once more. Assassin's elusive presence was not something she could ignore.
"This may not be a true workshop, but to walk in unbidden is hardly wise. Kirei Kotomine, your purpose here may well decide your life or death."
Satsuki's damp hair draped over her shoulders as she entered, unconcerned, retrieving ingredients from the fridge to prepare a meal.
"…I am here in the capacity of a Church executor. The request is intended for all Masters participating in this Holy Grail War."
Kotomine's tone, like his manner, was measured and unwavering.
"Oh? That's an interesting way to put it." Satsuki counted casually on her fingers. "As Assassin's Master, you must have gathered ample intelligence by now. Saber, Archer, Lancer, Caster, Rider—you should have something on all of them. Only Berserker remains unknown. So, here's the question."
"What class do you think I am?"
It was a question perfectly in Satsuki's style. The essence was not curiosity over her class, but a test of what kind of existence stood behind this visitor.
A Servant who could converse with such rationality was certainly not a Berserker. On the rare chance he insisted she was, that would mean he wished to conceal his Servant's identity entirely, and likely held hostility toward her. In that case, Satsuki would refuse his so-called request without hesitation—and might even, on a whim, release killing intent to force Assassin into revealing himself.
But if he answered "I don't know," it would show he had at least some degree of understanding and caution toward her, suggesting a neutral stance.
If he truly wanted cooperation, he might even trade information—because Satsuki had already displayed her power openly many times. She had the capital to demand it.
"…I have indeed gathered information from many sources, and observed your battles as well. But for now, all I can say is that you are not among the seven classes of the Grail. As for further details, I cannot reveal them at this time."
His answer landed between cooperation and neutrality. Considering his position, it was expected—and implied the possibility of future collaboration.
Conclusion: Not a fool. Contacting him would not hurt.
After all, she had already crossed paths with the others. The only ones that still piqued her interest were Assassin, and the yet-unseen Berserker. As for the motives of these Masters—that was beneath her concern. Their level was far too low.
"Very well. I accept your request. But I have one condition."
As she spoke, Satsuki's thoughts wandered to what to cook for lunch. The dish she had made for Angra Mainyu earlier had stirred her own appetite. Even if she had no need for food, indulging her taste buds now and then was not unpleasant.
"You won't hear our request first?"
"There's no need. Has your Servant not told you? Some Heroic Spirits possess eyes that see the past and the future."
If not for the overwhelming mystery and skill of concealment that Assassin wielded, she could have traced some fragment of him through that power already. Hence the question earlier.
As for lesser matters—before these eyes, there was no need to waste words.
Kotomine might have some ability, but he was still only a man. Compared to a Heroic Spirit, he was a helpless infant. Satsuki held little interest in him.
The simpler the conversation, the better.
"Then… what is your condition?"
"After the request is complete, have your Servant meet me."
Kotomine's heart jolted. For the first time, a flicker of emotion stirred in his hollow eyes.
…
After a long silence, he finally whispered:
"…Very well. He permits it."
Boom! An abnormally loud blast reached the ears of those present.
Yet it was not truly a sound, but rather a magical pulse.
The signal, generated by specific tools and methods, could only be received by select individuals. In Fuyuki City, where the Holy Grail War was underway, such pulses served as a communication system used by that special circle.
"That direction… the Church."
Satsuki's perception already covered the entirety of Fuyuki. After all, this was not a vast metropolis, but merely a port city beginning to industrialize. Its advantageous location and flourishing exports had accelerated its growth far faster than expected.
"Yes," Kotomine replied. "That is the Church's signal, released whenever they need to inform the Masters of a significant decision."
He rose from his seat. The spicy aroma wafting from Satsuki's kitchen had been pricking at his senses, an odd experience for one so bereft of empathy.
"I recall Lancer's Master headed to the Church ahead of us. Did he say anything to you?"
"My apologies, but such information can only be disclosed in person."
"I understand."
Satsuki emerged from the kitchen, bearing a plate of mapo tofu. At the sight of the glistening red dish, Kotomine felt an involuntary swallow catch in his throat.
"It seems, as an executor of the Church, your meals there leave something to be desired?"
"Forgive me for showing you such a disgraceful side of myself…" For the first time, a flicker of longing appeared in Kotomine's eyes. "If I may, I would like to learn the recipe for this dish from you someday."
Satsuki set the dish on the table. Angra Mainyu, already seated, devoured the food at a shocking pace. She had taken quickly to spicy flavors. As the Evil of Humanity, accustomed to pain far beyond normal limits, such stimulation hardly fazed her.
"The most interesting flavor is the one you find for yourself—not the one you learn from others."
Satsuki spoke lightly, her attire shifting in the next moment back into her elegant black kimono, now traced with golden lines. Projected upon her body through spatial folding, the Dead Line Boundary shimmered faintly.
"Master, will you remain here, or accompany me to the Church?"
"I'll come. If even the Church's executor could find this place, then it's no longer safe. I don't intend to be dead weight in the Holy Grail War."
Angra Mainyu had no illusions about her combat strength.
Unless a Servant fell and was absorbed by the tainted Grail, her power was worthless in this war.
…
Inside the Church.
Kayneth stood with his hands behind his back, pride gleaming in his eyes as he inspected the arrangements of the Fuyuki Church. Inwardly, he judged them harshly.
"After all these years, the Church has shown no remarkable progress apart from the Burial Agency and the Scriptures."
Even so, he could not help but recall the words of that man from the future, recounting the achievements he himself was destined for—and feel smug.
To develop a device that allowed living beings to perform spiritron transfer and even interfere with parallel worlds.
Such a monumental invention, such an epoch-making feat.
"Of course, it was only thanks to Lord Kayneth's exceptional leadership and management that such greatness was achieved. Your standing in the Clock Tower will surely soar…"
Those words still echoed in his ears, and beneath his stiff facade, his heart bloomed with delight.
Even Karna, who was never overly close with his Master, could sense his rare good mood. Even after Emiya Kiritsugu's rule-breaking attack destroyed his carefully prepared workshop, he had not fallen to despair.
One reason was that Kayneth had already lodged a formal report with the Church regarding that blatant breach of rules—Saber's Master, Emiya Kiritsugu, and his underhanded assault.
When Risei Kotomine heard Kayneth's petition, he hesitated only briefly before accepting it.
In short, Emiya Kiritsugu was notorious among magi, without backing from any organization. His father, Emiya Norikata, had been sealed by the Association, and Kiritsugu should have been the fifth heir to the Emiya line. Yet a childhood tragedy turned him into a bounty hunter who preyed upon magi.
He was one himself, yet hunted his kind with means they disdained.
"The Holy Grail War is supposed to be a battle between magi, yet he uses methods outside magecraft. Worse, as a Master, he drags countless ordinary people into it…"
The wording had been carefully chosen. To eliminate such an unwanted element in the Grail War would be no loss. Yet since the Church and the Clock Tower were distinct, Risei Kotomine felt it unwise to let a Lord of the Clock Tower see the Church's judgment as partial.
"The existence of mystery and of magi are two sides of the same coin. Without magi, there is no mystery. Without mystery, there are no magi. Emiya Kiritsugu's actions undoubtedly undermine the very foundation of both."
Kayneth nodded, despising the man even more. He had often heard tales of colleagues slain by this "magus killer." But to Kayneth, such filth would never succeed against him.
At that moment, Lancer's voice whispered at his ear.
"Master, someone has come—it is that mysterious Servant and her Master."
Kirei Kotomine's faint presence was filtered out, but as the son of Surya, Karna was a peerless Servant, a god who valued contest. (Indeed, his legendary bond with Arjuna began with a rivalry that shaped their fate, though his deeds went unrecognized due to his birth.)
"Oh, that one?"
Though Kayneth's senses were not those of a top-class Servant, among magi he stood at the pinnacle. As he and Risei Kotomine waited in the Church hall for the others, he had set multiple wards around them.
Now, all of them blared warnings through his mind. He had never encountered such a thing.
"This magical wavelength… these circuits…"
A genius, Kayneth quickly matched the data to records in his vast knowledge. From the Master's feedback, he thought of a subject whispered among magi.
The Third Magic: Materialization of the Soul—a path to true immortality.
He had once scoffed at such principles, like the perpetual motion machine. To him, the Holy Grail War had seemed no more than childish play in some backwater. But now that he was in it, he saw its terror and enormity.
And Satsuki, entering the Church alongside Kotomine, too pondered the Third Magic.
With Angra Mainyu, the vessel of the Grail, as her guide, such truths were not hard to glimpse. Quickly, she had touched upon the deepest strata of this world.
As for the Third Magic—
To Satsuki, it resembled Heavenly Wheel Reincarnation and Edo Tensei.
One who mastered it could duplicate souls, transfer them, and materialize both one's own and another's. The similarities to the Tenseigan's powers were undeniable.
This was why she had pulled Angra Mainyu from the Grail. His form was peculiar: his body long gone, yet through the Grail's Third Magic, he persisted in another conceptual state.
Her own existence bore traces of Heavenly Wheel Reincarnation as well, though faint. His essence was mud-like matter, incapable of chakra circulation, only etched with magical circuits.
Such phenomena intrigued her. If she could integrate it with the authorities she commanded, her current physical immortality could extend to the spiritual and conceptual.
In shinobi terms, it would be akin to the immortal state Kaguya Ōtsutsuki had once attained.
But the Third Magic carried limits. The so-called Heroic Spirits materialized by it could still be destroyed. Strictly, they were projections. Their true selves resided in the Throne of Heroes. Only if slain there and recreated anew would the Third Magic reveal its full strength.
That level of power—the ability to recreate life from nothing—was divine authority, the domain of gods themselves.
Satsuki glanced idly at the [Three Divine Kings' Sacred Wheel] upon her wrist.
"Come to think of it, this so-called Throne of Heroes is much like a database."
But who administered and generated such a system? Such a notion was too vast for mere mortals.
It was a concept unique to this world—or, perhaps, mirrored elsewhere under other names. But with such function, it was exceedingly rare.