Two days had passed since Caster was eliminated.
"…Due to an incident involving my father, I will now be taking over the role of supervisor for this Holy Grail War." Kirei's voice echoed calmly through the hall.
Arthur, Iri, and Artoria had come to collect the Command Seal promised as a reward for subjugating Caster, but the one who received them was not Risei—rather, his son, who until recently had been an active Master participating in the war.
The change was so abrupt it almost felt like a bad joke.
To any attentive observer, it was deeply suspicious.
After the extreme physical, mental, and magical exhaustion caused by Caster, Kiritsugu and Maiya had returned to their hideout to recover. Once they were ready, they would resume their own operations.
Arthur, on the other hand, showed no reaction at all to this change.
He had already expected it—no, more accurately, he already knew it would happen.
It was one of the possible futures he had seen when using Sha Naqba Imuru.
His gaze briefly shifted to a pillar behind Kirei, then returned to the false priest.
Irisviel stepped forward. Her expression was clearly perplexed, mixed with suspicion.
"Kirei, as the Master of Assassin, you secretly conspired with Archer's Master and, not long ago, even attempted to assassinate other Masters—including us—using your Servant. Now that Assassin has been eliminated, do you really think it's appropriate for you to assume the role of supervisor?" Her voice was firm and direct.
Kirei did not hesitate to respond.
"I admit that I used some underhanded methods before," he said calmly.
His eyes shifted and landed on Iri.
More specifically, on the scene behind her, where Arthur was shamelessly exchanging teasing gestures and small interactions with Artoria.
As if they were anywhere else.
"But I hope you understand that, as Assassin's Master, my Servant did not possess the same direct strength as your Lancer," Kirei continued.
"Therefore, the only option left to me was assassination. A vile method… but one that aligns with the nature of my Servant."
He then gave a slight bow.
"I sincerely apologize if my actions caused you such discomfort, Miss Einzbern." His formality was impeccable.
But it was clear there was not a trace of remorse in his words.
"However, the Holy Grail War has not yet ended. My father was killed, and the culprit has not been found. Therefore, it is my responsibility to assume this role in his place for the time being."
"After this war ends, I will answer any questions you may have. What do you say?" Kirei's dark eyes were like a deep, impenetrable abyss.
"I hope you keep your promise." She crossed her arms and turned her gaze aside with a soft murmur.
"Certainly." Kirei smiled gently.
If you are still alive, Irisviel von Einzbern.
His thoughts, however, did not match his expression.
"By the way," he continued, smoothly changing the subject, "I must also thank you for your assistance in this campaign. Without your spear, it would have been difficult for anyone to contain the disaster caused by Caster."
This time, he bowed deeply toward Arthur.
"Well, that was my mission." Arthur replied simply.
Kirei paused briefly before continuing:
"Regarding the disaster caused by Caster… there is good news and bad news. Which would you like to hear first?"
"The bad news first." Arthur answered immediately, without hesitation.
Kirei turned slightly.
"The bad news is that the disaster affected nearly a quarter of Fuyuki City… and approximately 30,000 people have either died or are missing."
"Thirty thousand?!" Irisviel was completely stunned.
The number didn't feel real.
"Mm." Kirei simply nodded without emotion.
"And what is the good news?" Artoria asked, frowning.
"The good news," Kirei replied calmly, "is that despite the high number of casualties, nearly all of them were swallowed by the sea demon. After its destruction by Lancer's attack, the survivors either fled… or died before understanding what truly happened, so there are almost no direct witnesses to that night's events."
"The official explanation attributes the disaster to a tidal wave caused by movement in the earth's crust. This has greatly facilitated the concealment of the Holy Grail War."
"What kind of absurd 'good news' is that…?" Irisviel's voice trembled.
Her body swayed as if she were about to collapse.
Arthur reacted immediately, catching her from behind before she could fall.
"Iri!"
Artoria also stepped forward, supporting her.
"I'm fine~"
The Servant's soul within her pressed harder and harder, widening the invisible "crack" that slowly drained her vitality.
"Now then," Kirei continued, as if nothing had happened, "as the great victor of this campaign, you will be rewarded with a Command Seal."
He raised his right arm, rolled up his sleeve, and revealed a limb covered in crimson Command Seals.
"These are Command Seals left behind by Masters defeated in previous wars," Kirei explained.
Irisviel narrowed her eyes.
Something didn't add up.
"If they belong to defeated Masters… why isn't there a single one from your contract with Assassin? Logically, you shouldn't have used any."
Her gaze fixed on his right hand, now devoid of its original seals.
Kirei responded without hesitation:
"I used Command Seals to strengthen Assassin. Otherwise, he would not have been able to create so many clones for surveillance and assassination."
"Really…?"
Irisviel still seemed unconvinced, but it was only a feeling.
Assassin had already been completely eliminated, and his soul was now within her.
"There is no need for me to lie at this point," Kirei concluded calmly.
---
According to the agreement, Arthur's group received one Command Seal from Kirei as payment.
After obtaining it, they immediately left.
As they exited the Fuyuki Church, Kirei escorted them to the door, silently watching their figures fade into the distance before slowly closing it.
Behind one of the pillars, Gilgamesh remained in spirit form, having witnessed the entire exchange from the beginning.
As the church doors began to close, he revealed himself.
At the same time, outside—
Arthur, who had already taken a few steps away, suddenly stopped and turned his head slightly.
His eyes narrowed as he looked back.
For a brief moment, his gaze met Gilgamesh's through the narrow gap before the door fully shut.
Then it closed completely, separating the two sides.
"Humph~" Gilgamesh let out a soft snort, breaking the silence.
"What's wrong?" Kirei turned, genuinely confused. As an ordinary human, he lacked the absurd perception of those two.
"That guy noticed me," Gilgamesh said casually.
"What?" Kirei frowned slightly.
That wasn't good.
He had no intention of revealing his contract with the King of Heroes so soon—not before it became absolutely necessary.
But—
"Don't worry about it, Kirei."
Gilgamesh curled his lips into an arrogant smile as he removed his golden armor, replacing it with modern casual clothing.
"Do you really think I would lose to that man?"
"No… how could that be possible?" Kirei shook his head immediately. "You are the oldest hero of humanity and the king of all heroes. Lancer is merely a moon reflecting borrowed light… while you are the sun that shines eternally in the sky."
"Hahahaha!"
Gilgamesh's laughter echoed through the church, growing louder and more satisfied.
"Even though I know you're flattering me… that is the truth." His eyes gleamed with disdain. "Lancer is nothing I need to worry about."
Even if it was already obvious that they were essentially the same person with completely opposite mindsets, he had absolute confidence in his victory.
After all, he was Gilgamesh—the oldest hero of humanity.
Kirei stepped forward slightly, his mind already working.
"Lancer just fought an intense battle against Caster. He must be in a vulnerable state right now… perhaps we can take advantage of that—"
"Enough."
Gilgamesh raised his hand.
"Kirei… do not make the same mistake as Tokiomi."
The air seemed to grow colder.
"Who do you think I am?"
His gaze turned slightly sharper as he looked directly at Kirei.
"Defeating him in a weakened state… would be meaningless—and an insult to me."
An arrogant smile spread across his face.
"I will only accept that victory when he is at his peak. It will be a banquet truly worthy of my presence."
[A/N: Poor guy… he has no idea who he's dealing with.]
"..."
Kirei remained silent for a moment.
Then he bowed deeply.
Like a subject before an absolute king.
"May everything in this world unfold as you wish."
…
On the other side—
Arthur, Irisviel, and Artoria walked through the streets of Fuyuki with no particular destination.
The scene around them was unsettling.
Even far from the coastline, the impact of the disaster caused by Caster had already spread throughout the city.
Residents, still in shock, watched the movement of fire trucks, ambulances, and police vehicles with tense expressions. Many gathered along the sidewalks, trying to understand what had truly happened that night.
Meanwhile, Arthur and the two girls walked in the opposite direction.
"Where should we go now?" Artoria asked, breaking the silence.
"How about we go get some coffee? It's almost 9:00 a.m." Arthur suggested.
"You're right. It feels like I haven't eaten in days," Artoria replied.
"Artie, I'm going to go bankrupt if you keep eating like this," Iri said with a laugh.
"I don't eat that much…" Artoria replied, frowning.
---
(End of Chapter)