"Whew..."
"That explosion last night... could that have been one of the other contestants?"
Jonouchi had just woken up, peering out the window toward the direction of the disturbance with a mutter.
He hadn't gotten involved the previous night, but clearly this so-called "tournament" was already underway.
"Right! I should go find someone to duel too!"
Ever the bold type, he wasn't one to overthink the consequences. The thought came straight from the gut.
"Hmm?"
He glanced down at the Duel Disk strapped to his arm. The Spell and Trap zones were already packed with set cards.
The one monster he'd sent out still hadn't returned.
"Hey, gotta at least give it a shot."
For Jonouchi, this "war" was nothing more than another duel. If gathering six more Dragon Balls was all it took to earn a wish, that was a jackpot. Several of his comrades' souls needed saving, and if this was a path to do it, he wasn't about to pass it up.
"What is the meaning of this, Kirei?"
Gilgamesh lounged on the sofa, nursing his drink, and eyed the figure standing before him.
On the table between them sat a Dragon Ball, gleaming with inner light.
"Merely a transaction."
Kirei hadn't taken a seat uninvited. He was simply choosing the course of action most advantageous to himself.
"I see."
"Indeed, this bead is something absent from even this King's treasury."
"Exceptional luster, immeasurable value. Not bad at all."
Gilgamesh cast a sidelong glance at the orb, its interior housing two stars, and genuine interest flickered across his features.
Even with his unparalleled knowledge and experience, he had never laid eyes on such a marvelous creation. The work of some deity, perhaps? Or the artifact of an unknown civilization? Regardless, it held considerable allure for him.
After all, what a King did not yet possess, he naturally desired.
Especially a King named Gilgamesh.
"It appears you've given careful thought to my preferences."
"As a subject, this gesture does please me."
Small wonder Kirei had approached so proactively. He had clearly weighed the unique circumstances of this particular Holy Grail War.
"Heh, then consider this your reward."
Without ceremony, Gilgamesh absorbed the orb into the Gate of Babylon. In the same motion, ripples formed behind him as a cloth pouch emerged, sailing through the air.
"This is..."
Catching the pouch, Kirei registered its weight.
"A divine elixir. In the land of its origin, they call their divinities 'Immortals,' and these are the pills they possess."
"Consume one, and any injury will heal."
"You want Assassin restored, do you not?"
A smirk curled at the corner of Gilgamesh's lips. He knew exactly what Kirei was after.
Even a Master as personally capable as Kirei would be crippled without his Servant's support.
To prevent the worst-case scenario, Kirei would never leave Assassin languishing in critical condition.
But restoring those wounds in a short timeframe was no simple matter. After much deliberation, his only option was to appeal to the King of Heroes.
Of course, all of this had been done behind his teacher Tokiomi's back.
"Losing that bead also means forfeiting your right to make a wish. Going behind Tokiomi's back like this... you're not exactly the obedient student, are you?"
"As long as I maintain my Servant, I can always seize a new Dragon Ball from another participant. It's of no concern."
To Gilgamesh's probing remark, Kirei answered without missing a beat.
"Hahaha! You certainly see things clearly."
"Yes, this Holy Grail War is unlike any before."
"It's brought quite a bit of new entertainment."
Gilgamesh was genuinely delighted. Never before had he encountered such a novel conflict.
Mysterious Dragon Balls, unusual Heroic Spirits, tensions between Masters and Servants, clashing wishes...
Even without lifting a finger himself, he wanted to see how this war's final act would unfold.
"Truly pleasant, Kirei..."
"Well, Lancer? Not bad here, right?"
"Mm, it's delicious."
Inside a hotel room, while Kayneth busied himself meticulously setting up wards and other magical defenses, the actual Master and Servant pair had already moved on to "dinner."
"Look... no matter how perfectly you set all that up, it's pointless."
"If last night's bombardment was aimed at us, all your handiwork would be wasted effort."
Turning to glance at Kayneth, the Lancer, Sakura Kyoko, offered blunt advice.
She genuinely could not fathom the thought process of a man this obstinate. If not for his status as the Master's fiance, she wouldn't bother acknowledging him at all.
"Right, and last night you wanted to send Lancer out there. Good thing I stopped you."
"Otherwise, she'd have ended up as badly hurt as that Assassin."
Bringing up the incident, Sola-Ui's tone carried clear blame. Kayneth had wanted to seize the opportunity and ordered Lancer to sortie.
But in hindsight, holding back had been the right call. Not everyone was lucky enough to walk away from a bombardment like that unscathed.
"Hmph. Simply being prepared."
Kayneth's expression curdled, but he managed a cold huff.
Given what they now knew, staying out of last night's battle was indeed correct. The sheer "caliber" of combat between Servants had exceeded every one of his projections.
Whether that barrage had been a Noble Phantasm remained unclear. Judging by form alone, the attacker was likely Caster.
"Sure, there's the principle of concealing mystery. But some people out there couldn't care less about worldly conventions. They do whatever they want."
"Your preparations could easily be rendered useless."
Kyoko understood that type of person well. They reminded her of a certain Magical Girl named Homura Akemi.
Beyond Madoka, nothing in this world would make that girl's resolve waver.
"If you have time for talk like that, why not go gather intelligence instead? That's what a Servant is supposed to do, not sit here stuffing her face."
"I'm sorry, Kayneth, but right now I'm the Master here. Could you please stop giving orders to my Servant?"
"Sola..."
Repeatedly embarrassed by his fiancee in front of others, yet Kayneth never once lost his temper.
After all, he hadn't been selected as a Master this time. He had volunteered as a mere collaborator. If he hadn't insisted, Sola would never have agreed to his presence in the first place.
"He's got a point though. I did eat quite a bit..."
"Time to go scout the other Servants and Masters."
"Gotta earn my keep, after all."
Finishing her meal, Sakura Kyoko stood up, her expression turning serious.
She wasn't here for fun.
To save that former comrade who had fallen as a Witch, she was willing to try anything.
So this time, she had to win.
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika_Kagura]
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