"So... those two who were summoned before me are Servants you've sustained using your own internal magical energy?"
"That is correct... Furthermore, they are my precious women—my possessions."
Returning to the hotel, Zod gracefully took a sip of milk tea, having added a few cubes of sugar. He gestured toward a cup for Archer, but...
"Forget it. Ever since my sense of taste went to hell, I only consume food when I need to occupy my mouth..."
"Is that so? A pity..."
Zod let the matter drop with a simple nod and fixed his gaze upon Archer.
"What is your True Name?"
"I am a Nameless Heroic Spirit. To be curious about the name of a failed piece of trash... you are a strange Master indeed."
"A 'No-Name', then?"
"The Heroic Spirits summoned by these Subspecies Holy Grails are usually second or third-rate Servants—those who failed to etch their names into history, or whose names are so obscure the masses have forgotten them. We are merely 'Strong Soldier A' types, those who held blades in the shadow of true heroes on the battlefield..."
"You seem quite capable for someone like that, don't you think?"
At Zod's remark, Archer frowned, eventually letting out a heavy sigh before forcing the words out.
"Emiya... it is a name I abandoned long ago. I would prefer if you addressed me by my Class name."
"My name is Zod... I have no surname. I took it from my designation as 'Zod.05,' a subject of a government superhuman project... Well? Are we not birds of a feather, sharing the same misfortune?"
Upon hearing Zod's words, Archer's expression softened slightly. Perhaps he felt a sense of camaraderie, thinking his Master was someone who shared, or perhaps exceeded, his own pain.
Even though his alignment was Chaotic Evil.
"Whether it was back then or now, you are unusually kind for someone with a Chaotic Evil alignment..."
"Yo~ it's been a while since Shinjuku, hasn't it?"
"You two... are you Artoria and Jeanne d'Arc?"
Emiya Alter looked at Artoria Alter and Jeanne Alter, finally recognizing them. The trauma from his time alive had left his memory fractured; it was only when they spoke directly and showed their faces that he recalled them.
"To think you would be summoned as Archer in a Subspecies War... I expected you only for something like the Restoration of Human Order."
"I am curious about that myself."
Emiya Alter could not remember why he had answered Zod's summons. Jeanne Alter sighed, mixing milk and sugar cubes into her tea before taking a drink.
"Did you know each other?"
Zod voiced his surprise; it was unexpected that they would have a history with Artoria and Jeanne.
"Before being summoned by you, there was a time we were summoned by another Master and worked together..."
"That Master... was it a man?"
Somehow, a sharp, irritable tone bled into his question. Knowing full well how possessive and obsessive he could be, Artoria Alter shook her head to reassure him.
"Do not worry. It was a woman."
"Then it's fine."
Only then did he relax his slightly furrowed brow and sip his milk tea. Jeanne Alter watched him with a look of utter disbelief.
"Zod-chan... isn't your possessiveness a bit too extreme?"
"Maybe it's because I grew up without a mother."
At Zod's blunt, defensive remark, Jeanne Alter was left speechless, merely sighing as she gulped down her milk.
"So... what is the plan, Master?"
To Emiya Alter's question, Zod replied as if it were the simplest thing in the world.
"Annihilation... and seizure. Simple is best, is it not?"
"Well, this is a subpar Holy Grail War with a low cost—the average number of participants is three, five at most. It should be manageable. In fact, it would be strange if we didn't win with this lineup..."
Emiya Alter looked at the supremely confident Zod, then stood up to check his equipment.
"How about we take a day to relax?"
"Even if it is a Subspecies, it is still a Holy Grail War. Carelessness leads to death, Master."
Zod let out a cold chuckle.
"Death? For me? That's a funny joke..."
Hearing Zod's laugh, Emiya Alter assumed he was speaking out of confidence in Artoria and Jeanne. He nodded, satisfied with that logic, and sat back down.
However, Emiya did not know.
Just how absurd of an existence the Master who summoned him truly was...
.
.
.
"Damn it! It's the Assassin class, I thought for sure a Hassan-i-Sabbah would show up! What the hell is this?!"
The Master of Assassin had expected to pull a 'big name'—one of the nineteen generations of Hassan-i-Sabbah, legendary killers considered the strongest in Subspecies Holy Grail Wars. Upon hearing his Servant's True Name, he began throwing objects in a fit of rage.
Early in the history of Subspecies Holy Grail Wars, there was a period known as 'Assassin's Spring' where that class dominated.
Since Assassins consume little magical energy and assassinating a Master is far easier than fighting a Servant, it became an implicit rule: the moment an Assassin was confirmed, the other Masters would form an alliance to eliminate that camp first.
Eventually, counter-measures against the Hassan lineage were standardized, dropping their win rate to average levels.
The name 'Assassin' itself originates from the Hashshashin, the fanatical sect of killers to which Hassan-i-Sabbah belonged. Thus, the Class itself acts as a catalyst; in most Wars, it is almost guaranteed that one of the nineteen Hassans will appear. But this Holy Grail War in Springfield was different.
Mata Hari.
A female spy who gained fame during World War I. Her profile was that of a spy rather than a killer—famed for her exquisite dancing, her alluring figure, and a beauty that surpassed any woman of her era. She was a legend who seduced enemies to extract information... an existence lacking as a combatant.
Her parameters were abysmal. Excluding Luck and Noble Phantasm, her stats were rank E. Even her Luck was only rank D. The only saving grace was her rank A+ Noble Phantasm.
As a modern Heroic Spirit with weak name recognition, she was treated poorly despite her title as the 'Greatest Female Spy.' Her only advantages were her mental-interference skill 'Seduction,' her Noble Phantasm, and the fact that—despite having no background in the mystical—she could somehow fire magical bullets similar to Gandr. These were cold comforts to her Master.
"Damn it!! Dammit!! Do you know how much money I poured in to get this far?! And then I get a piece of trash Servant like this?!!"
"......."
*Slap!!*
Assassin's Master struck Mata Hari across the cheek with all his might as she stood in silent resignation, staring at the floor.
"If you have a mouth, say something!!!"
"I'm sorry..... Master..... I'm a useless woman.... I'm sorry...."
Enduring the heat and pain from her swollen red cheek, Mata Hari simply apologized, her sorrowful eyes fixed solely on the floor.