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A jeep was parked on the side of the national highway that led from the Einzbern forest to the nearby village.
Kiritsugu Emiya sat in the driver's seat, a cigarette dangling from his lips, his gaze fixed on the laptop beside him, which displayed a live feed of the Einzbern's courtyard—both video and audio.
"Should we proceed as planned?" Maiya Hisau, sitting in the back seat, her voice cold and precise, asked. Beside her sat Kayneth, bound and covered in explosives, his eyes vacant.
"No. This party will only push Rider towards the Einzbern. That would be unfavorable. It seems I underestimated Iskandar. That clownish display yesterday—I was fooled. Even as a Servant, a king is still a king."
"Should we allow the party to continue, then?"
"We wait. That arrogant Queen of Heroes at the Tohsaka mansion—she'll attend. And once the party's in full swing, once the alcohol flows—Tokiomi Tohsaka won't be able to resist. He'll make a move. And then... we'll capitalize on the chaos."
Kiritsugu sneered.
He'd only exchanged a few messages with Tokiomi, but he'd sensed the man's rot, the stench of a traditional Magician's hypocrisy.
Given the opportunity for a cheap shot, Tokiomi Tohsaka would take it.
Noble pride? Elegance? Those were meaningless to a Magician desperate to reach the Root.
"Inform Tokiomi Tohsaka. Tell him to have Kirei Kotomine use Hassan to relay information from the party. And have him report his own location as well. We'll keep him under constant surveillance."
Despite Tokiomi's assurances of Kirei's loyalty, Kiritsugu trusted neither of them. He was wary of Kirei Kotomine, whose motives were unclear. He had a feeling the dangerous priest had already set his sights on him.
"Understood." Maiya relayed the instructions to both Lancer and Tokiomi.
——
The Einzbern's courtyard, transformed into a makeshift banquet hall.
A ten-meter-long table, laden with a variety of Japanese dishes—sashimi, agedashi tofu, grilled sanma—the typical fare of an izakaya stood in the center of the flower garden. Fourteen chairs surrounded the table, one for each Master and Servant.
Waver, looking at the spread, then at his watch, his eyes widened. "Fifteen minutes, and they've prepared all this? How…?"
"Whoa! Is this—this country's bar food? Impressive! Such efficient logistics! Tell me, Miss Servant, are you interested in joining my army?" Rider, his eyes gleaming with delight, turned to Kiyohime.
"You flatter me, King of Conquerors. But I must decline. I am already spoken for," Kiyohime replied, her voice smooth and polite as she placed a dish of edamame before Haru.
"That's a shame." Rider's face fell, his disappointment genuine.
Haru, sitting across from Rider, frowned, then turned to Waver. "Waver Velvet, once you've completed your studies at the Clock Tower, would you be interested in working for me?…"
"What?!" Waver's eyes widened, his face lighting up with excitement. To be offered a position by a True Magic user, a being at the pinnacle of the magical world—it was like an emperor offering a peasant a seat on his council.
He was about to accept when a sudden chill ran down his spine.
He turned to see Rider, his expression unreadable. He quickly sat back down, his earlier enthusiasm replaced by a nervous trepidation.
Rider, scratching the back of his head, turned to Haru. "You're quite the vengeful one, aren't you, True Magic user?"
Haru shrugged and pulled Kiyohime closer, a smug smirk on his face.
"Wait... if you two are together... then who is…?" Waver's eyes darted towards Illyasviel, who sat beside Haru.
"She is too," Haru replied casually, pulling Illyasviel into his embrace, his arms now around both women.
Waver looked at Rider, then at Haru, who now held two beautiful women in his arms, and his eyes narrowed, a burning rage igniting within him.
It was because of people like Haru, who hoarded all the best resources—that he, Waver, had been forced into this arrangement.
He imagined himself holding a flaming torch, ready to chant a mantra.
Rider, sensing Waver's distress, grabbed the oak barrel and smashed the lid open with his fist, the scent of wine filling the air.
"A rather unconventional vessel, but it will do." He produced fourteen bronze goblets, relics from the Ancient Greek, used for drinking wine.
He filled the goblets, then looked around the table, his voice booming. "The drinks are poured, the food is prepared! Let the heroes arrive!"
"Holding a banquet in such a drab location?" A haughty voice echoed through the courtyard as a golden light flashed, and Gilgamesh, dressed in her revealing outfit, materialized in one of the empty chairs.
"....."
Saber and Kiyohime tensed, their eyes fixed on Gilgamesh, their bodies ready for battle. After all, she'd attacked Haru the moment she saw him the previous night.
Haru, however—simply stared at Gilgamesh's exposed cleavage and short shorts, a lecherous grin on his face.
But his body was tense, his fists clenched. If Gilgamesh tried to summon Ea, she'd be met with a planet-shattering punch.
Gilgamesh, feeling Haru's gaze, shuddered, then sighed, looking at him with an exasperated expression. "Show some respect, boy. Of all the things you inherited from Inanna, it had to be her lechery. Why couldn't you be more like your other mother? What kind of parent was Enkidu?"
Haru's expression turned strange.
Had Gilgamesh forgiven them? It seemed a fight was unlikely now.
"Wait—another mother? You have two mothers?" Waver stared at Haru, dumbfounded.
Thwack!
Rider slapped him on the back of the head. "In the Age of Gods, it wasn't uncommon for Goddesses to procreate together. And you call yourself a Magician, a scholar of mysteries?"
Waver, clutching his head, glared at Rider. He was sure there wasn't a Master in this entire war who was treated worse than he was.
Rider, ignoring Waver's suffering, looked around the table, then shrugged.
"It seems all the Heroes have arrived."
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