"What... what are you two doing?!"
The trembling, disbelieving voice came from the doorway.
Suou Yuuki, however, remained unfazed, still clinging to Kaito Sora's back. It wasn't until she was almost out of breath that she finally pulled away, her face flushed and her breathing heavy.
But she didn't let go of Kaito Sora.
Instead, she nestled into his arms and turned her head to look at the doorway.
Seeing that it was Alisa standing there, Suou Yuuki felt a twinge of disappointment.
If it had been Rin or Sakura Tohsaka at the door, it would have been the ultimate victory.
What a shame.
Still, Suou Yuuki flashed a mischievous, triumphant smile at the stunned Alisa, tightening her grip around Kaito Sora's back.
Looking at the window in the hallway opposite the bedroom door,
Suou Yuuki's smug expression
Made Kaito Sora feel like a triumphant mistress flaunting her victory in front of the rightful wife.
"What's wrong, Alisa?"
"Didn't you see?"
"I was being affectionate with Onii-chan."
"You... you... you, he... he..."
Alisa was so shocked, and Suou Yuuki's lack of shame at being caught only made it worse. "He's your brother!"—such a simple sentence, but Alisa couldn't even get it out.
"Or,"
"Does Alisa want to join in too?"
"I don't want to join in!"
Alisa reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. Her face, as pale as the finest cream, turned bright red, and her words came out in a flurry.
"Disgusting! Shameless! Depraved!"
"You two are... are unbelievable! Inconceivable! Absolutely absurd!"
"There's a guest here to see you. Rin told me to hurry you downstairs!"
As she spoke,
Alisa's words became a jumble of Japanese and Russian.
Once she finished,
She turned and fled without looking back.
Downstairs,
In the living room,
"Alisa..."
"He'll be down in a moment!"
"Huh?"
Rin Tohsaka watched as Alisa hurriedly retreated into the kitchen, her brows furrowing slightly.
Strange.
A few seconds later, footsteps echoed from the hallway, and Kaito Sora entered the living room, yawning as if he had just woken up.
Seeing Kaito Sora's sleepy demeanor, Rin suddenly asked, without thinking,
"Where's Yuuki?"
"She's catching up on sleep," Kaito Sora replied casually.
He didn't notice Rin's expression, which shifted from realization to one of barely contained frustration, as if she wanted to strangle him.
Kaito Sora sat down beside Rin, wrapping an arm around her, and turned his attention to the girl sitting across from them.
She had black hair and purple eyes, with butterfly-shaped earrings adorning her ears. Her expression was calm and gentle.
"Miss Kocho,"
"Rin mentioned you were looking for me?"
"Yes,"
Kanae Kocho smiled softly.
Looking at the young man in simple sleepwear, his demeanor lazy yet commanding,
Her expression was filled with respect.
She bowed her head slightly and said, "It's about the Matou family."
"The matter is of great importance, so I wanted to ask you for more details."
She was one of the officials who had gone with Rin to investigate the ruins of the Matou estate.
Kaito Sora had left a deep impression on her—mainly because of the mountain that had been leveled by lightning.
Kaito Sora glanced at Rin.
Rin gave him a look that clearly said, You're in trouble once she leaves! But then she quickly regained her composure, nodding to indicate that it was okay to share the details.
Kaito Sora briefly recounted the events.
From Medusa's attack,
To discovering the basement full of "batteries" when he went to retaliate against the Matou family.
The recording was soon completed.
"Thank you very much for your cooperation."
Kaito Sora didn't respond, simply nodding.
Cooperating once or twice was fine,
But he didn't want to give the impression that he was easy to deal with.
Rin, however, spoke up. "By the way, Kanae, aren't you part of the Special Anti-Demon Unit?"
"Why are you handling this?"
Kanae Kocho didn't seem in a hurry to leave. She replied, "You know how it is, Rin."
"Because of the Holy Grail War, things get very busy every hundred years."
"The Special Anti-Magus Unit can't handle everything alone, so other departments are asked to help during this time. I happened to be assigned to this case."
"..."
Rin and Kanae continued their conversation.
Kaito Sora sat quietly, listening.
As a transmigrator, he hadn't been infused with the world's common knowledge like summoned Servants were, so many parts of their discussion were unfamiliar to him.
For example,
The Holy Grail War here wasn't the traditional seven-Servant, seven-day battle he was familiar with.
This didn't surprise Kaito Sora at all.
After all,
He had never seen a Holy Grail War outside of Fuyuki adhere to that principle.
Instead, it was based on six Far Eastern magus families:
The Tohsaka, Matou, and Einzbern families,
As well as the Reiroukan, Matou, and Sayjou families.
Additionally,
The Holy Church and the Mage's Association each had two Servant slots.
The remaining four slots were open for other factions to compete for.
A total of fourteen Servants
Would engage in a bloody free-for-all in Fuyuki, potentially spreading across the entire country.
And it didn't stop there.
As Masters and Servants were eliminated, new ones could join at any time, until the Greater Grail accumulated enough mana to manifest and the remaining Servants could fight for the Holy Grail.
"Doesn't the government try to control this?"
Alisa, who had been listening from the kitchen, couldn't help but ask.
"A battle involving powerful beings like Mr. Kaito would cause a lot of destruction, right?"
"How could they control it?"
Kanae Kocho sighed helplessly.
"Just dealing with the six magus families, with their complex and intertwined influence, is difficult enough for the government."
"Is Miss Tohsaka really that powerful?"
Alisa looked at Rin in surprise.
Rin awkwardly smiled, unsure how to respond.
"Our family's situation is... special."
The Tohsaka family could hardly be considered a magus family anymore.
Like the Matou family before them,
They were barely holding onto their status in the magus world thanks to the inheritance of their Magic Crest. But unless a particularly genius descendant appeared, they would likely fade into obscurity within a century.
As for the other four families,
Aside from the Einzbern family, whose headquarters were in Europe and only came to Japan during the Holy Grail War, and the recently risen Sayjou family, which had shallow roots,
The Reiroukan and Matou families
Were both powerful clans with vast corporate and political influence in the country.
Not to mention,
The Holy Church and the Mage's Association were also watching closely.
Whether it was the six magus families,
The magi from around the world competing for the four open slots,
Or the Holy Church and the Mage's Association...
"It's not that we can't deal with them at all,"
Kanae explained. "But taking action would likely do more harm than good."
"Besides, over the past few centuries, every Holy Grail War has ended with 'no winner,' and the accumulated mana has dispersed, giving rise to many geniuses in our country."
"This is one of the reasons our country has developed so rapidly over the past few centuries."
"Although the year of the war might cause some destruction,"
"The six magus families, the Holy Church, and the Mage's Association all compensate for the damage. Plus, for various other reasons,"
"To be blunt,"
"If we disregard the casualties of innocent civilians, then for the country's leadership and the nation as a whole, the regular occurrence of the Holy Grail War is definitely more beneficial than harmful."
The atmosphere in the living room grew heavy.
Kaito Sora, however, didn't care. Even if the entire country sank, it wouldn't bother him.
Kanae Kocho seemed to realize she had said too much. She turned to Kaito Sora and said softly, "Rin mentioned that you're skilled with a sword?"
"Skilled is an overstatement. I know a little."
Rin rolled her eyes.
A little?
If Cu Chulainn, whom you killed, heard that, he'd probably spit blood in frustration.
"You're too modest, Mr. Kaito."
Kanae smiled gently. "My younger sisters, Shinobu and Kanao, are both very passionate about swordsmanship."
"If you..."
Before Kanae could finish, Rin suddenly interjected, "Kanae, why don't you ask Shinobu and Kanao? If they're willing, they can come stay with us. Kaito has plenty of free time and can instruct them in swordsmanship."
Kanae was taken aback but hesitated. "Would that... be alright?"
"Of course."
Rin glanced at Kaito Sora.
"You'd be happy to, right?"
Though her tone was elegant, Kaito Sora sensed a hint of sarcasm.
But this was about rewards—
—and absolutely nothing to do with lust.
Anyone who knew him could attest that he, Kaito Sora, was a man who stood firmly against gambling and drugs.
"Of course,"
Kaito Sora replied. "I don't have many hobbies."
"My only pleasure is being a mentor. If they're willing to learn, I'd be happy to teach."
Kanae Kocho's calm and gentle face lit up with excitement.
"Shinobu and Kanao would be thrilled!"
Even if they weren't,
As the eldest sister, she would use her authority to make them thrilled.
Not to mention Kaito Sora's immense strength,
This was also a rare opportunity to get close to the Tohsaka and Suou families, two prestigious households. Building a good relationship with them would pave the way for a brighter future.
As she spoke,
Kanae realized she was getting a bit too excited. Her cheeks flushed slightly.
She bowed and said, "In that case,"
"Kanae thanks you, Mr. Kaito, and you, Rin, in advance."