A heavy silence gradually seeped into the living room as Odin waited, motionless, for Kamitani Yuu's response.
In truth, the All-Father held little actual interest in Class Cards. As an existence who had parsed the remains of the White Giant, he saw through the nature of that small golden card at a single glance—it was a sophisticated byproduct created through the interference of the Second Magic's parallel worlds and the Materialization of the Soul from the Third Magic.
Naturally, his claim that the card's power was required to purify the Holy Grail was a fabrication. He simply wanted to see what kind of choice Yuu would make.
On the other side of the coffee table, Yuu was calmly dissecting the situation. He was now entirely certain that Odin had come specifically for him. However, he sensed no malice from the Norse God; had Odin truly wanted the Class Card, Yuu would likely have been killed and stripped of it already. Against a Saint Graph bolstered by the authority of a Chief God, Yuu knew he stood no chance in a direct confrontation.
Whatever happens, I cannot hand over the original card. At most, I can provide him with a replicated copy.
If things take a turn for the worse... I'll have to resort to a Command Spell.
Settling his resolve, Yuu didn't hesitate further. With a surge of prana, a faint gold, blank Class Card materialized in his palm.
"For certain reasons, I cannot lend you the original," Yuu said, extending the blank card toward Odin, his expression unreadable. "But... I assume a replica will suffice?"
Odin didn't take the card immediately. Instead, he leaned forward, watching Yuu with an amused glint in his eyes. "That works. But before I take it, I need you to answer one question."
"Go ahead."
"With your strength, it would be child's play to take that little girl and vanish from this city. Why choose to wade into the murky waters of this Holy Grail War?" Odin's gaze sharpened. "Don't try to brush me off with clumsy excuses. Those eyes of yours... they have the power to glimpse the future as well, don't they?"
"..."
Yuu blinked, caught off guard by the direction of the question. After a moment of contemplation, he looked Odin in the eye and spoke with quiet sincerity.
"Because I want to stop the disaster that's coming. The people living in this city are innocent; they shouldn't have to lose their lives to satisfy the selfish desires of a few individuals."
"So, you're saying you want to be a hero?" Odin pressed.
"No, I'm just an ordinary person. I don't possess the kind of overwhelming power heroes do." Yuu shook his head. "As for saving people... it's simply because I saw what would happen, so I want to act."
"Hoh. Now that is an unexpected answer."
Odin raised an eyebrow, a meaningful smile playing on his lips. He finally reached out and took the Class Card. "Very well. In that case, leave the purification of the Holy Grail to me."
"I appreciate your help." Yuu stood up and gave Odin a respectful bow.
"Don't mention it." Odin adjusted his posture, leaning back into the sofa with casual ease. "It's late. You should get some rest, little Junior Disciple. We can discuss the rest tomorrow."
"Understood. I'll take my leave then. Please, make yourself at home." With that, Yuu turned and headed for the stairs.
As his silhouette vanished around the corner, the living room fell into a tranquil hush. After a while, Odin began to toy with the card in his hand, murmuring to himself in a nostalgic tone.
"Coming here to see him was quite the hassle. If I hadn't arranged things in advance, I might not have even been summoned."
"If the fellows at the Throne of Heroes or the Inner Sea of the Planet found out about this, they'd probably start a war over it..."
Meanwhile, within a dimly lit room in the Einzbern Castle.
"...Maiya, prepare the equipment. We leave for Fuyuki by boat tonight."
"—Understood. I'll see to it."
Hanging up the phone, Emiya Kiritsugu pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. He deftly lit one, drawing the calming aroma deep into his lungs. As the smoke drifted upward, he stared at his own reflection in the window, his mind already weaving a web of cold, calculated strategies.
The upcoming Holy Grail War was a slaughterhouse where seven magi and their summoned Servants would fight to the bitter end. Only the sole survivor would claim the Grail. It was a "war" in the truest, most brutal sense.
In such a conflict, the bond of trust between Master and Servant was paramount; a single misunderstanding could lead to a fatal error. Yet, Kiritsugu had chosen a different path. He maintained only the barest minimum of communication with his Servant—strictly regarding combat objectives and Noble Phantasm specifications.
Having secured the necessary intel, Kiritsugu had handed the Servant known as Arthur Pendragon over to Irisviel. She would act as Saber's Master on the surface, while he operated from the shadows to eliminate the other competitors.
"Kamitani Yuu, the Fes-ranked magus from the Clock Tower... Tohsaka Tokiomi, head of the Tohsaka family... Lord Kayneth of the El-Melloi..."
Recalling the intelligence he had extracted from the Clock Tower, Kiritsugu's brow furrowed. "None of these three will be easy targets."
"Especially this Kamitani Yuu. He might be more dangerous than the other two combined."
According to the reports, Kamitani Yuu had entered the Clock Tower at thirteen and mastered Modern Rune Magic in just two years. Upon graduation, he was awarded the rank of Fes. In the world of magecraft, freelance or self-taught magi rarely even achieved the rank of Cause. Even for families with three centuries of history, reaching the rank of Pride was usually the absolute ceiling. For Yuu to hold the rank of Fes meant he possessed specialized abilities that could not be ignored.
More importantly, he wasn't a traditional magus like Kayneth; he was a Magus Killer in the making—a "Magecraft User" similar to Kiritsugu himself. This was bad news. It meant Yuu wouldn't share the typical magus's fatal arrogance or their disdain for modern weaponry.
"Whew—"
Kiritsugu exhaled a plume of white smoke before sitting at his desk. He crushed the spent butt into an ashtray and continued scrolling through the data on his laptop.
Even with the strongest card, Saber, in his hand, he had no illusions of an easy victory. He had to be perfect. He had to find their weaknesses and dismantle them, piece by piece.
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