In the throne room of the Fortress of Millennia, the Black faction observed the joint battle of Kairi Sisigou and the Red Saber through the flames burning atop a seven-branched candelabra. The images were projected onto a wall like a cinema screen, and the Masters of the Yggdmillennia clan, along with their Servants, watched the spectacle intently.
Except for Darnic, the other Masters seemed awestruck by the Red Saber's ferocious combat. Amid crimson lightning, Saber charged at the golems like a bullet, her overwhelming force shattering roof tiles. The sturdy golems, forged from stone or bronze, were torn apart as if they were mere scraps of paper or wood.
One golem attempted to crush Saber with its massive frame. With a roar, Saber crouched low before leaping up and sending the stone puppet flying.
Her fighting style was far from the elegance of a knight or refined swordsmanship—instead, it resembled that of a Berserker or a wild beast. Wielding a massive two-handed sword with just one arm, she suddenly clenched her free hand into a fist and hurled the sword—what should have been a swordsman's very life—straight through a golem descending from above.
Catching a heavy punch from another golem, Saber roared and hurled it away, sending it crashing violently into the impaled golem midair. Both shattered into pieces. As the sword fell amidst the debris, Saber caught it and resumed her charge.
Meanwhile, facing the homunculi, Kairi drew a large shotgun from his coat. It was a sawed-off, side-by-side double-barreled shotgun with no manufacturer's mark. The stock and barrel had been shortened for easy concealment and indoor use, though its effective range was severely limited.
But for a necromancer like him, the gun's original performance had no bearing on its use as a weapon.
"Now, devour."
With a casual pull of the trigger, cursed bullets sprayed forth.
Anyone who saw the ammunition he loaded would shudder—bullets crafted from human fingers went beyond mere bad taste.
In Nordic rune magecraft, there existed a spell known as Gandr (Cursed Bullet). It was said that simply pointing a finger at someone could inflict a curse, and if woven with potent magical energy, it could manifest physical force akin to a bullet.
These finger bullets, a fusion of Gandr and necromancy, could reach supersonic speeds and, like serpents, detect body heat to adjust their trajectory—effectively homing in on their targets.
The fired bullets traced graceful arcs, felling multiple homunculi in an instant. After two shots, the burly mercenary swiftly reloaded. Seizing the opportunity, the homunculi surged forward. Pausing his reload, Kairi pulled something strange from his coat—a shriveled, reddish-black… magus's heart.
Kairi hurled the object in his hand toward the dense cluster of homunculi. With a wet plop, the heart landed among them. In the next instant, the object rapidly expanded and burst apart. The embedded teeth and nails of magi tore deep into the homunculi's bodies. They writhed in agony as if poisoned, meeting immediate death.
Though necromancers were numerous, few specialized in combat to the extent of dangerously modifying both magi and beast corpses like Kairi. While the homunculi maintained some combat capability, they were mere appetizers in the eyes of bounty hunter Kairi Sisigou. The same seemed true for Saber.
"—All done, Master."
"Good work."
Having crushed the last golem, Saber returned triumphantly. She surveyed the homunculi corpses and exhaled an impressed breath.
"More capable than I expected, necromancer."
"I barely scraped through that hellish battlefield myself," Kairi replied, glancing around. "Speaking of which, we've learned something."
"Oh?"
"Whether it's Caster or another class, one of the seven Servants is a heroic spirit skilled with golems."
This single piece of information significantly narrowed their search. While golems themselves weren't rare, heroic spirits closely associated with them could be counted on one hand.
Meanwhile, within the Fortress of Millennia, Vlad III listened to Kairi's analysis and smiled—a knowing expression brimming with killing intent.
"I see. The Mage's Association is indeed serious this time. That Red Saber's Master is unexpectedly competent."
"Red Saber is no slouch either," Darnic remarked with a wry smile. "Like our Assassin, I can't discern her detailed skills—only generic information."
Hearing this, the group instinctively turned toward Reika Rikudou and the black-cloaked Servant standing motionless beside her.
A Servant concealing their information and true name was like an impenetrable fog—troublesome regardless of which side they were on.
Unexpectedly, Reika seemed to sense Darnic's implied meaning. She flashed a gently challenging smile and voluntarily disclosed the enemy's Noble Phantasm:
"That's the effect of Red Saber's Noble Phantasm—'Secret of Pedigree.' While it can't hide generic information like Status or class, it perfectly conceals crucial details such as true name, Noble Phantasms, and personal skills. Quite a convenient tool."
As Reika spoke, the black cloak beside her trembled faintly, rippling like water as its wearer silently chuckled.
Had Mr. Sakatsuki anticipated this scenario? That's why he'd specifically sent Artoria away with money for snacks when briefing Reika about Red Saber earlier.
After all, who could have imagined that King Arthur and the 'son' who rebelled against her, overturning everything she stood for, would appear in the same Holy Grail War?
"The Helmet of Hidden Infidelity... Hidden infidelity, hidden infidelity..." Upon hearing Reika's words, all the Masters lowered their heads, racking their brains to recall historical figures related to this concept. Meanwhile, Artoria, after experiencing an unseen moment of turmoil, stood motionless in her black cloak, like the calm before a storm.
"To think..."
"Hmm?" Reika tilted her head curiously upon hearing the murmur from beneath the black cloak.
"Miss Assassin, is something wrong?"
"I'm talking about that one!" The cloak swayed, revealing an exquisite face beneath. The King of Knights raised her head, a stubborn golden strand of hair peeking out rebelliously as her saintly blue eyes flashed with cold light.
Ahead in her line of sight, Mordred—now dressed in casual attire resembling a delinquent—was chatting animatedly with the similarly rough-looking Kairi Sisigou.
To others, it might have seemed like a harmonious master-servant relationship. But to Artoria, who was both a king and a 'father' figure...
"To wear such shameless clothing and fight so barbarically. It seems I must properly educate Sir Mordred on the etiquette befitting a knight."
Oh dear...
Never having heard Artoria speak so calmly yet lethally before, Reika's expression froze as she silently prayed for Mordred's well-being in her heart.
Foolish child, your father's coming to spank you. Better tuck your tail and behave.
Unfortunately, her warning was destined to go unheeded. In the projected image, Mordred remained blissfully unaware, wagging an invisible tail like a golden retriever while boasting to Kairi.
"Hey, Master, what do you think of me?"
"Huh?"
"I'm asking how I looked in battle. Never mind, it's not like I was fighting another Servant anyway—I wasn't even going all out."
"Oh, that... You were absolutely magnificent. I fully understand why you're the Saber now."
Hearing this, Mordred puffed out her modest chest and nodded in satisfaction.
"But at the end, you just threw your sword? Really?"
"Don't be dumb, Master. Winning is what matters—winning. Swordplay's just one option in battle. For victory, I'll punch, kick, even bite if I have to."
"...I can relate."
Kairi couldn't bear to look at how closely her mentality mirrored his own.
***
Having finished analyzing intel on the Red Faction's Saber team, Reika walked back to her room, continuously cross-referencing the information with what Sakatsuki had told her.
Strength B+, Endurance A, Agility B, Mana B... Mr. Sakatsuki said these lower stats compared to Miss Artoria were due to her homunculus limitations. Yes, the intel checks out.
Her Master is indeed Kairi Sisigou. As a battle-hardened mercenary, we'll need Jack's help to deal with him...
"Hmm."
Reika stopped just one step away from her room.
Before her door lay an 'obstacle'—a barely breathing boy who bore striking resemblance to the homunculi of the Yggdmillennia.
...No, calling him a boy might be too hasty. After all, this homunculus had an androgynous appearance, possessing a delicate beauty like dewy grass by the roadside.
Little Jack, cloaked in black, was crouched by the doorway, curiously poking his cheek with the back of her knife, completely unconcerned about the shallow cuts the blade left on the homunculus's face.
Hearing footsteps approach, the silver-haired loli looked up and beamed a radiant smile. With a cheerful cry, she abandoned her 'toy' and threw herself into Reika Rikudou's arms.
"Mommy!"
"Good girl, Jack~" Reika hugged the child, showering her with affection before turning her attention back to the homunculus at the door. "Can you tell Mommy who this person lying at our doorstep is?"
"Mmm~ Don't know... But his heart looks really yummy!"
"Mr. Sakatsuki has told you before, hasn't he? Little girls shouldn't eat strange things."
"Ugh, fine... Oh! Earlier there were people running up and down the hallway, but I hid both myself and this person so no one saw us!"
"Lady Reika Rikudou."
Jack's chatter was interrupted as Reika turned calmly upon hearing her name.
Two homunculi stood staring at her with emotionless eyes.
"Caster is searching for escaped homunculi. Do you have any information?"
The words acted like a key, unlocking Reika's memory of Sakatsuki's instructions.
"Not at all, I haven't seen anything."
After this false reply, though the homunculi cast a glance at the unconscious figure on the ground, they simply said "Is that so?" before turning to leave.
Only after watching the two homunculi depart did Reika finally relax, dispersing the black magic gathered in her hand. Using her seemingly delicate arms, she grabbed the homunculus and forcibly dragged him into the room.
With a click, the door closed and locked.
***
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