"You are."
Sakura Matou stepped back, her slender hands raised cautiously.
If one looked closely, a Command Seal rune marked the back of her right hand—a powerful mark capable of controlling a Servant, offering three uses.
Lucien's amethyst eyes sharpened as he immediately spotted the Command Seal. After all, he had come precisely for that mark.
In the original Holy Grail War, Sakura had been Rider Medusa's Master but had no intention of participating, eventually transferring her Master rights to Shinji Matou.
Seeing the Command Seal still present, Lucien allowed himself a small smile of relief.
He had arrived just in time; within the next two days, Sakura might have passed the Command Seal along.
"I know you don't want to participate in the Holy Grail War. If you allow it, I can take that burden for you."
Sakura felt a blur before her eyes, and in an instant, the man who had been several meters away appeared to her left, causing her entire body to tense.
"I don't know what you're talking about," she said, lowering her head and instinctively hiding her right hand behind her back, ready to leave.
Lucien made no sound, extending his left hand toward her.
Suddenly, a long leg clad in black stockings swept toward him with a sharp whoosh.
He blocked with his right hand, but the tremendous force cracked the ground beneath his feet, sending cement and earth flying.
He stumbled back three steps.
A woman had appeared beside Sakura—long purple hair reaching her knees, eyes hidden beneath a red visor, a strapless black mini-dress hugging her figure, and long stockings adorning her legs.
Her presence radiated a cool, mature beauty.
This was Rider Medusa, Sakura Matou's Servant.
"The strength of a Servant depends on the strength of their Master," Lucien noted with satisfaction, first glancing at Medusa before fixing a cold gaze on Sakura.
"If you plan to give Medusa to that good-for-nothing Shinji Matou, I have no problem killing Shirou Emiya."
He recalled how, in the original timeline, transferring Medusa to Shinji led to her instant defeat at the hands of Caster Medea, making her the first Servant eliminated.
The thought displeased him.
"You…" Sakura's eyes widened, her concern for Shirou evident.
She could endure much, but Shirou's safety mattered above all.
"I can protect him," Lucien added, his tone calm but firm.
Medusa spoke, her voice cold and threatening.
"No… he's right. A Servant's strength depends on their Master. You shouldn't stay by my side. I have no intention of participating in the Holy Grail War."
Sakura lowered her head, hands clasped over her heart, her voice trembling.
Medusa remained silent beyond that, her visor hiding her true emotions.
Heroic Spirits were tools, bound to the will of humans vying for the Holy Grail.
Tools had no choice.
"I will take the Command Seal, but you must promise me you will not harm Shirou."
"No problem," Lucien replied instantly, snapping his fingers with confidence.
Upright and direct, he did not hesitate; he killed only when necessary.
"Give me a day. I need to create the Book of the False Attendant."
Sakura pursed her lips.
The Book of the False Attendant allowed a Master's rights to transfer temporarily.
As long as Lucien obtained it, he could command Medusa.
It was not a permanent transfer.
"No need. Just use one Command Seal to make Medusa obey me unconditionally for one month," he said.
Lucien aimed to become her true Master.
Using the Book of the False Attendant would allow obedience, but the ultimate control still belonged to Sakura.
Her strength dictated Medusa's potential, not his.
Lucien had his own method to achieve true mastery.
Sakura hesitated, then extended her right hand.
The three Command Seals on its back glowed.
"I command Rider to obey unconditionally for the next month…"
Mid-command, she realized she did not know his name.
"Lucien," he telepathically provided.
She echoed his name as she finished, causing one Command Seal to vanish.
Medusa's body trembled, acknowledging the command.
For the next month, she would execute Lucien's orders without question—even if it meant risking her life.
Lucien felt her presence, a peculiar connection tying them together.
"You truly are a pitiable person," he said softly to Sakura, then smiled at Medusa.
"Come with me."
The ground exploded beneath him as he shot skyward like a golden lightning bolt, transforming into a streak of light and disappearing into the horizon.
Medusa followed as a luminous speck beside him.
Sakura Matou watched the golden lightning vanish, then quietly turned away.
Her figure appeared fragile, lonely, and self-conscious.
---
Nightfall at Ryudoji Temple
Nestled deep in the mountains outside Fuyuki City, Ryudoji Temple resonated with the city's spiritual pulse.
The golden lightning streak landed in an instant, revealing Lucien floating mid-air, casually picking a toothpick between his teeth.
After collecting Medusa for dinner in the city, he had returned here.
Medusa remained beside him, silent and aloof.
Lucien did not push her; their current goal was paramount.
Once he secured true mastery over her, their bond could deepen naturally.
Within seconds, a new figure appeared—indigo and purple robes, hood shadowing her face, blue hair and purple lipstick just visible.
Caster Medea.
Cold, calculating, skilled in countless schemes.
Beneath her robes, her delicate frame and slender, serpentine waist betrayed a subtle beauty.
Beside her, a man in a black suit and glasses emerged, his expression cold and mechanical.
Soichiro Kuzuki, Medea's Master.
With no magic of his own, Soichiro could not supply Medea, limiting her to drawing life energy from ordinary humans.
Lucien's objective was Medea's Noble Phantasm, Rule Breaker, a Z-shaped dagger capable of severing Master-Servant contracts and transferring Command Seals to herself or another.
"A new Master, and… Medusa," Medea remarked, her gaze flicking between Lucien and Medusa.
"Let's make a deal. You use Rule Breaker to transfer her contract to me," Lucien said, getting straight to the point.
"How do you know…" Medea's tone carried caution, though her face remained obscured.
Anyone revealing a trump card immediately posed a threat; this indicated the presence of danger.
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