"I can let him go, but only if I become your Master."
Lucien's lips curved into a faint, confident smile.
His arrangements for Medea were already perfect.
His primary goal remained clear: eliminate the Reincarnators.
Facing such powerful foes required precision and caution; confronting them alone would be reckless.
Thus, Lucien considered cooperation with Shirou Emiya and Artoria.
Now that he could become a Master, why not command multiple Servants, then confront the Reincarnators collectively?
Strength in numbers was a simple truth.
In the Fifth Holy Grail War, a Master could indeed command two or more Servants.
Kirei Kotomine, the overseer and schemer of this war, had been the Master of both Cú Chulainn and the Hero King Gilgamesh, his arm adorned with Command Seals.
Medea herself had illegally summoned a pseudo-Servant, the legendary swordsman Sasaki Kojiro.
Using Ryudoji Temple's gate as a catalyst, she bound Kojiro to the temple as a permanent gatekeeper.
By absorbing the life force of Fuyuki City's residents, Medea had also claimed Nameless and Artoria under her command.
With sufficient magical energy, a Master could indeed maintain multiple Servants.
Lucien's plan had evolved: control all Servants to eliminate the Reincarnators, then either have the Servants end their own lives or execute them himself—a satisfying conclusion in his eyes.
"A Master cannot have two Servants," Medea said, her expression stiffening before turning cold.
"I don't want to waste words. Become my Servant, or I will make him vanish, and then you as well," Lucien warned.
The black thorns coiled around Soichiro Kuzuki's neck, their bony tips wriggling like snakes, piercing into his chest.
"Don't…" Medea's composure faltered, her delicate face tense.
"I agree," she said without hesitation.
"No…" Soichiro, bloodied and pained, struggled to turn his head, silently signaling Medea not to comply.
Medea gave a faint, resigned smile, then drove Rule Breaker into her own chest.
A storm of magical energy swept through the temple.
When it subsided, another Command Seal had appeared on Lucien's hand.
Now, Lucien could sense Medea's presence as if tethered by an invisible shackle.
Though subtle when he first became Medusa's Master, the effect became clear once Medea joined.
This shackle, if endured, suggested Lucien could command a third Servant.
"I have already become your Servant. Release Soichiro."
Medea's lips pressed together, her strength seemingly spent.
Lucien extended his right hand.
Both Command Seals flared simultaneously, binding Medusa and Medea.
Their bodies trembled, then steadied, restrained by the power of his authority.
One mark from each of the two Command Seals dissipated.
"A very good feeling," Lucien murmured.
Supplying Medusa and Medea with his energy drained him constantly, yet the benefits outweighed the cost.
The black thorns writhed, injecting something into Soichiro's body.
With a thump, Soichiro struck the ground, writhing in agony, veins bulging, pupils bloodshot, his body curled in intense pain.
"Soichiro."
Medea's face reflected alarm and anger.
"Don't worry. I merely bestowed new life upon him," Lucien explained.
The black thorns retracted toward his tailbone.
"If he can endure my blood, he will grow stronger," Lucien added.
His intent was clear: transform Soichiro into a demon.
Surviving the process would grant Soichiro regeneration, immunity to sunlight, and demonic abilities.
The lifespan would mirror Lucien's—seven years—but if Lucien's life extended, so would the lifespan of his creations.
Soichiro, enduring the process with grunts and flesh-tearing, emerged renewed.
His previously broken hands and sunken chest restored, his pupils now a purple-diamond amber.
Cracked blood patterns spread across his body, yet his face remained unchanged.
Unlike the grotesque demons of Kibutsuji Muzan, his appearance retained human elegance.
"Soichiro," Medea breathed, relief and joy mingling in her expression.
His aura had grown even stronger.
Lucien observed carefully, aware of the awakening power within Soichiro: a Blood Demon Art.
"Feel your strength!" Lucien commanded.
No matter how powerful Soichiro became, his life and death remained under Lucien's control.
Ascending into the air, Lucien left a single instruction behind.
Medusa transformed into specks of light, forming her spirit body to follow him.
"Soichiro, wait for me!"
Medea's eyes shone with reluctance, yet she still obeyed, leaving alongside Lucien.
Soichiro remained silent, his gaze following them.
Now, life and death for both him and Medea rested in another's hands.
Meanwhile, at the Kotomine Church, Kirei Kotomine, overseer of the Fifth Holy Grail War, stood in dim light, Bible in hand, calmly observing the man before him: Li Chong.
Li Chong had been the Master of Cú Chulainn, the Son of Light, and Gilgamesh, the Hero King.
With Medusa's demise, Shinji Matou had confronted Kirei, who manipulated the Holy Grail War to gain Gilgamesh's Command Seals for Shinji.
Li Chong's goal was simple: claim mastery.
If Kirei agreed to cooperate, all the better.
If not, Li Chong would eliminate him and unilaterally command Cú Chulainn and Gilgamesh.
If the Servants resisted, he would simply release them.
Such was the audacity of his plan.
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