All Parties, Reactions, and Undercurrents

Shiki was completely focused on improving his own strength, and he and a slightly surprised Lancelot began special training.

Meanwhile, the news that new participants had joined the Holy Grail War quickly reached the ears of all interested parties.

Among the many factions in this war, there was an unlucky fellow who didn't receive the news in time.

Last night, the Clock Tower lecturer who went to the Einzbern Family to show off had unfortunately fallen into a trap set by the Magus Killer, Kiritsugu Emiya. He was currently paralyzed in bed, completely unaware of the new developments outside.

Other factions, however, reacted differently.

Not far to the northeast of the Matou Old House stood an exquisite and elegant Tohsaka Mansion.

Inside, Tokiomi Tohsaka, dressed impeccably, sat elegantly on a chair.

As he listened to the report from his disciple Kirei Kotomine, whom he had taken in three years prior due to his own planning, he couldn't help but remark, "Did Kariya, that coward who shirks his responsibilities as a Magus, run away again this time?"

His words clearly carried a tone of belittling his opponent, yet Kirei Kotomine stood there like an emotionless machine, his expression unperturbed.

Tokiomi Tohsaka was long accustomed to this and paid it no mind.

"Kariya left with Sakura? Does that mean something happened to the Matou Patriarch?"

Kirei Kotomine replied, "Master, perhaps that is a possibility."

Tokiomi Tohsaka muttered "Matou Patriarch" to himself. Although he used a respectful term, the relationship between their families was not close.

On one hand, they were both Magus and belonged to the Three Founding Families. On the other hand, Tokiomi Tohsaka, as the head of his family, used that title out of basic respect for an elder.

"Tsk, it's inconvenient to check on the Matou Old House now. If I hadn't been so hasty in establishing new rules with Priest Kotomine, Assassin would still be here."

Tokiomi Tohsaka expressed some regret.

Last night, Kirei Kotomine's Servant, Assassin, was eliminated in an attempt to test Rider's Noble Phantasm.

However, Tokiomi Tohsaka did not dwell on regret for too long. He quickly adjusted his mood and turned to ask his disciple, "Kirei, do you have any information about this new Berserker Master?"

Kirei Kotomine replied, "Master, I believe the new Master of Berserker is the boy who saved Rin yesterday."

Tokiomi Tohsaka frowned. "The boy you mentioned in your report, the one who had contact with Kariya?"

"Yes, Master," Kirei Kotomine responded.

Kirei Kotomine had indeed reported this last night, but at the time, they were preparing to test Rider, so they had put the matter aside. He hadn't expected news of Berserker changing Masters to emerge today.

Tokiomi Tohsaka couldn't help but ponder, "What connection does that boy have with Kariya?"

He couldn't understand it at all. If there was no connection, how could the boy have helped Kariya against the Matou Patriarch?

However, he quickly dismissed his doubts and said, "Never mind. For now, let's focus on preparing to deal with Caster. We'll figure it out later. Kirei, thank you for your assistance before. You've worked hard and contributed greatly. Now, after losing Assassin, you should rest for a while."

Tokiomi Tohsaka believed that without a Servant, Kirei Kotomine, having lost his Master status, could no longer assist him.

With the Servant he had summoned, he was confident he could achieve victory in the end.

"Yes, Master. I will take my leave then."

Kirei Kotomine left the room expressionlessly. However, the moment he closed the door, a flicker of boredom flashed in his eyes.

In his opinion, this Holy Grail War and Tokiomi Tohsaka's plan were both extremely dull, far less interesting than that "Magus Killer," Kiritsugu Emiya.

He couldn't fully grasp Kiritsugu Emiya's thoughts or methods, and he always felt that deep within the man's heart lay a unique spirit that attracted him.

"Kiritsugu Emiya, what kind of person are you?"

On the other side, Kiritsugu Emiya might not have known what kind of person he truly was either.

After settling his wife Irisviel and Servant Saber in a pre-prepared old house in Miyamachi, he received a call from his assistant Maiya and rushed to Maiya's temporary residence.

"Kiritsugu, the Church has new information. Berserker's Master has changed," Maiya said.

"Is there anything else?"

Kiritsugu Emiya didn't pay much attention to Berserker, a Servant shrouded in black mist and exuding an aura of madness.

In past Holy Grail Wars, although Berserker was powerful, he was unable to unleash his Noble Phantasm due to his loss of reason, making him not a true formidable opponent.

As his assistant, Maiya naturally understood the reason for his call. Since she had specifically summoned him, she must have discovered an important clue.

"Kiritsugu, last night we may have discovered Caster's Master," Maiya said, tossing a photo onto the table.

Kiritsugu Emiya picked up the photo and looked at it. It showed a young man with spiky yellow hair wearing clothing with leopard elements.

"This is... Leopard? This guy? Is it confirmed?" Kiritsugu Emiya was somewhat surprised that obtaining information about Caster's Master was so easy.

"That's right. Someone saw this young man fly out of an abandoned bar, tumble more than a dozen times on the ground, and yet emerge unharmed. He was even able to stand up and curse, saying things like, 'How dare you damage Old Master Qingxu's Magic Dress Gear! I won't let you go!'" Maiya explained.

Kiritsugu Emiya smiled, a rare occurrence, and pulled out a dagger, pinning it to the smiling face of the young man in the photo. "It truly came without any effort. So, the one who knocked him out must be Berserker's new Master."

"I think so. Later, someone saw the original Berserker Master, Matou Kariya, leave with a boy. Immediately after, news spread today that Berserker had a new Master," Maiya said, laying another black and white sketch on the table. "Based on multiple descriptions, this drawing, confirmed by witnesses, looks very much like that boy."

This sketch bore a striking resemblance to Shiki, showing the artist's considerable skill. They were able to reproduce Shiki's true appearance based solely on people's impressions and guidance.

Kiritsugu Emiya glanced at the sketch and, after a moment of silence, sighed, "He's truly young."

"Kiritsugu," Maiya called softly.

"It's alright, Maiya. As long as they participate in the Holy Grail War, anyone is our enemy," Kiritsugu Emiya said with a serious expression.

Seeing this, Maiya said no more.

When carrying out a mission, being swayed by emotions is the biggest taboo.

"So what do we do now? Target Caster, or Berserker?"

Kiritsugu Emiya pulled out the dagger stuck in the photo, and his answer was just as Maiya expected: "We still need to consider the Church's influence. First, we'll deal with Caster's Master, then find a way to eliminate Lancer. Berserker's special ability can tie down Archer, so we don't need to worry about them for now."

This wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision. Ever since the Holy Grail War began, Kiritsugu Emiya had made this plan when he saw Berserker and Archer fighting at the port warehouse.

"Kaineth was saved by Lancer yesterday, but he was hit by the Origin Bullet. After his Magic Circuits were severed, they were reconnected haphazardly. He's already a cripple. Who will replace his Master qualification, and Lancer hasn't completely withdrawn either," Kiritsugu Emiya analyzed. "We'll use Saber and Lancer's arranged duel to find the new Master behind them and eliminate Lancer completely."

Mariya wasn't surprised by his mindset of treating Servants as tools.

Because this was Kiritsugu Emiya's way of operating. In his eyes, both guns and people were tools to achieve his ideals, and even Mariya herself was no exception.

Mariya had long accepted this. From the day Kiritsugu Emiya saved her, she had accepted it all.

"Then Kiritsugu, I'll go to the Matou Old House to monitor Berserker. Caster's Master will be up to you."

"No problem."

Kiritsugu Emiya was always good at finding people.

Just as Mariya was about to leave the room, Kiritsugu Emiya called out to her, his lips moving slightly as he whispered, "Be careful."

Mariya nodded and quickly departed.

In the room, only Kiritsugu Emiya remained, lost in thought as he stared at the photos and sketches.

The last to learn about Berserker's Master change was the Rider combination.

At this moment, they had just destroyed one of Caster's bases at the sewer exit. This was already the second Caster base they had found, and the tragic state of the base made the young Magus, Waver, furious.

However, compared to yesterday, he was no longer in unbearable pain.

"Caster, I will absolutely not let that guy go!"

A large hand slammed onto Waver's back, nearly knocking the frail boy off his chariot.

The tall Rider, Iskandar, laughed heartily and said, "Well done, kid! You should have that spirit. Only then are you worthy of being my, Iskandar's, Master, hahaha!"

"Stop laughing, Rider. What do you think about Berserker having a new Master?" Waver asked.

Iskandar stroked his chin with his large hand and said, "Kid, do you think we have an advantage against Berserker?"

Waver nodded without hesitation: "Of course. Rider's Noble Phantasm is the strongest. Dealing with Berserker will be a piece of cake."

Hearing this, Iskandar burst into laughter and slapped Waver on the back again: "Kid, you need that confidence! We are the strongest, there's nothing to fear. Let's go!"

He pulled the reins, and the Noble Phantasm chariot, pulled by two divine oxen, galloped through the sky like an arrow shot from a bow, heading towards their stronghold.

Those who had witnessed Berserker's power did not believe that the Servant of the Berserker class would change much with a new Master.

After all, in everyone's eyes, Noble Phantasms were the Servants' strongest power. How strong could a Berserker who couldn't unleash their Noble Phantasm be?