How About You Find Another Savior?

Karen sat on the sofa, watching the morning program playing on the television. She held the remote but did not change the channel.

On TV, the news was covering something somewhat unsettling for children.

"...Next, a follow-up report on Fuyuki City's series of bizarre murders. At all three murder scenes discovered so far, mysterious patterns suspected to be magic circles were drawn using the victims' blood. What exactly do the magic circles drawn by the perpetrator signify? Today, we have invited an expert in criminal psychology..."

A series of murders, crime scenes sharing common characteristics.

No matter the era, the stretch of history, or the world, such things were never rare.

Morgan unconsciously folded her arms and watched the scholar on the news analyze the so-called possibilities with an indifferent gaze.

"What do you think?" Xi Jianxi's voice came from nearby.

"How should I know? No one does." Morgan disliked murders that so obviously carried an element of pleasure, so she merely gave a casual reply.

Xi Jianxi smiled helplessly. "It certainly isn't safe. But compared with the 'war' fought at night, which side is more dangerous?"

"What are you worried about?" Morgan caught the underlying concern in his words.

"My children," Xi Jianxi answered naturally.

Morgan always inadvertently forgot that her Master was the father of two children—even if only their adoptive father.

He looked like a young man barely past twenty, yet he had a seven-year-old and a five-year-old girl with him. An ordinary person would probably question his intentions.

But Morgan would not.

As they spoke, Morgan's gaze fell upon the dining table. Seeing that he had set out four bowls of miso soup along with four corresponding meals, she could not help but feel startled.

"I know Servants don't need food to restore magical energy when they have sufficient mana. The efficiency is far too low, after all." Xi Jianxi said with a smile. "But since you're here, you're still an honored guest. I unconsciously prepared an extra serving. If you think it's unnecessary, just leave it there. After I take Sakura and Karen to school, I'll come back and clean up."

Morgan did not refuse. She naturally sat down and ate breakfast with Xi Jianxi and the two children.

Throughout breakfast, Morgan did not say a word, silently observing Xi Jianxi's every move.

He kept talking to Sakura and Karen during the meal. Sakura obediently responded to every sentence, while Karen occasionally blurted out remarks far beyond her age, leaving Xi Jianxi extremely embarrassed.

After breakfast, just as Xi Jianxi had said, he was going to drive Karen to kindergarten and Sakura to elementary school.

Morgan could have stayed home or acted on her own, but she got into the car with them and went out as well. When they dropped Karen off at kindergarten, the teacher even mistook Morgan for Karen's new mother, forcing Xi Jianxi to explain for quite a while.

"There was no need to explain it so carefully. Wouldn't it have been fine to let the misunderstanding stand? Or did being called my husband make you nervous?" Morgan leaned against the passenger-side window and teased Xi Jianxi as he drove.

"Are you awake, Morgan?" Xi Jianxi's mouth twitched.

In private, he did not particularly want to address her by her Class. It was simply difficult to regard a Divine Era Magus so rational and cold in temperament as a Berserker in the usual sense.

"The Holy Grail War will last no more than two weeks. If we win in the end, once we obtain the Grail, we'll still go our separate ways." Xi Jianxi reminded her with a laugh that was more cry than humor. "I plan to keep living in Fuyuki until those two children grow up!"

Morgan gave Xi Jianxi a faint glance. "The Holy Grail... Come to think of it, I haven't asked you, Master. Why are you participating in the Holy Grail War, and why do you want to win the Grail?"

"...Is that important?" Xi Jianxi did not answer immediately.

"After all, those who pursue the Grail are people dissatisfied with their lives. Would a Master who does not look like such a person no matter how one looked at him also seek the Holy Grail?" Morgan asked.

Xi Jianxi nodded. "For example, I want to reach the Root. Satisfied?"

"You should refrain from telling lies that can be seen through at a glance." Morgan sounded as though she were warning him, yet also as though she were sighing.

"Then what about you? What wish do you intend to entrust to the Grail?" Xi Jianxi asked in return.

The moving car fell silent for two seconds before Morgan gave a derisive laugh. "So you're pulling that move."

That ended their discussion of the wishes they each intended to make upon the Grail.

"But—" Xi Jianxi abruptly changed the subject.

"What?"

"Your outfit is still far too conspicuous. I suggest buying some clothes and changing your appearance. Although the Holy Grail War is supposed to take place at night, once things develop further, people may get carried away with killing, regardless of day or night, or whether anyone sees them." Xi Jianxi made his suggestion.

"A reasonable suggestion. So what kind of clothes do you wish to recommend for me?" Morgan accepted the proposal.

"I happen to know a more expensive clothing store. The owner is an acquaintance of mine, so they won't find your appearance strange." Xi Jianxi turned the steering wheel left, and the car entered another road.

"Rest assured. I do not particularly wish to assume spirit form, but assuming spirit form when necessary to reduce needless trouble is also a Servant's duty."

Seeing through Xi Jianxi's attempt to avoid any options that might cause friction with his Servant, Morgan offered him reassurance.

"That would be for the best."

Fuyuki Land

Morgan suited modern clothing even better than Xi Jianxi had expected, to the point that he could not help but lose his composure a little when he saw her.

Having seen her Master's reaction after changing clothes, Morgan was very satisfied.

"What next? Since the Holy Grail War cannot officially begin while Servants are still absent, does Master intend to take an unparalleled beauty like me around town to show me off?" Morgan was in an excellent mood.

"Even if it's true, who calls herself an unparalleled beauty?" Xi Jianxi felt deeply exhausted.

He wanted to turn around and go straight home, inspect and maintain the house's barrier, make some prewar preparations, and wait for all the Servants to arrive before the fighting began.

But there was something more important to do now. He pulled himself together and perked up. "I'm sorry, but I really am taking you around Fuyuki today. It just isn't to show you off."

"To familiarize me with the city in advance, so I can handle any situation afterward?"

"Yeah."

Xi Jianxi then drove Morgan from Shinto, where they had finished buying clothes, and introduced her along the way to some of what he had learned about the Holy Grail War over the past two years.

"...Fuyuki is an excellent spiritual land. Outside the territory governed by the Mage's Association, its ley lines are second only to those governed by the Aozaki family. Although they have not reached the point of connecting to the Root, they are quite close. That is why Magi have settled here since ancient times."

As they spoke, the car passed in front of Fuyuki Civic Hall. Xi Jianxi explained to Morgan in a calm tone.

"At the end of the Holy Grail War, the Grail descends at the place in Fuyuki with the best ley lines. In the previous three Holy Grail Wars, those places were the Tohsaka Family residence, the Fuyuki Church, and the underground cavern beneath Enzou-san Ryudou Temple. I already pointed out the first two to you in Miyama Town. The civic hall we just passed is theoretically also a place where the Grail can descend, but there has never been a record of it descending there."

The Grail did not tell Servants such matters in advance. Servants only knew that the Grail could grant wishes, and they answered their Masters' summons for the sake of their own wishes.

"What is the point of telling me this? Servants do not need to know such things," Morgan said.

Xi Jianxi shook his head. "No matter what, although you manifested as Berserker, wouldn't it be better to treat you as a Magus in terms of your abilities? Knowing deeper information about this Holy Grail War should also help in developing strategies and tactics."

The car stopped by the roadside. From the passenger seat, across the road to the left, stood a tall flight of steps. Going up them led to the last ley line Xi Jianxi wanted Morgan to inspect.

Enzou-san Ryudou Temple.

"There is a barrier here." Morgan stood at the foot of the stairs and looked around.

"I heard that even before the Holy Grail War system was established, an eminent monk deployed a spiritual barrier here using a secret method. Since it is specialized, even high-ranking spiritual bodies such as Servants seem to be repelled if they try to enter or leave freely. They can only enter through the main gate." Xi Jianxi stepped onto the stairs first.

Morgan followed closely behind him.

She could clearly sense that, in terms of spiritual rank, Mount Enzou's ley lines surpassed the other three locations by far. Her keen instincts as a Magus could not be deceived. Xi Jianxi had not mentioned it, likely because he thought she would understand without being told.

With every step she took, that sensation became clearer and stronger.

When the two reached the steps before Ryuudou Temple's gate, Morgan stopped.

"Master, go into the temple first. I'll take a look around nearby," she said in a commanding tone.

"Did something catch your attention?"

"Yes and no." After saying that, Morgan assumed spirit form and left Xi Jianxi's side.

She went behind the temple, where there was a broad pond.

And directly beneath the pond lay Fuyuki's highest-grade ley line.

"Directly beneath it?"

Morgan assumed spirit form once again and moved down the mountain. It did not take her much effort to find the entrance.

It was a section of mountain disguised by magecraft. All one had to do was reach out a hand to discover that it was merely a penetrable illusion.

So this is the place, Morgan thought.

The location of the Greater Holy Grail.

Xi Jianxi had never mentioned this. Either he had yet to uncover exact information, or he believed the location of the Greater Holy Grail was unimportant.

What mattered was the Lesser Holy Grail.

No matter what, the system of this Holy Grail War contained issues that Morgan, as a Magus, found highly worthy of investigation.

And to confirm the points that concerned her, she needed to enter the Greater Holy Grail's location and personally analyze the system to obtain her answers.

Just as Morgan was about to enter the underground cavern, the sound of beating wings reached her ears and irritated her.

An insect.

It was winter. There should not have been any insects active outside at all.

Slash—

Morgan did not turn around. The Winged Blade Worm was sliced apart by a magical blade that appeared from thin air, falling to the ground in pieces.

"Do not lurk in the shadows and spy, Bug Master." Morgan spoke coldly. "Do not think that I have no way to curse you to death just because your true body is not here."

As though responding to that warning, accompanied by sinister laughter, a hunched old man emerged from the darkness of the forest, leaning on a cane.

"Hehehe... I did not expect a Servant to want control of the Greater Holy Grail before the war even began. Are you a Caster-class Servant?" Standing in the shade of the trees, the old man's gloomy laughter seemed to crawl from his throat like a venomous snake slithering through grass.

Morgan turned around. "I wondered who it was. So it is the Matou Family Head, one of the Three Founding Families that designed this Holy Grail War ritual, whose family has declined so far that it cannot even cultivate a Magus."

"Do not get too full of yourself, mere Servant." A sharp gleam appeared in the old man's sunken eye sockets.

"After exhausting every effort, you can only prolong your life in such an ugly manner through magecraft." Morgan raised her hand. "I originally intended to show a little respect for a lineage that designed such a system. Now, it seems there is no need."

As Morgan's words fell, bullets of condensed magical energy fired like rounds from an assault rifle without the need for any chant.

The old man's body was instantly torn to pieces. He collapsed onto the ground and gradually turned to dust.

"This old man is not foolish enough to confront a Servant head-on, much less through magecraft." The old man's sinister voice echoed through the forest and faded away. "If you wish to take control of the Greater Holy Grail, then do so. Do not think that means victory is assured."

In truth, the Matou Family Head's mockery did not even reach Morgan's ears.

She turned and walked into the entrance of the underground cavern concealed by illusion magecraft.

After all, from the very beginning, Morgan had not intended to take control of the Greater Holy Grail here and make it her base.

Visitor

Morgan emerged from the underground cavern once more with a somewhat grave expression.

She had indeed reached the location of the Greater Holy Grail.

The cavern containing the Greater Holy Grail's magic circle did possess a barrier meant to isolate Servants and spiritual bodies, but such mechanisms were no more than children's tricks in Morgan's eyes.

However, after examining the Greater Holy Grail, Morgan discovered a terrible fact in addition to confirming that the magic circle could adjust Fuyuki's land to make it suitable for the Grail's descent and initiate the Holy Grail War ritual.

"Something already contaminated like this is hardly useful even as a wish-granting machine."

Morgan made her judgment.

It was already evening outside. She had not expected investigating the Greater Holy Grail's location to take so much time.

When she returned to Ryuudou Temple's grounds, Xi Jianxi was nowhere to be seen.

Morgan sensed slightly, and the magical energy pathway between herself and her Master still remained. His presence, however, was no longer within Ryuudou Temple or even Mount Enzou.

Where did you go, Master? You left your Servant behind and acted alone. Even if the Holy Grail War has not begun yet, you should not be so careless. Morgan contacted Xi Jianxi's consciousness through their magical energy pathway.

Sorry... You spent too long investigating nearby, and I thought it would not take long. It's already time for school to end, so I went to pick up Sakura and Karen. You can return on your own in spirit form, right?

Xi Jianxi honestly apologized for leaving Morgan behind.

Hearing that answer, Morgan was no longer angry.

Her Master was a Magus with far too much human warmth in every sense, almost unqualified in certain respects.

After understanding the situation, Morgan assumed spirit form and returned to the Xi residence in Miyama Town's residential district.

She did not choose to enter the house in spirit form. Instead, she pushed open the courtyard gate and walked in as though returning to her own home.

Unexpectedly, the Xi residence had received a visitor.

As she passed the corridor, Morgan saw the visitor clearly through the glass.