How About You Guys Find a New Savior Chapter 5

A young man, not yet thirty, with a gentle yet tired smile on his face, was talking to Xi Jianxi and Sakura.

It seemed the man knew Sakura.

"…It looks like everything is fine, I must have worried for nothing," the man said.

"Even though I got caught up in the Holy Grail War, taking care of one or two children isn't difficult for me," Xi Jianxi said, stroking Sakura's hair. "Besides, Sakura has outstanding potential. As an introductory Magus, I'm afraid even Mr. Kariya wouldn't be her match now."

Praised, Sakura gave a proud yet shy, well-behaved smile.

"Of course," the man named Kariya replied, his smile tinged with bitterness.

At that moment, Morgan's footsteps, as she walked around the porch and into the living room, interrupted their meeting.

Seeing the stunningly beautiful woman who appeared so suddenly, Kariya was taken aback. By instinct, he guessed Morgan was a member of the Xi family.

"And this is…?" Kariya asked politely.

Xi Jianxi smiled, narrowing his eyes to hide his embarrassment. "...My wife."

"Is that so?" Kariya was surprised. "Since when?"

"Just recently," Xi Jianxi could only answer vaguely.

Fortunately, Kariya didn't pry further, nor did he realize Morgan was a Servant and not a normal human.

He chatted with Xi Jianxi for a few more minutes, left a souvenir for Sakura, and then announced, "I'll be leaving Japan soon for some overseas research and won't be able to visit," before departing the Xi residence.

"So, you've finally made up your mind?" Morgan watched Xi Jianxi, who had returned from seeing Kariya off, with amusement.

She was referring to his earlier lie to Kariya about Morgan being his wife.

"It was obvious it was just a polite fib, wasn't it?" Xi Jianxi sighed. "You're the one who had to walk in. If you had remained in your spiritual form, he, not being a Magus, wouldn't have noticed you at all."

Morgan smiled faintly, brushing off Xi Jianxi's complaint. "Who is he?"

"Kariya Matou. Before I adopted Sakura, when she was with the Tohsaka family, he often looked after her and her sister," Xi Jianxi explained. "It seems he had some connection with Aoi Tohsaka when they were younger."

"Matou…" Morgan recalled the old Magus who manipulated insects that afternoon.

"Don't worry about it. The Matou family has pretty much declined by this generation. Mr. Kariya is the only one with talent, but he happened to give up the path of magic and lives a life far from it. He's just an ordinary person, and moreover, not even a Master."

As Xi Jianxi explained the situation, he went to the kitchen to prepare dinner.

After dinner was the usual magic lesson time. Sakura had already gone to the workshop to wait and review.

During this time, Morgan roughly told Xi Jianxi about her encounter with the Matou Family Head outside the Great Hollow, and the situation there, but did not mention the most crucial point: the contamination of the Holy Grail.

She still didn't know Xi Jianxi's purpose in participating in the Holy Grail War at this time, whether he needed it as a wish-granting machine, or if, like the Three Founding Families who established the Fuyuki Holy Grail War system, he wanted to reach the Root.

During their conversation, Morgan tried to probe again, but Xi Jianxi evaded her with the same evasive tactics as before.

Therefore, Morgan decided that it would be best to put aside such internal matters that could become destabilizing factors and observe him more during this period.

"If there's nothing else, I'll go to the workshop to teach Sakura—"

Just as Xi Jianxi was about to end the conversation, the phone rang.

Xi Jianxi answered the call, responded briefly, and then hung up.

"That wasn't a normal contact," Morgan remarked.

"Yes, the supervisor from the church just informed me that the Servant of the Caster class has arrived," Xi Jianxi said, his expression turning serious.

"It seems the Holy Grail War will begin tonight," Morgan chuckled lightly.

Xi Jianxi was already walking towards the workshop. "Let's remain inactive for now and observe the movements of each party."

During his time in Fuyuki, he had already set up surveillance familiars in various parts of the city, especially at the locations of the Three Founding Families: the Tohsaka residence, the Matou residence, and the Einzbern Castle in the suburbs outside the city.

Now, he needed to activate these familiars and see which factions the opening battle of the Holy Grail War would occur between.

"Dad?"

Seeing Xi Jianxi rush in with a serious expression, Sakura understood that tonight's magic lesson was canceled.

"I'm sorry, Sakura. For the next period, the evening magic lessons will be suspended. Please go back to your room and rest. Dad has something to deal with." Xi Jianxi bent down and reached out to comfort Sakura, who was sitting in a chair.

Sakura nodded obediently, then left the room.

"I forgot to mention earlier, that child's attribute is Imaginary Numbers, isn't it?" Morgan said.

Xi Jianxi, who was activating the shared vision of the familiars, merely nodded. "It is indeed rare. Are there any problems?"

"You can't teach her anything about Imaginary Numbers magic," Morgan said, a confident, faint smile appearing on her face. "After all, the Holy Grail War isn't a moment-by-moment thing. If you have time, you can let me teach her."

Xi Jianxi hesitated for a few seconds, then waved his hand. The shared vision from the familiars appeared like monitor windows in the workshop, illuminated by Rune symbols.

"I'll consider it."

He replied to Morgan.

Chapter Seven: A Suspicious First Battle

"What do you think, Morgan?"

Through the familiars placed throughout Fuyuki City, Xi Jianxi quickly glimpsed the initial battlefield.

It was at the Tohsaka residence, on a hill in the Shinzan district.

Under his Master's command, Assassin launched a surprise attack on the Tohsaka family residence, which had been fortified like a military fortress, enveloped by twenty layers of detection and defense barriers.

However, Assassin easily breached the barriers with agile movements. Just as he attempted to disable the cornerstone of the first barrier, he was instantly killed by Archer, the Servant summoned by Tokiomi Tohsaka.

The entire process was so swift that Xi Jianxi barely had time to switch the familiars' vision and perspective. He could only see the majestic golden figure from afar.

The first battle concluded with Assassin's retreat.

Xi Jianxi was certainly not the only Master who witnessed the first battle of the Holy Grail War.

He froze the image generated by the recording transmitted by the familiar and leaned against the desk in his workshop, asking his Servant.

"Quite a despairing gap in combat power, wouldn't you say?" Morgan sat down on a chair in front of the desk, gracefully crossing her legs and leaning back against the rest.

From an outsider's perspective, their distance appeared as if they had established an intimate relationship.

However, there was no one else present, so it didn't matter.

"At least from the attack patterns, the weapons that pierced Assassin were all Noble Phantasms," Xi Jianxi said, crossing his arms. "Servants in the Holy Grail War usually only have one Noble Phantasm, while special Heroic Spirits might have two or three..."

But considering only the quantity was indeed meaningless. What truly mattered was the category and rank of the Noble Phantasm itself.

A Noble Phantasm could be a weapon, a concept, or even an ability or ultimate skill.

"Or perhaps, those numerous weapons could all be a single Noble Phantasm," Xi Jianxi analyzed to himself. "The prototype of Gae Bolg, held by Scathach, the Queen of the Shadow Realm, can split into countless individuals to attack... When necessary, it can even transform into a three-section staff, a short sword, or even a longbow..."

As he spoke, Xi Jianxi couldn't help but recall the time spent in the Shadow Realm, where the passage of time was impossible to gauge.

After arriving in the Shadow Realm, he survived among the specters and undead that could appear at any moment, was discovered by Scathach when she came out to investigate, favored by her, and then became her student.

The thought of the practical training, as unforgiving as that of a hellish demon, still sent shivers down Xi Jianxi's spine, even though he had already endured it.

Fortunately, fortunately... that person couldn't die, so they couldn't descend as a Servant in a Holy Grail War like this.

"You seem quite familiar with the Queen of the Shadow Realm, Master," Morgan's voice held a hint of displeasure.

Snapping back to reality, Xi Jianxi thought that it was likely Morgan's pride as a Servant, unable to accept her Master using other Heroic Spirits or heroes as reference templates.

"It's not that much," Xi Jianxi replied ambiguously, not wanting to reveal his experiences to anyone. "After all, I did a lot of research to participate in the Holy Grail War."

Morgan looked at Xi Jianxi faintly, as if trying to discern something from his expression. After a moment, she withdrew her gaze and looked at the recording of the first battle with her usual indifferent smile.

"To think that the Assassin was defeated so early on. It seems those assassins are more useless than I anticipated."

Her evaluation was understandable.

Among the seven classes in the Holy Grail War, Assassin and Caster were known as the two weakest classes.

This was because the class itself served as the medium, and only one of the Servants from the Hassans of the Sabbah, the historical assassins' guild, could be summoned in the Holy Grail War.

"You can't say that. If the response of the first Hassan of Sabbah were obtained, the outcome of this Holy Grail War would have been decided in advance," Xi Jianxi disagreed.

"For a mortal Magus to seek the response of that old man is nothing short of arrogance," Morgan lamented sarcastically. "In the end, Master, you must know that such a thought is impossible."

"As you say." Xi Jianxi did not deny that he was merely joking.

As for Caster, due to the three Knight classes and even Rider possessing Magic Resistance, even if an excellent Caster Servant were summoned, they would still suffer from this disadvantage in compatibility.

However, Xi Jianxi was very interested in what would happen if Morgan had descended as a Caster instead of a Berserker.

But these were all hypothetical topics and held no discussion value at the moment.

"But don't you think all of this happened too smoothly?" Xi Jianxi asked directly, looking into Morgan's eyes.

Morgan, however, asked Xi Jianxi for the reason behind his question. "What do you mean?"

"From the moment Assassin appeared and attempted to break the barrier to Archer's counterattack, the interval was too short. It was as if they knew the opponent would come and had prepared an ambush, waiting for the opponent to take the bait. Moreover, Assassin possesses the class skill 'Presence Concealment'; to be discovered so easily is quite unprofessional," Xi Jianxi listed his observations. "It's not like that Archer actually has a skill similar to 'Presence Detection,' which is why he could sense it, right?"

"We don't even know Archer's true name yet, so how can we determine what actual abilities he possesses?" Morgan did not immediately agree. Instead, she seemed to be discussing possibilities with Xi Jianxi with great interest.

Xi Jianxi raised his eyebrows high. Morgan's point was valid, but it brought forth another question.

"If that's the case, why did Archer specifically reveal his true identity?" Xi Jianxi pointed out another issue. "If he had the ability to detect Assassin's intrusion in advance and carry out a perfect ambush, then concealing the Servant's presence and keeping all parties in the dark about any information would be the best strategy." Xi Jianxi raised a finger, a confident smile appearing on his face. "In that case, there's only one possibility left."

"Tell me." Morgan nodded.

"This is a pre-arranged 'fixed match.' Assassin's Master is colluding with Tokiomi Tohsaka to stage this incident, making the fact that he lost his Servant and withdrew from the competition seem perfectly reasonable," Xi Jianxi pinched his fingers, producing a crisp sound.

The smile in Morgan's eyes became subtle. "To participate in the Holy Grail War to obtain the omnipotent wish-granting device, and then to lose so readily and withdraw, aren't you thinking too simply?"

"Who knows. After all... Assassin's Master is Tokiomi Tohsaka's disciple." Xi Jianxi presented the intelligence he had gathered about the other Masters.

Finally, Morgan's expression changed. "It seems this Holy Grail War in the Far East will be more interesting than anticipated."

"Regardless, the Holy Grail War has officially begun. It's time for us to make our move."

Xi Jianxi got up from the desk and walked out of the workshop. Before stepping onto the stairs, he suddenly turned back.

"Regarding your earlier offer to teach Sakura magic, if you have time later, I would appreciate it. After all, a magic teacher should be as excellent as possible."

Chapter 8: Greeting Methods

"Here is the data on the Masters participating in this Holy Grail War. Take a look."

The next day, while driving through the streets of Fuyuki, Xi Jianxi handed a stack of documents to Morgan in the passenger seat.

"Shouldn't you be giving me information about the Servants?" Morgan asked, though she took the documents and opened them.

"Easy for you to say, but that kind of information isn't easily obtained," Xi Jianxi couldn't help but retort. "Besides, to ensure victory in the Holy Grail War, it would be more convenient to prioritize eliminating the Masters, wouldn't it?"

Morgan glanced up, catching Xi Jianxi in her peripheral vision as he drove. "Every Magus participating in this war likely has such thoughts. It's not very meaningful."

"Have you heard of Tian Ji's horse racing?" Xi Jianxi smiled. "You pit the inferior horses against the superior ones, the superior against the mediocre, and the mediocre against the inferior. In the end, it's best two out of three wins."

Morgan raised an eyebrow slightly. "Are you suggesting I should be responsible for dealing with the Master, while you delay the Servant? That's quite a crazy idea. Has my husband already given up before the battle has even begun?"

"...I already told you that was just talk. Don't take it seriously, alright!" Xi Jianxi almost slammed on the brakes on the Miyu River Bridge.

If that happened, he would truly become the first Master to be eliminated – and all because of a traffic accident unrelated to the war.

"I have no intention of obeying anyone's orders, not even a Master's. Treating you as my husband is the utmost of my tolerance," Morgan teased Xi Jianxi in a calm tone.

Xi Jianxi didn't understand Morgan well, but he could tell that this Fairy Queen was not someone who would be content to live under someone else's authority for long. He could only acquiesce to her way of treating her Master.

"Are you unhappy?"

"How could I be..." Xi Jianxi chuckled dryly.

"Ultimately, you don't intend to treat your Servant as a familiar, do you?" Morgan pointed out Xi Jianxi's attitude.

Most Magus would use the Servant's class name to conceal their true name and to emphasize the master-servant relationship.

However, Xi Jianxi had never referred to Morgan as Berserker up to this point.

"No matter how high-class a familiar is, they are still heroes who left their names in history and legend. I still hold a certain respect for such existences," Xi Jianxi replied truthfully, a sharp curve appearing at the corner of his lips. "Of course, if it were a god, that would be another matter entirely."

Morgan's eyes widened slightly in surprise.

The car passed over the Fuyuki Bridge at this moment, arriving at the streets of the new city.

The scenery instantly shifted from traditional streets to a forest of steel and concrete.

Morgan wasn't particularly interested in modern cities, but she didn't dislike sightseeing this way by car.

As the car stopped at a crosswalk, waiting for the light to change, Morgan suddenly held her breath for a moment, staring intently at a black sedan slowly pulling over to the side of the road ahead.