Starting with Adopting Sakura in Type-Moon

The Jewel Magician shrugged, then continued.

"On the first night, Assassin faked his death. Then Saber and Lancer fought at the docks, only to be stopped by Rider. After that, Ryunosuke Uryu and that Caster were jointly eliminated by the Servants for causing trouble. Kenneth was later killed by Emiya Kiritsugu, and Tokiomi Tohsaka Betrayed by Kirei Kotomine followed. I've seen enough of such boring developments."

"So you mean..."

Merlin already understood what the other man was trying to say.

"You're asking when you already know, Merlin. There's no way your Clairvoyance couldn't have seen it, right? The appearance of a certain variable—you even came into personal contact with him through Mother of Kanbako City's Absolute Future Vision, didn't you?"

"Ahaha, so my little trick was discovered."

"I'm not blind. I can still notice a change that huge."

The Jewel Magician blew on his beard and spoke irritably.

"And my Parallel World Observation made me realize that this World Line had undergone an enormous shift, causing a massive impact on the original world. That successfully piqued my curiosity. And it isn't just the Fourth Holy Grail War. The fate of a rather unfortunate girl in Mifune City seems to have changed as well, along with Aozaki Touko and the others. So, out of curiosity, I came to ask you: what do you think of these strange events, Merlin?"

"Ahaha, what do I think? Naturally, I'm watching while lying around at home~"

Watching from home...

The Jewel Magician shook his head slightly. "As expected, no matter what time or place it is, you're still the same old homebody. It seems that after keeping you locked up for so long, Vivian has completely turned you into the Oldest Homebody."

"Eh? I may be a little reclusive, but that can't be helped. After all, I don't have the Second Magic, so I can't freely enter and leave Avalon."

Still, I think the title of Oldest Homebody suits Scáthach better. She's much older than I am.

Merlin muttered quietly to himself.

"Heh. How could I not understand your personality? Since this matter involves changes and that innocent king of yours, there's no way you'd simply sit back and watch. Especially when this change is so unusual—how could you possibly resist joining in? Your earlier contact with him through Mother of Kanbako City's Absolute Future Vision was the best proof, wasn't it?"

After exposing the truth in a single sentence, the Jewel Magician smiled and asked, "In that case, shall we stir up a little trouble together? After all, things this interesting don't come around often."

"Stir up trouble together...? Don't tell me you want to personally enter the competition? And have me partner with you? Never mind that I'm not dead yet—even if I were, I wouldn't want to team up with a lecherous old man like you as my Master."

Merlin glanced at the Jewel Magician, then turned his head away with a look of utter disgust, making the other man blow on his beard in irritation.

"What are you thinking? If I wanted a mere Holy Grail, would I need to go down there and snatch a contaminated one? Besides, I have no interest in bullying the young."

"Bullying the young, huh? Still, if you really think that way and underestimate that young man because of it, you might just stumble."

"Hmph. If I make a move, do you think I'd give him that kind of opportunity?" The Jewel Magician said unhappily, not denying Merlin's words.

Knowing the future and bullying the young, yet you still have such a sense of honor?

Merlin gained a new understanding of this old man's shamelessness.

"Then what do you want to do?"

"Mm, just make this Holy Grail War more interesting. It would be even better if we could solve a small problem that has been troubling the two of us. What do you think?"

"The Holy Grail and Artoria... That does seem feasible."

Merlin stroked his chin, considered it for a moment, then nodded.

"Right? I think it's feasible too. That boy has plenty hidden on him, including an extremely powerful trump card—one so impressive that even I would have to view him in a new light."

The Jewel Magician continued, "Since you agree, then let's participate together. For the two of us, this is a very good show. So... how about we bet on something?"

"A bet? Eh, if it were anyone else, I'd definitely agree. But betting against you would put me at too much of a disadvantage. After all, you can observe the futures of parallel worlds, while my Clairvoyance can only see what is happening in the present."

Merlin stroked his chin.

"Hah, stop talking nonsense. Don't tell me you can't see that boy's uniqueness. There is only one of him across all parallel worlds, and even you can't observe him. So you're the one with the advantage in this wager."

Ignoring Merlin's attempt to change the subject, the Jewel Magician continued speaking and directly stated his stakes. "We'll bet on the future he chooses, and whether he can achieve each of our goals."

"If I win, you'll voluntarily become Merry for a while, and help me test the Latest Magical Girl Transformation Device while you're at it. If you win, I'll find a chance to secretly take you out of Avalon for a while. What do you think of that proposal?"

"Hiss... Taking me out of Avalon really is a tempting reward. But Merry..."

After hearing the Jewel Magician's proposal, Merlin paused, falling silent as if deep in thought.

At last, several streaks of light reflected in those gemstone-like eyes, and a gentle smile appeared on his face.

"Sounds interesting. I'm in. No matter the result, I won't be losing out anyway."

What was the big deal about becoming a woman? Nightmares had no gender to begin with; either male or female was fine.

"Hahaha, that's more like it. Whether it's going out for a stroll or becoming Merry, neither would be a bad thing for you. Enjoying the present is what matters."

"Then I'll be imposing on you for a while. I'm getting tired of staying in that dusty office of mine anyway, so I'll spend some time here and get some proper rest."

"Eh? Are you planning to stay here?"

"Of course. If we don't observe things together in a fair and impartial manner, how can this count as a wager? Don't worry, I won't complain about this place of yours. Just provide food and drinks."

As he spoke, the Jewel Magician unceremoniously leaned back on Merlin's bed. While eating rice crackers that he had pulled out from who knew where, he began rummaging through Merlin's collection.

"'The Legend of King Arthur,' 'How to Become a Streamer,' 'One Hundred Ways to Be Popular,' and 'Self-Cultivation of an Internet Scammer'... What kind of random junk is all this? Don't you have any magical girl discs or books?"

"How could I possibly have that sort of thing?"

Merlin's face darkened. For once, he actually felt like hitting someone.

"You rotten old man, you're seriously shady!"

The War That Belongs to You and Me

Snow Castle

Rustle, rustle, rustle—!!

Wind and snow battered against the glass, making the wooden windows creak.

In Western Europe, amid a mountain forest blanketed by snow all year round, lay a vast stretch of private land far removed from the outside world, belonging solely to the Einzbern Family.

Germany, Einzbern Castle.

Snowflakes drifted steadily down from the sky. Within the expansive courtyard, one black figure and one white figure, different in size, chased each other.

"Kiritsugu, come catch me..."

The little girl ahead, like a snow spirit, nimbly darted between the buildings before finally hiding amid the snow, as though she had blended into it entirely.

Behind her, the man named Emiya Kiritsugu was playing with her.

The calm before the storm was also a rare moment of leisure. In this final stretch before heading to the battlefield, he wanted to spend time with his daughter.

"Mmm." Not far from where they stood, a blonde woman standing amid the winter snow lifted a cup of coffee in her hands. After taking a small sip, her eyes brightened slightly, and the ahoge atop her head swayed happily.

"Coffee... What an interesting flavor. It isn't as sweet and fragrant as Merlin's flower tea, but it's already delicious. Modern cuisine really has advanced a great deal."

Her voice was clear and mature. Yet just as her words fell, Emiya Kiritsugu, who had handed his daughter over to his wife after playing with her long enough, walked over.

"The Holy Grail War is about to begin. Are you prepared, Saber?"

Emiya Kiritsugu greeted the Servant he had only recently summoned.

"Of course. From the moment I answered your summons, I was prepared to fight at any time."

She nodded solemnly.

She was an exceptionally beautiful woman.

With golden hair, emerald eyes, and a blue long dress, she looked somewhat petite. Yet the aura forged through countless battles had not been diminished in the slightest.

The world knew her by many titles: King of Knights, King Arthur, Artoria Pendragon.

She was also the king who wielded the holy sword and protected Human Order.

If anyone else had summoned a Servant as powerful as King Arthur, they would surely have been ecstatic, unable to conceal their delight as they shouted something like, "It's in the bag! This Holy Grail War is in the bag!" Such words were practically flags.

After all, in a Holy Grail War, the stronger the Heroic Spirit, the greater the advantage they could occupy. And King Arthur, who possessed the superior Saber class and whose fame resounded throughout the world, was undoubtedly among the strongest of all Servants.

Yet as her summoner, Emiya Kiritsugu did not feel all that pleased inside.

He knew that King Arthur's strength was unquestionably among the very best, but what about their compatibility? The two of them were like temporary partners forcibly thrown together.

"..."

Emiya Kiritsugu remained silent and nodded toward Artoria.

A King of Knights who had accepted her duty in a time of crisis, saved Britannia from disaster, and protected Camelot for decades?

She was truly a noble and radiant person...

Compared with someone like him, she was almost dazzling.

He narrowed his eyes and shook his head lightly to himself.

There was no need to confirm it. Emiya Kiritsugu already knew that, just as he had expected, he and this king would have no compatibility whatsoever.

If they could not understand each other and act as one in war, then no amount of power would be of any use.

For a moment, Emiya Kiritsugu even resented Ahadon for ordering him to summon King Arthur. A filthy and despicable man like him might have been better suited to using Assassin.

Putting those thoughts aside, Emiya Kiritsugu let out a deep sigh.

He knew that if he wanted to win this Holy Grail War, he could only rely on himself.

This warm moment did not last long.

After spending time with his daughter and handing her over to his wife, Emiya Kiritsugu led Artoria into a concealed room. The melancholy expression on his face disappeared, replaced by a slightly more serious look. Then he looked toward his Saber, seated on a sofa to one side, and spoke.

"Saber, I don't wish to interrupt you while you enjoy this hard-won return. However, the Holy Grail War is no trivial matter. Before it begins, it is extremely important to conduct tactical discussions and make preparations. You understand that, don't you?"

"Of course, Master. Though filling one's stomach and storing up energy are also parts of battle preparation, before I am a king, I am a knight. Naturally, I know how to distinguish priorities."

Artoria nodded, then said seriously, "Then, Master, do you have any plans? And how is the intelligence-gathering work progressing before the battle begins?"

"..."

Seeing Artoria cooperate so readily, Emiya Kiritsugu nodded in satisfaction.

Though their compatibility was somewhat poor, he could not deny that King Arthur was indeed an excellent Servant. At the very least, she was not like some ancient heroes recorded by the Einzbern Family—arrogant, conceited, and unwilling to follow orders.

"As for the battle plan, we'll proceed as I explained to you. Iri, whose magecraft is superior, will appear openly with you, posing as the Master and providing support. I'll remain in the shadows to gather intelligence and provide assistance."

Emiya Kiritsugu nodded lightly, then opened a specially encrypted computer. One classified file after another was exported and projected throughout the room. Irisviel, having just coaxed Illya to sleep, appeared behind them as well, blinking curiously at the confidential files projected onto the walls.

"Now that everyone is here, let's begin. First—Aozaki Touko. She was once praised in the Magecraft World as the Magician's Egg. Because of her extraordinary talent, she later revived the Foundation of Medieval Puppet Magic and the Foundation of Norse Rune Magic, and was therefore granted the highest rank by the Clock Tower—the title of Grand Rank Puppet Master."

Seeing Irisviel arrive, Emiya Kiritsugu began seriously analyzing the events of recent months and the intelligence they had obtained.

"Two months ago, under the pretext that descendants of Magicians wished to visit one another, she forcibly broke into the Einzbern Family. Under the guise of academic exchange, she took away some homunculi. In the end, she even forced her way into the archives and took a large amount of information related to the Third Holy Grail War."

At the mention of that nightmare-like woman's name, the fingers holding Emiya Kiritsugu's cigarette began to tremble uncontrollably. Clearly, the battle two months ago had put him under immense pressure.

At that time, he had not yet summoned his Servant. With only a few homunculi, weapons, and his assistant, he had gone to face her.

He had originally thought that, since he was on Einzbern Family territory and had his skills honed through years of life-or-death combat along with his secret weapons, there was no need to fear even the renowned Grand Puppet Master too much.

But Aozaki Touko had truly shown him what Grand Rank meant, and just how much weight the highest rank of a Magus carried.

The homunculi were like dolls in her hands. After only a few exchanges, she subdued them, easily dismantled their techniques, and altered them so that they could barely function.

As for his secret weapon, the Origin Bullet, it became a complete joke before her.

When Emiya Kiritsugu fought her, he discovered in shock that, for some reason, she was remarkably familiar with his magecraft intelligence. His secret weapon had been discovered from the very beginning. Aozaki Touko already knew that Origin Bullets existed and had prepared countermeasures. She wore a Rune magecraft-specialized military bulletproof vest beneath her clothing. With most of their gunpowder propulsion lost, the Origin Bullets could not penetrate it at all. As a result, Emiya Kiritsugu could only flee in a panic after being thoroughly beaten by her.

Emiya Kiritsugu, who believed every one of his operations had been foolproof, was utterly unable to understand it. Where exactly had the secret of his Origin Bullets been leaked? And how had it happened to fall into Aozaki Touko's hands?

"Aozaki Touko... Aozaki. I remember that surname belongs to the family in the Far East that governs the Fifth Magic. However, the Fifth Magician of this generation is named Aoko, her younger sister, who was granted the color title of [Blue]."

"Because of her younger sister's special circumstances, Aozaki Touko did not obtain [Blue]. Instead, she was granted [Red]. I remember her title was called..."

"Don't casually say that title aloud, Iri!!"

"Eh?"

Emiya Kiritsugu hurriedly stopped his wife before disaster could come from her mouth. Then he looked anxiously around them, worried that a red figure might rush out at any moment and kill them.

His excessive reaction startled both Irisviel and Artoria.

"What is it, Master? Is that Magus named Aozaki Touko truly so frightening?" Seeing Emiya Kiritsugu's face turn somewhat pale with fright, Artoria could not help asking curiously.

Having just dealt with her and fully aware of her terror, Emiya Kiritsugu spoke in a cold sweat.

"Saber is a hero from an earlier era, so you do not understand the situation. But Iri, you must remember this: that title is a taboo in the magecraft world. It is a name that must never be spoken aloud, at any time or in any place."