Taking the Initiative (1/4)

"Honestly, this was quite a headache. You really didn't listen to a word I said..."

Looking at the wary, distrustful Artoria and Irisviel before her, Scáthach let out a helpless sigh.

Everything she had just said was perfectly reasonable, yet it had accomplished nothing.

Still, that was hardly surprising. The Holy Grail War was cruel and treacherous. In such an environment, their extreme vigilance was only for their own safety.

It was just that...

Seeing Saber subtly shift her magical energy before her, clearly ready to attack at any moment, Scáthach could not help but chuckle.

A fine opening stance, excellent fighting spirit, and such pure magical energy...

There was no doubt that she was a powerful warrior, one tempered by countless battles. Her class must be one of the three Knight Classes. If she were Lancer, there was no way Scáthach could have failed to see it. If she were Archer, her opening stance did not fit. The answer was already obvious.

The Heroic Spirit of the sword—Saber.

That was quite a good class. And that aura of imminent battle was in no way inferior to the disciples Scáthach had trained herself. Even in Celtic Mythology, she could be considered an exceptionally top-tier hero.

Though she still did not know her True Name, Scáthach had become quite interested in her through those small details.

Who would have thought that merely going out shopping would let her encounter such an outstanding warrior?

This Holy Grail War seemed even more interesting than she had imagined. Being stared at by Saber with such battle-hungry eyes made her own hands itch for a fight.

However...

Four beauties with utterly different styles, hair colors, and clothing had gathered together on the street, yet every one of them was exceptionally beautiful. They had already become a striking sight on the streets of Fuyuki City, causing passing pedestrians to stop and cast curious looks their way from a distance.

"They're so beautiful..."

Someone sighed while staring at Scáthach and the others.

"Purple, gold, white, and red hair... Are they foreigners?"

"They're probably famous celebrities from somewhere..."

"Can I go ask for a photo or their contact information?"

"Forget it. Why would celebrities like them pay any attention to ordinary people like us?"

"But... what if I actually can get it?"

The surrounding pedestrians began whispering among themselves. Some even took out their phones to photograph the four rare beauties before sharing the pictures online.

Though their voices were quiet, Scáthach and Artoria heard every word with the sharp hearing of Servants.

"See? So many people are watching us. If we start fighting here, it'll be a real hassle."

"Though I'm not afraid of trouble, my Master said that if I cause a mess outside, he'll cut my allowance. So let's not."

Scáthach waved a hand, making it clear that she had no intention of fighting here.

Surrounded by so many eyes, Artoria naturally would not rashly summon her weapon and start a battle. Once she confirmed that Scáthach truly had no intention of fighting, she slowly loosened her hands and gave her a slight nod.

Seeing that Scáthach had no intention of fighting, Aozaki Touko said nothing. She merely clicked her tongue in disappointment. She had thought she would get to witness the Queen of the Land of Shadows battle another powerful mythical hero.

She had even been prepared to go all out the moment Scáthach pinned down the blonde girl before them, using thunderous force to capture the frail-looking white-haired woman.

After all, a Master and Servant could be considered a pair joined as one. Only through mutual understanding and cooperation could they display their greatest strength. If they could capture the enemy Master, the Servant's strength would be greatly weakened. If Touko handed this white-haired woman to Rovey, she would surely be able to trade her for quite a few good things.

And besides...

Others might not be able to see it, but it could not escape her eyes.

As a Grand Puppet Master specializing in Puppet Magecraft, she was extremely sensitive to puppets and homunculi—especially the Einzbern Family's homunculi, whom she had recently dealt with.

Having personally taken apart so many Einzbern homunculi, how could she fail to recognize Irisviel's origins? Never mind that distinctive white hair; she could never mistake that utterly familiar presence.

She had no way to deal with a hero from the distant Age of Gods, but if she had to deal with a mere homunculus, Aozaki Touko was one hundred percent confident she could take her down. Unfortunately, Scáthach had no such intention.

Understanding Scáthach's meaning, Aozaki Touko said nothing further. She merely raised a hand and used Suggestion Magecraft to disperse the increasingly large crowd of onlookers.

"...May I ask how you are addressed?"

After Aozaki Touko drove away the crowd, Artoria breathed a sigh of relief. After a moment of silence, she looked at the two women before her, unsure where to begin. Thus, she could only start with the simplest and yet most impossible question: their names.

"Asking for someone's True Name right away? You're quite decisive..."

"But forget about revealing True Names. You'll probably find out soon enough anyway. I only came out under the pretext of investigating the area, though I never intended to take it too seriously. Still, seeing you here counts as a gain. A blonde Heroic Spirit, and a white-haired..."

Scáthach's gaze briefly swept over Artoria before quickly falling upon Irisviel.

"A homunculus? Hmm... It is somewhat surprising that this era can produce a miracle comparable to a creation of the Age of Gods. But considering that people of this era can even create something like the Holy Grail War, it isn't all that strange."

Scáthach smiled faintly. She had seen through Irisviel's true nature after only a brief encounter, which pleased her somewhat.

After all, if a simple shopping trip had yielded such results, her Master should have nothing to complain about when she returned.

She could also use the opportunity to ask Rovey for more modern currency and buy some interesting things from this era. She had recently taken a liking to something nice, but she did not have nearly enough money in her pocket.

"..."

At Scáthach's words, Irisviel's pupils suddenly contracted, her eyes filled with disbelief. She had never expected her secret to be seen through in an instant.

She raised her head and stared at Scáthach in shock, feeling more and more that the woman before her was unfathomable.

"..."

Artoria beside her could only respond to this fact with silence. No matter what, agreeing to accompany Irisviel wandering around the streets at a time like this, only for her secret to be exposed, was largely Artoria's fault.

She had simply been too softhearted. Thinking that Irisviel had been cooped up in the castle for too long, Artoria had felt that taking her out for a stroll would be fine. It was still daytime, and with Artoria at her side, there should have been no need to worry about enemies. So she had taken the risk and accompanied Irisviel shopping...

She had not expected to encounter an enemy so quickly.

"White hair, red eyes... and that strange magical presence. You're from the Einzbern Family, aren't you? Are you her Master?"

Unlike Scáthach, who knew little about the Einzbern Family, Aozaki Touko was far more knowledgeable.

She put her glasses back on and examined Irisviel curiously several times.

"You're... Scar... No, Aozaki Touko?!"

Hearing Touko's words, Irisviel—who had been focused on Scáthach and had not had time to notice her surroundings—finally examined the woman's true appearance carefully.

Red hair, a powerful presence, and especially that familiar face that looked so much like the one in the photographs—only then did she recall the person who had appeared in those pictures.

Aozaki Touko, the dangerous individual who had recently stormed the Einzbern Family's estate alone with many familiars and taken away important documents and familiars.

"Scar... Forget it. Yes, it's me. Are you the Einzbern Family's Master?"

Hearing Irisviel almost blurt out that nickname she loathed, Aozaki Touko frowned. She instinctively prepared to teach this woman a proper lesson, but upon remembering the blonde Heroic Spirit of unknown strength beside her, she abandoned the thought.

She was not Scáthach's Master. On the contrary, she was the one currying favor with Scáthach and seeking her instruction. If they fought, Touko could not guarantee that Scáthach would help, so she could only let it go.

But what concerned her more than that was... where was Emiya Kiritsugu? Why had the Magus Killer she had taught a lesson not long ago failed to appear?

Rovey had said that the Einzbern Family's participant was that ally of justice. So what was this white-haired homunculus before her?

Aozaki Touko glanced at her hand and saw that she was wearing gloves, which gave her a few ideas.

Was she bait? Most likely. In that case, Emiya Kiritsugu was probably hiding in the shadows right now, waiting to ambush someone...

"...Yes. Is that a problem?"

Though Irisviel was surprised to encounter a dangerous person like Aozaki Touko here, recalling the news that Touko had recently broken into the Einzbern Family and taken away most of their Holy Grail War materials, she roughly pieced together what was happening.

Kiritsugu's deduction had been right after all. Aozaki Touko, that dangerous Grand Puppet Master, had indeed entered this Holy Grail War!

She deliberately looked toward Touko's hand. Touko merely sneered and waved the gloved hand before her.

"...What are you looking at over there, Miss Homunculus?"

Irisviel: "..."

This woman is so annoying!

However, compared to the two magi testing each other's wits, Scáthach was far calmer.

"Well... putting that aside, you're quite lucky. I can tell you were created not long ago, and you clearly haven't seen much of the world. Still, such a cute Master is much better than certain troublesome people."

Scáthach smiled faintly and spoke to Artoria.

Artoria did not answer. Instead, she raised her head, allowing that upright golden ahoge to sway gently in the breeze. Her expression was meticulous and serious. Though she looked only sixteen or seventeen, her gallant bearing was quite impressive.

"Hmph... You need not tell me that, unknown Heroic Spirit. Since we were summoned by different magi and gathered in the same Holy Grail War, then we are enemies. To obtain the Holy Grail, I will certainly defeat you!"

Artoria had no intention of building a friendly relationship with Scáthach. Especially after noticing Irisviel's unease behind her, she wanted to get away from this place immediately.

"Oh? You seem to desire the Holy Grail greatly... and you possess quite the fighting spirit?"

"So what if I do?!"

"Nothing. I only mean that compared to cowards, I actually prefer warriors like you."

Scáthach twirled a finger, spinning the designer handbag she had just bought in her hand, making it seem as if she were spinning some kind of weapon. She licked her lips, and a different emotion appeared in her eyes as she looked at Artoria.

The feeling of being watched by a venomous snake made Artoria feel deeply uneasy. Just as she was about to say something else—

"Forget it. It's getting late, and continuing this conversation won't get us any interesting information. I won't keep you company any longer... Enjoy modern food properly. You need a full stomach to have the strength to fight, cute Miss Saber."

Scáthach smiled calmly, stopped spinning the handbag on her fingertip, then pulled Aozaki Touko around and disappeared into the crowd.

Her parting words echoed beside Artoria and Irisviel until they finally faded away completely.

"Was that... another Servant?"

Once Scáthach had completely vanished, Irisviel clutched her chest and spoke with lingering fear.

She had not expected that shortly after arriving in Fuyuki City, before she had even done anything, she would encounter such a terrifying Servant. Not only was she female like Saber, but the terrifying magical energy she radiated made Irisviel afraid.

Though she trusted Saber's strength, she could not stop the unease in her heart when facing that female Heroic Spirit...

And even that dangerous woman Aozaki Touko had appeared here, seemingly as the Servant's partner...

After all, they had been so close.

Remembering Emiya Kiritsugu's warnings, Irisviel immediately took out her phone and sent this important information to Emiya Kiritsugu, who was adjusting his equipment in Fuyuki City.

Then she turned to Artoria beside her. "Saber, could you tell what her class was? She recognized your class after such a brief encounter..."

"Yes... From our brief contact, I can be certain that she is an extremely powerful warrior. That battle-hardened aura cannot be faked."

"When she kept spinning that handbag with her finger, I even caught a glimpse of a rotating spear. She must be... Lancer! There can be no mistake. Whether by her movements or her bearing, she is clearly an expert spear wielder."

After pondering for a moment, Artoria gave her answer with a grave expression.

"Lancer... I understand."

Irisviel nodded slightly and hurriedly sent this important intelligence to Emiya Kiritsugu through her phone.

—We encountered a purple-haired female Lancer, and her Master is Aozaki Touko.

What they did not know was that the information Saber had discerned was merely the facade Scáthach had deliberately revealed.

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Taking the Initiative

Location: Underground parking lot near Fuyuki City Gymnasium.

"Master, I'm back."

Carrying many shopping bags filled with newly bought expensive clothes, the Purple-haired Beauty swaggered into this shabby-looking base. She casually picked up a beer Aozaki Touko had bought a few days earlier from the table and drained it in one go. Then she leaned back in her chair and looked at the young man carefully studying a book nearby.

"Lancer... no, I should call you Queen Scáthach. You came back so soon? I thought you and Aoko would spend a few days playing outside before remembering that you still had a Master like me here."

Rovey slowly closed the book in his hand, swept his gaze across the surrounding area, and began checking the results of the magecraft ritual he had meticulously completed. Only after finishing his inspection did he look at the newly returned Scáthach and speak calmly.

If another magus Master had faced Scáthach's outrageous behavior—being a Caster yet running off during the Holy Grail War rather than staying in the workshop to help establish a territory—they would likely have exploded long ago.

But Rovey was different. He lacked a magus's arrogant temperament and did not possess the lofty airs of either his teacher or Tokiomi Tohsaka. Moreover, he did not believe that his current status and power entitled him to command an exceptional hero like Scáthach. Thus, he had never intended to make Scáthach obey all his orders.

And he was not entirely unfamiliar with Scáthach's personality.

Thanks to certain memories from the past, he had acquired quite an impressive understanding of most well-known heroes.