'Well done!!'
Last night, when Artoria, Fionn mac Cumhaill, Gilgamesh, and numerous other Heroic Spirits began an Age of Gods free-for-all at the harbor, Artoria had been suppressed at every turn by her opponent. In the end, she could only use her Noble Phantasm to break the deadlock, so she had made the decision on her own to send Irisviel, who had little ability to protect herself, away from the battlefield. She was about to make one final all-out clash against Fionn mac Cumhaill.
From Artoria's perspective, there had actually been nothing wrong with her decision.
After all, in that battle, even she, the strongest combatant, had been completely suppressed by Fionn mac Cumhaill, who was stronger and held the home-field advantage. If she did not want to be slowly worn to death, her only choice had been to unleash her Noble Phantasm and give it everything she had.
In a clash of Noble Phantasms, Artoria had absolute confidence in the holy sword in her hand.
But if Irisviel, a homunculus, remained caught between two top-tier Heroic Spirits clashing head-on, her predicament needed no explanation. Artoria had no strength left to divide her attention and protect her, so having Irisviel leave first had indeed been the right choice.
Moreover, Artoria knew that her Master, Emiya Kiritsugu, should have been hiding somewhere near the harbor. Irisviel would surely contact him if she retraced her steps, and with Emiya Kiritsugu there to receive her, she would certainly be able to retreat safely.
What Artoria had not expected was that she was not the only one being suppressed in last night's battle. Emiya Kiritsugu's situation had been even worse.
Facing the fierce attack of an enraged Lord, he not only had to survive, but also had to think of how to counterattack. Naturally, he had no energy to receive Irisviel, nor any way to keep track of Artoria's battle.
That led to a truly terrible situation...
Artoria believed Emiya Kiritsugu had already received Irisviel and brought her somewhere safe, while Emiya Kiritsugu believed Irisviel was still beside Artoria. This information gap meant that only after the two reunited did they discover that Irisviel had vanished without a trace. And by then, it was obviously already too late to turn back and search for her.
This realization made Emiya Kiritsugu, who had been lying on a cart and preparing to return and recuperate before considering his next move, suddenly widen his eyes. His gaze met Artoria's equally incredulous one.
At that moment, Emiya Kiritsugu, already exhausted in mind and body from all the unexpected developments, felt as though the sky had fallen.
Not only had he failed to eliminate a single competitor, he had instead been beaten half to death by the enemy. Even the secret of his Origin Bullet had been seen through. Now, Irisviel—the trump card of this Holy Grail War—had even disappeared right under his nose.
This undoubtedly made his already unsettled heart even more agitated. If he had to describe his current predicament, there was an old saying that fit particularly well—he had lost both the lady and his troops.
And now, he did not even know who had done it.
At this point, he could only run around like a headless fly.
While Emiya Kiritsugu was fretting, what had happened was actually not all that complicated.
Last night, Aozaki Touko had become immersed in the mysteries of the two Primordial Runes Scáthach had given her, so she had simply holed up in a hotel in Fuyuki City.
She had been so obsessed, and had concealed her presence so well, that even Lemon Head, who had been controlling the battle situation upstairs, never noticed that a dangerous figure wanted by the Clock Tower's Department of Law was hiding directly beneath his feet.
Later, the two had also happened to leave at different times, meaning Aozaki Touko never encountered that Lord.
It was only when Scáthach came looking for her and dragged her, utterly unwilling, out of the ocean of magecraft that Aozaki Touko, who had been neglecting food and sleep, realized what a foolish thing she had done.
She had actually chosen the same location for her workshop as Lemon Head. A wave of lingering fear rose in her heart, followed by relief that she had concealed herself well. Otherwise, Kenneth would probably have come straight to raid her place with his Servant today.
After figuring out the whole sequence of events, she decisively chose to move without the slightest hesitation. Then she followed Scáthach to the next battlefield, taking Rovey's place.
As a Grand Magus and a wanted criminal who gave the Department of Law headaches, Aozaki Touko was naturally no fool.
How could she possibly fail to see what Scáthach and her junior intended?
They had come to her hoping she would appear in Rovey's place to draw fire, taking on the hostility of the other Masters while Rovey continued hiding in the shadows and making his preparations.
It could be said they had handed the most dangerous task entirely to her.
If anyone else had dared make such an outrageous request of her, Aozaki Touko would not merely refuse. It would already be merciful of her not to kill that person. Even Rovey, her friend, could not casually treat her as a disposable tool and a shield.
She had originally wanted to loudly condemn his lack of ethics. But unfortunately, he was offering far too much.
Leaving aside the enormous allowance Rovey had given her, which practically amounted to keeping her, Queen Scáthach's offer was even harder to refuse.
For every task she completed with Scáthach, the other woman would draw her one Primordial Rune for her to slowly study afterward.
Although Aoko believed she was not such an easy woman, for the sake of the Primordial Runes and the seemingly endless mountain of funding, she did not mind becoming a little easier.
And this was definitely not because she was greedy for money. She merely wanted to contribute to her good junior and fulfill her responsibility as his senior.
Yes, that had to be it.
Thus, after agreeing on the price, Aozaki Touko hurried off with Scáthach.
Since Aozaki Touko, being human, could not match Scáthach's speed, Scáthach entered the battlefield far earlier than she did. As for Aozaki Touko, she encountered something very interesting on her way to the harbor...
Because she arrived late, Aozaki Touko happened to run straight into Irisviel, who was hurriedly fleeing the battlefield.
The moment she saw Irisviel, the Einzbern Family homunculus who appeared to be a Master, Aozaki Touko's grin practically split her face, and her expression bloomed as brightly as a giant chrysanthemum.
Better to arrive at the right time than early...
Who said she had arrived late? Wasn't this timing just perfect?
When she had seen Irisviel, that strange homunculus, on the street during the day, her heart had already been stirring.
Although the model looked no different from the homunculi she had captured some time ago, with the discerning eye of a Grand Puppet Master, she could naturally see the essential differences.
If Scáthach had not been unwilling to fight in the middle of the street, and if she had not been unable to defeat that sword-wielding Heroic Spirit alone, Irisviel would have been captured long ago.
Although the Primordial Runes had temporarily made her forget about it afterward, she still could not stop thinking about this obviously different homunculus. And now...
Wasn't this a perfect coincidence?
She had actually encountered her here.
Since fate had arranged it, she could not be blamed.
First, she would capture Irisviel and carefully determine whether she really was Saber's Master. If she was, that would naturally be ideal. Without her Master, Saber's control would fall entirely into her hands.
And if she was not, that was fine too. This homunculus had a close relationship with Emiya Kiritsugu. After studying her, perhaps using her as bait would produce remarkable results.
In short, no matter what she did, she would not lose out.
And so, while Irisviel fled and searched for Emiya Kiritsugu, hoping to reunite with him, she unfortunately encountered the terrifying Aozaki Touko.
Although Irisviel was fairly skilled in magecraft and began fiercely resisting in her own way, her level of magecraft was simply not worth mentioning before Aozaki Touko.
Furthermore, homunculi and puppets were quite similar things. After a period of investigation and research, Aozaki Touko had already gained a general understanding of the Einzbern Family's Homunculus Technology. Thus, Irisviel's resistance was completely meaningless before Aoko.
To reduce the disturbance and prevent Irisviel from summoning troublesome people, Aozaki Touko did not even waste words. She immediately used Rune Magic as support, smashed a prepared Mystic Code into Irisviel, and caught her off guard, knocking her unconscious on the spot.
And to prevent Emiya Kiritsugu from tracking her through electronic signals, she professionally searched Irisviel from head to toe, threw her phone and other electronic devices into the sea at the edge of Fuyuki City, then used concealment magecraft to bring her back to their base without anyone noticing.
At this moment, there was no need to think too hard about it.
Emiya Kiritsugu, who had lost his wife, and Saber, who had lost the person she was meant to protect, were surely searching everywhere like ants on a hot pan for this homunculus.
In other words, compared to last night's Heroic Spirit battle and the Masters' chaotic brawl, the greatest winner had actually been her, the person who had remained outside it all.
Even Rovey could not help being surprised by Aozaki Touko's move when he saw her return carrying Irisviel.
Everyone had been busy probing and fighting, yet no one had expected Aozaki Touko to pull off a sneaky raid at the end.
Without Irisviel as his trump card, Emiya Kiritsugu was probably frantic enough to stomp his feet by now...
Rovey could not help thinking.
"Is this... the homunculus we saw during the day? Aoko, you actually tied her up and brought her back? Is she Saber's Master?"
Looking at Irisviel, whom Aozaki Touko had brought back tied up, Scáthach set down the racing magazine in her hands. Having found last night's battle far too unsatisfying and therefore lacking motivation, she looked at them with a somewhat surprised expression.
Last night, she had wondered where Aoko, who should have appeared with them, had gone. She had not expected the woman to go and kidnap Saber's Master instead.
That truly took her by surprise.
"No, she is not the sword Heroic Spirit's Master. She has no Command Seals on her hand. She should be a smokescreen Emiya Kiritsugu threw out, but she is my spoils of war now."
"So she really is fake?"
Hearing Aozaki Touko's answer, Scáthach was not surprised.
After all, no normal family would choose a little girl as pure as a blank sheet of paper like Irisviel to participate in a brutal contest like the Holy Grail War.
"Since she is not Saber's Master, how do you intend to deal with this homunculus? Kill her directly?"
Scáthach pointed at Irisviel, who was tied to a stone pillar, and spoke those extremely cruel words without expression.
After all, in her era, being captured by the enemy on the battlefield was no different from death.
No one on the battlefield would spare an enemy merely because of her beauty.
"Mm..."
Aozaki Touko glanced at the bound Irisviel and answered indifferently.
"As for her, I recall that she should have a close relationship with Emiya Kiritsugu. We can use that connection to do a few things. Besides, I am very interested in her construction... This homunculus is clearly different from the Einzbern Family homunculi I obtained before. If possible, I would really like to take her apart and study her properly."
Although Irisviel possessed exceptionally beautiful features, in Aozaki Touko's eyes, she was merely a puppet created through Alchemy. As a Puppet Master, she could custom-order any appearance she wanted, so Irisviel's beauty would naturally not make her show mercy. If not for the possibility that Irisviel had other uses, Aozaki Touko would have already dismantled her into magecraft materials for research.
"Mmgh, mmgh..."
On the other side, hearing Aozaki Touko say she wanted to dismantle her into magecraft materials, Irisviel's body began trembling in fear behind the gag in her mouth.
"So... we are still killing her?"
"Hmm, what a pity. But since this is the battlefield, you can only obediently accept your fate."
Scáthach rubbed her chin and walked toward Irisviel, preparing to grant her release.
But just as she was about to act, Rovey stopped her from the side.
He called out to Scáthach, then said, "Wait, Caster. Do not act. She is no ordinary homunculus. This woman is the Lesser Grail created by the Einzbern Family to realize the Third Magic. She is also one of the keys to this Holy Grail War."
"Hmm? The Lesser Grail?" Hearing Rovey's words, Aozaki Touko and Scáthach both froze briefly, then became interested.
"Tell us in detail."
"Yes. This lady is the Lesser Grail specially prepared by the Einzbern Family for the Fourth Holy Grail War. She is responsible for collecting and retaining the souls of Servants who are defeated, or who lose their Masters and can no longer maintain their existence, until the war ends. In the final stage of the ritual performed by the Greater Grail, the collected Servant souls will complete an important task. She is also Emiya Kiritsugu's wife."
Listening to Rovey's explanation and seeing the terror appear on Irisviel's face, Aozaki Touko and Scáthach could confirm that everything Rovey said was true. Both revealed looks of surprise.
Aozaki Touko in particular had originally thought she had merely captured an alchemical puppet with relatively outstanding magical energy reserves. She had never expected to capture the Lesser Grail.
Compared to the Lesser Grail, the other matters suddenly did not seem quite as important...
After all, as long as they controlled this, it meant the initiative in this Holy Grail War would fall completely into their hands.
Wasn't this heaven helping them?
At last, she did not forget to turn and look at Rovey.
"Explain where your information came from, as well as the next plan. For example, which Master we should deal with first."
"Your Lemon Head teacher and some bottom-ranking junior both entered this Holy Grail War. Including you, the three of you could form an elite group. Do you really have no intention of making at least a little use of that power?"
Aozaki Touko raised an eyebrow at Rovey, her tone carrying a hint of amusement.
As this man's old friend, she naturally knew Rovey's style very well...
When it came to matters of life and death or important things, he was undoubtedly the most dependable companion and friend. But in ordinary dealings, one had to be careful...
When this guy set out to trick someone, he showed absolutely no mercy. Though he would offer compensation and apologies afterward, the feeling of being led around by the nose was truly unpleasant.
She did not believe that, with so many acquaintances present and such a huge advantage in hand, Rovey had no schemes of his own.
Perhaps from the moment Kenneth and that Magus named Weber appeared, Rovey had already arranged their upcoming endings in his mind.
"Teacher Kenneth and classmate Weber... Indeed, it has been a long time since I last saw them. It is about time I went out and met them."
After hearing Aoko's words, a faint smile appeared on Rovey's lips. He had already made up his mind.
"But... Aoko, how can this be called making use of them? We are merely helping each other as teacher and students."
"Since I am their teacher, should it not be perfectly reasonable for me to look after students who have returned to the right path during a cruel magecraft ritual?"
"Heh..."
Aozaki Touko said nothing in response, merely giving a cold laugh. She knew this guy was probably plotting something bad again.
At the same time, she could not help mourning for Kenneth, that Lemon Head. Such a gifted magecraft prodigy had taken in a student like this. She did not know whether that was fortunate or unfortunate.
Still, none of that had anything to do with her.
Compared to the messy Holy Grail War, she wanted far more to properly study this legendary Third Magic puppet...
Magic, Magic...
She had never expected that, after so many years, she would have another chance to touch a power comparable to miracles.
Something she had once sought but failed to obtain was now within reach. How could Aoko, who had suffered because of it in the past, not feel excited?
Vaguely, that detestable scarlet figure, long sealed away in her mind, appeared once more.
"Tch, what an unpleasant memory..."
She sighed, then grabbed Irisviel, who was tied to the stone pillar, and dragged her directly into her room despite her struggles.
Before you continue