This Is Our Chance / It Begins...

"After monitoring them all day, the only meaningful discovery was that the Matou family's Master had come out." Emiya Kiritsugu looked at Mikaela, who was holding a cup of black tea, and casually described what he had discovered that morning.

"The Matou family's Master is named Matou Kariya. A year ago, he was a freelance writer who enjoyed traveling and photography."

After Emiya Kiritsugu mentioned Matou Kariya's name, Maiya Hisau began recounting Matou Kariya's history like the competent assistant she was.

"A long time ago, he had already severed ties with the Matou family. If nothing unexpected had happened, he should never have appeared in this Holy Grail War. But after learning something, he returned to the Matou family and became their Master for this Holy Grail War."

Having said that, Maiya Hisau silently took several steps back, indicating that Emiya Kiritsugu would handle the rest.

"Actually, at first I thought that guy had merely been forcibly dragged back to participate in the Holy Grail War by the old man of the Matou family. But now, it seems he had no choice." Emiya Kiritsugu instinctively reached for a cigarette. Whenever he talked about something, he always liked taking one out for a puff.

"..." ×3

Irisviel, Maiya Hisau, and Mikaela calmly stared at Emiya Kiritsugu. This made the hand of the mage killer, who never blinked at murder, tremble slightly as he reached for his cigarette. In the end, he could only put it away before taking out a camera and tossing it to Mikaela.

Mikaela picked up the somewhat aged camera and flipped through the photos inside. He frowned slightly and looked at Emiya Kiritsugu. "That was an extremely reckless move."

Most of the photos in the camera were of old furniture. Only the last few showed Matou Kariya and Matou Sakura. Judging from the distance of the shots, Emiya Kiritsugu had apparently not been particularly far from them at the time.

"I wouldn't risk my own life to gather intelligence." Unable to smoke, Emiya Kiritsugu could only lift his black tea and take a small sip. Then he looked at Mikaela and said flatly, "There are people in this world who do things for money."

"..." Mikaela said nothing more. Emiya Kiritsugu had made himself clear: he had not taken those photos himself, but had hired someone to do it. Whether that person was an ordinary human or a mage had nothing to do with Mikaela.

Since that person had accepted the money, they should have known it would not be easy to earn.

"Do you think we can turn that guy?" Emiya Kiritsugu looked at Mikaela, wanting to hear his thoughts. According to the intelligence gathered by Einzbern, Matou Kariya was a fairly decent person.

Originally, Emiya Kiritsugu had believed that the other man had entered this Holy Grail War because he could not defy the old man of his family and had been forced to participate.

But after seeing that photograph, he immediately deduced that Matou Kariya had likely been forced into the Holy Grail War because of Tohno Shiro's daughter, Tohsaka Sakura. His goal was likely to get Tohsaka Sakura out of the Matou family.

Yesterday, Mikaela had mentioned that Tohno Shiro might fight the Matou family over his daughter. The Matou family's Master might even help Tohno Shiro destroy the Matou family.

So Emiya Kiritsugu immediately began investigating Tohno Shiro's daughter, only to discover that Matou Kariya had once been secretly in love with Tohno Shiro's wife—Tohsaka Aoi.

But perhaps Tohno Shiro had simply been too outstanding, or perhaps childhood sweethearts could never beat a love that arrived out of nowhere.

Matou Kariya's love for Tohsaka Aoi had never reached her. In the end, he could only transfer that love to her two daughters. Every time he returned to Fuyuki City, he would visit the Tohsaka family and see the sisters Rin Tohsaka and Tohsaka Sakura, doting on them both immensely.

From Emiya Kiritsugu's perspective, Matou Kariya seemed more like their father than Tohno Shiro did.

At the very least... he had abandoned his carefree life and thrown himself into a war that had never belonged to him, like a tragic hero.

"Yes." Mikaela placed the camera on the table and looked at Emiya Kiritsugu calmly. "He won't let go of any opportunity to save Tohsaka Sakura."

"But... we need to work out a detailed plan first. Let me change forms."

As soon as he finished speaking, Mikaela crushed a card and transformed into a lovely blonde girl who looked like a porcelain doll. She sat on the sofa, holding a pipe and placing it in her mouth.

"..." Seeing the pipe in her hand, Emiya Kiritsugu raised an eyebrow slightly. Something felt off, but he could not put his finger on what it was.

PS: "I don't want to write!!!"

This Is Our Opportunity

"First, our plan has two paths."

Mikaela had now transformed into Victorious, the heroine from "GOSICK." Though she looked like a child, her mind was extremely sharp.

While using Victorious's character card to think through the plan, Mikaela found that the things he had previously been unable to figure out suddenly became clear.

As a "transmigrator," Mikaela did not believe events would unfold according to his expectations. The Holy Grail War was a war.

Wars came with variables. If he relied blindly on things from the original story, Mikaela felt he would likely die without even leaving ashes behind.

That was why communicating with the Master, formulating battle plans, and sharing intelligence were all absolutely necessary.

Mikaela raised the pipe to her mouth and took a small puff. There was no tobacco inside, only a mint-flavored vapor.

That mint-flavored vapor was much like chewing gum, helping one stay alert and calm.

"The first possibility is that after Tohno Shiro learns what happened to the Matou family, he takes his Servant to demand his daughter back from them."

Mikaela set down the pipe and looked at Emiya Kiritsugu and Maiya Hisau with emotionless emerald eyes. "The possibility is low, but it could happen. According to Einzbern's intelligence and our meeting with Tohno Shiro today, he lost his composure once when he heard about the Matou family's 'abnormality.'"

"Couldn't that loss of composure have been deliberate?" Emiya Kiritsugu interjected. He seemed about to pick up a cigarette again, but Maiya Hisau directly snatched it away and said in an utterly calm tone, "The lady is here. Don't smoke."

"..." Emiya Kiritsugu's face twitched, but he was clearly helpless against Maiya Hisau.

Maiya Hisau was a little too rational. Who did she think Irisviel was?! Mere nicotine could not harm her at all.

"We can rule that out." Mikaela seemed not to notice Maiya Hisau snatching Emiya Kiritsugu's cigarette. Like a wise elder, she spoke unhurriedly. "Tohno Shiro's surprise was not an act. He is not good at 'lying.' Or rather, the word 'lie' does not exist in his principles."

"You never know with mages." Without a cigarette, Emiya Kiritsugu could only sit on another sofa, lift the black tea he had been drinking, and continue sipping it. "If those mages truly want to disguise themselves, they can use Suggestion Magic on themselves to deceive themselves. As long as they temporarily deceive themselves, they can deceive their enemies as well."

The fact that Emiya Kiritsugu could say that so seriously showed that he had encountered plenty of mages like that before.

"He had no idea we would suddenly bring up the Matou family, so that possibility can be ruled out. His surprise was genuine." Yet Mikaela's single sentence completely shut Emiya Kiritsugu down.

Tohno Shiro could not possibly have known. When preparing for the meeting, he certainly would not have known that Mikaela and Irisviel would mention the Matou family.

He would only have assumed they would discuss Assassin and the Holy Church. So when Irisviel brought up the Matou family—

Tohno Shiro's expression became completely different from before. Mikaela, who had been watching Tohno Shiro's face the entire time, could say that with absolute certainty.

"Is that so?" Emiya Kiritsugu did not say much else, but he would not place all his hopes for victory in one place. He said calmly, "Then the second plan is about Matou Kariya, right?"

"Yes, and no."

Mikaela nodded, then raised the pipe to her mouth once again and took several puffs. Emiya Kiritsugu raised his eyebrows again, his gaze intentionally—or unintentionally—shifting toward Maiya Hisau.

"Sabre."

Apparently noticing Emiya Kiritsugu's gaze, Maiya Hisau spoke in an even tone. "Could you stop smoking? Emiya Kiritsugu has started protesting."

"This is not a cigarette. It is a tool that helps me calm down and think better." Mikaela looked at Maiya Hisau, then shifted her gaze to Emiya Kiritsugu. "You smoke only because you are nervous and want to release pressure. If possible, you could have some passionate exercise with those two to relieve your stress. I will stand outside the castle to prevent other Servants from interrupting you."

"Releasing stress appropriately is not a bad choice."

Seeing Mikaela's utterly serious expression, Maiya Hisau hurriedly closed her mouth. Irisviel blushed slightly, while Emiya Kiritsugu's face went completely dark. He never should have wanted a cigarette!

"Enough. We can talk nonsense later. Let's discuss Matou Kariya first." Setting down the pipe, Mikaela looked at Emiya Kiritsugu and said calmly, "Actually, the second line is not Matou Kariya. His value is about the same as Tohno Shiro's. When he prepares to act tonight, we will negotiate with him in the name of the Three Great Families, form an alliance, and inform him of part of the plan."

"A plan targeting Tohno Shiro." Emiya Kiritsugu understood. Though Mikaela had not finished speaking, he had already grasped the idea.

If Tohno Shiro backed down and did not cause trouble for the Matou family, then they would join forces with Matou Kariya against Tohno Shiro. At the same time, they would tell Matou Kariya that they intended to set Tohno Shiro up for death.

"Correct. Based on the current intelligence, he definitely hates Tohno Shiro deeply." Mikaela looked toward the camera on the table and said flatly, "So deeply that even cutting him into a thousand pieces would not begin to describe the hatred in his heart."

"Then what is the second plan you mentioned?" Emiya Kiritsugu was curious now. If the plan involving Matou Kariya was not much different from the one involving Tohno Shiro, then who was the second plan aimed at?

Mikaela did not answer. Instead, she jumped down from the sofa, stretched her short legs, and ran toward where the tea was prepared.

Not long after, she returned with several newspapers. Ignoring the strange looks from the other three, she said flatly, "It's here."

"The news?" Emiya Kiritsugu looked at the reports and frowned slightly. Recently, he had not been following the news. He had been focused on observing the other Masters and their residences.

"That's right."

Mikaela nodded, tossed the newspaper to Emiya Kiritsugu, and asked, "The biggest recent event in Fuyuki City involves the last Master, the one who has yet to show himself."

Emiya Kiritsugu caught the newspaper and read what it recorded. His gaze sharpened slightly, and his voice turned cold. "A murderer?"

"More precisely, magical murder. Recently, he has been killing more children. It is highly likely that he lacks the magical energy needed to let his Servant display its full strength, so he wants to use 'living people' as 'magical energy batteries.'"

Mikaela picked up the pipe again and said flatly, "If nothing unexpected happens, the Holy Church should have noticed this as well. They will likely intervene in the Holy Grail War and have the Masters temporarily join forces to eliminate that murderer and his Servant."

"Since they are intervening, the priest of the Holy Church will certainly offer something people cannot refuse. We do not know the process, but one thing is certain: every side will act. This is our opportunity."

PS: "I still owe 23 chapters. I feel like I'm going to die =A= Even without the recommendation-ticket bounty, everyone, please send more votes."

It Has Begun

In war, intelligence was extremely important. No one could deny the convenience it brought.

A good piece of intelligence could even reverse the tide of battle, allowing those who had been in despair to see hope once more.

What Mikaela and Emiya Kiritsugu were discussing now was intelligence that could reverse their current awkward situation. At present, every side was merely waiting and watching. They all understood that the bird that stuck its head out got shot first.

Mikaela's battle with Diarmuid had drawn the attention of the other Servants, but no one had stepped forward. They only wanted to see what kind of people the first two Servants to appear in this Holy Grail War were.

So by the second night, barring any surprises, absolutely no one would step out to fight.

For example, although Diarmuid would be eager to offer victory to his lord, Mikaela had suddenly noticed a piece of intelligence that had been "overlooked" during his conversation with Emiya Kiritsugu yesterday.

That was!!! Kayneth's fiancée had not come!!!!! That stupid woman who had held the Clock Tower genius back and gotten him killed!!! She had not come?!

And the reason was! She did not want to accompany Kayneth to fight in a backwater like that. She only wanted to stay at the Clock Tower and wait for her fiancé to return in triumph????????

?????

Why had Mikaela made so many plans? Naturally, it was because Kayneth had become a variable, and that variable was no joke.

In the original story, Kayneth had always harbored resentment and suspicion toward Diarmuid because of his troublesome fiancée. Their relationship had been extremely poor. They could not even communicate normally, much less make use of their basic advantages, before Emiya Kiritsugu had set them up and killed them.

But now, in Mikaela's eyes, Kayneth and Diarmuid's relationship was several times better than it had been in the original story.

If they truly worked together, Diarmuid's combat ability would likely soar. He would not be sighing like in the original story, wondering why he could not earn his lord's approval.

Instead, he would be pumped up, determined to deliver victory to his lord!!!

Once one variable appeared, a second and third would follow. So, to guarantee his victory, Mikaela had to predict everything.

For instance... tonight's operation was an opportunity. He intended to use Caster and Caster's Master to draw every hidden figure out from the shadows.

"So, you want to take a risk?" Emiya Kiritsugu set down his cup of black tea and looked at Mikaela with a strange expression. A man who had always been extremely cautious actually wanted to actively seek out Caster and Caster's Master.

"I can transform into a powerless little girl, let that murderer discover me, and then use him to get myself killed."

After exchanging blows with Diarmuid, Mikaela had roughly understood his limits. So he decided to take the initiative and increase his side's odds of victory.

"Caster will definitely go mad after losing his Master, so..."

At that point, Mikaela's gaze settled on Emiya Kiritsugu. The implication was already obvious: if they wanted the initiative, certain necessary sacrifices were inevitable.

A rampaging Caster would definitely force all the Servants hiding in the darkness to emerge. It might cause some casualties, but compared with the tangible benefits, their side would clearly gain more.

Prepared and unprepared were entirely different concepts. Their side would enter the battlefield proactively, while everyone else could only react passively. To deal with the mad Caster, they would definitely expose more of their abilities. Then Emiya Kiritsugu could formulate more precise assassination plans.

"Can we move the battlefield?" Emiya Kiritsugu seemed to have "not" understood Mikaela's meaning. He said calmly, "After killing Caster's Master, can you lure Caster somewhere without people?"

"..."

Mikaela fell silent. He casually picked up the pipe and placed it in his mouth, his emerald pupils reflecting Emiya Kiritsugu's figure.

Emiya Kiritsugu also remained silent, calmly looking at Mikaela. He apparently did not like the plan.

"This is war. If you want the Holy Grail, you have to sacrifice something." Mikaela put down the pipe and looked at Emiya Kiritsugu calmly. "Although I can lure Caster to an empty place, I will definitely have to enter battle again myself."

To be honest, Mikaela already knew that he could temporarily fight Servants with his weapons, but every battle would reveal some part of him. No matter how hard he tried to conceal it, some people would notice his "abnormality."

"I know. If possible, I would rather not let innocent people be dragged into danger." Though Emiya Kiritsugu was a ruthless mage killer who would stop at nothing, he did not want ordinary civilians to be dragged into this merciless Holy Grail War because of his dream.

"You've gone soft?" Mikaela revealed an inexplicable smile, as though mocking Emiya Kiritsugu. In his impression, Emiya Kiritsugu would never have rejected this proposal.

If the plan succeeded, they could draw out the people hiding in the darkness while keeping their own intelligence completely undisclosed.

"I have witnessed too much death and tragedy. I do not want this Holy Grail War to drag innocent people into it." Emiya Kiritsugu could cold-bloodedly set up and kill other Masters and Servants, but he would never harm ordinary people living peaceful lives.

Mikaela was silent for a moment. Looking at Emiya Kiritsugu's rather resolute gaze, he sighed inwardly and said flatly, "I'll do my best."

"But there is something I want to tell you as well." Mikaela looked at Emiya Kiritsugu calmly. "If I personally believe my life is under threat, then I absolutely will not help those ordinary people. To me, obtaining the Holy Grail is the most important thing."

"That is only natural."

Emiya Kiritsugu understood what mattered more. If Mikaela was gone, then he would lose his qualification to participate in the Holy Grail War.

Though he pitied those ordinary people, if something truly happened, Emiya Kiritsugu would immediately cast aside that pity and send them to hell without hesitation.

"The Holy Church is making a move."

At that moment, Maiya Hisau suddenly spoke. The familiar she had placed near the Holy Church had informed her... that the Holy Church seemed to have an announcement to make.

"It seems things are about to begin." Mikaela canceled his transformation and returned to his original appearance.

PS: "I still owe 22 chapters. The author is going to keep working hard today! As for the monthly-ticket and blade bounty... uh..."

PS: "One extra chapter for every 100 monthly tickets? Today only."

Gambling Irisviel's Life

"Sabre has already set out."