"It was quite good." Kotomine Kirei seemed to recall his father's assessment of Mikaela and said without reservation, "My father evaluated that Servant as someone with excellent eloquence, extremely sharp reflexes, and a seemingly keen sixth sense. It was as though she had already discovered the things we had hidden."
"Oh? Is that so? But if she can only rely on her mouth, then victory in this Holy Grail War will undoubtedly belong to me." Tohno Shiro's voice brimmed with confidence.
He simply did not know how he could possibly lose! He had such an excellent disciple assisting him, as well as what could be called the strongest Servant in this Holy Grail War!
"Yes, Teacher." Kotomine Kirei expressed his agreement.
What a Fine Proposal
Tonight's battle had clearly come to a temporary end. Although it had drawn the attention of quite a few people, Mikaela did not care in the slightest.
He had already done everything he needed to do to perfection, whether it was concealing his combat strength or revealing some inconsequential intelligence.
Mikaela and Irisviel arrived at the Einzbern family's stronghold in Fuyuki City. There, Emiya Kiritsugu and his assistant—Maiya Hisau—had long been waiting.
"You performed very well tonight."
After the two entered the meeting room, Emiya Kiritsugu first praised Mikaela, then pointed at the hamburger on the table and said flatly, "This is dinner. Do you want some?"
"No need. Compared to hamburgers, I think you need healthier, more nutritious meals." Without even looking at it, Mikaela tossed the hamburger into the trash and calmly looked at Emiya Kiritsugu. "I believe I told you before that in any war, your body is your capital."
"That's right." Maiya Hisau agreed.
"Kiritsugu, stop eating this sort of thing." Irisviel also began chiding Emiya Kiritsugu. Why had he started eating junk food the moment they arrived in this city? Was it just because it was convenient?
Emiya Kiritsugu's expression seemed to twitch, but he did not argue. He knew himself that hamburgers were not particularly good for one's health.
It was only because they were high in calories, tasted decent, and were easy to buy that Emiya Kiritsugu had chosen hamburgers as food.
"Should we analyze the intelligence we have?" Mikaela stood behind Irisviel and calmly looked at Emiya Kiritsugu. "During tonight's battle, I clearly sensed several gazes. If nothing unexpected happened, every family has already discovered my 'combat strength.'"
"Mm." Emiya Kiritsugu seemed to want to light a cigarette, but under Irisviel and Maiya Hisau's gazes, he tossed the unlit cigarette into the trash. He calmly looked at Mikaela. "If you only displayed this level of combat strength, then 'you' are nothing to worry about."
"That's right." Mikaela nodded. Based on the combat strength he had shown, if Assassin was excluded, then in everyone else's eyes, he was probably the weakest Rider.
"If those heroes lower their guard just because of that, then the Holy Grail War will become much easier to fight."
Emiya Kiritsugu did not think the intelligence Mikaela had exposed was enough to make the other Servants drop their vigilance. Anyone with eyes could tell that Mikaela was still hiding a trump card.
"In the first battle, we cannot reveal everything at once. What if I reveal my 'second Noble Phantasm'?"
Mikaela crushed a card, and a large tachi appeared in his hand. He calmly stared at Emiya Kiritsugu and said, "That way, they will probably think I have reached the end of my rope. They will believe that unless I unleash my true strength, I cannot win the battle."
"You need to face a very 'powerful' enemy before you can reveal your 'second Noble Phantasm.'"
Emiya Kiritsugu was naturally well versed in ambushing others. He looked at Mikaela and said calmly, "If you bring out your 'second Noble Phantasm' right away, they will certainly suspect that your strength is not limited to this."
"Only by facing a 'powerful enemy' can you unleash your 'true' strength, narrowly defeat them, and then present yourself as seriously injured."
At this point, Emiya Kiritsugu and Mikaela smiled knowingly at each other. Both knew what the other was thinking, and both understood that this was what made a 'teammate' a good teammate.
Emiya Kiritsugu needed Mikaela's strength and restraint.
Mikaela, meanwhile, needed Emiya Kiritsugu's spirit of sacrificing the lesser self to fulfill the greater good.
"However, your intelligence was indeed not wrong." After discussing Mikaela's matter, Emiya Kiritsugu glanced at Maiya Hisau, signaling her to speak.
Maiya Hisau was Emiya Kiritsugu's right-hand woman. With a single look from him, she understood what she needed to do. Looking at Mikaela and Irisviel, she said seriously, "When we were preparing to kill Lancer's Master, we discovered Assassin."
"He was like a poisonous snake. If we had not investigated the high ground overlooking the abandoned factory beforehand, we likely would not have discovered him at all."
Servants were terrifying. Even one of Assassin's split bodies gave Maiya Hisau an intense sense of danger, as if an unarmed human had encountered a cheetah in the wilderness.
Having experienced wars of life and death, Maiya Hisau knew very well that Assassin possessed the power to kill her with ease. It was only because he had focused all his attention on Mikaela's battle with Lancer that he had not paid attention to their side.
Otherwise, the situation would have become extremely bad.
"Did you take pictures?" Mikaela suddenly asked, leaving both Emiya Kiritsugu and Maiya Hisau stunned. Even Irisviel began wondering why they would need to "take pictures."
"If it is merely evidence, then there is no need to photograph it. As long as he insists that Assassin has withdrawn, then unless we capture a living Assassin, this 'evidence' will not be of much use." Emiya Kiritsugu shook his head. Though briefly taken aback, he immediately understood what Mikaela was thinking.
Clearly, Mikaela wanted to photograph Assassin and hand the pictures to the Holy Church, letting that old priest see what his so-called "withdrawal" looked like.
"No, not for him. For Tohno Shiro."
Mikaela said coolly, "The Servant in Tohno Shiro's hands is definitely the strongest existence in this Holy Grail War. If we use information about Assassin as bait and lure him out, then..."
"Oh?"
Emiya Kiritsugu's eyes lit up. He had not considered using this information gap to kill other Masters participating in the Holy Grail War.
That was right. The Servant who had killed Assassin was Tohno Shiro's Archer.
If they pretended not to know about the shady dealings between Tohno Shiro and the Holy Church, then secretly invited him out, he would have no reason to refuse.
Emiya Kiritsugu knew very well that aside from seeking the "Root," those magi placed the greatest value on reputation and etiquette. According to the intelligence he had gathered, Tohno Shiro completely fit the standards of an "idiot magus."
"What a fine proposal."
My Wife~.jpg
Will He Take the Bait?
After they finished discussing the intelligence, Mikaela went outside to buy fresh vegetables and meat. Then he prepared a rather lavish dinner for Emiya Kiritsugu and the others.
"Chinese food today?" Emiya Kiritsugu looked at the dishes on the table, his expression somewhat surprised.
"Yes."
Mikaela brought out the final dish. Looking at Emiya Kiritsugu's surprised expression, he said calmly, "Although I can make Western food, changing things up sometimes can easily improve one's mood."
"Oh!! They all look so delicious." Irisviel's eyes sparkled. She was clearly getting impatient.
"Iri, do you know how to use chopsticks?" Emiya Kiritsugu suddenly thought of something and looked at Irisviel.
"Heh heh heh! I am an Einzbern family homunculus. I have naturally learned all basic life skills, and using Chinese chopsticks is naturally among the skills I have mastered." As though showing off, Irisviel picked up the chopsticks Mikaela handed her.
"That's good." Emiya Kiritsugu seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. He had not forgotten how awkward he had looked the first time he used chopsticks.
"..." Maiya Hisau remained silent, because she did not know how to use chopsticks.
"Here, a spoon."
Mikaela walked over to Maiya Hisau. Without caring that she was Emiya Kiritsugu's "lover," he handed her a silver spoon.
"No, I've already eaten." Maiya Hisau refused. Before Mikaela and Irisviel arrived, she and Emiya Kiritsugu had already eaten a hamburger.
"Just drink the soup. Let Madam and the Master eat the dishes."
Mikaela forcibly pressed the spoon into Maiya Hisau's hand. Even the weakest Servant was roughly ten times stronger than an ordinary person, so when he forced the spoon upon her, Maiya Hisau had no way to resist.
"Sit down and eat. Aila-chan too—you've worked hard all day. Everyone, sit down and eat." Irisviel also urged Maiya Hisau to sit and eat, while calling Mikaela over to sit beside her.
"Yes."
Mikaela did not object. Though food did not matter much to him as a Servant, Irisviel had invited him, so he would not put on airs.
Maiya Hisau glanced at Emiya Kiritsugu. She did not know what she should do. Madam had already spoken... should she sit or not?
"Eat."
Seeing Maiya Hisau's troubled gaze, Emiya Kiritsugu seemed to want to laugh, but held it in.
He had not expected Maiya Hisau, who had always made him feel secure, to reveal such an expression now. It seemed she was still not good at dealing with Iri.
"Understood." Since Emiya Kiritsugu had given the order, Maiya Hisau could only obey unconditionally. Holding the spoon, she seemed to be thinking about how to use it to "eat dishes."
"Come on, Maiya, I'll help you." Warmhearted Irisviel immediately noticed Maiya Hisau's awkwardness. She promptly stood up, took a bowl from the side, and filled it with chicken soup for Maiya Hisau.
"Mm..."
Looking at Irisviel's sincere expression, Maiya Hisau seemed never to have imagined that someone like her, a mere tool, could receive Madam's concern. She slowly reached out and accepted the chicken soup, saying calmly, "Thank you."
"You're welcome. When I'm not by Kiritsugu's side, I'll be relying on you to protect him." Irisviel revealed a smile as radiant as the sun.
For a brief moment, Mikaela's gaze toward Emiya Kiritsugu was filled with "disdain."
"..." Emiya Kiritsugu drank his chicken soup, pretending not to see Mikaela's gaze. In truth, he himself knew exactly what Mikaela was "disdaining."
After eating and drinking, the four had rested enough. Mikaela began clearing away the bowls, chopsticks, plates, and other items.
"Invite Tohno Shiro out? That guy won't be easy to deal with." Outside, Emiya Kiritsugu lit a cigarette. Looking at the bright moon in the sky, he fell into thought.
Although Mikaela and Emiya Kiritsugu had called Tohno Shiro an idiot on the surface, a plan was only a plan. Carrying it out would definitely bring a whole pile of trouble.
"We need a reason he cannot refuse, one that will make him leave his residence covered in Magic Barriers."
Maiya Hisau leaned against the wall and looked at Emiya Kiritsugu's weathered face. "But information about Assassin can only ensure that we can arrange a meeting for talks. If we want to kill him completely, we need to create conditions that are highly favorable to us."
"That's right." Emiya Kiritsugu smoked as he fell into deep thought. There were currently three Masters whose identities had been revealed.
One was Kotomine Kirei, whose location had already been confirmed. Another was Kayneth, staying in a luxury hotel. The last was Tohno Shiro, remaining in his own residence.
Logic told Emiya Kiritsugu that he should assassinate Kotomine Kirei first. Once Kotomine Kirei died, Assassin would truly "withdraw."
But reality told Emiya Kiritsugu that if he assassinated Kotomine Kirei first, he would very likely be besieged by the others.
This was a war. Even if clever people knew Assassin had not withdrawn, if someone moved first and killed Kotomine Kirei, the Holy Church would absolutely not let it go. It would certainly use its "neutral" status to bring the other Servants together and launch a joint campaign against Emiya Kiritsugu.
That supervisor, who had only gained a son late in life, cherished his son deeply. Therefore, unless it was absolutely necessary, Kotomine Kirei could not be killed—unless their side could produce decisive evidence.
Or Kotomine Kirei became foolish enough to leave the Holy Church's protection and come outside on his own.
"So all we can do now is pretend we know nothing and speak with Tohno Shiro?" Emiya Kiritsugu stubbed out his cigarette, seemingly quite dissatisfied with the current situation.
"No, I have a way to lure Tohno Shiro out." At that moment, Mikaela walked over. He seemed to have finished washing the dishes.
"Oh? What way?"
Emiya Kiritsugu looked at Mikaela with some curiosity, unable to understand what method he had thought of.
"According to the intelligence, Tohno Shiro has two daughters. Both have exceptional talent in magecraft." Mikaela spoke slowly. "However, because the Magecraft Crest of a magus family can generally only be inherited by one successor, the older Rin Tohsaka became the heir of the Tohsaka family, while the other daughter was adopted into the Matou family."
"What does that have to do with anything?" Emiya Kiritsugu found it strange and did not understand Mikaela's plan.
"Do you remember what magecraft the Matou family used five hundred years ago?" Mikaela calmly asked Emiya Kiritsugu.
"It seems it was Butterfly Magic, but the Matou family's magecraft has now declined. Butterfly Magic became Bug Magic." Through the Einzbern intelligence network, Emiya Kiritsugu had thoroughly investigated everyone participating in this Holy Grail War, including the Matou family, one of the Three Great Families.
"That's right... but Tohno Shiro seems not to know that."
Mikaela narrowed his eyes and smiled. "So, as fellow members of the Three Great Families, we should take the initiative to propose cooperation. At the same time, we can deliberately and casually provide Tohno Shiro with information about 'Bug Magic.'"
"What good would knowing that do?" Emiya Kiritsugu believed magi were cold-blooded and ruthless. How could Tohno Shiro possibly take the initiative to cause trouble for the Matou family because of his daughter?
Besides, he had personally given his daughter away.
"He is a father."
Probably a Giant of Light
Synopsis: Ultraman was not a god. There were many things he could neither change nor undo.
So this was destined to be nothing more than the story of an unremarkable hero growing, becoming stronger, and defeating one evil after another.
In short, it was probably the story of a Giant of Light.
PS: The initial world had an original setting, and the Ultraman setting would be introduced later.
(This story was purely fictional. Any resemblance was purely a tribute—Hideki Go.JPG)
Preparing for the Meeting
The next morning, after Tohno Shiro had just finished breakfast, he sat on the sofa and fell into thought as he looked at the "letter" delivered that morning.
This letter had been drafted by Mikaela, but it had nominally been "sent" by one of the Three Great Families—the Einzbern family.
It was a "friendly" letter of exchange. Its general meaning was that outsiders had unexpectedly appeared in the Holy Grail War, which had originally belonged to the Three Great Families. One of them was even a Lord from the Clock Tower. Clearly, matters had gone beyond their expectations, so it was necessary for the two sides to meet and share their intelligence.
"..."
Tohno Shiro stared at the letter and fell into thought. He could sense the sincerity in the handwriting. It seemed that after their battle with the Clock Tower Lord's Servant last night, the Einzbern family had likely come under a certain amount of pressure, which was why they wanted to share intelligence with him.
"Just as Kirei said, the Servant summoned by the Einzbern family likely possesses outstanding negotiating ability. However... she seems somewhat lacking in martial strength." Tohno Shiro revealed an elegant smile, clearly welcoming the arrival of this letter.
The letter stated that they hoped to meet Tohno Shiro at a café around noon today. The Einzbern family would prepare some exceedingly rare intelligence to hand over to him.
However, it was still early. Tohno Shiro did not intend to keep the appointment immediately. Although he welcomed the arrival of this letter, he was not foolish enough to form an alliance with them without any precautions.
"I should share this rare intelligence with Kirei."
Tohno Shiro casually set the letter aside, picked up the magecraft cane beside him, and walked into the basement.
Before you continue