The Impending War

"King of Heroes, do you have any interest in this?" Tohsaka Tokiomi asked respectfully.

"Well, it's a side show, but far more amusing than your clownish antics." The King of Heroes, Gilgamesh, curled the corners of his lips, his expression tinged with disdain and mockery.

"I shall dispatch Hassan to gather intelligence, and then I must trouble you to take action." Tohsaka Tokiomi replied with a deep bow.

"So be it." Gilgamesh set down his wine glass, his figure gradually fading into the air.

After watching Matou Sakura enter the residence, Uchiha Iori found a spot and sat down.

He formed hand seals: "Shadow Clone Technique."

Several clones appeared before him in an instant. He addressed them, "You all know the plot, so go and lie in wait at the key locations. The primary objective is Artoria's Excalibur."

"Next is the scabbard, Avalon. Plunder as much as you can from the King of Heroes' treasury; opportunities like this won't come twice."

"Understood." The clones replied and departed in different directions.

Iori sat on the ground and created one more clone: "You, go to England. See if you can make contact with the Edelfelt House. I fear Tohsaka Tokiomi might pull some more reckless stunts."

"Understood, I will make contact." The clone nodded and vanished quickly.

Leaning against the wall of the alley, Iori closed his eyes to doze, waiting for the arrival of the next day.

"Ah!" Matou Sakura woke up from a nightmare, dreaming once again of yesterday's warehouse and the overwhelming swarm of insects.

In the dream, that boy did not appear, and she had woken up in terror the moment the insects touched her.

She climbed out of bed and walked to the door, hearing voices from outside.

"Mother, will Sakura leave again after this visit?" Tohsaka Rin's voice was filled with worry and reluctance; she loved her younger sister dearly and did not want her to leave.

"She will. She cannot stay." Tohsaka Aoi's reply was firm and cold. Though she loved her child, the interests of the Tohsaka House were paramount.

Listening to the words from outside, tears slowly streamed down Matou Sakura's eyes.

"Am I truly an unwanted child?" Matou Sakura murmured to herself, her voice laced with sorrow and despair. "I shouldn't have come back."

"Then do you wish to leave? I have already contacted your maternal grandmother's family; they should treat you well." Iori suddenly appeared in the room, his voice gentle yet firm.

"Can I not go with you?" Matou Sakura asked, her eyes brimming with tears.

She looked aggrieved and helpless, her small hand reaching out to clutch Iori's sleeve, refusing to let go.

Iori was her only reliance now.

She was like a drowning person in the vast ocean clutching a single piece of driftwood, unwilling to let go of this lifeline.

"I am a Servant summoned by you; I will vanish once the Holy Grail War concludes, so you cannot follow me."

Iori crouched down and gently stroked her hair; it felt soft and pleasant to touch.

"Before that happens, I will arrange a path forward for you." He promised tenderly.

"Though the night is long, it will eventually pass. I will lead you toward a beautiful tomorrow."

Although he was not a hero of justice, for this one week, he was willing to be the hero of justice that belonged only to Sakura.

"Mm, I believe you, big brother." The girl hugged Iori tightly, refusing to let go.

Where Iori could not see, a look of determination flashed in her eyes as she made an important decision.

"Then, shall we go to the amusement park? The Holy Grail War usually takes place at night, and there is nothing to do during the day. Why don't we go have some fun?"

Iori suggested. He had taken quite a bit of money when he left the Matou residence, enough to cover their expenses for the next few days.

"Mm, wherever big brother goes, I will go." Sakura looked up at him, her expression adorable.

Iori lowered his head, rubbed his cheek against hers a few times, then lifted her up and said, "Off we go, to the amusement park."

"Yay!" Sakura raised her hands in excitement, not just because of the park, but because of Iori.

After leaving a note for Tohsaka Aoi, Iori took Matou Sakura and left the residence, heading for the amusement park.

After playing on the carousel, roller coaster, pirate ship, Ferris wheel, and other attractions, the two enjoyed every project to the fullest and left feeling satisfied.

"Next, let's find a place to stay. The next time you see your mother and sister will be to say goodbye." Iori said, looking at her.

"Mm." Matou Sakura looked back at him, holding onto his clothes as if that could give her enough courage.

After settling Matou Sakura in, Iori used magic to connect with the shadow clone who was out watching the show.

"How is it? Has the battle started at the Mion River?" Iori asked. He had been looking forward to this chaotic brawl of Heroic Spirits for a long time.

"Diarmuid issued a challenge, King Arthur accepted, Alexander the Great is watching from the bridge, Hassan is crouching on a pillar, and the King of Heroes is standing on a streetlamp."

The shadow clone replied briefly. Iori felt a bit embarrassed; such a concise report actually gave him a vivid mental image.

"What about the sword and the scabbard? Did you copy them?" Iori pressed. This was one of his goals; he could not give up on it.

"Copied, but the scabbard's rank is too high; there is no possibility of projecting it at the moment." The shadow clone replied.

"As long as you have it, that's fine. Once I get my hands on a Tailed Beast or a Dragon Vein, everything will be fine." Iori said with a smile.

"We are the same person, stop with the memes. Alexander the Great has entered the fray with his chariot to provoke them; should I join in too?" The shadow clone retorted.

"Don't cause any unnecessary trouble. We'll join the fray only after Sakura has left; for now, let's just observe," Iori replied.

"Fine. Not a moment spent mourning King Arthur's injury, and the King of Heroes Gilgamesh arrives on the battlefield immediately," the Shadow Clone remarked.

"Cough, cough. You're one to talk, aren't you playing around yourself?" Iori retorted at his own Shadow Clone.

"If you won't let me join in, I've got nothing else to do. In this wave, I'm the Berserker; if I don't go fight the Lamp King, who knows how the plot will develop."

The Shadow Clone sighed, left with no choice but to watch the events unfold in silence.

"Two people who don't know their place, calling themselves 'Kings' and showing no respect, have popped up in a single night," Gilgamesh said arrogantly, his eyes filled with disdain.

"Even if you say so, I, Alexander, am the King of Conquerors in name and deed. May I ask who you might be, Excellency?" The King of Conquerors, Alexander the Great, scratched his cheek.

Gilgamesh sneered, "If I have granted you the honor of bowing before me, yet you do not know my name, there is nothing I can do about such ignorance."

No sooner had he finished speaking than golden ripples appeared behind Gilgamesh, and several weapons shot toward the King of Conquerors like lightning.

"This is but a small warning," Gilgamesh said coldly.

The Divine Bulls pulling Alexander's chariot stomped their hooves, the resulting lightning striking down the incoming weapons and even shattering the streetlamp beneath Gilgamesh's feet.

Losing his footing, Gilgamesh was forced to land on the ground.

"To force me, who should be looked up to, to stand on the same earth as you—such disrespect is a capital offense!" Feeling offended, Gilgamesh spoke with displeasure.

Golden ripples filled the space behind him, and countless weapons poked their heads out from within.

"Your insolence toward me is enough to make you die a thousand, ten thousand times over. Mongrel standing there, I shall slaughter you until not a single scrap remains."

Gilgamesh's voice was icy and filled with killing intent.

Watching this scene from his base, Tohsaka Tokiomi felt a secret anxiety. It is only the first day of the Holy Grail War; to expose his Noble Phantasm this early is truly reckless.

"By the Command Spell, I urge you, King of Heroes, please calm your anger and withdraw," he said, using a Command Spell.

Bound by the Command Spell, Gilgamesh grew furious.

"Tokiomi, do you think you can make me retreat with your mere advice?" Unable to defy the power of the Command Spell, Gilgamesh said angrily.

"Hmph, you've escaped with your life, mongrel." Withdrawing his unleashed Noble Phantasms, he dissolved into golden motes of light, bound by the spell, and departed.

"It seems we won't be fighting today. I shall invite you all another time," the King of Conquerors looked at the wary figures before him and drove his chariot away from the battlefield.

Pop. Seeing the Heroic Spirits depart one by one, Iori's Shadow Clone dispelled itself, transmitting its memories back.

Iori savored the memories carefully, then suppressed his restless heart. His goal was not yet achieved; patience, too, was a form of cultivation.

Now, he only had to wait until Matou Sakura was sent away. He could hardly wait to join this deathmatch.