At the Fuyuki Church, Kirei and Risei had also received news about the negative impact caused by the child kidnappings carried out by Caster and his Master.
The atmosphere, usually silent and solemn, felt heavy.
"The Holy Grail War must be conducted in secrecy. Caster and his Master have gone too far."
Risei slammed his fist on the table, the irritation evident on his aged face. It wasn't just a matter of rules being broken—it was something far worse.
"But… the scale of the damage caused by the battle between Lancer and Archer seems even greater…" Kirei said calmly, closing the newspaper in his hands.
His tone was neutral, almost indifferent.
"This is different, Kirei."
Risei's response came immediately.
"The damage caused by Lancer and Archer is purely physical. It can be covered up, explained—compensated for with something like a gas explosion."
He paused, his eyes narrowing.
"However, Caster and his Master are different."
His voice grew heavier.
"They are not making even the slightest effort to hide their tracks. With so many children disappearing overnight… it will be impossible to keep this covered up for much longer."
"That is true." Kirei nodded slowly.
"It's as if they don't care about the Holy Grail War at all."
His dark eyes reflected something difficult to interpret.
"If this draws the attention of the national authorities… the entire structure that keeps this war hidden will be compromised. That would be… problematic."
Risei remained silent for a moment.
Then he made his decision.
"Kirei, leave communication with the other Masters to me. Go contact Tokiomi."
His voice was firm, leaving no room for discussion.
"The Holy Grail War must be paused. Before anything else… we must eliminate Caster."
"I understand." Kirei replied without hesitation.
...
"...I see."
"A Servant who has completely lost control… and a Master who ignores it—or worse, condones it…"
After hearing Kirei's report, Tokiomi Tohsaka sank into deep thought.
His posture remained elegant, but his expression hardened.
"Why would someone like that even participate in the Holy Grail War…?"
He closed his eyes for a brief moment.
"No… the reason no longer matters."
When he opened them again, his decision had already been made.
"So, the Church wishes for all Masters and Servants, with the exception of Caster, to temporarily suspend their conflicts in order to deal with this anomaly?"
"Yes, Professor." Kirei replied.
"The actions of Caster and his Master have completely deviated from the rules. They have already surpassed any tolerable limit."
"Very well." Tokiomi nodded without hesitation. "As someone responsible for preserving the secrecy of magecraft… I cannot allow this to continue."
His voice turned cold and resolute.
"For the Holy Grail to manifest properly… we have no choice but to eliminate Caster and his Master."
---xXx---
{"I've already discovered the location of their base."} Kirei spoke over the phone.
"So quickly?"
The surprise was understandable.
By nature, the Holy Grail War took place in the shadows—primarily at night.
Discovering a hideout just a little over three hours after beginning an investigation was no small feat.
{"Yes. Based on the clues you provided, we identified Caster's Master as the one responsible for the recent series of kidnappings: Uryuu Ryuunosuke."}
{"Their base is located in an abandoned underground drainage system along the coastal area of Fuyuki."}
{"They are only five kilometers from the location where you fought Archer… and they appear to be using that place as a base, as well as… a storage and disposal site for the kidnapped children."}
…
Upon hearing that last sentence, Arthur slowly closed his eyes.
He was furious—nothing and no one had ever managed to provoke this level of anger in him in any of his lives.
On the other end of the line, Kiritsugu also said nothing for a moment.
But Arthur could feel it—Kiritsugu felt the same revulsion.
The same contempt.
They didn't need to say it out loud.
"I see."
Arthur's response was short.
"Let's destroy that cursed filth as quickly as possible."
Without another word, he ended the call.
"What happened, Arthur? Has Kiritsugu already found Caster's trail?" Artoria asked immediately.
"Yes." Arthur replied, his expression already different from before. "We're going to end this as soon as possible."
Artoria's expression hardened instantly upon hearing that.
Irisviel also understood what it meant—the lightness that had once been in her expression vanished completely.
At that exact moment, a dove circled above her head, slowly descending.
Irisviel smiled, finding the scene curious, and gently extended her hand for the bird to land.
The dove seemed to understand.
It approached—
"Iri, let me handle this."
Before she could touch it, Arthur moved with speed and precision.
He firmly grabbed the dove without hurting it and removed a carefully attached brown letter from its leg.
"It's a message from the Church…" he murmured.
Unfolding the paper, he began to read:
"The Holy Grail War is facing a major crisis, the root of which lies with Caster and his Master. Therefore, I am using my authority as supervisor to temporarily alter the rules."
"All Masters must immediately cease their operations and focus all their efforts on the complete annihilation of Caster."
"Additionally, as this is a special case, I will grant additional Command Seals to those who successfully eliminate Caster and his Master."
"The Holy Grail War will resume as normal once it is confirmed that Caster has been destroyed."
"Therefore, if anyone has objections, they may present them at the appropriate time. Naturally, this applies only to participants capable of proper communication."
"Finally."
"The Master of Archer, Tokiomi Tohsaka, invites everyone to a meeting at his residence. Those interested should attend on their own after seven o'clock."
As soon as he finished reading, the paper burst into flames.
The fire quickly consumed the message.
Leaving behind only ashes that scattered into the air.
---xXx---
Night, in the courtyard of the Tohsaka family mansion.
The servants had already cleaned everything and arranged every detail with near-obsessive perfection.
Refined desserts, hot dishes still steaming, drinks of all kinds, carefully arranged trays of fruit… a true display of luxury, worthy of a prestigious magus.
When Arthur, dressed in his Caster attire, arrived accompanied by Irisviel and Artoria, Iskandar was already loudly feasting with Waver, as if this were a tavern rather than a gathering of Masters.
Kayneth and his fiancée were seated in a nearby pavilion, engaged in a formal conversation with Tokiomi.
"You took far too long, mongrel."
The moment Arthur appeared, a presence made itself known.
Dressed in his gleaming golden armor, Gilgamesh crossed his arms and materialized directly in front of him, blocking his path without ceremony.
His red eyes were filled with disdain.
"It's fine—wasn't it supposed to be after seven? It's not even seven yet…" Arthur replied casually, as if it truly didn't matter.
Before he could even finish, Gilgamesh scoffed.
"Your indifferent attitude displeases me more than that fool's actions."
His tone was sharp, clearly provocative.
"It's strange hearing my younger self try to mock me." Arthur replied calmly, with a peculiar look on his face.
Gilgamesh's eyes narrowed.
"Tch…"
He turned his head away, as if refusing to give it any further importance.
"Come with me."
Without waiting for a response, Gilgamesh simply began walking, assuming he would be followed.
Arthur followed right behind without hesitation.
Gilgamesh led him to a patch of grass where a carpet had already been laid out. At its center rested a low, antique-style table, laden with wine bottles and goblets fit for kings.
Everything there reflected an excessively… grandiose taste.
"So you finally arrived, Lancer?"
The moment he saw Arthur, Iskandar broke into a wide grin.
Without ceremony, he shoved Waver toward Irisviel and Artoria as if discarding an inconvenient object, then sat cross-legged on the carpet, taking the seat he had clearly reserved.
"You're too slow. I've been craving these drinks for a while, but the golden one insisted on waiting for you before letting me touch them."
"Cough, cough, cough!"
Waver, shoved without warning, nearly choked on a piece of chicken thigh.
His face turned red as he coughed, casting a resentful glance at Iskandar, who had already completely ignored him.
Subtly, Waver hid the chicken behind his back, as if that could salvage some of his dignity.
"Hello… I'm Waver Velvet."
He greeted Irisviel and Artoria, visibly embarrassed.
Meanwhile—
"You made everyone wait, Goldie." Arthur commented in a neutral tone.
"Of course." Gilgamesh replied, lifting his chin arrogantly. "A true banquet only begins when the true king decides it shall."
Arthur let out a faint sigh.
"A king should know when not to waste time on unnecessary formalities," Arthur said.
"You speak too much for someone who still hasn't understood his position," Gilgamesh replied mockingly.
"No." Arthur answered. "I understand my position perfectly well. And you? Do you understand yours?"
"Tch. Insolent."
(End of Chapter)