"Roman, it's up to you. Bring me victory!"
"…"
Roman swatted Samuel's hand off his shoulder and turned to slip away.
Slap!
"Roman, my friend, this is when I need you most! How could you abandon me? Don't you love me anymore?"
"Get lost! That's gross. I'm starting to miss the old you—at least you had some cool aloofness."
Roman shoved the grinning Samuel aside, baffled by his drastic shift in demeanor.
Though, he might've ignored his own changes…
Samuel hadn't changed much; Roman just hadn't seen this playful side before.
"Hey, Roman, don't you want to be human again? Win the Holy Grail, and you can live as one!"
"…"
Roman fell silent, tempted. His past life had been fulfilling, joyful even, but he didn't want to relive it.
He craved a fresh life—carefree, leisurely. If possible, he'd visit old friends: Da Vinci, Mash, Ritsuka…
But it sounded exhausting. Toiling for a peaceful life? How was that different from before?
He needed to slack off…
"Master, I just want a chill life—sleeping until noon, bed by eleven, twenty minutes of exercise, a glass of warm milk, sleeping like a baby with no stress carried over. Doctors say I'm perfectly normal. So…"
"No way!"
Samuel's firm retort startled Roman, who grumbled, "Hey, don't be so absolute!"
"There's a flaw in your plan. You'd never manage it. More like… lazing all day, gaming all night, chasing streamers, never leaving your bed without a laptop—a chronic societal slacker. The doctor saying you're normal? True, because you're the doctor!"
Roman was floored.
"Master, that's harsh! Am I really…"
He had no comeback!
"I've got a great idea!"
"Changing the subject much?"
"I can tweak the Servant summoning ritual, cheat to summon another Servant, and get a tool person to do the heavy lifting!"
Roman ignored Samuel's jab, pitching his plan.
"Hm… not a bad idea. For a slacker, you've got some brains!"
"Stop calling me a slacker, that's too much!"
"It's a compliment!"
"Yeah, right!"
"Hey, you two, can you discuss cheating without the 'organizer' present?"
Justeaze crouched nearby, staring blankly at the bickering duo.
"You call yourself the organizer? You're more like the prize!"
Samuel's sharp tongue struck instinctively, practically coded into his DNA.
"…"
Justeaze stared, expressionless.
"Look, Miss Justeaze, we're doing this to save humanity! For such a noble cause, a little flaw can be overlooked!"
Samuel patted her shoulder, shamelessly justifying himself.
"…"
Justeaze said nothing, her form dissolving into mist, leaving the room.
"Master, that Justeaze…"
"No need to say it. Some things don't need spelling out. We know… she knows."
Some truths are better left unspoken.
"Roman…"
Samuel's expression grew grave, his tone heavy.
"What's up?"
Roman turned serious, knowing only something major could prompt such a look from Samuel.
Samuel said solemnly, "Where do we find this tool person?"
Roman's face darkened, equally grave. Samuel's question… was profoundly valid.
Birds of a feather flock together—around one drama king, more always gather.
"How about a martial arts marriage contest? Roman, you sacrifice yourself."
"Why not you? You're way prettier—swap clothes, and no one could tell your gender!"
"I'm the final trump card between us. Ever seen someone lead with a royal flush?"
"…Trump card, my foot. You're not even playing, pushing me to the front! How about this—you seduce some guy, and at the critical moment, I step in?"
Two shameless clowns pushed the limits of absurdity.
"Is Matou Zouken present? I, Emiya Kiritsugu, have matters to discuss!"
A voice carried through the magical barrier, reaching their ears.
"Emiya Kiritsugu? Why's he here?"
In Samuel's memory, Kiritsugu was with the Einzbern camp and had no history with the Matou family.
Samuel's computational power scanned Kiritsugu—no Servant detected.
"Coming alone? Or is something unexpected? Eh, let's meet him."
…
"Didn't expect the infamous Mage-Killer to visit my humble abode. Not here to hunt this old man, are you?"
A pseudo-Matou Zouken, conjured by Samuel's AIM Diffusion Field, appeared in the courtyard. If Kiritsugu wanted Zouken, he'd get him.
"Of course not… Matou-dono, I hear the Matou family has no participant in this Holy Grail War."
Kiritsugu's eyes were calm as still water, devoid of light—a man steeped in darkness.
He'd thoroughly investigated the Matou family beforehand.
One of the Three Families, the Matous had declined, their magical bloodline nearly extinct. Without this frail-looking old man, they'd be ordinary.
"Oh? True, but… what of it, Emiya Kiritsugu?"
Inside, Roman and Samuel exchanged smiles, their eyes meeting in mutual understanding.
"Tool person… found!"
"I wish to fight in the Matou family's place."
Kiritsugu's stern face cracked a confident smile, his lifeless eyes oddly reinforcing it.
"Oh… let's talk, then."
Three hours later, Kiritsugu left the Matou residence with that confident smile. He raised a hand, and a nearby car pulled up, whisking him away.
From the second-floor window, Samuel and Roman watched him go.
"Pathetic… pinning humanity's salvation on an uncertain cup."
Roman's eyes brimmed with pity.
"Humanity never needs saving. They save themselves. Thinking you can save them makes you inhuman, placing yourself above them. Humanity will show you… you're not worthy."
That was the truth of the Human Order—self-salvation defines humanity.
***
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