"Correct."
Lady Avalon explained with a smug smile, "This is a live broadcast."
Shirou turned his gaze to the crystal ball.
Two Servants were displayed within it.
One was a man in black, his palm pierced through by a spear, his entire body pinned to the ground.
The other was a golden figure standing proudly atop the roof of the Tohsaka Family mansion.
The golden figure radiated an overwhelming pressure, so intense that even the stars across the sky seemed dim in comparison.
"The one lying on the ground should be Assassin, right? I've heard that skeletal masks are Assassin's trademark.
He actually tried to take advantage of the ritual not being fully underway to assassinate the careless Master of the Tohsaka Family. Too bad his movements were exposed."
Lady Avalon explained from the side. Shirou remained silent, his eyes fixed on the crystal ball as he asked,
"How many factions are watching from the surroundings?"
"Huh?"
Lady Avalon was briefly stunned by the question.
Normally, shouldn't he be focusing on the two Servants on screen? Who would pay attention to the audience instead?
Still, she answered honestly, "Besides us, there are three others."
"Three?"
Shirou didn't think Ryuunosuke Uryuu would send familiars to observe the situation.
In other words, if Ryuunosuke Uryuu successfully summoned a Servant, then nearly all participants would be present tonight.
"Has the Einzbern Family already arrived in Japan?"
Lady Avalon shrugged, steering the conversation back.
"Assassin's Master is way too reckless, isn't he? Actually trying to assassinate the head of the Tohsaka Family!"
"That's not recklessness. It's stupidity," Shirou said calmly.
"Maybe there's some kind of grudge against the Tohsaka Family?" Lady Avalon pondered, lightly touching her chin.
"…Strange."
"What is it?"
"Avalon-nee-san, don't you think this Assassin's presence is too faint?"
The Flower Magus blinked, confused. "No, even if you put it that way, if an Assassin's presence were too strong, that would be a problem, wouldn't it? How would they infiltrate or carry out assassinations?"
"That's true, but there's still something off about this Assassin."
Shirou thought to himself: The Holy Grail War works by absorbing the souls of defeated Servants to accumulate power.
Each Servant's soul is comparable to tens of thousands of human sacrifices, which is what makes it possible, even opening a path to The Root.
But...
Isn't this Assassin's soul a bit too thin?
Lady Avalon crawled up to the crystal ball on all fours and stared at it closely for a moment.
Ah, this is...
"Did you notice something?"
The silver-haired Magus hurriedly waved her hands. "N-no!"
Shirou gave her a meaningful glance.
At that moment, the scene inside the crystal ball changed...
A dazzling golden brilliance spread across the entire night sky.
Countless weapons materialized behind the Golden Servant. This time, the stars truly paled in comparison.
Shirou: "… (surprised)"
Lady Avalon: "… (sneaking a glance)"
In the next instant, the blades, spears, and halberds behind the Golden Servant poured down like a torrential storm toward the Assassin on the ground!
"BOOM——————!!!"
Even through the crystal ball, the sheer force and brilliance of the explosion could be felt.
In the blink of an eye, the black Servant on the ground was completely erased without a trace.
The opening exchange of the Holy Grail War was not a battle, but a one-sided slaughter. An execution.
"Master! Master!"
Lady Avalon grabbed the boy's arm excitedly, shaking him back and forth.
"That golden Heroic Spirit is incredible! He's undoubtedly the strongest in this Holy Grail War!"
"Ah… yeah…" Shirou responded absentmindedly.
"Did you notice? The dozens of Noble Phantasms he fired in that instant, they were… they were… all genuine!!!
It's not unusual for a Servant to possess multiple Noble Phantasms, but having that many? This is completely abnormal, far too abnormal!"
Lady Avalon spoke in an unusually exaggerated, enthusiastic tone.
"Considering the unique nature of your Magecraft, Master, the two of you might end up as destined rivals!"
"Is that so… I guess."
I don't recall ever showing you Projection Magecraft.
While casually brushing off the overly excited female Magus, Shirou kept his eyes locked on the massive crater in the crystal ball.
To be honest, aside from a brief moment of surprise at the beginning, he hadn't paid much attention to that golden Heroic Spirit.
"That" was undeniably powerful. Power beyond imagination.
If "that" represented the standard level of a Servant, Shirou would head straight to the Fuyuki Church right now, give up his status as a Master, and seek protection from the Overseer.
However...
"That" was nothing but power.
It could neither become Shirou's strength nor stand in his way. At a fundamental level, they were incompatible.
Shirou Amamiya would neither reach for something so blindingly radiant he could never grasp, nor would he waste time staring at it.
Seeing the red-haired boy's reaction, Lady Avalon's expression turned complicated.
If you searched all of human history, you'd probably be the only one who could ignore the brilliance of the "King of Heroes," she thought quietly.
Then.
Amid this one-sided massacre, what truly entered the sight of the "Mystic Eyes of the End" was—
"Assassin isn't dead."
The red-haired boy put on his coat, stood up at once, and headed out.
"He might become our ally."
...
...
At the same time the intruder was eliminated by the golden Heroic Spirit, Tokiomi Tohsaka was reclining comfortably in a rocking chair in his room.
"Excellent… everything is proceeding smoothly."
The moment he finished speaking, the Heroic Spirit who had instantly killed Assassin appeared in the room, his expression displeased.
"You actually bothered this King over such a trivial matter, Tokiomi."
Tokiomi Tohsaka immediately rose and gave a respectful, elegant bow.
"I would not dare, King of Kings Gilgamesh. Tonight's display was merely to make an example of one, to warn the rest and avoid unnecessary trouble in the future.
Now that you have demonstrated your overwhelming power, surely no more foolish vermin will dare intrude."
He spoke in a tone that lowered himself as much as possible without becoming servile.
Gilgamesh despised arrogance, but he also had no patience for fawning sycophants.
For now, he was satisfied with Tokiomi's attitude and had reluctantly let the matter slide.
"O King… are you pleased with the world as it is now?"
The Golden King dismissed the question with a scoff.
"Boring. No matter how indescribably ugly the world becomes, all land will ultimately become part of this King's garden, and all treasures will return to this King's hands."
"Then, the Holy Grail…"
"I have no interest in something like the Holy Grail."
Gilgamesh's expression remained proud and aloof.
"These mongrels stirring up conflict in the garden could have been ignored… but if they set their sights on this King's treasures, that is another matter.
That said, no matter how many such vermin I punish, it does nothing to relieve my boredom.
Tokiomi, you had best hope the 'strong ones' you spoke of can offer me even the slightest amusement. Otherwise…the sin of making this King come here for nothing is not a light one."
With that, the golden Archer vanished into the darkness.
"…"
Still bowing, Tokiomi Tohsaka was already drenched in cold sweat.
Why did it have to be Archer…
Gilgamesh was already completely self-centered by nature, and now he also possessed the Class Skill "Independent Action."
The oldest King of Heroes spent his days wandering aimlessly through Fuyuki City in a leather jacket, and Tokiomi had no way to contact him.
He had no idea where his Servant was or what he was doing, let alone any hope of him following instructions.
If this continues, can the Tohsaka Family truly win?
The gentleman who had been indulging in dreams of certain victory had finally sobered up.
And then there was that Servant who couldn't be detected by the "Spiritron Disk."
So many days had passed, yet there was still no new information.
What kind of abilities did that mysterious Servant possess?
Who exactly was his Master?
Why hadn't they gone to the Fuyuki Church to report their identity and receive instructions? Had they already sensed something?
Regardless of their strength, that Servant and his Master had become the greatest thorn in Tokiomi Tohsaka's side.
He needed to have Kirei intensify the search using Assassin, and uncover their identities as soon as possible.