Melancholy or not, Byakuya didn't let it weigh on him too much—
After all, he had Morgan on his left, Scáthach on his right, and if things got truly desperate… he could always unleash Kama.
Who didn't have a trump card or two?
He returned to the Matō residence.
The moment he stepped into the entryway, Matō Sakura hurried over. Seeing that he and Scáthach had left exactly as they returned—unharmed, unchanged—her worry finally melted into relief, and then into joy.
"I told you he'd be fine. Now do you believe me?" Kama called out from the back, curled up on the sofa with a handheld console. "Can you come back to my room now?"
"Thanks for worrying, Sakura~"
Byakuya crouched down. The girl's eyelids were already starting to droop, fighting sleep. He lifted a hand and gently patted her head. "Go rest. Tonight should be it."
"…"
Sakura pressed her lips together.
"Alright—then I'll walk you there."
Byakuya scooped the girl up and carried her upstairs.
Behind him, Kama followed along—multitasking with absolute shamelessness, walking while still playing her game.
Before they even reached the room, Sakura was already asleep in his arms.
Byakuya gave a muted chuckle. He laid her on the bed, helped her out of her shoes and socks and coat, then tucked her in properly.
When he turned around—
In front of the monitors in the corner—each hooked up to a game console and a PC—Kama had already switched from handheld to controller.
"Big Master, what is it?" she asked, sensing his gaze and flicking her eyes toward him.
"Big Master" was her term because her real Master was Sakura… but Sakura would execute Byakuya's will without deviation, so the title stuck.
"…I was just curious," Byakuya said. "You answered Sakura's call—was it really just so you could play this month's new game?"
"And snacks and drinks!" Kama corrected with utmost seriousness.
Byakuya: "…"
"Then… should I do what you want, Big Master, and go stretch my legs?" Kama's mouth curled into a playful smile. "I mean, you and those other two already figured out what I am, right? In that case, I don't really need to keep pretending."
"Absolutely not." Byakuya held up a hand. "This version of you is perfect. If you need anything, just say so—I'll try to accommodate."
"Mm-hm~" Kama blinked. "If that's your command, Big Master…"
Byakuya shook his head and left the room.
Inside—
"Hehe~ I finally get a setup like this—only an idiot would start trouble and then get jumped by some random 'oops, I was nearby' freaks."
As the footsteps outside faded, Kama grabbed a cola and chugged a huge mouthful, tore open a bag of chips, and went back to working the controller.
…
Downstairs, in the living room.
Byakuya returned to find Morgan and Scáthach each occupying one of the long sofas. After a brief pause, he took the single armchair to the side.
The three of them stared at one another.
You look at me, I look at you—an awkward tableau.
"At least… I never got to ask earlier," he forced out, picking a topic he could use with Morgan. "Even if she isn't the real one, she is still 'Artoria.' You don't want to go see her?"
"You said it yourself—she isn't the real one."
Morgan raised a slender finger.
On the coffee table between them, an image surfaced: the moment after the harbor fight, when the woman had removed her helmet and introduced herself to Scáthach and Byakuya.
"A counterfeit," Morgan judged coolly. "And besides—even the 'king' she was in life, always wearing that mask… she was just a soulless doll. Not the Artoria I knew."
Byakuya: "…"
So that's the vibe, huh. The kind of warped, violently devoted Arthur-fan who'd happily boot half the Round Table into Artoria's lap.
"…What is that look?" Morgan's brow furrowed.
"Nothing. Just… feeling things," Byakuya replied vaguely, then pivoted. "At the harbor, you heard everything Irisviel and I said. I think once they confirm the Greater Grail's state, the odds of them standing against us are low. But if they still decide to fight for the Grail anyway…?"
"Then we send her to rest." Morgan answered without hesitation. "If she's here by her own will, that's her choice. But being twisted into that by an object's corruption… it's grotesque."
Byakuya: "…"
Weren't you just saying "the king" wasn't the Artoria you cared about?
"And that look means what?" Morgan sat up straighter, eyes narrowing.
"Nothing. Just… feeling things," Byakuya tried again—then realized repeating the exact same dodge was suicidal. So he added, "I'm moved by the depth of your sisterly bond."
"Hah." Morgan scoffed. "I don't have a sister like that."
…
Morgan was lying.
Because the next morning, when Irisviel arrived at the Matō residence—together with the Goddess Rhongomyniad—and the goddess politely nodded to Morgan and greeted her with, "Sister King,"
Morgan's whole body locked up.
Anyone with eyes could tell that reaction wasn't normal.
"This is…?" Irisviel whispered to Byakuya, daring to make the obvious leap.
"You already guessed," Byakuya said. "Morgan le Fay. Artoria's older sister."
"—Hk!" Irisviel sucked in a sharp breath.
Morgan. Then the Goddess Rhongomyniad. Then Morgan again—
The thousand-year sister feud. And one of them got—
"Ahem." The goddess cleared her throat pointedly.
"Y-Yes! Sorry, that was rude." Irisviel said the words, but her eyes glittered so brightly it was obvious she was only pretending to behave.
Thunk.
The Goddess Rhongomyniad flicked Irisviel on the forehead.
"Mmmgh~~~" Irisviel whimpered, clutching the spot like a scolded child.
"Alright." Byakuya stepped in to smooth it over. "Let's sit and talk."
He brought them into the living room. "You chose to come here after confirming the state of that thing. I assume you've made your decision?"
"Yes." Irisviel's playful expression vanished as she turned serious. "As you said, the Holy Grail is tainted. What we Einzberns have pursued and what it is now… are no longer the same."
"So, if your goal is also to dispose of that thing… then please allow me, in the name of the Einzbern family, to offer you an alliance."
....
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