Ciel looked at the destroyed road before her and the traces of battle nearby, a hint of gravity appearing in her calm eyes.
From the backpack she carried, which was treated with space magecraft, she took out a massive pile driver. This was the Seventh Holy Scripture, created by Ciel using the horn of the legendary soul-devouring unicorn as material.
Ciel slowly pushed open the doors of the Fuyuki City Church, scanning the surroundings warily. When she saw the collapsed pillars in the hall, she immediately went on high alert.
Holding the Seventh Holy Scripture in one hand, Ciel grabbed her nun's habit with the other and stripped it off in an instant, revealing the combat attire beneath. At the same time, she casually took off her glasses and placed them on a nearby chair.
Just then, the sound of faint footsteps came from behind her. Ciel turned swiftly, aiming the Seventh Holy Scripture at the Church entrance.
"Are you the seventh?"
As the voice rang out, Ciel finally saw the newcomer clearly and breathed a sigh of relief. She leaned the Seventh Holy Scripture against a nearby bench, then picked up her nun's habit and pulled it back on right in front of the person.
After Ciel returned to her usual disguise and put away the Seventh Holy Scripture, she slowly asked the newcomer.
"Are you Kirei Kotomine? The son of Priest Risei?"
"Yes."
After receiving Kirei Kotomine's reply, Ciel turned and pointed at the pillars, asking him.
"What happened here? And outside! Your report didn't mention that this place had been attacked!"
Kirei Kotomine's expression remained flat as he slowly delivered the excuse he had already fabricated.
"Shortly after the report was sent this morning, a pair of Masters appeared near the Church and engaged in combat. The marks outside were left by the Servants' battle. As for this pillar, it was left by a certain Master who came to threaten me after the battle ended."
Ciel furrowed her brows and couldn't help but comment.
"Tsk! Those heretics rely on their Servants and completely ignore the rules!"
After speaking, Ciel looked at the son of Priest Risei. His calm expression and poised demeanor greatly increased her favorable impression of this administrator of the Fuyuki City Church.
"Father Kotomine, please prepare sufficient food and rooms. It is expected that a total of about 300 people from the Burial Agency and the Heresy Interrogation Knights will arrive here shortly!"
"Understood."
In a farm on the outskirts of Fuyuki City, Rin arrived with Gilgamesh after receiving notice from Lorelei.
After politely thanking the butler who led the way, Rin exchanged a few words with Gilgamesh beside her, then pushed open the door and walked in.
"Lorelei, long time no see. I didn't expect you to come to Fuyuki City too! Do you really intend to find trouble with Sajyou Manaka?"
Lorelei put down her book, looked at the entering Rin, nodded slightly, and then gestured for Rin to take a seat.
Once Rin was seated on the sofa beside Lorelei, Lorelei finally spoke.
"Yes! I must repay the humiliation that Sajyou Manaka brought upon me!"
"Lorelei, I remember telling you, right? Facing Sajyou Manaka as you are now is suicide!"
Upon hearing Rin's merciless words, Lorelei's expression changed. Her magical energy unconsciously erupted, pressing toward Rin.
Rin felt Lorelei's magical energy but looked at her with a relaxed face, completely unbothered.
"You've grown stronger again, Rin!"
Lorelei withdrew her magical energy and continued.
"That's why this time I've brought not only the Choir but also the elites of the Department of Law. I've also recruited hundreds of Magi looking to fish in troubled waters. With this power, I don't believe Sajyou Manaka can resist!"
"What if I say it's still not enough?"
Lorelei's pupils shrank.'Still not enough? What does Rin mean? If these hundreds of Magi strike together, even an ordinary Magus would have to avoid their edge. Why would Rin say that?'
"Lorelei, what if I told you Sajyou Manaka is stronger than a Magus—much stronger?"
"That's impossible!"
"I'm sorry, but it's the reality. Now, what do you plan to do?"
Lorelei's brow furrowed as she fell into silence.
At that moment, Gilgamesh's voice reached Rin's ears. 'Poor little girl, being led by the nose by you. Rin, what are you plotting?'
'Tsk! How is this plotting? Sajyou Manaka is our enemy too. Now that Lorelei has brought this assistance to our door, how could I refuse?'
"Hahahahaha, Rin, you already have thirty percent of the elegance I saw. I look forward to your growth!"
'Gil, you're talking to yourself again. What exactly did you see?'
'I cannot say, Rin. If I told you, your future self might change, hahahaha.'
After a long silence, Lorelei finally seemed to understand something and asked Rin with a calm face.
"What do you want?"
"Regardless of the outcome this time, I need you to owe me a favor in the future!"
Lorelei, who had been worried that Rin would demand an exorbitant price, breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing the condition. After her recent reflection, she finally understood Rin's goal. Rin was likely wary of Sajyou Manaka herself and wanted to cooperate. It should have been a win-win partnership, but because she lost the initiative at the start of the conversation, she ended up owing Rin a favor for nothing.
'Rin, you won this exchange. When you return to the Clock Tower, let's have a rematch!'
Having come to terms with it, Lorelei could only sigh. She stood up at the same time as Rin, and they shook hands, saying in unison.
"Happy cooperating!" X2
In the sewers at the Fuyuki City estuary.
Kiritsugu Emiya laid out the documents on the table one by one.
"An unknown Archer who shoots with swords as arrows, a European knight suspected to be Rider, and the Master is Shirou Kotomine. Is this all the intel?"
Assassin nodded to Kiritsugu Emiya.
"Yes, however, Master, I also sensed that there should be hidden Servants within the Church at that time."
Kiritsugu Emiya silently stacked the documents, put them into a file folder, and casually took a pack of cigarettes from his trench coat pocket, pulling one out and lighting it.
"Take me to see the Magus you captured."
"Understood."
Assassin led Kiritsugu Emiya through the complex sewers. A few minutes later, after climbing down a ladder, Kiritsugu Emiya saw a Magus curled up in a small iron cage, his face full of terror.
Kiritsugu Emiya walked up to the iron cage and looked at the Magus inside, whose mage circuits were all destroyed and who was curled into a ball. A strange sense of familiarity welled up in his heart. He cast a peculiar look at the Assassin beside him, then shook his head in self-denial. 'Impossible, how could a guy like me become a Servant? Perhaps it's just that Assassin's Noble Phantasm has an effect similar to my origin bullet.'
Then Kiritsugu Emiya stared expressionlessly at the Magus in the cage and asked.
"Name..."
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