I, Kurumi Tokisaki, Am a Wanderer

Kurumi led Archer to the small central square of the castle, bathed in moonlight, where Rider and Saber—no, the Conqueror King and the King of Knights—were already seated on the ground.

Archer walked with his signature haughty, imperious gait, a stride that showed he recognized no one—not even his own kin. As he followed Kurumi, he cast scornful evaluations at the various objects scattered around the Einzbern estate in Fuyuki.

"Hmph, for a countryside hovel, the taste is... acceptable."

Of course, the Einzbern family, with its millennia-old legacy, was one of the most illustrious and revered in the world of magi. Born into nobility, their very essence demanded refinement and grandeur.

But if Irisviel had heard such an assessment, she surely would have scoffed.

"Born?" Other than Illya, no one in the castle of the Winter had been "born" in the conventional sense—they were all homunculi.

"Ah, so the most ancient Hero King has finally arrived," Rider boomed with laughter, clearly having already been informed of Archer's identity by Waver's familiar.

"You mongrel." Gilgamesh's blood-red eyes swept over the gathered Servants, barely containing his disgust at the idea of standing among them. He restrained himself from taking his place atop a streetlamp, as all the others were sitting. However, he chose to remain standing, as sitting among these lowly beings felt beneath him.

At the instant Gilgamesh's golden figure and arrogant voice echoed across the square, both Irisviel and Saber tensed, instinctively defensive. Saber discreetly moved to shield Irisviel.

"Hmph." Gilgamesh noted Saber's protective gesture but only chuckled disdainfully. Since he had accepted Rider's invitation, he wasn't inclined to disrupt the gathering... not yet.

"You mongrel, dragging me all the way here. What are you planning to offer that will entertain me?"

"Oh, don't be like that, Gilgamesh," Rider said, pouring a ladle of wine into a cup from the large wooden barrel he had brought. "I didn't expect your identity to be so... impressive."

"Anyway, take a drink."

Gilgamesh's crimson eyes glowed with pride and arrogance as he regarded Rider, but after a brief moment, he accepted the ladle and downed the wine in a single gulp.

This was a test of sovereignty.

Kurumi glanced at Saber, blinking playfully as if urging her on, before turning to leave.

Go ahead, my little lion. Defeat them with your words.

Behind her, the air rippled, almost like the precursor to a spatial quake. She could hear Gilgamesh's pompous evaluations echoing as the Hero King continued to boast. Knowing him, he had surely already pulled out some treasure to show off.

Kurumi's attention shifted to the forest outside the castle. With a light step, she began walking away.

Earlier, she had sensed prying eyes from within the woods—eyes that belonged to familiars and... Assassins.

Standing in the shadows, Kurumi sent her own shadow tendrils to probe into the forest. Though both she and Saber lacked the ability to dematerialize, as the Time Spirit, Kurumi had a vast array of shadow-based tricks at her disposal.

From the castle, she could faintly hear Saber's voice, resolute and determined.

"I seek the Grail to fulfill an unfulfilled duty from my life. Perhaps, deep down, I only wish for a second chance..."

Kurumi smirked. At least the lioness wasn't foolish enough to outright declare that they intended to destroy the Grail.

This war wasn't the same as before. Kiritsugu was no longer the Kiritsugu he once was, and Saber had also changed.

With a satisfied smile, Kurumi narrowed her eyes as the pale moonlight bathed the earth.

However, it seemed someone was not pleased with her serenity. A dark figure darted across the distance, moving stealthily.

"They're really sitting together and drinking, huh?" Back in his mansion in Miyama Town, Tokiomi Tohsaka gave a wry smile.

It was almost absurd. His familiars couldn't breach the Einzbern barrier, and Gilgamesh, with his unyielding pride, refused to share his vision with Tokiomi. As a result, the only way Tokiomi could monitor his own Servant was through Kirei's observations.

With the entrance of several Servants, Irisviel had suppressed the barrier's magic somewhat, allowing easier entry for observers. However, familiars still couldn't penetrate the barrier. Only Assassins, with their extreme agility and Presence Concealment, had been able to infiltrate the grounds unnoticed.

"Are you really okay with leaving Archer alone?" Kirei's voice, almost hollow, resonated through the magical communication device.

"I have no choice." Tokiomi gave a bitter smile. With Gilgamesh's overwhelming pride, how could he expect the King of Heroes not to face any challenges directed at him?

Moreover, what could he use to control him—Command Seals? Tokiomi was beginning to wonder whether summoning such a powerful Servant had been worth the trouble.

"As long as he doesn't unsheathe Ea."

But then, recalling Gilgamesh's smug declaration: "I will only draw forth my greatest treasure for one person in this war," Tokiomi felt a flicker of hope.

Perhaps things wouldn't go wrong after all.

"By the way, Kirei. What do you make of that Avenger?" Tokiomi asked his apprentice.

"I cannot see through her," Kirei replied calmly, though there was something strange in his voice. He hadn't shared the information about the eight Assassins that had been killed by Kurumi. Perhaps, he wanted to keep that experience to himself. Kirei had been observing the other Masters closely, searching for something that would give him answers about his own emptiness.

However, someone like Tokiomi, who had fought through a life of hardship to achieve his goals and now held himself with unwavering self-respect, was not someone Kirei could find answers from.

No, what Kirei was seeking could not be found in the light of magus ambition. His focus shifted back to the man who had sparked his curiosity: Emiya Kiritsugu.

That cold, ruthless assassin who acted without personal desire was the one who drew Kirei into this war. Surely, Kiritsugu could offer him some insight into his own nature.

And then there was Kariya Matou... another strange man.

"Perhaps... it's time to test her," Tokiomi mused as he gripped his gem-encrusted staff. His voice was calm but firm.

"Very well." Kirei needed no further explanation. "It will take a few minutes to gather the Assassins."

"Proceed. There is little to lose from this."

Without hesitation, Kirei issued his orders.

Of course, he had considered leaving a few Assassins behind. Servants were, after all, beings with their own wills, and if betrayed—even by their Masters—retribution was always a possibility.

And Kirei's current command was nothing short of betrayal.

Betrayal of a Servant's inherent desire for victory.

Interrupted from her peaceful musings, Kurumi lowered her head in irritation, her wine-red eyes glowing with an eerie, almost demonic light in the dark.

"Are you... offering your lives to entertain me?"

"Assassins."