Oh dear, it seems I went a bit overboard," Kaguya feigned surprise as she spoke.
After the explosion, the Tohsaka estate had completely transformed. The once-luxurious garden in front of the mansion had been leveled, and even the vast forest surrounding the estate had vanished. The ground was littered with devastation, and not far away, a massive crater about a hundred meters in diameter and over ten meters deep still smoldered, resembling the aftermath of a meteor strike. The area had turned into scorched earth, emitting the pungent smell of burning.
Kaguya's clear eyes glanced casually toward a distant high-rise building, her lips curling into a slight smile.
"This..." Tokiomi Tohsaka stared in shock at the ruined forest in the distance, finding it hard to believe what he was seeing.
Beside him, Gilgamesh also furrowed his brows slightly, as if surprised. In his eyes, Kaguya was supposed to be like a decorative vase placed in a magnificent setting or a beautiful gem adorning his treasury. But now, it seemed she was far more than that.
Gilgamesh snorted softly but said nothing. He turned and began walking away, his figure gradually fading into the moonlit night.
Coming back to his senses, Tokiomi glanced at the disappearing Gilgamesh, picked up the wine glass in his hand, and took a sip of red wine. His eyes flickered with an unreadable expression.
"It seems I'll need to revise my plans."
Noticing that the two had left, Kaguya chuckled softly.
Although Assassin had already been doomed by the fatal hit from her All-Killing Ash Bones, Kaguya had followed up with a Tailed Beast Bomb—not for any particular reason but to showcase her power. It was irritating to constantly have people scheming against her. Though revealing her strength would draw attention and prompt investigations, that was precisely Kaguya's intention.
Kaguya pulled out a bag of cookies and, with two delicate fingers, picked up a piece and popped it into her mouth. As the crisp crunch of the cookie echoed, she strolled back toward the mansion.
Using such a powerful technique had consumed a significant amount of her magic power. To replenish her energy continuously, she had no choice but to carry high-energy snacks with her at all times. Now, she finally understood how Akame felt—eating constantly wasn't that enjoyable, especially when you grew tired of it.
Perhaps due to Kaguya's display of overwhelming strength, and because she didn't belong to any of the seven traditional Servants, the various factions were at a loss for how to proceed, so there was a temporary lull in large-scale conflicts. But Kaguya knew it was only a matter of time before new battles erupted; after all, the Holy Grail War wasn't meant to drag on for too long.
Amid the falling snow, a grand castle stood atop a high mountain. A thick layer of snow covered the castle's tower, and the frigid wind howled, bringing a bone-chilling cold.
Yet inside the castle, it was as warm as spring, as if entirely isolated from the snowfall outside, with no trace of the biting cold.
"You've been staring at that for a while. Did something happen?" A beautiful woman with the same white hair as Kaguya peeked over curiously. Her skin was as fair as snow, her long hair and red eyes giving her a soft and graceful appearance. She was Irisviel von Einzbern, Illya's mother.
"Nothing much, just something peculiar," the man sitting at the computer replied. He had messy hair and stubble, but his sharp features and piercing eyes gave him an air of rugged charm.
"Peculiar?" Irisviel asked, puzzled.
"Yes," Kiritsugu Emiya nodded, scrolling through images on his computer screen. "The Holy Grail War is supposed to have seven Masters and seven Servants, but recent information indicates that an additional Servant has appeared."
"An extra Servant?" Irisviel asked in surprise. "How could that happen?"
"I don't know," Kiritsugu said gravely, "but this Servant seems to possess tremendous power. Just recently, Kirei Kotomine's Servant, Assassin, infiltrated the Tohsaka estate but was killed effortlessly. Not only that, the area suffered massive destruction."
Kiritsugu pulled up a photo on the screen, showing the devastated forest outside the Tohsaka estate.
"That's impossible..." Irisviel exclaimed, staring at the wasteland in disbelief.
"This information is accurate," Kiritsugu said, his expression heavy. "Even more troubling is that this Servant seems to have some kind of connection with the Tohsaka family."
"Could it be a Servant summoned by Tokiomi Tohsaka?" Irisviel asked, gently placing a hand on Kiritsugu's shoulder.
"No," Kiritsugu shook his head. "According to the records, Tokiomi's Servant should be someone else."
"Then how..." Irisviel murmured, still confused.
"Where is Saber right now?" Kiritsugu suddenly asked.
"She's resting in the bedroom," Irisviel replied, still puzzled. "What's wrong?"
"Remember our plan," Kiritsugu said seriously. "Have Saber stay close to you. I'll be watching from the background."
"Understood."
Meanwhile, on the computer screen, the image of a strikingly beautiful figure stood atop a high tower, with a slight, unreadable smile on her face.
Fuyuki City wasn't particularly large, with only a population of a few hundred thousand—small compared to major cities—but it had a certain charm. The scenery was pleasant, and walking through its streets and alleys brought a sense of peace.
If not for the Holy Grail War, this city might have been a nice place to stay. After all, it was a modern world not so different from the one Kaguya had known. One of its biggest perks was easy access to video games.
Suddenly, Kaguya's nose twitched, catching the faint scent of blood in the air. She frowned and turned her gaze toward an unremarkable house. The scent was coming from there.
Walking up to the house, she found the door slightly ajar, not locked. Kaguya's eyes narrowed as she pushed the door open and stepped inside.
As soon as she entered, a round object rolled toward her feet. It stopped at her toes—a severed human head, still dripping with fresh blood.