"Mom, I'm going to sleep now."
"Alright, Rin, sleep well."
After saying goodnight to her mother, Aoi Tohsaka, Rin Tohsaka went back to her room and locked the door.
Because Rin usually behaved quite independently, Aoi felt assured and didn't feel the need to check if Rin was really sleeping.
But tonight, Rin was planning to defy her parents' wishes. She was about to sneak out in the middle of the night to participate in the Holy Grail War!
The thought was exciting. For Rin, who had always followed her parents' expectations, this was a thrilling act of rebellion.
"Are you ready, Berserker?"
After locking the door, Rin turned to look at Zuke behind her, excitement clear on her face.
"I'm ready anytime."
With a slight chuckle, Zuke lifted Rin's small body, using his bent arm as a seat for her.
Rin leaned against Zuke's chest as he jumped out the window, quickly soaring into the air.
"Wow… so this is what flying feels like."
Rin looked at the houses and streets below, exclaiming in awe like a little kid.
Oh, right, Rin was still a kid, so that made sense.
When Zuke said he could take her flying, Rin was skeptical, as she hadn't seen any flying-related abilities on his profile.
But seeing his calm confidence, Rin decided to trust him. Now, she was enjoying the feeling of flying.
Seeing her delight, Zuke reminded her:
"Don't forget we're here for serious business."
"Ahem… of course I know that!"
Awkwardly coughing, Rin tried to hide her excitement and recompose herself.
Her attempt to appear serious only made her look more adorable.
"So… where's our destination? You said you gathered useful intel, right, Berserker?"
"Our destination is the Hyatt Hotel."
Zuke responded.
"Although the target didn't show up yesterday, the Holy Grail War has officially started… it'd be odd if they're still absent."
…
"Good, with this, it's now an impregnable magical fortress."
In the penthouse suite of the Hyatt Hotel, Kenneth sat contently, feeling the thick magic filling the room.
He was Zuke's target, the man who, along with Sakura Matou, had checked out the top floor yesterday, only to not find him—Kenneth Archibald El-Melloi.
Though he'd come from the Clock Tower to participate in the Holy Grail War in Fuyuki City, he didn't consider it dangerous.
As one of the Twelve Lords of the Clock Tower, joining what he viewed as a crude summoning ritual in a small city was a trivial task to him.
For Kenneth, it was just another prestigious note on his resume.
Still, despite viewing the Grail War as low-risk, Kenneth carefully rented the top floors of the Hyatt Hotel, spending considerable time setting it up.
This soon turned the place into his personal magic workshop, filled with barriers, transformed hallways, and hidden malicious spirits.
Even if a heroic spirit tried to breach it, penetrating this magical workshop wouldn't be easy.
Yet, Kenneth didn't believe his workshop would be unbreakable, so in a crisis, he could still rely on his summoned heroic spirit.
His heroic spirit was the spearman, Lancer.
At this thought, Kenneth's face turned dark, and he shouted irritably toward the door:
"Lancer! Where are you?! Come here at once!"
"Master."
Soon, Lancer appeared before Kenneth, dressed in a dark green bodysuit and bearing a strikingly handsome face.
Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, a top warrior of Ireland's Fianna from Celtic mythology.
Initially, Kenneth hadn't planned to summon Diarmuid. His original choice was Alexander the Great, and he had even prepared a relic.
But since the relic was stolen, he had to settle for summoning Diarmuid.
Now, Kenneth regretted that decision—because after summoning Diarmuid, he found his fiancée was drawn to him!
Diarmuid had a unique ability called the "Love Spot," which charmed women.
Unfortunately, Kenneth's fiancée had fallen for it.
Kenneth's fiancée, Sola, a noblewoman from a prominent family in the Clock Tower, was his arranged partner. Kenneth believed he cared for her.
But upon seeing Diarmuid, she looked smitten, which infuriated Kenneth.
Originally, he saw Diarmuid only as a tool, but now that the "tool" was attracting his fiancée, his attitude toward Diarmuid soured.
"Watch the corridor carefully! What if an enemy invades?!"
Although Diarmuid had done nothing wrong, Kenneth, already irritated, found reasons to criticize him.
"Apologies, I'll keep watch, Master."
Diarmuid's expression didn't change. He had no personal desire for the Grail, responding to the call solely out of loyalty.
So, while Kenneth's attitude was hostile, Diarmuid remained compliant.
Seeing Diarmuid's obedience, Kenneth's anger eased a bit. He sneered:
"Well, no need to be too nervous. My workshop is perfect. No one could invade without triggering the alarm… unless they came from the sky..."
Boom!!!
Just as he finished speaking, a tremendous crash came from the floor-to-ceiling window behind him.
It was as if something had smashed through the wall, sending large chunks of debris flying, one even landing on Kenneth's chair.
If not for Diarmuid's swift reaction to save Kenneth, that chunk could have ended his part in the war.
"Who's there?!"
Placing the shaken Kenneth aside, Diarmuid summoned his two spears—one red, one yellow, one long, one short—standing guard by the dust-filled window.
"Hey there, looks like you two were having quite a chat. Family dynamics seem to be quite a burden."
From the smoke, Zuke stepped forward, carrying the coughing Rin Tohsaka in his arms, smiling at Kenneth and Diarmuid.
"Why don't I help you both resolve this issue? Guaranteed to work like a charm."
To be continued…
Hoi Ningen, FBI is after you after going through your search history. Hand over your Power Stones to me so I can bribe them for you winks.
Advance 50 Chapters are up on my Patreon!
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