"Rei Ao-sama."
Artoria spoke up.
Her voice was clear and serious, those emerald eyes looking straight at Rei Ao.
"You came back at this timing all of a sudden because you sensed something abnormal about this Holy Grail War, didn't you?"
Rei Ao bent down to ruffle Rin's hair, smiled at Irisviel and Sakura, then finally looked at Artoria.
He nodded. "That's right."
"I've already gotten the rough gist from Rin."
He paused, a slightly amused look flashing across his face.
After satisfying Albedo, Shalltear and the others and calming them down, he had come straight here.
Things on this side looked quite interesting.
The moment he finished speaking—
The bathroom door was slammed open with a loud bang.
Ishtar and Ereshkigal came storming out wrapped in bath towels, their hair still dripping wet.
Both their faces were still flushed, but what showed even more clearly was a mix of shame and anger.
They shot Rei Ao with a vicious glare.
If looks could kill, he'd probably already have been burned to ashes by the fury of the two goddesses.
"You… you…!"
Ishtar ground her teeth, looking like she might summon Maanna on the spot.
"Ishtar. Ereshkigal. Business first."
Artoria spoke at just the right moment.
Her voice was calm, but carried an undeniable authority.
It temporarily pushed back the explosion of divine wrath that was about to erupt.
Ereshkigal took a deep breath and forced down her embarrassment and irritation.
She tugged lightly on Ishtar's towel and muttered, "…Let's hear him out first."
Ishtar huffed, folded her arms and turned her head away, but at least didn't start swinging.
Rei Ao acted as if he hadn't noticed their murderous stares at all. He sat down on the sofa at his own pace, picked up the teapot of black tea Irisviel had just set down, and poured himself a cup.
"So, tell me what you've found."
Artoria picked up the thread of the conversation, her tone turning heavy.
"Based on the information we've gathered so far, plus the reconnaissance from Ishtar and Ereshkigal, we suspect this Holy Grail War may involve more than just seven Servants."
Ishtar was still angry, but when it came to serious business she turned back around.
Her voice held a goddess's natural arrogance, but there was real gravity beneath it.
"That's right."
"While I was making the rounds over Fuyuki with this gloomy one—" she jerked a thumb at Ereshkigal, "—we both sensed… how should I put it… Servant presences that weren't part of the original plan."
Ereshkigal nodded and added,
"And among them, one of those presences felt very similar to an Assassin. It might even be…"
More than seven Servants.
One of the foundational rules of the Holy Grail War was seven Servants and seven Masters killing each other.
If the number of Servants exceeded that limit…
That would mean the Grail system itself might be suffering from a serious malfunction.
Or… that some external force had forcibly interfered with the system.
"More than seven…"
Rei Ao rubbed his chin, a thoughtful light in his eyes.
"Can you pin down a specific number? Or did you manage to catch the true name or abilities of any of these extra Servants?"
Ishtar shook her head.
"Very hard. Those presences keep flickering in and out, and it feels like they're deliberately avoiding detection."
Artoria's expression grew more severe.
"If there are more than seven Servants, even the final summoning ritual of the Holy Grail might undergo unpredictable changes."
"More importantly, what is the purpose of these extra Servants?"
"Do they have Masters?"
"If they do, then who are their Masters? Local magi? Or… outsiders like you?"
Rei Ao took a sip of tea and said slowly,
"Their goals are nothing special: fight over the Grail, fulfill some obsession, or just wreak havoc."
He glanced at Ishtar and Ereshkigal.
"As for their Masters, the possibilities are far broader."
"Hidden local magi. Glitches in the Grail system that spawned rogue Servants. Interference from other parallel worlds. Or even beings from outside this world entirely, interested in this abnormal Holy Grail War."
That was his guess, based on his understanding of the Type-Moon world's rules.
He set down his cup and let his gaze sweep across everyone in the living room.
"In fact, Ishtar, Ereshkigal, and Medusa—you three are precisely the Servants who shouldn't have appeared in this Holy Grail War at all."
"It's only because I meddled that you ended up here."
"So we can't rule out the possibility that the Counter Force is trying to correct things."
"Counter Force…"
Ishtar and Ereshkigal exchanged a glance. It really did sound like something the Counter Force would do.
"Looks like this Holy Grail War in Fuyuki has completely turned into a big messy stew."
Rei Ao's lips curled into a meaningful smile.
He stood, walked to the window, and looked out at Fuyuki's heavy night sky.
"Now things are getting interesting."
"But the top priority is to figure out who these erroneous Servants are, and whether there's someone pulling their strings from behind the scenes."
"Ishtar, Ereshkigal, you two sensed those hidden presences the most clearly. Next, I'll need you to focus on tracking those two targets."
Ishtar clicked her tongue.
"Hmph, like I needed you to tell me that!"
"But what happened just now is not over!"
"Once you've sorted out this whole mess, I'm definitely settling the score with you!"
Ereshkigal didn't say anything, but the vicious look in her eyes clearly expressed the same thought.
Their divine bodies had been completely seen by this guy, after all.
Rei Ao gave a helpless little laugh, tacitly acknowledging the debt.
He turned to Artoria and Medusa.
"You two just have to keep Rin, Sakura, and Irisviel safe."
Artoria nodded solemnly.
"I understand. On my honor as a knight, I swear I will protect them."
Medusa also dipped her head slightly in agreement.
"Then…"
Rei Ao took a deep breath, and his gaze sharpened.
"This Holy Grail War that's already gone beyond its usual parameters… let's see where it ultimately leads."
"The chaotic stage is set, and the actors are stepping into place one by one. Now it's time for the curtain to fully rise."
~~~
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