Silver Wolf had finally found the materials she needed.
Carrying several containers of duck blood, Silver Wolf made her way to the rooftop of a high-rise building and dumped them onto the ground.
"Materials are limited. I need to use them sparingly."
Then, with great care, she picked up the partially coagulated duck blood and began drawing the summoning circle.
Blade: "…"
Firefly: "Silver Wolf is definitely going to get beaten up by Kafka."
Cocolia: "This is why proper child-rearing is so important."
Cocolia had always been strict with Bronya, worried she might grow up crooked.
But after comparing her to Silver Wolf, she suddenly felt that her parenting methods had been absolutely flawless.
No, this was a profound art.
Later, she would have to pass her experience on to Bronya.
Serval: "Bronya's growth has nothing to do with you."
After a period of busy work, Silver Wolf finally completed the summoning circle.
She raised her hand and began to chant.
"Fill, fill, fill, fill, fill."
"Repeat five times. But when each is filled, let it be destroyed."
"I hereby declare."
"Your body shall answer my command, and my fate shall be bound to your sword."
"If you heed the Holy Grail and are willing to obey this will and this reason, then respond."
"I hereby swear."
"I shall accomplish all the good in this world."
"I shall eliminate all the evil in this world."
"I am the one who grasps the chain."
"You, clothed in the three great words of power of the seven heavens, come forth from the ring of restraint."
"Guardian of the Balance!"
Crimson light erupted.
From the center of the circle, Kafka slowly appeared.
"My dear, you finally summoned me."
She took a breath and frowned.
"Mm… what is that smell?"
Silver Wolf scratched her cheek awkwardly.
"Uh… I couldn't find suitable materials, so I used duck blood instead."
"Duck blood?"
Using blood for a summoning ritual made sense.
But Kafka stared at the circle under her feet and couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.
The blood had already congealed.
And why did she smell cumin?
"My dear… where exactly did you get this duck blood?"
"Don't worry about it. Blood is blood."
Silver Wolf turned her head away.
Come on.
The fact that she hadn't used chalk should already count as respect.
And Kafka still had the nerve to complain.
"Fine. Let's leave first and head to your base."
Standing on a rooftop made them far too conspicuous.
Kafka decided not to pursue the matter.
They needed to move.
"Wait. We're not going to my base yet. I still have something to do."
Silver Wolf didn't have a base at all.
She'd spent the whole day gaming.
And her assigned identity was a student, which meant the only place she technically had was a girls' dormitory.
There was no way she was taking Kafka there.
Even if Kafka could dematerialize, Silver Wolf knew she wouldn't be pleased.
"Something to do?"
"Yeah."
"I need to beat up someone named '來ハ彶瑷尒.'"
Kafka blinked.
What kind of name was that?
Did people in this country really use names like this?
"Come with me and you'll see."
Silver Wolf waved her over and started leading the way.
Tonight, if she didn't beat that player at least once, she wasn't going to sleep.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, a streak of violet light slashed through the air.
A blade came straight for Silver Wolf.
"Hiss—!"
The attack came so abruptly that Silver Wolf was startled.
Fortunately, as a seasoned Stellaron Hunter, she managed to twist her body at the last second.
"Damn it."
Even so, she knew she wouldn't avoid the strike completely.
In the critical moment, a silver-white spear shot forward and deflected the incoming blade.
"Wait… Kafka uses a spear?"
Silver Wolf stared at Kafka's weapon in surprise.
She exhaled in relief.
That had been far too close.
Looking up, she recognized the attacker.
Raiden Ei.
"You… it's only the first day, and you're already attacking?"
Raiden Ei ignored Silver Wolf entirely.
Her gaze remained fixed on Kafka.
The Heroic Spirit was the true threat.
Silver Wolf, at best, was support.
"Dear, stand back."
"This one won't be easy."
Now that both were Heroic Spirits, their original powers were sealed.
Their strength depended entirely on the lives they had simulated.
Kafka had no confidence that she could defeat Ei outright.
"Alright. Be careful."
Silver Wolf retreated to the side, secretly preparing magic to assist if needed.
This wasn't a sporting event.
This was a battle to the death.
Helping her Heroic Spirit didn't count as unfair.
Kujou Sara: "Her Excellency the Shogun is invincible."
Kamisato Ayato: "Uh… the Shogun… uh… invincible."
Xianyun: "Excellent. Let them weaken each other."
Sparkle: "Fight! Fight!"
Natasha: "A completely unnecessary battle."
Natasha could only sigh.
If Silver Wolf hadn't wasted so much time in the internet café, she never would have been forced to summon on an exposed rooftop.
Raiden Ei never would have found them.
So yes.
This was entirely Silver Wolf's fault.
The battle began.
Spear and blade collided.
Clang!
The sharp sound echoed through the night sky.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
In the span of a single exchange, the two women traded multiple strikes.
The small rooftop became a storm of flashing steel.
"Maybe I should stand even farther away."
Silver Wolf, who had intended to provide support, promptly reconsidered and backed up further.
Being accidentally caught in the crossfire would be a humiliating way to die.
At that moment, a furious voice roared from below.
"Hey! What the hell is going on up there?! Some of us are trying to sleep!"
Another voice answered.
"Don't yell at me! It's my upstairs neighbor making the noise!"
A pause.
"Wait… I live on the top floor."
"Oh my god. It's haunted!"
Kafka and Ei exchanged glances.
"Uh… should we stop?"
"Hmph. Mere civilians need not concern us."
Raiden Ei had finally found a worthy opponent.
There was no way she was backing down now.
She swung her blade once more.
Kafka sighed.
"Fine."
Looks like she would have to settle this before leaving.
Soon, the rooftop was once again filled with the relentless clanging of metal.
This time, the surrounding residents had enough.
Lights flicked on throughout the building.
One by one, windows opened, and voices began shouting curses into the night.
The noise grew louder with every passing second.
"This is bad."
Silver Wolf remembered Valerius's warning.
The Holy Grail War was supposed to remain hidden.
She immediately waved frantically.
"Stop! Stop!"
"We need to stay hidden! Hidden!"
That reminder finally got through to Raiden Ei.
Valerius had warned her.
And before she left, Yae Miko had reminded her as well.
In the heat of battle, she had forgotten.
She lowered her sword.
"Should we… run?"
"Agreed."
In truth, Kafka had wanted to leave a long time ago.
Raiden Ei had simply refused to let her go.
Now that Ei was willing to stop, Kafka accepted immediately.
"Until next time."
Silver Wolf bolted first, yanking open the rooftop door.
Then she froze.
Several uniformed officers stood directly outside.
"Police."
"Who are you people?"
"Why are you causing a disturbance in the middle of the night?"
"Uh…"
Silver Wolf felt her heart sink.
This was bad.
Was she seriously about to be arrested?
Seeing that she wasn't answering, the officers stepped past her and onto the rooftop.
They immediately spotted Kafka and Raiden Ei, both still holding their weapons.
"Holy—!"
"Restricted weapons!"
"Put those down right now!"
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