[Kenji Sato (MC) POV]
The smell of burnt rot lingered in my nose as I stepped out of the ruined front doors of the Matou estate. I took a deep breath of the cool night air, letting the residual static electricity fade from my fingertips. It felt incredibly good to have that old monster gone.
Arthur and Jeanne were waiting in the overgrown courtyard. Arthur was gently holding the unconscious Sakura in his armored arms, looking down at her with a soft, protective expression. Jeanne stood nearby, her pale eyes instantly locking onto me as I approached. She scanned me from head to toe, looking for injuries, before visibly relaxing when she saw I was completely fine.
"Master," Jeanne greeted softly. "Is it done?"
"Yeah," I said bluntly. "He's dead. Vaporized, actually. But he talked before he went."
That was a lie, obviously. Zouken had been too busy screaming and counting backwards from a thousand to give me any real exposition. But thanks to my [Photographic Memory] skill, my brain was currently feeding me perfect, crystal-clear recollections of Fate/Zero lore. It was incredibly useful for navigating this mess, but honestly?
'It was also horrible.'
"What did he say?" Arthur asked, his tone shifting back to business.
"He said one of his family members just summoned a Servant for the Holy Grail War," I explained, looking between them.
Arthur gave a slow nod, his expression serious. "I understand. However... Kenji, you must remember my position. I am here hunting the corruption and the Beast's remnants."
"I know, Arthur. That's fine," I told him gently. I turned to Jeanne. "We aren't going to fight this guy. In fact, he's a potential ally."
Jeanne tilted her head, her brow furrowing in confusion. "An ally, Master? But he is of the Matou bloodline. After what we saw in that basement..."
"I know it sounds crazy," I said, keeping my voice level. "But Zouken described his son to me. His name is Kariya. Apparently, the guy has a massive grudge against Zouken. He actually hates the Matou family's magecraft and completely abandoned them years ago. He only came back and summoned a Servant because he wanted to save Sakura." I gestured to the pale little girl in Arthur's arms.
Jeanne's eyes widened in quiet realization. The hostility melted from her posture, replaced by a solemn understanding. To a saint who valued salvation and sacrifice, Kariya's motivations made perfect sense.
Arthur smiled, clearly relieved that we weren't about to go picking fights with random Masters. "That is good to hear. If you can secure his trust, having a participant of the War on your side will keep you safe."
He gently adjusted his hold on Sakura. "I'm going to take her back to our safehouse and make sure she recovers. After that, I will continue looking around the city for more traces of the mud. I'll leave Kariya to you."
Arthur took a few steps toward the gate, then suddenly stopped, his eyes going wide. "Ah! I nearly forgot!"
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a sleek, modern smartphone, tossing it to me. I caught it clumsily against my chest.
"I bought that for you earlier today," Arthur said brightly. "My number is already saved in the contacts. If you run into danger, or if another Servant attacks you, call me immediately. I will be there in an instant!"
"Thanks, Arthur, that's actually super helpful," I said, slipping the phone into my pocket. I suddenly remembered my completely empty wallet from my outing with Jeanne earlier. "Hey, before you go, do you happen to have any cash—?"
I blinked.
A gust of wind rustled the trees in the courtyard. Arthur was already gone, having sprinted off into the night with heroic speed, taking Sakura with him.
I stood there in the quiet courtyard, my hand half-raised, staring at the empty space where the King of Knights had just been.
"Right..." I sighed, dropping my arm.
Jeanne stepped up beside me, her presence a comforting weight in the dark. "What shall we do now, Master?"
I looked toward the street leading to the Matou estate.
"We wait," I said softly.
We didn't have to wait long.
About twenty minutes after Arthur left, the shadows near the edge of the Matou property shifted. I sensed the killing intent a split second before a swarm of grotesque, blade-winged insects shot out of the darkness, flying straight toward us.
Kariya Matou had arrived, and he was completely on edge.
[Lightning God form.]
The world slowed to a crawl as blue electricity erupted across my skin. In a flash of static, I vanished from my spot on the ground, bypassing the swarm entirely, and reappeared directly in front of the gaunt, pale man hiding in the thick branches of a nearby tree.
Before Kariya could even blink, I channeled the electricity in my right hand, forming a jagged, crackling sword of pure lightning, and held the blade an inch from his throat.
"Don't move," I said bluntly.
But just as I secured Kariya, a sudden, crushing magical pressure materialized right behind me. The sharp, heavy tip of a massive, spiraling lance pressed firmly against the center of my spine.
"Drop your weapon," a cold, regal, and distinctly female voice hissed into my ear. The sheer venom in her tone was palpable. "You have no idea how much I have loathed you."
I didn't move. "...Who are you?"
"Do not play the fool with me," the Servant spat, pressing the weapon slightly harder against my back. "Hiding behind that slightly altered face... trying to play the part of a man to deceive me? The memories of my history burn too deeply for me to ever forget your face. I know exactly what you truly are, you wretched girl."
I blinked. The lightning sword hovering at Kariya's throat flickered for a second as my brain just completely stopped processing. She thought I was a girl playing dress-up?
"....I'm a dude?" I said.
There was a sudden, deafening pause in the tree.
"...What?" the regal Servant behind me asked, her voice cracking with sheer, aristocratic confusion.
I ignored her. I kept my eyes locked on Kariya, who was staring at my face with wide, terrified eyes, clearly utterly baffled by the situation.
"Look, Kariya, I'm not here to fight you," I said, my voice softening as I let the lightning blade dissipate into harmless sparks. "I was just waiting to tell you the good news. I already wiped out Zouken. He's dead. Vaporized him into ash, along with every crest worm in his body and house."
Kariya froze. The breath hitched in his throat.
"I also went into the basement," I continued gently, looking the broken man in the eyes. "I removed all traces of his magic down there, and I rescued the little girl. Sakura is safe. She's resting right now, completely free of the worms."
The hostility radiating from Kariya vanished in an instant. His legs gave out, and he slumped against the trunk of the tree. He stared at me, his sunken eyes rapidly filling with moisture as he desperately bit his lip, holding back a flood of relieved tears. The sheer weight of his nightmare had just been lifted off his shoulders.
I gave him a small, empathetic nod. Then, I glanced down toward the ground below.
The standoff was technically still active—the unknown female Servant hadn't lowered her weapon from my back yet, clearly still trying to process the 'I'm a dude' revelation.
But down in the courtyard, Jeanne was finally stepping out of the shadows, looking up into the tree. Her pale eyes were narrowed into a deadly glare, and her lance was already materialized in her hands, locked right onto the Servant behind me.
I let myself drop from the thick branch, landing lightly on the courtyard grass.
"I'm fine, Jeanne," I called out immediately, raising a hand to ease the lethal tension radiating from my Servant. "No one's hurt."
A second later, Kariya dropped down beside me, stumbling slightly as his boots hit the ground. He looked completely drained, the adrenaline leaving his sickly body all at once.
Before I could even take a step toward him, a rush of cold, pristine mana washed over me. Someone stepped directly into my personal space.
Suddenly, a slender hand clad in black grabbed my chin, tilting my head up with an undeniable, aristocratic authority.
I blinked, coming face-to-face with the Servant who had just been holding me at lance-point. Pale, flawless skin, cold blue eyes, and a dark, majestic veil framing her face. My photographic memory slammed the puzzle pieces together instantly.
'Why the hell is Lostbelt Morgan here?!' my brain screamed.
Morgan leaned in close, her eyes narrowing as she scrutinized every inch of my face. The absolute hatred she had been radiating in the tree was gone, replaced by an intense, bewildered fascination. "You truly are a man... The bone structure, the jaw... but the resemblance is uncanny. How can this—"
Smack.
Jeanne materialized right beside me, slapping Morgan's hand away from my face with the back of her wrist.
Morgan's eyes flashed with instant, freezing hostility. Her regal aura flared, the air around us dropping ten degrees. "Watch your hands, Lancer. I was merely examining him to uncover his trickery."
"He is my Master," Jeanne replied, her voice dangerously calm as she stepped squarely between us. "His face, his body, and his personal space are absolutely none of your concern, Caster."
"I am a Berserker, you insolent girl," Morgan corrected coldly, not backing down an inch. She stepped forward, squaring her shoulders.
Jeanne stepped forward to meet her.
Suddenly, I found myself standing awkwardly to the side, watching an incredibly tense, deadly standoff between a saint and a fairy queen. They were standing chest-to-chest, glaring daggers into each other's eyes.
I couldn't help but notice the absolute classic trope playing out right in front of me: the legendary battle of boob sizes.
It was a close match, but the sheer hostility in the air made it clear someone was going to get stabbed if I didn't let them hash it out on their own.
Deciding my health was better served looking elsewhere, I turned my back on the two glaring Servants and focused my attention on Kariya.
The man was still leaning against the trunk of the tree, taking shaky, ragged breaths. He looked at me, his sunken eyes completely devoid of the manic desperation that usually defined him.
"Sakura..." he choked out, his voice cracking. "Is she really...?"
"She's safe," I repeated softly, giving him a reassuring smile. "She's sleeping in a clean bed."
Kariya covered his mouth with a trembling, scarred hand. The dam finally broke, and tears streamed down his pale, sickly face. He slid down the bark of the tree until he hit the grass, his shoulders shaking with the weight of absolute relief.
"Thank you," Kariya sobbed, his voice raw and filled with a gratitude so deep it was almost painful to hear. "Thank you... thank you so much..."
I let Kariya cry it out for a minute. Behind me, the intense glaring match between Jeanne and Morgan finally seemed to cool down, though the air between them still felt like a static shock waiting to happen.
Once Kariya wiped his face and steadied his breathing, I offered him a hand and pulled him to his feet.
"So," I said bluntly. "Do you want to form an alliance?"
Kariya blinked, looking completely caught off guard. "An alliance?"
"Honestly? I just want to survive and keep people safe," I told him, keeping my voice level. "But the main issue is the Holy Grail. We can't let anyone make a wish on it."
Kariya frowned. "Why not?"
"Because it's corrupted," I explained, "In a past war the Einzbern family cheated and summoned an irregular Servant—Angra Mainyu. It tainted the Grail system. Now, the cup is just a giant battery filled with cursed, evil mud that twists any wish into a catastrophe."
Kariya stared at me, processing the fact that the prize he was about to fight to the death for was basically a magical nuclear bomb. He let out a tired, bitter sigh.
"If what you're saying is true... then I have no reason to want it anyway. I'm okay with an alliance," Kariya said slowly. "But I have to talk it over with my Servant first. I'll let Morgan decide if she—"
"I agree to the alliance," Morgan interrupted smoothly.
She stepped past Jeanne, completely ignoring the saint's narrowed eyes, and stopped right in front of me. She offered me a flawless, gloved hand, but not before shooting a incredibly smug smile over my shoulder directly at Jeanne.
I carefully took Morgan's hand and shook it. "Thanks, Berserker. Glad to have you on board."
"Do not make me regret it," she replied coolly, her blue eyes lingering on my face for a second longer than necessary before stepping back.
I turned back to Kariya. "Come on. I'll take you to see Sakura. She's resting at our safehouse."
Kariya's eyes lit up with desperate hope. "Yes. Please, take me to her."
"Give me one second," I said, pulling the sleek smartphone Arthur had given me out of my pocket. I navigated to the single contact saved on it and pressed call. It didn't even ring once before Arthur picked up.
"Kenji! Are you alright? Has the enemy Servant appeared?" Arthur's worried voice filtered through the speaker.
"I'm fine, Arthur," I said, glancing over at Kariya and the smug fairy queen standing next to my highly annoyed saint. "Just calling to let you know the standoff is over. Kariya agreed to the alliance."
"That is excellent news!" Arthur's voice boomed cheerfully through the speaker. "I'll tidy up the safehouse immediately and prepare a room for the child. See you shortly!"
"See you," I replied, hanging up.
I gestured down the street. "Follow me. It's not a far walk."
The trek back to the mansion was quiet. Kariya practically dragged his feet, exhausted but running on pure, nervous adrenaline at the prospect of seeing Sakura.
Jeanne walked directly by my side, keeping herself between me and Morgan at all times.
Morgan simply glided along the pavement.
When we reached the mansion, I unlocked the front door and pulled it open, stepping to the side.
"Ladies first," I said, gesturing inside.
Morgan swept past me without a word. Kariya hurried in next, and Jeanne followed closely before I finally stepped inside and shut the heavy wooden door behind us.
Before I could even take my shoes off, I heard a sharp, bewildered gasp from the living room.
I walked in to find Morgan standing completely frozen. Right in front of her was Arthur, who had clearly been in the middle of tidying up—he was holding a feather duster.
Morgan didn't hesitate. Just like she had done to me in the courtyard, she stepped right into Arthur's personal space, grabbed his chin, and began examining his face with intense, wide-eyed scrutiny.
"You..." Morgan murmured, her cold facade cracking slightly. "You really are a boy. Truly, entirely male."
Arthur blinked, caught completely off guard by the aggressive face-check from the Witch of Britain. "Uh... yes? I am Arthur Pendragon. It is a pleasure to meet you, Berserker."
Morgan slowly let go of his chin, her mind clearly struggling to process the existence of a male King Arthur. Then, she turned her head and pointed a black-gloved finger directly at me.
"Then who is he?" Morgan demanded, sounding genuinely baffled. "He shares your exact face, down to the bone structure. Is he another Arthur?"
Arthur didn't miss a beat. His emerald eyes lit up, a brilliant, golden aura practically radiating from him as he gave the most blindingly happy, joyful smile I had ever seen.
"He is Kenji!" Arthur declared proudly, throwing an arm toward me. "He is my little brother!"
Morgan stared at me. Jeanne stared at me.
Dealing with Zouken, Angra Mainyu, and a boob-measuring contest between two legendary Servants had drained my battery.
"Yep," I said bluntly, not refusing it. "He's my big bro."
Arthur's smile somehow got even wider, practically glowing with older-sibling pride. Morgan looked like she needed to sit down and contemplate on having two younger siblings.
Right on cue, my stomach let out a loud, violent growl that echoed through the quiet living room.
I patted my stomach. "And I'm starving. I'm going to the kitchen to cook. Make yourselves at home."
Without waiting for a response, I bypassed the stunned fairy queen and headed straight for the kitchen, rolling up my sleeves. My Level 1 Cooking skill was about to get a workout.
Behind me, I heard Arthur quickly recover his knightly composure.
"Right this way, Kariya," Arthur said gently, his voice softening. "Sakura is resting in the guest bedroom upstairs. Berserker, you may accompany them as well."
I grabbed a pan from the rack and turned on the stove, listening to their footsteps head up the stairs. Finally, a moment of peace.