The Servants had retreated to their respective Masters.

Through his Observation Haki, Arakawa Zenkichi could clearly sense their positions.

But he didn't pursue them immediately. These Heroic Spirits might still offer unexpected surprises later.

Zenkichi's Observation Haki enveloped all of Fuyuki City, bringing everything under his awareness.

To him, the squabbles among the Heroic Spirits were just an amusing distraction.

---

Tōsaka Residence

The King of Heroes stormed in furiously, shouting at Tōsaka Tokiomi, "Tokiomi, what the hell are you doing? I was about to crush those pests, and you get in my way now?!"

The Hero King's sharp words tested Tokiomi's patience.

He was willing to show deference to the King of Heroes—as long as the King obeyed his plans.

But seeing the King of Heroes so unmanageable, Tokiomi's tone turned cold.

His voice was firm. "King of Heroes, as a Servant, your duty is to obey your Master's commands. If you follow my instructions, we can seize the Holy Grail and fulfill our wishes."

The King of Heroes looked incensed, but Tokiomi raised his Command Seals as a warning.

"I recognize you as a King, and I honor that. But without me, you're nothing. You're my Servant. I am your Master."

"Obey me. Don't forget your place."

Zenkichi's overwhelming power had left Tokiomi disillusioned with the King of Heroes.

If the King wasn't invincible, then there was no need to treat him like a god.

"You… fine!" The King of Heroes clenched his teeth, clearly furious, but with the threat of a Command Seal looming, he begrudgingly swallowed his pride.

Just then, Kotomine Kirei, Tokiomi's disciple, arrived.

He too was a participant in the Holy Grail War. His summoned Servant was Hassan of the Cursed Arm.

Kotomine Kirei and Tokiomi had formed an alliance from the beginning, intending to cooperate. But the appearance of Arakawa Zenkichi had shattered all of their plans.

Kirei came to discuss a new battle strategy.

The King of Heroes glanced at Kirei with intrigue. There was a glint of understanding in his eyes.

Tokiomi... you think you can command me?

---

Elsewhere

Emiya Kiritsugu studied the intelligence in front of him with a somber expression, strategizing his next move.

Artoria sat nearby, clearly displeased. Her relationship with her Master was strained at best.

Fortunately, Kiritsugu's wife had a close bond with Artoria, who respected and liked her.

Because of that, Artoria had been willing to overlook Kiritsugu's many shortcomings.

At this moment, the King of Knights sat quietly beside Kiritsugu's wife, holding a pure white lily bud.

"No," she said, breaking the silence. "That man is too powerful. We should work together to take him down. If we don't, the Holy Grail War may end with all Servants being eliminated."

Kiritsugu considered her words carefully. She wasn't wrong.

He made his decision. "Tokiomi... I need to speak with him."

---

Matō Residence

Zenkichi continued to use his Observation Haki to monitor all of Fuyuki. No Master or Servant could escape his watchful gaze.

Noticing his opponents' movements, a mocking smile crossed his lips.

"How ridiculous," he muttered. "Weren't they going to eliminate each other first? Looks like they failed. Too much bravado, not enough substance."

Rin approached, arms crossed, smirking. "Oh? Big talk from someone hiding in the shadows."

"Talk?" Zenkichi looked at her flatly. "Girl, you don't understand the difference in power."

"If I wanted to, I could end the Holy Grail War right now."

"But if I did, they'd just blame their loss on bad luck. That wouldn't satisfy me."

"They need to struggle—to realize how truly weak they are. Only then will they kneel, willingly."

"Kneel?" Rin raised an eyebrow. "What are you planning, you pervert?"

"I'm not a pervert," Zenkichi replied sharply. "I'm Whitebeard, not some creep like Akizuki Kōzō. I want Artoria as my daughter, purely because she's an honorable fool."

Rin rolled her eyes. "Please. Just don't drag my mom into your fantasies."

Zenkichi sighed. "Not like that. I need to speak with your mother about something important."

"Oh yeah?" Rin narrowed her eyes. "Tell me. I'll pass it on."

"Fine." Zenkichi nodded. "I've got a special ability. I can monitor all of Fuyuki."

"Your father is planning to ally with the other Masters to eliminate me. But he's underestimating the situation."

"All Masters are potential enemies. That kind of alliance is destined to fall apart."

"Warn your father. If he's not careful, the enemy might backstab him... and he'll die."

There was a glint in Zenkichi's eye as he said this. He deliberately withheld anything about Kotomine Kirei. No one would believe him anyway. What reason did he have to help them?

The only reason he warned Rin was to avoid unnecessary conflict down the line.

Rin frowned, unsure whether to believe him.

"You're just trying to scare us, huh?"

"Believe what you want," Zenkichi shrugged. "I've said my part."

Rin hesitated, but decided to report the information to her mother, Tōsaka Aoi.

---

Meanwhile

The King of Heroes had begun speaking to Kotomine Kirei.

Looking at Kirei, the King of Heroes gave a wicked, knowing smile.

"Tell me, Kirei... do you want to know what true pleasure is?"

Kirei was caught off guard. His eyes flickered with emotion. "True pleasure?"

Kotomine Kirei was broken.

He couldn't appreciate beauty, only depravity. He was emotionally stunted and incapable of love.

Even after his wife died trying to save him, he felt nothing.

Now, the King of Heroes' words stirred something within him—a darkness long dormant.

It felt like a door to another world had just creaked open.

---

I be seeing other fanfics with over 400 Powerstones, and we be getting less than 50 lol. Makes me a little sad, honestly 🙂.