He truly appears and disappears like a phantom.

This was Emiya Kiritsugu's honest thought.

The so-called Second Magic was the miracle of operating parallel worlds. A magecraft that incorporated knowledge of it could be activated with truly no warning signs.

Emiya Kiritsugu felt the cold steel on his neck, his expression stiffening.

He recognized the short sword pressed against his throat.

Exorcism Armor: Kiritsugu. An assassination dagger forged using the bone ash of a magus—imbued with the dual concepts of "Severing" and "Rejoining"—as a supplementary material. Its special effect was to destroy a magic circuit or blood vessel and then immediately reconstruct it.

Without a doubt, this dagger was among the most vicious of all Mystic Codes in this world.

He had just called this guy a pervert, and in the next moment, the guy had slid right up to him and pressed a Mystic Code made from his own bone ash to his neck.

Honestly, the retribution came a little too quickly, catching Kiritsugu completely off guard.

"shapeistLeben! (O remnant, I grant you life!)"

Seeing the young man suddenly press a blade to her husband's neck, Irisviel became instantly alert, plucking out a strand of her own hair.

Silver threads crisscrossed and interwove, forming a complex outline. They intertwined and combined, like a woven rattan craft, creating a complex three-dimensional object with fierce wings, a beak, and sharp talons.

It was an exquisite silver-thread craft based on a giant eagle, a weapon to which Irisviel had granted life.

The giant eagle formed from her hair let out a high-pitched shriek, like the scraping of metal blades, and fixed a menacing glare on the young man holding the knife to Kiritsugu's neck.

"Let go of Kiritsugu!"

The woman, having created a familiar on the spot, wore a stern expression as she warned the seemingly hostile guest.

And then—

A pale hand reached out from the void, grabbed the ferocious artificial lifeform, and with casual ease, snapped the white eagle's neck.

Afterward, a hero with an expression devoid of joy or sorrow emerged from that same void.

The sight was so unnerving that for a moment, Irisviel was unable to make a sound.

Emiya Kiritsugu, already confirmed as a Master, looked over. The data of the great Indian hero was subsequently read by him.

True Name: Karna

Class: Lancer

Strength: B

Endurance: A

Agility: A

Mana: B

Luck: "A+" (D~E)

Noble Phantasm: EX

Without a doubt, the son of the Sun God, summoned by Li Zihan under the Lancer class, was a ceiling-tier existence even among all Servants.

"Iri, stand down."

The words reached Irisviel's ears. The voice belonged to Emiya Kiritsugu.

The awkwardness had vanished from the face of the man with a dagger at his throat. He had become serious, instructing his wife to back away. He and Li Zihan had a non-aggression pact; if this man were to attack him, he himself would also suffer extreme harm.

Moreover, his ally had arrived at his doorstep with his own Heroic Spirit. It wasn't hard to realize that his plan was already in motion.

"Li-kun, I assume you didn't come here just to intimidate people."

"Indeed."

The young man, who had merely acted on a whim, withdrew the short sword from Emiya Kiritsugu's neck and leisurely walked to stand before him.

"Then, what do you need from me?"

Emiya Kiritsugu, who had agreed in their contract that he and his Servant would assist Li Zihan in battle, asked his counterpart. He needed to know his mission.

"Have you summoned your Servant yet?" Li Zihan asked his ally, no longer having much need for the Heart of the Red Dragon as a power-up.

"The summoning has not yet been performed."

Emiya Kiritsugu replied, having refrained from summoning a Servant in Germany while awaiting Li Zihan's instructions. He had not rushed to summon a Servant.

Now, it seemed that had been the right decision. From Li Zihan's expression, it looked like the plan might have changed.

"Forget the catalyst. From now on, just summon a Servant based on compatibility."

Li Zihan said to Emiya Kiritsugu.

If he used the scabbard to summon the Ahoge King, he would most likely get Saber of the Three Knight Classes. Saber-class Artoria was strong in close combat and possessed a high-output Noble Phantasm like the "Sword That Was Promised to Let Me Win."

However, Li Zihan's side was not lacking in frontline combatants at the moment.

Honkai energy was a special energy source that excelled at strengthening physical matter. Many Valkyries who enhanced themselves with artificial Stigmata could achieve subsonic movement speeds. Possessing both the Dracula Stigmata and the Yae Sakura Stigmata, even with his pathetic efficiency in using Honkai energy, he could still rely on brute force to achieve melee capabilities on par with a first-rate Servant.

His own Servant was the Little Sun—a top-tier powerhouse known for high output, high agility, and high defense. In close combat, he would absolutely not lose to anyone.

Therefore, compared to summoning another frontline fighter, he would much rather summon a high-agility assassin or a holder of a Reality Marble who could isolate Alice and Aoko from each other.

"Summon based on compatibility?"

Emiya Kiritsugu's expression was hesitant.

He remembered Li Zihan had previously told him to target special Servants like "King Arthur" or "Siegfried." Moreover, he didn't think that someone like himself—a man who could only constantly weigh the scales because he lacked the ability to achieve a perfect outcome—could resonate with any great hero.

Summon yourself, or your adopted son, either one is fine. Of course, if you could summon Sitonai, that would be even better.

Li Zihan felt like he was daydreaming, and quickly explained his reasoning to Kiritsugu.

"Yes, a compatibility summon will call forth the Servant most suited to you."

The Servant most suited to me?

Slightly confused as to why Li Zihan's plan had deviated so much, Emiya Kiritsugu sighed inwardly. However, he wouldn't question the reason. From the moment he signed the contract, he had forfeited the right to question Li Zihan.

To merely wager himself and his Servant in exchange for the safety of Illya and Irisviel, plus a period of access to the newly forged Holy Grail—these were already extremely favorable terms. He couldn't possibly ask for autonomy or the right to be informed.

"I will attempt to summon the Servant with the highest compatibility."

With that, Emiya Kiritsugu made an inviting gesture to Li Zihan, heading towards the Einzbern castle.

Meanwhile, at the Tohsaka residence.

The Tohsaka mansion stood on a hill in Fuyuki's Miyama Town.

Tokiomi's workshop was located in the mansion's basement, where a device quite similar to what was commonly known as a Y-pendulum was installed. This apparatus was slightly different from ordinary scientific instruments; the weight suspended at the bottom was a magic jewel passed down through the Tohsaka family, and ink would drip from above along the line to wet the jewel.

Tokiomi had given the matching counterpart to this pendulum jewel to his spy. As long as that jewel was embedded in the tip of a pen and used for writing, the pendulum jewel would resonate and begin to swing, and the dripping ink would flawlessly trace the same characters onto a scroll of paper placed below.

Right now, the magic stone pendulum was beginning to resonate with its counterpart on the other side of the planet in London, smoothly reproducing the reporter's handwriting in a seemingly random yet wondrous reciprocating motion.

Simply put, it was a fax machine powered by jewels.

Noticing the magic stone was active, Tokiomi picked up the paper, the ink not yet fully dry, and read through the contents of the report.

As he continued to read, his expression grew increasingly grim.

This Holy Grail War might just be the most vicious of all time.

The Lord of the Department of Mineralogy, the Fairy Tale Witch, a direct disciple of the Jewel-Wielder, the notorious Magus Killer...

And even the wielder of the Fifth Magic!

Honestly, Tohsaka Tokiomi felt that his chances of defeating these enemies, lifting the Holy Grail, and reaching the Root were pathetically low. Even with his student forgoing the summoning of an Assassin in favor of a Berserker to aid him, his odds of winning were not high.

The enemy lineup was simply too strong. Just reading their names was enough to make him feel a pressure bordering on suffocation.

Aside from a certain stray dog of war and himself, every other participant in this battle was a top-tier magus of Color-rank.

It was a wholesale gathering of Color-rank magi.

Most magi, upon seeing the current roster of participants, would probably choose to quietly leave and flee at top speed. No one wanted to be caught in a contest between a pack of monsters.

Perhaps the best choice now is to proactively withdraw, show goodwill to the participants of this Holy Grail War, build connections, and lay the groundwork for the war sixty years from now.

Tohsaka Tokiomi thought silently.

But if I do that, how will I explain it to Rin?

He could very well tell Rin, "Father is forgoing the Holy Grail War to pave the way for your growth," and then pass the Tohsaka family's long-cherished wish into Rin's hands. It sounded reasonable, but it wouldn't change the fact that he had chosen to flee without a fight out of fear of his enemies.

If he, the current head of the family, were to flee before the battle even began, what right would he have to ask Rin to strive for the Tohsaka's dream?

If he, as a father, failed to set a good example, how could he then encourage Rin and Sakura?

Tohsaka Tokiomi would absolutely not withdraw from this Holy Grail War. Not even if this battle might be his last.

The summoning ritual will be tonight.

Tohsaka Tokiomi thought, having already entrusted all his assets to his wife and chosen Father Kotomine as a secondary guardian.

If it is that most ancient King of Heroes, then the gap between Masters will surely be erased.

At this thought, a smile appeared on Tokiomi's face.

With this in mind, he shook the jewel that served as his fax machine, transmitting a message to his disciple and old friend.

Summoning the most ancient King of Heroes was undoubtedly a good way to directly close the gap between himself and the other Masters, and perhaps even surpass them.

And summoning the King of Heroes was undoubtedly a joyous occasion worth sharing with his allies.