The Fuyuki Church Chapel, morning.
Upon receiving intelligence from Kirei Kotomine that the magus hired by the Einzberns, Kiritsugu Emiya, was dead, Tokiomi Tohsaka immediately realized that the situation was shifting far more rapidly than anticipated.
Only yesterday had Ludwig spoken of seizing a Servant; today, he had slain Saber's Master and secured the strongest of the three knight classes for himself.
Even with the Heroic King, Gilgamesh, summoned to his side, Tokiomi remained plagued by a lack of confidence. He preferred a steady, calculated approach, but the sheer disparity between the Masters' capabilities was giving him a massive headache.
As long as Saber could keep Archer occupied, Tokiomi found it difficult to ensure his own survival in a direct confrontation with Ludwig long enough for Archer to secure victory. Furthermore, other factions were undoubtedly watching from the shadows, waiting for an opening.
Coupled with the report that Berserker's Master, Kariya Matou, might have formed an alliance with Ludwig, Tokiomi felt compelled to seek a partner among the remaining camps.
Lord El-Melloi—Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald—a fellow orthodox magus, seemed the most likely candidate for cooperation in Tokiomi's eyes.
Thus, he immediately utilized secret channels to contact Kayneth, inviting him to the Fuyuki Church—a neutral ground in the Holy Grail War—for a face-to-face meeting.
Tokiomi wasn't entirely certain if Kayneth, a man who occupied the highest echelons of the Clock Tower, would accept such an invitation. To his surprise, however, Kayneth's reply was swift, and the time he set was so early that Tokiomi had to scramble to make the necessary arrangements.
He immediately requested the presence of the recently returned Gilgamesh and departed for the church to host the meeting.
"I am Tokiomi Tohsaka. I am deeply grateful that Lord El-Melloi was willing to grace me with this meeting," Tokiomi said to Kayneth, who sat across the aisle.
He had intended to include a polite greeting for Kayneth's wife, but he noticed that Lady Sola-Ui's attention was split—half on the conversation and half fixed intently on Lancer. As a married man himself, Tokiomi was keen enough to sense the subtle, underlying friction in that dynamic.
Lancer's true name was already public knowledge: Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, the hero of Celtic mythology renowned for his mastery of twin spears and twin swords. It was said that the "love spot" on his face possessed a mystical charm that could bewitch the opposite sex.
However, a magus should have been more than capable of resisting such a charm. If one chose not to resist it, there was inevitably a personal reason involved.
"It matters not. I had intended to pay a visit to the magus overseeing this land regardless; your invitation simply provided a convenient opportunity," Kayneth replied.
As a Lord of the Clock Tower and a favored child of the heavens, Kayneth held little regard for magi from the Far East. To him, the Holy Grail War was little more than a provincial ritual competition. It was only the fact that the Wizard Marshal himself had witnessed the ritual's inception that gave the contest enough prestige for Kayneth to deign to participate.
Still, Tokiomi's refined etiquette appealed to Kayneth's aristocratic sensibilities. Furthermore, the Archer that Tokiomi had summoned was clearly superior to Kayneth's own Lancer.
Before their final confrontation, Kayneth saw the necessity of temporarily turning their blades toward common enemies, such as the Caster or Rider factions.
"Just a short while ago, I received word that Saber's true Master, Kiritsugu Emiya, has fallen. However, Saber has not faded from this world," Tokiomi stated. "I believe it is safe to assume that Saber has already entered into a contract with a new Master."
Lancer looked startled but managed to suppress the urge to speak.
Unlike himself, Saber likely had a wish she sought to grant through the Holy Grail. With her Master dead, switching to a new one was an understandable emergency measure.
The real issue was the boy... to be able to kill her Master while under Saber's protection...
"Oh...?" Kayneth expressed surprise, though his outward demeanor remained composed. "That is indeed ill news."
"Given that the state of the Holy Grail War is becoming increasingly chaotic, I wish to establish a temporary alliance with the Lord of the Clock Tower," Tokiomi said, his tone remaining elegant. "Once we have eliminated the other magi, we can then decide the victor in a fair and honorable manner, staking our pride as magi on the outcome."
"A truce, then?" Kayneth smiled with easy confidence. "Very well. That proposal holds value for me as well."
Turning slightly, he asked Lancer as a mere formality, "Lancer, do you have any objections?"
"No, I shall follow my Lord's arrangements in all things," Lancer replied. "However, there is one thing I do not understand. How exactly did Saber's Master meet his end?"
"I do not know the specific details of the battle," Tokiomi answered truthfully. "I only heard that Caster attempted an assault just before Saber's engagement began. Perhaps Ludwig seized the moment while Saber was occupied with Caster to take Kiritsugu Emiya's life."
Lancer fell silent, his mind already calculating the possibility of such a scenario befalling their own camp. If he were pinned down by Saber, Kayneth would be left as vulnerable as a fish on a chopping block.
"Hmph, a cunning youth indeed," Kayneth remarked, evaluating Ludwig.
"However, even in an alliance, I would hope we could exchange information before we move to settle the score with the other factions," Tokiomi suggested, hinting that he wanted Kayneth to reveal what he knew.
For instance, information regarding Rider's Master. Tokiomi knew Kayneth was acquainted with Weber Velvet, the Master of Rider.
"Speaking of information, there is indeed something I should remind you of, Master Tohsaka." Kayneth's smile turned grave. "The boy claims his name is Ludwig von Brunestud. Are you familiar with it?"
"I am aware of it, yes," Tokiomi recalled. That detail had indeed been included in Kirei's report.
He had planned to investigate, but since Ludwig's background appeared to be a total blank, Tokiomi had prioritized locating the hideouts of Ludwig and the other remaining factions.
"In that case," Kayneth said with a nonchalant air, "do you know what the name 'Brunestud' signifies?"
"...It rings a bell, but I cannot recall the specifics at this moment." Tokiomi had been so focused on active intelligence gathering that he had overlooked the significance of the name the boy used to introduce himself.
"Roughly seventeen hundred years ago, during the period known as the 'Winter Era' of the Mages' Association, Wizard Marshal Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg led the magi in a war known as the Battle of the Millennium Castle," Kayneth explained.
"You mean—" Tokiomi's eyes widened as a wave of secret shame washed over him.
The Millennium Castle, Brunestud. He should have recognized that name immediately. To think he needed someone else to remind him.
He had truly dropped the ball this time.
The Tohsaka line traced back to Nagato Tohsaka, a disciple of the Second True Magic user; because of this, Tokiomi was privy to such ancient secrets.
Even if the details of that great war were known to almost no one in the Association besides the Second Magic user himself—and seventeen hundred years of history had reduced the remaining records to fragmented scraps—the name carried weight.
Regardless of Ludwig's true objective or whether the name was genuine, the fact that he had introduced himself as such was significant.
It was impossible to say for certain whether he truly shared a connection with "Brunestud."
Whatever the case, Tokiomi did not want to draw in more outside interference before he could verify the truth of the matter.
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