Chapter 54

On pixiv, I posted this with just the dialogue to practice drawing different characters.

I added some narration later, so it looks a bit odd.

"So you're saying there is an eighth Servant?"

"Yes. At the moment, the masters of Lancer and Assassin are unknown. We've already defeated Assassin, so it's reasonable to assume that the one that Yukino was bringing along was Lancer, but that doesn't really fit the golden image."

The voice on the other end of the line was calm, at least on the surface.

The person on the phone was Tohsaka Rin, his own student.

Based on the information she had gotten from the Master she had encountered last night, she had constructed a bizarre theory and reported it to me.

"...That's a hard story to believe. Either someone is faking it, or Rider's master just blurted it out."

"Leaving aside the possibility that it was a fake, there's no chance that it was a hoax by Shinji. He's not stupid, but he's not the most tactful guy. Anyway, keep in mind that it's a possibility. If it's true, you could be in danger too."

In other words, this girl was worried about me.

Seriously, he must hate me. That's how nice he can be.

I want to tell her that it's ten years too early, but it can't be helped. As her teacher and guardian, I should try to help her in some way.

"...If that woman's name is truly Yukino, then that Golden Servant is not Lancer."

"...What do you mean?"

Rin's face deepened at my words.

"Lancer's master is a magician dispatched from the Clocktower. Does anyone by the name McRemitz sound familiar to you?"

"SealedTradition carrierGods HolderIsn't it?! It couldn't be her?!』

So you knew about Bazett, after all. She's quite famous in the Clocktower after all.

"That's not possible. She has shown her face to me in person. And as for the seal executor, she has been seen acting together with Caster's master."

『Wait, that's...!』

"If the eighth servant really does exist, and if her master is Yukinoshita Yukino, then there is a high possibility that she is connected to Hikigaya Hachiman. If you are a Caster, you may be able to directly interfere with the Holy Grail and summon a new servant."

『No matter how you look at it, that can't be true...!』

"It's only a possibility. But if that's the case, it makes sense in many ways. We should keep it in the back of our minds."

"Tch...!"

Rin's words were cut off with a click of her tongue.

I could vividly imagine him furrowing his brow as he considered the possible explanations for what I had said.

I throw words at her.

"Anyway, we will investigate this mysterious Servant. Be careful, Rin."

"You don't have to tell me that. ...I mean, is it okay, you know? You're the supervisor, but you keep blabbering on about the other Masters."

"The moment an eighth Servant appears, it can no longer be called a normal situation. This is not a request for the participants of the Holy Grail War, but for the administrator of Fuyuki."

"As always, your quibbles are top notch. Thanks."

With those final words the phone hangs up.

… Should I have taught him to be a little skeptical? This is giving me a headache because he thinks he is being very cautious.

Anyway.

"Well then… I was a bit scared when Bazett was discovered, but this is interesting in its own way. The scenario has already left my hands. No one knows how the story will turn out. How do you enjoy this situation, Gilgamesh?"

"How was it, Tohsaka?"

As soon as I put down the receiver, I was greeted with this voice.

I replied by shaking my head slightly.

"No good. It seems Kirei didn't even know about it after all."

"I see... Hey, is there really an eighth servant?"

Yes, Emiya-kun asks a fundamental question.

His doubts were legitimate, since it was a possibility I myself doubted.

But this is too dangerous to ignore.

Taking into account the information I had gotten from Kirei, I organized my thoughts and answered.

"I don't know. But I can't deny the possibility. With Assassin and Rider down, five Servants remain. Of those, excluding Saber and Archer, that leaves Lancer, Caster, and Berserker. But none of these three are connected to the golden armament. Well, heroes and gold are more or less connected, so I can't say it's completely impossible..."

Emiya-kun frowned at my words. It seemed that even he couldn't completely deny it.

"I see... So then, um, it was you, Hikigaya? The one who Caster's master asked me to search for that girl named Yukinoshita was..."

"It's a trap, I guess. I don't know what their goal is, though. I don't know if it's true, but I think we should assume that's the case. We shouldn't let our guard down."

"Right. Hey, what are you going to do now?"

"That's obvious. I have some information about Yukinoshita Yukino, so I'll tell you about it. It's a request after all."

As I pointed my index finger at him in response, Emiya-kun frowned anxiously.

"Is that okay...?"

"If we actually meet, our intentions will become clear, right? If it was meant to be a trap, then we can make him realize who he was trying to trick."

"Oh, I get it... No, that's a relief. I'll leave it to you then... Sorry, someone has come. See you tonight then."

I hear the slight creak of the door opening, and after declining the call, I hang up the phone.

When I turned around, Hayama, who had apparently been waiting for me dutifully, greeted me.

"Good morning, Hikigaya. Did I disturb you?"

"No, I just finished. You're early, Hayama. It's only after five o'clock."

The time displayed on my cell phone was 5:02 AM. Although the winter solstice had long since passed, the days were still short and it was dark at this time of day.

Hayama replied to my words with a wry smile.

"…I'm not brave enough to be able to sleep soundly in a situation like this. Who are you talking to on the phone at this time of night?"

"It's Tohsaka."

"Is that the girl who was Archer's master? She requested that you search for Yukinoshita-san...can that be!?"

Hayama responded eagerly to my straightforward answer. Well, the reason he got dragged into this was because he was looking for Yukinoshita in the first place.

"Yes, it seems he has heard about a woman who sounds like her. I've arranged to meet her tonight and hear what she has to say."

"...Is that okay? Isn't it highly likely that Tohsaka's daughter is connected to that supervisor?"

"According to Bazette, the Tohsaka family and the church were in a cooperative relationship during the last Holy Grail War. It wouldn't be strange if two generations of Tohsaka and Kotomine were hanging out together. It seems that Kotomine is serving as Tohsaka's guardian through that connection."

Hayama grimaces at my words.

"Isn't it dangerous after all? I'm also curious as to why he specifically chose nighttime."

"That means you're considering the possibility of at least one battle. But now that Yukinoshita's name has been mentioned, I can't just ignore her."

"That's true, but..."

I tell him he has no choice, but Hayama remains sour. I understand how he feels.

I decide to look for some positive news for the sake of Hayama and my own mental health.

"Well, it's possible that Tohsaka is just being manipulated by Kotomine. Of course, it makes sense to assume the worst."

"I guess I need to meet you in person to confirm that… I'm sorry, I wish I wasn't holding you back…"

"Don't worry about it. There's no doubt that your presence limits my actions, but thanks to you, there are also options available to me. At the very least, if you weren't there, I would have been taken out by Assassin."

"……thank you"

Don't suddenly start saying thank you.

I seriously got goosebumps and shivered all over.

He waves his hand as if to shoo away a dog and spat out a response to Hayama.

"Stop it, that's creepy. Don't even make the mistake of saying something like that in front of Ebina-san... Medea and Bazett should be here soon, we'll finalize our plan by noon. Hayama, I'm going to have you work right away."

"Um... Wait Hikigaya, are you planning to fight? No, I'm grateful for the opportunity."

Hayama reacts to what I say a beat later. This guy seems like he'd be good at comedy.

It was understandable that Hayama was surprised, but as long as there was a good chance that this person was an "enemy," there was no choice but to take countermeasures.

"Even though Bazett has joined us, our fighting strength is still a concern. If they take the initiative, we'll be wiped out. Let's beat them up first and then hear what they have to say."

"Well, I understand what you're saying, but what I want to say is whether that's even possible in the first place..."

"I wouldn't say something like that if I hadn't thought about it. Well, I need to confirm with Medea and Bazett, but..."

"...Don't think of anything too outrageous, okay?"

It goes without saying.

"If it's something unreasonable that I don't need to do, then I won't do it even if you ask me to... Well, if I have no choice but to do it, then I'll just think about how to make it work. If the method I come up with is possible, then I'll probably be able to do it. If it seems impossible, then I'll just prostrate myself and beg obediently."

"...What can I say, it's definitely Hikigaya..."

"Isn't that obvious? Well, just wait and see. I'll show you what the power of numbers is."