Father and Daughter

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A violent explosion swept through the entire hotel. Even a skilled mage like Tokiomi and an Empire elite like Rudolf couldn't react in time to the sudden attack.

In fact, it wasn't just the hotel that was attacked; the surrounding streets and buildings were also affected by the intense explosion, left shattered and in ruins. The massive mushroom cloud formed by the explosion could be seen for tens of miles, causing chaos and panic throughout Tokyo.

"Hmph."

But it was only for a moment.

As if time had reversed itself, the explosion vanished in an instant, and the debris, rubble, and even ashes on the ground began to restore themselves.

The steamy hot springs, the spacious and bright Japanese-style architecture, the asphalt roads and sidewalks, streetlights, traffic signals, and even the sewer systems—everything miraculously returned to its original state with a soft hum from Artorius.

'This is True Magic... as I thought, he's the Dragon Emperor himself...' Tokiomi's eyes flickered intensely. 'So, the so-called Holy Grail, the object of the Holy Grail War, the almighty wish-granting device, is nothing more than a poor imitation of the real Grail! If the Third Magic already owned, then who cares about the Holy Grail from this Holy Grail War?!'

Indeed, those mages with less close ties or outsiders to the Empire couldn't help but get excited when faced with the prospect of mastering the 'True Magic' and reaching the Root.

However, the mages who belonged to the Empire were entirely different.

"Enemy!"

As Artorius's Third Magic instantly restored everything that had been damaged and shielded everyone with a powerful defensive barrier, Rudolf, slightly slower in reacting than Artorius, shouted and drew his sword. However, even before him, X had already unsheathed her sword in a flurry of excitement, and the form of her sword bore a striking resemblance to Excalibur.

Simultaneously, all the Einzbern maids, including Iri and Illya, assumed a battle-ready stance. The maids brandished their long spears and halberds, rushing towards Artorius and the others.

Even Sakura, who had only recently joined the Empire and hadn't received formal training in the Empire's hidden realm yet, pulled out her own dagger and adopted a defensive posture, emulating the adults.

Tokiomi and Rin were amazed by their swift reaction. Until this point, he had quite a high opinion of himself. The pride and arrogance of being a noble from a prestigious family, coupled with decades of arduous research and dedication, led him to believe that his combat ability was among the best, if not superior to most Empire elites.

But now, it seemed he was grossly mistaken.

Leaving others aside, just focusing on Rudolf alone, after witnessing his display of reaction, Tokiomi quickly realized he was no match for him. In an actual fight, he would probably be defeated in just a few moves.

'How is this possible?! His talent is supposed to be inferior to mine!'

Tokiomi widened his eyes, realizing that he might have misjudged many things.

At the same time...

"Ahh..."

Just like Tokiomi observing Rudolf, Rin was watching her younger sister, Sakura.

Seeing Sakura's decisive and confident demeanor, Rin felt somewhat uncomfortable.

As the big sister, she should have been the one protecting Sakura and setting an example. But now, Sakura seemed to surpass her already.

'It hasn't been that long since we were apart. Is the Empire's education that amazing? Then...'

Rin subconsciously looked at Artorius.

This young man had been taking care of her and looking after her for the past few days, but he was not hers alone. His attention was divided among several girls.

First, there was Illya, Iri, and the maids. Now, it seemed Sakura was also included.

'Could it be that Sakura is right? Does joining the Emperor's Bride could make someone strong?'

As Rin felt suspicious, Sakura gave her a confident smile and said, "Don't worry, Onee-sama. I will protect you."

"?!"

Sakura's words surprised Rin even more and stirred a mix of feelings in her. It only served to strengthen her belief in something.

Meanwhile...

"This must be the conspiracy of the Evil Artoria!"

X shouted loudly, holding her sword and slashing outwards. However, she accidentally bumped into one of the maids, Leysritt, and was bounced back. The scent of Leysritt's bosom left X feeling dizzy, and she had difficulty even standing up straight.

"Are you alright, Your Majesty?"

Leysritt, one of the busty maids, ignored X's embarrassing fall and ran to Artorius's side.

"Don't worry, I'm fine." Artorius calmly said. "What's happening outside? Have you found any trace of the enemy?"

Leysritt hesitated momentarily and shook her head, indicating that she hadn't spotted anyone who appeared to be an enemy.

"In that case..." Artorius gazed into the distance, "It must be over there."

A serious incident occurred just a few minutes ago at the place of the two joyful stalkers.

Amidst the pool of blood, Bazett had lost her combat capability. What could have been a steady two-against-one battle turned into a one-on-one duel.

It was a duel between father and daughter.

"Never thought we'd meet again here, my foolish and pitiful daughter."

Wearing a black robe and donning a cross, the middle-aged man looked like a priest and spoke with a calm and magnetic voice to the silver-haired girl in combat attire standing across from him.

"I equally didn't expect a sewer rat like you to have the audacity to appear before me so brazenly, Old Man."

From their conversation, it was evident how strong their father-daughter bond was, quite unlike the stern relationship between Artorius and Artoria. In the case of the Kotomine family, it was literally a case of fatherly love and filial piety.

"Besides looks, you are nothing like your mother. Whose fault is it to inherit such a wretched personality?"

"Oh? Are you already senile before turning forty? Don't worry, I'll hire a caretaker to change your diapers."

As they exchanged banter, they continued their fierce battle.

On the father's side, he gripped six sword-like objects between his fingers. These objects were among the Holy Church's favorite weapons—the 'Black Keys'. They could be thrown or swung and had a special effect against evil creatures like Dead Apostles.

When wielded by the man known as Kotomine Kirei, this weapon displayed an awe-inspiring mastery. Whether facing Dead Apostles, Rogue Mages, or even elite soldiers of the Empire, he proved more than a match. He was the most formidable agent of the Holy Church.

Opposite him, Caren, the so-called daughter of him, proved to be just as skilled.

For anyone familiar with Kirei's existence, witnessing this seemingly delicate girl holding her own against him in an evenly matched battle would be astonishing and hard to believe.

However, it was the truth.

Next to Caren, there were cloth-like objects under her control, attacking and defending on her behalf. Upon closer inspection, these cloths shimmered with a metallic luster. They were not linen or cotton but a mythical metal called 'Froststeel'.

A material renowned worldwide due to the Dragon Emperor, Artorius.

Under her control were four slender metal cloths, resembling agile snakes, attacking cunningly or forming a shield for defense.

The clash of silver-frost metal cloths and swords filled the air with the smell of victory. And, the first to give way was Kirei's Black Keys.

"..."

After countless collisions, the Black Keys finally shattered.

"Old Man, your weapon is useless."

Caren taunted, preparing to press her advantage. But before she could do so, she suddenly took a deep breath because, in the next second, Kirei discarded the broken Black Keys and delivered a lightning-fast punch!

*Thud!*

Caren managed to block the attack. Her malleable metal cloths sealed Kirei's assault, giving her a brief moment of relief. However, as she relaxed and prepared to taunt him as usual, she noticed a malicious and delighted smile on his face.

Unfortunately, it was too late for her to react.

Without retracting his fist or gathering strength, at such a close distance, Kirei's next punch carried even greater force than before, completely shattering her metal cloths. The blow landed directly on Caren's abdomen.

The intense pain widened her eyes, rendering her instantly incapacitated.

"Well then, farewell, my foolish daughter."

Without mercy, Kirei raised his hand, seemingly intent on decapitating Caren with a single strike.

But just before he could do so...

"..."

"I can't do it, huh?"

"I'll spare your life for now. Consider it a token of fatherly love, my foolish daughter."

Saying these words and suppressing his urge to kill his own daughter, Kirei's figure disappeared in an instant, an ability normally only wielded by Servant, known as Spiritualization (Spiritual Body).