“I just happened to be passing by, happened to be a little curious about the Holy Grail War, and happened to find all of you,” Sebastian said calmly.
“A Devil that eats people,” the old man muttered.
As soon as those words left his mouth, demonic horns sprouted from Sebastian’s head.
Bright blue markings crawled up his chin, and dark blue flames ignited within his eyes.
His demonic energy surged, approaching the overwhelming pressure of a Satan-class Devil.
His mere presence made the surrounding air distort and tremble, proving his identity beyond any doubt.
The old man did not try to run.
He raised his hand to signal the artificial guards to stand down.
Walking down the steps one by one, he stopped right in front of Sebastian.
“You have passed,” the old man said softly.
“Though that isn’t quite accurate to say.
It isn’t us choosing you; it is you choosing us.
Devil, what do you hope to gain by participating in this ritual?”
Sebastian answered without hesitation.
“The Third Magic.”
He needed its unlimited supply of magic energy to solve his core weakness once and for all.
“Very well…” The old man nodded, his lips pulling into a thin smile.
It was the first time in his life he had ever smiled, and it would be his last.
“Then you must keep your word and bring forth the Third Magic…
Irisviel, no, the ambition of the Einzbern family is now entrusted to you.”
Knowing he stood zero chance of winning, and realizing that Sebastian’s goal did not conflict with his family’s grand wish, the old man surrendered everything without another word.
He reached up, twisted his own head, snapped his neck, and collapsed dead on the spot.
Watching this, Sebastian let his Devil Trigger fade away and let out a soft breath.
“I really hate dealing with overly practical people…”
He walked up the stairs until he stood beside Irisviel.
She remained seated on the floor, looking up at him.
“I won’t beat around the bush,” Sebastian said plainly.
“What I want is the infinite magic energy generated by the Third Magic.
The only reason I chose the Einzberns is because you hold the vessel for the Holy Grail.”
Sebastian looked down into her eyes, which were as clear and pure as polished gemstones.
“Do you want to die?”
Irisviel froze.
By all rights, she should have shared the same mindset as the old man who had just taken his own life.
As long as the Third Magic could be reached, trading a body that was little more than a craft piece was a small price to pay.
Even if she did not survive to see it, the ultimate goal of the Einzbern family would finally be fulfilled.
Yet, unexpectedly, Irisviel shook her head.
It was the most rebellious choice she had ever made in her life.
She did not want to die.
She wanted to live.
Seeing her shake her head, Sebastian grinned.
“Since you want to live, then live you shall.”
Sebastian drew the Yamato, using its ability to sever concepts for the very first time in front of others.
With a single, clean strike, he severed the concept of the Holy Grail directly from Irisviel’s soul.
Immediately, a system notification appeared:
[Check-in Goal: Extract the Holy Grail and ensure Irisviel survives]
Taking control of the Einzbern household proved to be surprisingly easy.
After the old leader gave his final approval, all the homunculi accepted Sebastian as their new master without resistance.
Irisviel, however, proved to be a unique case among the homunculi.
After being saved, she quickly grew close to Ingvild.
Within a few days, she began learning about the world, experiencing new things, and forming a genuine friendship with her.
While Shirone and Sakura played together in the courtyard and Grayfia handled the administrative duties of taking over the estate, Sebastian and Kuroka remained alone in the top-floor room of the castle.
True to her cat-like nature, Kuroka loved lounging across Sebastian’s lap or shoulders, leaning in close while a faint, pleasant fragrance drifted off her.
“No,” Sebastian said, shaking his head.
“Evil Pieces are limited.
You can’t just hand them out to everyone, even if they are allies.
Besides, some Devils waste pieces on games or use them recklessly.
Giving Evil Pieces to people without growth potential is irresponsible.”
Kuroka nodded, acting as if she understood.
Sebastian glanced at her.
“I thought you might say you regretted letting Shirone join my Peerage.”
“I would never say that, nya~” Kuroka wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling her face close to his.
Sebastian instinctively made to push her away, but seeing her cheerful expression soften into something sincere, he paused.
“I always wanted to protect Shirone, but that child is much stronger than she looks.”
Sebastian thought of Shirone—who would later go by the name Koneko Toujou in the future—and understood what Kuroka meant.
“Perhaps.”
He sighed and gently pushed her back.
Before Kuroka could complain, Grayfia opened the door and stepped inside.
“Lord Sebastian, the affairs of the estate have been fully consolidated,” Grayfia reported calmly, handing him a written document.
It was the official list of Masters registered for this Holy Grail War:
First Master: Tokiomi Amagiri
Second Master: Rin Amagiri
Third Master: Kirei Kotomine
Fourth Master: The Director of the Astronomy Department from the Clock Tower
Fifth Master: Sebastian Lucifer (transferred directly from Irisviel)
“The Amagiri family accounts for three Masters on their own,” Sebastian mused, looking at the names.
“Though one of them is a traitor…”
He knew the fifth position was originally meant for Irisviel before he claimed her Command Spells.
As for the remaining two positions, Sebastian already knew that Sakura held the sixth set of Command Spells.
“The seventh Master hasn’t shown themselves yet,” Sebastian muttered, standing up.
“Forget it.
It’s likely just some unlucky Magus who got dragged into this by chance.”
Kuroka lightly leaped off the sofa, walking beside him with a graceful, feline gait.
“Are you going to perform a Heroic Spirit summoning ritual, Lord Sebastian?”
“No,” Sebastian waved his hand.
He recalled the catalyst held by the Einzbern family—the scabbard of King Arthur—and his face twitched slightly.
Attempting to summon King Arthur without proper preparation was a bad idea; if the Heroic Spirit decided to attack her new Master the moment she appeared, it would turn into a disaster.
“However,” Sebastian added, “Sakura can go ahead and summon her Servant.
If she summons a capable Heroic Spirit, our next steps will go much smoother.”
Grayfia remained quiet, while Kuroka stepped closer with curiosity.
“What’s the next step, nya?”
Sebastian’s lips curled into a smirk.
“Once Sakura summons her Servant, we can go ahead and flatten the local Church in Fuyuki City.”
“Nice!” Kuroka giggled.
Even Grayfia raised an eyebrow slightly at the declaration.
A direct attack on the Church would inevitably stir up the long-standing conflict between Devils and Angels.
“Heroic Spirit summoning is essentially a specialized ritual for calling forth a spirit,” Sebastian explained as he patted Sakura’s shoulder near the magic circle drawn by Grayfia.
“Don’t overthink the ritual or the Holy Grail War.
Just treat it like calling out a familiar to help you.
It doesn’t matter what kind of Servant appears.”
Although Sakura felt somewhat relieved by his words, she still asked softly, “But…
wouldn’t summoning a stronger Heroic Spirit be more helpful to you, Lord Sebastian?”
“There’s no need to stress over it,” Sebastian replied, gently patting her head with a smile.
“No matter who is summoned, victory is already ours.
Becoming one of the seven Masters is already a huge help.
As for the Servant, just pray that your temporary partner for the week isn’t too difficult to deal with.”
Sakura blinked, caught off guard by his sudden shift in tone.
At the same time, inside a dark basement on the other side of Fuyuki City, a magic circle flared with blinding intensity.
Flashes of brilliant white light filled the room before gradually fading to reveal a figure standing in the center.
The summoned Servant possessed short hair, tanned skin, and carried a large bow in his hand.
The moment he stepped forward, his sharp gaze swept across the basement.
There were only two people present: a middle-aged Magus and a young girl standing beside him.
The Servant’s eyes lingered on the man for a brief moment before settling onto the girl.
“Servant, Archer,” he announced calmly.
His tone was steady, carrying a polite and respectful weight.
“Master, please feel free to command me.”
Back at the Einzbern castle, Sakura stood before her own glowing magic circle.
As the incantation concluded and the light burst forth, she reflexively took a step back.
When the light cleared, a man stepped into view.
He wore a simple white cloak, had short hair, dark skin, and held a longbow in his hand.
His gaze was sharp, yet entirely devoid of malice.
Sakura stood frozen in surprise.
She had been worried she might summon a terrifying, aggressive brute.
Instead, the man standing before her appeared completely composed and reliable.
Watching from the side, Sebastian recognized the Heroic Spirit immediately.
He had not expected this specific Servant to appear from a random summoning without a catalyst.
Sakura’s luck was truly extraordinary.
“Talk about hitting the jackpot,” Sebastian murmured under his breath.
Ingvild and Irisviel exchanged glances.
Both had been worried that Sakura’s gentle personality might lead to her being pushed around by a headstrong Servant.
“It seems our worries were unfounded,” Ingvild remarked softly.
Irisviel nodded in agreement.
“Yes, he seems very polite.”
Grayfia, who had kept her eyes closed to ignore Sakura’s silent pleas for help, opened them to observe the new Servant.
Her expression remained unchanged as she stated simply, “The summoning is complete.”
Sakura remained frozen for a moment, staring at the Servant as he looked back at her.
The man then leaned forward, bowing slightly toward her.
“I look forward to working with you, Master.”
Sakura snapped out of her daze and quickly bowed back in a panic.
“P-Please treat me well as well!”