Chapter 205: Waiting for the Brave

~ Support & Read 10 Advanced Chapters on My Patreon!

<><><><>

Kiyohime, her amber eyes fixed on Saber's serious face, noticed the faint blush creeping up the knight's ears and glared at her.

"Don't try to change the subject! Spit out my food!" She unleashed a small burst of Dragon's Breath at Saber.

Saber, feeling the heat of the flames, flinched, her face flushing with embarrassment.

"It's fine. I'm not hungry anyway," Haru said with a chuckle, seeing Saber's discomfort. He reached out and gently stroked Kiyohime's aqua hair, his fingers caressing the small, white horns on her forehead.

Kiyohime, soothed by his touch, leaned into his hand, her cheeks flushing as she instinctively nuzzled him.

Then, she froze, realizing her actions, her eyes widening, a shy, almost demure look on her face.

Haru's lips curved into a confident smile. "Just wait, Saber. They'll come to us. We're the strongest. A Devil King simply waits for challengers to arrive."

"But... with our overwhelming advantage, the remaining Masters might join forces against us," Saber said, her brow furrowed.

"Not a chance," Haru replied, shaking his head. "There's only one Grail."

A small, golden goblet, intricately decorated, appeared in his hand.

Years ago, using his knowledge of the Einzbern's magecraft, combined with his mastery over matter and energy, Haru had extracted the Lesser Grail from Illyasviel.

He wasn't about to walk around with a time bomb inside him.

"Is that the Grail?" Saber's eyes widened, her gaze fixed on the goblet.

"No, it's the Lesser Grail, the key to summoning the Greater Grail—the true vessel," Haru corrected her.

Saber's interest in the goblet waned. "Even so, the remaining Masters could still ally temporarily to eliminate us, then fight amongst themselves for the Grail."

"No. Gilgamesh's arrogance makes alliances unlikely. And she's the only one I'm concerned about in this war." Haru's eyes narrowed slightly.

To be precise, the only threat was Ea, The star of creation that could reshape the world.

Haru, immune to energy attacks, was still vulnerable to spatial manipulation. He could only counter Ea with an equally powerful burst of energy, creating a stalemate.

But the Counter Force, Gaia and Alaya, limited his maximum output within this world.

However, he wasn't worried. Gilgamesh's physical abilities were far inferior to his own. He'd only been caught off guard by her earlier, Berserk attack. This time, he was confident he could eliminate her before she even drew Ea.

And if Gilgamesh, the strongest Servant in this war, was no match for him—he had nothing to fear.

"You're very confident," Saber said, a hint of relief in her voice. Having witnessed Ea's power, even she, with Avalon, had been apprehensive.

If Haru, who'd faced Gilgamesh, was this confident, it meant he had a plan. And without that threat looming over them, she, with Avalon at her command, was ready to face any challenge.

"So, Saber, our strategy is simple. We hold our ground and wait for the 'brave heroes' to challenge the Devil King," Haru said with a grin, twirling the Lesser Grail in his hand.

"I see. In that case, I'll familiarize myself with the terrain." Saber nodded and left the room.

Haru placed the Lesser Grail on the table and pulled Kiyohime closer, his arm wrapping around her waist.

"Eek!" Kiyohime, startled by his sudden embrace, then relaxed, nestling against him as she felt his warmth, his hand resting gently on her back.

Haru leaned his head against her aqua hair, inhaling her scent, his gaze fixed on the Lesser Grail, lost in thought.

The Servants' power levels were unexpected. They were far stronger than he'd anticipated.

Heroic Spirits, their souls anchored to the world by their legends, were comparable to Heretic Gods, and even to himself, a Sage who had achieved the initial stage of True Monarch, his Golden Core infused with the rules of reality.

But this also meant that the Grail, which normally required the souls of five Servants to activate, could now be powered by a single, true Heroic Spirit.

However, the more Servants who poured their power into the Grail, the closer the resulting portal would be to the Root. That meant he needed to minimize the number of Servants involved.

He looked at the empty plates on the table and sighed, turning to Kiyohime. "Kiyohime, could you make another breakfast? Saber didn't leave us a single bite."

Haru, still clinging to his human habits, ate three meals a day. And besides, it would be a shame to miss out on Kiyohime's cooking.

....

After a night of—activity, as dawn broke over Fuyuki City, Tokiomi Tohsaka finally stopped replenishing his magical energy and contacted Kirei Kotomine.

"My apologies. I hadn't anticipated Ea's—appetite—and lost consciousness. Kirei, tell me everything that happened last night."

As Kirei relayed the events of the battle, detailing the Einzbern's advantage, Tokiomi's face darkened.

"He blocked Ea? That silver-haired youth—even if he's not a Servant, he's close. The Einzbern have a trump card." He rubbed his temples, a troubled look on his face.

His greatest weapon had been matched. And his own magical energy reserves were lacking. It seemed he'd have to rely on Kariya's assistance more often. The thought sent a strange thrill through him.

"At 1:00 AM, Hassan's clone reported a confrontation between Kayneth and Kiritsugu Emiya," Kirei's voice, calm and even, came through the communicator, though it flickered slightly as he mentioned Emiya's name.

"And the outcome?"

"Kayneth was defeated and captured. Diarmuid, seemingly bound by his Master's predicament, has temporarily pledged his loyalty to Emiya."

"He spared Kayneth? To use him against the Einzbern? To bolster his forces?" Tokiomi tapped his fingers against the armrest of the sofa, lost in thought.

"It seems—the Einzbern have become a target," he murmured, a sly smile playing on his lips.

Just then, one of Hassan's clones materialized before Kirei.

<><><><>

Support & Read 10 Advanced Chapters. Ahead of the rest!

https://p-atreon.com/dragonnx

(Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)

There is 9 Exciting Fanfics already available on my Patreon!