As Cú Chulainn, Sakura, and Shinji were explaining things, the church's overseer walked to the front of Vimana, the most visible spot, and addressed everyone present.
"Good evening, everyone. Those who have registered at the church should know , but many haven't. So, let reintroduce myself—my na is Fiore, and I am the overseer sent by the Holy Church for this Holy Grail War."
With just that one sentence, Caules was instantly dumbfounded.
Sister... Sister joined the Holy Church? And beca the overseer of the Holy Grail War?
Shinji was also taken aback. Even though this was a different tiline, the divergence was too extre.
As for Fiore's close friend, Luvia, she had already been shocked earlier.
Fiore's gaze swept over the group without lingering, a barely noticeable smile tugging at the corner of her lips.
"First, allow to apologize for interrupting your battles at such a critical mont. If I could avoid it, I would. But the situation is urgent, and I have no choice—"
"No need for such pointless drivel," Gilgash interrupted bluntly.
"Do not test my patience further."
Fiore remained unperturbed and calmly continued, "Then let's get straight to the point. The Holy Grail War, a path that can fulfill your deepest desires, is currently facing a grave crisis. The Grail is a treasure of humanity and will only share its power with those who pursue it. However, this treasure has caught the eye of beings that warp the natural order—monsters known as 'Dead Apostles.'"
"The Church's nose is as sharp as ever, and its ability to draw people in remains impressive," Lorelei remarked dryly.
"Aren't the Bartholoi the sa?"
Fiore replied evenly.
"At the very least, in this matter, we should be on the sa side. Even if we can't be allies, we should avoid becoming enemies."
Lorelei let out a cold snort, indicating her reluctant agreent.
Fiore continued, "According to our investigations, these monsters have attacked Masters and Servants multiple tis, seeking to steal Command Seals and capture Servants. We have confird that one Master-Servant pair has already fallen prey to these creatures."
"Darius III..."
Iskandar's face twisted with visible anger as he recalled Fabro's words.
"This is not only a violation of the rules, but a direct provocation against the Holy Grail War itself, and even humanity. These monsters and their collaborators are not just enemies of the Church or individuals—they pose a significant threat to the Grail itself. Therefore, I will exercise my authority as overseer in this ergency and temporarily alter the rules of the Holy Grail War. All Masters and Servants are to cease fighting one another imdiately and focus all efforts on exterminating the Dead Apostles and their collaborators!"
"..."
Silence fell.
No one spoke. So lowered their heads in thought, others' expressions shifted, and many showed signs of hesitation.
No one knew how long the silence lasted, but eventually, soone spoke up—Waver.
"What benefit do we gain from this? It's not that I don't trust the overseer, but if the situation is serious enough for you to alter the rules, then the enemy must be quite formidable. Those of us tasked with this extermination would be taking on a substantial risk. Without a proper incentive, I'm sure many here would be reluctant to put in much effort."
Most magi are selfish by nature. Appeals to the greater good would fall on deaf ears. If they were to risk their lives, there had to be so reward. The risks included not only the danger posed by the Dead Apostles but also the potential exposure of valuable information or the possibility of being ambushed after the battle.
"I participated in the last Holy Grail War. At that ti, so individuals broke the rules. The overseer then offered additional Command Seals as compensation."
"I see. Since there is a precedent, I will follow the sa procedure."
Hearing Waver's suggestion, Fiore thoughtfully nodded and rolled up her sleeve, revealing her forearm.
Her skin was as flawless as Shinji rembered, but no one paid attention to that. All eyes were drawn to the red markings etched on her arm.
Without a doubt, they were Command Seals. Though the number was small, the uneven spacing indicated that these were not the Command Seals of a single Master.
"Based on our findings, there are four primary targets. The two Dead Apostles are Fabro Nrvnqsr Chaos and The Serpent of Akasha Michael Roa Valdamjong. The other two are Souren Araya and his Servant, Assassin, whose true na is currently unknown. For each target slain, I will grant one additional Command Seal. For those who cooperate in the kill, each participant will receive one Seal. If more threats are identified, I will make judgnts accordingly. Once the threat is neutralized, the Holy Grail War will resu."
After finishing, Fiore let her sleeve fall back down and exhaled lightly.
"If anyone has questions, feel free to ask. If not, I urge everyone to act quickly."
Questions? Of course, there were.
Why was Fiore here?
Why had she beco the overseer?
Setting those aside for now, the question that pressed most on Shinji's mind was: Where did Fiore get those Command Seals? After all, he had all of the Command Seals from Risei Kotomine in his possession. If not for the fact that he could sense the magical energy within them, he might have thought they were fake. As for how the Church had detected Roa's presence, that ca as no surprise—when it ca to tracking vampires, the Church was unmatched. They had been targeting Roa for a long ti.
But this was precisely the question Shinji couldn't ask out loud. He could only watch as the other Masters and Servants engaged with Fiore, discussing their intentions or seeking further information, all while he stewed in frustration.
"Stop thinking about unnecessary things and focus on what you need to do now," ca Scathach's quiet reminder, as if she could see through everything.
What needed to be done?
Of course, Roa and his collaborators had to be eliminated.
Whether for Arcueid's sake, Lorelei's sake, or his own and Justeaze's, these troublemakers had to die.
The others were likely thinking the sa—no matter where they were, no one ever welcod those who disrupted the order.
After Iskandar was the first to express his stance, the other Masters and Servants gradually voiced their agreent. Just as things seed to be progressing in the direction Fiore wanted, a loud, mocking laugh suddenly echoed through the air.
"Hahaha!"
The source was none other than Gilgash. Only soone as self-centered as him would completely ignore the atmosphere and the gazes of everyone around him. Even when Rin tried to intervene by saying, "Archer, I've already agreed. This is not only the duty of the overseer but also the responsibility of the local authorities," he remained unfazed.
"Cleaning the garden is the gardener's job. I have no interest in such trivial matters. However, I do not wish for this to interfere with my enjoynt and pleasures. Little overseer girl, your approach is far too rigid and inefficient. At this rate, those rats will hide away in their holes forever. Do you intend to make everyone dig holes with you?"
What Gilgash said was true. Having been blocked by Lorelei's group once and thoroughly beaten down by Shinji, Roa and his allies—if they had any sense—wouldn't show themselves easily. Finding them would be like searching for a needle in a haystack, especially with other vampires lurking in the area.
"What wisdom do you have to offer, King of Heroes?"
Fiore humbly asked for his advice.
At that mont, people began to realize that this troubleso man was offering a suggestion.
Gilgash seed pleased by the attention and flashed his signature smirk.
"Hold a banquet! A grand feast, even more magnificent than the one from ten years ago!"
"..."
"..."
"..."
"Huh?" Everyone.
Is this guy's brain broken?
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