In Type-Moon, it all starts with adopting Sakura.

However, despite what it looks like.

However, Tokiomi Tohsaka, whose plan had been seen through at a glance, was already cursing under his breath.

First came the angry curses: "Those useless Assassin bunch! Don't they have A-level aura concealment? How could they still be detected? What a bunch of good-for-nothings!"

Then, the one who continued to berate was Archer Gilgamesh, who refused to come with him.

Ever since he summoned this guy, the other party has never given him a moment's peace. Even this time, when he earnestly pleaded for the guy to come with him to discuss an alliance, he was directly rejected with a flippant remark: "I have no intention of cooperating with those scoundrels who covet my treasures, nor do I have any reason to cooperate with them. Victory in the Holy Grail War is already in my grasp. If you want to go, then go by yourself!"

Then it decisively transformed into spirit particles and disappeared, never to return, leaving him alone in the room, bewildered.

Therefore, without Gilgamesh's protection, Tokiomi Tohsaka dared not go out easily, let alone enter Saber's territory alone. So he could only bring his disciple Kirei Kotomine and Assaasin with him to prevent any unforeseen circumstances.

He hadn't expected that the reason he had carefully prepared before coming would be so easily seen through by the other party in just one meeting, which made his originally calm mindset somewhat frantic.

Even so, Tokiomi Tohsaka knew he couldn't show it and could only continue to endure and lie low. His immediate priority was to deal with the two god-slayers who posed the greatest threat to Gilgamesh.

Apart from that, everything else can be put aside for now. Once Scáthach and Finn are out of the picture, things will be back under his control.

As the Holy Grail War nears its end, he will use Command Seals to teach any Servant, even Archer, what the dignity of a Master and the humility of a Servant truly mean.

A mere Servant, yet he dares to be so arrogant...

Although he appears refined and easygoing, Tokiomi Tohsaka is constantly suppressing a burning anger within him.

"Heh, it seems the Tohsaka family head's skin is even thicker than I expected..."

Kiritsugu Emiya sneered at Tokiomi Tohsaka's feigned innocence, then glanced at him again before coldly asking, "I'll ask you one more time about the reason for the alliance, Head of the Tohsaka Clan. If you wish to cooperate, then please answer me truthfully and share the information you possess. Is that alright?"

"Of course, since we are allies, there will be no secrets between us."

Tokiomi Tohsaka smiled and said, "I believe the Einzbern family has also seen it, hasn't they? The immense power possessed by those two Lancers. Without a doubt, they are the greatest threat in this Holy Grail War. They are the greatest enemies hindering our three starter families."

"You must know that the Holy Grail War is a miraculous ritual painstakingly constructed by the ancestors of the Tohsaka, Matou, and Einzbern families. Therefore, the Holy Grail should belong to one of the three starter families and should not be handed over to outsiders. So I hope that the Einzbern family can cooperate with me out of consideration for our ancestors, and we can discuss sharing the Holy Grail after eliminating the outsiders."

Sharing the Holy Grail...

Looking at Tokiomi Tohsaka's sincere smile, Kiritsugu Emiya felt only disgust.

These magicians are all wicked; they're full of lies and nonsense.

The two Lancers are indeed a great threat, but the Archer he summoned is even more threatening. The strength he displayed last night was enough to completely crush any other warrior in this war.

He knew that Tokiomi Tohsaka's idea was to protect Archer from being eliminated by Finn and Scáthach, then unite forces to eliminate the two biggest threats, and then slowly deal with the others.

If Scáthach and Finn were to be eliminated, this guy would definitely turn on them immediately and tear up the alliance without mercy, eliminating him and Saber together.

"...Sharing the Holy Grail, huh? Tokiomi Tohsaka, do you really think I'm a fool? Putting aside your Archer's combat strength, just the number of Servants alone, your side has two. And I only have Saber. Do you really think this kind of cooperation is fair to me?"

"Also, since it's a long-cherished wish of all three families, why didn't you include the Matou family as well? Did you guess that one of the Lancers might belong to the Matou family? Am I right? Tokiomi Tohsaka."

Surprised by Tokiomi Tohsaka's shamelessness, which was comparable to a bulletproof vest, Kiritsugu Emiya simply changed his address from "Head of the Tohsaka Clan" to "Tokiomi Tohsaka" directly.

"To be honest... as you have seen, there are two Lancers in this Holy Grail War. So I deduce that it is very likely that a participant violated the rules and made an illegal summon, and if nothing unexpected happens, it is Caster. And the Matou family's Servant is very likely Caster's Master."

"We are both from the three starter families, and we are the family that designed the Command Seals and the rules. I never expected that they would break the rules and use such despicable means to win. Therefore, my Tohsaka family is ashamed to be associated with them! As the three starter families, we believe that we should correct their mistakes and guide them back to the right path."

Even though his thoughts were exposed and his little schemes were directly revealed, Tokiomi Tohsaka did not show the slightest anger or loss of composure. Instead, he tearfully denounced the Matou family's despicable behavior in front of Kiritsugu Emiya, as if he was heartbroken by the Matou family's downfall.

"If you're worried about losing more lives, then let's sign a contract. When only the three of us are left, we can strip Kirei Kotomine of his Master status. This can be done through a written agreement or witnessed by an overseer from the Church. What do you think?"

At this point in the conversation, Tokiomi Tohsaka stopped pretending and directly presented his conditions to Kiritsugu Emiya to demonstrate his sincerity.

He knew very well that at this moment, after the initial defeat and with King Arthur being outmatched, the Einzbern family had no better option than to cooperate with him.

It can be said that this is an open and aboveboard scheme.

Moreover, this collaboration is indeed a win-win situation, but he has a slightly better chance of winning.

"This one……"

Faced with this, Kiritsugu Emiya could only sigh helplessly. After pondering for a long time, he finally had no choice but to bite the bullet and accept this obvious scheme.

"I agree, Head of the Tohsaka family, let's form an alliance. But I hope you will keep your promise."

"A wise decision, on behalf of the Einzbern family. Rest assured, now that we are allies, the Tohsaka family will certainly keep its promise."

Upon seeing Kiritsugu Emiya's agreement, Tokiomi Tohsaka's eyes lit up, and he nodded smugly, completely unaware of the murderous intent and coldness hidden in his eyes.

You should know that in another timeline, any Master who dared to sign a treaty with him would be dead...

If he could, Kiritsugu Emiya genuinely wanted to bury Tokiomi Tohsaka, this enormous threat, right here. After all, when the other party entered his territory, it was like meat being delivered to his doorstep—why not take advantage of it?

However, considering Saber's disastrous battle record and combat power, and thinking of the absolute shock of that Gold Servant, Kiritsugu Emiya had no choice but to abandon the idea that might lead to his death and choose to cooperate with her.

Moreover, upon learning that Tokiomi Tohsaka's side had a rider who was actually Assaasin, he had already made up his mind.

Currently, Irisviel is missing, and it's unknown who abducted her. Kiritsugu Emiya is very anxious due to the lack of information. However, upon learning that the other side has an assassin—a skilled intelligence gatherer and stealth operator—his hope is rekindled.

He wanted to get information from Assassin about Irisviel's current whereabouts and find out who had kidnapped his wife.

As for who the murderer is...

The suspicions against Tokiomi Tohsaka and Kirei Kotomine can now be cleared.

After all, if it really was the two of them who did it, they could have used Irisviel as a hostage to threaten them, instead of having to beg for an alliance in such a humble manner.

So who exactly is the murderer who did that?

Kiritsugu Emiya continued to ponder. That night, Kenneth was relentlessly pursuing him, and the two Lancers and Riders, along with their Master, were on the battlefield, leaving them no time to commit the crime. Now that Assassin, the prime suspect, had been ruled out, it must be...

Is it the Matou family?

Upon considering this possibility, Kiritsugu Emiya's expression gradually became serious.

Regardless, they definitely need to attack the Matou family to find out what's going on.

"Alright, since you've agreed, let's not delay. Let's work together to eliminate one Lancer first, lest something unexpected happens."

Tokiomi Tohsaka suddenly spoke up.

He is now eager to eliminate the threat.

"Hmm? You mean we should attack the Matou family right now?"

Kiritsugu Emiya frowned; he felt that Tokiomi Tohsaka was being a bit too hasty.

With all seven Servants present, and even including Caster who hasn't appeared yet, there might even be an eighth. Acting rashly would inevitably provoke the other Servants to target us. Directly attacking the Matou family could allow other Servants to exploit any openings. While the two Lancers pose the greatest threat, the other Servants are not to be underestimated.

"No, the Matou family has too deep roots here, and there are many defensive restrictions. Not to mention the possibility of Caster and Lancer. We can't rush things."

Tokiomi Tohsaka shook his head and then offered his suggestion: "So let's first target the other Lancer, eliminate the lone Servants and Masters first, and then find a way to break through the Matou family."

"So I've already sent Assassin to gather intelligence on the other Lancer, and I believe they'll have results soon."

"No need, I know where the other spot is."

"Kiritsugu Emiya suddenly said."

"Hmm? So fast? Their intelligence gathering speed is even faster than Assassin's..."

Tokiomi Tohsaka was taken aback; he suddenly realized that the Einzbern family seemed to be more dangerous than he had imagined.

"No, it's just that the Master is too open and aboveboard."

Kiritsugu Emiya shook his head, then took a photo from his pocket and tossed it to Tokiomi Tohsaka, sharing his information.

When Tokiomi Tohsaka received the photo, he was slightly taken aback when he saw the familiar building in it. He was very familiar with the building and could even name the bustling commercial area at a glance.

"...The Hyatt Hotel, does anyone actually dare to show their face so openly?"

……

……

"Tokiomi Tohsaka... is nothing but a self-important fellow."

After discussing the alliance and tactics, and after Tokiomi Tohsaka left, Kiritsugu Emiya, sitting in his chair, revealed a cold smile.

Artoria, standing beside him, naturally saw through his true thoughts and couldn't help but hesitate.

"Master, is this kind of cooperation really trustworthy? And you seem to be..."

"No need to say more, Saber."

Interrupting Artoria before she could finish speaking, Kiritsugu Emiya shook his head, then put on his coat and prepared to leave.

"The situation is urgent. Irisviel is missing. I have no time or mood to discuss how to fight with you. You just need to follow my orders."

"It's true that Tokiomi Tohsaka wants to use me, but haven't I been using him too? Since he doesn't mind being my pawn, I'll naturally accept. Given that guy's arrogant attitude, even if you're not as good as Archer, I'm absolutely confident I can eliminate him."

Ignoring Artoria's increasingly grim expression, Kiritsugu Emiya calmly stated his intention to betray his ally.

Before Saber could argue with herself, he had already loaded the Stinger RPGs and many high-explosive weapons he had prepared in advance into the trunk of the car. To ensure everything went smoothly, he even prepared several high-yield time bombs, C4, and other weapons.

"For now, I'll cooperate with him honestly. I need to use Assassin's abilities to help me find Irisviel's whereabouts."

Kiritsugu Emiya opened the car door, stubbed out his cigarette, and spoke with a cold expression.

"When we break through the Matou family and find Irisviel, that will be the time of Tokiomi Tohsaka's demise."

After speaking, he ceased all further conversation with Artoria in front of him.

I got into the car, stepped on the gas, and drove straight into the distance.

Artoria was left standing there, stunned, watching the receding figure and then murmuring something.

"Is doing this... really the right thing to do?"

In just one day, her once resolute heart was plunged into confusion.

Chapter 5 A Bunch of Old Foxes (5 words)

Rumble—!!

The deafening explosions continued, and the violent shaking caused the entire room to tremble.

"Finally here? I've been waiting for so long..."

Facing the crumbling building, Luo Wei sat on the sofa in the workshop, comforting Sakura Tohsaka, whom he had just forcibly put to sleep with magic, while observing the situation outside through a mirror on the table. The room was surrounded by fallen rubble.

Compared to the terrified and nervous Webber, and Kenneth who was furious upon hearing that the other party had bombarded his magic workshop, Lowe was clearly much calmer at this moment.

Scáthach smiled as she flipped her hand, revealing two crimson magic spears in her palm. Runes rose around her under her control, and she was now fully prepared for battle.

The entire building was still shaking violently. Faced with the relentless barrage of artillery fire from afar and the timed explosions all around, even Kenneth, who was quite confident in his workshop, was in a panic.

My inner voice screamed, "Damn it, damn it, damn it..."