Chapter 251: Tohsaka Tokiomi
"Without a doubt, it should be Assassin who hasn't shown up until now."
To silently climb onto the roof of a car traveling at 150 kilometers per hour, revealing only a hint of presence right before taking action—this clearly indicated the use of Assassin's class skill to conceal one's presence.
But the fact that even her intuition didn't sense the arrival of the enemy proved that this Assassin's 'Presence Concealment' was at least of A-rank or higher.
Irisviel's expression seemed a bit uneasy.
In the history of the Holy Grail Wars, Assassins were the weakest class, but due to their ability to conceal their presence, they posed a threat to Masters surpassing that of other Servants.
Staring at the enormous fissure before her, as if cleaved by a celestial axe, Irisviel turned to Artoria with a worried expression.
"Saber, that Assassin..."
"They're gone." Artoria's tone remained unchanged. "They were too fast. I couldn't aim in time, so my Noble Phantasm just grazed past them."
"How could..." Irisviel's brow furrowed slightly.
"Let's go, Irisviel. Assassin is clearly targeting us. The longer we stay in this wilderness, the more dangerous it becomes." Artoria made decision.
It wasn't because she feared Assassin, but the combination of their hidden presence and agility posed a significant threat to Irisviel.
Irisviel acknowledged the urgency, nodding solemnly.
"Alright, Saber."
They boarded the Mercedes once again, and to avoid being overtaken by Assassin, Artoria accelerated to 180 kilometers per hour. At the same time, her focus remained heightened, keenly observing the surroundings.
Irisviel released her familiar to hover around the car, ready to detect Assassin at the first sign of their appearance.
Concealing one's presence wasn't true invisibility; it merely hid their aura completely, minimizing the sense of existence. It could still be seen with the naked eye.
Perhaps due to the car's speed or Artoria and Irisviel's high vigilance, Assassin did not continue to attack.
One hour later, they safely arrived at the Einzbern Castle.
As the base of the Einzbern in Fuyuki, the castle was fortified with numerous magecrafts and bounded fields. Even a Servant couldn't infiltrate silently.
"Madam."
The car door opened, revealing a poised woman standing outside, nodding slightly at Irisviel.
"Maiya, where's Kiritsugu? I have something important to tell him." Irisviel urgently inquired.
"He is in the reception hall. We have a special guest." Maiya replied calmly.
"Special guest?" Irisviel tilted her head in confusion.
===
Kiritsugu stared at the man in front of him.
The man wore a wine-red suit, and had a meticulously groomed small beard, every move and gesture exuded the elegance of nobility.
Though not old, the man known as Tohsaka Tokiomi, possessed a certain quality that made him appear dignified.
Tohsaka Tokiomi, the current head of the prestigious Tohsaka family in Japan, was also a participant in the current Holy Grail War, serving as the Master of Archer, the legendary King of Heroes, Gilgamesh.
In this Holy Grail War, there were a few participants who had caught Kiritsugu's keen attention, and Tokiomi was one of them.
In terms of magecraft proficiency, Tokiomi was second only to some Lord from the Clock Tower. Despite not having extraordinary innate talent, he had become an exceptionally skilled mage through sheer effort. Undoubtedly, he was a man of strong will and outstanding skill. In terms of preparation, he even managed to summon a strong Servant like Gilgamesh.
In a normal Holy Grail War, he would undoubtedly be a strong contender for victory.
Unfortunately, smooth sailing was a rare occurrence in this world; unexpected events were the norm.
Just as no one would believe that the mighty Gilgamesh could be decisively defeated by Arthur, Kiritsugu did not expect Tokiomi to come knocking at his door like this, without even carrying any Mystic Code, appearing as casual as if he were just dropping by a friend's house.
This move was akin to sending a lamb into the jaws of a lion, not something a man named Tohsaka Tokiomi would normally do.
Was it because he was desperate?
"So, Archer's Master, why did you come to me? What's your intention?" Kiritsugu placed one hand on the table, while the other gripping a Calico M950 beneath the table. At this distance, he could turn Tokiomi into a honeycomb even with his eyes closed.
Tokiomi gracefully lifted the teacup and took a sip, a simple action that showcased the mature charm of the man. It could be foreseen that if this man indulged a little, he would probably already be neck-deep in debts of debauchery.
"Why waste time with such words, Emiya Kiritsugu?"
Tokiomi spoke calmly and put down the teacup. His deep, rich voice resonated leisurely in Kiritsugu's ears, even though he was in enemy territory, he remained composed.
"You should be well aware of my purpose for coming here. Otherwise, with your nature, how could you possibly let me in?"
Kiritsugu fell silent for a moment, then quietly placed his Calico M950 back in its place. He put both hands on the table, his gaze penetrating as he stared at Tokiomi.
"You want to ally with me, to take on Lancer together?" Kiritsugu hit the nail on the head.
"Don't you think that Lancer's group is our most pressing threat right now?"
Tokiomi asked back while smiling subtly and elegantly. If someone else had made such a smile, it might have seemed artificial, but on this man, it was just right.
"The strongest Master and the strongest Servant—such a combination is truly terrifying. If we don't cooperate to eliminate them, there's no hope of obtaining the Holy Grail."
Hearing that, Kiritsugu just silently stared at Tokiomi, saying nothing.
"Of course, I know you must have prepared some trump cards in advance to deal with Kayneth. But how can you be sure they'll work?"
Tokiomi spoke calmly as he looked at Kiritsugu with a meaningful glance.
"Until now, our understanding of Lancer's capabilities is only partial. If your trump cards fail, the consequences, I presume, don't need much explanation."
Kiritsugu naturally wasn't naive.
Over the past two decades, life had taught him the harsh and inevitable reality, especially in a war where the ultimate outcome was life or death.
"We don't have a basis to trust each other." Kiritsugu said expressionlessly to Tokiomi. "Especially in this kind of situation."
The night before, he had ordered Saber to launch a surprise attack on the Tohsaka residence, and it ended up blowing up their house.
In such a scenario, when Tokiomi approached him for an alliance, how could he be sure that Tokiomi wasn't secretly planning on retaliation?
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