บท 45: Tearing Through the Sky
"Waver…"
"Waver Velvet."
Just hearing Kayneth say his name made Waver shudder.
It was like the feeling of playing on your phone during night class, only to turn around and see your teacher standing at the window, smiling at you.
"Kayneth... Professor…" Waver stammered, his frail body trembling.
Smack—
A large hand slapped Waver on the shoulder, the heavy force nearly knocking him to the ground.
Luckily, over the past few days, Waver had grown used to such force.
It was Rider.
The overwhelming confidence of the bold king made Waver straighten his back.
"Hey, magus," Rider said, awkwardly sitting on a small single sofa, his massive body almost spilling out. "So, what exactly did you invite us here for?"
"Hmph…" The Lord of the Clock Tower sneered as he spread out a map of Fuyuki City.
His fiancée, Sola-Ui, daughter of the Department of Spiritual Invocation's head, gracefully walked over from the next room, offering tea. The tall, striking woman, with her fiery red hair, exuded a chilling sense of power.
Even as she smiled, Waver felt immense pressure.
In terms of both the quality of his magic circuits and the heritage of his magic crest, Waver was inferior. Faced with these two "noble" individuals, his heart raced with anxiety.
Especially when he remembered that it was Kayneth who had torn apart his thesis—Waver had stolen Kayneth's relic to summon Rider, an act born of frustration and resentment.
In a less flattering sense, Waver had taken Kayneth's knowledge and tools just to secure his place in the Holy Grail War.
Seeing Waver's awkward expression, Rider chugged his tea and loudly asked Sola for more.
Noble families weren't as terrifying as they seemed. No matter how grand they were, in the face of the world, they were just as small as anyone else.
Waver took a deep breath and continued his conversation with Kayneth.
Kayneth wanted to form an alliance with Waver. Neither of them had a strong desire for the Holy Grail. In fact, their goals were quite similar in nature.
Having led a smooth life, Kayneth had reached the heights of the Twelve Lords of the Clock Tower, a position envied by many. But even then, he lacked a sense of fulfillment or true achievement.
Participating in the Holy Grail War was merely another opportunity to add a prestigious chapter to his career, confident that his sheer talent alone would allow him to crush the Three Founding Families and other magi.
That was, until he encountered the girl with the flintlock pistol—Avenger.
Waver, too, had joined the Holy Grail War out of his desperation to prove himself. He had stolen Kayneth's relic for that purpose, seeking recognition from others.
A professor and his student.
There was no real conflict of interest between them.
Logically, they should have easily formed an alliance.
But as Waver watched Kayneth speak confidently, carrying himself like he was still standing on the podium, a noble overlooking his students…
For some reason, Waver clenched his fists.
"Waver~~~" Kayneth's voice lingered, taking on a familiar and condescending tone, the kind that Waver hated. "Have you decided yet? Whether or not to form an alliance?"
"I can even provide mana for Rider. It must be difficult for you to sustain such a powerful Servant with your magic circuits." The professor's brow remained furrowed, his receding hairline raising concerns of its own.
"You see, Sola provides mana for Lancer, but I still hold the Command Seals."
"You don't need to worry about me taking control of Rider."
It was a reasonable offer.
Yet as Waver stared at Kayneth—this figure who commanded respect in both action and presence—he couldn't bring himself to accept it.
Finally, when Kayneth criticized his magic circuits, Waver snapped.
Yes, his lineage only stretched back three generations, whereas Kayneth's Archibald family had nine.
But it was this exact belief in lineage superiority that Waver resented. It was why he was so desperate to prove himself.
"No need, Professor Kayneth."
Waver lowered his head and rejected the offer.
Crack—
Kayneth's hand clenched tightly.
"Waver, do you even understand the kind of world you've gotten yourself into?" Kayneth's azure eyes were icy cold.
"Do you not realize what true conflict between magi entails?"
Kayneth threw a pile of documents onto the table in front of Waver. "Look at these. Carefully. These are valuable pieces of information."
"Did you really come to this war with such naive thoughts?"
"Come find me when you've thought it over. It's not too late."
"Consider this a special lesson from me."
On top of the stack of documents was a profile of Emiya Kiritsugu, the notorious "mage killer."
"I will." Waver picked up the stack of documents and turned to leave.
Rider followed closely behind him, laughing heartily.
"Mages who hesitate and hold back can't be my Master, Iskandar's Master. Let's go, little one."
"Why didn't you kill him?" Sola asked as she sat down across from Kayneth.
Kayneth was proficient in spirit invocation, summoning, and alchemy—fields Waver couldn't even fathom. Silently eliminating Waver wouldn't be difficult.
Without Independent Action, Rider wouldn't last long without mana support.
"He's a student of the Clock Tower."
"A student of the Department of Spiritual Invocation."
Despite the cold, brutal nature of mage conflicts, Kayneth didn't seem particularly adept at this aspect either.
That night, the sky was already shrouded in darkness.
"Young lady, this isn't proper behavior," scolded Fujimura Taiga, wielding her bamboo sword, as two of her father's men finally caught her.
Ever since the serial killer incidents began, Taiga had been sneaking out frequently at night, which had worried her father, Fujimura Raiga.
After all, the Fujimura Group only had this one young lady.
"Look! A shooting star!"
Taiga tried her old trick again.
"Young lady, you used that line last time." One of the men sighed, but something in Taiga's expression felt too real.
They turned around to look at the sky.
And froze in disbelief.
Something truly was falling from the sky, leaving a long, fiery trail as it streaked across the heavens.
But... was that really a shooting star?
There was a faint black-and-red glow swirling around it.
Black light…?
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