Chapter 13: The Little Demon King and the Great Holy Grail War (2)

"It is a pleasure to meet you. I am the supervisor and a Master dispatched from the Holy Church, Kotomine Shirou... ah, no, Shirou Kotomine."

"Nice to meet you. I am Clark Kent."

Using a pseudonym just in case, Zod.05 shook hands with the man who introduced himself as Shirou Kotomine. Despite his Japanese name, the man possessed an exotic handsomeness that didn't seem entirely Eastern, characterized by bronze skin and stark white hair.

The other Masters nearby began their own introductions, but Zod responded with half-hearted indifference. However, the final Master to appear was more than enough to capture his attention.

"Kairi Sisigou. Pleasure."

The seventh head of the Sisigou family, renowned for their research into Necromancy. It was assumed he would follow his father’s footsteps as a researcher, but three years after entering the Clock Tower, he took a leave of absence to become a freelancer and bounty hunter, scouring for corpses and hunting down heretical magi.

For this Great Holy Grail War, he had been hired by the Mages' Association. Much like Emiya Kiritsugu, he combined modern weaponry—a taboo for traditional magi—with his magecraft. Despite this, he was highly regarded as a capable specialist by the Association.

He was a man who exuded a "badass" aura. Despite his clearly Japanese name, he carried the intimidating presence of an American biker. To any onlooker, he appeared as nothing less than a fearsome gangster from the States, yet he was indeed Japanese.

The scar on his face, eyes sharp as razor blades, a towering and muscular physique, and a black jacket crafted from the hide of a Phantasmal Beast. Furthermore, he was constantly enveloped in the scent of blood and gunpowder. Occasionally taking on monstrous forms, he was treated as a terrifying figure even in the world of magi, where all sorts of aberrations were common.

While other magi avoided such a man, Zod gripped his hand without hesitation, looking upon him with genuine interest.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Sisigou... My name is Clark Kent. I look forward to working with you."

"Precocious for a brat, aren't you? By the way, kid, aren't you afraid of me? Those other fellows over there seem pretty uncomfortable around me."

Sisigou gave a grim grin as he cast a sidelong glance at the other Masters of the Red, who flinched visibly under his gaze.

"Well, I've seen my fair share of rough individuals—though perhaps not quite like you, Mister... so I'm not particularly moved."

For the man known as the Demon King of the Underworld, one who had stared down countless hardened criminals, it was only natural that he wouldn't be intimidated by a man who merely looked like a dangerous thug.

"Is that so? Well then, I look forward to working with you too, kid."

Amused by Zod's attitude, Sisigou reached out and ruffled Zod's hair. In their spirit forms, Artoria Alter and Jeanne Alter were aghast.

They marveled at the sheer audacity of this hero (or fool) who dared to pat Zod's head... After all, not a single soul who had treated him like a mere child had ever survived to tell the tale.

However, Zod remained unbothered. He saw potential utility in this man. He found himself curious: if he were to reveal his true identity later, would this man maintain the same attitude? If Sisigou could keep this demeanor even after knowing Zod's true nature and power, Zod thought about recruiting him as a new enforcer for his organization. For now, he decided to let the gesture slide.

.

.

.

The plane carrying the Masters of the Red arrived in Romania. Shirou announced that it was time to summon their Servants. Zod claimed he had already summoned his, prompting the others to proceed with their own rituals.

Feend vor Sembren summoned Karna, the demigod son of the sun god Surya from Indian mythology. Rottweil Berzinsky summoned Atalante (Archer), the fastest huntress of Greece, famous for the race of the golden apples. Cabik Pentel summoned Achilles (Rider), the great hero of the Trojan War known as the invincible warrior. Jean Rum summoned William Shakespeare (Caster), the legendary English playwright and literary giant...

And Kairi Sisigou summoned...

"Saber, Mordred, has arrived! Tell me, is my Father here?!"

He had summoned Mordred (Saber), the illegitimate child (daughter) of Artoria (Arthur) and the Knight of Treachery. She was the one who had driven Artoria to her death at Camlann, the ultimate traitor—a homunculus who had been Morgan's puppet.

'Mordred, is it? ......'

Artoria Alter, unlike her original blue-clad self, acknowledged Mordred to a certain extent. She watched the summoning unfold with a stoic expression from her spirit form.

'Son? Daughter? Mordred was a girl?'

Zod felt his first moment of genuine confusion as he communicated via telepathy. The records stated Mordred was the "legitimate son," yet the figure before him was clearly a girl.

"That child is a homunculus born of my own essence, extracted by my sister Morgan through a magical dream while I was transformed into a man by Merlin’s magecraft, and fertilized with Morgan’s own egg... Furthermore, she considers herself a man."

'Wait a minute... Ugh... My head hurts. Artoria... are you serious? Is that actually true?'

'It sounds insane, but what that cold-blooded woman said is the truth, Zod-chan.'

With Jeanne Alter providing the finishing blow of confirmation, Zod felt a headache coming on. It was the first time he had ever felt such bewilderment.

Artoria Alter’s explanation sounded more like a blatant fabrication than reality. For the first time, he began to doubt the mental stability of his Servants (tools).

'..............'

'I know it sounds like madness, but it is all factual.'

'Haaa... fine... I'll believe you. God damn it! This is absurd...'

"Hey, kid. You okay?"

"Ah... Mr. Sisigou, I'm fine... I just have a lot on my mind."

The backstory of Mordred’s birth was so deranged it made Zod’s head throb. Sisigou looked at him with concern, mistaking the migraine for physical illness. Zod offered a bitter smile to reassure him.

"Now then, it's Mr. Kent's turn to perform the summoning. The only class remaining is Berserker, but will that be acceptable? Berserkers consume a massive amount of prana, after all..."

"It's fine, Mr. Kotomine... I'm not the type to die over something as minor as a Berserker."

"As expected of the Clock Tower's elite. Very well, please proceed with the summoning."

Zod nodded at Shirou's words. He stepped toward the summoning circle and chanted the specific incantation for a Berserker. Soon, a light—intense, turbid, and heavy—filled the room. An evil aura surged as a massive man stepped out from within the summoning circle.

"Cu Chulainn. I have answered your summons... Does my color mean anything to you?"

This was the version of the hero from a timeline where a certain wicked woman, struck by cheese to her death, had made a wish upon the Grail to force him into a state of madness and blood. This was the Mad King, the inverted form of Ulster's strongest spearman—the Great Hero of Irish mythology known as the Hercules of Ireland. Cu Chulainn Alter looked down at his Master, Zod. A silence lasted for several seconds.

"Hmph... You're a better specimen than you look, Master? There's no need for idle thoughts. You just point out the enemy."

"Is that so? Then all you have to do is annihilate my enemies, Berserker... You are the strongest, after all, Great Hero of Ulster."

"I only bring down the enemy. There is no impurity in that. So... as long as you don't betray me, my spear won't be pointed at you."

"That's a relief. I was planning to kill you without mercy if you did."

Cu Chulainn Alter, hearing Zod’s low whisper clearly, wore an expression of disbelief on the surface. Internally, however, he broke into a cold sweat. He realized he had been summoned by an utterly preposterous Master.

In the eyes of Cu Chulainn Alter... his Master appeared to be a monster... an unfathomable, terrifying monster.

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