Chapter 8: The Little Demon King and the Subspecies Holy Grail War (4)

"Let's eliminate Assassin first. It’s bound to be either a Hassan-i-Sabbah or some Far Eastern ninja!"

Within the confines of a small, secluded church serving as the site of the Holy Church's supervision, the Masters of Saber and Lancer were conferring. Their consensus was a preemptive strike to purge the Assassin faction from the war. The priest, acting as the Supervisor—a role meant to ensure the impartiality of the Holy Grail War—merely watched with a detached, observational air. As they bickered over which faction to cull next, Zod and Emiya Alter stepped through the threshold of the chapel.

"Oh my... The church isn't open for visitors at this hour... Are you participants in the Holy Grail War?"

At Zod’s words, the two Masters briefly lowered their guard, noting his youthful appearance, and spoke with affected composure.

A Servant clad in a weathered kimono with a katana at his hip stood as Saber; beside him, a man in Roman legionary armor wielding a long spear was Lancer. The two men openly declared themselves as the Masters of these prestigious classes. Zod, wearing an expression of harmless innocence, feigned being the Master of Rider. However, the priest of the Holy Church stood up, narrowing his eyes at Zod.

"You lie. Rider has already been eliminated from this war. No matter how diminished this Subspecies Holy Grail War may be, neither the system nor the authority of the Supervisor is for show!"

Upon hearing the priest’s declaration, Zod’s face twisted into a faint, predatory smile. He stepped forward. Belatedly sensing the shift in the atmosphere, the Masters commanded their Servants to the front, but it was an exercise in futility.

"To think you could challenge me with such low-grade, nameless Servants... It’s almost pitiable."

Vvvvvvvvvvvt—KABOOM!!!!

With a horizontal sweep of his Heat Vision, he carved through the church and everything within it. The intensity of the beams cauterized the flesh of the Masters as they were severed, preventing even a drop of blood from spraying. Beside their corpses, Saber and Lancer dissolved into shimmering golden particles, forced into premature dissipation.

"Now then..."

"H-Hiiiieek!!"

Zod turned his gaze toward the Supervisor. Faced with that terrifying stare, the priest collapsed to the floor, let out a pathetic shriek.

"Which factions remain in this war?"

Zod's voice was cold, devoid of any human empathy. The Supervisor trembled violently as he spoke.

"A... Archer and Assassin..."

"I appreciate the information. Then, adios..."

Vvvvt... BOOM!!!

Zod instantly incinerated the man's head with a burst of Heat Vision. Having finished his business, he led Emiya Alter out of the ruined church.

"It seems there was no room for me to act."

"Don't worry. You've been assigned as my bodyguard as of today. I intend to use you until the day you die."

"A Servant does not 'die' unless their Spiritual Core is pierced, you know?"

"Precisely."

"I suppose I've found a job for life, then."

Watching Emiya Alter scratch his head with a bewildered expression, Zod allowed a small smile to form. He produced a candy from his pocket, unwrapped it, and popped it into his mouth while muttering to himself.

"Assassin, huh... if they're useful, they might make a decent Bodyguard No. 2."

"Using an Assassin as an actual assassin isn't a bad idea... Eliminating politicians or rival bosses. Isn't that how things usually go?"

"In every timeline, I suppose."

"...So, such things are commonplace here?"

"Just recently, I had to kill a Police Commissioner who didn't know his place and tried to cut off one of our funding lines. I sent his family along with him so he wouldn't be lonely on the way to hell."

"You seem to be enjoying yourself, Master..."

"Haven't you ever killed an insect out of boredom when you were a child? It's the same thing."

"Humans are not insects..."

"To me, they are. Because I am strong, intelligent, and superior."

"......That sounds dangerously close to Nazism or Fascism."

"Ah-ah! Wrong. I am a superior species that has transcended the category of humanity altogether."

Realizing that the more he spoke, the more he would be caught in Zod's twisted logic, Archer simply nodded along to appease him. Even in the eyes of the broken Emiya Alter, the child known as Zod was an existence far more insane than any human.

.

.

.

"Phew... We survived another day. Dammit! If only I had summoned a Hassan-i-Sabbah, I could have killed the others by now..."

The Master of Assassin paced irritably, peeking through the gaps in the heavily curtained windows. He let out a sigh that was a cocktail of relief and humiliated resentment.

"Fuck... if only Assassin had been someone halfway decent..."

"..............."

The Master threw a teacup at Mata Hari, who was looking at him with sorrowful eyes. The cup struck her and shattered on the floor.

"Clean it up! Dammit! I should go to the church today and withdraw. I don't want to die just because I summoned such a pathetic bitch!"

"That’s cruel, Master. I can still use my charms to manipulate other Masters..."

"You worthless slut. How many men did you seduce by spreading your legs like that? Huh?!"

"What?"

Mata Hari froze, hoping she had misheard. She tried to deny that her Master could say such vile, insulting things, but he continued to hurl verbal abuse until his face turned red.

He called her a whore, a monster who used her body to steal souls, a harlot who traded sex for information. He relentlessly besieged her with sexual insults and eventually struck her, spitting in her face. Mata Hari could do nothing. She simply collapsed to the floor and began to sob.

"Tch! Useless trash..."

"How could you... sob... this is so cruel... This isn't why I answered the summons for the Holy Grail War..."

"Who would welcome a low-tier Servant like you, barely more than a Phantom?!"

Ding-dong!

The sudden sound of the doorbell plunged the noisy apartment into total silence.

"..........."

A chill ran down the Master’s spine, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead. But then, an unexpected voice drifted from outside.

"Excuse me? I'm from next door. My mom and dad told me to ask you to be quiet, you're making too much noise!"

Hearing a child’s voice, the Master let out a sigh of relief. Suppressing his surging irritation, he threw open the front door.

"Beat it, kid! Don't butt into other people's business—"

"Don't raise your voice so much... people might find you, right? Master of Assassin."

Vvvvvvvvvvvt... BOOM!!!

Zod punched a hole through the man’s head with his Heat Vision and entered the house uninvited. He saw Mata Hari, her eyes glazed and hollow, as she began to slowly fade due to the loss of her Master.

"Hmm... You pass!"

"Eh?......"

Zod scrutinized her—her exceptional beauty, her provocative and curvaceous figure—and extended a hand toward her.

"What... do you mean?"

"I am the Master of Archer. I've become the victor of this Holy Grail War; I've killed all the other Masters."

"I see... But why... why me?..."

To her weak question, Zod replied, his eyes filled with a clear sense of possessiveness.

"Because I want to own you."

"Me?... I'm useless as a Servant... My Luck is D, and all my other ranks are E... Even that Master over there said I was worthless..."

"How foolish. To look at such a charming woman and call her worthless."

"Haha... A child shouldn't say such things so early..."

Normally, Mata Hari would have been vibrant and full of energy, but the repeated abuse and gaslighting from her former Master had left her soul withered. She laughed weakly, wanting nothing more than to return to the Throne of Heroes.

"Despite appearances, I'm twenty years old—an adult. Regardless! Become mine... Mademoiselle."

Zod kissed the back of her hand, whispering in a voice that was uncharacteristically gentle and warm.

"I can see you were abused and distrusted by your Master... How pitiful. Your True Name?"

"Mata... Hari..."

Hearing Zod’s voice, she felt a strange urge to be honest, a desire not to lie to him. She revealed her True Name without hesitation, falling deeper into the cadence of his words.

This was Zod’s most terrifying attribute.

An eloquence and charisma so profound they bordered on Charm or Hypnosis. His oratory was so potent that even cult leaders would likely surrender everything to become his devoted followers. It was an ability that could be classified as a mental interference attack, and with it, he was systematically breaking down Mata Hari’s remaining will.

"Don't worry... because I am here."

"Yes... Master... ♡"

Mata Hari took Zod’s hand, forming a new contract and establishing a fresh path of prana between them.

"There... good girl. Very good, Mata Hari... I shall cherish you by my side for eternity. Everything is for my sake."

"Yes... Master... ♡ Only for you... for all eternity... ♡"

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