A Saiyan's Journey

"An illegally summoned Servant, huh... Makes sense. A summoning ritual of this magnitude is bound to have some loopholes."

After learning that Zuke had been summoned as a Servant by Rin Tohsaka through irregular means, Waver Velvet seemed to express a level of understanding.

As a student of the Clock Tower, Waver had studied summoning magic. His mentor, Kayneth, was a first-tier lecturer in the Department of Spiritual Evocation.

At this thought, Waver shivered subconsciously. The relic he used to summon Iskandar had been stolen from Kayneth. Kayneth must be furious.

Kayneth's participation in the Holy Grail War in Fuyuki City was primarily due to its connection with summoning rituals; he saw it as an opportunity to elevate his reputation.

However, two days into the war, Waver still hadn't encountered his mentor. Could it be that Kayneth chose not to come after his relic was stolen?

What Waver didn't know was that Kayneth had already been dealt with by Zuke. Since Waver relied on his own investigations for information, he was unaware of what Tohsaka Tokiomi and Emiya Kiritsugu already knew—that Kayneth's fate had taken a grim turn.

"Hahaha, little Master, is now the time to be worrying about loopholes in the Holy Grail War?"

Iskandar burst into hearty laughter, his voice booming yet his gaze solemn.

"Don't forget your promise to this young Servant here—he agreed to fight me in the final battle. And now that all the other Servants are dead…"

"You're saying the final battle is about to start?"

Waver was taken aback, finally realizing that while the Holy Grail War had only begun two days ago, it already seemed to be reaching its conclusion.

Zuke had almost single-handedly eliminated all the other Servants. The only exception, Caster, had been fortunate enough to encounter Iskandar and Waver in Fuyuki City first.

Originally, after witnessing Iskandar decisively defeat Caster—even interrupting the enemy's desperate attempt to summon a monstrous entity—Waver had felt confident in his Servant's abilities.

But upon learning that Zuke had taken out all the other Servants unscathed, Waver's confidence faltered.

Perhaps it was fitting to call him an "illegal Servant." Even his combat capabilities seemed beyond the rules.

"That's not quite it. Before the battle begins, don't forget our agreement."

Zuke looked at Waver, who sat obediently like a timid housewife beside the towering Iskandar. The difference in their heights was almost comical.

"You're supposed to take Sakura to the Clock Tower for training. Do you remember that? I don't know the exact location of the Clock Tower or how to gain access."

As the headquarters of the Mage's Association, the Clock Tower's location was known only to mages. Zuke needed Waver to lead the way.

The reason for completing this task before fighting Iskandar was simple—once Iskandar was defeated, the Holy Grail would manifest.

Zuke had stationed a "Black Bird," a mist-like avatar created through the ability "Justice," near Rin Tohsaka, keeping him informed about Irisviel's current condition.

With the addition of two Servants' souls inside her, Irisviel's body was nearing its limit. Her condition had deteriorated significantly.

However, to Zuke's surprise, Irisviel hadn't yet transformed into the Holy Grail. It seemed like something was missing.

In the original timeline, she would have already become the Holy Grail by now. Zuke's presence appeared to have subtly altered the effect of the Lesser Grail's ability to house Servants' souls.

Once the Holy Grail manifests, it will bring forth Angra Mainyu, the embodiment of all evils. Zuke would then have to deal with Angra Mainyu, leaving no time to escort Waver to the Clock Tower.

Thus, it was better to complete this task before the Holy Grail's descent.

"...You want to go to the Clock Tower now?"

Waver gave Zuke a strange look before shaking his head.

"It's not that I don't want to take you there, but booking a flight now won't work. The Clock Tower is on the outskirts of London."

"You don't need to worry about that. I have my own way of getting us there."

Zuke smiled at Waver. With his current abilities, flying from Japan to the UK wouldn't take long.

He could circle the globe a few times without breaking a sweat.

If he knew the exact location and entry method for the Clock Tower, he wouldn't even need Waver's help—he could've taken Sakura there himself.

Opening the window, Zuke climbed into the room and saw Sakura sitting at a table reading a book.

Sakura turned at the sound of the window opening. Upon seeing Zuke, her face lit up with joy.

"Big brother!"

She leapt into his arms, and he caught her.

"Why are you still awake so late?" Zuke asked with a helpless smile, wondering why Sakura hadn't gone to bed.

It was well past midnight, a time when most children would be fast asleep. Sakura wasn't even a participant in the Holy Grail War and had no reason to stay up.

"Because big brother always comes to see me at night, so I decided to sleep during the day," Sakura replied, leaving Zuke amused.

Indeed, Zuke usually visited Sakura at night, as he'd entered the quest world in the evening. Since the Holy Grail War took place at night to avoid public attention, his timing coincided with the war's activities.

Sakura had noticed this pattern and adjusted her schedule to match, staying awake at night on the chance that Zuke might visit.

"Well, young lady, you can catch up later. For now, come along with your big brother."

Outside the window, Iskandar's voice boomed. He was too large to fit through the window and had to remain outside.

He floated there on his chariot, the Gordius Wheel, though he couldn't linger long without attracting attention from nocturnal observers.

"...Big brother is taking me to the Clock Tower, isn't he?"

Sakura glanced outside and saw Iskandar's massive face. She remembered Zuke's agreement with Waver and quickly pieced things together.

Her expression turned slightly forlorn—not because she disliked the idea of going to the Clock Tower, but because she realized this marked the end of the Holy Grail War.

Afterward, Zuke would vanish from this world, and she would have to wait for the next Holy Grail War to summon him again.

Sakura had resolved to become an excellent mage, preparing herself for that future possibility. Her gaze fell on the black feathered dagger she had carefully stored away.

To be continued...

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