"In that case, let's sign the tract," El-Melloi II said, produg a dot.

  This was a self-enf magical tract, a typical oath used by mages to seal agreements. Once signed, both parties would be bound by a curse known as "bind," which prevented any viotion of the terms. Even ih, the soul would remain bound by the oath if it passed to the geion through magical means.

  The main reason for using such a tract was that Chihiro and El-Melloi II weren't fully familiar with each other. This was essential to eh sides felt secure in their cooperation.

  Chihiro, Rin, Waver, Kayh, and So-ui each sighe tract. Its terms were simple: during this Holy Grail War, her side could attack the other until Gilgamesh was defeated. If that didn't happen, the tract would automatically dissolve at the end of the war.

  With that, Chihiro's group officially allied with the others.

  Meanwhile, Sigurd and Brynhildr tiheir battle. Brynhildr unched relentless attacks, while Sigurd focused solely on defense.

  "Brynhildr, do you io prove your love by killing me?" Sigurd asked, somewhat exasperated. "Though this is… fttering, I'm afraid that if I die like this, I won't be able to fully express my love iurn."

  He sighed.

  "Isn't there a way to make them stop?" So-ui asked, watg the ongoing struggle betweewo lovers.

  Waver frowned. "Why don't we just pull them apart?"

  Chihiro shook his head. "It's not that easy. Brynhildr's as are driveirely by her own subscious. When she sees her beloved, her instincts take over, and she 't stay rational. Even if we separate them now, it'll only happen again ter."

  So-ui sighed, looking worried. "Is there a perma solution?"

  "There is," Chihiro replied, gng at her. "It's the and Spell in your hand."

  Using a and Spell could restrict Brynhildr's as. So-ui uood but hesitated. She knew how precious eaand Spell was.

  "No! Don't waste a and Spell on something like this!" Kayh interjected, clearly displeased by the idea.

  But So-ui ignored him, raising her hand with a determined look. "In the name of my and Spell, Brynhildr, I order you—do not attack Sigurd."

  With that, the and Spell activated, and Brynhildr's fierce expression softened as she halted her attack.

  "So-ui, how could you?" Kayh protested, clearly frustrated. To him, using a and Spell for such a "trivial" matter was uable. But the deed was done, and he could only grit his teeth in silence.

  "Thank you, Master," Brynhildr said, turning to So with a faint smile. "But I've told you before, please treat me as a tool. Your kindness… only makes things harder for me."

  So-ui looked puzzled. "Why do you say that, Brynhildr?"

  Brynhildr's gaze softened. "Because whenever I'm treated gently, I start to develop feelings of love. And when I do… I iably want to kill the one I love, just like him… the one I cherish more deeply than anyone else."

  The entire group eechless. They had initially assumed Brynhildr's strange expression of love applied only to Sigurd. But it seemed her dition wasn't so selective.

  Sigurd looked down, guilt evident in his eyes. "Is this my fault?"

  Seeing his remorse, Chihiro couldn't help but feel sympathetic. A reunion that should have brought joy had now turned bittersweet. The atmosphere became tense.

  "Who's there?" Zhang Jiao suddenly shouted, breaking the silence. A yellow talisman in his hand transformed into a flying sword, shooting towards a tree not far away.

  A figure wearing a skull mask emerged, dodging the attack with agility.

  "Hmph, Hassan of the Hundred Faces," Kayh muttered coldly. "It seems Tohsaka Tokiomi's servant has been keeping an eye on us."

  After days of observation, they'd identified the figure. The skull mask and the ability to create es left little doubt, this was indeed Hassan of the Hundred Faces.

  Waver narrowed his eyes. "Has he been spying on us this whole time?"

  "No," Chihiro said, gng at Rin. "His target isn't us—it's her."

  Hassan's task had likely been to monitor Rin's activities a back to Kotomine Kirei. But Zhang Jiao's vigince had exposed his presence.

  "Red Hare, take care of it," Chihiro ordered.

  Red Hare immediately leapt into a, charging toward Hassan. Hassan, though skilled ih and assassination, was no match for direct frontation especially in his current weakeate as a e. Red Hare dispatched him swiftly.

  Meanwhile, at the Tohsaka estate, Kotomine Kirei reyed news of Chihiro's alliao Tohsaka Tokiomi.

  "To think… Rin would go this far," Tokiomi muttered, troubled by his daughter's as.

  Gilgamesh, lounging nearby, remained unbothered. However, Tokiomi's respect for the King of Heroes had waned. If Gilgamesh had followed his pns instead of ag indepely, things would never have escated to this point.

  Now, the Holy Grail War was fractured into four distinct alliances.

  First, there was Tokiomi's team, sisting of himself and Kotomine Kirei, backed by Gilgamesh and Hassan of the Hundred Faces.

  , Matou Kariya stood aloh only La as his Servant.

  Then there was Emiya Kiritsugu, also operating solo but anding both Artoria and the mysterious "Heroic Spirit Kiritsugu."

  Finally, the newly-formed alliaween Chihiro, Waver, and Kayh had amassed eight Servants in total. Fag such a coalition, Tokiomi wasn't fident that even Gilgamesh could guarantee victory.

  If only Gilgamesh would follow orders… But that, too, was an impossibility. And knowing Gilgamesh's personality, he would recklessly pluo traps set by their enemies if provoked.

  "Perhaps summoning Gilgamesh was a mistake," Tokiomi thought bitterly.

  "Hmph. Watch your tookiomi," Gilgamesh sneered, catg Tokiomi's displeasure. "Do you think I, the King of Heroes, fear these amateurs? Even if they all e at me, it would make no difference."

  Nearby, Kirei watched silently, his expression inscrutable. Gilgamesh's gaze flicked over to him, intrigued. He had offered Kirei his guidanow he waited to see what the priest would do.

  Elsewhere, at the Emiya residence, Kiritsugu had received word of Chihiro's alliance. His familiar, disguised as a bird, had been shadowing Kayh's movements. Kiritsugu's pn was simple wait for an opportunity to catch Kayh alone and eliminate him. But Kayh had been wise to stay close to Waver, denying Kiritsugu the ce.

  It seemed Kiritsugu had no choice but to sider alternative strategies.

  "Should I also form an alliance?" he mused. But he khat his owation made it unlikely. Even Matou Kariya, bitter as he was, would likely refuse any offer from him.

  With these thoughts weighing on him, Kiritsugu resigned himself to finding another way.

  ---

  The third night of the Holy Grail assed quickly, and soon it was noon on the fourth day.

  ---

  [Ding! The question-and-answer session will begin in ten minutes. Please prepare.]

  [Ding! New member "Sigurd" has joihe group chat.]

  Sigurd's entrance was met with little surprise, as most were already expeg it.

  [Ding! The first question is about to begin!]

  [This is a multiple-choice question. Please choose acc to the question.]

  [Question: In the inal development, who was the first Servant to be eliminated?]

  [A: Diarmuid ]

  [B: The Knight of the Lake – La]

  [C: Hassan of the Hundred Faces]

  [D: Bluebeard – Gilles de Rais]

  ---

  Kayh: "Hm? They're starting with questions this time?"

  Waver: "There's no video either… Is this just a guessing game?"

  The King of querors: "Well the's pick based on strength. Just choose the weakest option!"

  Kayh: "That's likely. The first oo fall are usually the weakest."

  Waver: "So… who do we think is the weakest?"

  Kayh: "It has to be one of Hassan or Bluebeard."

  Waver: "Hey, the system isn't hiding Hassan's name anymore?"

  Chihiro: "I suppose since most of us already know, the system has no reason to hide it."

  ***

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