"Losing four Servants before the war has even officially begun... You Clock Tower mages are nothing special after all."
Selenike wasted no time belittling the Red Faction the moment she arrived at Amakusa's church.
"You should be grateful this happened," she sneered. "It'll make your defeat less humiliating."
"You lost your Assassin before the war even started, and you still have the nerve to talk? We were the ones doing all the work hunting Jeanne d'Arc, and even then, three of your Servants are now out of commission. Utterly useless!"
Cabik, still furious over his brother's "sacrifice," shot back without hesitation.
"I never thought a Magus from the esteemed Clock Tower would spout such shameless nonsense."
Darnic, the leader of the Yggdmillennia Clan, finally spoke. Having joined the clan after being ostracized by traditional Magi for his diluted bloodline, he held no affection for the aristocratic Magi of the Clock Tower.
"I believe our clan needs to seriously reconsider our alliance with you. The magical territory our family has cultivated for generations might not be inferior to your 'Hanging Gardens'."
Semiramis, incensed by the arrogant posturing of this second-rate Magus, was about to retort when Amakusa stopped her.
Amakusa knew this was not the time for conflict. As the Church's representative and the self-proclaimed referee of this war, he stepped in with a placating smile.
"Everyone, please calm down. Both our sides have lost comrades, which is deeply regrettable. But these were efforts made to save the world; they were not meaningless sacrifices. We should honor their memory, not quarrel over this."
Sisigou listened to Amakusa's bureaucratic speech and boredly blew a smoke ring. He never liked attending these kinds of gatherings, preferring to act alone. But given the current situation, he couldn't just stay out of it. No matter how uncomfortable he felt, he had to endure it.
Mordred, however, wasn't one for such patience. She stomped her foot impatiently.
"You talk about the fate of humanity being at stake, yet you're all just bickering back and forth! Are we going to fight or not? Stop being so damn indecisive! Who's in charge here? Just give us a straight answer!"
Since the Magi from both sides were enemies, Mordred's words did nothing to help. Instead, they only fueled more resentment, and the tension in the room instantly escalated, bringing them to the brink of conflict.
Faced with this situation, Lord Vlad III, fighting on his home turf, raised a hand to quell the rising hostility.
"Both our forces have suffered severe losses. Starting an internal war now would be unwise. However, choosing a leader is indeed our most urgent task. A group does not need two voices."
"I agree completely."
Darnic stared at Amakusa. "Since this crisis was caused by this Holy Grail War, we must be the ones to resolve it. The problem of the Beast cannot be solved by either side alone; cooperation is inevitable. Therefore, choosing a mutually recognized commander is essential. Don't think you've gained the right to call the shots just because you have a War Fortress. We also have preparations capable of turning the tide of battle, so don't act like you're in charge. Right now, our Servant counts are equal—Caster's Noble Phantasm is only half-prepared and couldn't be moved in time—so how about we settle this with a 3v3 match?"
"Best two out of three? That is indeed the most effective way to determine a winner."
Amakusa understood perfectly well that the Yggdmillennia Clan had initiated this Holy Grail War precisely because they were dissatisfied with the Mages' Association and wanted to break away. They would never submit to the authority of the Clock Tower and the Church.
"However," Amakusa continued, "it would also be a pointless waste of our strength. The Beast could attack at any moment. Such an action is far too reckless."
Darnic merely saw Amakusa's words as an attempt to evade the challenge. With Siegfried and Lord Vlad III fighting on their home turf, victory for Yggdmillennia was practically assured.
"Are you unwilling to surrender command? That's not for you to decide!"
"Are you sure you want to do this?"
Semiramis smiled, lightly tapping the armrest of her throne. "In terms of numbers, we actually have the advantage, you see."
"Darnic, do not take another step forward."
Darnic's advance was halted by Lord Vlad III. Before he could even ask why, he noticed a colossal serpent coiled beside Amakusa. No, calling it a mere serpent would be a gross understatement. The magical power radiating from the creature sent sharp, stinging sensations through him. Even without knowing its identity, he could tell this was a Phantasmal Beast of mythological proportions.
"So cool—"
Astolfo, utterly devoid of tension, began circling Bašmu.
"It feels so strong! I don't think even I could beat it! Can I touch it? Is it poisonous?"
"Bašmu, one of the Eleven Children of Tiamat."
Siegfried recognized the monster's True Name. "It's best not to get close. Its venom surpasses even that of the legendary Hydra. Even Servants with poison resistance cannot fully negate its effects."
"To think he could summon something of this magnitude..."
Darnic took a few steps back. The rank, grassy odor emanating from Bašmu made his nostrils burn. It seemed even its scent was highly toxic.
"As expected of the Empress of Assyria, famed for her poisons—the most ancient poisoner."
Semiramis accepted Darnic's sarcastic praise with a cold snort. His words were hardly an insult to her. Besides, these fools had already been poisoned by her; she could trigger the venom's effects at any moment. However, it probably wouldn't be enough against Servants. At their peak, her poisons would have limited effect on Servants like Siegfried and Lord Vlad III (with his territorial bonus).
Darnic's expression darkened. Siegfried's words implied that even he couldn't easily defeat Bašmu alone, and Astolfo would almost certainly be no match for the creature. Meanwhile, his own Servant, Lord Vlad III, couldn't use his Noble Phantasm due to his own principles. Now, it seemed their side was truly at a disadvantage. Yet, he couldn't bear to surrender command willingly. The glory of defeating a Beast would be more than enough to secure his clan's independence and earn them immense renown.
"I have a different idea."
Amakusa finally spoke up. "It's clear our two sides won't be able to integrate our forces in such a short time. Our previous joint operations actually cost both of us quite a few Servants. Therefore, I see no need for a unified command. We can simply cooperate as we did before. Subjugating the Beast is everyone's duty, and I trust the Yggdmillennia Clan won't shirk that responsibility."
"You don't need to tell us that," Darnic retorted.
"Then there's no need to force the issue," Amakusa continued, not pressing for command. "We've all gathered here for a single purpose. The main reason we're assembled here is to maximize the effectiveness of my Assassin's Noble Phantasm."
"Next, I will guide you through the structure of the Hanging Gardens. When facing a Beast, we can't afford to hold anything back."
Since Amakusa had offered him an out, Darnic couldn't argue further. "That would be for the best."
Just then, Feend, the Clock Tower lecturer, received a signal from his familiar. "The Clock Tower has responded."