Inside an unfinished, unoccupied high-rise, a man in priestly vestments stood expressionless, as if lost in thought.
"Kirei Kotomine."
A flat voice spoke from behind him.
"The King of Heroes…?"
Whether he was surprised by Ophis's sudden appearance was impossible to tell. Kirei Kotomine's face remained calm as he turned around.
Ophis looked him over—this man who seemed to possess no emotion at all.
Interesting.
In truth, Ophis herself rarely showed much on her face. But the two of them were nothing alike.
Because of Enkidu, Ophis always wore a smile; and yet she still radiated a faintly sinister, boss-like pressure.
To maintain balance, the Ouroboros could almost never keep any trait purely singular—its opposite would typically manifest alongside it. That was why a personality like "joy" had taken root so easily. Ophis, quiet by nature, had always carried the seed of an opposing side, and the feelings Inori left behind had merely coaxed it into bloom.
Bright and bleak, a walking contradiction—that was the Ophis everyone saw.
Kirei Kotomine, however, was completely different. He was truly without emotion. Total nothingness.
And yet Ophis could see it: a profound "dark" sealed within him.
A darkness that looked ready to spill out at any moment.
"I recall you're Tokiomi's disciple. Did Tokiomi send you here?"
It was fascinating, but Ophis had no taste for that kind of pure darkness.
Enkidu liked things clean. Influenced by her, Ophis naturally didn't like filth.
That darkness still needed a trigger to break loose. Since it posed no immediate problem, Ophis had no intention of doing anything unnecessary.
"No. I was simply out for a walk."
Kirei answered without expression.
"I have no interest in what you seek. But you should stop here."
If that darkness erupted—even if the chance was infinitesimal, even if it required a precise convergence of circumstances—there existed the possibility of humanity's destruction. More likely, it would end in self-destruction.
Ophis had no desire to pry into how he would meet his end. Running into him here was only an unexpected little bonus she'd stumbled upon while observing Chaldea. She left him that single line, then turned and dissolved into spirit form, vanishing.
This timeline hid far too many secrets. Kirei Kotomine alone couldn't fully kindle Ophis's interest—at most, he merited a second glance.
And even if he truly reached the point of destroying the world… Ophis didn't believe he would be any harder to deal with than Tiamat.
"…"
Kirei said nothing. After a long silence, he walked away.
"Heh-heh-heh. How interesting."
Once Kirei was gone, a childish voice rose from the darkness.
"I thought he'd be a bore, but he actually caught her attention? I'd like to study him too, but… forget it. Since I'm about to reunite with them after so long, I'll toss this joyless fellow aside for now. Next… I'll deal with those lowly worms. That kind of filth is an insult to my eyes, and besides…"
An overwhelming killing intent burst forth—then vanished in an instant.
"Uwah… is it that late already? Crap, crap—if I don't get back now, they'll notice! Whatever. Everything else can wait."
The flustered voice faded, and the dim building fell silent once more.
...
"Saber, Lancer, Berserker, Rider… they've all become targets for their recruitment."
Back at the Tohsaka residence, Ophis tallied the information she'd gathered after moving from place to place throughout the night.
As for Caster, it seemed they intended to handle him themselves. If she didn't have to lift a finger, all the better.
Which meant…
Now she just had to wait for them to form up and come deliver themselves.
And the Assassins that still seemed to be lurking about… sooner or later, they'd come deliver themselves too.
Of course, Ophis might carry dragon blood and the title of King of Heroes, but she wasn't so reckless as to swagger around without thinking.
Some preparation in advance was still necessary…
"King."
Tokiomi Tohsaka appeared at Ophis's side and offered an elegant bow.
"You've worked hard. Allow me to congratulate you on your triumphant return."
He was far from pleased that Ophis had so casually revealed her trump card and True Name, but Tokiomi wasn't foolish enough to complain when the deed was already done.
"Mm."
Ophis answered absently. Toward this bargain-basement Master, she felt neither fondness nor dislike. Between them was nothing but a contract.
Tokiomi Tohsaka had summoned Ophis. Ophis would help Tokiomi Tohsaka settle the Holy Grail War.
Once it was over, they would have nothing to do with each other.
Still… something about him felt oddly familiar, like he resembled someone else…
But it didn't matter. At most, he resembled her vessel. There was no chance he was truly the god Anu.
"What is it?"
"Yes. Just now, the supervisor responsible for arbitration—the Holy Church—issued a notice. Because Caster's faction has been attacking civilians at will, and has left blatant traces of magecraft with no attempt to conceal it, they have gravely violated the principles of both the Holy Grail War and magi. Therefore, the rules of the war have been temporarily revised: Masters of each faction are to suspend hostilities among themselves and unite to subjugate Caster. I wished to make sure you were informed, my King."
With his posture still deferential, Tokiomi answered respectfully.
"Tokiomi means to have me serve as the hound for the hunt?"
"I would never presume. But if you were to take the field personally, my King, you would surely open the eyes of those vulgar souls and allow the world to behold your peerless glory."
"Not interested."
With a casual wave, Ophis cut him off and left the room.
If others were going to deal with that Caster, there was no reason for her to act at all.
Much had changed, but unless there was a special reason, Ophis still wouldn't do anything pointless.
Outside of battle, Ophis was a thoroughgoing energy miser.
Watching the motes of spirit particles left behind as Ophis dissipated, Tokiomi could only sigh helplessly.
If he'd had even one additional Command Spell—if he could have slammed down all four—he might have gained a little more leverage to rein her in. But if she refused to move, he had no means to force her.
Tokiomi couldn't help but start thinking that summoning a Servant he couldn't control at all had been a disastrous choice. Compared to Ophis, even Kirei's Assassin would have been more useful.
But…
As long as he could obtain the Holy Grail… fulfill the Tohsaka family's long-cherished wish…
No matter the price, it would be worth it.