Aozaki Aoko Case File

Credits: Ruzzzy

The battle of the first night of the Holy Grail War had come to an end, and the second day arrived.

Tokiomi Tohsaka and Risei Kotomine were both incredibly busy, as they had received inquiries simultaneously from the Mage's Association and the Holy Church.

As the overseer of the magical side of Fuyuki City, Tokiomi even received a call from the Japanese Prime Minister himself. This was due to the fact that two U.S. military fighter jets had gone missing over Fuyuki City last night, and now the Japanese government was being pressured to provide an explanation.

Sweating profusely, Tokiomi didn't even have the energy to worry about the fact that his Servant, Gilgamesh, had once again wandered off on his own to roam the streets.

The Servant battleground near the river was explained away to the public as a "meteor strike that caused a natural gas pipeline explosion, triggering a chain reaction." That area was now completely sealed off, with civilians prohibited from entering.

On top of external pressures, Tokiomi felt deeply aggrieved upon learning that one of his opponents was a Magician—a being who had already achieved the ultimate goal of magus.

When the Tohsaka family, together with the Matou and Einzbern families, established the Holy Grail system, the Tohsaka family's great elder, the Wizard Marshall Zelretch, had personally witnessed the creation of the ritual and promised to prevent other Magicians from interfering. But now that "other Magicians" had entered the fray, where was Zelretch? Why hadn't he shown up yet?

Complaints aside, Tokiomi understood that he had to handle things one step at a time. He was a pragmatic man who wouldn't give up just because his opponent was strong.

Meanwhile, Father Risei Kotomine, after discussions with the Holy Church, decided to issue a bounty on Berserker.

Berserker had recklessly destroyed and hijacked the U.S. fighter jets, causing significant disruption in the magical world and risking exposure of the Holy Grail War's secrets to the general public. The Japanese government was already under intense interrogation from the United States, and someone had to take the blame for the incident. With Berserker and their Master still unidentified, they became the perfect scapegoats.

Thus, leveraging his position as the overseer of the Holy Grail War, Risei issued a summons to all Masters, planning to explain the situation that night.

To incentivize cooperation, the Fuyuki Church would offer a Command Seal from the leftover stock of previous Holy Grail Wars as a prize for anyone who managed to eliminate Berserker or capture their Master.

For Tokiomi and Risei, this strategy was a win-win. It allowed them to handle external pressure while also using the other Masters to eliminate one of their competitors.

However, with two other pairs of Masters already having formed alliances, Tokiomi had to consider forming one of his own.

Tokiomi had no doubts about the overwhelming strength of his Servant, the King of Heroes, Gilgamesh. However, if someone like King Solomon—who had once fought Gilgamesh to a standstill—teamed up with a Servant like King Arthur, Tokiomi couldn't help but feel uncertain.

What's more, the Master of King Arthur, the Magician Aoko Aozaki, made him particularly uneasy. In a way, she was even an indirect benefactor to his daughter, which left Tokiomi in a conflicted position.

After much thought, Tokiomi decided to seek an opportunity to plead with Gilgamesh. If they were victorious, he hoped the King of Heroes would spare Aoko Aozaki's life, thus repaying the favor.

Considering that the Lord of the Mineralogy Department's ally was his student and that Marisbury was Tokiomi's greatest competitor, the only viable choice for an alliance—aside from the wanted Berserker—was the elusive Master of Assassin, the Einzbern representative.

Normally, an alliance between the Tohsaka and Einzbern families, as two members of the founding families, would be unthinkable. But Tokiomi was now backed into a corner and had no choice but to swallow his pride and seek allies.

"Kirei, come here. I have something important to ask of you."

Tokiomi picked up his communicator and contacted his student. After a day of running around handling the various parties investigating the events in Fuyuki, Tokiomi now had an even more pressing task for him.

About half an hour later, a travel-worn and expressionless Kirei Kotomine returned to the Tohsaka estate and stood before his teacher.

"Have a seat, Kirei. You've been working so hard lately," Tokiomi said with a sigh of gratitude, pouring his student a cup of tea.

"This is what I should do, Teacher," Kirei replied as he took the tea. After taking a sip, he asked, "Did something urgent happen for you to call me back so suddenly?"

"Yes, there is an important matter," Tokiomi said as he sat back in his chair. "We need an ally."

"An ally?" Kirei asked with a puzzled expression. "But isn't there only one winner in the Holy Grail War...?"

"That's true," Tokiomi nodded. "But before that happens, I need to make sure I'm not the next to be eliminated once Berserker is dealt with."

"Hmm," Kirei murmured thoughtfully. "So, you want me to contact the Einzbern family?"

"Exactly!" Tokiomi said, pleased with his student's understanding. "I need you to personally deliver a letter I've written to the Einzbern representative in Fuyuki. I'll include a self-geis scroll as a gesture of sincerity."

"...I understand, Teacher," Kirei said, showing an unusual flicker of emotion. "I'll make sure the letter is delivered."

Kirei's unusual enthusiasm for delivering the letter wasn't due to any alignment with Tokiomi's hopes for an alliance.

Deep down, Kirei knew he was an empty, hollow person, devoid of emotion or purpose. He had always been searching for something that could stir his stagnant heart.

During the previous night's battle, Kirei had shot down a magus's familiar while monitoring the conflict. To his surprise, the familiar had been carrying a miniature camera.

This discovery piqued Kirei's curiosity. What kind of person would abandon the pride of a magus to participate in this brutal, meat-grinder of a war?

After an efficient investigation, Kirei learned that the familiar likely belonged to a mercenary hired by the Einzbern family—the man known as the Magus Killer.

For some reason, Kirei found himself uncommonly intrigued by this mysterious man. What kind of life had this mercenary led? What goals drove him to participate in the Holy Grail War? What wishes did he hope to fulfill?

Now, with his teacher's request, Kirei saw the perfect opportunity to meet this man face-to-face. If possible, he wanted to talk to him and uncover the answers to his questions.