Shinji Matou at Your Service

Lorelei's strange behavior naturally sparked Shinji's curiosity.

Since returning to Japan, he had been unable to contact Lorelei directly. His calls went unanswered, and other methods of communication only brought the response that she was currently unavailable and that reports would be given once she returned.

At first, Shinji wasn't too concerned. Lorelei had always been busy, and with all the recent troubles, it made sense that she didn't have time for him. He figured she would get back to him once things calmed down, and in the meantime, he needed to focus on preparing for the Holy Grail War.

But when word came from Kenneth that the Department of Policies had decided on the final Master for the war—a certain Executor from the Sealing Designation Enforcers, the Secret Judgment Division, Carillon Observatory, named Bazett—Shinji began to sense something was off.

Bazett Fraga McRemitz was Irish, from a mysterious lineage of Sorcery Trait God's Holder. At 15, she defied her family's traditions and joined the Mage's Association, and a year later, she was tasked with capturing magus designated for sealing as an Executor. She was a combat-oriented specialist with the title of Human Weapon. Even Lorelei, if caught unprepared, could be taken down by her.

In the original timeline, Bazett was one of the seven Masters, which wouldn't have been unusual. But things were not normal now. Bazett had joined the Holy Grail War due to an invitation from Kotomine Kirei, with whom she had a decent relationship through work.

However, in this timeline, Kotomine Kirei's path had changed dramatically—he had become an outcast, wanted by the Holy Church as a heretic. Could he still have formed the same connection with Bazett? Would she still trust him?

If so, it meant that Kotomine was also eyeing the Holy Grail War, and if he had managed to win Bazett's trust even after becoming a heretic, he could be far more dangerous than before.

If not, why was Bazett here? Was it under the orders of the Sealing Designation, or someone else? And did Lorelei know about it?

Whatever the reason, Bazett was someone who needed to be closely watched.

Calculating the timing of Bazett's departure from Britain, Shinji activated the Matou family's network. As one of the most influential families in Fuyuki City, the Matou family's power was formidable. Not only were there cameras scattered across the city but even local gangs were ordered to look for a foreign woman with deep red hair and a penchant for wearing men's suits.

As soon as Bazett stepped out of Shinto Station, Shinji received word.

"C-Sister, I'll leave it to you," Shinji said to Medea, who stood nearby. C-Sister was a nickname Medea had insisted on, stating that it wouldn't be fair for Shinji to call Medusa R-Sister and not give her a similar title.

Shinji had agreed, but when he tried to say it, he realized it didn't sound quite right. Unlike Medusa's casual R-Sister nickname, Medea's abbreviated nickname, C-Milf, would've sounded off if said out loud. Given her current form, he couldn't call her Lily-chan, which was reserved for a more youthful version of Medea, so he settled for the awkward C-Sister. It had felt strange at first, but he quickly got used to it.

"No problem, little brother," Medea replied.

Since Shinji had called her "Sister," she had started calling him "little brother."

The nickname made Shinji feel uneasy. One of Medea's most infamous actions in her legend was killing her brother, so being called "little brother" by her sent chills down his spine. It was as if he might be backstabbed at any moment.

Worse yet, this was a thought he could never voice aloud. After all, he had just vowed to not judge others based on their pasts. If he mentioned this now, what would Medea think?

While Shinji internally berated himself, Medea had already started her magecraft. She held her hands over a crystal ball, and with a flash of purple magic, an image of Shinto Station appeared within.

It was Medea's specialty—high-level scrying magic known as Clairvoyance. As long as she had enough mana, she could observe any part of the city without leaving the room.

This was one of the reasons Shinji had enlisted her help. With her, his surveillance network would be flawless. Fujino and Kirie no longer needed to keep watch at the police station—Medea's magecraft could handle it all.

As the image in the crystal ball sharpened, the target appeared clearly in the center.

"A suit, deep red hair, calm breathing, and a steady posture. Yeah, that's her."

"She's walking openly through the streets without any disguise. People like that are either fools or extremely confident in their strength," Medea commented, stabilizing the spell before releasing her hands from the crystal ball.

"Probably a bit of both. I've heard many times that she's simple-minded, but her strength is real. She's one of the few modern magi who can face a Servant head-on."

"Face a Servant head-on?"

Medea pulled her hood lower, her voice taking on a dangerous edge.

"Curiosity is fine, but don't provoke her further."

"Why?"

Medea seemed dissatisfied with Shinji's caution, as she had been thinking about how best to showcase her power.

"First, she's not a Master yet. She hasn't summoned her Servant, so provoking her now is unnecessary. Second, she's a real combat expert, with no weaknesses in either martial arts or magecraft. She also comes from a family that inherited mysteries from the Age of Gods, and she's said to have a relic left by a deity that can counter Noble Phantasms and high-level magecraft. She's the worst possible type for you to face."

Instead of convincing her, Shinji's explanation only seemed to fuel Medea's pride. After all, she was a magus trained by the goddess Hecate, and the difference between her and modern magi was like night and day.

"Shinji, you're underestimating me. You won't believe it if I just tell you, so let's prove it."

"It's not underestimating, it's just reality."

Shinji's calm gaze met her fierce one.

"How about this? You can pick me, Sakura, Fujino, or Kirie. Let's have a friendly match, and you'll see for yourself."