Chapter 97. Master Support Association Is Founded!!!
Half an hour later, inside Hoshino Café, the five people gradually became close. Everyone's face was lit up with smiles, chatting excitedly from one topic to another, switching between reality and the Celestial Curtain.
It wasn't just admiration for the Servants, but also the changes that had occurred within themselves.
But anyway, those influences were all positive changes.
"Ah, looks like everyone has become a big star now, huh."
Natsuki Subaru looked at the masks and baseball caps on the café table and spoke with a hint of emotion.
In the Celestial Curtain, he didn't have much screen time, and his image wasn't popular.
In real life, people kept their distance from him, he didn't have many friends—now it felt like he had finally found kindred spirits.
The others sighed helplessly.
"Everyone's enthusiasm is so overwhelming that I'm exhausted just dealing with it."
Hideyoshi looked somewhat troubled, "Maybe being too famous isn't such a good thing after all."
Among the seven Masters in the parallel world, setting aside the two protagonists with the most screen time, the popularity of the Trap-boy exploded the most. People frequently waited in ambush just to ask for autographs or to take pictures together—there were even dangerous individuals who wanted to kidnap him and take him home.
What the hell, it's not like he's a woman, why be so crazed?
Friends at the academy also teased him, talking about how his head got chopped off, calling him Hideyoshi the Flag, Dullahan—it was tragic. The whole group laughed boisterously. Though Hideyoshi knew they meant to comfort him, he still felt mixed emotions inside.
There was also another change.
Roughly because he deeply admired Kojirou, he had started training in kendo.
Hideyoshi was like a radio that had been switched on, and the others began to pour out their own worries one after another.
Maybe it was also a kind of joyful trouble.
So why were there so few Masters present?
Mouri Kogoro was too old, with a generational gap between them, and as for the other two...
Aki Tomoya and Matou Makoto were currently being hunted by the entire world.
Moreover, in the Celestial Curtain, the impression they left on people was extremely negative, so Kurumi didn't call them.
There was one more person that no one dared to casually disturb—he was even stronger than a Servant in the Celestial Curtain.
Thinking of this, Natsuki Subaru shivered, beginning to tremble.
In the Celestial Curtain, the "Purge King" who had made things difficult for the young master was his parallel version, and even ordered Berserker to attack the parallel world's Yukino. If they called him over, and he decided to scatter Subaru's ashes into space, wouldn't that be an incredibly unjust death?
Shaking his head to dispel those chaotic thoughts, Natsuki Subaru couldn't help but ask:
"So this is a gathering of us Masters? Then Kurumi-san is...?"
"Ara, you're in quite a hurry, aren't you? As for the reason why I'm here..."
Kurumi extended her hand, the corners of her mouth lifting into a captivating smile that made hearts race. The pale skin on her wrist was marked with three blood-red Command Spell patterns.
This is...
Natsuki Subaru's pupils contracted—he was stunned. When he finally came back to his senses, he looked toward the others in shock and confusion.
Yukinoshita Yukino and Nishimiya Shouko exchanged glances. The two girls also extended their hands—snow-white wrists clearly displaying Command Spells.
Those deep red marks were so glaring they felt like they were slicing into his vision, vivid and frightening!
Natsuki Subaru: ?
He froze, collapsing to the ground on his knees, head lowered to stare at his empty wrist, instantly choking up.
In other words, he was the only one who didn't have it?
No...
There was still one more person who didn't.
His spirits lifted as he looked up excitedly. Under Hideyoshi's bewildered gaze, he lunged forward like a lion, wrapping "her" in a friendly bear hug, shouting with emotion: "Hideyoshi, you're my lifelong friend now!"
"Ugh, with a reason like this, I'm not happy at all!"
Hideyoshi was instantly speechless. Sweat ran down his forehead as he struggled desperately.
The girls sitting nearby happily watched the scene, unable to stop themselves from smiling gently.
After the two of them horsed around for a while—
This group of Masters finally began to talk serious business.
"When did you… no, how did you guys get Command Spells?"
Natsuki Subaru asked curiously.
Yukinoshita Yukino calmly replied:
"When the Celestial Curtain reached the part where I was fighting against Servant Yukino, my hand suddenly throbbed in pain, and at the same time resonated with my counterpart in that world, then the Command Spell awakened. By the way, it seems I can even sense magic circuits now."
"Uuuu…"
On the opposite side, the beautiful brown-haired girl Shouko looked a little flustered, hurriedly reaching out to make illustrative gestures.
Hideyoshi once again took on the role of interpreter and said calmly: "What Shouko means is, when Medea was about to die, the two of them held hands, her heart tightened, then she collapsed to the ground crying, and suddenly the Command Spell appeared."
"So that's how it was…"
Everyone seemed to have a realization. No one wanted to reopen Shouko's emotional wounds, so they quickly turned to look at the mysterious Kurumi.
This person had never appeared in the Celestial Curtain, so how did she obtain a Command Seal?
"Ara?"
Kurumi raised an eyebrow and pulled out a blazing red Killing Stone from under her dress lining. "It's because of this. The moment I took hold of it, a beam of light shot into my wrist, and then a Command Spell pattern formed."
"Maybe it also allowed me to grasp another kind of magic."
"I already used one, and I have one left. Does anyone want it?"
"Uhh…"
Hearing this flood of information crash down, everyone looked at one another in a daze.
"I am interested in that~."
Suddenly, a leisurely, pleasant voice rang out.
"Good afternoon. Can this onee-san join you?"
Outside the café, a beautiful short-haired woman stepped in with a smile. Her simple outfit accentuated her tall, curvy figure; her face, already stunning, was tastefully made-up, exuding the sharp elegance of a mature woman.
"Nee-san?"
Yukinoshita Yukino was briefly stunned. Haruno had appeared unexpectedly, as usual.
"Family of Yukinoshita-san? Welcome~."
Kurumi clapped her hands and smiled gently: "So, does onee-san want this stone that can summon a Servant? Personally, I'd be happy to trade it—as long as the value on the other side of the scale is worthy."
"Well then, let me share some information first."
Haruno gave a charming smile and used the composed air of an adult to converse with them, analyzing the current situation.
Very quickly, she pointed out the strengths and weaknesses in each person's current state, proposed reasonable strategies—seemingly intending to win over all the Masters present.
Hideyoshi listened for a while, then asked curiously: "What about Aki and Makoto?"
"You thought those two were treated like stars like the rest of you guys?"
Haruno seemed a bit surprised: "According to the information I've gathered, Aki Tomoya went missing after being bullied, and Itou Makoto transferred schools—no one knows where he went, probably overseas. Anyway, to foreigners, most Asian faces look pretty similar."
"If he really went to study abroad, with luck he might not be bullied anymore."
Yukino frowned: "What does this have to do with us… wait, Aki Tomoya, what?!"
"That's right."
Haruno nodded, her smile growing even more radiant: "That's the true nature of human malice. The ones who bullied Aki Tomoya were definitely his classmates, but deep down, the one he resents the most might not be them—but those who were also Masters in the Celestial Curtain, yet instead of being bullied, were praised."
"I wasn't praised at all…"
Subaru raised his hand in serious protest.
He wasn't praised in the slightest—everyone avoided him.
"Hm?"
Haruno smiled, glancing at the boy.
"N-no, it's nothing, please go on."
Subaru immediately withdrew his hand, trembling, obedient like a puppy.
Though it was unclear whether it was because of being too immersed in the Celestial Curtain, he genuinely felt a little scared of this onee-san. Frankly speaking, this woman was basically half the person who raised the "Purge King."
Subaru covered his face, feeling like a thief who accidentally ran into his own mother — guilt flooding his brain.
Right after that, a cold voice rang out…
"Don't think you're the only ones experiencing strange changes."
Haruno narrowed her eyes and took out a stack of documents, laying them flat on the café table.
Everyone picked one up to read. Subaru only glanced at them briefly and froze — they were all case files about unsolved murder cases. The victims were all seventeen- or eighteen-year-old youths, their bodies so mangled they were unbearable to look at, as if torn apart by some overwhelming force.
"Sss~."
All the Masters gasped in fear.
There was absolutely no way an ordinary human could possess such strength — tearing apart a living body would require several tons of force. Could it be...
"Exactly what you're thinking."
Haruno said calmly: "All these victims once bullied a student named Aki Tomoya. Clearly, that person now possesses a power beyond the bounds of common sense."
"And that's not all."
She pulled a photo from the middle of the stack.
"The investigation unit urgently searched Aki Tomoya's residence — and discovered the bodies of his parents."
"He even laid hands on his parents?!"
Even though no one had held out hope for anything normal about Aki Tomoya for a long time, everyone couldn't help but be horrified.
Those were the parents who gave birth to and raised him… Or maybe even his own parents bullied him too?
While they were still reeling and trying to process the information, Haruno pulled out another photo. Everyone turned their heads — it was of a narrow, cramped room, the four walls covered with photographs, and the floor piled with dismembered body parts.
All of them had been slashed apart with a knife, drenched in blood, and the walls were scrawled full of the words "Die! Die! Die!" in blood and ink.
The grotesque atmosphere made everyone's spines go cold.
There was no longer any doubt — this was the work of someone with abnormal power. From the shadows, a gaze filled with hatred was silently watching them, waiting for the right moment.
Everyone felt a chill down their backs.
Just as the boys and girls were still covered in goosebumps, Haruno crossed her arms, her face blooming with a radiant smile: "Hum~ so this onee-san has already come up with a solution for you little ones — the formation of the Master Support Association!"
"Oh, and by the way, I've already contacted the Supernatural Disaster Countermeasures Bureau under your names."
"I've invited their ace to take on the task of training and protecting you all."
Haruno beamed, her expression like a little girl waiting to be praised.
There was absolutely no sign of that sharp ruthlessness, the calculated schemer seemingly connected to every single Master of the Holy Grail Wars in the Celestial Curtain.
"Supernatural Disaster Countermeasures Bureau?!"
The Masters' eyes all widened, looking at one another in disbelief.
"That's right, it's an organization similar to the Clock Tower in our real world."
Haruno chuckled softly as she explained.
"It's just that this organization is a formal government institution, and its scope of operations is limited to the small scale of Japan. As for the Clock Tower, it's an international organization — it exists above even nations."
"But even so, Yomi-chan — the one who commands the spirit beast Nue — is strong enough to go head-to-head with a normal Servant… um, as long as you don't count Noble Phantasms."
"So, what do you think? This onee-san is amazing, right~?"
"Nee-san…"
Yukinoshita Yukino held her forehead helplessly. When would her sister finally give up that fake performance act of hers?
"Alright, alright, to be honest, the people from the Supernatural Disaster Countermeasures Bureau originally looked down heavily on 'normal people' like us. They would never agree to become babysitters or teachers for others."
Haruno pouted.
"But it's all because my Yukino-chan from the parallel world was just too outstanding~."
"Anyway — starting today, the Master Support Association of the real world is officially established!"
"I'll be the vice-president, okay?"
Everyone looked at each other, then nodded one by one in agreement.
"Keikaku Doori~~~!"
Haruno burst out laughing joyfully, spinning around in place.
"Haruno-chan really is the best~!"
"Nee-san, you just said your inner thoughts out loud again…"
Yukino sighed helplessly.
Meanwhile, Subaru was curled up in a corner, trembling weakly and pitifully.
This woman was terrifying. With just a few words, she seized the upper hand and effortlessly took supreme authority — now everyone had become her subordinates.
Could it be… this is what a true adult is?
Right after that, Haruno smiled and looked at the group:
"Well then, let's begin the first activity of our Master Support Association."
…What?
The Masters were a little dumbfounded.
Haruno skillfully took out another stack of photos and sighed:
"Lately in our Chiba… it seems something really troublesome has shown up."
The group gathered around to take a look — and the moment they saw the photo, their scalps tingled.
In the image, a four-armed humanoid creature was gnawing on the corpse of a young girl, its wild eyes filled with greedy hunger for humans, as if it were a species born solely to oppose humanity — a fight destined to be kill-or-be-killed.
If Raku Sou were to see this scene, he'd definitely scream in bewilderment:
"What the hell is this?! Muzan Jackson from Demon Slayer got Isekai'd over here too?!"
Not long after, under Haruno's guidance, the Masters exchanged contact information.
They confirmed the location of the training base of the Supernatural Disaster Countermeasures Bureau.
Amidst chatter and laughter, everyone headed home — each returning to their own mothers.
Haruno also departed with a bright smile, still toying with the Killing Stone she had taken from Kurumi. Not only had she achieved her original goal, she'd also scored a surprise bonus.
Everything Just According to Keikaku~.
...
Chiba City.
In a dark alleyway.
On the crumbling walls stained with fresh blood, a chilling atmosphere spread for hundreds of meters.
"Clack… clack…"
In the dead silence, a sound suddenly rang out, like wheels rolling and falling.
At the mouth of the alley, a brown-haired, golden-eyed boy stood quietly, his gaze calm yet filled with an inhuman coldness. His right foot pressed down on a deformed, blood-soaked head — on the eye of that head, the words were clearly engraved: [Lower Moon Six].
"One of them escaped, huh…"
Ayanokouji Kiyotaka glanced at the Command Spell on his wrist, his eyes indifferent, completely unbothered.
Ever since he obtained this, his magecraft learning speed had accelerated at an astounding rate. Now, just with Reinforcement Magecraft, he could face Demons head-on.
What he had gained was not just the power to resist…
But the strength to surpass even his own father.
In Ayanokouji's former worldview, power was strength.
And his Father was one of the most powerful men in Japan.
Though Ayanokouji Kiyotaka always tried to escape from his father, he understood clearly — there was no way out.
Not until the Celestial Curtain revealed the parallel worlds.
In front of the Servants, even U.S. generals — whose status far exceeded that of his father — had to bow in humility.
And then Ayanokouji understood — what he must do.
Absolute violence is absolute strength.
After mastering Reinforcement Magecraft, combined with his close-combat skills that rivaled professional fighters, he underwent a drastic evolution — at least for now, he was confident that he had a 90% chance of successfully assassinating his father.
The armed bodyguards always surrounding his father now appeared to Ayanokouji like nothing more than paper puppets.
Even so… Ayanokouji wasn't mad enough to actually go kill his father.
Everything from the past now felt like dust. What he needed… was a true victory.
Rule over Japan? Ridiculous.
To master magecraft to its peak, seize the Holy Grail — that was the path he should take.
…However…
"What… is this thing actually?"
Ayanokouji glanced at the monster beneath his foot. Though crushed, it still growled and writhed, fresh flesh multiplying as if trying to regrow a head from the severed stump…
"Lower Moon Six, huh?"
He calmly speculated.
"So there must be a Four, Three, Two, One… This could be part of a large-scale man-eating organization. The one behind it is at least a tier stronger than this thing."
"I'm still not strong enough to confront them directly. Until I summon a Servant, I need to move with extreme caution."
"If not… it'll be very dangerous."
Ayanokouji muttered to himself, then lifted his foot and stomped down hard on the deformed head.
Thud!
A resounding boom — the head burst like a rubber ball, exploding in an instant, the sweet and fragrant "tomato juice" splattering everywhere, making the scene even more gruesome and terrifying.
The brown-haired boy turned away, silently walking off without looking back.
He didn't even care where the escaped monster might go.
...
Elsewhere, Natsuki Subaru was walking leisurely down the street, in quite a cheerful mood, heading home.
Suddenly, a hand landed on his shoulder — not forceful, but just enough to exert a subtle pressure. A familiar teasing voice rang out:
"Yo~ Subaru, long time no see, looking sharp these days~"
He turned around in surprise — Satou Kazuma was gritting his teeth, slinging an arm tightly around his shoulder.
"Spill it — don't tell me you're getting love confessions from girls every day now, huh, Purger King-sama!?"
"Confessions? What are you even talking about, absolutely not!"
Natsuki Subaru looked utterly baffled — what ridiculous rumor had this guy heard this time?
"Forget it, as a virgin, I can't take this kind of answer."
Kazuma ground his molars in envy, grumbling: "Just die for me already!"
…Hey hey hey…
Subaru hadn't even had time to defend himself before his best friend lunged at him, tackling him to the ground and smothering him in an unfair pin-down.
Dust flew everywhere.
The two of them kept grappling like that, then suddenly burst into laughter, resumed their loud banter, and dragged each other off to a net café to play games.
True man friendship.
Only when the sun began to set did the two sworn brothers finally step away from the PCs.
Kazuma looked Subaru up and down, his face full of meaning, giving a thumbs-up in approval:
"Judging by that button-mashing speed… Definitely a virgin, hahahaha, I always believed in you!"
"Who the hell needs that kind of belief!?"
Subaru clutched his face in despair.