DanMachi: Ultimate Lich King

Detecting fellow mages was easy for mages, especially since Arthas didn't conceal his power.

His immense mana was quickly sensed by Kariya and Tokiomi.

Arthas didn't hide his Command Seals, openly approaching, immediately attracting their attention.

A powerful mage with Command Seals—a Grail War participant.

Seeing the seals, Kariya and Tokiomi grew cautious; this man was their opponent.

But who was he? Despite his powerful magical energy, they didn't recognize him.

Tokiomi was confident he knew all powerful mages, yet he had no memory of this man.

"My friend?"

Tokiomi, the first to react, approached Arthas elegantly.

"I'm from Einzbern. My name is Arthas."

Arthas replied, smiling; he knew Einzbern, Tohsaka, and Matou were, in a sense, allies.

He openly revealed his identity.

"Ah, an Einzbern participant. Your name suggests you're from the mysterious East?"

Tokiomi had heard legends of the land across the sea; he knew it possessed powerful mages; Arthas's magical energy confirmed this.

But why did he appear and release his magical energy? A show of force?

Tokiomi wondered, unsure of Arthas's intentions.

Arthas didn't clarify; this was a perfect disguise; his identity documents were from that Eastern nation.

"Yes, as Einzbern's participant, I'm here to familiarize myself with the battlefield."

Arthas smiled, looking at Rin and Sakura Tohsaka.

"I overheard your argument. Why give away your child, Tohsaka-san?"

"You see, only one can inherit the mage's crest. Only one child can inherit Tohsaka magic; the other will waste their talent as an ordinary person. But Matou Kariya wants to adopt a child to inherit Matou magic."

"Only… that?"

Arthas paused, asking without thinking.

Tokiomi didn't detect the surprise in Arthas's voice; he proudly continued.

"Imagine: in the next Grail War, my daughters will fight to the death, representing Tohsaka and Matou! How exhilarating!"

"Exhilarating?!"

Arthas's gaze grew cold; Tokiomi, oblivious, continued.

"For mages seeking the Root, what could be better? Watching my daughters pursue different paths, vying for the Root."

To this man, his wife and daughters were mere vessels for his magic; he even found the prospect of sibling rivalry exhilarating.

This man was human, but lacked humanity.

Arthas understood Jubstacheit's words: mages were inhuman; their sole goal was the Root.

Arthas felt pity for the woman under the tree, clinging to her children.

She'd married an inhuman man.

Arthas felt no guilt towards Riveria. He loved Riveria and Illya. He'd fight for those he loved, even violently. This might be patriarchal, but his loved ones were his; he'd fight for them, unlike this man who treated women as breeding tools.

Arthas decided to act, preventing the child from being given to Matou.

Arthas stepped forward.

"What about me?"

"Wh… what do you mean?"

Tokiomi was taken aback.

"I'm Einzbern's son-in-law; you know this, right? My wife will inherit Einzbern magic; my magic will be lost."

Arthas smiled faintly.

"Since you're considering your children, would you consider giving a child to my family to inherit my lineage?"

"Is… that so?"

Tokiomi paused, considering; Kariya's eyes flashed with malice.

Tohsaka blood was important to him; though he had a pawn in the Fourth Holy Grail War, he wasn't confident in Kiritsugu Emiya; Kiritsugu was only loyal to himself.

Kariya had to consider the long term, but Arthas disrupted his plans.

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