It was nine o'clock in the morning. Alessandro Serpi was on the staircase of the art museum known as Tate Britain. He was at the mercy of various emotions: on one hand he was shocked to know he had a half-sister, but on the other hand he was anxious to learn about his father's story.
Kumahira Yukiko reached the foot of the staircase and when she saw Akessandro she raised her hand and greeted him with a smile that seemed sincere. He remained still. He did not return the greeting and,keeping his arms crossed, he approached her with a brusque walk and asked her:
« Why now? »
« I don't understand. » She answered, perplexed.
« It's not a coincidence, is it? You decided to talk to me right now because you want something from me, right? Otherwise all this would make no sense. Do you want to blackmail me somehow? »
« Do you think I'm so wicked, Alessandro? »
« I've already told you: I don't trust you. »
« Okay, okay, I'll be honest with you but first I need you to know some things, otherwise you won't be able to make a choice. »
« A choice? Which choice are you talking about? » Asked Alessandro, confused.
« Do you want to take a walk? »
« Okay. »
The two set off and in the meantime Yukiko began to explain:
« I belong to an organization known as the New Order of Nidhoggr. Our goal is to destroy the Holy Grail so that no one can use his dark powers. The Grail is corrupt and anyone who tries to use it will destroy the world involuntarily. My bosses believe you are a threat to us, but I don't think so. I see you as a jewel, a Master who can really make a difference in this war. I need your help to succeed in destroying the Holy Grail. »
« I take orders from the Coven. Even if I wanted to help you, I couldn't do it anyway. »
« I know, in fact I'm not asking you to betray the Coven, but to help me. Neither the Coven nor my leaders will know. Both see us as problems, but we can help each other to reach a common goal: the total destruction of the Holy Grail. »
Alessandro had no intention of destroying the Grail, but at the same time the idea that such an object could bring the apocalypse was not so absurd. He knew, thanks to his studies and his research, that Fuyuki's Holy Grail was very dangerous, so much so that more than once he would have been able to condemn the whole of humanity.
He could not conclude that the Holy Grail of London was as dangerous as that of Fuyuki, but certainly the possibility could not be excluded. Intrigued by Yukiko's speech, he decided to ask, moving on to another topic:
« Do you hope to get my alliance using our blood bond as a pretext? »
« At least do you believe that I'm your sister? »
« It's hard to believe. »
« See for yourself, then. »
Yukiko took a picture of her as a child together with Alessandro's father from her purse. As soon as the boy recognized his father he was upset, he never expected to really have a half-sister. He returned the photo to Yukiko and asked her, then:
« How did it happen? »
« Our father, after leaving Italy, decided to marry my mother, Kumahira Yumiko. It was he who decided that I should take my mother's surname instead of his, because he didn't want the Coven to know about me. »
« Why? »
« Because the Coven is the reason why our father left Italy. »
« No. »
« Yes. »
« No, you're lying. »
« No, I'm not lying. He himself told me right here, in London. He told me that the Coven had a problem with him, I don't know which one, but I know he was forced to leave. He traveled for a long time before he lived in Japan. »
« This is too much ... for me, this is too much … » Alessandro said, shocked.
« Alessandro, please try to understand, I don't want to confuse you but I need your help to destroy the Holy Grail. »
« I don't know. I don't know, damn it ... I DON'T KNOW! » Alessandro exclaimed, agitated.
« Please calm down … »
« How? How can I calm down? You're filling me with doubts at once! This is too much for me! You are going to pull me into a vortex that will ruin me ... I ... I need to think about it. »
« Okay, I understand you. Do you want to come to me? »
« No, leave me alone. I need to be alone. »
Alessandro left, tormented by questions and fears.
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