Sitting in the hall of the recently restored Matou Residence, the remaining two members of the Matou family and the two heroic spirits were celebrating and thinking. (Full-text novels are updated the fastest)
This afternoon, Matou Residence was attacked by an unknown enemy and was almost razed to the ground. Matou Zangyan and his heroic spirit Hasan were unable to defeat the attackers and were both killed.
"First of all, I have to say that this is the best news we have received in these years." Shenji opened a bottle of champagne and filled the four glasses on the table one by one. "The old and immortal monster is finally finished, and we finally don't have to."
Worried about being bitten by bugs... Haha, I'm glad, I'm glad."
Yes, even if they die tomorrow, at least they are free today... God knows how they have survived these years...
"But who did it?" Sakura is calmer than her brother - this is because her life is much better than her "destiny" has determined, and her fear and hatred of Zangyan are not as deep as Shinji's, so although she is also very
Happy, but will consider more realistic issues.
There are seven heroic spirits participating in the Holy Grail War: saber - King Arthur; rider - Medusa; lancer - Cu Chulainn; archer - the heroic spirit Emiya Shirou; caster - Medea; assassin - Sasaki Kojiro;
beerker——Hercules.
In addition to the remaining heroic spirits from the previous generation: Archer - Gilgamesh; Assassin - Hassan, and the avenger - Angela Mainyu who may be lurking in the dark, the heroic spirits that may appear in this Holy Grail War should have been
There are only these ten.
But... the Saber that was supposed to be summoned by Emiya Shirou was replaced by his future daughter, Takamachi Nanoha, who is a beerker. In other words, the one summoned by the Einzbern family is no longer a beerker.
Hercules, but another heroic spirit.
Currently, there are six known heroic spirits: Medusa, Medea, Cu Chulainn, Gilgamesh, the heroic spirit Emiya, and Hassan. Among the remaining four, An, who was supposed to be summoned by Bazett,
Guerra Mainyu is not expected to be summoned - because Bazett has been killed, completely and completely, with no bones left, and with the inexplicable beerker Takamachi Nanoha, there are still two possible enemies left, namely Saber
and assassin.
Because the two assassins could not coexist, Shinji did not ask Medea to summon Sasaki Kojiro - in his opinion, the guy who could only wield a sword was completely unqualified as an assassin and was far less useful than Hassan.
And since Emiya Shirou summoned Beerker, Saber's place was naturally summoned by someone else...
Is it the Einzbern family?
Assuming that they still used cheating methods and summoned heroic spirits three months in advance, according to the principle of "only beerker and assassin can specify the summons", they could only summon heroic spirits with the assassin class.
Hercules arrives as an "assassin"...
He shuddered when he thought of Hercules hiding in the darkness and using his divine bow to assassinate with poisonous arrows.
Ten lives are not enough to kill that guy.
Moreover, who is the one who summoned Saber?
——————
"You did a great job," Illya von Einzbern said to the servant who was sleeping quietly in the magic potion tank, "Saber, you are even better than I expected."
Although it was not the Hercules who was supposed to be summoned, although he suffered backlash for summoning him in advance, even though it was troublesome every time he was dispatched.
However, her heroic spirit is undoubtedly the strongest
The battle just now fully explained the problem.
Even Hercules, the strongest hero in Greek mythology, could not have completely blocked the news to the outside world while killing Matou Zouken and his heroic spirit, so that he could be completely "unnoticed".
But saber did it
Matou Zōen was one of the first "Three Imperial Households" and a figure of the same era as the "Winter Saint" of the Einzbern family. He was a great magician who lived for five hundred years. It is said that half of his foot stepped into the
The realm of magicians.
Matou Residence is a magic fortress that he has painstakingly managed, and is full of various barriers and magic tools.
That black heroic spirit can travel freely in the shadows, and also has the ability to clone himself.
However, such a powerful combination could only last less than three minutes in front of Saber.
Fortunately, in order to ensure safety, she also used the Einzbern family's trump card, but unexpectedly she didn't use it at all.
"As long as Saber is here, the Holy Grail is within your reach."
Grandpa’s life-long wish, what my father failed to do back then, what my mother sacrificed her life for... this time must be realized in her hands
The magic power in the body tumbled again, followed by the dizziness that I was used to.
The heroic spirit that was killed by Saber just now has been filled in the "Little Holy Grail" as a reserve of "fuel", which means that he has taken the fatal first step away from completely losing consciousness.
It doesn't matter... Anyway, even if I don't become the Holy Grail, I only have about one year left to live.
Give up this useless year in exchange for the realization of a tragic wish - I don’t know how many people in the world would rather die tomorrow than to have their wish come true.
In comparison, I still have some time at least, so I am extremely lucky.
"Saber, you should have a good rest. There should be no fighting for the time being."
After saying that, she picked up the magic tool she had put aside and walked towards the door.
"I'm going to visit that 'brother', my father's adopted son...what kind of person is he? I'm really curious..."
——————
"Rin, the battle has begun." The bathroom window was lightly knocked twice, and Archer's voice came from the window.
Tohsaka Rin was taken aback. For a moment, he even forgot about being shy. He directly opened the window and poked his head out.
In the end, it was the heroic spirit in red clothes and white hair who was startled. He jumped out like a rabbit and was speechless.
The evening wind in late winter was very cold, and the icy north wind blew in her face. The naked girl suddenly shivered. Then she realized that her current condition was really bad, and she immediately retracted into the bathtub like lightning.
, and threw the window shut with his backhand.
She didn't know whether it was because the water was very hot or because the cold wind had just blown, but she just felt that her face was burning, almost as if it was about to burn.
"Have you been seen? You must have been seen. Archer's eyesight is very good - you can see the East Wood Bridge from the roof of Tohsaka Residence... It's over, it must have been seen... The majesty of the Master
Nothing left, no, no, now is not the time to think about this..."
The sound of knocking on the window sounded softly again.
"Archer, report the situation." She tried her best to sound as usual, but she always felt a little guilty.
The attitude of the white-haired heroic spirit did not change at all, it was still the same lazy and informal tone, still unhurried.
"There was a battle just now at the Matou family," he said. "Because there was a barrier blocking it, we couldn't see it very clearly, but we can confirm that the aura of Matou Zouken has disappeared, and at the same time, it seems that a heroic spirit has died."
What?
Tohsaka Rin suddenly forgot his shyness and exclaimed: "Matou Zouken is dead?"
How could it be possible that he was a great magician who had lived for five hundred years, a contemporary of the ancestors of the Tohsaka family, and it was said that he had already half-footed his way into the realm of "magicians"?
The ancestors of the Tosaka family left clear records that Matou Zouken was a human being who could rival heroic spirits - no, what is correct is that he was no longer a human being, but a "monster".
A monster that could rival a heroic spirit hundreds of years ago, plus a heroic spirit, and it was destroyed in his own home, on a magic battlefield that had been in operation for five hundred years.
"Can the identity of the other party...be determined?"
"Sorry, the opponent has opened a barrier and cannot detect it." Having said that, there was no "sorry" in Archer's tone, "But the style of the barrier is very strange, it is not a common magic, but
It's something more compact and grand... It seems... well, it's very much like some kind of technological product."
"A product of science and technology? Is the other party's heroic spirit a science person?"
"No... As far as I know, 'science' and 'mystery' are incompatible, at least in this world... If I read it correctly, then either the other party has mastered a new type of magic, or the heroic spirit comes from another world.
, for example, a world with ‘magic technology’.”
"Magical technology? Isn't that something in anime stories? Please be more serious and watch less TV."
After scolding the nonsense heroic spirit, Tohsaka Rin sat in the hot water and sulked.
Magical technology? Heroic spirits from other worlds? What on earth is this guy thinking about?
“Not reliable at all”
——————
On the outskirts of Fuyuki Town, there is a hill called "Ryuudou Mountain".
Get off the bus at the foot of the mountain and walk up the mountain road. It takes about ten minutes to reach the top of the mountain.
This is the oldest building in Fuyuki Town and one of the only attractions in this town.
Ryudong Temple.
For most residents of Fuyuki Town, Ryudouji Temple, which was built in the Muromachi period almost five hundred years ago, is a historic site that the people of Fuyuki Town are proud of. However, for some people living in this small town,
It is said that this small temple has been given another meaning.
Under Ryudou Temple, there is a huge cave in Ryudou Mountain. That cave is the core of Fuyuki Town's entire ground. The quality of its spiritual veins can be regarded as first-class in the world.
Two hundred years ago, the great magician Matou Zouken, who lived here, searched all over the world for a suitable spiritual vein to build a branch of the Einzbern family, the young head of the Einzbern family, Justeese Ritzleich von Ein.
Zibelen, the reclusive secret religious practitioner Tohsaka Nagato...these three geniuses in the magic world had a fierce conflict over the fight for this spiritual vein. Finally, under the mediation of the second magician who happened to be passing by, the three of them
were able to reconcile, and worked together (well, there is doubt here) to construct a great magical ritual called the "Holy Grail War"...
"Since Ryudouji Temple is so important, why do you always allow it to be managed by monks who have no connection with it?" Emiya Shirou asked curiously, "Shouldn't such an important place be managed well by trustworthy people?"
"That's true, but 'a person you can trust'... in the world of mages, this concept does not exist at all." Because his friend was now a Master participating in the Holy Grail War, Shinji had to give him
Explaining Yi Xuanben's common sense, "In this circle, almost all are madmen, perverts, scum, villains, beasts... and so on. Idiots and good people like you are rarer than the Loch Ness Monster. Among us robots,
We will always use each other, be wary of each other, and scheme against each other. It is really difficult to find someone that everyone can trust."
Shirou was very dissatisfied with Shinji's explanation.
In his view, the world is a beautiful place and there are many people he can trust.
[This is how you, a naive idiot, will die in the future]
Shen Er cursed secretly in his heart, but couldn't express it openly.
Spying into the future is something that only the Second Magician can do. If a mediocre magician shows this talent, the lackeys of the Magic Association will soon come to visit him and want to "seal and designate" him...
The so-called "sealed designation" is to forcibly prevent someone's research results or abilities from spreading, and to limit the scope of their use to the old man's "self-use" circle. To put it bluntly, it means killing people to seize treasures or imprisoning them for a long time.
The world is so beautiful. The old bug just died. He still had a lot of youth waiting to be squandered. How could he just die like this or be imprisoned for life?
"The reason why the Buddhists are allowed to manage Liudong Temple is because no one in the magic world can be trusted, and the Buddhist monks have both strength and character - at least they are thousands of miles better than the magicians. The key is their practice.
There is no need to borrow the power of the spiritual veins. Instead, the spiritual veins will continue to grow due to the accumulation of faith and merit. Therefore, after the seniors of the three families discussed it, they handed over the place to the Zen master for management... In this way, it will last two hundred years.
"
"So, Yi Cheng and the others are actually very powerful?"
"God knows... we won't provoke them anyway. Whether they are strong or weak, it has nothing to do with us."
"Then what are we here for?"
"Determine the status of the spiritual veins - the Yusan family does not trust each other, but they have to use each other; among them, the Tosaka family is responsible for managing the spiritual veins. In order to prevent that woman from causing trouble, I feel it is necessary to personally determine the status of the spiritual veins.
To avoid winning the Holy Grail War but dying in confusion at the last moment."
"Tohsaka-san... would she actually do such a thing?" Shirou's eyes widened in surprise, unable to believe that this dignified and good student could have such a vicious heart.
"God knows... but the methods her father used in the Holy Grail War were not bright at all..." Shinji told lies with his eyes open, slandering Tohsaka Rin's reputation without any psychological burden, "Anyway, why don't you come and see it with your own eyes?
, I’m always worried.”
In fact, the real reason why he came here was because of Caster's divination.
As a magician from the Age of Gods, Caster Medea is naturally very knowledgeable in divination like other magicians from the Age of Gods. Every day at sunrise, she performs a divination. The result of this morning's divination was "Temple".
Divination is like this, it's unclear what exactly is going on, but fortunately there is a temple in Fuyuki Town, so it is not troublesome to confirm.
Of course, in order to ensure safety, Shinji still drags the enthusiastic bad good guy Emiya Shirou - although his origin is a bit speechless, but his servant beerker Takamachi Nanoha is absolutely powerful and has a relatively reliable character - assuming
Those were the words of Takamachi Nanoha he knew in his previous life.
With such a pair of master and servant as helpers, plus himself and caster, even if he encounters a strong enemy, he can at least escape...
——————
"From today on, you should not go to Wei Gong's residence for the time being." The old man said, "What is happening over there is too dangerous for you."
Fujimura Dahe looked at his grandfather in surprise, not understanding what he meant.
She is a master of swordsmanship and can defeat several people even with bare hands... Is it "too dangerous" for her?
"Then we must inform Shirou as soon as possible to move——"
The old man looked at his granddaughter who was in a hurry and smiled silently.
Forget it, let her go, Emiya Kiritsugu's son will never rely on others for protection anyway.
What's more... it would be a good thing if she could really let the boy live in the Fujimura group...
Although he had already handed over the power of the organization to his son, it was still easy to use his influence among the old brothers to plot against a young man who lacked social experience.
He knew that the proud teacher would not like such an approach, and he himself did not like such insidious and despicable methods, but he knew that his life was approaching and there was not much he could do for the teacher.
"The Master of this generation turned out to be the 'Little Holy Grail' itself..." Thinking of the little silver-haired girl who, although powerful, always made people uneasy, he felt a little puzzled, "The Little Holy Grail... doesn't mean that with the
Heroic spirits are incorporated into the Holy Grail one by one. Will the artificial beings who serve as the Little Holy Grail lose their consciousness? Since they have lost their consciousness, how can they make wishes even if they get the Holy Grail?"
Maybe...the teacher has another clever plan...
Fujimura Torajiro, now 82 years old.
Seventy years ago, Fujimura Torajiro and his sister Ye Zi were living in poverty. At that time, almost all Japanese people were in poverty, because all the looted wealth was occupied by a few chaebols. The two children had no means of making a living.
, when he was about to starve to death, he met a silver-haired young man who came to Fuyuki Town to participate in the Third Holy Grail War.
Perhaps for the Einzbern family magician who didn't even leave his name, saving two children was just a trivial matter, but for Torajiro, this great favor was worth giving up.
Life must be repaid
Unfortunately, he never got the chance to repay.
When he settled down with his sister and rushed to the Einzbern Forest, hoping to serve his benefactor, the magician had already regretfully withdrawn from the Holy Grail War due to the defeat of the heroic spirit.
Just as the silver-haired young man was about to leave, he was surprised to find that Torajiro actually had a magic circuit that could be activated by an ape.
So he left behind a handwritten note and some funds that he thought were only enough for simple magic research.
"If you can achieve something, I will recognize you as my disciple."
Fujimura Torajiro was really a man lacking in talent. It took him almost sixty years to become a passable magician.
Compared with the slow progress of magic research, it is more in line with his nature to engage in underworld business...
Ten years ago, he used underworld means to help the master of the Einzbern family win the Holy Grail, but the man named Emiya Kiritsugu destroyed the Holy Grail.
Fortunately... fate gave him another chance.
This time, we must help the teacher’s descendants to seize the Holy Grail.
"Is this what you want?" A voice came from the shadows in the corner of the room.
"Yes, I'm sorry, I can't give you the Holy Grail." The old man stared at the figure sitting in the shadows, unmoved by the other's powerful aura.
"No, it doesn't matter." The man was not angry, but laughed, "It is a good thing for a scholar to die for his confidant."
"I recognize your will and determination." He said, "Do it according to your wishes, and I will help you."
——————
Yanado Kazunari was happy and surprised by Emiya Shirou's visit.
Because he is a magician, Shirou has always been reluctant to approach various religious sites. It is not because he is afraid that the gods will punish him, but because of the pride that naturally arises deep in the young man's heart, which makes him hate these "illusory idols."
He was quite dismissive, but even he himself was not aware of this thought, he just subconsciously didn't want to get close to those religious sites.
The relationship between Matou Shinji and Yanado Kazunari is slightly different. They are in different classes and different clubs. On the contrary, Shinji often goes to Kazunari to protest because Shirou is busy with student council work and delays his magic and kyudo training. Of course, Kazunari understands that Shinji is
He did this because he cared about his friends. He was not an unreasonable person, and naturally he would not hold grudges, but the relationship between the two would definitely not get better...
In Kazunari's opinion, Shinji accompanied Shirou to visit Ryudou Temple this time, probably because he wanted to ease the conflict between them, and also to persuade him not to cause too many things for Shirou.
[I will never give in. The work of the student union is also an important part of social practice] He secretly made up his mind that no matter what Shinji said later, he would firmly veto it.
But Shinji didn't mention the student council even a word.
For the two young magicians, the danger of the "Holy Grail War" is imminent. A great magician as powerful as Matou Zōyan was killed silently. The two of them are not even a bit worse than Zōyan.
, now your life may be in danger at any time, how can you care about the student union?
Accompanied by Issei Ryuudou, they walked around the small Ryudong Temple and looked at all the so-called "scenic spots" one by one. Half an hour passed before they knew it.
[This is not the way to go.] Shen Er frowned secretly and simply directed the topic to the aspect that interested him.
"Liudong, I remember there is a cave on this mountain, right?" He said nonchalantly, "Compared to temples, isn't the power of nature more worth visiting?"
"That cave?" Yisheng said doubtfully, "It's just a small cave. You can see the bottom at a glance. There's nothing special about it - I don't think it's worth spending time to see."
"Do you know why I am very popular with girls, but you are not so popular?"
"I'm not interested in this kind of thing."
"The difference is that I can discover romance from around me anytime and anywhere." Shen Er raised a finger and said mysteriously, "There is no lack of romance around us, what we lack is the eyes to discover romance, and we all know that women
Children have never been able to resist 'romance'~"
This apparently nonsense statement is very convincing, because Matou Shinji is indeed a popular lover known for his handsome appearance, romantic personality, and poetic temperament.
The expression on Liu Dong Yisheng's face was very exciting, including confusion, disbelief, speculation, sudden realization... Various expressions flashed across his fair face like a revolving lantern, and finally he shrugged pretending to be nonchalant.
, pretending to be calm and said: "I don't believe in romance or anything like that. If you want to go see it, go easy, but I can't just leave the temple during the holidays, because I am also a tour guide after all."
He raised his right hand and pointed his index finger at a flat path: "Follow this road, turn a corner, and you can see the cave... To be honest, I really don't see anything romantic about it.
It can be said…”
[That place is really a ghost if it is "romantic"... Bah, bah, that place is supposed to be a ghost... If not, why would the old bug engage in such research with others that seems so stupid at first sight? And the Holy Grail War?
Well, brainless war is what it is] Shinji cursed the dead Zouken in his heart, but still smiled casually on his face. After saying goodbye to Issei, he took Shirou, who was not good at disguise and had been "watching the scenery", to go.
cave.
"Shenji, I think we can sneak in directly without spending so much time..." On the way, Shirou couldn't help but said, "Why do we need to wander around the temple for half an hour?"
"These are the rules - Shirou, once you have been in the circle of magicians for a long time, you will understand that many times, the 'rules' must be followed." Shenji said calmly, "I am not a stickler for rules, but unless I can give
It brings more benefits to myself than following the rules, otherwise I would rather follow the rules."
"We magicians are very powerful, but we are not the only powerful ones in the world, so in order to prevent everyone from fighting easily, 'rules' will be formulated one after another. Although Liudong Temple may not have a 'guardian gate'
' ability, but I am still willing to spend half an hour to abide by the rule 'to obtain the gatekeeper's permission to enter the great spiritual vein'."
They walked very fast, and in the time it took them to say these few words, they had already turned the corner of the mountain, and what appeared in front of them was a small cave that looked very ordinary, and you could see the bottom at a glance.
In the eyes of the two magicians, a strong magical aura really shrouded the cave.
It’s really amazing to say that the magic aura here is so strong that it is almost more dazzling than the scorching winter sun on a clear day. For a while, the two young people even had the illusion of "two suns", but until that corner, they still didn't know what to do.
Neither of them saw that Liudong Temple was just an ordinary temple, and Liudong Mountain was just an ordinary hill.
With just one turn, the whole world seems to have changed.
Although this was not the first time he saw this barrier, every time he saw it, a sense of awe would rise in Shen Er's heart.
This enchantment was created by two magicians:
"The Magician of the Second Magic", "The Destroyer of the Crimson Moon", "The only human being among the top five 'myths' of the Twenty-Seven Ancestors of the Dead Apostles", "The greatest magician of our time", "The Kaleidoscope's
"Great Sage", "Traveler of the Parallel World", "Magic Marshal"...the titles held by Kishua Zelrich Shibain Ogu are all made of the flesh and blood and fear of the enemy.
The ancestor of the Tosaka family, Tosaka Nagato, was a great magician on par with Matou Zouken, but he was just a not outstanding disciple of his.
Compared with Zerrich, the name Justeza Ritzleich von Einzbern is less conspicuous, and even most magicians have never heard of it, but the "Third Magic"
"The Magician", "The Saint of Winter", "The Maker of the Great Holy Grail"...this provocation, in the eyes of those who truly understand what the Fuyuki Town Holy Grail War is, is no less impressive than Zelrich.
Whenever he sees the scene of two suns coming to the world, Shen Er will secretly tell himself that he is just an ordinary magician, not an immortal little strongman or a destiny protagonist. In this dangerous moon world, the strongman who can crush himself to death
Although I dare not say that I can catch a large number of magicians, there are indeed many, so in the circle of magicians, I must keep a low profile and try not to attract the attention of those powerful people... Therefore, he especially likes the idea of "killing people and silencing them".
A simple, crude and effective means of confidentiality.
But being low-key doesn't mean he has no personality. On the contrary, he, Shinji Matou, has always been a very unique person.
"After passing through the barrier, we have truly entered the most important place in Fuyuki Town and arrived at the core of the 'Holy Grail War'..." Shinji took two steps ahead and came outside the barrier, facing Shirou and making a similar gesture
The butler bent down in greeting, "Now, please come with me to the real world of 'magicians'."
——————
Magic is very magical, Matou Shinji has always thought so.
Everything in the world flows from the "source" - this "source" is just a concept and does not refer to a specific existing thing - similar to the concept of the Eastern "Tao" - starting from the root and arriving at various places.
Among the various "phenomenon" methods, most are familiar to people, such as physics, chemistry and other conventional methods. This part is called "common sense", and the corresponding part is naturally "non-common sense"...
All "non-common sense" methods are called "magic".
Maybe people who come into contact with "magic" for the first time will be confused by its supernatural nature, but as a barely experienced magician, Shinji knows very well that the so-called "magic" is actually powered by "excitement"
It's just "technology" - maybe one day when human technology develops to the point where it can use exciting energy, the concept of "magic" will disappear without a trace...
But this does not detract from the magic of magic at all
Just as scientists are fascinated by certain phenomena, experiments and formulas, some people even use gems to compare a mathematical formula... The more deeply you study magic, the more you feel the magic and beauty of magic, just like Elvis to drugs and Chamberlain to
Women are absolutely indispensable. No wonder magicians are still addicted to it and cannot extricate themselves even though magic research is extremely dangerous. More than 70% of magicians have died in various accidents during research.
For example, the magnificent scenery in front of him
Magic factors that are usually just tiny points of light gather here to form twinkling streams, flowing slowly in the air. The magic streams intertwine with each other to form a strange and complex magic circle, exuding a fragrance that makes any magician intoxicated -
—It’s not a scent that can be smelled, but a magical scent that even the soul is immersed in.
Under the magic circle, there is a small emerald green pool, only about a hundred square meters, but it emits magic power that is dozens or hundreds of times greater than the magic circle.
That's of course, because this magic circle actually gathers the world-class spiritual veins of Fuyuki Town into the pool below.
This small but bottomless pool is the reason why the Holy Grail War in Fuyuki Town is more miraculous than the "Holy Grail Summons" that occur all over the world. It can truly touch the root and cause miracles.
"The water in that pool..." Caster, who had been following Shen Er in his spirit state, couldn't help but show up and said in an eager tone, "Can you take some with you?"
Looking back, she, who had always been calm and composed, had eyes full of hope at this moment, just like when she was shot by Cupid's golden arrow in mythology.
"Don't come close." Shinji noticed that Shirou's servant, Beerker, had also appeared in physical form. His eyes were somewhat similar to Caster's, and he immediately shouted in the most stern tone, "That is a barrier built by two magicians. What do you think?"
Will there be no defensive measures at all?"
"I can use a shot of God Fierce..." Beerker murmured to himself, even taking out his magic wand.
Compared with heroic spirits composed purely of magic power, flesh-and-blood humans are much more resistant to this strong magic power, so Shirou hugged his "daughter" from many years in the future in time to prevent her from being seduced by that magic power.
Do something unwise.
"Under the pool in front of us is the 'Great Holy Grail'. Once the summoned heroic spirit is killed, it will first be stored in the 'Little Holy Grail', and then when the magic power reserve is sufficient, it will resonate with the Great Holy Grail, and it will be with this place for decades.
The accumulated magic power gathers and turns into a powerful magic flow, breaking through the barrier of reality, opening the way to the source, and achieving a 'miracle'." Shinji grabbed Caster, and with the physical strength strengthened by magic power, the heroic spirit was unable to move forward.
Step one, "If you come into contact with it now, you will be devoured immediately, just like being defeated and killed."
"Then...Master, you can go..."
"Don't think too much. That's a magic-level barrier. How can I get in?"
The two heroic spirits reluctantly looked at the magical water and sighed in unison.
"What a pity..." Medea frowned slightly, her face full of regret, "Such a powerful magic power..."
"Why?" Compared to the mature woman, the little girl's reaction was much more direct, "I can't eat it even though I saw it. I knew I wouldn't be able to come here if I stayed at home."
Emiya Shirou forced himself to look away from the alluring magic pool and looked at his friend in confusion: "Since there is such a powerful magic power, why bother to engage in a Holy Grail War? What's the use of the source...?"
[Perhaps this is the difference between "heroes" and "mortals"...]
Shinji could only smile bitterly at the question of this very heroic man, but not like a magician at all.
"I don't want to fight, but--you can't help yourself in the world." He sighed and carefully observed the magic circle and the magic pool below.
Everything looks fine.
[Perhaps I am too worried. The barrier set up by the two magicians cannot be destroyed so easily. I am the only heroic spirit with the ability to research magic. It is impossible for others to do it...]
But he didn't know that after the two teenagers and their respective heroic spirits left, a helpless sigh came from below the magic pool.
"Emiya Kiritsugu... the child you rescued from the sea of fire finally embarked on the same path as you..."
——————
Inside Liudong Temple, there is a small attic.
This was built after the "Golden Pavilion" in Chinese temple structure, but there are no scriptures in this attic, and the walls are empty.
The abbot of Liudong Temple is standing in this empty attic, leaning against the window, staring into the distance.
From here, you can happen to see the small cave at the end of the mountain road.
He watched the two young men go in, disappear without a trace, and then walk out side by side after a while, as if they suddenly appeared in the air.
"The Holy Grail War...hasn't it just been ten years?" The lay monk, who was nearly fifty years old, pondered, his brows furrowed.
"Every Holy Grail War has caused huge damage. Last time, a large area in the city center was completely razed to the ground. Only one child survived in the sea of fire." He said to himself, with unconcealable anger in his voice.
, "Why should we tolerate this kind of harmful ritual to be held again and again? Could it be that in order to pursue the highest wisdom, we even ignore the most basic compassion of a 'human being'?"
However, there was nothing he could do.
After the Third Holy Grail War, Buddhism no longer stationed eminent monks with magical powers at Ryudou Temple.
"Anyway, they are just a group of poor people who have been carried away by their obsessions and delusions. There will be retribution somewhere." The monk who decided on this matter said at that time, "We Buddhists should not be involved in this kind of senselessness.
We have to go into the battle, but we have to do what we promised to the elder..."
Therefore, Liudong Temple has more simple "spectators".
What they have to do is just watch and record, and when someone wants to destroy the great spiritual vein, send a message to an old man through the magic weapon left long ago.
This is enough, don’t do anything extra…
"All life and death have causes and effects." Using this obviously nonsense sentence to persuade himself, the "spectator" closed the window.
"Namo..."
——————
"Who is your master? He doesn't even abide by the basic principles of the Holy Grail War?" Rin Tosaka shouted angrily, "You come to attack in broad daylight. Do you know how serious damage it will cause?
"
Holding a bright red spear, the blue-robed and blue-haired heroic spirit remained silent, just looking coldly at the red-clothed heroic spirit standing in front of him.
"Rin, stand back, this guy is very dangerous." Archer said, "Judging from his weapons, he should be of the Lancer class, and most Lancers know how to 'throw'..."
Tohsaka Rin, who knew that he was just a novice in combat, immediately took a few steps back, thought about it, took out two gems, stimulated the magic power contained in them, and turned them into invisible shields and strong winds surrounding him.
wall.
[The Holy Grail War is really expensive. It costs money to summon heroic spirits, and it costs even more money to fight. Two gems have been consumed before the fight begins. If it weren’t for the fact that I saved a lot of money from part-time surgery, I’m afraid the Tohsaka family would have lost money.
All the wealth will not even last until the end of the Holy Grail War]
For some reason, she remembered what the frivolous and romantic man with hair like seaweed had said.
"The Holy Grail War is a comprehensive confrontation of manpower, financial resources, motivation and magic. I don't deny that you are a genius, and I also admit that you are indeed very hardworking. But with such an almost empty shell of the Tosaka family, do you think it's true?
Can you afford to fight six masters one after another to the death? Gem magic is expensive."
[Don't be tempted to stand on the battlefield of the Holy Grail War. There is only one thing I have to do - to win the final victory]
To be honest, the environment here is not suitable for fighting. It is now ten o'clock in the morning. Although it is the weekend, there are still some students in the school participating in club activities. For example, the sports club is preparing for the sports meeting next spring.
.At this time, fighting on the school rooftop can easily affect innocent people.
Although she has used exorcism magic around her to ensure that ordinary people will not come close to this place, if the two heroic spirits fight, they will definitely fly everywhere in the sky and on the ground. They may be on the rooftop one second and be there the next.
On the playground...
[Damn it, which bastard is completely disregarding the lives of others? Let me find him and beat him up]
At this moment, the two heroic spirits who had been confronting each other finally took action.
The black and white swords and the bright red spear drew a trail in the air, but rarely touched each other. The two heroes from myths or legends tried their best to avoid the enemy's attack, while mercilessly pointing their weapons towards the enemy.
After the critical greeting, in just a few seconds, the figure changed several times.
Tohsaka Rin used magic to strengthen her dynamic vision and could barely keep up with the rhythm of the battle, but all she could do was "see".
If the body were strengthened to that point, and if the limbs were allowed to move at that speed and frequency, it would collapse in a second or two, right?
After all, those are two fighting heroes.
Most human magicians have weak physiques. Although she is one of the few with outstanding physiques, she is still far behind the heroes who have experienced hundreds of battles.
[Perhaps...if I have a chance, I can try to compete with Caster in close combat. If both of us are magicians, I still have a slight chance of winning.]
The blue and red heroic spirits were fighting fiercely. The speed and strength of both sides were beyond human imagination, and their martial arts skills were enough to make anyone who calls himself a "sword master" or "master" ashamed to the point that he would not dare to use martial arts for the rest of his life. But right?
Because both of them were equally good, the battle fell into the street.
Gradually, the two swords and the spear began to come into contact.
At first it was occasional, then intermittently.
Tohsaka Rin is not an outsider who does not understand martial arts. In fact, she has great experience in Bajiquan and can be regarded as a small martial arts expert. Therefore, she knows very well that the reason why the weapons of both parties started to come into contact is because each other
Unable to maintain the high level of concentration at the beginning of the battle, I had to slightly reduce my focus on "dodge".
Although the intersection of weapons will affect the accuracy of the moves, it is inevitable between opponents of equal strength.
[Do you need to give Archer some help? Use acceleration magic? Or attack the opponent directly? He won't be angry because this goes against the spirit of chivalry, right? 】
It's not that Tohsaka Rin doesn't want to provide assistance to Archer, but the battle is so fierce and the positions of both sides are constantly changing. She can't guarantee that her magic can accurately hit the target, making it difficult for both attack and assistance.
What's more... if the opponent is a Lancer who is one of the "Three Knights"... then he should have the class special skill "Anti-Magic". Even if it is only a C-level anti-magic, it is enough to make all fast magic useless.
.
[If you use the Command Seals... But in just the first battle, do you have to consume only three precious Command Seals? 】
Using the command spell can indeed strengthen Archer's ability in a short period of time, giving him an advantage when he is currently on a par with Lancer, but can this really guarantee the destruction of the opponent?
After much consideration, she gave up on using the command spell.
Since Archer doesn't seem to lose, it's better to maintain this battle situation for now. If he fails to kill the enemy, but instead forces the opponent's heroic spirit to wreak havoc, that would be terrible.
Until this moment, she was still thinking about how to reduce the damage.
"Bang" followed by a violent metal collision, the red and blue figures who were fighting fiercely suddenly separated. Archer retreated in front of his master, carefully guarding against possible sneak attacks by the other party.
"When that girl summoned you just now, did she say 'archer'?" the blue heroic spirit said dissatisfied, "How could there be such an 'archer' in the world? This makes me, a serious 'gun,'
Knight's feelings are so embarrassing"
[Actually, I have always been curious about this. For a shooter, Archer's melee combat ability is a bit too strong...]
"But it doesn't matter, we have to say goodbye anyway." Lancer raised the bright red spear and made a thrusting motion, "I'll take your heart."
Hearing these words, Archer, who had experienced many battles, immediately knew that something was wrong. He crossed his swords to protect his chest, and he got as close to Rin as possible, using his body as a shield.
[Are you using the Shield of Ajax? If it is really that treasure, any shield will be useless]
"The spear that pierced the death thorns"
Before he finished speaking, a coquettish red light flew straight to his left chest.
[Projection of King Liao of Wu's Breastplate]
A green bronze mirror appeared on his chest, blocking the blow by just a hair.
【wrong】
There was no impact as expected, but this made him make even worse guesses.
Ignoring the fact that he was fighting, he quickly turned around and saw his Master covering his left chest in surprise.
The girl's slender palm couldn't cover it at all, and bright red liquid was gushing out from the miserable wound. He even felt that his face and body were being poured all over by the warm liquid.
[It’s so ridiculous—I—actually—revived the Tohsaka family in the first battle—is everything over? 】
Full of surprise and unwillingness, Tohsaka Rin's consciousness slipped into the black abyss.
——————
"Destiny is so mysterious." Looking at his sister lying quietly on the bed, Shinji couldn't help but sigh, "She was the one who inherited the Tohsaka family's magic seal in the end..."
"Isn't this... dangerous?" Shirou asked worriedly, looking at the magic mark on Sakura's left shoulder that was still flashing red.
Of course there is a risk. After all, Sakura's physique was transformed by Zouken using magic. Although it didn't last long, it eventually changed her natural Tosaka family bloodline, and she became more inclined to the Matou family. This
This makes her less than perfect in adapting to the Tohsaka family's magic seal. For magic, this may mean death.
But even so, Sakura insisted on inheriting the Tohsaka family's magic seal.
"I don't have any sense of belonging to that family." She said, "But reviving the Tosaka family is my sister's lifelong wish. The only thing I can do for her is to help the Tosaka family pass on this magic seal."
In another corner of the room, her sister, who was one year older than her, was lying quietly in an ice coffin, her already cold face still showing the unwillingness and surprise in her last moments of life.
Her body was delivered to the Matou family by Servant Archer. At that time, Shinji and Shirou had just returned from Ryudou Temple and were discussing the next battle strategy.
"She is dead." Archer laid his master flat on the floor and said in a calm tone, "I hope you can help her take care of her funeral for the sake of some friendship."
Sakura fainted on the spot, Shirou was also speechless due to shock, and only Shinji remained calm.
"What about you?" he asked, "What are you going to do if you lose your master?"
"As an archer, I have the ability of 'Operation Du Li', and I can continue to operate for about two days without my master." Archer replied, "Two days are enough for whatever I do."
After saying that, he turned around and left, disappearing in front of everyone.
[I didn’t expect Rin Tosaka to die like this... First Matou Zouken, then Rin Tosaka... Is this a butterfly effect? People who shouldn’t have died died one by one... How will this Holy Grail War end?
?]
Looking at the genius girl's remains, Shen Er felt sad but also vaguely happy.
Tohsaka Rin + Heroic Spirit Emiya Shirou, this combination is really very powerful, and she has a good relationship with herself, Sakura, and Shirou. If she wants to fall out and take action, it will be somewhat psychologically burdensome. There is no need to dirty her hands, others
He solved her for himself, which is really good news.
[It’s just... Sakura will be very sad, the relationship between the two sisters has always been good...]
In this world, because the head of the Matou family, Zōen, has always been obsessed with magic research, Shinji is the de facto manager of the family. In order to strengthen the relationship with the Tohsaka family, he took Sakura back to visit Rin a long time ago.
It also allowed the two sisters to maintain a relatively good relationship - he himself didn't know whether he was just a simple villain who occasionally showed good intentions? Or was it a preparation for the Holy Grail War?
But anyway, it's all over.
... Facts have proved that his conclusion was too premature.
After Sakura woke up, she made a request to "inherit the Tohsaka family's magic seal".
This practice is actually common. Magician families rely on engravings for inheritance. When the head of the previous generation dies, the engravings that contain most of the magic essence are passed on to the next generation. This way, from generation to generation
Pass it on from generation to generation, and strive to climb to a higher peak on the road of magic.
"But... forget it, you won't listen to anything I say..." Shenji didn't try to stop him, he just sighed and helped her perform the magic ceremony.
[In this case, will my descendants and Sakura's descendants once again become enemies as "Matō" and "Tohsaka" of the Gosan family, and eventually come to the stage of the Holy Grail War, fighting to the death? 】
Thinking about this question, Shen Er felt a vague astringency in his mouth.
For the first time in his life, he felt in awe of the impermanence of "fate".
——————
Emiya Shirou stood on the roof of a building in Fuyuki Town, facing the cold north wind in winter, but felt an unknown anger burning in his heart.
He responded to the call as a heroic spirit and came to this era. He originally planned to kill himself in this time period in the hope of preventing his fate.
But...everything deviated from expectations
Why? Why did Rin die?
This was not part of my plan at all.
That blue heroic spirit... that blue heroic spirit... who is that guy? Why can't I remember him?
Is it hateful because this guy is insignificant? Or is it because the long years have worn away my memory of my past life?
...I remembered that his name was Cu Chulainn, a heroic spirit in Irish mythology and legend. His magic spear, the Angler, could definitely hit the enemy's heart.
I was killed by him before, but Rin saved me with a family heirloom gem...
But I couldn't save her
Even though I was by her side, I failed to protect her...
This is the second time she died because of me...
Why is this Alaya's punishment for my attempt to evade responsibility?
But why punish Rin? It's obviously my fault.
By the way... This body has long been transformed into a sword blade, and I can't feel any pain at all...
Because I am not afraid of pain, do you want to punish me by hurting the people I care about?
In other words, if I insist on killing myself at this time, you will continue to hurt other people I value, right?
The hero who never surrendered to any powerful enemy finally lowered his head.
Okay...you win, Alaya
I will no longer try to evade my responsibilities as a scavenger, I will continue to do so.
But... please take back your punishment. For the sake of me fighting for you so many times, let me get the Holy Grail this time.
No matter what kind of Holy Grail it is, at least it should be easy to resurrect a person who has been dead for a few days.
Alaya, the total collection of human unconsciousness, at least you still have a little bit of basic humanity, right?
So, even if it’s just one more time, please respond to my wish.
After praying, the heroic spirit in red jumped into the north wind.
——————
"Father, what are you going to do?" The current leader of the Fujimura group looked at the gadgets that his father was playing with. He felt his forehead was hot and his heart was cold, as if he had caught the wind. "Why do you get so many c4**?
?”
"Uh... I'm going to dig a tunnel nearby." The old man said casually, "So I bought some engineering equipment through a relationship with an old friend."
...How can anyone have C4 bombs to dig tunnels? And you have too many, enough to blow up a mountain.
He wisely didn't say anything.
Growing up, my father often did strange things, but whenever I asked him why, he got weird answers like this.
But c4**—and there are so many of them—is just too much.
If it explodes, the entire Fujimura group will fly into the sky.
So after he resigned from his father's room, the first thing he did was to call six or seven of his capable subordinates and repeatedly told them to keep an eye on the old team leader and never let him do anything dangerous.
But he didn't know that the "dangerous things" had already been done long ago.
Fujimura Torajiro heard his son's footsteps walking away, smiled, and turned on the computer screen on his desk.
The computer is on, but the screen is not on.
On the screen, the image of Fuyuki Town Church was reflected.
"Kotomine Kirei, Tosaka Tokiomi's disciple, Tosaka Rin's senior brother, the magician who helped Tokiomi, who died in the Fourth Holy Grail War, pass the magic seal on to his daughter..." He stared at the screen.
Church, with a cruel sneer on his face.
According to the rules of the Holy Grail War, the church will protect anyone who withdraws from the Holy Grail War.
However, who would believe that a disciple of Tokiomi Tosaka could be a fair referee?
There is no doubt that Kotomine Kirei will stand by Tohsaka Rin at the critical moment.
In this case, he is the enemy of the Einzbern family, the enemy of the teacher, and his own enemy.
"Assassin, as a hero, do you dislike the methods I use?" He said to the man hiding in the shadow of the room, "I remember that you prefer to kill people head-on."
"That's just because I know nothing about infiltration and assassination except for swordsmanship." A man's firm voice came from the shadow, "Being able to destroy the enemy while preserving oneself is the wisdom of war.
I only appreciate this. Please feel free to do it.”
The old man smiled and took out a square box. Apart from an antenna, there was only a red button on the box.
No one knew that long before the start of the Holy Grail War, he had taken advantage of the repair and renovation of the Fuyuki Church to bury a large number of murders nearby.
Heroic spirits are immune to non-mystical weapons, but magicians are not.
"First cut off one of the Tosaka family's arms," he said and pressed the button.
——————
"It would be better to eliminate such a weak and ugly thing."
The heroic spirit in golden armor sneered and waved, and countless powerful noble phantoms fell like raindrops, turning the blue heroic spirit bound by golden chains into lifeless fragments.
"It's true... whether it's Kotomine or Lancer, each and every one of them is so weak and easily eliminated." He looked up at the bright moon in the sky, and in front of his red eyes appeared a person who had been fighting with him inextricably.
The figure of the blond girl, "Sure enough... only that woman can keep up with my footsteps and be worthy of me."
The oldest king sighed softly in an inaudible voice and flew into the sky.
"The food is gone. In order to ensure the integrity of the combat effectiveness, it is necessary to replenish some magic power."
He soars freely in the night sky, like an eagle patrolling his territory.
Compared to the city of Uruk, this city is a little too small. Although the prosperity has improved, the small people do not know how to respect the king at all - no, it is not so much that they do not know how to respect.
These ignorant guys have no concept of "king" at all.
What a blasphemy
Human beings are born to be ruled by kings, and he, Gilgamesh, as the oldest and strongest king, as the king of all mankind, should rule everything
"Perhaps... we can start from this city and gradually restore mankind's faith in the king... After all, it is a bit boring to always have nothing to do."
Suddenly, he felt a chill.
Danger
Just like ten years ago, the sense of crisis emerged from Gilgamesh's heart when he was targeted by that black knight.
Archer's natural excellent eyesight immediately unfolded. He took out a shield exuding strong magic power from the "King's Treasure House" to protect himself, and searched the city under his feet.
"How dare you be rude to the king? Such ants must be eliminated."
But before he could find anything, a black arrow light tore through the night sky and silently arrived in front of him.
The Noble Phantasm Shield, which was at least B-level, was penetrated in an instant. Gilgamesh didn't even have time to dodge, and the black arrow had already hit him.
The armor on Gilgamesh is not an ordinary decoration. Although the style is a bit silly, this golden armor has a high degree of mystery. It is at least equivalent to a B-level or even higher Noble Phantasm. Ten years ago,
In the battle, he helped him block the enemy's attack more than once.
But this time, it didn't work at all.
The black arrow penetrated the armor effortlessly and hit his chest.
The oldest king lowered his head in surprise and looked at the black arrow stuck in his heart.
die.
The feeling of death.
"What...is going on?" He spat out a mouthful of blood and his eyes gradually became blurred.
"It makes no sense. I am...the oldest king...I am...the strongest..."
The golden figure was like a bird with broken wings, falling straight to the ground, but before it hit the ground, it turned into countless light spots and disappeared without a trace.
"Master, the presence of the opposing heroic spirit has completely disappeared." Medea reported the results of the investigation and looked at Shinji with awe in her eyes, who had just shot the powerful heroic spirit.
Shen'er's face was pale, as pale as a dead person. If anyone touched his skin now, they would find that his body was even colder than the snow on the roadside.
"The bow of the curse, the arrow of life." He smiled bitterly and put down the black long bow in his hand. As soon as the long bow left his hand, it disappeared without a trace, and he immediately staggered and couldn't stand, and fell to the heroic spirit.
's arms.
[Using great magic to curse the entire Fuyuki Town, at the cost of making this land barren next year, I collected the powerful power of the curse and turned it into a magic bow, and then paid twenty years of my life to turn it into a magic arrow... The power is indeed powerful.
People are very satisfied.]
[If necessary, I should be able to shoot one more arrow... No, I think I should be able to shoot two more arrows. After all, it doesn't seem very difficult to live to be over seventy years old...]
Every heroic spirit has its own fighting method. "Magician" is good at position creation, prop creation, large-scale magic, etc. It is really stupid to directly fight the enemy head-on.
If fighting in close quarters, he is even sure that he can kill Caster beautifully.
Instead of making suggestions, Zhuge Liang imitated Zhang Fei and played Wushuang - reality is not a game
Therefore, after obtaining Medea, all his preparations focused on the aspect of "making things happen".
As for fighting...he originally planned to let Rider do it.
Sakura can absolutely be trusted. With two Masters and two Heroic Spirits, and with Shirou Emiya wooed, with this kind of formation, victory can be guaranteed no matter what enemy they face, right?
However, Tohsaka Rin's death was a wake-up call for him.
The abilities of heroic spirits are ever-changing, and if Sakura goes out with him, she might also be sniped.
Are you kidding me? I risked my life to convince the old bug, not just so that this little girl would die silently like her sister in the future.
So he made up his mind to kill the unstable factors with his own hands.
Gilgamesh, the oldest king, may be the strongest of all heroic spirits.
That guy is the most dangerous enemy. We can't let him run free anymore.
Fortunately, this arrogant guy has a fatal weakness - he is not very good at martial arts
An archer is a "shooter". There has never been only one archer like Shirou Emiya who is powerful enough to compete head-on with heroic spirits such as swordsmen and knights.
Facing a sudden attack, Gilgamesh is no more powerful than ordinary heroic spirits.
So Shinji killed him with just one arrow.
Twenty years of life, Fuyuki Town's harvest in one year.
If Gilgamesh is fully prepared, this arrow may not be able to kill him - it may not even hurt him.
But he is very arrogant, so arrogant that he often patrols the entire Fuyuki Town at night, as if he regards this place as his own territory.
So Shinji killed him without wasting too much work.
It's just...a lifespan of twenty years.
"Caster, let's go back." After breathing for a while, Shen'er felt that his body was gradually regaining its vitality - Caster's potion worked well, so he gave the order, "Were you not noticed?"
"No one noticed it within the scope of the investigation."
"That's good……"
However, when they returned home, they saw Sakura, who was supposed to be lying on the bed and resting, standing at the door.
"Brother" the girl looked at her brother who was as pale as a dead man and asked softly, "How did you become like this?"
Shen Er was speechless for a moment - with his brain, he should have been able to come up with some explanation, but he had just lost twenty years of his life, and his soul was severely damaged. Even his sobriety at this moment was barely maintained by the power of the potion.
, there is no spare energy to concoct a reasonable lie.
"You did something dangerous, right?" The girl continued to ask without giving him time to explain.
Shenji was speechless, not knowing what to say.
A feeling of dizziness emerged from the bottom of my heart, and the scene in front of me slowly became blurry.
[Why the hell is it at this time?]
"I have already lost my sister... I can't lose my last relative." Before he fell into coma, he heard his sister's vow, "So, I will fight too."
"This time, let me protect my brother."
——————
The night is very dark.
The moon has set, the remaining stars are dotted, and the cold wind blows.
"Um...rider, are there any enemies nearby?" she asked uneasily, "If there are any enemies, you must notify me immediately."
Medusa looked at the anxious Master and sighed secretly in her heart.
It's a good thing to be determined and have the consciousness to fight, but the timing is a bit bad.
If her ruthless and powerful brother is with her, Sakura will be an excellent supporter, but it is still too early for her to take the lead alone.
It's okay to be there in normal times. For the sake of her evil brother, an ordinary magician would give her a three-point rating. But now it's the Holy Grail War. Seven magicians are fighting to the death for the Holy Grail, and they're merciless...
I'm just afraid that once I leave, I'll never be able to go home again.
Although she was worried, Medusa did not dissuade her.
To a person who is determined to kill or be killed, there is no point in persuading him.
Thirty minutes ago, Sakura took the unconscious Shinji to the Emiya Residence and entrusted her brother, who was seriously injured due to using the Cursed Bow and the Arrow of Life to kill a powerful enemy, to the only person she could trust now. She found a
Reason to say goodbye.
According to what she said at the time, she was going back to Matou's house to pack some things, and hoped to stay at the Emiya residence during the Holy Grail War.
This astonishingly bold statement shocked Emiya and his daughter, so neither Shirou nor Nanoha found any flaws in her words.
Packing some things can be done in advance, not to mention - what needs to be packed in the middle of the night? Not even waiting for Shenji to wake up?
In fact, they never returned to Matou's house at all.
This road leads to Einzbern Castle, the Einzbern family's stronghold in Fuyuki Town.
Matou Sakura's idea is very simple. No matter how many enemies there are, the Einzbern family is definitely the enemy. In this case, fighting them is the inevitable result.
"You can't always let your brother fight while I hide in a safe place." When she made up her mind, she ordered Rider, "Let's go to Einzbern Castle now and either kill them or be killed by them -
—I have prepared the appropriate magic. Even if we fail, the record of the battle will be sent back. My brother is resourceful and will surely avenge us."
Her tone was very calm, as if she was not talking about life or death, but just tomorrow's breakfast.
It was this calmness that convinced Medusa.
[If the battle situation is really unfavorable, I should be able to use the magic eye to delay the time a little. I can cut off the situation myself and let Pegasus send her back to the Emiya Residence... at least let her survive]
The two masters and servants, each with the intention of sacrificing themselves, stepped into the forest full of enchantments.
——————
"Xiu, the enemy is coming." The maid who is also an android said softly behind the door, "Please decide how to deal with it."
"What kind of enemy?" She sat up tiredly, feeling that every part of her body was aching, and her head was buzzing, and she could hardly sit still - she had absorbed three heroic spirits in a row, one of them.
The magical power far exceeded that of a normal heroic spirit, which brought her body almost to its limit.
"It looks like she should be the daughter of the Matou family." The intelligence system of the Einzbern family is naturally not vegetarian. "From the data, it seems that she was originally the daughter of the Tosaka family. She may have been adopted because of her poor qualifications.
To the Matou family - but the successor head of the Matou family is Matou Shinji. This girl named Matou Sakura can only be sure to have the talent of a magician, but her specific combat power is completely unknown."
"A mere magician, no matter how strong he is, can't be much stronger." She said nonchalantly, "Have you found the heroic spirit?"
"A heroic spirit reaction was detected on the heroic spirit barrier, but the rank cannot be determined."
When she heard the bad news, she couldn't help but frown, feeling that her already aching head was even more uncomfortable.
If the opponent is a heroic spirit, Saber must fight.
However, Saber's physical condition...
[It’s really ridiculous. The master of the android and the heroic spirit of the android both have powerful powers, but they also only have incomplete bodies... We are really a perfect match...]
[If Saber is in good condition, we will definitely be able to sweep all enemies, and no one will be her opponent]
There was a sharp pain in my mind, and my consciousness was a little blurry for a moment.
After an unknown amount of time—perhaps a second or two—she stood up with difficulty, holding on to the bed wall.
[The reserve of Heroic Spirits must be battled... It is equivalent to about four people - no, maybe five - as long as this enemy is eliminated, the Holy Grail may be summoned...]
[At least...to summon the Holy Grail, complete the third method, and realize the long-standing wish of the Einzbern family...]
【So...no matter what, you must persevere】
With the help of the maid, she put on a magic costume suitable for combat and came to the magic water tank where Saber was sleeping.
"I'm sorry, but please wake up." The girl gave the order to the sleeping servant, "In the name of Illyasviel von Einzbern, I order, Saber, to enter combat mode."
The command spell on the back of her hand felt a stinging pain, and the blond girl who was sleeping in the blue potion opened her eyes.
【Who is the enemy this time? 】
【The remaining members of the Matou family.】
[Same as last time, just destroy him? 】
[Yes - saber, can your body still hold on? 】
[I should be able to fight once or twice, but don’t worry, even if I can only hold on for a minute, I am confident to kill any enemy]
The petite body jumped out of the magic water tank with a light jump. When it landed on the ground, it had already put on a black battle robe.
"Please give the order, I can fight at any time"
——————
"Um...Dad, don't you think it's a little strange?" Because it was already early in the morning, the Emiya father and daughter were too lazy to go back to catch up on their sleep and prepare for tomorrow's breakfast.
In the process of turning eggs into egg paste, beerker suddenly thought of something and said doubtfully: "Matou's house is not far from here, why does it take so long to get something?"
Shirou was stunned for a moment and looked at the clock, only to realize that almost half an hour had passed since Sakura set out to get her things.
It only takes ten minutes to walk from Emiya's residence to Matou's house. Sakura has never been a procrastinator, so how come she hasn't come back after taking something for so long?
【Could it be...something happened?】
He shuddered, thinking of Tohsaka Rin who had been sleeping in an ice coffin, of Matou Zouken who died in mysterious circumstances, of the big explosion that happened in the nearby church during the day, and of the still comatose person.
Shinji.
"Oops, we were too careless," he exclaimed, and said to Caster, who was sitting next to Shenji. "The safety of Shenji is up to me. Beerker and I rushed to the Matou family and Sakura might be in danger."
"...You don't need to go to the Matou family." The ancient magician with long blue hair said calmly, "If I guessed correctly, she should have gone to the Einzbern family for a duel."
"What?"
"It seems you don't know yet...Sakura...is also a magician." Caster's eyes flashed, but there was something cruel in his smile, "Moreover, she is also one of the 'Masters' who participated in the Holy Grail War."
"how so"
"What's so strange about this? There are only seven positions for heroic spirits. Summoning one more will increase your chances of winning - not to mention, compared to Shenji and you, who have mediocre qualifications, Sakura is the real genius. She is far better than
You are more suitable to become Masters."
"But...how can we let girls fight?"
"Although very chauvinistic, these words sound quite comfortable, but it's a pity that Master has never been as gentle as you." Caster stood up, looked at the confused Emiya Shirou, and said coldly, "
But please remember, on the battlefield, there is only 'life' or 'death', and gender is meaningless."
"Now is not the time to say such things." Emiya Shirou interrupted the other party's speech unceremoniously, and asked anxiously, "Sakura...where did she go? Where is the 'Einzbern Family'?"
?”
"Are you going to rush to the rescue? I think it may be too late."
"Nonsense Sakura, she will be fine."
"...the Einzbern family's stronghold is in the woods outside the city." After being shouted at, Caster suddenly lost his excitement, sighed and sat down, briefly explained the location, and stopped talking.
.
"Motorcycle...not beerker, you can fly magic, right?" Shirou got a definite answer from his daughter from the future, "The faster we fly there, the better."
——————
When Matou Shinji woke up, he felt aches all over his body, from his skin to his muscles to his blood vessels and bones - no, the physical pain was secondary. What was even more unbearable was the pain from the depths of his soul, as if he had encountered a horror.
The ferocious beast bit off half of its body in one bite - what was even more terrifying was that he could still feel the torn souls being gradually broken, bit by bit, bit by bit...
Suffering this kind of terrible pain that almost completely grinds the whole person from body to soul, even if he is as strong as him, he can't help but growl, curl up his body tightly, and bite the pillow fiercely, as if this can make him
Feel better yourself.
But obviously, this approach did nothing to alleviate his pain.
After an unknown amount of time, the maddening pain finally subsided, and he finally regained his breath. He found that the clothes around him were soaked, but what was flowing out was not sweat, but blood with a fishy smell.
"What's going on?"
This was a casual question with no expectation of an answer, but I received an unexpected answer.
"Because you lost part of your life." Caster's voice came from the side, "Advancing life in exchange for power is a very profound magic. Only magicians called 'Taoist priests' in the East can do it without giving
If you use this technique without placing too much burden on your body and soul, your approach is too rough, and the 'advanced future' just struck back at you."
"To put it simply, is it the backlash of those twenty years of life that I sacrificed on me?"
"That's right."
"Is this result what you expected?"
"……Yes."
Shenji was immediately angry and wanted to shout, "Then why didn't you tell me in advance?" But he swallowed it back just as he was about to leave his mouth.
Even if I knew it in advance, my approach would not change.
For me, who is not very capable, if I want to destroy a heroic spirit as powerful as Gilgamesh, other than using this method of harming myself, is there any other way out?
In this case, even if Caster told himself in advance, what would be the use? Maybe he would not be able to give full play to his strength because of worry.
"...Am I very willful?" He sighed and asked, "Does it make you feel a little aggrieved to follow such an incompetent but willful Master like me?"
"Willfulness is the privilege of the strong." Another unexpected answer came, "A hero who can shoot even the oldest king has the power to be willful - just like Hercules, there is no one more willful in the world than him
He is a man, but will anyone condemn him for this?"
Medea smiled and said: "Besides...does a man like you care about other people's condemnation?"
Shenji was silent for a moment and then laughed.
"I feel a little hungry after a good sleep." He said, "Where are Sakura and Shirou? At least one of the two chefs must be here. I can only make instant noodles. Could it be that Shirou took advantage of me to fall asleep?
Did you trick innocent Sakura out?"
Of course, this is just a joke.
He admires Emiya Shirou very much. If Sakura can be entrusted to such a man, the older brother can rest assured.
[In that case, I can do the things I have always wanted to do without any burden, right? It’s rare to travel through time. What I want is freedom and endless adventure, not this kind of risking my life every day.
When doing magic research, you often have to deal with perverts, lunatics, scum and beasts when you go out. From time to time, you have to be busy with the weird life of killing or being killed.]
If the Holy Grail War can be ended smoothly and Sakura is entrusted to Shirou, then he can fly as high as the sky, let the fish jump in the sea, travel freely and live the life he has always wanted.
"Medea." It was rare that he called his servants by their names instead of their ranks. "If you get the Holy Grail, what are your wishes?"
The witch from ancient Greece was stunned for a moment and looked at him doubtfully.
"Don't you have any wishes?" Shen Er said with a smile, "It's rare to come to the human world and be confused...is it really okay?"
No wish? How is it possible?
Of course she has a wish
When you meet someone who loves you - no, it doesn't matter if there is no love, as long as you can trust her
We trust each other and rely on each other, even if we die for it, we are still very happy.
...What an extravagant wish! A witch who is accustomed to betrayal actually has such a wish? She could remember the circumstances under which this Master met her.
What kind of fool would you be to still choose to believe her after seeing her turn against the Master?
Is he a fool? Of course not. Not only is he not stupid, but he is also one of the most fierce and decisive people. His mind and skills are comparable to Odysseus, the most famous wise hero in ancient Greece.
Therefore, she cannot expect to be trusted.
Therefore, when it comes to the topic of wishes, she can only choose to remain silent.
Fortunately, there is one more important thing that can change the topic.
"Sakura Hide took Rider out. I think she went to find the Einzbern family for a duel." Caster's words made Shinji change his expression, "Mr. Emiya chased out with Beerker not long ago. If not
If there is an accident, there should be a fight over there."
"Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
"Master, your current state is not suitable for fighting."
"I don't expect you to understand the principle of 'protecting your family and caring for your friends', but you should always understand what it means to be 'dead and cold'." Shen Er jumped up and quickly put on his clothes, "I'm not against fighting, but it must be done before I
Even if it’s a duel if we choose to fight, the three of us should act together.”
He moved very quickly and was fully dressed in just a moment. He was about to rush out the door when he suddenly felt severe pain all over his body and his vision went black.
"Master, you need to rest, don't force yourself"
"Don't be ridiculous, how can anyone rest at a time like this?" Shenji said dumbfounded, "Even if you don't care about Sakura and Shirou, if they fail, do you think we can escape?"
"Rather than hiding at home and being caught and killed, I would rather fight side by side with them." As he said this, he walked to the car parked at the door and opened the door.
"Let's go, hope it's not too late"
The eastern horizon has a faint hint of white, but the early morning of winter is even colder.
Amidst the heavy snow that fell at an unknown time, a specially processed bulletproof car rushed through the city at lightning speed and headed towards the forest where Einzbern Castle is located.
——————
Succession is the development of the story, the stage that moves from a slow and detailed beginning to a gradually intense climax.
