My Fates Codex in Type-Moon

So...

"Don't even think about it." Before Artoria could say anything, Sakutsuki cut her off. The refined, gentle-looking young man in a kimono scooped up his Servant and declared righteously,

"The world is so beautiful, yet you're so violent. All you think about all day is fighting and killing. Isn't that tiresome?"

The blonde, blue-eyed girl stared with her mouth hanging open, utterly dumbfounded.

A monster who could pierce her heart with countless swords according to her instincts was holding a Caster support and seriously lecturing her about world peace?!

And Irisviel actually believed him, nodding in agreement. "Exactly. How could we let Miyu-jjang get involved in such a cruel battle? Saber and I can go instead."

"I-Is that so?"

Meanwhile, Miyu, who was being held in Sakutsuki's arms and could kill Medea with a single spear thrust, narrowed her eyes as she watched the two unscrupulous Masters toy with Saber. In the end, the two groups of Masters tacitly went their separate ways. Irisviel headed toward the source of the presence, while Sakutsuki went in the opposite direction, weaving through several turns before entering a small shop in an alley.

The moment they entered, the rich scent of alcohol made Miyu cough repeatedly, two deep blushes rising on her little cheeks.

Good wine feared no deep alley.

Hearing the sound at the door, an old man emerged from behind the counter. He smiled when he saw Sakutsuki. "You again, young man? So, what are you buying this time? I've got everything here."

The old man was right. The shelves beside him were stocked with fine liquor from all over the world.

There was Singapore's Sling cocktail; Dutch Gin; Sherry, Spanish sunshine bottled up; Portugal's famous PORTO wine; Japan's national drink, sake, developed from brewing methods inspired by Chinese yellow wine... Even Moutai, one of the world's three great liquors, sat quietly at the top of the shelf.

The wines brewed by countless cultures were all gathered here, their fragrance so rich that one could almost get drunk to death and never wish to wake up.

Sakutsuki was a regular of this owner's. He did not stand on ceremony. "Give me a few strong bottles—the stronger, the better. Get me some Red Star Erguotou and Water of Life. Oh, and throw in a bottle each of sake and beer. Just charge it to my card."

"You know your stuff. Straightforward, too!" The old man laughed and quickly sorted the bottles, packed them into a bag, and handed it to Sakutsuki.

Amid the clinking of bottles, Sakutsuki politely declined the old man's invitation to drink together and left with Miyu, whose steps had become a little unsteady.

Once they left the alley and the winter wind hit her, Miyu, who had not drunk a drop, finally cleared up a little. "Onii-chan, where are we going with all this alcohol?"

Facing the wind, Sakutsuki smiled as a silver-green motorcycle appeared beside him, its engine roaring with restless fury.

"To find someone for a drink, and also..."

"To watch a show!"

Fuyuki Bridge, which spanned the entire Mion River, stood not far from the river mouth. Six hundred and sixty-five meters long, it was a three-span continuous through arch bridge.

The top of its arch stood more than fifty meters high. If the sea wind caught someone at such a height, they would surely lose their footing and fall into the river. Without safety ropes, even the most experienced maintenance worker would never climb up there.

Waver Velvet had no safety rope or any other equipment on him. He clung to the cold steel framework with both hands and feet. He usually told himself to remain composed, but he could no longer care about that now.

His Servant, Rider, sat cross-legged beside him. The man looked imposing and majestic, so much so that it made one grit one's teeth in annoyance.

"Let's... get down from here... quickly..."

Waver said to Rider, his teeth chattering incessantly from cold and fear. But to Rider, his voice was nothing more than wind in his ears.

"This is an excellent observation point. Let's stay up high for now and enjoy the view."

Holding a bottle of foreign liquor, Rider occasionally tilted his head back for a great gulp while looking down at the vast seaside park west of the bridge, stretching from the river mouth to the coast. Waver could not see anything with his eyesight, but according to Rider, the target before them—the Servant presence they had spent four hours tracking—was there.

Rider and Waver had been wandering the city streets in hopes of encountering an enemy, and they had discovered that Servant's presence only in the afternoon.

As a king who had fought across countless lands, Rider immediately saw through the other side's intention to fish for prey. He promptly decided to watch from the sidelines, waiting for the other Servants to take the stage—and for the chance to profit while the snipe and clam fought each other.

That said—

"This is way too high! I-I want to get down! No, let me down! I-I've had enough!"

Waver's frantic shouts were scattered by the wind and never reached Rider's ears.

"Just wait a bit. You really can't sit still, can you? Sitting and waiting is a kind of warfare too."

Rider drank leisurely as he spoke, not even glancing at Waver's nearly tearful expression. From the very beginning, the two of them seemed never to have shared the understanding that high places were dangerous.

"If you've got nothing to do, then read the book I left with you..." Rider abruptly stopped, sharply turning his head toward the entrance of the bridge.

This time, even Waver saw it. A sleek, stylish motorcycle came speeding over, then pulled off a handsome drift and stopped below them.

The man in the kimono took off his helmet and raised his head, shouting as though he had known they were there all along.

"Iskandar, King of Conquerors, what are you doing standing so high up? Get down here. Let's drink together!"

Who wanted to drink with you?!

Even though he was scared stiff up there, Waver was not stupid enough to jump down. This Caster's Master had been fighting them tooth and nail just a few days ago. Now he had suddenly come looking for them—who knew what kind of trap he had prepared...

The suddenly trembling steel frame gave Waver a fright. He instinctively looked at Rider, only to find that the red-haired giant had already stood up, a hand as large as a genie's reaching toward him.

Then Rider grabbed him by the collar, lifted him like a kitten, and even gave him a little bounce.

"R-Rider, what are you doing?" Waver swallowed.

Rider gave him a kindly smile.

"Ready, boy?"

Amid the mad shrieking of his premonition of death, Waver felt as if he were on a drop tower with no safety restraints as he began to fall.

"Waaaaaah—!"

His scream echoed around Fuyuki Bridge for a long time.

I got the site message. Keep following and voting with confidence.

Beneath Fuyuki Bridge

Under the displacement spell that drove away idle bystanders, no one noticed the four figures beneath the bridge. Fine liquor was laid out beside a red-haired giant, who was chatting merrily with a white-haired, golden-eyed young man. A girl in a kimono stared intently at an image screen floating in midair, while behind her, a frail young man clutched a bottle of sake and looked as though he were vomiting out his soul.

They were the Masters and Servants of the Caster and Rider groups.

The floating image screen displayed an intense battle somewhere else.

It was Warehouse District, next to the seaside park. Amid row after row of modular warehouses, the gale stirred up by two clashing figures had shredded the nearby cargo containers to pieces.

There were two figures—one wielded a spear, the other held a sword.

The spearman was a handsome man with a high nose bridge, stern brows, and sharp facial contours. His refined lips gave him an austere, abstinent air, but his gentle, melancholic eyes strongly emphasized his masculine charm. Especially the beauty mark beneath his left eye, which made his gaze even more alluring.

His weapons were particularly eye-catching. He carried a spear around two meters long over his right shoulder, while his left hand held a shorter spear only about one-third its length.

"Servant Lancer. A dual-spearman?" The red-haired giant stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Both spears, from shaft to blade, are wrapped in cloth covered in what looks like spell marks. Their true forms can't be seen at all."

"There weren't many dual-spearmen in history." Sakutsuki had the advantage of foresight, but he had no intention of revealing everything. He merely said, "Still, since he dared to deliberately reveal his presence and invite challengers, he must have some skill."

"If that is so, then the Heroic Spirit who answered his provocation and chose to fight him must also be a powerful one, no?" Iskandar raised his wine cup, shifting his gaze to Saber, who faced Lancer. Awe appeared on his face.

The blonde, blue-eyed girl knight had soft, fair skin. She held an invisible sword, the ahoge atop her head standing proudly upright, while silver and azure light gleamed across her armor.

"I didn't expect her to be such a beautiful young girl."

"Indeed." Sakutsuki's eyes brightened slightly as he looked at her, and he nodded in deep agreement. "She is as beautiful as an elf."

"But what weapon is she holding? Judging by her grip, it seems to be a sword, but why can't we see the blade?"

"Just as Lancer wrapped up his twin spears, Saber must be concealing her identity for the same reason." Sakutsuki smiled and clinked cups with Iskandar.

"Not knowing what her weapon looks like puts Lancer at a great disadvantage."

"That is something for warriors to worry about. We only need to watch in peace."

"Exactly. Come, drink!"

Then, under the moonlight, Saber and Lancer exchanged a few words before launching into battle without hesitation.

"Oh, oh, it's starting!" Iskandar widened his eyes, while Sakutsuki held his breath in concentration.

This was a brutal duel that had vanished from the modern age, one that could only occur in that distant era when myths had not yet fully disappeared.

An armored knight and a warrior wielding twin spears fought each other fiercely amid flashing edges and bursting sparks.

Though cold weapons clashed, the magical power released by their collision and the powerful currents of air that seemed capable of destroying everything were no weaker than modern firearms.

It was as if the Servants held not spears and swords, but some even more violent weapons.

Feet striking the ground shattered the earth.

The pressure created by swinging their weapons sliced streetlights cleanly apart.

Even magically reinforced dynamic vision struggled to follow their movements. One could only judge the intensity of the battle from the occasional shockwaves that escaped.

The metal sheets on the warehouse walls could not withstand the devastation. They peeled away and twisted, blown off by the airwaves like tinfoil.

The wind wailed.

Confronted with a space entirely opposed to the physical laws of the world, the surrounding air let out a hysterical cry.

A frenzied storm ravaged the deserted Warehouse District, destroying and trampling everything.

A mere close-quarters battle between two people could ruin an entire street.

Watching such a dazzling sight, the King of Conquerors forgot to drink. The white-haired, golden-eyed young man's fighting spirit boiled, the girl who had descended as Caster wore a solemn expression, and the frail Master gaped in stunned disbelief.

This was the Holy Grail War, the great undertaking that recreated the worlds of myth and legend.

Thunder tore open the sky, raging waves shattered the earth, and the world of fantasy miraculously became real.

This was a battle between Servants.

Something in Sakutsuki's arms stirred, pulling him back from the fierce battle. He activated the communication magecraft.

"Sakutsuki, I've reached Warehouse District. I'm hiding beneath a warehouse now."

"Did you set up your disguise?"

"Of course. As you said, I concealed my presence and even eliminated thermal detection... But Sakutsuki, will Tokiomi Tohsaka's Servant really come here? All I can see are Saber and Lancer fighting."

"Shallow. Far too shallow, Kariya."

"???"

Sitting cross-legged beneath Fuyuki Bridge, Sakutsuki smiled as scene after scene appeared in his golden eyes. They were the surveillance feeds he had arranged long ago.

Having come here a year in advance, how could he possibly have made no preparations?

"Above your head, Lancer's Master is observing the entire battlefield. On top of the crane, a Shadow Servant pretending to be dead is watching from the shadows. Then there is the Magus Killer, who has already prepared his sniper position, as well as Rider's group and me beneath Fuyuki Bridge... Count them. How many people have come tonight?"

"I..." Kariya stared dumbly for a long while before blurting out a curse. "Fuck."

"And since Assassin, Tokiomi's ally, has already arrived, do you think Tokiomi and his Servant will be far behind?"

"I understand, Sakutsuki. I'll be ready. As long as Tokiomi's Servant comes..." Kariya pulled down the hood of his tracksuit, vengeance burning in his eyes.

"I'll defeat him myself!"

"No, Kariya." Sakutsuki smiled, his golden eyes unfathomably deep. "Before that, help me with something..."

Meanwhile, the situation on the battlefield between the two Servants quietly changed.

"The game ends here, Lancer."

A cold voice from nowhere rang through the area. Apparently dissatisfied with the stalemate, Lancer's Master commanded,

"Do not let this battle drag on any longer. That Saber is a formidable enemy. Finish her as soon as possible—I permit you to use your Noble Phantasm."

The words of the hidden magus made Saber's expression tighten.

Noble Phantasm—Lancer's Master had finally urged him to reveal a Servant's true weapon.

"I understand, my Master."

Lancer's formerly carefree demeanor changed. His tone became solemn and low as he altered his stance with the spears.

Without hesitation, he threw the short spear in his left hand to the ground beside him.

"So... that long spear is Lancer's...!?"

Before Saber's watchful eyes, the binding talismans around the spear in Lancer's right hand loosened and fell away.

It was a crimson spear. Magical power completely unlike before faintly radiated from its tip, like an ominous mirage.