Ability, Verification, and Choice

Under the shroud of night, Fuyuki City was steeped in an atmosphere of mystery and danger, the brutal clashes of the Holy Grail War often unfolding at this time.

Daytime, however, was like the calm before a storm. The participating factions lay in wait, busy with preparations and schemes. No one would rashly break this peace in broad daylight.

The world of mages was a hidden one, and acting during the day undoubtedly increased the risk of exposure.

Shiki didn't quite agree with these unwritten rules, but he had no intention of breaking them. Instead, this presented him with a rare opportunity.

He could use the daylight hours to delve deeper into the exploration of his Magic Eye.

After awakening his Magic Eye, Shiki had only gained a preliminary grasp of its usage before he was eager to use it against Zouken Matou. He hadn't had the chance to properly research the full capabilities of his Magic Eye.

The Magic Eye had awakened based on the power of the Reincarnation Eye. While the original Six Paths abilities were retained, they had mutated in this world, requiring him to re-understand and re-master them.

Shiki held a knight's sword emitting a mysterious purple glow. The blade flowed, making it particularly striking in the dimly lit room.

The style of this sword was strikingly similar to the legendary "Excalibur - Sword of Promised Victory." However, while that holy sword radiated golden light, the one in his hand was a demonic sword exuding a dangerous aura—"Lake of Unbroken Light," the Noble Phantasm of Lancelot, who descended in the Berserker class.

Shiki swung the demonic sword gently, feeling its power.

However, as he swung the demonic sword, his brow furrowed.

"The Asura Path ability can forcibly use Heroic Spirit Noble Phantasms, but the magical energy consumption is simply too great. Right now, I can't even maintain the sword's form for long, let alone unleash its power. My magical energy is completely insufficient."

The issue of insufficient magical energy reserves was laid bare, severely limiting his ability to perform.

This was also why he was desperately seeking an additional source of magical energy. Only with ample magical energy could he exert greater strength in battle.

As his magical energy was depleted, the demonic sword in his hand dissipated like an illusory light, returning to its original owner.

This sword wasn't suitable for him. Even if he intercepted it, he couldn't use it for long; it was meaningless.

Shiki released his grip, looking at the spot where the Noble Phantasm had vanished, a knowing smile playing on his lips.

"As expected, the Noble Phantasms carried by Heroic Spirits are merely materialized miracles, the crystallized fantasies of humanity's prayers for miracles. Like Heroic Spirits themselves, they are replicas, not true weapons of reality."

The true legendary weapon, "Lake of Unbroken Light," would not change its essence due to the user's actions, nor would it disappear so easily.

Only under the influence of human perception, faith, and legends did the nature of Heroic Spirits and Noble Phantasms undergo various changes.

After testing his Asura Path abilities, Shiki turned his attention back to his other abilities.

Among the Six Paths abilities, only the Deva Path and Asura Path possessed conventional combat power. The Hell Path was a special ability, and most of the remaining ones were auxiliary.

"Although the Reincarnation Eye's main force in the Ninja World was the Deva Path, it seems to remain so here as well. It appears the four fundamental forces of the universe are universally applicable."

Shiki couldn't help but sigh.

Around nine in the morning, sunlight streamed through the window, casting a hint of brightness into the room.

Lancelot, who had gone to escort Kariya out of the city, had returned and brought back news.

"Master, Kariya has safely left the city, and the message has been delivered. It's estimated that it won't be long before all factions participating in the Holy Grail War know that you've seized Command Spells and joined this war."

Shiki waved his hand indifferently, saying confidently, "This is good. The wider the news spreads, the safer Kariya will be. From now on, we can also go all out to contend for the Holy Grail and realize your wish."

He didn't mention his own wish, and Lancelot, with tacit understanding, didn't ask further. Instead, he brought up another matter.

"Also, Master, Caster's actions have caused public panic. The Church has issued new rules today. Until Caster is eliminated, if anyone deliberately breaks the rules, the Church will join forces with other Masters to hunt down the transgressors. Therefore, I suggest Master participate in the hunt for Caster. This way, you can not only obtain precious Command Spells but also elevate our position in the war."

"Huh? The Church issued new rules again?" Shiki asked, somewhat surprised, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, Master. I received it just now at the main gate. Perhaps it's because last night's large-scale battle caused the Church to lose face."

"Haha, the Church still cares about face?"

Shiki sneered. In his opinion, mages and the Church had always been at odds. Except for jointly dealing with the enemy of Dead Apostles, the two sides had rarely cooperated.

Taking orders from the Church was almost unacceptable for a mage.

However, in this Holy Grail War, the Church acted as the facade and supervisor. With repeated warnings, Shiki estimated that no Master would proactively cause trouble for themselves.

"Then, Mr. Lancelot, how do you think we should get involved?"

"Master, before I returned, I saw Rider and his Master. They were following the river, searching for Caster's lair, and might find something. Why don't we follow them? If we find Caster, we can join forces with Rider to eliminate him. This way, we can obtain Command Spells, build a friendship with Rider, and form an alliance to counter others. After all, relying solely on our own strength, it's difficult to emerge victorious in this war." Lancelot analyzed earnestly.

What Lancelot said made sense. In the Holy Grail War, fighting alone often led to a bad end. It was necessary to unite with others and formulate strategies.

But Shiki had a different idea.

"Forget about uniting with Rider. Given his overbearing nature, we might not get along. Don't even consider that idea from the start. Don't forget, Rider wants to take Saber as his subordinate. Mr. Lancelot, can you tolerate that?"

Lancelot was silent for a moment and then said, "Master, to achieve our goals, knights sometimes need to endure humiliation. Moreover, I am no longer a knight in the traditional sense."

Lancelot's words reminded Shiki of ninjas. However, he still shook his head and said with a smile, "I don't see it that way, Mr. Lancelot. If my comrades suffer humiliation for a certain purpose, it only means I, as the Master, am unqualified and have failed in my responsibilities. I cannot accept such an outcome."

Lancelot looked at Shiki, his gaze filled with complexity.

This Master, to whom he had sworn allegiance, was indeed different, showing great respect for his feelings and wishes.

At this moment, Shiki's figure seemed to overlap with someone in his memory. His emotions were turbulent for a long time before he finally calmed down.

"Then, what are Master's plans?"

"Mr. Lancelot, although Caster is deranged, he is not stupid and won't be easily eliminated. Obtaining Command Spells doesn't necessarily require hunting down Caster."

"Master means, directly snatching the Command Spells?" Lancelot guessed.

This thuggish idea didn't make Lancelot feel repulsed.

He wasn't the historical Lancelot, but merely a fragment of the legend, specifically the part of the knight after his affair with the queen.

Furthermore, since he was summoned in the Berserker class, he no longer cared about knightly codes. Otherwise, he wouldn't have proposed an alliance with Rider earlier.

"Steal it directly? No, no, no, Mr. Lancelot, that sounds so crude. Directly stealing is too classless. We can look for opportunities to pick up scraps."

Shiki had a vague recollection. After the Caster incident, an old priest with many Command Spells was killed by some Master.

Although the Fourth Holy Grail War might not proceed along its original course due to his involvement, he hadn't significantly impacted the situation yet. Perhaps this event would still happen.

If he could truly pick up scraps, then the subsequent developments would be hard to predict.

"Mr. Lancelot, for the morning, please spar with me. I want to see how much my martial arts skills lag behind those of the legendary greatest knight," Shiki suggested.

"It would be my pleasure, Master."

The mention of martial arts immediately made Lancelot's eyes light up.

In this regard, he was confident that no one in the Knights of the Round Table could match him.