Beneath Vast Skies and Endless Snow, Who Will Journey with Me?

The undercurrents that had been surging through the night in Fuyuki City finally transformed into a giant wave tonight, drawing the winter's silence into a grand vortex. The various forces no longer bothered with concealment, abandoning their weighing and calculations. Strategic considerations were no longer meaningful; only tactical victories could determine everything.

However, as the saying goes, tactics are correct because they are successful, while strategy is successful because it is correct. If you have already gone astray in strategy, no amount of effort will be effective.

For example, some characters who had disappeared for a long time had to step back onto the stage when the strategic situation was at a huge disadvantage, and fight for a victory that was already elusive.

"Lancer, do you remember my orders?"

"Yes, Miss Sola-Ui."

The two people talking were a red-haired woman and a handsome man kneeling in front of her.

"Then why are you still here? Hurry up and get to work."

"..."

The man didn't do anything despite the woman's urging; he simply lowered his head even further.

"What's wrong, Lancer? Aren't you even listening to Master?"

The woman's voice carried a hint of anger, but not rage; rather, it sounded like a jealous young woman.

"... I'm sorry," the man said in a very embarrassed tone, "You are not my master."

"What are you talking about, Lancer?" The woman laughed as if she had heard a very funny joke, but there seemed to be something wicked in her laughter. "Look, I have Command Seals on the back of my hand. Isn't that proof that I am your Master? That's right... I am your Master, and these Command Seals bind us together."

"You're right," the man said, his tone becoming much firmer as if he had made up his mind. "I'm not denying your status as a master; what I mean is that you are not my lord."

"What--"

"I have come into this world to serve only one lord, and I have promised to offer him the Holy Grail," the man interrupted the woman, "So I am afraid I cannot accept your command."

"..."

An uneasy silence lasted for several seconds before the woman finally spoke, "Is this your answer? Then do you know that your lord is now unable to use Magecraft and even simple activities are extremely difficult for him, let alone fighting alongside you?"

"Yes."

"If I were to cut off your mana supply under these circumstances, you would completely vanish. Forget the Holy Grail, you wouldn't even get a single honorable duel between Knight. You would simply exit the stage of Heroic Spirit in such a humiliating manner."

The woman didn't see the fleeting anger in the man's eyes after she uttered that threat. She continued her tirade, "You don't want this, do you? You certainly don't, right? Then admit it to me, and then we can be together—"

"Please shut up, Miss Sola-Ui!" the man interrupted again. "Your words are a betrayal of Lord Kayneth!"

"Kayneth!" The woman went into a frenzy upon hearing the name. "It's that guy again! What's so great about him?! You saw it yourself, not only does he fail to recognize your abilities, Lancer, but he also blames you for his own incompetence. What... what is so great about this piece of trash..."

"..."

"Alright, since my humble pleas haven't worked, I'll have to resort to a little underhanded tactics." Realizing her earlier lapse in composure, the woman regained her composure and spoke again, "You can't refuse a woman in trouble, can you?" (①)

"Yes..." came the pained reply.

"Well," the woman said, even happier after hearing the pained voice of her beloved, "I'm in trouble now. The one I love is cold to me, my life is threatened, Lancer, do you admit it?"

"... Yes."

"So, Lancer, I'm not ordering you as your Master or with Command Seals, but as a woman in distress," the woman's lips curled into a strange smile, "I'm begging for your help, how about it?"

"..."

"How's it going, Lancer? Hehehehe..."

"Yes, I promise you, madam."

The man sighed, a sound that seemed like a complaint, then rose, bowed to the woman, and vanished into thin air. The woman's smile grew increasingly sickly as she murmured something to the empty darkness.

"Hehehe, Lancer, with the Holy Grail, we can be together forever! No one can separate us! Hahaha, haha ..."

----------------Sometime before-------------------

"Lancer, do you believe in karma? Like how good people are rewarded and bad people don't have a good end?"

"..."

"I want to believe it too, but reality isn't like that."

"..."

"I have no evidence? Hahaha, then I'll use an example that can't be faked. Lancer— Diarmuid Ua, you're a person of high moral character, aren't you?"

"..."

"Don't be so modest. But since you insist, I'll put it another way: compared to most people of your time, your character is noble."

"..."

"Fionn is certainly a hero, but he doesn't have your character, does he?"

"..."

"If Fionn had been the one injured and you were the one fetching the water, would you have spilled it?" (②)

"..."

"This explains a lot. In short, according to the theory of cause and effect, what was the cause of your tragic ending?"

"..."

"Murder? Fionn killed too, maybe more than you. At least you both bear the same amount of sin. So, you are fundamentally superior to him, why are your outcomes different?"

"..."

"No, no, no, I don't think the best qualities of humanity are wrong. The key is how we treat different kinds of people, isn't it? With family and friends, any kind of tolerance is acceptable, but what about other people—do they really deserve such high standards from you— Fionn or Kayneth?"

"..."

"Your loyalty and excellence are taken for granted, your abilities are merely seen as a useful Props, and your feelings are meaningless to them—but on what basis? Why do you tolerate them? You don't owe them anything, do you?"

"..."

"Hahaha, since that's the case, then let's do as you say and trust you one last time. When we meet next time, be sure to tell me the result of your so-called 'last bit of tolerance,' so I can see if your noble qualities have once again become a weapon for others to exploit and coerce you."

"..."

"Well, goodbye~ Our deal is done, now leave with your arm."

"But Lancer, can you really do this, with your soft heart? 'The last time,' huh?"

"Suddenly, I kind of hope that Kayneth and Sola-Ui will treat him even worse."

"In that case, I'm actually the same kind of person as them, Lancer... But I still sincerely hope you can realize that."

"Really? Of course, only a tiny bit." (③)

----------------Notes-----------------

① This is a rule that Diarmuid set for himself, and although it is not mandatory, he has always adhered to it.

② After Diarmuid injured by the Demon Boar, Fionn was right beside him. If he had gone to fetch water, he could have healed Diarmuid (one of Fionn's abilities). However, he deliberately spilled the water, and then spilled it again when he went to fetch it, until Diarmuid died before he finally managed to fetch the water...

③ This happened after Jizi snatched Kayneth's little right, discussed philosophy with Saber and Lancer, and Saber left. Please use your imagination to fill in the blanks when Lancer says it.