Was that bizarre method of teleportation Berserker—Morgan's grand magecraft, or Xi Jianxi's own?
The former was simple enough. If it was the latter, then Xi Jianxi could not be judged by the usual logic of a Magus.
"Kiritsugu..." Irisviel took her husband's hand.
She understood the concerns in his heart.
Having met Xi Jianxi once, she was even more certain that their chances of winning the Holy Grail War were shrinking.
Unlike her husband, who carried harsh yet lofty ideals, Xi Jianxi had none of those unreachable dreams. That young man was the kind of person who would use his own hands to firmly grasp every scrap of happiness around him.
Whether he won the Holy Grail War was not important. Surviving, then returning to the children, mattered more.
Anyone could understand that after seeing him once. Irisviel knew.
Those who were not obsessed with victory and defeat were harder to defeat.
"I won't let you fight alone." She gently told her husband, "I will protect you. Saber will protect you. And there is also... Miss Maiya."
She had to admit who Kiritsugu needed most right now.
Only one person could restore the strength he once possessed, the coldness that could seal away all pain and fear. That was something Irisviel could never do.
If there was anything she could do, it was at least hold Kiritsugu and comfort him. But—Irisviel still could not help but pray sincerely.
Even if she could not help him, she hoped heaven would grant her a little more time, so she could soothe Kiritsugu as she did now, even if it was only for another minute or second.
—Yet as she made that earnest wish, it turned into an illusory bubble.
A sudden palpitation in her chest made Irisviel's entire body tense. The forest barrier formula she had only recently mastered repeatedly pulsed violently through her magic circuits.
It was an alarm.
"—Have they come already?" Kiritsugu's murmur was unexpectedly calm. Merely seeing the change in Irisviel's expression, he understood the situation and entered a combat state in both body and mind.
"Should we send word?"
"Yes. Maiya and I will withdraw, leaving the battle here for you and Saber to lead." Kiritsugu said, "Perfect. Let me see what he can do."
"Alright."
Irisviel picked up the obsidian stone and went into the outer hall. She poured magical energy into it, and the obsidian crumbled into dust, scattering from her hand.
Wind suddenly rose within the sealed hall, and a flock of black crows emerged from the void.
When they dispersed, Xi Jianxi appeared, along with his Servant, Morgan.
But...
"Why did you bring... the children too?" Irisviel was left speechless.
"No one can guarantee that Kayneth won't attack my home while Morgan and I are away, then seize the two children as hostages." Xi Jianxi explained simply. "Do you have a guest room? I want the children to sleep first."
"...Yes!"
Coming back to her senses, Irisviel could only hurriedly deal with this unexpected situation.
After settling the two children in a guest room, Irisviel activated the farsight crystal ball and projected the image of the intruder captured by the barrier onto its surface.
A strange black robe swayed through the woods, while the red patterns upon it seemed soaked with blood, flickering in and out of sight amid the branches and leaves.
"He's Caster." Xi Jianxi narrowed his eyes, his expression turning murderous.
Caster Gilles de Rais was not alone. He had brought over a dozen young children with him, and even the oldest looked only about Sakura's age.
"Einzbern, can you determine his location?" Xi Jianxi asked.
"A little over two kilometers northeast of the castle. He doesn't appear to intend to enter deeper into the forest for now," Irisviel explained.
Morgan closed her eyes and sensed the surroundings for a moment. "It seems he deliberately avoided the castle's barrier and stopped at the perimeter to lure us out. At the very least, he isn't some third-rate Magus Servant."
"If he's luring us out, then those children..." Artoria was furious.
If they rashly activated the mechanisms and traps outside the barrier, it would be difficult to ensure the children were not harmed.
"Then we'll give him what he wants and meet the enemy, King Arthur." Xi Jianxi said to Artoria.
This suited Saber perfectly. Just as she was about to agree, she realized something was wrong.
"We? You're coming with me?" she asked.
"That's right." Xi Jianxi smiled confidently.
Artoria turned to Morgan. "Then... what about Queen Sister?"
"There are children here. I want to entrust their protection to her." Xi Jianxi said, then looked at Irisviel. "If you're uneasy about staying in the same room as another Servant, you can withdraw somewhere else first, Einzbern."
"No, I can stay here." Irisviel vaguely suspected that Kiritsugu might have his eye on these two children.
If they successfully eliminated Caster, perhaps...
As a mother, she did not want children like Illya dragged into the battlefield, even if that somewhat conflicted with Kiritsugu's objective.
For now, she would act as a hostage.
"I understand. Then, Saber, let's go."
Xi Jianxi turned and came to the corridor, activating his transfer magecraft.
Einzbern Forest Offensive and Defensive Battle (1)
This was not Artoria's first experience with spatial transfer magecraft, and she was calm enough now to observe the situation more closely.
She had initially believed it was magecraft Morgan could cast without any incantation, but in truth, it was Xi Jianxi's specialty.
Both Kiritsugu Emiya and Irisviel had analyzed it incorrectly.
"Flowers?"
Moreover, during the spatial transfer, Artoria noticed another change.
The form used by the transfer magecraft had changed. Previously, it had been crows; this time, it was flower petals brimming with the breath of spring.
"Is something wrong?" Xi Jianxi had already begun habitually checking the wound on his shoulder.
Artoria shook her head. "I'm just a little surprised. That transfer barrier made of crows reminded me of the Fisher King from my era."
"The crippled man who lived in seclusion in the mountains and used crows as familiars?" Xi Jianxi understood.
"That's right. His daughter was also the mother of Galahad, one of my Knights of the Round Table." Artoria looked helpless and saddened as she said this.
Galahad's father, Lancelot... and Guinevere were both connected to the collapse of the Knights of the Round Table.
Even so, Artoria had never resented any of them.
No one was at fault.
Precisely because no one was at fault, she wanted the Holy Grail—to change what had led to that outcome.
"The forms of transfer magecraft are chosen based on my mood. I thought that, since I was fortunate enough to assist the legendary King Arthur, I might as well play the role of Merlin the Mage of Flowers for once, as a Magus." Xi Jianxi said.
Artoria gave a bitter smile. "Then at least... you're nothing like Merlin."
"I'm not an incubus." Xi Jianxi's smile gradually faded after he spoke.
During their brief exchange, the spatial transfer magecraft finished. The two of them were already deep within the forest, over five kilometers from Einzbern Castle.
To Caster, their actions were no different from jumping into his trap.
But conversely, the two who had prepared an ambush could also be said to have successfully lured Caster into taking the bait.
"Damn... were we too late?" Xi Jianxi clicked his tongue coldly, his eyes full of disgust and fury.
All the children they had seen through the crystal ball had been killed.
Even though they had transferred at top speed, in less than half a minute, they had all become victims caught up in this Holy Grail War.
The fresh scent of blood drifting from the corpses littering the ground showed that these children had still been alive only moments ago.
"Welcome, Joan. As expected, you came with great speed."
Caster's face was piled with smiles as he welcomed the equally furious Artoria, who had raised her weapon and armed herself fully.
He could not help feeling proud of the grand feast he had prepared, his smile brimming with self-satisfaction. The black robe standing in the sea of blood was drenched in the blood of living sacrifices, making its colors appear even more vivid.
"What do you think of this miserable sight? It is terribly heartbreaking, isn't it? It makes you sad to look at, doesn't it? Can you imagine what kind of pain these innocent children tasted before they died? But Joan, compared to what I did after losing you, this is not a tragedy at all!"
Caster spoke of the carnage before them as calmly as though he were introducing his achievements.
"You bastard!"
Xi Jianxi no longer wanted to hear another word from Caster. Magical energy gathered in his palm as he prepared to fire a magic blast.
If someone could remain unmoved in the face of this, they would only become numb and cold.
He wanted to kill him in a single strike.
Xi Jianxi did not care if it exposed more of his trump cards.
If one of those children had been Sakura or Karen, he would likely have already gone berserk.
The everyday life of the past two years had not been a lie. He truly loved those two children, which was why he was consumed by rage now.
"Wait!" Artoria held down Xi Jianxi's right hand, though she too was furious.
As if ignoring Xi Jianxi's anger, Caster gazed joyfully at Saber and revealed a sticky smile.
"—Oh, Joan, those eyes filled with fury are as beautiful as ever!"
The reason Artoria had stopped Xi Jianxi from using magecraft to bombard Caster lay beneath Caster's robe.
It was the final surviving child among those taken hostage.
The child was still tucked beneath Caster's arm, sniffling and crying. This mad Servant had deliberately spared one child only to use them as a shield.
If Xi Jianxi's magecraft had been fired just now, it would undoubtedly have severely wounded Caster, but it would also have reduced that child to ashes.
"Let that child go!" Artoria shouted angrily. "Devil!"
Xi Jianxi gritted his teeth, changing the way the magical energy in his hand was gathered.
"You hate me that much? Yes, of course you hate me. How could you forgive me for betraying God's love?! In the past, you revered God more devoutly than anyone!"
"This war is meant to select the Heroic Spirit suited to receive the Holy Grail. If you fight in a way unworthy of a Heroic Spirit, the Holy Grail will abandon you. Since you've already been resurrected, some Holy Grail is useless to you anyway... But if Joan, you want to save this child's life so badly..."
To everyone's surprise, Caster released the child and let them stand on the ground.
"Come, child, be happy. A devout follower of God says she will save you. That supposedly omnipotent God has finally shown mercy, but all your other friends have died completely."
Unable to make sense of the situation, the child could only believe Saber was there to save them. With a loud wail, they burst into tears and ran straight toward Artoria, grabbing the folds of her armored skirt with tiny hands.
Xi Jianxi placed his hand on the child at that moment.
"Be good. It's dangerous here, so run quickly. Keep running forward, and you'll see a great castle. Go there and ask for help."
Caster looked slightly confused as he watched Artoria do her best to comfort the terrified child in a gentle voice. "Oh?"
Saber sensed a magical fluctuation then. Looking down, she discovered that the child had already lost consciousness.
"What did you do?" She immediately guessed it was the result of Xi Jianxi's action just now.
"Using a child as a sacrifice for magecraft—you're depraved even among the depraved." Xi Jianxi turned, narrowing his eyes as he mocked Caster. "Unfortunately for you, I'm a Magus too. As long as my rune remains carved upon him, he cannot be sacrificed by any magecraft."
"Uoooooh! Wretch! Wretch! Wretch!"
Caster released a shriek sharp enough to tear through the forest mist, berating Xi Jianxi for ruining his plans.
But clearly, that child was not his only magical sacrifice. The children who had already been killed were also Caster's sacrifices.
Using the flesh and blood of the living sacrifices, more than a dozen writhing dark green Sea Monsters crawled out of the blood spilled by the children, surrounding Xi Jianxi and Artoria.
Einzbern Forest Offensive and Defensive Battle (2)
"It seems I am not the only one who came prepared to meet you." After venting his rage, Caster once again revealed a dangerous sneer. "You also brought a Magus capable of blaspheming the gods to your side."
"You talk like that, Caster, but I don't think you qualify to bask in the Lord's radiance overflowing from the Holy Grail either." Xi Jianxi mocked him without restraint. "Unlike this 'Saint Joan of Arc.'"
Of course, he knew the Fuyuki Holy Grail was not a true Church Holy Grail.
"Hahahaha! The Lord's radiance and such are things I, Gilles de Rais, have long ceased to need!" At some point, a thick bound book had appeared in Caster's hand.
The book's cover glistened damply as though wet. It was made from stretched human skin.
Though it was merely a book, it flowed with magical energy no different from that of a Noble Phantasm.
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