How About You Guys Pick a Different Savior

"My comrade Prelati left me this Grimoire, granting me the ability to command legions of demons." Caster exulted, spreading his arms and cheering to the heavens. "This is my happiness, my faith, my ideal!"

Ignoring Caster's wild joy and delight, Xi Jianxi took the child from Artoria's hands, holding it in one arm.

"This is bad. The flow of magic from these summoned creatures is unusual. I doubt they're something we can slowly cut down one by one," Xi Jianxi said, looking at the strange child in his arms. "Besides, we have a burden, Saber..."

Saber naturally understood what Xi Jianxi meant.

If they placed the child aside to fight, it would not only distract the two of them but also risk the child, who had escaped immediate danger, becoming new fodder for the Sea Monsters.

"Then what should we do?" Artoria swung the sword in her hand.

She was already struggling to cope. As Xi Jianxi had said, for every one Sea Monster they killed, two or three more would immediately appear, tightening their encirclement.

"We'll cast a Grand Magic, of course, and take that Caster down with them," Xi Jianxi said.

Artoria immediately reacted, "Like when you fought Lancer last night?"

"Yes, these Sea Monsters have considerable magic resistance. We need to increase the power and precision of the Grand Magic." Xi Jianxi slowly crouched down, kneeling on the ground, letting the boy lean against his leg, half-lying in the damp soil. "For now, I need you to deal with the surrounding monsters and give me time to prepare."

"How long will it take?"

Artoria swung her invisible sword with renewed force, killing five at once. But even that wasn't enough.

"One minute," Xi Jianxi said.

Upon hearing this, Artoria's fighting spirit surged.

"If I can't even hold out for a minute, then I'm not worthy of participating in the Holy Grail War," she said with a smile, her sharp gaze fixed on the Sea Monsters and the Caster behind them.

Caster, having observed yesterday's battle, recognized Xi Jianxi and knew he was a powerful Magus, whose overall strength could even rival a Servant.

So, he spread the Grimoire Noble Phantasm in his hands and muttered incantations, causing the Sea Monsters to regenerate on an exaggerated scale.

In the blink of an eye, there were over thirty Sea Monsters. Xi Jianxi and Artoria could barely see Caster's trace.

It was precisely because of this rate of proliferation that Xi Jianxi had emphasized the importance of "one minute."

"But don't worry, if we can't hold out for a minute, someone will be more than happy to wipe us both out with a super-large-scale magic," Xi Jianxi joked.

"Including you?" Saber blinked in surprise, then chuckled. "Then I can only give it my all and not become a casualty of Queen Sister's magic."

It was their first time cooperating, and they were from opposing factions. Artoria was actually quite nervous, worried that this "hostage exchange" could actually restrain Morgan.

After all, Xi Jianxi was much more capable than Irisviel.

However, Xi Jianxi dispelled Saber's doubts with his actions.

"One last question. How do you want Caster to die? Burned, struck by lightning, frozen, or torn apart by wind?" Xi Jianxi had already begun preparing the Grand Magic.

Saber couldn't help but chuckle. "Then try to choose something that won't ignite the forest but still has destructive power."

"As you wish."

Einzbern Castle, in a guest room.

"You seem quite pleased, my husband." Morgan's voice sounded somewhat displeased.

Irisviel couldn't help but feel confused. As she was also a wife, she could immediately tell where Morgan's displeasure stemmed from.

"I think this is probably just a way for Mr. Xi Jianxi to ease the tension, to allow Saber to focus on the fight and cover him and the rescued child," Irisviel said with a wry smile, trying to placate Morgan.

After all, sharing a room with a Servant from another faction was far beyond Irisviel's expectations.

"Don't be so nervous. Even if you are Artoria's Master, I won't lay a hand on you," Morgan said calmly, staring at the crystal ball. "After all, without the Lesser Holy Grail, the Greater Holy Grail cannot be activated, can it?"

Irisviel was greatly surprised, then she understood. "You already know."

"It is indeed a very special system, but without concealing the true purpose from the Servants, the war cannot proceed," Morgan pointed out the inner workings of the Holy Grail War as if making small talk.

"As expected of a Magus from the Age of Gods," Irisviel admitted that Morgan was right. "But... the fact that it is a wish-granting machine for the Holy Grail War is also not false. So—"

Morgan turned her face to look at Irisviel. "Seriously?"

"What?" Irisviel didn't react.

But Morgan didn't elaborate. Instead, she lowered her eyes slightly. "It seems our idle chat has ended. Your esteemed residence is truly full of guests."

"?!"

Irisviel realized that she had been distracted by Xi Jianxi and Artoria's battle and had overlooked someone entering the barrier from another direction.

"Kayneth El-Melloi..." Irisviel adjusted the monitoring point of the crystal ball and saw Kayneth stepping into the forest.

However, Kayneth was heading towards the castle alone. His Servant... was heading towards Saber and the others.

"He's here quickly."

Morgan elegantly rose from her chair.

The barrier around Xi Jianxi's residence had been damaged to a certain extent, breached with the finesse of a thief picking a lock.

This fact was also known to Morgan, who was monitoring the barrier's status.

"Shall we intercept?" Irisviel looked at Morgan.

"Isn't that precisely why I was left here? Even magic capable of destroying a city will leave this room unharmed."

Morgan walked out calmly and closed the door.

Irisviel felt a powerful barrier instantly activate, preventing anyone from entering or leaving unless it was dispelled.

However, this barrier did not cut off contact with the outside world, and Irisviel could still observe the battle in the forest using the crystal ball.

As for Kiritsugu Emiya, he was in the forest outside the castle, monitoring the surrounding situation.

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Misjudgment

Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald's appearance in the Einzbern forest was no accident.

Not long after Xi Jianxi and Morgan left home, Kayneth, fully prepared with magical tools and Mystic Codes, arrived at the Xi family residence in Mountaintown along with his Servant, Lancer.

A Magus's residence often signifies the workshop itself, invariably protected by powerful external barriers and equipped with numerous traps and mechanisms designed to repel both Magus and ordinary people.

In this regard, Xi Jianxi was no exception.

Although the Xi family's barrier appeared to allow free passage, it harbored a strong sense of vigilance. Any slight misstep or attempt at forceful breach would inevitably lead to insurmountable trouble.

Of course, for Kayneth, the genius Magus from the Clock Tower and heir to a prestigious family, this was merely a minor inconvenience.

After easily creating an opening in the barrier, Kayneth had Lancer search the Xi residence, only to discover they had left.

Subsequently, Kayneth used tracking magic to follow Xi Jianxi's trail, leading him all the way to the Einzbern forest.

This was a case of killing two birds with one stone: the priority was to eliminate Caster, and then to find an opportunity to attack Xi Jianxi.

However, if the opponent, realizing their disadvantage, sought cooperation with other factions, especially one of the three founding families that established the Holy Grail War system, that would be a different matter entirely.

Yet, while entering the forest, Kayneth discovered that Caster was already engaged in combat, with rapidly multiplying Sea Monsters overwhelming the surrounded figure. Even Lancer, apart from Caster maintaining the magic with a Grimoire, could only catch fleeting glimpses of Saber fighting within.

Simultaneously, Lancer could sense a massive amount of magical energy, equivalent to Caster's, converging within the encirclement of Sea Monsters.

Equivalent to a Servant, meaning... Berserker was also present.

After their initial encounter last night, Kayneth knew that this Berserker was special, possessing magical proficiency that was outstanding even among Casters.

Kayneth deduced that Saber and Berserker were acting on their respective Masters' orders, jointly hunting Caster.

With this understanding, Kayneth knew what he had to do.

He instructed Lancer to remain behind and seize the opportunity to join the fray, claiming the spoils of Caster's defeat.

Command Spells were precious strategic resources, and even without losses, it was necessary to prevent other Masters from gaining an advantage.

Although Lancer disliked this method of stealing credit, he could not allow Caster to continue causing harm to the world. He had to suppress his knightly spirit and obey his Master's command, transforming into a ranger who would slay evil.

After assigning Lancer his task, Kayneth swiftly proceeded deeper into the Einzbern forest, reaching the castle.

He had made thorough preparations; in a magical duel, even facing two or three opponents, Kayneth was confident he could defeat any Master, including Tokiomi Tohsaka.

"As expected of a renowned German magical family, to reside in a castle even in such a remote corner of the Far East," Kayneth sneered with a hint of superiority at the Einzberns' nouveau riche status.

—Even in terms of lineage, the Einzbern family's history was not shorter than that of the Archibalds.

Kayneth took out a glass bottle filled with mercury and placed it on the ground, the bottom sinking deeply into the earth. He had applied a weight-reducing magic to the bottle, making it portable.

In fact, this bottle, which looked similar in size to those used for chemical reagents in schools, actually contained a staggering 40 kilograms of mercury.

"Fervor, mei sanguis."

This was 'Moon Cell Essence,' Kayneth's most prized among his many Mystic Codes.

"Automatoportumdefensio; Automatoportumquaerere; Dilectus incursio."

With each incantation Kayneth uttered, the mercury, like taut water droplets, left the container and rolled on the ground, trembling slightly.

The gates of Einzbern Castle were not locked; instead, they were wide open, saving Kayneth the trouble of breaking them down.

He ascended the steps and entered the grand hall.

"I, Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald, ninth head of the Archibald line, have come to pay my respects! Magus of the Einzbern, for the Holy Grail we both seek, let us engage in a fair battle, staking our lives and honor!"

Kayneth stood in the hall and declared loudly.

However, there was no preemptive magical attack as he expected, nor did any mechanisms activate. It was as if no one resided in this brightly lit castle.

"How truly noisy. In an era where mystery recedes, has magic become a base tool for pursuing fleeting fame?"

A clear, cold female voice echoed through the hall.

Tap, tap, tap. Accompanied by the sound, the clicking of high heels descending the stairs also resonated.

From the landing at the top of the stairs, opposite the main entrance of the hall, a woman with silver hair gracefully descended, then turned.

Not an homunculus of the Einzberns, but...

"...Berserker..."

Kayneth gasped, realizing that his over-preparedness had led him to underestimate the situation, even assuming that the magical power comparable to Caster's belonged to a Servant.

In reality, the one fighting Caster alongside Saber was Xi Jianxi, their Master.

Facing a Servant, Kayneth knew he had no chance of victory, but retreating safely was not impossible.

Just as he was preparing to deploy 'Moon Cell Essence' to withdraw, the gates of Einzbern Castle inexplicably closed, and upon closing, a massive magical force sealed them.

"Although I said that just now, since you've come to challenge me on the honor of a Magus, as a fellow Magus, I cannot refuse." Morgan stood at the top of the stairs, casually raising her index finger, a faint smile playing on her lips. "One minute. If you can survive my magic within this minute, I might just let you go tonight."

Indeed, it was Kayneth who ordered Lancer to attack Xi Jianxi.

Seeing this man filled Morgan with disgust.

But for now, she was enjoying her identity as Xi Jianxi's wife.

If his wife was too eager to do everything for him, Xi Jianxi might not like it now, so Morgan didn't issue a kill order. Instead, she intended to spare Kayneth's life, letting Xi Jianxi personally eliminate this arrogant enemy.

Not good!

The smug confidence of the previous moment had vanished. Kayneth now understood that his only chance of victory lay in surviving this minute.

"Vollstandige Verteidigung (Complete Defense)!"

Therefore, he could only choose to defend.

Before Morgan's words fell, he was already poised to fire, just before the magic spear struck him.

Kayneth activated the 'Moon Cell Essence' to defend himself.

Chapter Twenty-Nine: There Are Quite a Few "Guests" Tonight

Meanwhile, Kiritsugu Emiya, who was waiting for his chance in another room of the castle, confirmed through the surveillance cameras set up in the main hall that Morgan had engaged Kayneth.

He immediately rushed to Irisviel's room, intending to use this opportunity to take the children brought by the naive Xi Jianxi hostage, as a means to force the other party to use Command Spells to make their Servant commit suicide.

However...

"The door... is gone?"

Kiritsugu stood by the wall where the guest room should have been, but he couldn't see the door.

He reached out to touch the wall and clearly felt the magic emanating from it, proving that a barrier interfering with the five senses had been set up here.

"I see." Kiritsugu chuckled sarcastically, understanding the situation.