How About You Find a Different Savior

Indeed, if one had to put it that way, even if it was just to tease him, the warmth conveyed in Morgan's words and actions towards Xi Jianxi was something that couldn't be found between Kayneth and Sola-Ui at this moment.

How could this happen… Xi Jianxi felt as if he had been struck by something.

Servant and Master, who had only known each other for three days, were more intimate than fiances who had made vows of marriage?

Xi Jianxi felt his heart suddenly race, a slight sense of suffocation rising in his mind. He thought he had been affected by the mercury vapor and hastily circulated his magic to protect himself.

It wasn't…

He had already used the second original Rune to protect himself beforehand, so he couldn't possibly be affected by such environmental deterioration.

"You… what are you doing? Go back to your room, Sola-Ui!" Kayneth wailed in panic. "If you run out like this, you'll die!"

"What are you talking about? It's your fault for fighting so poorly. If you die, will I be safe?" Sola-Ui said dismissively.

Her fiancé, who had been so boastful just a moment ago, was now so pathetic. Sola-Ui looked down on this Kayneth even more.

If Kayneth hadn't died, Lancer would have withdrawn on his own. She wouldn't have been willing to treat him, or at least… she would have tried to get the Command Spells from Kayneth.

Xi Jianxi watched the two coldly, a nameless pity inexplicably rising in his heart. He slowly raised his hand, and a red spear appeared in his grip. "The spear is me, and I am the spear…"

Kayneth, who was receiving treatment, saw the magic emanating from Xi Jianxi's weapon and knew that the other party wouldn't just stand by and let him recover.

That red spear, which looked similar to Lancer's Noble Phantasm, was dangerous, his instincts as a Magus told him.

Or rather, it was a Noble Phantasm held by a living person…

"Certain kill, sure hit, Gae Bolg Alternative!"

"Dangerous, Sola-Ui! Vollstandige Verteidigung (Complete Defense)!"

It was too late. Kayneth suddenly pushed Sola-Ui away, channeling magic to make the Moon Cell Essence move again, transforming it into a shield to block the attack from that red spear.

It was meaningless.

The Moon Cell Essence, which should have been as sturdy as a city wall, was easily pierced as if it were jelly, emitting a smooth cutting sound.

The crimson spear flew from Xi Jianxi's hand.

Kayneth was sent flying by the spear, passing in front of the still-uncomprehending Sola-Ui, and impaled on the wall behind her.

The target was the heart, and the launch was a sure hit.

"...It, it's actually…"

Looking at the Demon Spear that had pierced his heart with an unbelievable gaze, Kayneth finally understood the true name of this weapon, but it was too late to utter it. He slowly stopped breathing.

Xi Jianxi slowly turned around, the Gae Bolg Alternative receding. Kayneth's corpse fell from the wall.

Since Kayneth intended to kill him, Xi Jianxi saw no reason to be polite. He might as well use Kayneth's head.

Whether he could survive would depend on his own abilities.

Behind him, Sola-Ui, who had finally reacted, let out a tragic wail over her fiancé's corpse, as if she was finally beginning to understand reality.

Chapter 39: The Reward of a Death Match

The battle that took place on the top floor of the Hyatt Regency Hotel would inevitably have been known to the Holy Church. So even though the alarm sounded, Xi Jianxi knew that the Church would take over as quickly as possible to handle the cover-up and cleanup.

Next, he just needed to evacuate the hotel with Morgan.

But before evacuating, there was one last thing that had to be dealt with: the Spear Servant standing in his way.

Diarmuid Ua Duibhne was now covered in wounds. His light chainmail was tattered, and the exposed skin was bleeding everywhere. His blood had completely soaked the Celtic hero, making him look as if he had just crawled out of hell.

He leaned on his red spear with his right hand, barely holding his yellow spear with his left. One eye was already unable to open, and blood flowed down from his forehead, covering more than half of his face in gore. There were also traces of blood at the corner of his mouth.

"Still alive," Xi Jianxi said with admiration.

Diarmuid shouldn't have any legends about continuing to fight despite fatal wounds, so as a Servant, he shouldn't have the skill "Battle Continuation."

In that case, what supported Servant Lancer in returning to the top floor was his will, or rather, his wish, to fight until the very last moment before his Spiritual Foundation dissipated.

"Just to be clear, I didn't hold back," Morgan sighed, a sound too faint to be heard.

Her five clones should have been able to kill Lancer downstairs, but in the end, Lancer had held on, destroying all the clones and then pursuing them with his battered body.

"Of course… I just fought with all my might…" Lancer's voice became ethereal.

In about a few more minutes, he would completely disappear due to the death of his Master, Kayneth, and his Spiritual Foundation reaching its limit.

Although Kayneth had analyzed the summoning ritual of the Fuyuki Holy Grail War, he had entrusted the part that provided mana to the Servant to his fiancee, Sola-Ui.

The Master that Lancer recognized was only Kayneth.

"Your Master is dead, and you have no reason to continue fighting," Xi Jianxi said, looking down, persuading him with a hint of helplessness.

"Yes… I know…" Lancer gave a weak smile.

Diarmuid, known for his beautiful countenance, now exuded an extraordinary charm befitting a warrior.

He glanced briefly at the weeping Sola-Ui.

Lancer, who had rushed here with all his might only to witness Kayneth's death, suddenly felt a sense of inappropriate relief and comfort.

Lady Sola-Ui, who didn't like Kayneth, must have realized what was truly precious after seeing Kayneth fight to save her. Diarmuid thought to himself.

"...But..." He straightened his body with effort, completely letting go of the yellow spear in his hand this time. "...Since my Master fought to the last moment... a knight should follow him to the death..."

He stood unsteadily, his body covered in wounds, holding his spear with both hands.

In his current state, he could only muster one more move at most. Whether he could win was no longer important. This Celtic hero was simply doing what he wanted to do, fulfilling his duty, until the very last moment.

"I understand."

Xi Jianxi said calmly, then spread his hands again, preparing to summon Gae Bolg Alternative.

It was his parting gift from his master, and the only true Noble Phantasm that existed in the world, not held by a Servant.

There were two reasons why it wasn't used as a catalyst.

The first was that his master, Scathach, could not possibly be summoned.

The second was that Xi Jianxi himself simply had no desire to.

To him, this spear was one of his trump cards.

However, the moment he spread his hands, the black Demon Spear landed in his grasp first.

He turned to look at Morgan. She wordlessly handed him the weapon, her eyes devoid of any extra emotion, her gaze resolute, leaving no room for refusal.

Nodding silently, Xi Jianxi gripped the Demon Spear with one hand, sidestepped, and pointed the spearhead directly at Lancer's brow.

The air in the ravaged top-floor building carried the scent of blood and fire, lingering at the tip of his nose. Xi Jianxi's heart gradually calmed.

All was still, his palm completely dry, the Demon Spear fitting snugly in his hand.

Crack—

The sound of damaged wall plaster peeling off became the signal to start the battle.

Diarmuid's eyes snapped open, a peerlessly sharp light flashing within them. He stepped out with all his might, his spear tip tracing a winding path, its edge reflecting a dazzling cold gleam.

He heard the sound of air being cut, like the fiercest snake in the jungle tearing into its prey.

But Diarmuid saw Xi Jianxi's body turn into a hazy afterimage. The blade shot out from the afterimage, taking a straight path, whistling sharply as the two figures passed each other.

More blood flowed down, landing on the floor. Diarmuid's Red Spear also fell from his hand, clattering onto the floor.

The pool of blood beneath him slowly expanded, and Lancer knelt on the ground, powerless.

"...Beautiful..." he praised in his final breath.

Xi Jianxi gripped the upper part of the Demon Spear and swung it forcefully, flinging all the blood onto the ground. "You flatter me."

Morgan, who had been watching from the side, slowly followed Xi Jianxi's steps, leaving with him in silence.

Lancer felt his consciousness fading. Xi Jianxi had completely shattered his Spirit Core with a single blow. Even with three Command Spells, he could no longer continue fighting.

The Spear Servant had lost, but his heart found fulfillment at this moment.

In life, he had failed to serve his lord to the very end. Now, as a Servant, he had finally fought alongside his lord until the last.

It wasn't that he had no regrets. In life, he had been victorious in countless battles, but as a Servant, he hadn't achieved a single victory, nor had he been able to offer the fruits of victory to his lord.

He hadn't even been able to protect his lord, leading to his lord's death as well.

The battlefield was merciless, and the tide of war was unpredictable.

The Holy Grail War gathered heroes from all eras. If he was outmatched, there was nothing he could do.

He saw Sola-Ui, who could no longer bear the strain of the two impacts, pass out. He wanted to perform his final duty as a subordinate, to do something, but the mere ten-odd meters felt like an insurmountable chasm, preventing him from moving even an inch.

Night was torn apart by faint light. Diarmuid's eyes fluttered open. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the hotel's top floor, he saw the city, so distant from the era he lived in, welcoming another dawn.

Suddenly, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne felt as if he saw Princess Gráinne, saw Fionn mac Cumhaill, saw the members of the Fianna.

If possible, he wanted to tell his old friends about his brief two-day battle.

And the enemy beyond his imagination.

First... I'll start by telling you about the warrior who appeared before me, accompanied by ravens, just like the great god Odin...

Silently beginning in his heart, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne smiled slightly at his own description and vanished into the faint morning light of Fuyuki.

Holy Grail War, Second Night.

Lancer, defeated.

Chapter 40: Leisure After Battle

Lancer was defeated, eliminating the first group of enemies.

Despite fighting consecutively all night, Xi Jianxi felt invigorated by this victory and had no hint of sleepiness.

Returning home just as dawn broke, Xi Jianxi began preparing breakfast for the family with unusual enthusiasm.

"You're not even resting and you're already busy with daytime matters," Morgan leaned against the doorway between the kitchen and dining room, watching Xi Jianxi bustle about. "Lancer's defeat might be reported by the Holy Church very soon."

The Holy Church possessed a spiritual plate for monitoring the Holy Grail War, used to observe the defeat of Servants.

"I know. But the Holy Grail War must be fought, and life must go on," Xi Jianxi said, grilling mackerel on a household oven. "Sakura and Karen won't be able to go to school for the next few days. I'll ask for leave for them, citing an urgent family matter."

Even if he hadn't said it, Morgan knew, so she didn't refute Xi Jianxi's attitude, merely continuing to talk about the Holy Grail War.

"Also, there are two other things you might have missed," Morgan said with a confident, faint smile.

"What things?" Xi Jianxi listened attentively.

Morgan nodded. "First, the man you saved is the true Master who signed the contract with Artoria. That homunculus is merely the nominal Master."

"I know that. The Command Spells on Kiritsugu Emiya's hand already revealed that fact," Xi Jianxi said. "After all, he went to the Einzbern family nine years ago. This situation now is likely just a tactic to hide the Master."

"Second, the Einzbern homunculus is the Lesser Holy Grail for this Holy Grail War," Morgan said. "So when Lancer retreated, she would have been the first to react." Morgan told Xi Jianxi.

Xi Jianxi paused. "Giving the Lesser Holy Grail a human form..."

The previous Holy Grail Wars he had researched had no such records. It was probably because the Einzberns, responsible for providing the Lesser Holy Grail, had learned from past lessons and changed their strategy.

"But after all, the Holy Grail in Fuyuki is a system built by the Tohsaka, Matou, and Einzbern families. As founders, it's not strange for them to have some privileges," Xi Jianxi stopped thinking about deeper issues.

Such as what fate awaited the homunculus, who served as the Lesser Holy Grail, as the Holy Grail War progressed.

That was beyond his reach, and besides, the other party had her own will, so she wouldn't need anyone's superfluous pity.

"Moreover, Caster's attempt to subjugate failed last night. That Servant is clearly not the type to charge in mindlessly," Xi Jianxi flipped the mackerel and continued grilling. "We need to hurry, or who knows how many more victims there will be."

"Excluding Assassin, who is still operating in secret, only four groups can take action now," Morgan said. "As for the Command Spells obtained after the subjugation, there's no need to worry too much."

She said this and looked at Xi Jianxi. "Speaking of which, did the Master of the Assassin you repelled also run away?"

"No, he was probably saved by his own Servant," Xi Jianxi shook his head.

After he saw Maiya Hisau emerge, he turned to chase Kirei, but when he found him, he only saw the marks left by Kirei's impact as he landed.

Having only lost one hand to Xi Jianxi, with magical healing and the rigorous training a delegate endured, he could probably resume action by now and be back on the battlefield tomorrow.

Originally, Xi Jianxi had wanted to incapacitate Kirei as much as possible and remove him from the Holy Grail War.

After all, if he were to kill Kirei in the Holy Grail War someday, Xi Jianxi would have to take time to adjust himself before he could continue taking care of Karen with a clear conscience.

Now it seemed that goal couldn't be achieved, so there was nothing he could do.

Last night's results were quite fruitful. Not only did they resolve the Lancer faction, but they also managed to save a boy from Caster. On the way back, he quietly left him at the police station.