Father Kirei's Delight
His first wife, Lynn Magulis, received years of instruction and guidance from him, and also mastered the writing skills to produce excellent works. At the same time, she possessed a wealth of knowledge, a determination to pursue truth, and talent.
Despite the lack of recognition for her academic theories, she persisted and eventually gained acceptance from the academic community. As the architect of the Endosymbiotic Theory Cell Origin, she propelled biological research and surpassed her husband in academic achievements, becoming a member of the US National Academy of Sciences.
A renowned teacher known for their own abilities may not necessarily produce outstanding students, while some teachers who are not particularly outstanding themselves can always help their students surpass them. Even sages needed teachers to guide them in their youth.
These kinds of teachers are probably not the kind who achieve success by learning and applying knowledge, but rather those who understand the knowledge they learn and then better impart it to others.
Lord El-Melloi II is roughly this kind of character: the adored Heavenly Gifted Professor, Great Clock & the star, the number one man the Clock Tower girls most want to sleep with, possessing the Midas Touch. As long as a raw gem has talent, even with fatal flaws, once it accepts his teachings, it can become Gil gem.
However, due to his own limitations, he could only watch helplessly as geniuses, using his knowledge and skills, became Grand Mage he could only look up to. Throughout his life, he possessed knowledge and understanding that surpassed the vast majority of Magecraft, and he understood the essence of Magecraft, but he lacked the ability to apply it effectively.
As for the origins that Magecraft have been searching for, he was simply not qualified enough to even dream about them from the start.
The first Magecraft Shirou, probably had more Magic Circuits than him, not to mention his absolute ability to Sealing Designation sword attributes and his overpowered Projection Magecraft. Even a Noble Phantasm, which Servant can only possess once, became a wholesale arsenal for him. When using Noble Phantasm, he could also temporarily gain the physical attributes of the Servant in life and master their martial arts.
Faced with such people, Lord El-Melloi II could only curse them while trying his best to teach them, after all, he was a kind-hearted man at heart, a hardworking person who had to worry about all sorts of things.
However, thanks to this, amidst the infighting among the three factions of the Clock Tower and the covetous eyes of various departments, he managed to turn crisis after crisis into opportunity with his exceptional intelligence, earning a reputation and forming the El-Melloi Classroom, one of the four major forces of Type-Moon, with his accomplished disciples. In the end, he was not killed.
Otherwise, with his experience traveling the world and the extensive theoretical knowledge he has accumulated, his Appraisal Eye could be elevated to a skill exclusive to Servant.
With a little effort, one can see through the principles of Magecraft that others have spent their entire lives researching and perfecting, with mysteries passed down for hundreds or even thousands of years. Although he doesn't keep anything to himself, writing it all down in papers and contributing to uncovering the secrets of this type of Magecraft, he also knows its weaknesses and loopholes, enough to make him a target for assassination thousands of times over by Magecraft families who want to maintain their secrecy.
Whether it was the trap set by the Forensic Department when the Stripped City, the death of the Golden Princess in the Twin-Faced Towers, the encounter with Olga Marie on the Rail Zeppelin, the meeting with a female version of the Great Emperor dressed exactly like the Young Emperor, the contract incident with the Atlas Institute, the Night of Walachia, and the exploration of the Spirit Tomb Albion beneath the Clock Tower.
Given Lord El-Melloi II's position, he will undoubtedly face numerous bloodshed and turmoil in the future. If Tohsaka could go there, it would indeed be a mutually beneficial arrangement.
After all, the girl's ambition was to complete the Second Magic and reach the Root. She was destined to go to London, and only in the Clock Tower could she possibly encounter the elusive Fearsome King of Mages. With the memories of her previous life, the girl could suffer much less.
Knowing that this girl, who had once shared the same world as him and spent every day with him, could usher in a more ideal and free life, brought him a sense of peace.
After thinking it over, Shirou chuckled and said to Tohsaka, "I understand, that's fine too."
Tohsaka smiled and agreed, then looked at the boy and asked, "Right? What about you, Shirou?"
"Me? I came here to help you resolve the incident in Fuyuki and restore peace to the world... Let's go, there are still five riders left." Shirou paused, then agreed.
"Hmm." Tohsaka looked at the boy's face and felt that he was hiding something, but now was not the time to talk, so she decided to put it aside for the time being. Anyway, if Shirou wanted to hide the truth, she had plenty of ways to find out.
The girl agreed and followed.
The Servant black mist was behaving very strangely, and the absence of its Master was truly eerie. After discussing it with Shirou, Rin Tohsaka decided to go to the church first to see if there was any news there.
The Greater Holy Grail System in Fuyuki City is extremely precious and rare. The Einzbern, as the successors of the Third Magician, possesses unparalleled expertise in the realm of the soul.
Zouken Matou, or rather, Makiri Zolgen Makiri, was also a renowned Grand Mage. 500 years ago, he was a unique genius in the fields of Insect Magecraft and the control of familiars. Both Da Vinci and the Great Alchemy von Hohenheim held him in high regard.
Besides his Insect Magecraft for survival, he is also skilled at controlling various familiars. The Command Spells used to restrain Servants in the Holy Grail War were developed by him.
Nagato Tohsaka, who joined as the landowner who provided the spiritual veins, is also a disciple of the Second Magus.
None of the Three Founding Families that formed the Heavenly Chalice were weak.
Although many people throughout history have imitated the original texts in an attempt to create the Holy Grail and eliminate certain abnormal beings, this is true for human Magecraft.
Fuyuki City can be considered the first to be able to Heroic Spirit Summoning to descend into the world and use the strongest beings of humanity as familiars.
Both the Mage's Association and the Church of the Holy See have long wanted to take it away from the Three Founding Families.
However, the Greater Holy Grail Heroic Spirit Summoning System of this world was destroyed during the Fourth Holy Grail War. Since it was already a fait accompli, neither side could do anything about it.
When Shirou and Tohsaka entered the church with Gudako, and pushed open the solemn and heavy door of the chapel, they saw a clergyman lying in a pool of blood.
The priest sent by the Church of the Holy See to Fuyuki to oversee the area, qualified to replace the vanished Kirei Kotomine Fuyuki, was no ordinary person. But now he is dead, and his death is gruesome; his heart has been ripped out.
Shirou observed the surrounding signs and said, "There are no signs of a struggle. It must have been a sneak attack. Only an assassin capable of Presence Concealment could have done that!"
Rin Tohsaka pondered for a moment and said, "Not Sasaki Kojiro of Ryudoji Temple, but a traditional Old Man of the Mountains."
Shirou and Tohsaka searched the basement again, but it was empty. They did not find the orphans who were adopted by Kirei Kotomine and whose power source was used to supply the King of Heroes' magic in the previous life.
At that moment, a powerful aura of magic emanated from outside, faintly carrying a murderous intent.
"Senior?!" Gudako felt a chill run down her spine, sensing some danger lurking outside.
"Let's go outside." Shirou and Rin Tohsaka sensed something, exchanged a glance, and the three of them quickly ran outside.
"Hey, is this how you welcome us...?" Shirou said helplessly.
"In terms of numbers, isn't this a bit too enthusiastic?" Tohsaka glanced around at the Black Shadow that had appeared on her left and right. Four enemy Servants had suddenly appeared, their bodies brimming with massive, materialized magical power, seemingly preparing to bombard the church with their Noble Phantasms, intending to bury the three of them inside.
On the left side of the roof stood a black, bald giant, adorned with magnificent gold ornaments, holding two large golden axes. Behind him stood an elephant with long, sharp tusks, pulling a chariot; he appeared to be a Rider. However, if he was a Rider, he exuded a ferocious aura like a Berserker.
Beside him stood a muscular and powerful dual-swordsman dressed in a tight-fitting suit, wielding a red and a yellow sword in each hand. His hair stood on end, with only a single curl hanging down in the middle, and a beauty mark under his eye. He exuded a chilling aura of swordsmanship, making him seem completely out of place among the black giant.
On the right side of the eaves, there is one black and one white.
The Old Man of the Mountains, dressed in all black and wearing a skull mask, had one hand that was several sizes larger than his own, but it was wrapped in bandages, seemingly concealing some evil power.
The young man with braided hair, wearing a white Magecraft's robe, reached into his cloak and pulled out a short sword, pointing it at Shirou and the other two on the ground.
"That's... the Azoth sword! Watch out!" Rin Tohsaka recognized the short sword and shouted.
Shirou sensed the danger, picked up Gudako, and quickly leaped high into the air.
The Five Great Elements swirled rapidly around the short sword, eventually converging into a beam of light that shot directly towards the ground where Shirou and the others had just stood.
"That's the prototype of the Azoth sword, the magic sword of the Great Alchemy Paracelsus of the Philosopher's Stone!" Rin Tohsaka said, and the short sword in the alchemist's hand once again gathered the Five Great Elements and emitted a bright light towards her.
"Seriously! What kind of speed is that?!" The girl had no choice but to quickly crouch down to avoid the oncoming Beam Cannon, exclaiming in a flustered manner.
At that moment, the chariot Riding by a raging elephant charged towards them!
The girl quickly grabbed the celestial vessel and soared into the sky, narrowly avoiding the locomotive-like impact.
The black giant's chariot, unable to stop its momentum, crashed directly into the church, smashing a four-meter-high hole in the wall, revealing everything inside.
But the enemy's offensive is not over yet!
In the sky, a man wielding two swords leaped high, landing directly above Rin Tohsaka's head. He held the two swords together above his head and charged towards Tohsaka like a spiraling drill.
Rin Tohsaka quickly released Tenshu, fell to the ground, and awkwardly dodged the attack of the twin swords' spiral drill.
"Why! Why! Everyone's targeting me!!" Rin Tohsaka screamed in frustration.
"Probably because of their wild instincts, they seek out the weak to kill first. These Servants look like they have empty, lifeless eyes and are in an abnormal state. They seem to be fighting on instinct, more like wild beasts," Gudako remarked from the side.
"Gudako! You little brat! Stop nagging!!" Rin Tohsaka turned around angrily and yelled at Gudako.
However, when the black-haired girl turned around, she saw a skull. A dark figure had silently appeared behind her, just as it was dispelling its concealment. The hand bound by straps was twisting inside, revealing a hideous and terrifying demonic hand.
"Whoa!" Rin Tohsaka screamed and kicked out.
The assassin was caught off guard; he hadn't expected Rin Tohsaka to turn around so presciently, and was kicked away hard.
Chapter 400 Father Kotomine's Pleasure
Thanks to Gudako's reminder, she managed to escape Assassin's sneak attack by sheer luck.
This girl seems ordinary, and her aptitude as Magecraft isn't particularly high. But upon closer inspection, she's actually quite remarkable. She's immune to all kinds of poisons, and even after eating food laced with deadly poison, she can still go to the Lostbelts unscathed and help the new director find an antidote.
They also have resistance to negative buffs that even Magecraft cannot resist, inexhaustible stamina, and strong luck that allows them to turn danger into safety even when faced with perilous situations.
She has perfect compatibility with Servant and a wonderful affinity with them. She can get along with almost all Servant, whether they are gods, saints, proud kings, avengers, or aliens. They are all willing to lend her a hand. She is practically the template for a protagonist.
Standing on the same side as Gudako seems to have received a boost in luck; perhaps she should go buy a lottery ticket now.
"This won't do! Shirou, think of something quick, or Projection the Jewel Sword onto me!" Rin Tohsaka shouted.
"Tohsaka, Gudako! Buy me a minute! I'll cut off their magic source!" Shirou Projection four Hrunting, modified them into arrows, nocked them, and fired all four at once. Then he quickly jumped away, escaping the battlefield.
"I know! I'll come to help!" Gudako said readily.
"Eh! Wait! Eh?" Rin Tohsaka suddenly felt empty beside her, left all alone. Turning her head, she saw four gloomy Servants emanating a massive aura of black magical energy, and felt a sense of loneliness.
Of course, Shirou didn't just leave her alone. Utilizing the Hrunting's characteristics, he fired four arrows, each flashing a bloodthirsty red light, tracking down a Servant and giving chase.
"Don't worry~! You're so cute! I'll protect Rin-senpai!" Gudako gave a thumbs up and said cheerfully.
"Get away from me and just take care of yourself!" Rin Tohsaka said irritably.
Fortunately, this Holy Grail War was unusual. The Servant attacked did not have high intelligence; they were more like machines that obeyed orders. They ignored Gudako, the Magecraft, and focused their attention on her, who at this moment looked like Servant no matter how you looked at her.
But thinking about it, it makes sense. Otherwise, she would find it hard to imagine what kind of being could control multiple Servants at the same time without causing internal strife.
Even Gudako only received help from many Servants because of the shared goal of saving Human Order. She was mostly cared for by the Servants as a companion and junior.
Servant respond to the Holy Grail War's call do so to fulfill their own desires or to make amends for regrets. Masters are their collaborators in achieving their goals, and as contractors, they address their Masters out of respect for the rules of the game.
Masters Servant intended to use Servants as familiars or tools are basically all dead. Servant, the dream and glory of all humanity, even if they are just a small Projection, are beings of immense pride.
Whether good or evil, a tyrant, a demon, or a saint, they all possess their own principles and pride. Even with the three Command Spells, they can only be forced to commit suicide.
Having already died once, they wouldn't value life too much, so it's impossible for them to be treated like slaves, being driven around at will.
But things are clearly different now. It seems that, in order to strengthen them, most of the Servants ' intelligence has been sealed. This is probably because their Master only ordered them to attack her first, which is why this situation exists.
"But... then what about Cú Chulainn?" Rin Tohsaka wondered to herself.
At this moment, the white-robed alchemist, having shaken off the pursuit of the Hrunting, gripped the magic swords of the Five Great Elements, aimed them at the girl, and was about to unleash another Beam Cannon.
"Seriously! Even if the Caster isn't Medea from the Divine Era Magus, this one is just as incredibly strong. The spirits of the Five Great Elements surround him for protection. Even if he wanted to win in close combat this time, it would be very difficult." Rin Tohsaka held three gems in each hand, and could only use the Five Great Elements to fight against the Five Great Elements!
The thrown gems transformed into six shooting stars, intertwining before separating and spiraling forward, forming a five-colored vortex of light that flew toward the alchemist.
A look of surprise appeared in von Hohenheim's eyes, and the elemental spirits around him reacted automatically, rushing forward to meet him.
However, Tohsaka's Jewel Magecraft exploded in front of him first, engulfing him in smoke and dust.
"And this guy, whose style is somewhat similar to Cú Chulainn's, is wielding two swords while constantly casting Charm Magic. What a cunning fellow!"
Gudako clenched her fists to cheer on Rin-senpai, explaining, "Perhaps he meant that besides swordsmanship, his face alone is enough to make you swoon!"
"Peach blossoms are everywhere, this guy must have been a scumbag in his past life! He reminds me of someone else, go to hell!" Rin Tohsaka changed her previous roundabout tactics and charged at the dual swordsmen, unleashing 120% of her strength in a series of brutal punches.
He crouched down to dodge the slash, stomped his front foot on the ground, and his body shrunk like a taut bow as he threw a punch like thunder!
Baji Quan in full swing, fists like shooting stars, eyes like lightning, waist like a snake, feet like drills, explosive punches!!
Although not as powerful as Li Shuwen, who was at the grandmaster level, Rin Tohsaka, who had been reborn and trained diligently for many years, did indeed unleash a formidable attack with the support of Reinforcement Magic. Her special move was as powerful as an A-rank attack Magecraft.
The swordsman quickly held his weapons in front of his chest to block the girl's punch. Although he was prevented from being hit directly, a lingering force remained, and a powerful blow sent him flying.
The formidable swordsmen were forced to retreat and temporarily avoid the attack.
At that moment, with a loud bang, the already dilapidated Church of the Holy See was torn open once again, and a huge Black Shadow rushed out of the church, then leaped up from the giant elephant chariot and pounced on the girl with overwhelming force.
Rin Tohsaka felt the sky darken suddenly.
"Gaaaaaah!!" The black giant raised his double axes and swung them down at Tohsaka's head.
"Which African chief is that black man riding an elephant chariot?!" Rin Tohsaka, veins bulging on her hands, as she used all her strength to support the black giant's wrists and push them upwards to prevent the double axes from falling.
"That's Darius III," Gudako introduced her senior.
"Uh? The Emperor of the Persian Empire? And he's black?" the black-haired girl asked in surprise.
"Roar! Iskandar!!" Darius roared, shouting the name of his mortal enemy, and raised his axe to strike Tohsaka once more.
"What do I look like a man at all?!" Tohsaka shouted in frustration, bending down to bump Darius with his shoulder, dodging the axe, and then landing a shrug on Darius's stomach.
The black giant was knocked back several meters, its feet leaving two furrows in the ground.
"Whoa..." Gudako in disbelief, almost speechless, just short of exclaiming that Rin-san would rule the world forever.
However, this did not stop the four Servants for long. Attacks of this level were not enough to incapacitate them, and the eerie black aura continued to heal their injuries.
A silent assassin lurks in the shadows, ready to extend his demonic arm at any moment, intending to strike the girl's chest and rip out her heart.
Von Hohenheim's Beam Cannon struck again, sweeping a long hole through the buildings surrounding the church.
Darius summoned giant elephant chariots, which rampaged wildly, destroying the concrete floors and walls, and the church collapsed with a crash.
Faced with such a tight encirclement, Tohsaka could only jump around in a limited area, but dared not go outside the church's grounds, fearing that if she ran out, it would affect ordinary people's homes.
At that moment, the two swordsmen suddenly lunged forward, their sharp swords clashing with a kick.
Tohsaka quickly braced himself, only to feel a painful groan from the bones in his arm as he was kicked away, crashing directly into the dilapidated church. The load-bearing walls, unable to withstand the weight, collapsed.
"You guys! Do you really think I'm easy to bully?! When are you going to stop destroying this place?! This is Tohsaka household territory!" The girl crawled out of the ruins, shouting frantically, and charged towards the four Servants.
"Gudako, bless me!" Rin Tohsaka shouted.
"I understand! The Sand of Osiris!" Gudako replied.
Minutes earlier, Shirou had used his sensitivity to Magic Resistance to locate the source of the magical energy that continuously supplied the Servants —the golden cup, which was placed there.
"Is it right here?" Shirou scanned his surroundings but didn't find any traps.