Are You Diarmuid? (1/2)

A handsome man with long golden hair, a fair and handsome face, and eyes that sparkled like jewels with wisdom stood there, holding a strange lance.

His fingers were long and clean, his bearing distinctive and elegant, and his face was like the first light of dawn. Amid his handsomeness was a gentle radiance that made people unable to resist stopping to look.

The man looked up at the night sky, a faint smile appearing on his lips. Then, without holding back any of his mana, he freely released his aura, like a fisherman casting out tempting bait and quietly waiting here for other Servants to take the hook.

And someone had already arrived...

"Oh? It seems the battlefield has finally seen some changes."

Beneath the deep night sky, the Red-Haired Giant, rough-faced and with powerful muscles straining against his clothes like a proud lion, stood atop a massive bridge in Fuyuki City. He overlooked the battle unfolding nearby, his bright red cloak constantly snapping in the evening wind.

The man crouched down, stretched out a broad hand to stroke the beard on his chin, and widened his eyes as he carefully observed the distant battle.

Within the steel forest formed by shipping containers, the Silver-Armored Knight was confronting the golden lancer who had been waiting here for quite some time.

"Interesting. Have the heroes begun to enter the stage? This is truly something to look forward to..."

He let out a sigh of admiration.

"Ahhh! Rider! It's too high! This place is way too high! Put me down already!!"

Weber, who had been ignored by the Red-Haired Giant all this time, was currently trembling in the cold night wind. They were at least dozens of meters above the ground, and the traffic below flowed endlessly. Thinking about what would happen if he fell, Weber's legs began shaking uncontrollably.

"Hey, brat, no matter what, you are now the Master of Iskandar, King of Conquerors. How can you be so timid and fearful? Come on, stand up straight and admire this war that does not belong to this era with me!"

"Rider! What nonsense are you talking about, you idiot? How could I possibly see anything from this far away? I'm not a Servant! And we're standing so high up—if I lose my footing and fall, that'll be a huge problem..."

"If your eyes cannot see, don't you have magecraft?"

Glancing at the little Master clinging to the steel beam and still trembling beside him, the King of Conquerors sighed helplessly. He raised a hand and summoned the Gordius Wheel, tucked Weber beneath his arm, and carried him onto it.

"And another thing: saying such discouraging words before battle is a great taboo, little Master! Your build and height may indeed be a little small, but your spirit cannot be afraid. The ones we will face next are heroes from different eras. Such a half-hearted attitude will not do."

"Even if you say that... I don't know what I should do now..."

Seeing the King of Conquerors' incomparably serious gaze, Weber sighed and replied helplessly.

He had only joined this so-called magecraft ritual by chance. He had not even researched it beforehand, yet in a burst of impulsiveness, he stole Professor Kenneth's Sacred Relic, borrowed money, and flew here.

So to him, this magecraft ritual called the Holy Grail War was undoubtedly bewildering, leaving him equally at a loss...

The burning enthusiasm he had felt when stealing the Sacred Relic, immediately flying to Fuyuki City, and wanting to win the Holy Grail War had already been extinguished after he summoned a Heroic Spirit and was hung up to freeze in the wind for half an hour.

Weber turned to look at the tall, upright, proud man beside him, his emotions growing even more complicated...

He had already realized that his impulsiveness seemed to have dragged him into some incredible magecraft ritual. But it was already too late to back out. With no other choice, he could only press on until the end.

"You don't know what to do? In other words, you are lost right now..."

"..."

Weber said nothing. He merely sighed helplessly.

"However, I know how to solve such a thing. Since you do not know what to do, just set a goal for yourself. For example... seize the Holy Grail first! Then slowly think about how to use it."

Iskandar suddenly clapped his hands and spoke to Weber.

"Anyway, you joined the Holy Grail War for the Holy Grail too, right? In that case, stop thinking about what to do. Set your goal on obtaining the Holy Grail and becoming the final victor, and you will no longer be lost!"

"Obtain the Holy Grail? You mean me?"

Hearing Iskandar's grand declaration, Weber could not help swallowing. He then turned his gaze away, immediately covered his eyes with Reinforcement Magecraft, and looked toward the two golden-haired Heroic Spirits fiercely battling at the harbor. His scalp tingled.

"Isn't it obvious? If you do not intend to obtain the Holy Grail, why participate in the Holy Grail War? Look at those two heroes over there. Aren't they fighting each other precisely for the Holy Grail?"

"Even if you cannot do it, do you not have me? As long as I am here, whether land or sea, all will be conquered by me! A mere Holy Grail will naturally be easy to obtain! Besides, I have long been unable to wait any longer."

"Huh?"

"Watching them fight so fiercely and witnessing this encounter and battle between heroes of different eras, even my heart of conquest can no longer endure it, hahahaha—"

As he spoke, the King of Conquerors grinned and laughed loudly before leaping onto his Noble Phantasm, the Gordius Wheel.

"Huh? You're just going to charge over? Didn't you say we were going to watch their battle from here? And if we rush in like this, won't both sides focus their attacks on us and put us in a difficult position?" Sensing what Iskandar intended to do, Weber hurriedly shouted.

"—Hahaha!! So what? My heart of conquest cannot be stopped. As for what comes afterward, we will speak of it afterward!"

Amid Weber's cries, the free-spirited King of Conquerors immediately laughed heartily. He gripped the reins tightly, drove his beloved vehicle, and shouted, "Giddyup! Enough of this, little Master, we are going to join the fun too! Seeing them fight so fiercely, I have been unable to endure it any longer! Let's go! Join this grand gathering with me!"

"Wait! Don't drag me along! If you want to go, go by yourself!"

"That will not do. Since you are my Master, you must make your entrance with me!"

After a burst of hearty laughter, the King of Conquerors pulled the reins. Accompanied by a crisp crack of the whip, the Noble Phantasm Gordius Wheel started at once, and dark-blue arcs of lightning immediately illuminated the night.

Fuyuki City Harbor.

Compared to the noisy commotion between the King of Conquerors and Weber over there, the battle here was clearly far more intense.

The sparks created by the collision of demonic lance and holy sword illuminated the area, while the ringing clash of spear and sword wove together into a magnificent symphony.

The handsome man with golden hair turned beneath the cold moonlight. During the battle, he had flung his long golden hair behind his back, revealing a peerlessly handsome face capable of driving women mad.

The strange lance in his hand, shaped like a magic wand, erupted with tremendous power under his control. Endless streams of water gathered around him as he calmly dealt with the fierce attacks of the Golden King of Knights before him.

With every exchange, powerful mana began spreading through the surroundings. Under the moonlight, a ceaseless current of water and unending sharp winds reflected one another from afar.

Finally, after several hundred exchanges, the Blond Man controlling the water seemed to have noticed something. He gave Artoria a faint smile, then shifted his movements, withdrew his attack, and disengaged from the deadlocked battle.

"Hm?"

Noticing the man's intentions, Artoria felt somewhat surprised. However, worried that it might be a trap, she did not rashly pursue him. She merely stared coldly at the Blond Man across from her and demanded bluntly.

"Are you trying to run away?"

"Run away? You misunderstand..."

Faced with Artoria's question, the Blond Man did not get angry. He merely lightly bit his finger before answering with refined manners.

"I simply discovered something interesting just now, so I needed to disengage to confirm it, beautiful swordswoman."

He looked at Artoria, amusement appearing in his eyes.

At the same time, Artoria suddenly felt her body stiffen. Her sharp intuition told her something bad was happening. She abruptly looked into the man's eyes and saw her own outline reflected within them.

Then a strange feeling, as though she had been completely seen through, rose within her, making a chill run down her spine.

The bonus updates are complete. Let's open a reward campaign.

Before premium release, I'll briefly open a reward campaign.

One extra chapter for every 60 monthly votes.

One extra chapter for every 60 in rewards.

One extra chapter for every 60 blades.

Ten extra chapters for a chest.

When it goes premium, I'll release a huge batch of chapters directly.

Almost every chapter I write has over 3,000 words, and that is guaranteed, so please rest assured.

The deadline is Wednesday.

Thank you~

Are You Diarmuid? (1/2)

The moonlight was tranquil, and stars dotted the sky.

A piercing clang of metal striking metal echoed through an abandoned harbor in Fuyuki City.

Sharp fighting spirit and released mana constantly spilled out along with the collisions of spear and sword. The terrifying destructive force had also left this remote battlefield in utter ruin.

Water and starlight reflected one another beneath the night sky.

On the battlefield, having received an order from her Master, Artoria, as a Servant, gave a fierce shout and raised the Invisible Sword in her hand before charging at the Blond Man once more.

In response, the handsome man before her, whose temperament resembled a violet, showed no change in expression. He swung the strange Double-Headed Spear in his hand and once again controlled the gentle streams that seemed to come from nowhere, doing his best to block the edge of the Invisible Sword.

Though they appeared to be only a few weak trickles, under the man's control, the power and toughness they displayed were actually no weaker than the surrounding azure winds.

After several exchanges, Artoria, who had been attacking relentlessly, deeply realized just how troublesome the man before her was.

"What sharp fighting spirit. I believe you must be a warrior who has experienced countless battles. Though you deliberately conceal your weapon, my wisdom has already told me that you must be Saber in this Holy Grail War."

"Heh, not necessarily. Drawing conclusions too quickly on the battlefield is not a good habit. You cannot see my weapon, so perhaps I am actually Lancer or Archer."

Even though the other party had seen through her, Artoria's expression did not waver in the slightest. The mana gathering in her hands continued surging as she controlled that invisible gale and slashed fiercely at the enemy before her.

"You truly love to joke."

Seeing Artoria flatly deny it, the Blond Man smiled slightly and once again controlled the water to block the incoming attack. He then took a small step back, watched Artoria's agile figure beneath the moonlight, bit the tip of his finger, and suddenly brightened before continuing.

"Though I am not a hero or sage renowned for wisdom, I am still quite confident in my judgment."

Hmm, compared with that violent gale, what she is truly concealing is the aura of Star Power...

Saber's class, Star Power, and a signature weapon she is unwilling to reveal.

"I see, I see... I understand everything now."

As the information came together, inspiration suddenly flashed through the Blond Man's mind while he bit his finger, and he had already obtained the answer he sought.

It is actually that one? That is truly unexpected, he thought.

At this moment, Saber's secret had been completely seen through before him.

He narrowed his eyes and looked at Saber with a half-smile. Immediately, Artoria felt that uncomfortable sensation of being completely seen through settle over her heart once again.

But before she could react, the Blond Man's gaze shifted toward Irisviel, who had been hiding behind Artoria all this time. His eyes grew thoughtful, as though he were calculating something.

Artoria's expression gradually became grave. She stepped forward, stared at the Blond Man warily, and demanded.

"What do you intend to do to my Master?!"

Compared with fighting ancient heroes from myths and legends, attacking vulnerable Masters was undoubtedly the better choice in this Holy Grail War.

"Please rest assured, Saber. I bear no ill will toward the lady behind you."

The Blond Man shook his head slightly and replied in a fairly proper tone, "It is simply that my Lord is very concerned about two Masters in this Holy Grail War, so he asked me to help confirm during battle which two groups are the formidable enemies he must closely watch."

He swung the Double-Headed Spear. Mana quietly erupted in secret, and blue-silver armor appeared as the dancing lance traced a flourish through the air. Then he stated matter-of-factly, "Clearly, you and your Master are not among them."

"You... are you looking down on me?"

Seeing the Blond Man's careless manner, the coldness in Artoria's eyes grew more intense, as if blades were hidden within them. The Invisible Sword in her hand also erupted like a volcano alongside her increasingly fierce emotions.

"I would not dare. Of course I would not lightly look down upon any hero, much less the renowned King Arthur."

The man waved his hand before speaking in a slightly surprised tone. "I simply did not expect the King Arthur of legend to be a woman."

Artoria: "!"

Irisviel: "!!"

On the battlefield, the pupils of the two women from Saber's group suddenly shrank as they stared at the man before them in disbelief.

They had not expected this Blond Man to see through not only Saber's class, but directly discern her true name and openly speak it aloud.

What exactly was going on? Did this man possess some special skill similar to seeing through true names?

Was that why he had appeared here—to attract Servants from other groups as much as possible, then discern their true names?

Realizing this, Artoria, who had previously been at ease, could not help having her expression turn ugly. She glared at the golden-haired Heroic Spirit before her.

After learning that her secret had been exposed, she no longer intended to hold anything back. There was naturally no need to conceal her weapon any longer. She immediately gripped it with both hands, channeled mana, dispersed all the fierce wind clinging to the blade, revealed its original appearance, and said coldly, "So what if I am a woman? Can King Arthur not be a woman?"

"Unknown hero, do not underestimate me just because I am a woman. You will pay a terrible price for it. Before I am a woman, I am a knight—a king!"

"Saber..."

Seeing her true name exposed, Irisviel's eyes behind her flickered with deep concern.

"It's all right, Irisviel. Fall back a little and stay safe. I'm going all out now!"