Living in the Moonlit World, Starting with Adopting Sakura

Although Gilgamesh's strength was the greatest among them, King Arthur, the King of Conquerors, the Queen of the Land of Shadows, and the godslayer were all exceptional Heroes. If Gilgamesh had revealed his trump card in anger while dealing with the Black Knight, it would have surely instilled fear in them, possibly even provoking them to attack him collectively. After all, no hero would want to face a terrifying opponent like Gilgamesh alone.

Even with Ea in hand, Gilgamesh would undoubtedly be forced to retreat if he faced a multi-pronged assault. At that point, with only Assassin left, he would have no hope of victory. This was something he absolutely could not accept.

Therefore, in this moment of crisis, Tokiomi Tohsaka decided to use his astounding wisdom to persuade him, and then use Command Seals to assist, summoning back this unruly King of Heroes to stabilize the situation before proceeding cautiously.

Little did he realize…

His own astounding wisdom only fueled Gilgamesh's already burning rage.

"Tokiomi Tohsaka! You insolent cur, daring to use a Command Seal to quell my rage…"

At this moment, he glared at the Black Knight and all the surrounding Servants, his expression grim as he spoke:

"You false kings and rogue cultivators, continue your brutal fight like wild dogs here. Remember this, only true heroes are worthy of standing before me."

Then, his golden form, under the forced influence of the Command Seal, finally lost its support, instantly transforming into a golden light before vanishing in an instant.

Although Gilgamesh maintained his haughty demeanor as he departed, everyone present could still tell that it was definitely the Command Seal's effect.

"It was a Command Seal…"

"To forcibly recall a Hero mid-battle with a Command Seal, it seems Archer's Master is rather foolish…"

Iskandar mused, stroking his chin as he looked in the direction Gilgamesh had disappeared, lost in thought.

In his opinion, Archer's Master's actions just now were suicidal…

Let alone the exceptionally proud Archer, if his own Master dared to recall him at such a moment, he would make them properly understand the wrath of the King of Conquerors.

However, the other Heroes present could vaguely understand the other party's thinking. Were they worried about revealing too much strength and being attacked by everyone, so they decided to leave first…

As a Master, that tactic was certainly not problematic, but had he truly considered what would happen next?

If one treats Heroes like familiars, commanding them around as they please, a Magus who believes they have everything under control will suffer greatly later.

Scáthach narrowed her eyes, seeming to have foreseen the end of a certain unlucky fellow.

Chapter 37: Emiya Kiritsugu, Your Wife is Missing! (4K5 Characters)

Emiya Kiritsugu…

This was a man known as the Magus Killer, and a recognized scumbag in the magecraft community. With a terrifying record of killing nearly a hundred mages, he was considered a prominent and dangerous figure even within the global magecraft circles.

Yet, this incredibly dangerous individual now wore an expression of profound sorrow.

Under the clear, cold night sky, the disheveled and pale man had blood trickling from the corners of his mouth. He felt intense pain emanating from all over his body, causing his entire frame to collapse. Even his usually cold expression was contorted by the agonizing pain, and if he could, he truly wished he could light a cigarette to calm himself.

However, Artoria, who was pulling the stretcher he lay on, clearly did not understand his intention.

Thus, under the clear, cold night sky, this Master and Servant, already at odds, silently advanced through the small woods, one pulling and the other lying down.

"…"

Exhausted, Emiya Kiritsugu blinked, wanting to speak, but the dryness in his throat made him abandon the difficult act. He finally mustered his strength, extending his numb hand with difficulty into his pocket, taking out a cigarette and lighting it.

Comfortable…

The pain had slightly eased.

The taste of nicotine relaxed his brow slightly, and then the man named Emiya Kiritsugu, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, gazed blankly at the night sky, reflecting on the clearly disastrous battle of the night.

From any angle, tonight's plan and the battle could be described as a complete failure.

His current predicament was also indescribably terrible.

Firstly, on the Master's side, there was nothing more to say. His engagement was completely dominated by Kayneth, and it was utterly one-sided.

His only achievement was the few pieces of information he managed to glean at the cost of half his life. Firstly, his opponent had been confirmed: a trusted monarch from the Clock Tower, Lord of the Mineralogy Department, head of the El-Melloi Faction, a noble mage family with nine generations of lineage, a Color Mage, Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald.

Although he had learned through his investigation before coming that there were two orthodox mages from the Clock Tower in this Holy Grail War, he had not expected that an actual Lord from the Clock Tower would appear, and furthermore, one who was outrageously formidable.

Logically, a ninth-generation mage like Kayneth, an old noble of the Clock Tower, a Color Mage, should possess an arrogant personality, looking down on everything. Even if he participated in the Holy Grail War, he likely wouldn't even regard them, mere second-rate mages, with any seriousness, and would disdain to use his full power in battle, thus giving him a chance for a comeback.

After all, unlike orthodox mages, he possessed the great killing weapon, the [Origin Bullet]. As long as he could seize an opportunity and hit the target with a single bullet while the opponent was unaware of this information, he could make any powerful mage drink their regret, achieving a perfect first-encounter kill, regardless of their strength.

But Emiya Kiritsugu didn't know what had driven this Kayneth.

Participating in a rural magecraft ritual, his entire set of Mystic Codes could be considered fully equipped, armed from head to toe. Defensive, stealth, reconnaissance, positioning, and amplification magecraft… there was almost nothing he couldn't do, completely arming himself like a rogue warrior among mages, maximizing his will to survive.

If it were only this, Emiya Kiritsugu could still accept it. What was even more outrageous was that this dishonorable fellow didn't even enter the field personally throughout the entire engagement, but instead controlled a puppet to fight him, completely tricking him out of his trump cards.

When he was relentlessly pursued by Kayneth to the point of no escape, he decided to fight to the death.

He used his continuous feigned injuries as bait, bringing himself to this miserable state, and finally lured Kayneth into a pre-arranged backup trap. Then, he reached back, pulled out the Stinger RPG he had prepared, and without regard for his own safety, unleashed a point-blank explosion at Kayneth from less than a few meters away.

When he saw the terrifying explosion blow away the area where Kayneth was, along with the surrounding shipping containers, Emiya Kiritsugu smiled with relief, roaring inwardly.

"Times have changed, sir!!"

Indeed, all problems stemmed from insufficient firepower.

Taking a Stinger RPG head-on, even with the most ample Mystic Codes prepared, one would still be heavily injured. Next, he just needed to seize another opportunity to finish the battle with the Origin Bullet.

However, just as Emiya Kiritsugu was entertaining such pleasant thoughts and preparing to finish him off.

The next moment, something that made him completely lose composure finally happened. Before he could even finish with the Origin Bullet, a harsh clapping sound suddenly came from a corner, and then another intact Kayneth walked out.

In that brief moment, Emiya Kiritsugu's mouth twitched uncontrollably, and his heart was filled with utter despair. Even the hand holding the Origin Bullet trembled violently at that moment.

Recalling last night, in order to eliminate this great enemy, he didn't hesitate to trade injury for injury, using his own body as bait, constantly showing weakness, attacking without method like a caged beast, and exposing openings. Coupled with his use of modern weapons, Kayneth naturally looked down on him.

And this was exactly what he wanted. With such a vast disparity in strength between them, only by seizing a momentary opening could he have a chance to break through.

Emiya Kiritsugu seized this rare opportunity, step by step leading Kayneth into his trap, taking out the thermal weapon his assistant had prepared, and then, disregarding his own injuries, hit Kayneth in the face with an RPG.

This plan progressed very smoothly and was excellent. During this process, Emiya Kiritsugu also demonstrated his outstanding execution and action, as well as that precious resolve to disregard his own life.

Thus, with the accumulation of overwhelming advantages, heaven rewarded his efforts, and he successfully killed Kayneth's substitute!

When he saw Kayneth engulfed in the explosion, he smiled, because he had dealt with the most troublesome enemy. Single-handedly taking down a Lord from the Clock Tower was an achievement that was rare even in the entire world of mystery. Even though he was beaten into such a sorry state, it was a very worthwhile trade to have a major enemy eliminated!!

Then Kayneth also smiled. Although he had used up the substitute doll he had recently spent a large sum of money to buy from that Grand Puppet Master, he had also figured out the magic and trump cards of a certain Magus Killer, reducing a huge risk for himself. Although this item was meant for his disciple to practice tricks, it was not a loss to eliminate such a despicable opponent. Anyway, he still had plenty of preparations.

So, while both sides felt they had made a huge profit, it was clear that Kayneth's side had profited a little more.

After all, he was about to finish off Emiya Kiritsugu soon. What was the point of discussing business with a dead man?

However, Emiya Kiritsugu was indeed worthy of being called a battle-hardened Magus Killer, as he hadn't given up even in that situation. Seeing Kayneth reappear, he actually suppressed his already collapsing mentality and seized the opportunity to counterattack. He even pushed himself to the limit, draining his life force to unleash a five-fold boost of his Spatial Domination for a short time, quickly closing the distance, then blinding Kayneth with a flashbang, and making a final desperate attempt with his secret weapon, the Origin Bullet.

And the result...

Actually, the plan was almost successful.

Facing the bullet he fired, Kayneth was full of disdain, preparing to block it directly with his Noble Phantasm and his own body, then use his Moon Cell marrow to shred it.

This guy was careless. Clearly, Kayneth didn't know the secret of that bullet.

So, he won this final gamble! Next, he would trade his own life for Kayneth's, at the cost of losing an arm and a leg.

What Emiya Kiritsugu didn't expect was that other Masters would interfere at this critical moment.

Before he could even fire the Origin Bullet, a young man he had never seen before walked out from the corner of the dock and inserted himself into the battle between him and Kayneth. Even more horrifying to him was that the opponent clearly knew about the Origin he held. Without giving him a chance to fire, he aimed at Emiya Kiritsugu's hand and unleashed a pre-prepared "Excalibur" to knock the pistol containing the Origin Bullet away, completely stunning Emiya Kiritsugu.

And the other person also shouted to Kayneth, "Long time no see, Teacher."

After that, the situation completely spiraled out of control.

Fortunately, that lemon-head gave up pursuing him and turned his attention to the young man who had just appeared, which gave him the chance to slip away under his nose amidst the chaos.

Thinking of this, Emiya Kiritsugu took a deep drag of his cigarette, his heart filled with even greater melancholy.

He hadn't expected to suffer such a Waterloo on his very first night. That monarch from the Mineralogy Department had gone mad for some reason, being so cautious that he gave no room for anyone to breathe.

Moreover, the timing of that young man's appearance was clearly waiting for him. He personally intervened to help Kayneth avoid the damage from the Origin Bullet, and that wasn't even the most important part.

Because he had run too fast last night, the pistol containing the Origin Bullet had fallen on the spot, and it had likely fallen into their hands by now. If its secret were discovered...

Thinking of his Origin Bullet's secret being exposed, Emiya Kiritsugu couldn't help but shudder.

That thing was no joke. If the mage world knew that he possessed such a weapon specifically targeting mages, then he would undoubtedly be attacked by the entire world of magic!

At this very moment, Emiya Kiritsugu knew.

If he failed, what awaited him would definitely not be a return to his former life. Formalin, and confinement by the Judicial Department would undoubtedly be his fate.

This Holy Grail War should be his last chance. He had to keep winning, no matter the cost!!

Meanwhile, Artoria's situation was no better. Last night, she had also received a harsh lesson from society.

First, she was tricked by Fionn, and swaggered into the opponent's home turf with Irisviel to fight, only to be nearly swallowed by endless waves. Not only that, but the Servants who appeared later were all stronger than the last.

And the dark knight who appeared at the end, for some unknown reason, had once again set his sights on her after Archer left. His attacks were as fierce as a mad dog's, and a series of assaults left her battered and bruised.

Despite being a Berserker, he completely suppressed her in terms of martial skill. Without unleashing her Noble Phantasm, there was no possibility of defeating him.

However, it was fortunate that last night, she had also roughly figured out the characteristics of all the Heroic Spirits.

First, the strongest present was undoubtedly that golden Heroic Spirit, Archer. After all, the scene of him wielding thousands of Noble Phantasms simultaneously was truly shocking. Artoria knew very well that she was absolutely no match for him.

And the golden Lancer, Fionn, and the purple Lancer, Scáthach, had also displayed their powerful strength and martial skills.

However, due to various reasons, she didn't have the chance to fully experience Scáthach's strength, but she had experienced Fionn's skill. Not only was his martial arts top-notch, but he was also very skilled at controlling the power of water. His own sustain and healing abilities were also terrifying.

After fighting her for so long, she was beaten black and blue, but Fionn casually pulled out a bottle of mineral water and applied an extremely effective healing technique to his palm, instantly recovering all the damage sustained over that long period.

This also made Artoria realize the strength of his versatility.

He could heal, control water, output damage, and sustain himself. He was a completely six-sided warrior. If she didn't unleash her Noble Phantasm, she really couldn't defeat Fionn.

As for Rider, Iskandar, there wasn't much to say. Although he hadn't displayed much strength, just from his aura and the magic erupting from him, it was clear that the great Conqueror King was no ordinary person. In this Holy Grail War, he was definitely a formidable enemy.

Good, all of them were exceptional Servants. Even the black knight, who looked the weakest, had the strength to suppress her in martial arts. This made Artoria start to doubt...

Was she too weak? Was this really the intensity expected of a Holy Grail War?

She somehow felt that the famous King Arthur seemed to be just so-so in this Holy Grail War...

Coupled with the absence of Avalon and some issues with mana supply, she was clearly at a disadvantage.

If it weren't for too many people and mutual apprehension, if it were a free-for-all, the only Heroic Spirit who would have emerged from the port would not be her.

In short, after this night, the Saber master and servant, who already had problems, were completely exhausted both physically and mentally. However, Emiya Kiritsugu knew that he couldn't rest now.

According to his assistant's report, Assassin had not been eliminated. She had observed its presence with night-vision goggles, and he had to investigate the reason for this.

Furthermore, according to Saber, he also needed to investigate the simultaneous existence of two Lancers. Had someone summoned them against the rules? Who was it that summoned the second Lancer? Was it Caster, who had yet to appear?

He also needed to look into Kenneth from last night and the young man who knew about his Origin Bullet's information. In short, there were simply too many things to do, leaving him no time to rest.

This Holy Grail War had far exceeded expectations. For now, he'd have Saber take Irisviel back to the castle and wait. He had to devise a new plan.

"Hm?"

As he thought this, Emiya Kiritsugu's brow suddenly furrowed, and his eyes widened as if he had just realized something extremely important.

He quickly spat out the cigarette in his mouth and then looked at Artoria, who was still pulling the cart, and urgently asked, "Saber, where is Irisviel, the one I asked you to protect?!"

Only after organizing his intelligence and thoughts did the physically and mentally exhausted Emiya Kiritsugu realize...

His wife seemed to be missing!!

Upon hearing this, Artoria's eyes also widened. She turned to look at Emiya Kiritsugu and asked, equally astonished.

"Irisviel, she hasn't returned to the base yet?!"

"..."

In response, she was met only with Emiya Kiritsugu's silent acknowledgment.

Chapter 38: What Do You Call a Surprise? (5K words)

What is an unexpected gain?

What can be called a surprise?

—This is what you call a surprise!!

Looking at the white-haired woman fixed to the stone platform by Aozaki Touko's magic, even Rovey couldn't help but admire Aozaki Touko's "pulling the rug out from under" tactic and inwardly exclaimed.