Chapter 93

"... No, let's give up on that; it's unnecessary now." The military leader shook his head, then continued, "But we still need to be very vigilant—"

"General!"

Amid a barrage of reports from various sources, those in charge of the matter repeatedly and accurately issued instructions; however, it was only those who addressed him by his job title that broke the ice.

The man in military uniform, addressed as "General," frowned as he looked over there.

So, the man who was the leader of the Observation Team stood at the door of the conference room, trembling as he straightened his posture.

"The people of Snowfield City have disappeared."

"... Does that mean the observation was forcibly interrupted?"

In his view, if a large-scale group of Magecraft were to be operating, there was a high possibility that each surveillance satellite would disrupt it, or that the Servant would obstruct the surveillance.

"No, the observation instruments from the satellite are functioning normally."

After speaking haltingly, the leader operated the control panel in the conference room, and the screen in the observation room reflected the landscape of Snowfield City.

"I'll repeat myself. The people of Snowfield City... have disappeared."

The masterminds behind the Holy Grail War, led by the man known as the General.

They witnessed the anomalies occurring in Snowfield City in real time.

Upon seeing the satellite images appear on the monitor, everyone held their breath and was speechless.

Even those who were collected because of their profound knowledge of Magecraft and science were forced to stop thinking in the face of such an anomaly.

The vast Snowfield City, with its entire population of 800,000, vanished in an instant, leaving only scattered specks of light all around.

"... What on earth is going on...? Could it be Reality Marble...?"

This is one of Novia's abilities as the King of the Wild Hunt, namely --

An inverted form of the Reality Marble.

It's not about replacing reality with the mental world, but rather sealing things from reality into the mental world.

In other words, from the moment it was first announced, the King of the Wild Hunt Wild Hunt Trial, which could simulate a world of 150,000 square kilometers at its highest level, had already begun instantly.

Within this space, there exists a world where darkness and points of light coexist.

In the center of the vast, perfectly spherical room, dyed the color of the night sky, a wooden chair floats up.

Judging by the chair's appearance alone, it certainly deserves to be called luxurious. However, the color of the wood used as the material has a unique charm, avoiding any sense of tedious sophistication. Rather, the mere presence of that chair lends a sense of solemnity to the surrounding atmosphere.

If an ordinary person were to sit in that chair, they might even be completely swallowed up by its presence and fade out of sight of those around them.

At that moment, a man whose solemn demeanor surpassed even that of the chair leaned back forcefully and let out a sigh.

"Hmm... It was him. It's about time we said hello, right? Communication costs from over there can be quite high."

Thus, space seemed to respond to this cry.

"What? So you already figured it out."

There's a small wooden table here, just as uniquely designed as the chair, with a 'telephone' placed on it.

It was an old-fashioned telephone, which at first glance looked like a table lamp. Instead of light, it was projected by a cone-shaped speaker, with a microphone at the front of a slender, extending support, and a dial on the stand supporting both.

It looks like a telephone you'd only see in a movie, a museum, or an antique shop, but with one key difference: its color is a beautiful deep blue reminiscent of Sapphire, making it look like a giant gemstone artifact at first glance.

"Little Test, why did you change your appearance? I think the lock looks pretty good."

You could argue that I'm just going with the flow.

A young voice rang out from the telephone's speaker, as if the telephone itself possessed a will.

From the dialogue, we know that the two are Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg and Kouhaku.

"That's true, anyone who didn't know better would think you were a good person."

Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg shrugged and glanced at the blue telephone behind him.

"So what's up? If you're planning to read unhealthy books and watch late-night anime together, let's do it another day. It'd be better to say hello now."

"Well, I don't think Lord Novia would care about that. Anyway, I'm here for something very important."

"Oh, what is it?"

"Well..." Kouhaku hesitated for a moment, but ultimately said with a hint of despair, "Xiao Xiang said she suddenly wants to find her mother. You know, for her, her so-called mother is that... well, the one who almost destroyed the world."

"I--"

Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg hesitated, recalling the time when Kihara had severely injured him with the Holy Scripture. So now, he began flipping through the pages of the books he had been reading at an unprecedented speed.

The Xiao Xiang that Kouhaku mentioned is Hibino Hibiki, who appears in the Box of the Enchanter series, and is the human form of the Codex Trithemius.

As for Kouhaku, after the fall of the Church of Rome in the fifth century, he and Be'ze assisted Augustine and Jerome of the Eastern Rome in rebuilding the Church with great difficulty. After that, he took the Codex Trithemius and returned to the Labyrinth, intending never to come out again to avoid causing a similar situation of confusion and Kihara.

So, over the course of a thousand years, Kouhaku had essentially become a NEET. Therefore, when he recently learned that the Codex Trithemius was actually acting in human form, he was thrown into a panic, much like the shock of his personal computer being infected by a virus when logging into an unhealthy website.

As a disciple of Solomon, he was almost rendered unable to move, but thanks to his innate strong will and delusional thinking, he managed to regain his senses.

"But then again, that guy should be a normal Savior now, right?"

"If there are adults around, they probably will."

As the pages of the book in the Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg's hand flipped rapidly, the countless 'faces' depicted on them smoothly and gradually changed.

At the same time, he gazed with great interest at the telephone's dial, which repeatedly spun and then returned to its original position, as if admiring a photograph of an event from the past.

Then, shortly afterward, the sound of the pages turning gradually subsided.

Ultimately, the image reflected a Black-Haired Girl with a worried expression in a hospital room.

176: Devout and Sincere the Holy One and the Goddess of Challenge (4k)

That moment, in a hospital ward in Snowfield City.

Kichijo-in Kihara, who was guarding Tsubaki Kuruoka, showed surprise, as did the Pale Rider, the system avatar who should have been devoid of emotion.

"..."

As for Kichijo-in Kihara, she might actually be the same as Francesca, still somewhat afraid.

Her heart was pounding, and the thought of Novia made her feel as if every cell in her body was bursting into bubbles.

In Kisshouin's view, although she was now trying to make amends and atone for her sins, the crime was still a crime, and this would not change in the slightest because of the subsequent trial and changes. She had taken too much from others, to the extent that even death could not make up for much of it. Wrongdoings are fundamentally irreparable.

Originally, Kichijo-in Kihara's plan for her life was to study normally and smoothly enter university, without caring about these things in the Magecraft World. However, she felt that even so, she should still do some things to make amends. Because of this, even though her actions in eradicating the Cult would definitely be discovered by the Church and she would be placed under control, she still did it.

Well, Kichijo-in Kihara thinks the Church is actually quite normal. After all, she has a special identity that transcends everyone else, and it is precisely because of this innate ability that she became Pope back then.

Around the AD 200 AD, she Director, her congenital illness was cured, she joined the Church, and received the Holy Scripture...

Moreover, even now, the illness she was born with still exists in her body, but it is ultimately just a minor ailment that she cured herself long ago.

"Well."

After sighing, the Black-Haired Girl jumped off the chair. Her long, straight black hair shone with a luster. Her steps were hurried, and the air around her seemed to change as a result.

"Go if you want, just save some of your strength. I'll keep an eye on things here, no problem."

Upon hearing this, the 'Darkness' in the corner of the ward suddenly stood up, staring at the Black-Haired Girl as if to confirm her reliability. But a few seconds later, the Pale Rider slid out through the window crack and leaped out of the hospital to find the person it, as the 'system,' needed to meet.

This was both an act to help the sleeping girl overcome her fear and an act to demonstrate that he had no intention of offending her.

However, the Pale Rider is probably not the only Servant who shares this thought.

On the rooftop of the tallest building in the very heart of Snowfield City, it felt like being in a completely different world from the noisy surroundings.

Perhaps it was due to the solid Bounded Field, or perhaps it was because the man standing within it was capable of such a feat.

In the eyes of ordinary people, the abilities of Heroic Spirit often seem to transcend the realm of humanity.

However, even taking that into account, the Thunderbolt here still seems somewhat unusual.

It might be the inherent Authority inherent in the Foundation properties of Heroic Spirit.

The concept is achieved by applying a Magecraft amplification treatment.

And the Thunderbolt, which can only be described as a kind of 'Blessing' bestowed by the Throne of Heroes, related to the anecdotes of the Servant residing within it.

In short, it was filled with terrifying thunderclouds that made one's heart tremble. Any small shadows immediately turned into dust and fragments lingering in the fierce wind. Even Heroic Spirit could not remain unharmed in the face of this thunder.

The lightning seemed to stop time, and the thunder's roar blurred the boundary between reality and fantasy. It was merely Half-Baked existence, impossible even to get close to this place.

Because of the Rune's lightning, any approaching creatures were automatically enveloped, being torn apart and devoured at the same time.

This is undoubtedly the most direct and aboveboard declaration of war against all participants in the Holy Grail War. Challengers are welcome to come, whether through intrigue or honorable means. He awaits the arrival of the challengers within the Holy Grail amidst a Thunderbolt storm containing the Divine Power of both the Norse and Greece pantheons.

But in reality, if Servant were to arrive, they might be somewhat surprised, because in this location, comparable to the final stage of the Demon King's castle, what awaits is not the 'Demon King's' praise for the challenger, but rather—

"How is it? How is it? I made this myself, Novia, you should try it."

Looking around at Novia, with neither Typhon nor Melusine, Sajyou Manaka once again cooked for Novia. Her breakfast was laid out on the carpet: white rice, Saikyo Miso grilled salmon, Tofu Miso Soup, and Tamagoyaki —it was practically a Japan breakfast extravaganza... even though it wasn't really morning yet.

Moreover, the carpet laid on the floor was chosen by Sajyou Manaka herself, and its pattern was covered with hearts.

The grilled salmon wasn't burnt, and the flesh was very tender. The Tamagoyaki was fluffy and sweet; overall, it tasted quite good.

How does it taste?

After Novia answered directly, "It's delicious," Sajyou Manaka smiled shyly, then leaned obediently against the young man's back. Her hands around his abdomen and the warm body against his back gave off a feeling of tenderness.

It's also thanks to Melusine now being transformed into a dragon spear and Typhon being in his armored form that Sajyou Manaka's abilities are sufficient to enjoy this. It's just that Novia's mind is a bit noisy. After all, although Melusine is alright, Typhon, despite being usually taciturn, is a real chatterbox when he Telepathy.

In fact, after agreeing to Human Order's request, Novia became the last Servant to fight in this Holy Grail War...

That's not quite right. It's more accurate to say that, within the bounds of the rules, one can, to some extent, make Perfection use of their inherent abilities during periods when Human Order Incineration.

After all, in terms of Class, he was merely replacing Hippolyta's True Rider, so theoretically he shouldn't be able to use anything else. But that's all in theory. The only drawback is that his Od consumption is too severe. However, given his inherent abilities and the fact that he hasn't yet summoned the Primordial Holy Sword, which has fused with the Demonic Sword: True World, he shouldn't be worried about this. After all, the reappearance of the Age of Gods within a designated range provides Od support that can be used at will.

Seriously speaking, ending the Holy Grail War in one night wouldn't be a problem. In a normal Holy Grail War, with Novia's strength, she would either be the final and strongest boss, or the strongest boss who gets betrayed. In any case, she's very strong.

However, Novia also remembered the request that Human Order had given her: to prevent Sea of Vengeance from forgetting her existence on the Planet.

He promised, so naturally he had to do it; the simplest way was to eliminate him directly...

In Novia's view, although Alcides had become Avenger, had no dignity or honor as Warrior and was a fallen man who would sacrifice innocent lives for Revenge, he could be described as an evil being. However, he had indeed experienced Hera's inexplicable curse and witnessed the death of his loved ones before his eyes.

Although Novia eventually reconciled with Hera, the pain was real. Moreover, in the instant she gained power, Novia heard Juno, the Romanized name of Hera, the queen of the gods in Roman mythology, who, through the power bestowed upon her, made a request to Novia:

If possible, please let me meet that child who abandoned all glory for the sake of Revenge the gods.

"... Are you here?"

That was a mindless, deadly force that brought death to humanity. It was Od surge from the soles of our feet to our hearts and spread throughout our entire bodies, filled with primal fear. It approached us with a powerful aura, pierced by thousands upon thousands of overlapping, violent storms of black mist.

"Aika, from now on you will be my Master."

"Oh, no problem then, Novia, you'd better protect me."

Although she didn't know why Novia wanted to do this, the girl quickly nodded and immediately forged Command Spell from her right hand that only had appearance and no effect.

In the brief moment of their conversation, the first Servant to arrive before Novia, having passed through the Thunderbolt, was the black mist that had gathered there.

It was a black mist, deeper than the night, riding the wind, the water, and the earth, rushing in from afar like the terrifying tolling of a doomsday bell. Then, it began to spread calmly and gently. As a chilling aura descended, a shadowy figure with a humanoid outline, carrying an ominous black mist, appeared before the two.

Novia naturally knew that this was the Pale Rider, who appeared in the last book of the New Covenant Bible, Book of Revelation, and was the leader of the Four Horsemen who symbolized the end of the world. He represented conquest and victory, and was the knight in charge of plagues. He was a 'system' that had no concept of destruction and therefore did not feel fear.

However, looking at the Humanoid black mist, Novia gleaned a meaning from its reaction—

Please forgive my Master; she meant you no harm.

The Pale Rider's Master is Tsubaki Kuruoka, who was experimented on by her parents since childhood. Novia already knows this, so the Pale Rider doesn't need to say more. He will help her with this small favor after the Holy Grail Ritual is over.

"Can."

Novia nodded, Pale Rider, seemingly relieved to receive the promise, quietly merged the black mist into the raging Thunderbolt, as if to show his stance: he would never attack you or offer his power.

The Servant appeared before Novia, right after the Pale Rider, was the one who had once tried to merge into the old man's shadow, and who was completely indifferent to his own death.

"You actually condescended to participate in this wish-granting Ritual."

It was a shadow, or more precisely, a mask suspended above the shadow. For Novia, there was the illusion of witnessing the Old Man of the Mountain with Altrouge Brunestud in the past, and it was because of this that he knew the identity of this Servant.

The True Assassin, possessing EX-level Presence Concealment, is one of the nineteen Hassan -i-Sabah, the Hassan of the Phantom Valley.