With a thunderous crash, the Sea Demon that had threatened all the Servants slammed heavily into the water, kicking up enormous waves. Mikaela swayed slightly atop the surface, but Judas's outstretched golden chains held firm, and Mikaela himself had excellent balance.
Even as the waves crashed over him, Mikaela was not knocked into the water. He remained steadily standing on its surface, staring at the motionless "Sea Demon" as he continued hurling spears of light, intending to force Gilles de Rais out of its body.
"Saber, we'll lend you a hand."
At that moment, Diarmuid charged over atop the King of Conquerors's ox cart. Gripping his twin spears, he stared intensely at the completely uninjured Mikaela. A trace of gravity flickered through his heart. If Caster's death had already been confirmed, he might even have considered launching a surprise attack and killing Saber first.
"Thank you." Mikaela gave a slight nod and took several steps back, intending to use Judas's spears of light for long-range attacks as before while letting the King of Conquerors and Diarmuid charge at the forefront.
"￥＃￥＆*＆"
A strange sound, as if it had come from ancient times, echoed around them. It was not a human voice, but sounded like the cry of some animal.
"!!!!!"
Mikaela's pupils contracted slightly as he turned his gaze toward the Sea Demon's "remains."
The remains emitted an eerie purple glow. The Sea Demon, which they had thought had lost its ability to fight, suddenly extended dozens of tentacles and propped itself back up.
Tattered and ragged, like a worn-out mop rag.
The same thought flashed through the minds of Mikaela, the King of Conquerors, and Diarmuid as they looked at the Sea Demon.
Within the Divine Grace Barrier, the Great Sea Demon's magical energy had been cut off, causing much of its body to dissipate into nothingness. It was no longer as massive as before, and countless pits covered its body, the kind of sight that gave anyone goosebumps at a glance.
"It's not dead yet?!" Diarmuid tightened his grip on his spear.
The King of Conquerors wore an exceptionally grave expression. Even Saber's Noble Phantasm could not completely destroy it?!
"￥%＆*＃￥"
The eerie sound appeared again. This time, a pit emerged upon the sea's surface, one like a gateway into the abyss.
Countless tentacles reached out from the pit and, as though feeding, swallowed the Sea Demon's remains in a single bite, forming an even larger monster than before.
"No way..."
Anyone who witnessed that scene would have stared wide-eyed. No one had expected such a twist!
"%＆*＃￥@!"
The bizarre sound, like the whispers of an ancient god, rang in everyone's ears. The being that had devoured the Sea Demon's remains seemed to slowly open its eyes.
Or rather... many pairs of eyes?
The unknown being that had consumed the Sea Demon's remains was covered in densely packed eyes. If it had only possessed a single pair, it might even have evoked a sense of "beauty."
But what if it had hundreds of eyes? That would bring no sense of beauty at all, only terror. That was exactly what the King of Conquerors and Diarmuid were feeling.
Could Caster really summon such a monster in so short a time?! How was that even possible?!
"So that's it, so that's it." On land, Kayneth seemed to understand something. He said in disbelief, "Using his own body and the Sea Demon's corpse, which Saber had nearly destroyed, to perform a second summoning and summon an even stronger monster from another world... Caster has gone completely insane. This is not magecraft at all. He is sacrificing himself to summon something even more terrifying."
"..."
The eyes saw Mikaela. Hundreds of eyes fixed upon him at once. It... seemed to have discovered something, then closed its eyes.
"Boom—!!!"
An explosion rang out. The mysterious monster that had exuded such terrifying pressure, which had been in this world for less than a minute after its arrival, simply... self-destructed.
Kayneth's Speculation
"It self-destructed?"
The King of Conquerors and Diarmuid had been prepared to fight to the bitter end, yet they had not expected that the monster that had just been summoned—
Would actually self-destruct?! And judging by its actions, it seemed to have done so deliberately. Could there be some deeper meaning behind it?
Not only the two of them, but Irisviel, Kayneth, and Waver were all stunned as well. None of them had expected this to happen.
"You two, stay where you are!" Kayneth suddenly seemed to think of a possibility. He spoke to Waver and Irisviel before jogging over to the riverbank.
"What is it?" Irisviel was somewhat confused, unable to understand what the Clock Tower Lord intended to do.
If it had been ordinary animal blood, drinking it could basically be ignored. But that monster clearly could not be compared to an ordinary animal.
They had no idea what effect its blood might have, so that was why his teacher had gone over to collect some of the blood that had fallen into the water.
Although he had only been watching from the sidelines, Waver had noticed in that brief instant that even his teacher had worn an expression of terror, as though someone else held his life in their hands.
That was right. Their lives and deaths had all been in the hands of that newly summoned monster.
The aura it had displayed upon entering the stage had clearly been completely different from that of the Great Sea Demon. It was the sort of existence where one glance was enough to tell that it would be incredibly difficult to deal with.
When the Great Sea Demon had first appeared, Waver had certainly been shocked, but his teacher at his side had remained calm, as though it were no more than a minor scene.
Yet the fear on his teacher's face just now had clearly not been an act. It had been genuine terror.
If even his teacher had shown such an expression, then it was certain that the monster's appearance had exceeded his expectations.
Or perhaps he had never imagined that the Holy Grail War would contain something like this at all.
"..."
By the riverbank, Kayneth wore a grave expression as he shook a small bottle in his hand. It was filled with a portion of river water, which appeared quite clear.
Magical energy stimulation didn't work? Does it require live testing? Kayneth injected a small amount of magical energy into the bottle, but the river water did not change much. It seemed like completely ordinary water.
"My Lord."
Seeing that the monster had self-destructed, Diarmuid climbed down from the King of Conquerors's ox cart and immediately returned to his Lord's side.
"Did you see it clearly just now?" Kayneth put away the river water and calmly looked at Diarmuid. "That monster self-destructed the moment it was summoned."
"Yes." Diarmuid nodded slightly. He could be said to have been the closest person there, so he had naturally seen it very clearly. In a calm tone, he said, "That monster was exceptionally powerful. Though I only saw it for a moment, I felt it was more terrifying than any monster I had encountered before. If its true body had descended, I am confident I could protect my Lord and kill it. But right now, I possess only a Servant's body..."
"Is that so? Then that monster was even more terrifying than I imagined, if it required an ancient hero to descend in person." Upon hearing Diarmuid's words, Kayneth put away the bottle of river water in his hand. Looking at the King of Conquerors and Mikaela slowly returning in the distance, he calmly said, "Though I should not be concerned with such matters right now, I have been considering whether that monster truly self-destructed, rather than vanishing automatically after seeing some kind of 'existence.'"
"This..."
Diarmuid did not dare speak. In terms of wisdom, the man before him might not have been as dependable as his former Lord, Finn MacCool, but he was still a man of great intelligence.
His martial skill might have been a little stronger than his Lord's, but when it came to wisdom, he did not believe himself to be cleverer than Lord Kayneth. Kayneth's intelligence was not merely displayed through research, but through his ability to control the battlefield.
"From the perspective of magecraft, Caster succeeded in summoning that monster." Kayneth considered everything he had just seen and spoke calmly. "Summoning magecraft requires powerful magical energy, a sacrifice, a special incantation recited during the summoning, and... a magic circle."
"Though I did not see a magic circle just now, Caster had likely already drawn one."
After all, that great hole like an abyss had appeared upon the sea earlier. Those tentacles and the monster that had devoured the Great Sea Demon's remains had all emerged from it.
There was no doubt that the summoning magecraft had succeeded. The monster from another world had emerged from the hole and entered the present world; it had clearly answered the summons, and... the summoner had offered a sacrifice that satisfied it.
Kayneth was no ordinary magus. He was highly specialized in summoning magecraft.
Because of that, Kayneth could be certain that the summoning had succeeded, and had succeeded beyond expectations. If the creature had not suddenly self-destructed, then the three Servants present would likely have been unable to resist what followed. Even if the Holy Church and the Mage's Association had sent people, by the time they arrived, they would probably have seen only a Fuyuki City called "ruins."
"Monsters that have already been successfully summoned possess an extremely high degree of integrity. Even if they encounter someone who might defeat them, they will not retreat. If a monster retreats, it generally means the 'sacrifice' was not sufficient."
Kayneth crouched down and stared at the clear river water. He extended a hand and waved at "himself" in the water, then snapped his fingers softly. A pale blue glow spread across the water's surface. Clearly, this entire stretch of river water being used for "testing" had no problems either.
"But that monster chose to self-destruct the moment it appeared. Do you think it was 'afraid,' or was there some other reason?" Kayneth looked at Diarmuid. Based on his common sense, this was something that simply could not happen.
As the head of El-Melloi, if he had not seen it with his own eyes, Kayneth would probably have mocked anyone who said such a thing. Monsters from other worlds demanded tremendous sacrificial costs, but they kept their word. You got what you paid for. The more you offered, the more likely "legendary monsters" were to come trade with you for the items in your possession.
That was why he asked Diarmuid, this great hero who had lived in ancient times, to see what kind of answer he might provide.
This was likely the first time Kayneth had humbly sought advice from his "familiar," because he had realized that the Holy Grail War ran far deeper than he had imagined. He could no longer treat it as some simple game.
"..." Diarmuid fell into thought. From the perspective of his era, the most likely explanation was... that the sacrifice had been too meager, insufficient to make it fight.
But if that were all, the monster should at least have fought for a while to show that it had "tried," then disappeared afterward.
Yet it had only opened its eyes for a second before closing them again and choosing to self-destruct.
What had it seen?
"My Lord, perhaps it saw something immensely terrifying—an existence above itself. Unwilling to fight such an opponent, it chose to self-destruct." After pondering for a moment, Diarmuid gave his answer. Once every complicated possibility had been ruled out, this was the simplest and most direct explanation.
PS: "One more chapter."
A Well-Intentioned Reminder
"..."
When Diarmuid spoke those words, Kayneth did not refute him. Instead, he continued, "Then who do you think at the scene posed the greatest threat to that monster?"
"Saber." Diarmuid named Mikaela without hesitation. The cross that had nailed Jesus to death was in his hand, and even Diarmuid himself felt extreme wariness toward that Noble Phantasm.
On their way back, the King of Conquerors had even sighed, "If it were one-on-one, facing that Noble Phantasm, I could only stand still and wait for death. Even if I wanted to resist, I could not."
Invincible in a duel.
Those four words had taken root in the hearts of the King of Conquerors and Diarmuid.
In a sense, he truly was invincible in a duel. Though that barrier harmed its user almost as much as the enemy, its wielder could move within it while the rest of them could not take any action at all.
What a joke. The King of Conquerors and Diarmuid had both seen how the Great Sea Demon had struggled just now. It had exerted all its strength and still could not break free from those golden chains. If their Noble Phantasms had not been sealed, then perhaps they might have been able to use them.
But within that barrier, even Saber, its "master," had nearly dissipated. The Great Sea Demon had fared even worse, like an octopus thrown into a pan of boiling oil.
No matter how confident they were in themselves, after witnessing that scene, Diarmuid and the King of Conquerors had become deeply wary of Mikaela. They were Servants who wished to win this Holy Grail War as well. For now, they had merely joined hands to deal with Caster.
Once that alliance ended, they would still have to fight one another. But after Mikaela revealed his "Noble Phantasm," Diarmuid and the King of Conquerors understood.
In a one-on-one battle, virtually no one in this Holy Grail War would be Saber's match. His Noble Phantasm was simply too terrifying.
"That makes sense. She is the only one." Kayneth narrowed his eyes. He glanced at Mikaela, who silently walked over to Irisviel's side, and said indifferently, "The cross that nailed the Son of God to death—anyone would fear such a Noble Phantasm. That monster from another world probably saw it too, decided it could not contend with such a Noble Phantasm, and chose to retreat."
"A terrifying enemy." Diarmuid lowered his head. He had originally believed that after manifesting in the present age, he only needed to devote himself to his Lord. If he died in a battle full of honor, then even if he could not offer the Holy Grail to his Lord, there would be nothing to be done.
But now, Diarmuid realized he had been wrong. Loyalty meant delivering victory to one's Lord, not disregarding the victory one's Lord needed for the sake of one's own "wish."
I must win!
That was Diarmuid's most sincere thought.
"Professor."
At that moment, Waver jogged over. His expression was conflicted, as though he did not particularly want to speak with Kayneth, but for various reasons, he had come to see whether his teacher needed help.
"Waver Velvet." While still speaking with Diarmuid, Kayneth noticed his student as well. He looked coldly at him and said in an indifferent voice, "You should understand very clearly that you are a thief. That was merely an emergency, which was why I allowed you to help for the time being. Now that the incident has ended, you should accept your punishment."
"Ugh!!"
Waver could not help taking half a step back. He had thought his teacher had more or less forgotten about his "theft" of the Holy Relic Kayneth had painstakingly prepared, but he had not expected... his teacher to still be fixated on it!!!
"First, regarding your theft of my Holy Relic, I have decided upon the simplest possible punishment." Giving Waver no chance to speak, Kayneth spoke with the coldness of an ancient god. "Withdraw from this Holy Grail War now and return to the Clock Tower. Once I return, I will deal with you properly."
"!!!!!"
Waver's pupils contracted. He clenched his fists, and the anger in his once-guilty eyes ignited again. This anger was just like when the thesis he had spent years painstakingly writing had been casually torn apart by Kayneth.
He always decided other people's fates so casually!!!
Could geniuses do whatever they wanted?! Could magi act like this?!!
Participating in this Holy Grail War had been his choice. Even if he had stolen the Holy Relic his teacher had prepared, once the Holy Grail War ended, he had already resolved to let Kayneth punish him however he pleased.
But now, the Holy Grail War had not ended. Or rather... it had only just begun! Yet his teacher wanted him to withdraw!! To abandon the Holy Grail War that was meant to prove himself.
"No! I will not withdraw from this Holy Grail War!! I am Rider's Master, just like you! I am a participant in this Holy Grail War."
The last time, in that classroom, he had only been a coward who vented his dissatisfaction internally. But now he was a Master in the Holy Grail War, holding an "equal" status to his teacher Kayneth!!!
He would not be like last time, giving up on participating in the Holy Grail War simply because of what his teacher said. On the contrary! He would defeat his teacher, and he would prove to him that everything he had written could be realized!
"What?!" Kayneth nearly exploded with rage. What kind of attitude was this from Waver?! This third-generation magus without a single outstanding quality actually dared defy his will?!
"Do you even know what you are participating in?!"
Kayneth was clearly furious now. He was not merely angry at Waver's defiance, but at his "ignorance"! A brat who knew nothing dared say no in front of him?!
"The Holy Grail War! My war!"
Waver retorted. He seemed to have lost his mind as well, shouting at Kayneth, "You are my opponent, even if you are my teacher!"
"You reckless fool, you dare call this your war?! Very well. I will show you how magi fight!" Kayneth flew into a rage and immediately unleashed the Moon Cell Essence. A liquid whip formed from the Moon Cell Essence lashed toward Waver's legs!
If that blow landed, Waver's legs would likely be broken, leaving him unable to walk normally afterward.
Watching the whip rush toward him, Waver instinctively closed his eyes. Yet the instant he did, he realized that he had reacted wrongly! This was not the time to close his eyes—it was the time to run for his life!!!!
"Well, well, well."
Before you continue