The Lunar Cell's Card Servant

With a loud bang, the Sea Demon that had threatened all the Servants fell heavily into the water, kicking up a huge wave. This caused Mikaela, who was on the water's surface, to sway slightly. Fortunately, the golden chains extended by Uriel were strong, and Mikaela himself had good balance.

Despite the crashing waves, Mikaela didn't get swept into the water. Instead, he continued to stand steadily on the surface, looking at the motionless 'Sea Demon.' He then threw another spear of light, intending to force Gilles de Rais out of the Sea Demon's body.

"Saber, we're here to help!"

At this moment, Diarmuid, riding in the King of Conquerors' chariot, also charged over. He held his twin guns, his gaze fixed on Mikaela, who showed no 'injuries.' A hint of solemnity flashed through his mind. If Caster wasn't confirmed dead, he would have had the urge to 'ambush' and slay Saber right then and there.

"Thank you," Mikaela nodded slightly. He took a few steps back, intending to use Uriel's spear of light for long-range attacks as before, letting the King of Conquerors and Diarmuid charge at the forefront.

"￥＃￥＆*＆"

A strange sound, as if from ancient times, echoed around them. It wasn't a human voice, more like the sound an animal might make.

"!!!!!"

Mikaela's pupils contracted slightly, and his gaze turned towards the 'wreckage' of the Sea Demon.

The wreckage emitted a bizarre purple light. The Sea Demon, which was thought to have lost its combat ability, now extended dozens of tentacles, propping itself up.

Tattered and torn, like a worn-out rag.

Mikaela, the King of Conquerors, and Diarmuid looked at the Sea Demon's appearance, and a single thought flashed through their minds.

Under the Divine Grace Barrier, the Sea Demon's body had already lost much of its mass due to the interrupted magic, causing it to be much smaller than before. At the same time, countless pits had appeared on its body, giving one goosebumps just by looking at it.

"It's not dead yet?!" Diarmuid tightened his grip on his spear.

The King of Conquerors' expression grew even more solemn. Even Saber's Noble Phantasm couldn't completely destroy it?!

"￥%＆*＃￥"

The strange sound occurred again. This time, a pit appeared on the sea's surface, a pit that seemed to lead to the abyss.

Countless tentacles emerged from the pit, as if eating, and swallowed the Sea Demon's wreckage in one gulp, forming a monster even larger than before.

"No way..."

Anyone who witnessed this scene would have their eyes wide open. They had never imagined such a turn of events could occur!

"%＆*＃￥@!"

The peculiar sound, like the whisper of an ancient god, echoed in their ears. The entity that had devoured the Sea Demon's wreckage now seemed to slowly open its eyes.

Or rather... many pairs of eyes?

The unknown entity that had devoured the Sea Demon's wreckage sprouted dense clusters of eyes. If it had only had a pair of eyes, it might have evoked a feeling of 'beauty.'

But if it had hundreds of eyes on its body? That would likely bring no 'beauty' at all, only fear. This was precisely what the King of Conquerors and Diarmuid were thinking at that moment.

Could Caster summon a monster like this in such a short time?! How was this possible!!

"I see, I see." On land, Kayneth seemed to understand something, saying with disbelief, "Using its own body and the nearly destroyed corpse of the Sea Demon eliminated by Saber for a second summoning, thereby summoning an even more powerful monster from another world. Caster has gone completely insane. This isn't magic at all; it's a sacrifice to summon an even more terrifying existence."

"..."

Its eyes saw Mikaela. Hundreds of eyes stared at Mikaela in unison. It... seemed to have discovered something, and then it closed its eyes.

"Boom—!!!"

An explosion rang out. The mysterious monster, which had possessed a terrifying aura moments before, had... self-destructed less than a minute after arriving in this world.

Chapter Seventy-Nine: Kayneth's Conjecture

"It, it self-destructed?"

The King of Conquerors and Diarmuid had been prepared for a fight to the death. But they never expected that the monster that had just been summoned... would self-destruct?! And from its actions, it seemed deliberate. Could there be some hidden meaning?

Not only the two of them, but even Irisviel, Kayneth, and Waver were stunned, completely taken by surprise by this turn of events.

"You two, stay put and don't move!" Suddenly, Kayneth seemed to have thought of a possibility. He told Waver and Irisviel, then hurried to the riverbank.

"What's wrong?" Irisviel was a bit confused, not understanding what the Clock Tower Lord intended to do.

If it were ordinary animal blood, drinking it would generally be harmless. But the monster just now was clearly not comparable to ordinary animals.

They had no idea what effect its blood might have, which was why their teacher had gone over to collect some of the blood that had fallen into the water.

Although he was observing from the side, Waver noticed that for a brief moment, even his teacher had shown an expression of fear, as if his life were being controlled by another.

That's right; their lives had just been in the grasp of the monster that had been summoned.

The aura it exuded upon its arrival was clearly different from that of the great Sea Demon. One look was enough to know it was an extremely difficult opponent.

When the great Sea Demon had appeared, although Waver had been shocked, his teacher had remained calm, seemingly thinking it was just a minor incident.

However, the look of fear on his teacher's face just now was clearly not faked; it was genuine terror.

Even his teacher had shown such an expression, so it could be confirmed that the monster's appearance had clearly exceeded their teacher's expectations.

Or rather, he had never imagined that the Holy Grail War would involve something like this.

"..."

By the river, Kayneth solemnly shook the small bottle in his hand, which was filled with river water that looked quite clear.

'Magic stimulation is ineffective? Requires clinical trials?' Kayneth injected a small amount of magic into the bottle, but the river water showed little change, appearing to be just ordinary water.

"Lord."

After the monster self-destructed, Diarmuid dismounted from the King of Conquerors' chariot and immediately returned to his Lord's side.

"Did you see it clearly just now?" Kayneth put away the river water and looked at Diarmuid, saying calmly, "That monster self-destructed as soon as it was summoned."

"Yes." Diarmuid nodded slightly. He was arguably the closest person to it and had seen it very clearly. He said calmly, "That monster's strength was exceptionally powerful. Although I only glanced at it, I felt it was more terrifying than any monster I had encountered before. If its true form had descended, I would have been confident in protecting you, my Lord, and killing that monster. But in its current state as merely a Servant..."

"Is that so? It seems that monster is more terrifying than I imagined, requiring an ancient hero to descend directly." Hearing Diarmuid's words, Kayneth put away the bottle containing river water and looked at the King of Conquerors and Mikaela slowly returning in the distance, saying calmly, "Although I shouldn't be concerned with these matters right now, I'm wondering if that monster truly self-destructed, or if it automatically disappeared upon seeing some 'existence'?"

"This..."

Diarmuid dared not speak. In terms of intellect, while the person before him wasn't as reliable as his former Lord, 'Finn MacCool,' he was still a person of great wisdom.

Although his martial prowess was 'slightly' superior to his Lord's, when it came to wisdom, he didn't believe he was as intelligent as Lord Kayneth. His Lord's intelligence wasn't just reflected in his research, but also in his ability to control the battlefield.

"From a magical perspective, that Caster fellow has successfully summoned that monster." Kayneth contemplated what he had just seen, his tone calm. "Summoning magic requires immense magical power, a sacrifice, a special incantation during the summoning, and... a magic circle."

"Although I didn't see a magic circle just now, Caster likely already prepared one."

This was because earlier, on the sea, a great chasm, as if from the abyss, had appeared. Those tentacles, and the monster that devoured the remains of the Sea Demon, all emerged from that great chasm.

Undoubtedly, the successful summoning magic had brought a monster from another world through the hole into the current world. It had clearly been summoned, and at the same time... the summoner had paid a satisfactory sacrifice.

Kayneth was no ordinary Magus; he was quite specialized in summoning-related magic.

It was precisely because of this that Kayneth could be certain the summoning magic had succeeded, and it had succeeded beyond expectations. If the monster hadn't suddenly self-destructed, then the subsequent developments would have been beyond the resistance of the three Servants present. Even if the Church and the Magus Association had sent people, by the time they arrived, they would likely only see Fuyuki City reduced to ruins.

"A summoned monster possesses extremely high credibility. Even when facing someone who could potentially defeat it, such monsters do not retreat. If a monster retreats, it's likely because the 'sacrifice' wasn't enough."

Kayneth squatted down at this moment, looking at the clear river water. He extended his hand, waved towards 'himself,' and then snapped his fingers. The water's surface emitted a faint blue light, clearly indicating that this large expanse of water, used for 'testing,' was also without any issues.

"But that monster chose to self-destruct as soon as it appeared. What do you think, was it 'afraid,' or was there some other reason?" Kayneth looked at Diarmuid. Based on his common sense, this was an event that was simply impossible.

As the head of the El-Melloi family, if he hadn't witnessed this event firsthand, Kayneth would have ridiculed anyone who said this. Although summoning monsters from other worlds involved great sacrificial cost, they were very trustworthy. You get what you pay for. The more you give, the more 'legendary monsters' will come to trade with you for your possessions.

Therefore, he asked Diarmuid, this great hero who lived in ancient times, to see what answer he had.

This was probably the first time Kayneth had humbly consulted his 'familiar,' because he realized that the water in this Holy Grail War was much deeper than he had imagined, and he could no longer treat it as a simple game.

"..." Diarmuid fell into thought. From the perspective of his era, the most likely reason would be... the sacrifice was too small, not enough for it to fight.

But if that were the case, the monster would at least fight a little, to show it had 'tried,' before disappearing.

Instead, it merely opened its eyes for a second, then closed them again and chose to self-destruct.

What had it seen in its eyes?

"Lord, perhaps it saw something incredibly terrifying, a being superior to itself, and thus unwilling to fight it, chose to self-destruct." Diarmuid pondered for a moment before giving his answer. After ruling out all complex explanations, this was the only truly simple and direct answer.

PS: "One more chapter."

Chapter Eighty: A Well-Intentioned Reminder

"..."

When Diarmuid said this, Kayneth didn't refute him. Instead, he continued to ask, "Then, who do you think posed the greatest threat to that monster on the scene?"

"Saber." Diarmuid said Mikaela's name without hesitation. After all, she possessed the cross that nailed Jesus, a Noble Phantasm that even made him feel extremely wary.

On their way back, the King of Conquerors had even lamented, "If it were one-on-one, facing such a Noble Phantasm, I could only stand there and wait to die. I wouldn't even be able to resist."

Invincible in a one-on-one fight.

These four words had taken root in the minds of the King of Conquerors and Diarmuid.

Truly invincible in a one-on-one situation. Although that barrier harmed the enemy by a thousand while damaging itself by eight hundred, the opponent could move within the barrier, while they themselves could not do anything.

It was a joke. Both the King of Conquerors and Diarmuid had witnessed how the Sea Demon struggled just now. Even with all its might, it couldn't break free from those golden chains. If his 'Noble Phantasm' hadn't been sealed, he might have been able to use it.

But within that barrier, even Saber, the 'master,' was almost dissipated, while the Sea Demon was like an octopus thrown into boiling oil.

Even with confidence in themselves, after witnessing that scene, Diarmuid and the King of Conquerors developed great apprehension towards Mikaela. They were also Servants who wished to win this Holy Grail War. Currently, they were only cooperating to deal with Caster.

After their alliance ended, they would still fight each other. But after Mikaela revealed her 'Noble Phantasm,' Diarmuid and the King of Conquerors understood.

In a one-on-one battle, there was basically no one in this Holy Grail War who could match this Saber. Her Noble Phantasm was simply too terrifying.

"Indeed, only she could." Kayneth narrowed his eyes. He glanced at Mikaela, who had quietly walked to Irisviel's side, and said with a somewhat indifferent tone, "The cross that nailed the Son of God. Anyone would be wary of such a Noble Phantasm. That monster from another world probably saw this, realizing it couldn't possibly contend with such a Noble Phantasm, and thus chose to retreat."

"A terrifying enemy." Diarmuid lowered his head. He had originally thought that after arriving in this era, he would simply serve his Lord. If he were to die in a glorious battle, even if he couldn't deliver the Holy Grail to his Lord, there would be nothing he could do.

But now, Diarmuid felt he was wrong. Loyalty itself should mean delivering victory to his Lord, not disregarding the victory his Lord needed for the sake of his own 'wish.'

'I must win!'

This was Diarmuid's most sincere thought.

"Teacher."

At this moment, Waver came running over. His expression was somewhat conflicted, as if he was reluctant to interact with Kayneth, but for various reasons, he came to see if his teacher needed his help.

"Waver Velvet." At this moment, while still conversing with Diarmuid, Kayneth also noticed his student. He looked at his student with somewhat cold eyes and said indifferently, "You should be well aware that you are currently a thief. What just happened was merely an emergency, which is why I temporarily allowed you to assist. Now that the incident is over, you should accept your punishment."

"Gah!!"

Waver couldn't help but take half a step back. He had thought his teacher had almost forgotten about him 'stealing' the Holy Relic he had painstakingly prepared. But he hadn't expected... his teacher still remembered it!!!

"First, regarding your theft of my Holy Relic, I have decided to give you the simplest punishment." Kayneth gave Waver no chance to speak, his tone as cold as an ancient deity's. "Abandon this Holy Grail War now and return to the Clock Tower. When I return, I will deal with you slowly."

"!!!!"

Waver's pupils contracted. He clenched his fists, the guilt in his eyes now replaced by a burning rage. This anger was just like when Kayneth had casually torn up the thesis he'd spent years painstakingly writing.

He always decided other people's fates so carelessly!!!

Did being a genius mean you could do whatever you wanted?! Did being a Magus give you that right?!!

Participating in this Holy Grail War was his choice. Even if he had stolen the Holy Relic his teacher had prepared, Waver had been ready to accept any punishment from Kayneth after the war ended.

But now, the Holy Grail War hadn't even ended, or rather... it had just begun! And his teacher wanted him to give up now!! To give up on the Holy Grail War that was supposed to be his chance to prove himself.

"No! I won't give up on this Holy Grail War!! I am Rider's Master, just like you! I am a participant in this Holy Grail War."

Last time, in that classroom, he had just been a coward who only vented his dissatisfaction internally. Now, he was a Master in the Holy Grail War, an 'equal' to his teacher, Kayneth!!!

He wouldn't be like last time, giving up on participating in the Holy Grail War just because of what his teacher said. Quite the opposite! He wanted to defeat his teacher, he wanted to prove to his teacher that everything he had written could be realized!

"What?!" Kayneth was almost blown away by anger. What was Waver's attitude?! This third-generation Magus, who had no redeeming qualities, dared to defy his will?!

"Do you even know what you're participating in?!"

Kayneth was clearly furious. He wasn't just angry about Waver's defiance, but about his 'ignorance'! A little brat who knew nothing dared to say no in front of him?!

"The Holy Grail War! My war!"

Waver retorted, seemingly losing his mind as he yelled at Kayneth, "You are my opponent, even if you are my teacher!"

"Foolish wretch, you dare say this is your war?! Very well, I'll show you now how a Magus fights!" Kayneth roared in rage. Without another word, he used the Moon Cell Essence, aiming its liquid whip at Waver's legs!

If that strike had landed, Waver's legs would have likely been broken, rendering him unable to walk normally afterward.

Seeing the whip charging at him, Waver instinctively closed his eyes. But the moment he closed them, he knew he had reacted wrong! Now, he shouldn't have closed his eyes, he should have run for his life!!!!

"Now, now, now..."