The problem arose again. Mikaela did not fear the King of Conquerors, Diarmuid, or Hassan of the Hundred Faces. The only one he dreaded interfering with the battle personally was the King of Heroes!!!
It was a vicious cycle, and an unavoidable one at that.
"Do we have to negotiate again?"
In the end, although he knew Saber was constrained by her own Servant, Tohno Shiro still felt a trace of concern. He decided to visit the Einzbern family for another round of negotiations.
They had personally spoken with the King of Conquerors last night, so they surely knew the details of his Noble Phantasm. If he could obtain intelligence on the King of Conquerors' Noble Phantasm, victory in this Holy Grail War would surely be his.
With that thought, the worried look on Tohno Shiro's face gradually faded. Still, just to be safe, he turned his gaze toward Gilgamesh.
"This King will not go." Gilgamesh seemed to have guessed what he wanted and looked at Tohno Shiro with a chuckle. "Clowns should act like clowns. As a spectator, do not step onto the stage and start pointing fingers."
"..."
Well, the King of Heroes was as willful as ever.
PS: "First update"
You Definitely Haven't Experienced It
"..."
Kotomine Kirei sat quietly beside Matou Kariya. Looking at Matou Sakura, who lay curled up in a ball on the bed, his eyes showed no trace of emotion.
In his memories, when he became Tohno Shiro's disciple, he had met Matou Sakura. Back then, she had been somewhat shy, but she was still a good girl. Unlike the rather troublesome Rin Tohsaka, she would often bring him a glass of water after he finished training with his teacher.
It had only been a glass of water, but it had brought a sliver of warmth to Kotomine Kirei's heart. That warmth was something he had once felt when his wife was still alive.
But after warmth came emptiness... Was he really a normal person? Why could he truly not feel any "happiness"?
Now, looking at Matou Kariya, Kotomine Kirei could not help thinking again. Why had this man returned to this den of demons for Matou Sakura? He had clearly already left the family of magi.
According to intelligence from Tohno Shiro, Matou Kariya's reason for leaving the Matou family had been utterly unreasonable. It was like someone suddenly attaining enlightenment, deciding to become a vegetarian and chant sutras, then heading into the mountains to become a monk.
As the Matou family's "heir," Tohno Shiro believed that Matou Kariya was more outstanding than his elder brother and more likely to become the next head of the Matou family.
Yet Matou Kariya had suddenly abandoned his identity as a member of a family of magi to become a light novel editor. From time to time, he even traveled around, photographing scenes he considered "beautiful."
As someone from a family of magi, Matou Kariya's actions made Tohno Shiro both angry and helpless. The two had known each other for a long time and could be called kindred spirits. When they were young, they had even helped each other.
When Kotomine Kirei was compiling intelligence on Matou Kariya, Tohno Shiro had also said that he had once thought he and Matou Kariya would support each other on the path of magecraft and travel farther and farther together. Yet Matou Kariya had abandoned him and gone off to enjoy the life of an "ordinary person."
Perhaps that was the day Tohno Shiro and Matou Kariya's relationship became complicated.
That was also what Kotomine Kirei wanted to know. Why had Matou Kariya suddenly left the Matou family? Why had he returned to the Matou family for Matou Sakura? And why had he... rejected his family's magecraft?
Every magus took pride in their family's magecraft. Even if their former glory had been tarnished, the vast majority of magi still maintained that pride.
"What exactly was it for? The Matou family's magecraft may be somewhat rotten, but as a member of the Matou family, how could you reject such a thing?" Kotomine Kirei asked as he looked at Matou Kariya.
If he were an outsider, despising the Matou family's magecraft would be perfectly normal. But Matou Kariya was a member of the Matou family, so why did he hate his own family's magecraft? Kotomine Kirei could not understand it.
"That is because it is a filthy existence." Matou Kariya seemed to have awakened. He slowly opened his eyes and said in a hoarse voice, "I have no need for that kind of magecraft. If I inherited it, I would have no face to meet Aoi, Rin, or Sakura."
Matou Kariya deeply rejected the Matou family's magecraft. When he was young, he had once imagined inheriting his family's magecraft, having a man-to-man contest with Tohno Shiro, and finally marrying Aoi as the victor.
But after discovering his family's worm pit, Matou Kariya understood. This was his family's magecraft—the filthy Bug Magic! If he married Aoi, then one day, after she bore children, Aoi would likely be thrown into that worm pit.
So Matou Kariya rejected magecraft and gave up pursuing Aoi. He yielded the opportunity to Tohno Shiro and silently blessed them.
"How much longer can I live?" Matou Kariya looked gently at Matou Sakura lying beside him. Her body and mind had both suffered immense trauma. He wanted to use the remainder of his life to guide her out of the shadow the Matou family had cast over her.
"Five years." Kotomine Kirei's tone was calm. Although emergency treatment had been performed, and Tohno Shiro had produced some high-quality gems to treat Matou Kariya's body, his injuries were simply too severe.
To save Matou Sakura, Kotomine Kirei could hardly believe that this man had dared let Matou Zouken freely alter his body.
In Matou Zouken's eyes, Matou Kariya was probably just a disposable tool, the kind that could be thrown away after use. If nothing unexpected happened, Matou Kariya likely would not live much longer after the Holy Grail War ended.
With Kotomine Kirei and Tohno Shiro treating him together, it was already a miracle that he could live another five years.
Seeing Matou Kariya's somewhat surprised expression, Kotomine Kirei seemed to become slightly interested. He continued calmly, "Do not worry. My teacher has already prepared specialists to treat you. If nothing unexpected happens, after a period of recuperation, you can still live for around another decade or so."
"Over ten years? Then I should be able to see Sakura and Rin grow up." Matou Kariya smiled. He did not seem to care how long he would live. What he cared about was Sakura and Rin's future.
"...Aren't you afraid of death?"
Looking at Matou Kariya's smile, Kotomine Kirei finally could not help asking, "If my teacher had not learned the truth about the Matou family's magecraft in time, you would have died a miserable death in a matter of days."
"Hmph, he should have found out sooner." Matou Kariya snorted, clearly dissatisfied that Tohno Shiro had dropped the ball. If he had learned the truth of the Matou family's magecraft earlier, why would Kariya have had to come here? Why would Sakura have suffered such treatment?
"My teacher has always been preparing for the Holy Grail War. His impression of the Matou family remained stuck in the era of its founder," Kotomine Kirei explained for Tohno Shiro.
"The founder? How laughable. Even we ourselves have forgotten what the original Matou family was like, yet Tohno Shiro still remembered." Matou Kariya laughed at himself. He had naturally looked through the Matou family's history and understood that their ancestors' magecraft had been the beautiful Butterfly Magic.
"Still, perhaps that was why Tohno Shiro sent Sakura here." Matou Kariya looked dimly at the sleeping Matou Sakura beside him and sighed softly. "He wanted to give his child a bright future and magecraft, but he never expected that the Matou family had long since changed."
"Why do you care about others rather than yourself?"
At last, Kotomine Kirei could no longer hold back. Looking directly at Matou Kariya, he asked, "From the very beginning, you have kept talking about my teacher's daughters and never about yourself. Do you not care about your own future?"
"Me?" Matou Kariya looked at Kotomine Kirei in surprise, not understanding why he had suddenly become agitated. But since everything was already over, he did not mind speaking his mind.
"My future consists only of them. If their future is good, then mine is good too."
Matou Kariya smiled at Kotomine Kirei. "You definitely have not experienced it—watching children grow up day by day and passing your 'hope' on to them."
"To me, they are everything I can have. So for them, I am willing to give everything, including the plans I once had to kill Tohno Shiro."
PS: "Second update"
Irisviel
The perspective shifted. After that "unknown existence" from some unknown dimension had self-destructed, everyone discussed things briefly and prepared to head home.
But someone apparently was not so willing to settle down.
Mikaela stood before Irisviel, staring warily at the King of Conquerors' kindly smile. In a cold tone, he said, "My Master is tired. She needs rest. Please stop pestering us, King of Conquerors."
At the moment, Irisviel's complexion did not look particularly good. It was as though she had expended too much mana. Her originally fair face had become sickly pale.
"Hahaha, do not look at this King like that. This King is no sinister villain and naturally would not do anything to the two of you." The King of Conquerors laughed, then continued, "Besides, Saber, your Noble Phantasm is this King's natural counter. This King would not be so impulsive as to leave the stage alongside that Caster today."
"..."
Mikaela remained silent. He did not want to say a word to the King of Conquerors. He had realized that ever since their last conversation, the King of Conquerors had become increasingly interested in "him." That was not a good sign.
Mikaela did not fear the King of Conquerors' strength, but the man was extremely clever. If they spoke too much, Mikaela could not guarantee that he would not be led into a trap by his words. He would not underestimate any Servant in this Holy Grail War.
Especially a king like the King of Conquerors, who looked like a musclehead but actually relied on his mind. People like him were the ones Mikaela feared most.
"Why are you always silent? This King only wants to make a friend. After seeing your Noble Phantasm, this King could tell at a glance that you are someone worth befriending."
The King of Conquerors scratched his head. Mikaela was quite a headache for him as well. Everything about her was good, whether her appearance or temperament, but she simply spoke too little. If she could not speak, the King of Conquerors would have thought she was mute.
"I have nothing worth befriending." Mikaela did not want to say more to the King of Conquerors. But thinking of his "Judas" persona, he said coldly, "After seeing my Noble Phantasm, you should know my identity. If you still dare approach me to make friends, then you should be prepared to be betrayed by me."
"Betrayal? This King has experienced that more times than he can count. But... this King was only thinking that you are not that 'existence.'" The King of Conquerors smiled amicably at Mikaela. "Though your Noble Phantasm makes this King think you are 'that one,' in truth, you should be a descendant who inherited part of his legacy."
"..."
Mikaela showed no emotional reaction, as though he could not understand what the King of Conquerors was saying.
"Well, pretend this King said nothing." Seeing Mikaela's indifferent expression, the King of Conquerors merely smiled and said no more. Taking his Little Master, who was sulking, he left.
"..."
After the King of Conquerors and Waver departed, Irisviel finally could not hold on any longer. She placed both hands on Mikaela's shoulders, her lovely body pressing against his back, and said weakly, "Sorry, Aila-chan. It seems I overestimated myself."
"Just Caster leaving was enough to cause this?" Mikaela frowned. He had not expected Irisviel to show such weakness just because a single Caster had left the stage.
In the original story, even with Artoria's scabbard supporting her, Irisviel had become exceptionally weak after three Servants left the stage. Now, without Artoria's scabbard, just one Servant leaving had made Irisviel this weak???
"No, it should be two."
After confirming that the other Servants and Masters had left, Irisviel said weakly, "Before Caster left the stage, another Servant had already left. I do not know who it was, but without a doubt, two Servants left the stage tonight."
"..."
Mikaela frowned slightly, but soon seemed to think of a possibility. He let out a deep sigh. "If that is the case, then the one who withdrew tonight was probably Berserker."
"Berserker?" Irisviel gave a weak smile. She felt terrible right now. To put it simply, it was like taking sleeping pills and feeling dizzy, as if she could fall asleep at any moment.
"Let's go. Kiritsugu should be nearby, but with his personality, he probably will not meet us here." Mikaela picked up the delicate married woman, Irisviel, and looked toward a certain spot. "It seems we need to meet Tohno Shiro tomorrow."
"Is it about Berserker?" Irisviel asked.
"No, it is about Matou Sakura."
Mikaela would not foolishly ask Tohno Shiro about Berserker. He would only ask how Matou Sakura was doing, then infer Matou Kariya and Berserker's actual circumstances from her condition.
If Lancelot had simply left the stage like that, it would be good news for Mikaela. Lancelot was an exceptionally powerful existence in martial skill even while maddened, and his three Noble Phantasms alone were enough to inspire deep caution.
Carrying Irisviel, Mikaela hailed a taxi and climbed inside.
"Tonight, our 'trump card' was clearly exposed. If we speak with Tohno Shiro tomorrow, we must produce new leverage and draw him back into our 'trap.'"
Sitting in the back seat with Irisviel, Mikaela casually crushed a card and used Heaven's Gate, making the driver concentrate on driving and "unable to hear" him speaking with Irisviel.
The Stand from JOJO was especially useful in every sense.
"After tonight's events, there is an eighty percent chance that Tohno Shiro will come to speak with us." Mikaela crushed another card, and a pipe appeared in his hand. He took a small puff and said calmly, "His target will definitely be the King of Conquerors' Noble Phantasm. Our goal is to tell him only as much as he has 'discovered.'"
"Irisviel?"
After Mikaela finished speaking, he was about to ask Irisviel for her opinion when he turned around and found that she had already fallen asleep.
"...Forget it."
Looking at Irisviel's sleeping face, Mikaela put down his pipe and sighed softly. Then he crushed another card, conjuring a blanket and draping it over her.
After all, it had been made using her mana.
Following
"That Saber is extremely troublesome." On top of a high-rise building, the King of Conquerors drove his ox cart while watching the taxi below. He had not chosen to leave. Instead, he chose to "follow" them.
"Troublesome, yet you're following her???"
Waver stared blankly at the King of Conquerors, clearly unable to tell whether the man had lost his mind. He said Saber was troublesome, yet his actions were completely honest. On the surface, they looked as though they were heading back.
But in truth, they were secretly following behind them, seemingly preparing for a surprise attack on their base.
To avoid being spotted by Saber, the King of Conquerors had raised the ox cart so high that Waver's small body was already trembling. He feared that one careless move would result in his Servant tossing him down.
"No, this King wishes to observe her. There is an inexplicable strangeness around her, and that strangeness makes this King deeply uncomfortable." The King of Conquerors frowned, his earlier genial expression gone and replaced by caution. He believed he was an excellent judge of character. Usually, after meeting someone once, he could infer their general circumstances from their words and actions.
But now, Saber was shrouded in mystery. Though they had spoken before, even while she was eloquent, she had hidden everything about herself.
After repeated probing, it seemed he had gained something, but in truth, he had obtained very little important information.
Once or twice would have been one thing, but after seeing her "Noble Phantasm" today, the King of Conquerors had formed a conjecture. Yet he could not voice it. He had to observe more before reaching a conclusion.
"Uncomfortable? What is there to be uncomfortable about??" Waver trembled from head to toe, repeatedly telling himself that he should not fear this so-called height. It was only an illusory height. If he used his magecraft properly during the descent, he probably would not fall to his death.
"This King is uncomfortable with what he does not know about his enemy."
The King of Conquerors naturally noticed his Little Master's condition. In an even tone, he said, "No matter what kind of war it is, intelligence is the first priority. This King initially thought he could slowly find Saber's weaknesses with time, but it seems this King was being naive."
"That woman is as cunning as a fox."
Mikaela's figure surfaced in the King of Conquerors' mind. He said calmly, "On the surface, she seems not to have hidden anything. In the first battle, she casually used her Noble Phantasm. Earlier, she even 'had no choice' but to unleash its true power, allowing us to glimpse a fraction of her strength."
"But for some reason, this King has a feeling that she has hidden many things. If we do not discover them in time, we may not even know how we died."
The King of Conquerors' expression was extremely serious now, serious enough to remind Waver of how he had looked just after being summoned.
If he had to describe that expression, Waver could only say it was the look of someone stepping onto a battlefield where death was certain. Either the enemy died, or he did.
"Boy, are you afraid?" At that moment, the King of Conquerors turned his gaze on Waver. His voice was calm, as though he were giving final instructions. "Peering into another's secrets comes at the cost of one's life. Saber's Noble Phantasm can threaten this King's Ionioi Hetairoi. If she deploys that barrier, this King's army will be reduced to ashes."
It would be reduced to ashes in the truest sense. The King of Conquerors had seen the Sea Demon's miserable state. Although his army had weakened it somewhat, its overall mana reserves had still been substantial. Yet beneath Saber's Noble Phantasm barrier—
In less than "one minute," that Sea Demon's enormous body, large enough to rival a skyscraper, had been consumed by more than half.
That was probably why Caster had been forced to summon a creature from another world for his final counterattack.
There was one final possibility the King of Conquerors did not dare confirm: that creature from another world had self-destructed because it saw Saber. He did not know the reason.
But one thing was certain. If that possibility was true, then Saber contained an unimaginable and terrifying existence within her.
"If you leave now, then only this King will suffer. In such a dangerous situation, this King will not look down on you, because this was this King's own decision. There is no need for you, this Little Master, to come die alongside this King."
Before you continue