The Moon Type's Card Servant

The problem arose again: Mikaela feared no one but the King of Conquerors, Diarmuid, and Hassan of the Hundred Faces. It was the Hero King himself intervening in the battle that Mikaela truly dreaded!!!

This was a vicious cycle, an unavoidable one at that.

"Do we need to negotiate again?"

Ultimately, even though Saber was restricted to their own side's Servants, Tohno Shiro still harbored a sliver of worry. He decided to negotiate with the Einzbern family one more time.

They had spoken directly with the King of Conquerors last night, so they must know the situation regarding his Noble Phantasm. If they could obtain information about the King of Conquerors' Noble Phantasm, then victory in this Holy Grail War would surely be theirs.

With this thought, Tohno Shiro's worried expression slowly faded. However, to be safe, he set his sights on Gilgamesh.

"This King will not go," Gilgamesh seemed to guess his intentions, looking at Tohno Shiro with a chuckle. "Clowns should act like clowns. Spectators shouldn't get on stage and point fingers."

"..."

Fine, this Hero King was as willful as ever.

PS: "First Update"

Chapter 84: You Must Have Never Experienced This

"..."

Kotomine Kirei sat quietly beside Matou Kariya, looking at Matou Sakura curled up on the bed without any change in his eyes.

In his memory, when he became Tohno Shiro's disciple, he had met Matou Sakura. Although she was a bit shy back then, she was still a good girl. Unlike the troublesome Rin Tohsaka, she would often bring him a glass of water after he and his teacher finished training.

Even though it was just a glass of water, it brought a trace of warmth to Kotomine Kirei's heart. It was the same warmth he felt when his wife was alive.

But after the warmth came emptiness... Was he truly a normal person? Why could he not feel any 'happiness'?

Looking at Matou Kariya now, Kotomine Kirei couldn't help but start thinking. Why did this man re-enter this devil's den for Matou Sakura? He had clearly left the world of Magus.

According to the intelligence from Tohno Shiro, Matou Kariya's reason for leaving the Matou family was completely without reason, as if someone suddenly had an epiphany, decided to become a monk, and went up the mountain to do so.

As the 'heir' of the Matou family, Tohno Shiro believed Matou Kariya was more outstanding than his elder brother and more likely to become the next head of the Matou family.

Yet, Matou Kariya suddenly gave up his identity as a Magus, went to become a light novel editor, and occasionally traveled, capturing scenes he found 'beautiful.'

As someone from a family of Magus, Matou Kariya's actions made Tohno Shiro angry and also somewhat helpless. They had known each other for a long time, they were confidants, and they had even helped each other in their youth.

When Kotomine Kirei was organizing Matou Kariya's information, Tohno Shiro had also mentioned that he thought he and Matou Kariya would support each other on the path of magic, going further and further. But he never expected Matou Kariya to abandon him and enjoy the life of a 'normal person.'

Perhaps it was on that day that the relationship between Tohno Shiro and Matou Kariya became delicate.

This was also something Kotomine Kirei wanted to know: why did Matou Kariya suddenly leave the Matou family, why did he return to the Matou family for Matou Sakura, and why did he... reject his family's magic?

Every Magus took pride in their own magic. Even if their past glory was tarnished, most Magus still maintained that honor.

"What is it all for? The Matou family's magic, though somewhat decadent, as a member of the Matou family, how could you reject such a thing?" Kotomine Kirei looked at Matou Kariya and asked.

If it were an outsider, it would be perfectly normal to dislike the Matou family's magic. But why would Matou Kariya, as a member of the Matou family, detest his own magic? This was beyond his comprehension.

"Because it is a filthy existence," At this moment, Matou Kariya seemed to wake up. He slowly opened his eyes, his voice hoarse. "I don't need that kind of magic. If I inherited such magic, I would have no face to see Aoi, nor Rin and Sakura."

Matou Kariya strongly rejected the Matou family's magic. In his youth, he had fantasized about inheriting his family's magic, then having a man's duel with Tohno Shiro, and finally marrying Aoi as the victor.

But after discovering the family's insect den, Matou Kariya had an awakening. This was his family's magic, the filthy Bug Magic! If he married Aoi, then perhaps one day, after she gave birth, she would be thrown into this insect den.

Therefore, Matou Kariya rejected magic and gave up pursuing Aoi, leaving the opportunity to Tohno Shiro, and silently wishing them well.

"How much longer can I live?" Matou Kariya looked at Matou Sakura lying beside him with gentle eyes. She had suffered immense physical and mental trauma. He wanted to use the remainder of his life to guide her out of the shadow cast by the Matou family.

"Five years," Kotomine Kirei's tone was very calm. Although emergency treatment had been given, and Tohno Shiro had even provided some high-quality gems to treat Matou Kariya's body, the man's injuries were too severe.

To save Matou Sakura, Kotomine Kirei couldn't believe this man had dared to let Matou Zouken remodel his body.

In Matou Zouken's eyes, Matou Kariya was likely just a disposable tool, the kind that could be used and thrown away. If nothing unexpected happened, Matou Kariya probably wouldn't live long after the Holy Grail War.

With the combined efforts of Kotomine Kirei and Tohno Shiro's treatment, him being able to live for five years was already a miracle.

Seeing Matou Kariya's surprised expression, Kotomine Kirei seemed to gain a hint of interest. He continued calmly, "Don't worry. Teacher has already prepared a specialist to treat you. If everything goes as planned, after a period of recuperation, you can live for more than ten years."

"More than ten years? If that's the case, I should be able to see Sakura and Rin grow up," Matou Kariya showed a smile. He didn't seem to care how long he could live, but rather cared about Sakura and Rin's future.

"...Aren't you afraid of death?"

Kotomine Kirei looked at Matou Kariya, who was smiling, and finally couldn't help but ask, "If Teacher hadn't known the truth about the Matou family's magic in time, you would have died miserably within a few days."

"Hmph, he should have known earlier," Matou Kariya snorted coldly, clearly dissatisfied with Tohno Shiro's 'slip-up.' If he had known the truth about the Matou family's magic earlier, why would he have ended up here? Why would Sakura have suffered such a fate?

"Teacher has been preparing for the Holy Grail War and has always had the impression of the Matou family from the first generation," Kotomine Kirei explained to Tohno Shiro.

"The first generation? It's laughable. We ourselves have forgotten the first generation of the Matou family. I didn't expect Tohno Shiro to still remember it," Matou Kariya said self-deprecatingly. He had naturally delved into the history of the Matou family back then and understood that his ancestors' magic was the beautiful Butterfly Magic.

"However, it's precisely because of this that Tohno Shiro sent Sakura over, perhaps," Matou Kariya looked at the sleeping Matou Sakura beside him with a hint of sadness and sighed slightly. "He wanted to give his child a beautiful future and magic, but he didn't expect that the Matou family had long since degenerated."

"Why don't you care about yourself and care about others?"

Finally, Kotomine Kirei couldn't hold back and directly asked Matou Kariya, "Since just now, you've been talking about Teacher's daughter, but not about yourself. Don't you care about your own future?"

"Me?" Matou Kariya looked at Kotomine Kirei with some surprise, not understanding why he had become so agitated. However, since things were already over, he didn't mind speaking his mind.

"My future lies only with them. If their future is good, then my future will be good too."

Matou Kariya looked at Kotomine Kirei and smiled. "You must have never experienced it, watching your children grow day by day, passing on your 'hope' to them."

"To me, they are everything I can have, so I am willing to give everything for them, including how I previously thought about killing Tohno Shiro."

PS: "Second update"

Chapter 85: Irisviel

The perspective shifted. After the 'unknown entity' from some unknown dimension self-destructed, everyone discussed briefly and prepared to head home.

However, someone seemed less than content.

Mikaela stood before Irisviel, warily watching the King of Conquerors, who wore a kindly smile. Mikaela's tone was cold, "My Master is tired. She needs rest. Please stop bothering her, King of Conquerors."

At this moment, Irisviel's complexion didn't look particularly good, as if she had just expended too much magical energy. Her once fair face was now a sickly pale.

"Hahaha, don't look at me like that. I'm no insidious villain, and I certainly won't do anything to the two of you," the King of Conquerors laughed heartily, then continued, "Besides, Saber's Noble Phantasm is a direct counter to mine. I wouldn't do something so impulsive and leave today alongside that Caster fellow."

"..."

Mikaela remained silent. He didn't want to say a single word to the King of Conquerors. He noticed that since their last conversation, the King of Conquerors was becoming increasingly interested in 'himself,' which was not a good sign.

Although Mikaela wasn't afraid of the King of Conquerors' strength, the latter was incredibly intelligent. If they conversed too much, Mikaela couldn't guarantee he wouldn't be led into a trap by the King's words. He wouldn't underestimate any of the Servants in this Holy Grail War.

Especially someone like the King of Conquerors, who appeared to be all brawn but actually relied on his intellect to rule. Such a person was always Mikaela's greatest concern.

"Sigh, why are you always so silent? I just want to make a friend. After seeing your Noble Phantasm, I knew at a glance that you are someone worth befriending."

The King of Conquerors scratched his head, finding Mikaela quite troublesome. Everything about Mikaela was good, both his appearance and demeanor. It was just a shame he spoke so little. If he didn't speak at all, the King of Conquerors might have thought he was mute.

"There's nothing worth befriending about me." Mikaela had no desire to talk further with the King of Conquerors. However, remembering his 'Judas' persona, he said with considerable coldness, "After seeing my Noble Phantasm, you should know my identity. If you dare to approach me for friendship now, you should also be prepared to be betrayed by me."

"Betrayed? I've experienced that countless times already. However... I was just thinking, you're not that 'being'." The King of Conquerors smiled kindly and looked at Mikaela, saying, "Although your Noble Phantasm made me think you were 'that person,' in reality, you are likely a descendant who inherited a portion of 'his' legacy."

"..."

Mikaela showed no emotional fluctuation, seemingly not understanding what the King of Conquerors was talking about.

"Well, consider it as if I said nothing." Seeing Mikaela's calm expression, the King of Conquerors merely smiled slightly and didn't say anything further. He left with his sulking young Master.

"..."

After the King of Conquerors and Waver departed, Irisviel finally couldn't hold back. She placed her hands on Mikaela's shoulders, her attractive figure pressing against his back. Her voice was weak, "I'm sorry, Aila-chan. I think I overestimated myself."

"Is it only because Caster was eliminated that you're like this?" Mikaela frowned slightly, seemingly surprised that the elimination of just one Servant, Caster, would make Irisviel appear so weak.

In the original story, even with Artoria's scabbard providing support, Irisviel became extremely weak after three Servants were eliminated. Now, without Artoria's scabbard, the elimination of just one Servant made Irisviel appear so weak???

"No, it should be two."

After confirming that the other Servants and Masters had left, Irisviel said weakly, "Before Caster was eliminated, another Servant was eliminated. Although I don't know who it was, there's no doubt that two Servants were eliminated tonight."

"..."

Mikaela frowned slightly, but then he seemed to recall a possibility. He sighed deeply and said, "If that's the case, then the one eliminated tonight is likely Berserker."

"Berserker?" Irisviel offered a weak smile. She felt very unwell at the moment. To put it metaphorically, it was as if she had taken sleeping pills; her entire body felt groggy, as if she could fall asleep at any moment.

"Let's go. Kiritsugu should be nearby. But knowing his personality, he probably won't meet us here." Mikaela picked up the delicate, wife-like Irisviel. He looked in a certain direction and said calmly, "It seems I'll need to meet with Tohno Shiro tomorrow."

"Is it about Berserker?" Irisviel asked.

"No, it's about Matou Sakura."

Mikaela wasn't foolish enough to ask Tohno Shiro about 'Berserker.' He would only ask about Matou Sakura's condition and then deduce the actual situation of Matou Kariya and Berserker from her state.

If that Lancelot was indeed eliminated, it would be a good thing for Mikaela. After all, Lancelot, even in his berserk state, was an incredibly powerful opponent in terms of martial skill. Especially his three Noble Phantasms, all of which were enough to make one wary of him.

Carrying Irisviel, Mikaela casually hailed a taxi and got in.

"Tonight, our 'trump card' has clearly been exposed. Tomorrow, when I talk to Tohno Shiro, we'll have to present new chips to draw him back into our 'trap'."

Sitting in the back of the taxi with Irisviel, Mikaela crushed a card, using 'Heaven's Door' to make the driver focus on driving and 'unable to hear' their conversation.

Stands from JOJO were incredibly useful in all sorts of ways.

"After tonight's events, there's an eighty percent chance Tohno Shiro will come to talk to us," Mikaela crushed another card, producing a pipe. He took a slight puff and said calmly, "His target will definitely be the King of Conquerors' Noble Phantasm. Our goal is to say as much or as little as he 'discovers'."

"Irisviel?"

After Mikaela finished speaking, he was about to ask for Irisviel's opinion when he turned and saw that she had already fallen asleep.

"...Never mind."

Looking at Irisviel's sleeping face, Mikaela put down his pipe, sighed slightly, and then crushed another card, conjuring a blanket and placing it over her.

After all, it was made using her magical energy.

Chapter 86: Stalking

"That Saber is quite troublesome." On top of a tall building, the King of Conquerors was driving his ox-cart, watching the taxi below. He hadn't left but had instead chosen to 'stalk' them.

"Troublesome, and yet you're following her???"

Waver looked at the King of Conquerors with a bewildered expression, clearly unsure if his Master had lost his mind or what. He claimed Saber was troublesome, yet his body moved with utter honesty. On the surface, he seemed to be returning.

In reality, he was secretly following them, seemingly preparing for a surprise attack.

To avoid being seen by Saber, the King of Conquerors had raised his ox-cart to a height that made Waver's small frame tremble, terrified that if he wasn't careful, his Master would throw him off.

"No, I need to observe her. There's a strange aura about her, a weirdness that makes me very uncomfortable." The King of Conquerors frowned, his kind expression gone, replaced by one of apprehension. He considered himself a good judge of character, able to deduce a person's general situation from their words and actions after just one meeting.

Yet, Saber was shrouded in mystery. Although they had spoken earlier, her conversation was extraordinary, and at the same time, she had hidden everything about herself.

After multiple probing attempts, it seemed like progress was made, but in reality, not much important information was gained.

Once or twice would have been fine, but after witnessing the opponent's 'Noble Phantasm' today, the King of Conquerors had a guess. However, he couldn't voice this guess yet; he needed to observe more before drawing a conclusion.

"Uncomfortable? What's uncomfortable??" Waver trembled. He kept telling himself not to be afraid of heights, that these were just illusory heights. If they combined their magic during the descent, they probably wouldn't die from the fall.

"I'm uncomfortable with the unknown of the enemy."

The King of Conquerors naturally saw his young Master's state. He said calmly, "No matter what kind of war it is, intelligence is the top priority. I initially thought I could slowly find Saber's weaknesses over time, but now it seems I was a bit naive."

"That person is as cunning as a fox."

The King of Conquerors' mind conjured Mikaela's image. He said calmly, "Although on the surface it seems she isn't trying to hide anything, casually using her Noble Phantasm in the first battle, and then 'helplessly' unleashing its true power, showing us just the tip of her strength."

"But, for some reason, I have a premonition that she's hiding a lot. If we don't discover it in time, we might die without even knowing how."

At this moment, the King of Conquerors' expression was so serious that it reminded Waver of how he looked when he first summoned him.

If he had to describe it, Waver could only liken it to the expression of someone stepping onto a battlefield where death was certain, a fight to the death.

"Boy, are you scared?" At this moment, the King of Conquerors turned his gaze to Waver. His voice was very calm, as if he were delivering his last words. "Prying into others' secrets comes at the cost of one's life. Saber's Noble Phantasm can threaten my Army of the King. As long as she deploys her barrier, my army will be 'annihilated'."

It was 'annihilation' in the truest sense. The King of Conquerors had seen the miserable state of that Sea Demon. Although their army had weakened it somewhat, its magical energy was still abundant overall. Yet, under Saber's Noble Phantasm barrier.

That Sea Demon didn't last even 'a minute'. Its massive form, comparable to a skyscraper, was directly reduced by more than half.

This was likely the reason that forced Caster to summon another Otherworld monster for a final counterattack.

The last thought, and the one the King of Conquerors dared not confirm, was that the Otherworld monster might have self-destructed upon seeing Saber. He didn't know the reason why.

However, what was certain was that if this thought were true, then Saber harbored an unimaginably terrifying existence within her.

"If you leave now, I will be the only one in trouble. In this dangerous situation, I won't look down on you, because this was my own decision. There's no need for you, my young Master, to risk your life with me."