The Moon Cell's Card Servant

If Saber discovered him, the King of Conquerors wasn't confident he could escape. If Saber were decisive and threw out her Noble Phantasm, he likely wouldn't be able to run even if he wanted to.

"What?! You want me to go to my death?!"

Hearing this, Waver's legs stopped shaking. He looked at the King of Conquerors, his voice trembling slightly, "You're not joking, are you?"

"..." The King of Conquerors stared at Waver, not focusing on any particular word, but nodding seriously. He hadn't said a thing.

Yet, the meaning he conveyed had successfully reached Waver: the risk of going was immense, and a single mistake could mean death.

"Don't, don't, don't, don't underestimate me!!! This is the Holy Grail War, right?!"

It seemed the King of Conquerors' gaze made Waver recall Kayneth's earlier words. This caused his previously timid heart to instantly become resolute. He yelled at the top of his lungs, "Fine, I'll go!! Who's afraid of who?! It's just death, right?!"

Everyone seemed to look down on him. Today, Waver would prove himself! He wasn't a coward. He came to participate in the Holy Grail War to prove himself. If death was also a form of proof... a form of proof...

At this thought, Waver's legs felt weak, but his eyes were still filled with determination.

"Hahahahaha." Suddenly, the King of Conquerors burst into laughter and slapped Waver on the back, saying heartily, "Now that's my Master! Let's go. If we really reach the critical moment, this King has an obligation to get you out of danger."

The King of Conquerors admired Waver's determined gaze. Although his young Master was still timid, he was definitely someone with potential, though not in terms of strength~

However, tonight the King of Conquerors truly intended to probe Saber's strength. If verbal probing couldn't ascertain her condition, then he would have to clash with her head-on, forcing her to reveal her true power.

PS: "Fourth update, a fifth is coming soon =A= I said five, and I'll deliver, even if it costs Lan Yu..."

Chapter 87: Being Looked Down On?!

After tailing Mikaela for half the day, the King of Conquerors rubbed his chin. He looked down in surprise, not understanding what Saber and her Master were trying to do.

"What are they doing??" Waver was also bewildered. He hadn't expected Irisviel and Saber to not return home but instead go into a hotel.

"Could it be? They want to do that kind of thing???"

Looking at the hotel, the King of Conquerors' imagination ran wild. He thought Mikaela was going to get together with Irisviel in a romantic way.

"No, they must have a reason for coming here."

Waver stroked his chin. He didn't believe a Servant of Mikaela's caliber would come to a random hotel without a purpose. They had powerful magical barriers protecting their residence, so why would they come to an ordinary hotel?

"It seems we might gain something tonight." The King of Conquerors smiled, feeling that tonight's risky venture would pay off.

Indeed, high risk sometimes brought high rewards.

"..."

After getting out of the taxi, Mikaela helped Irisviel walk into the hotel. Their original destination was the castle, but Emiya Kiritsugu had called midway, asking them to come over.

Although they didn't know the situation, judging by Emiya Kiritsugu's tone, it was necessary for them to come.

"I'm sorry, Aila-chan." Irisviel, being helped, wore a apologetic expression. She had actually fallen asleep in the car just now.

"It's alright, Irisviel."

Mikaela assured Irisviel, who had fallen asleep, that it was fine. Since she didn't have Artoria's scabbard protecting her, her condition was naturally worse than in the original story.

However, if a third Servant were to be eliminated, Irisviel would be more than just 'weak.' To prevent Irisviel from remaining in that 'weak' state, Mikaela decided to activate the scabbard within her later – Avalon.

Though this would only alleviate Irisviel's pain and not bring about any actual results, what was coming would still come. It was an unavoidable outcome.

"Madam."

Just as Mikaela and Irisviel entered the hotel and were about to get into the elevator, a woman with a capable aura emerged from the shadows of the stairs. She was Maiya Hisau, who always stayed by Emiya Kiritsugu's side.

She subtly shook her head at Irisviel and Mikaela, indicating they shouldn't enter the elevator.

"It's fine, I can protect you both." Mikaela said calmly. She naturally understood Maiya Hisau's meaning. If they were attacked in the elevator, neither of them would be able to escape and would be forced to fight. However, if attacked on the stairs, they would still have a chance to leave.

"Understood."

Maiya Hisau was not inflexible. Hearing Mikaela's words, she didn't say anything further.

Having spent these past few days together, Maiya Hisau knew that the Servant before her was like Emiya Kiritsugu: cautious and meticulous, yet capable of bold actions.

The three of them entered the elevator together, and it slowly ascended to the third floor.

Meanwhile, in the sky above the city.

"Kid, you'll probably have to go alone from now on." The King of Conquerors looked at the hotel, rubbing his chin. He decided to let Waver go scout for information.

"What?!" Waver exploded like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. He was shocked, "You want me to go scout for information?!"

"Yes, if I were to go, Saber would definitely discover me. But you're different. If you find a good hiding spot, you might be able to observe their every move." The King of Conquerors looked at Mikaela and Irisviel, who had already entered the hotel, and shrugged helplessly. "Sometimes, I wish I had a skill like Assassin's, like Presence Concealment, so I could go with you."

"If Servants get too close to each other, they might be discovered by the other party. I've been flying in the sky all along, preventing Saber from discovering our location, but I can't keep flying inside this hotel."

Saber not returning to her base but coming here must mean she has some secret she can't reveal. If they could uncover it, it would surely bring them many advantages.

"This, this, this..." Waver was extremely conflicted. He really wanted to say, what if Saber instantly killed him before he could even use a Command Seal?!

However, he soon looked at the King of Conquerors' sincere gaze. Waver swallowed and felt like he was needed, which inexplicably gave him a surge of courage. Although he was a bit scared, he still nodded heavily, feeling obligated to investigate the unusual situation with Saber and her Master.

"Then, we'll head down first."

The King of Conquerors piloted his bull chariot and descended towards the ground. To avoid startling the public, he deliberately chose a place with 'few people' to descend.

Honestly, he didn't like making Waver take risks. After all, his Master's abilities were rather lacking. While he had a good intellect, sometimes intelligence alone wasn't enough.

"Remember, kid, if you encounter danger, don't hesitate to use a Command Seal to summon this King." The King of Conquerors said solemnly to Waver, "Although this King protected you well before, if I were to go with you now, tonight's mission would be ruined. This is your starting point. This King believes tonight is definitely not your endpoint."

"Were you protecting me the whole time?" Waver asked, his mouth twitching as he recalled the King of Conquerors' "pats," which felt more like beatings. "Protecting me?! That was an assault!"

"Oh? Hahaha, never mind then."

The King of Conquerors burst into laughter, seeing Waver's twitching face. His young Master hadn't realized that he had stayed by his side constantly, even including him in conversations with others, all for the purpose of protecting him.

He wanted to prevent Waver from being instantly killed by a surprise attack.

However, it seemed his Master hadn't grasped the situation at all.

"!!!" At that moment, Waver seemed to realize something too, his small face flushing red. He roared at the King of Conquerors, "So you still look down on me!!"

"No, I'll show you tonight!! What a Magus is!!"

Waver strode towards the hotel, clearly angered by the King of Conquerors' "protection" and wanting to prove himself. Your Master is still your Master!!!

PS: "Everyone, go to sleep. It's almost 5 AM (dark circles under eyes)."

Chapter 88: Become the Knight of the Lake, Aila!!

Upon reaching the third floor, Maiya Hisau first cast a wary glance around, a faint magical energy emanating from her as she checked for any 'dangerous' individuals on the floor.

Even though she had already checked about fifteen minutes ago, she had to do it again. As a competent assistant, she wasn't just skilled with words but also meticulous in all aspects, which was why Emiya Kiritsugu valued her so highly.

"Clear."

Just like fifteen minutes ago, there were no issues.

"Mhm." Mikaela was also quite cautious. He handed Irisviel over to Maiya Hisau and said calmly, "I'll go check as a spirit."

As soon as he finished speaking, Mikaela vanished from his spot and proceeded to check every room on the floor. Although half the rooms were vacant, there were still people staying there. For instance, a couple engaged in strenuous activity, a middle-aged man watching TV in bed, and Emiya Kiritsugu, who was intently studying a map while eating a hamburger.

As if sensing someone watching him, Emiya Kiritsugu immediately raised his gun and aimed it in the direction of the gaze.

"It's me." Mikaela dispelled his spirit form and said calmly to Emiya Kiritsugu, "Irisviel is outside. Go bring her over. I'll check the situation here first."

"Understood."

Seeing that it was Mikaela, Emiya Kiritsugu relaxed slightly. He lowered his gun and said calmly, "Alright, I'll leave it to you."

Mikaela nodded slightly and continued to use his spirit form to check room after room. After checking the entire floor, he still felt uneasy and decided to check the floors above and below. It was then that he made a startling discovery.

Are the young men and women of this era a bit too… open? On just three floors, he had seen at least three couples engaged in 'activity.' And this was just a mid-range hotel. He couldn't imagine what went on in love hotels.

It's truly hard to know what to say. It seems that no matter the world, most people place a high value on 'lust'?

After excluding the couples and conducting a brief check, Mikaela found no unusual individuals and no 'threatening' aura nearby.

"…………"

Returning to Emiya Kiritsugu's room, Mikaela noticed Irisviel was already lying on the bed, and Emiya Kiritsugu was… touching her.

Yes, physically touching her. He placed his hand on Irisviel's chest, seemingly sensing something. Finally, he slowly frowned, his expression clearly displeased.

"Ahem."

Mikaela appeared in the room, clearing his throat to get Emiya Kiritsugu's attention. He was still a fifteen-year-old boy. While he understood that adults needed to vent, they should at least mind the occasion.

"How is it?" Emiya Kiritsugu didn't remove his hand from Irisviel's chest. Instead, he moved it to her lower abdomen, his magic surging as he slowly channeled it into her, seemingly hoping to alleviate her pain.

"There's no danger."

Watching Irisviel's complexion gradually change from pale white to rosy, Mikaela said calmly, "This place is full of ordinary people, no Magus. It's completely safe."

"Mhm. I scouted this place beforehand, so naturally, we won't be targeted," Emiya Kiritsugu nodded. He was well aware there was no danger here, which was why he chose it as their daytime base of operations to observe the movements of other Masters and Servants.

If one looked at the map, Emiya Kiritsugu's location was precisely at the center of the various Masters' residences. Whether it was the Matou family, the Tohsaka family, or Kayneth's lodging, Emiya Kiritsugu could reach them quickly.

He could even reach the Einzbern villa in a reasonable amount of time. It was truly an excellent choice of location.

"So, why did you call us here?" Mikaela looked at Emiya Kiritsugu, somewhat puzzled. Was there something that couldn't be discussed after they returned?

"Irisviel's condition, as you've seen, isn't particularly optimistic right now."

Emiya Kiritsugu took out a pack of cigarettes from his clothes. Whenever he did this, it indicated he was in a bad mood. This time, Maiya Hisau didn't stop him, as she wasn't in a good mood either.

"I originally thought Irisviel's body would only start to fail after three Servants were eliminated. But now… her current condition, with the souls of four Servants, is enough to put her life in danger." Emiya Kiritsugu had just done a preliminary examination of Irisviel's body and arrived at a difficult conclusion.

Without activating Artoria's sheath, Irisviel's physical condition was worrying. Just the souls of two Servants had made her so weak. If the souls of three Servants entered her body, Emiya Kiritsugu thought Irisviel would likely be unable to move. And after the fourth Servant was eliminated, her life would be in danger. This was precisely why the proud Einzbern family had recruited Emiya Kiritsugu as their main attacker.

While Irisviel was excellent at providing mana, a Master wasn't just about having a lot of mana. The Masters sent by the Einzbern family in the previous three generations had mana comparable to Irisviel's, but they all lost for various reasons.

"Do you have a way to suppress it?" Mikaela asked Emiya Kiritsugu calmly. Although he had a way to make Irisviel active for a while, he wouldn't be foolish enough to reveal it now.

Before coming here, Emiya Kiritsugu and Irisviel had likely anticipated this and made preparations. Otherwise, it would be too embarrassing for them.

"There is a way, but I'll need your help." Emiya Kiritsugu extinguished his cigarette, his tone calm. "Tonight, Caster and Berserker were eliminated. The current situation is very favorable to us. Irisviel, as the public Master, cannot just lie at home resting."

"Mhm." Mikaela nodded slightly, fully understanding.

If Irisviel truly collapsed, Emiya Kiritsugu would no longer be able to hide in the shadows and would have to step forward as Saber's Master to negotiate with everyone.

If Emiya Kiritsugu emerged from the shadows, their side would lose an advantage. Although this advantage was negligible, for the sake of caution, Mikaela would rather have Irisviel remain in the spotlight than have Emiya Kiritsugu step out from the darkness.

"Can you transform into the legendary King of Knights and use his mana to activate the sheath within Irisviel?" Emiya Kiritsugu proposed his idea. While he had backup plans, they were all rather crude. The most gentle method was to use the legendary sheath to temporarily support Irisviel's 'life.'

Chapter 89: Waver's Great Adventure

'So it really is like this?' Mikaela sighed deeply within herself, unsure of what to say. After all, this method had already been used in the original story.

"No problem."

Mikaela nodded slightly, looking at Emiya Kiritsugu and speaking calmly, "I can transform into the legendary King of Knights. If it's just about injecting mana, then I can probably do it."

Artoria's mana would be sufficient. After all, he could even manifest a Noble Phantasm, let alone just mana!!

"Then that's fine," Emiya Kiritsugu seemed relieved. The method provided by the Einzbern family was clearly rather inhumane. However, for the sake of victory in the Holy Grail War, Irisviel had clearly prepared herself. But Emiya Kiritsugu didn't think that way; the method should be the best and most efficient one available.

"Then I'll begin." Mikaela conjured a card. The card depicted a golden-haired girl holding a holy sword – clearly, this was the legendary King of Knights, Artoria.

"Then I'll leave it to you, Aila-chan." Irisviel, no longer as weak after Emiya Kiritsugu's recent mana transfer, lay on the bed, gazing tenderly at Mikaela and chuckling softly, "Even though you didn't summon the actual legendary King of Knights, you're still amazing, Aila-chan."

"I am merely a fake, not worthy of comparison to the real one." Mikaela calmly crushed the card. Her eyes, the color of holy blue, looked at Irisviel, her tone perfectly steady, "Please forgive me."

Mikaela placed her hand on Irisviel's lower abdomen. She closed her eyes and began to inject mana into Irisviel's body.

Although Mikaela was not the legitimate Artoria, after transforming, the mana within her had become completely identical to Artoria's.

At this moment, Irisviel was enveloped in a golden radiance. This was the divine light emanating from the legendary scabbard – Avalon.

"That guy, Rider, has always looked down on me. It's true, he must think of me as a weak Magus. A weak Master like me should just be protected by him. A mere familiar! And yet he's so arrogant." At this moment, Waver entered the elevator, complaining furiously about Rider's words.

However, he wasn't slow. Just moments ago, he had used suggestion magic to get the front desk attendant to let him view the surveillance facilities, and he had successfully located the room Mikaela and Irisviel had gone to.

Inside the elevator, Waver complained incessantly but also obediently shut his mouth, not intending to spout any more nonsense. He knew very well that if Saber found him here, there would only be one outcome.

Death—!!!

For his own safety, he composed himself and began to seriously investigate the purpose behind Saber and his Master's visit here.