Cards of Fate: Type-Moon

"A man who once nearly conquered the world must be dealt with carefully. Tomorrow, I'll discuss it with Tohno Shiro and finalize the plan to corner the King of Conquerors. Without the King of Conquerors as a trump card, Kayneth can be ignored."

Emiya Kiritsugu extinguished the cigarette in his hand. He harbored extreme apprehension towards the King of Conquerors. If he had previously dismissed the King as a brute, or a seemingly foolish individual, then through Mikaela's words, he now understood that the brute persona the King projected was utterly baseless.

While he appeared foolish, the King was by no means a simple muscle-brained brute. Observing the battlefield, Emiya Kiritsugu could sense that the King of Conquerors was not only intelligent but also adept at using others to force them to reveal their trump cards.

When they jointly attacked Caster, the King of Conquerors was the first to reveal his trump card, using his Inherent Domain to trap the Sea Demon. This seemed like an exposure of his strength.

However, upon reflection, it became clear that while the King of Conquerors revealed his Inherent Domain, no one knew what it looked like inside, what its functions were, or even how he attacked the Sea Demon.

But Mikaela had undeniably exposed his strength: Oath of Judas, Level Zero – Divine Grace Barrier. It was completely revealed to the King of Conquerors and Diarmuid. As battle-hardened heroes, they could immediately recognize the immense power of such a barrier.

"Hoo." Emiya Kiritsugu slowly exhaled a wisp of white smoke, seemingly about to say something, but he soon frowned, sensing something, and looked towards the adjacent room.

Magic power fluctuation.

Emiya Kiritsugu's gaze became sharp, like a hunter's. As a seasoned killer of Magus, he wouldn't believe that faint, unexpected surge of magical power was accidental!

Seeing Emiya Kiritsugu's gaze, Maiya Hisau, the woman who understood him best, seemed to realize something. She waved at Mikaela, signaling him to remain silent, and pointed towards the adjacent wall.

"..." Mikaela also seemed to understand. His gaze sharpened, and following Maiya Hisau's gesture, he decisively crushed the card in his hand.

Judas! Deploy!

Oath of Judas plunged into the ground, and countless golden chains and spears of light shot out, attacking the adjacent room.

"BOOM—!!!"

With a deafening roar, Mikaela gestured for Emiya Kiritsugu and Maiya Hisau to leave temporarily. He looked coldly at the adjacent room, a 'familiar' fluctuation already reaching him through the smoke.

"Hahahaha." With a hearty laugh, the King of Conquerors – Iskandar, holding the panicked Waver, smiled at Mikaela and said, "Yo, what a coincidence, Saber. My little Master and I running into you here."

The King of Conquerors' smile was full of sincerity, but Mikaela's expression turned grim.

As expected... He wasn't a formal Servant, nor was he some so-called Magus. He couldn't sense anyone around him. Although the card had other sensory abilities, he hadn't used them. Due to his trust in Emiya Kiritsugu, and after personally checking himself, he had naturally relaxed somewhat.

But he hadn't expected that this slight relaxation would lead to their intelligence being overheard.

How much did they hear? Mikaela thought to himself, as he had discussed many things with Emiya Kiritsugu tonight.

While treating Irisviel, they had talked about how he could use the legendary Holy Sword – Excalibur, the Sword of Promised Victory, after transforming into Artoria.

However, it consumed a lot of magic. Once Irisviel absorbed the souls of five Servants and connected to the Greater Grail, Mikaela, as Irisviel's Servant, could also connect to the Greater Grail's magic to 'infinitely' unleash the power of Excalibur.

It didn't matter if the later intelligence was leaked, but if they had overheard even that, things would be dire.

They must be stopped tonight!! A murderous glint flashed in Mikaela's eyes. He decided to reveal some of his trump cards tonight and keep the King of Conquerors and Waver here.

In the Holy Grail War, intelligence was extremely important. This was something Mikaela and Emiya Kiritsugu both believed.

"Saber!" Irisviel looked at the King of Conquerors and Waver, seemingly shocked. She hadn't sensed any Servants in the room next to hers.

"Leave it to me!"

Mikaela looked at the King of Conquerors and Waver, his voice icy cold. "It seems I ultimately underestimated you. Indeed, those with great wisdom like you must be decisively eliminated."

Waver, feeling a surge of confidence as the King of Conquerors approached him, shouted, "Rider!! Their collaborator is here, find them quickly!!"

"Oh! Kid, it seems you've obtained some rather important information." The King of Conquerors, seeing Waver's excited demeanor, immediately realized that his little Master had acquired unimaginable intelligence. He smiled and said, "But let's retreat for now. Saber is clearly in a rather frantic state. If you continue to provoke her, we'll both die here tonight."

With that said, the King of Conquerors immediately scooped up Waver and slammed into the adjacent wall, breaking through an exit to the outside. Without a word, he leaped out with Waver.

"You're not getting away!"

Mikaela would not stand by and watch the King of Conquerors and Waver escape. Without hesitation, he threw Oath of Judas, and Divine Grace Barrier activated once more, this time enveloping all three of them!

"Excuse me, Madam." Maiya Hisau returned, picking up Irisviel in a bridal carry.

This was Emiya Kiritsugu's order. He knew perfectly well how terrifying Mikaela would become upon realizing his trump cards had been compromised. To prevent Irisviel from becoming Mikaela's weakness, Emiya Kiritsugu had Maiya Hisau take Irisviel out. The three of them would prioritize leaving the hotel.

Divine Grace Barrier enveloped the King of Conquerors and Waver, who were now in a state of extreme discomfort. Waver felt as if he couldn't breathe, his internal magic seemingly frozen in time, unusable. Even the Command Seals in his hand appeared to 'dim.' Waver's eyes widened in terror, and he could already envision himself and the King of Conquerors being brutally killed by Saber.

"...I see. Although my magic is being consumed and my Noble Phantasm cannot be activated, it's not that it can't be broken." The King of Conquerors looked at his body, which was dissipating like snowflakes, and the golden chains that had already bound him.

He moved slightly and found he couldn't move at all. The golden chains were incredibly sturdy, as if within this barrier, they were indestructible. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't break free.

The King of Conquerors' smile gradually faded as he looked at Mikaela and said, "I believe I've won this round, Saber."

"Are you joking? You have no ability to resist right now." When Mikaela entered the Divine Grace Barrier, he had taken two golden spears in his hand. He slowly approached the King of Conquerors step by step, intending to pierce the hearts of him and Waver.

"Yes, I have no ability to resist, but you should know, I wouldn't come unprepared before arriving." The King of Conquerors' smile returned. "For example, your Master is currently being pursued by Lancer."

"Boring." Mikaela didn't believe the King of Conquerors would actually bring Diarmuid over. Even if Diarmuid came, he would prioritize killing these two, the King of Conquerors and Waver!!

Due to the slow movement under the Divine Grace Barrier, Mikaela, like the King of Conquerors, was gradually becoming ethereal, as if about to disappear from this world.

But based on the current speed, in five seconds, the King of Conquerors' heart would be pierced!

Four seconds.

The King of Conquerors' smile remained, as if he was looking forward to what would happen next.

However, Waver's face was still filled with fear. He knew very well that his teacher's Servant had returned with his teacher and had not come with them!!!

Three seconds.

Mikaela gripped the golden spear in his hand tightly. To accurately pierce the opponent's heart, he decided to strike from the closest possible distance, aiming for the King of Conquerors' heart.

If he were to throw it, Mikaela wouldn't be confident in hitting the opponent's heart so precisely.

Therefore, the best course of action was to get right next to him, plunge the spear into his heart! Make sure he's dead, really dead!! And while he was at it, take care of that brat Waver too.

Two seconds.

Mikaela was less than five meters from the King of Conquerors.

"By the Command Seal, come back quickly!!! Saber!!!" Emiya Kiritsugu's urgent voice suddenly echoed in Mikaela's mind.

"!!!"

At that moment, Mikaela understood. The King of Conquerors hadn't lied to him; he had indeed pulled Diarmuid over. Waver's fear was genuine because he knew nothing.

"It seems, in the end, this King bet correctly." The King of Conquerors revealed a set of pearly white, perfectly aligned teeth. He looked at Mikaela's fading form, knowing the other was about to return to his Master.

"Die—!!!"

Just as he was about to be transferred, Mikaela disregarded the distance. Without a second thought, he hurled the Spear of Light in his hand.

"Thwack—!!!"

The Spear of Light pierced the King of Conquerors' chest.

Chapter 93: The Servant Who Shouldn't Exist

"Cough!"

The King of Conquerors half-crouched, clutching his wound. A flicker of luck crossed his eyes. So close; his heart... was about to be pierced by Saber.

"Rider, are you alright?!"

After Mikaela left, the Divine Grace Barrier was dispelled. Waver, looking worried, grabbed the King of Conquerors' cloak. They had nearly died.

"No, I managed to cling to life. As expected, having preparations in place is useful." The King of Conquerors looked at the hole in his chest, unconcerned about his injury. Instead, he gazed into the distance with a slight sigh. "Kid, this is the first lesson you need to learn. No matter what, you must learn to 'see.' Enemies and friends are merely labels. Sometimes enemies become friends, and friends can become enemies."

"??????" Waver didn't understand why the King of Conquerors was saying this, but he didn't waste any more words. He used a rather crude healing magecraft to mend the wound on the King of Conquerors' chest.

"Alright, next we need to deter that Saber fellow. Kid, you must stay by my side at all times from now on, or you might face mortal danger."

After his injuries healed, the King of Conquerors flashed a confident smile. Although he didn't know what information his young Master had received, judging by Saber's actions, they clearly intended to eliminate them both immediately.

"Ah, alright." Waver nodded, not refuting the King of Conquerors' words. In fact, he also felt it was better to take the initiative now. Otherwise, tomorrow... their side would be surrounded and annihilated.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Emiya Kiritsugu, to avoid causing trouble for Mikaela, decisively leaped from the third floor to the first with Irisviel and Maiya Hisau. Relying on magecraft, the three of them could disregard the damage from the fall.

Servants can only be dealt with by Servants. Emiya Kiritsugu was very clear about this. He had agreed with Mikaela that the latter would handle the Servants, while he would handle the Masters.

Their division of labor was clear. Likewise, if an opportunity arose to kill a Servant (or Master), neither of them would hesitate.

Because of this, Emiya Kiritsugu knew very well that he couldn't cause any trouble for Mikaela, so he made a swift retreat! Giving the enemy no chance.

However, the moment he jumped down, a knight hiding in the darkness revealed a helpless smile. Just as that person had predicted.

At this moment, a golden light appeared in the sky. Mikaela had decisively deployed the Divine Grace Barrier, preparing to kill the King of Conquerors. The knight hiding in the darkness knew he couldn't stay hidden any longer. He entered Spirit Form and charged towards Emiya Kiritsugu and Irisviel.

"Excuse me, this path is blocked, Saber's Master... and her assistant."

Upon hearing this, Emiya Kiritsugu, Irisviel, and Maiya Hisau abruptly stopped.

"Go!" Maiya Hisau immediately understood who the voice belonged to. Without hesitation, she drew a pistol, aimed it in the direction of the voice, and fired several shots. She then shouted at Emiya Kiritsugu, "Take the Lady and leave here quickly."

"Oh? Courageous, but these things are useless against me."

Diarmuid revealed his form. He merely swung his spear a few times, deflecting the incoming bullets. Seemingly aware of the time constraint, Diarmuid smiled, pointing the tip of his spear at Irisviel. "Although we were allies earlier, we are enemies now, Saber's Master."

As soon as he finished speaking, Diarmuid charged! He was decisive, like a leopard. The moment he spotted the enemy, he attacked with lightning speed!

"...By the Command Seal."

Emiya Kiritsugu gripped Irisviel's hand. The Command Seal in his hand emitted a rather dazzling red light.

"Huh?!" A flicker of surprise crossed Diarmuid's eyes. He had never expected that the one holding the Command Seal wasn't that lady, but this man who looked so weathered.

Under different circumstances, Emiya Kiritsugu would never have wasted a Command Seal to summon Mikaela back. However, the situation was now extremely critical.

If Mikaela couldn't return in time, he, Irisviel, and Maiya Hisau would likely all die here.

How many seconds could he hold out? Emiya Kiritsugu didn't know. Fighting a Servant as a human was like an egg hitting a rock. It was better to decisively summon Mikaela back.

"Bang—!!!"

After being summoned back by Emiya Kiritsugu, Mikaela lost his calm demeanor. He stared intently at Diarmuid, his eyes flashing with intense anger.

"Yo, Saber, the moon seems nice tonight, but you seem a bit upset." Diarmuid twirled his spear, revealing a charming smile. He gripped his long and short spears, looking at Mikaela, whose eyes blazed with anger. "Although we cooperated an hour ago, this is ultimately the Holy Grail War. For victory, if you can hide your intentions, so can we resort to any means."

"When did you guys form an alliance..."

Mikaela took a deep breath, temporarily suppressing the anger in his heart. He was quite certain that Diarmuid and the King of Conquerors hadn't had much time to communicate.

If the two had truly had time to converse, it would likely have been when Mikaela jumped off the King of Conquerors' chariot with Irisviel.

If that were the case, Waver wouldn't have looked so panicked. Unlike his future self, who was wise and calm, and even had Zhuge Liang's support.

When coordinating attacks against the Sea Demon, Mikaela and Diarmuid were together for most of the time, leaving the King of Conquerors with no opportunity to communicate with Diarmuid.

Even when he unleashed his Divine Grace Barrier, the King of Conquerors merely returned to his Master's side and observed the Sea Demon's dissipation with Diarmuid. Irisviel was right beside them at the time and naturally knew that the two of them had hardly any interaction, only expressing apprehension towards her 'Noble Phantasm'.

When they finally left, Mikaela was intently watching the King of Conquerors and Diarmuid. Only after realizing they departed at different times did Mikaela, with great relief, accompany Irisviel to Emiya Kiritsugu's hotel.

It could be said that at this stage, anyone could appear here. Whether it was Gilgamesh or Hassan of the Hundred Faces, it was possible. However, Diarmuid was the one least expected to be here.

"Well~ how would I know? If Saber is willing to share her secret, then I'll share this secret with you." Diarmuid offered a slight smile, clearly unwilling to reveal anything.

Chapter 94: Theresa

In reality, this wasn't much of a secret.

The King of Conquerors and Diarmuid only had a brief period of interaction, a time that Mikaela subconsciously ignored.

Although it was only for a short while, both of them nodded with mutual understanding, believing it to be a good plan.

Earlier, while dealing with the Sea Demon, Mikaela's Divine Grace Barrier was about to dissipate. Diarmuid and the King of Conquerors acted together, deciding to deliver the final blow to Caster and the Sea Demon he had summoned.

It was at this moment that the King of Conquerors, driving his chariot, said to Diarmuid, "What do you think our chances are against Saber's barrier if the two of us face it?"

After the King of Conquerors spoke, Diarmuid fell into thought, because he knew that if he and the King of Conquerors attacked Saber together, there would only be one outcome: they would both die.

The Divine Grace Barrier didn't possess much destructive power, but it seemed to be a Noble Phantasm specifically designed to counter 'mystery'. For beings like Servants who materialized through magical energy, the threat level was extremely high.

Diarmuid and the King of Conquerors lacked long-range attack capabilities. This meant that if they wanted to attack Mikaela, they had to get close.

However, Diarmuid, having fought Mikaela before, knew very well that a short engagement wouldn't lead to victory.

While her martial skill wasn't superior to his, she wasn't someone who could be dealt with quickly. If Mikaela had deployed her Divine Grace Barrier at that time, Diarmuid would have been the one to die.

"Zero chance of victory."

Although it was frustrating, it was the truth. If it were a head-on battle, he had no chance of winning.