Escape / How Could I Lose?!

If Irisviel had not intervened, Emiya Kiritsugu could have decisively used a Command Seal to summon Mikaela. But unfortunately... with Irisviel involved, Mikaela could only choose to protect one person.

Unless it came down to the final moment, Emiya Kiritsugu would never abandon Irisviel and have Mikaela come protect him instead.

"Then let's withdraw for now. There's probably no point in continuing this fight." Emiya Kiritsugu glanced at Kayneth, silently put away his gun, then picked up his phone and composed a text to Irisviel.

"Correct." Maiya Hisau agreed.

"Eh?" Irisviel immediately noticed something unusual with her phone. She hurriedly took it out and found a text message from Emiya Kiritsugu.

"..."

Mikaela noticed it as well, but he had no time to ask Irisviel about it. Diarmuid had already charged over!

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—!!!"

Golden chains shot out, rushing toward Diarmuid. But after fully unsealing his Noble Phantasm, Diarmuid wore an extremely confident smile. He did not even bother to dodge! With one swing of his spear, he severed every chain in front of him!

"What?!"

Mikaela looked stunned. Before his eyes, the golden chains had been cut apart by Diarmuid's Red Rose of Purgatory!

"So they were formed from magical energy after all?" Diarmuid muttered, not particularly surprised. He continued swinging the Red Rose of Purgatory, cutting through chain after chain as he charged toward Mikaela like an unstoppable force.

"..."

Mikaela took a deep breath, panic beginning to rise within him. The weapons he created now were all formed from Emiya Kiritsugu's magical energy.

Though he was not a Heroic Spirit, he could still contend with powerful Servants by relying on weapons from other powerful worlds. If he transformed into another powerful being, he might even be able to fight a Heroic Spirit's true body!

That was right! A Heroic Spirit's true body!!!

The only issue was that, in battle, he had to consider whether his Master could endure the magical energy he consumed.

For example, right now... Mikaela could transform into Gilgamesh, Karna, or even Ramesses II!

But could Emiya Kiritsugu provide such an enormous amount of magical energy? Never mind whether he could afford it at all.

This Holy Grail War had that freak Gilgamesh in it! If Mikaela brought out power enough to threaten him, Gilgamesh would definitely burst into a "hahahahaha" laugh, then go all out and bombard Mikaela with Gae Bolg.

Just thinking about it made Mikaela feel that his future in this Holy Grail War was bleak.

And... something unexpected had happened just now. Diarmuid's Noble Phantasm—the Red Rose of Purgatory—could actually sever Judas's golden chains.

Mikaela did not know whether that was a trait of Diarmuid's Noble Phantasm or because Oath of Judas was not the original.

But there was one thing Mikaela could be certain of: the situation was extremely dangerous, and he had to confirm something!

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—!!!"

Thirteen spears of light shot out once again, flying straight toward Diarmuid. This time, they did not scatter apart, but concentrated on a single point.

"Oh? Are you getting serious?" Diarmuid was not surprised. He stopped as well, magical flames slowly burning along the crimson spearhead. He was ready to meet his opponent head-on.

"Aila-chan!"

Irisviel called out to Mikaela anxiously. Though she did not say another word—

Mikaela knew what it meant. Emiya Kiritsugu was telling them to leave! Their purpose tonight had already been achieved.

But Diarmuid's actions just now made Mikaela unwilling to leave at this moment. He steadied Oath of Judas with one hand, his gaze fixed on Diarmuid in the distance.

At the instant the thirteen spears of light were about to collide with the Red Rose of Purgatory, burning with magical flames...

"Boom—!!"

A violent explosion erupted!!! Before the spears of light even touched the Red Rose of Purgatory, they exploded fiercely, instantly obscuring Diarmuid's vision.

"Whoosh—!!" Mikaela swung Oath of Judas and charged toward Diarmuid with a determined gaze.

The distance between them was not particularly great. Diarmuid had originally intended to kill Mikaela with his spear at close range. Now that Mikaela had taken the initiative to approach, he naturally reached Diarmuid's side in an instant.

Oath of Judas smashed down from the front. Mikaela had shifted his offensive, seemingly intending to reverse his earlier disadvantage with this strike.

"What?!" Diarmuid clearly had not expected Caster to charge at him on his own.

But that suited him perfectly! The explosion of the thirteen spears of light had caused him some injuries, but to Diarmuid, who had fought for many years, they amounted to nothing.

Diarmuid swung the Red Rose of Purgatory, preparing to receive Oath of Judas head-on.

"Bang—!!!"

Oath of Judas... was not pierced through. Instead, it firmly blocked the Red Rose of Purgatory, bringing a faint smile to Mikaela's face.

Escape

"This isn't an item made of magical energy?" Diarmuid seemed somewhat surprised as well. Looking at Oath of Judas, he said in amazement, "But this weapon is incredibly heavy."

At first, Diarmuid had thought Oath of Judas was more or less a magical tool. But only after clashing with it directly did he realize... this weapon was somewhat different from what he had imagined.

"I see. It seems I should not call you Caster... You are a warrior, not a mage."

The moment they clashed head-on, Diarmuid realized that Mikaela's skills were far beyond anything a so-called mage could compare to. Mikaela had used the smoke from the explosion to launch a swift and decisive attack against him.

Those were little tricks that only someone who had truly fought in battle would possess.

"Everything I said was true." Mikaela spoke calmly, swinging Oath of Judas as he continued fighting Diarmuid.

After confirming that Oath of Judas would not be pierced by the other man's Noble Phantasm, Mikaela finally relaxed somewhat and decided to look for an opportunity to escape the battle.

"If this is all you have, then tonight's victory will certainly be mine!" Diarmuid wore a confident smile as he slowly raised the crimson spear in his hand, blocking Oath of Judas's attack. Ordinary strikes alone could do nothing to him.

"Lancer, do you know something?" Mikaela suddenly spoke. His cross smashed against Diarmuid's spear as he said unhurriedly, "If we keep fighting like this, the one who benefits may not be either of us."

"May I take that as a plea for mercy?" Despite Mikaela suddenly changing how he addressed him, Diarmuid remained at ease. With a slight flick of his spear, he knocked aside Oath of Judas, then retreated several steps to avoid the golden chains rushing at him from the side.

"If we keep fighting like this, Assassin will kill your Lord."

Mikaela suddenly spoke in a very low voice, as if revealing some important intelligence. Diarmuid frowned, looking at Mikaela in confusion, unable to understand what he meant.

"My Master and I went to the Holy Church to investigate whether Assassin had truly withdrawn. Why would we investigate a Servant who had 'already withdrawn'? I believe someone like you can understand what that means."

Mikaela only said half of it, but the information he revealed was enough to shake Diarmuid inwardly. He was no fool. Naturally, he knew exactly what it meant for Assassin not to have withdrawn.

"Why should I believe you?" Even so, Diarmuid was truly reluctant to give up the victory within reach. He was seventy percent certain he could defeat this Servant who called himself a "knight."

"What if I told you that I can attack your Lord?"

Mikaela suddenly changed his tone. He planted Oath of Judas into the ground and ran toward Irisviel.

At the same time, thirteen spears of light fired out together. Naturally, they were not aimed at Diarmuid, but shot toward the top of the factory. It was obvious that Mikaela intended to attack someone hidden in the shadows.

"You cowardly villain!!!" Seeing where the spears of light were headed, Diarmuid's rage immediately surged to its peak. He ignored the "fleeing" Mikaela and instantly assumed spirit form, rushing to his Lord's side at top speed.

"That isn't cowardly. This is war."

Without caring whether Irisviel agreed or objected, Mikaela scooped up the well-figured married woman without a word. Looking back, he smiled. "Besides, after stopping those attacks, you'll have to consider whether you should continue pursuing us."

Countless golden chains burst forth from Oath of Judas and continued attacking Kayneth's position.

Having just exhausted himself blocking the explosions from the thirteen spears of light, Diarmuid now saw the golden chains charging toward him. He was furious enough to want to rush over, grab Mikaela by the clothes, and ask whether this could still be called knightly conduct?!

But to protect his Lord's safety!! He remained where he was, blocking the golden chains rushing at them from every direction.

"Oh? Not bad at all."

Protected by Diarmuid, Kayneth showed no panic. Instead, he calmly watched Mikaela and Irisviel depart, saying indifferently, "Using me as a hostage? How underestimated I have been."

By the time he had finished blocking the attacks, Mikaela and Irisviel had already been gone for a long while. Diarmuid lowered his spear, knelt on one knee, and bowed his head to Kayneth apologetically. "My deepest apologies, Lord. I failed to deliver this victory to you."

"Raise your head, Lancer. This battle was our victory." Kayneth snorted, seemingly displeased with Diarmuid's attitude. He continued, "They were like vermin. To escape this battle, they had no choice but to resort to such despicable means to leave."

"Forget it. Since they struggled so desperately, we shall spare their lives."

Kayneth snorted a few times, seeming completely unsurprised by their escape. This was simply how things ought to have gone.

"Yes! Lord!"

Diarmuid looked up at Kayneth in surprise. Once he realized that his Lord had not merely said those words to comfort him, a fire suddenly rose in his heart.

That was right! He was the victor! He had won beautifully tonight and driven off a Servant. If there was any blemish, it was that he had nearly allowed his opponent to harm the Lord he served.

"Hmm, what a pity Sola did not participate in this Holy Grail War. Otherwise, I would have liked her to see how I fight." Kayneth immersed himself in self-satisfaction, seemingly imagining whether his fiancée, had she joined him in this provincial magecraft battle, would have admired his composed bearing.

At that thought, Kayneth could not help laughing loudly. "Come, Lancer. Let us return to our residence and rest briefly. We will continue the fight next time."

"Yes." Diarmuid nodded.

How Could I Lose?!

After carrying Irisviel for some distance, Mikaela finally relaxed a little once he realized no one else had followed them. Thankfully, things had not developed into the grand spectacle from the original story. Otherwise, he would not have been able to handle it.

"Forgive my rudeness."

Mikaela gently set Irisviel down, looking at her apologetically. "We had to get out of Lancer's attack range immediately, so in order to be more efficient, I had no choice but to carry you, Irisviel."

Logically speaking, Mikaela should not have needed to apologize. Just as he had said, this was the Holy Grail War. Either fight or run.

If they ran too slowly, they could easily draw the attention of others. Mikaela could imagine that there were definitely people nearby watching him fight Lancer.

"No, it's all right. It actually felt rather thrilling." Irisviel's face was a little red. Though she knew that the "maid" before her, who looked remarkably like a woman, was actually a man, it had truly been a little too exciting just now.

It was even more thrilling than driving!!! Irisviel waved her arms excitedly. "Are all Servants that amazing? They can go 'whoosh' and leap onto a tall building, then jump down with another 'whoosh.'"

"Uh... that is probably basic stuff." Looking at Irisviel's excited expression, Mikaela felt that this "madam" had apparently not noticed that, while carrying her, he had accidentally touched her butt.

At the time, Mikaela had been focused on retreating, his attention fixed on the surroundings in case Assassin appeared to ambush them, or that King of Conquerors who loved stirring up trouble came out to stop him, or that golden fool who liked to laugh came to target him.

So he had barely known where he had put his hands. He had simply picked up Irisviel and run straight toward safety.

"Mm! You really are dependable, Aila-chan!" Irisviel was clearly captivated by what she had just experienced. For a moment, she even wanted to experience it again. She opened her arms and said, "Carry me again and run around once or twice! The kind where you jump down from tall buildings."

"..." Mikaela's face darkened. He gently shook his head and refused. "That would waste magical energy for no reason, so I refuse. We should take a taxi back now."

Since the driver had been sent away earlier by Irisviel's Suggestion Magic, the two of them had to call another taxi to pick them up.

"Eh?! That's so mean." Irisviel looked disappointed.

"Once this Holy Grail War is over, you can ride a roller coaster or go bungee jumping to experience that feeling." Mikaela teased slightly, but he soon realized he seemed to have said something wrong and immediately shut his mouth.

After hearing that, Irisviel's smile gradually vanished. Then she forced a smile and looked at Mikaela. "Mm, once this Holy Grail War is over, Aila-chan should take Illya to try those things."

Irisviel clearly understood what would happen to her as the Lesser Holy Grail after participating in the Holy Grail War.

"...Please allow me to refuse. If possible, I would rather ask you to take your own child to the amusement park." Mikaela stopped a taxi by the roadside and said calmly, "In fact, I have never been to an amusement park either. I only heard about those things from my friends."

"Is that so?"

Looking at Mikaela's youthful face, Irisviel reached out and patted his little head, her voice exceptionally gentle. "Aila-chan, you have really worked hard. You put in so much effort for your parents."

"..."

Mikaela did not want to speak. He got into the taxi, and Irisviel sat beside him.

"The battle has ended, Teacher."

Inside the Holy Church, Kotomine Kirei recounted everything he had seen through Assassin's eyes.

Strangely, there was no one beside him. There was only an old-looking gramophone, its brass horn pointed directly at Kotomine Kirei.

If an ordinary person saw this scene, they would probably think Kotomine Kirei was mentally ill. But soon... the ancient-looking gramophone actually replied to him.

"It is fortunate that Gilgamesh did not go over and participate in the battle." On the other end of the gramophone, a man who radiated aristocratic bearing swirled the red wine in his glass. Without any emotion in his voice, he said, "That King has been wandering outside under the pretense of taking a walk. I have no idea what he wants to do."

"Teacher, I believe he may wish to use his own eyes to look upon this land once again." Kotomine Kirei spoke calmly. "Assassin made similar moves before. They sneaked into the library at night and specifically looked into the history of their own lives."

"They are Heroic Spirits. Nostalgia is only natural."

Tohno Shiro swirled his wine and continued asking, "Kirei, what do you think of the Einzbern family's Servant?"

"Very weak." Kotomine Kirei considered for a moment before answering calmly, "According to Assassin, if they 'became one,' they would likely be able to kill her."

"If even Assassin says so, then Einzbern truly summoned a 'rather impressive' Servant." Tohno Shiro smiled faintly. Naturally, the weaker the enemy, the happier he was.

As for what class the opponent belonged to or what her true name was, Tohno Shiro had no interest in guessing.

Sometimes, when an enemy was too weak, some intelligence could simply be ignored. However... even so, Tohno Shiro did not believe Einzbern would summon some "useless trash."