Saber's Identity

He truly found it hard to believe that such a Berserker had actually been defeated.

If he himself had stood before that Berserker, he probably would not even have had the chance to unleash his Noble Phantasm.

"Who are the Master and Servant you mentioned? Could there be other Masters and Servants in this Singularity?"

Probably because she was standing fairly close, Ritsuka easily overheard Cú Chulainn's words and spoke up to ask.

Cú Chulainn considered it for a moment before nodding. "That's right. Aside from you, I encountered a Master and Servant pair who don't belong in this Holy Grail War. That pair was rather strange as well."

"Huh!" Ritsuka and Mash both revealed surprised expressions.

Olga Marie was even more agitated. "Could they be the culprits behind this Singularity?"

"I can't be sure, but after that Master was wounded by Lancer, he unconsciously used his own blood as a catalyst to summon a Servant. That Servant then killed Lancer directly through that fragile contract, and afterward, the Master made a complete recovery. Not only that, the Servant is very strong. If I faced her alone, I wouldn't have much chance of winning. I might be able to fight her as a Lancer, but in my judgment, they don't seem like the ones responsible for this abnormal situation. That Master seems to have lost his memories. When I first saw him, the kid looked completely dazed, as if he didn't know anything."

As he spoke, Cú Chulainn added his own analysis.

"Even if they might not be involved, I think we should still make contact with them. What do you think?"

Dr. Roman analyzed the situation calmly and looked toward Cú Chulainn.

"Personally, I recommend finding them. With that Servant's help, our chances of defeating Saber might be higher. After all, we not only have to deal with Saber, but an Archer as well," Cú Chulainn said casually.

"Then... let's make contact with them, Director?" Ritsuka looked at Olga Marie beside her.

Olga Marie did not object. They still needed to determine whether the pair were truly the masterminds behind this Singularity.

Her senior had agreed, and the Director had agreed as well, so Mash naturally had no objections. As a Servant, what she needed to do was support her Master and her senior.

Meanwhile, Koizumi carried Remilia on his back and prepared to head back the way they had come. That Berserker was already dead, so it was time to continue searching for opponents. Besides, Koizumi needed to find a place for the young lady to rest.

After going through a battle, how could they not take a break?

However, even if he wanted Remilia to get some proper rest, the current situation did not allow it.

Cú Chulainn stood before him with several people behind him, and Koizumi instinctively sensed that something was wrong.

"Yo, kid. We meet again..." Cú Chulainn grinned.

"You came here specifically to find us? What is it?" Koizumi asked, thoroughly puzzled.

Remilia watched the group warily. She was already prepared to fight them.

Although she had been injured while dealing with Berserker earlier, her powerful vampire vitality had allowed her to recover quickly. Fighting would not be a problem.

"Well, I mainly came to invite you to deal with Saber together. I know very well how strong Saber is, but those girls seem to have some other questions for you."

As he said this, Cú Chulainn glanced toward Olga Marie and the others.

Olga Marie stepped forward, staring sternly at Koizumi with a trace of hostility in her eyes.

"Who exactly are you? There should no longer be any other living people in this town. Why are you here? And how did you summon a Servant? What exactly is your connection to this Singularity?"

Olga Marie's attitude made Koizumi scratch his head, feeling utterly baffled.

"I don't remember anything. When I woke up, I was already here. All I know is that the young lady is a Servant. I don't know anything else. I don't even really understand what a Servant is."

As he spoke, a troubled expression appeared on Koizumi's face.

"Huh?" Olga Marie's face showed shock, followed by utter disbelief.

Someone who had already summoned a Servant was telling her that he did not know what a Servant was. Who would believe that?

No matter what anyone else thought, Olga Marie did not believe him.

"You're not lying to me, are you?" Olga Marie asked with a slight frown.

"Who gave you the nerve to question my servant like that?" Remilia flew down from Koizumi's back, her crimson eyes glaring straight at Olga Marie. Fear instinctively rose in Olga Marie's heart, and she retreated again and again. Mash sensed the problem and immediately stepped in front of Olga Marie.

"Oh... A Servant with a shield. That's my first time seeing one..."

Seeing Mash's unusual weapon, Remilia could not help giving her another look. Of course, it was only another look.

Yet merely being watched by those crimson eyes made Mash shiver all over. This Servant was dangerous, Mash silently told herself. Instinctively, her body tensed.

"Alright, Lancer. They were only asking... By the way, are you interested in joining us against Saber? Maybe if we defeat Saber, you might remember something, kid..."

Of course, Cú Chulainn had made that up. How could he know whether it would happen? It was only a possibility.

After all, Koizumi had appeared here after this abnormality occurred. That meant the kid might have some connection to the Saber who caused it. So perhaps if Saber were defeated, the kid could return to where he belonged.

"About that..." Remilia crossed her arms and furrowed her brows slightly.

That could work. She needed to resolve this Singularity anyway, so she should head straight for the end.

"As the master of this servant, I should naturally stand up for him. But... seeing as our goals are the same, I'll let it go. Since you came all this way to sincerely invite us, refusing would seem somewhat rude."

The corners of Remilia's lips rose slightly, while cold light flickered in her crimson eyes.

"Be honored, Caster. Since that Saber caused the abnormality here, I'll be the one to kill her!"

Remilia spoke as though she did not consider the Servant called Saber worth her attention.

Cú Chulainn could not help smiling bitterly. Having fought Saber before, he knew Saber's true name very well.

That person undoubtedly possessed the qualifications to stand among the strongest Servants. With the Holy Grail supporting her from behind, her enormous supply of mana was sufficient to let her continuously unleash Noble Phantasms. If they truly fought, he might not even be her match.

Then again, perhaps this woman who had defeated Berserker really was not weaker than Saber.

"Hey! Is this really alright? You're not just thinking of defeating Saber and winning the Holy Grail War, are you?"

Olga Marie looked at Cú Chulainn with dissatisfaction. That Master and Servant pair were still highly suspicious.

"Well, maybe you're right. But my instincts tell me these two have no reason to hide anything. Besides, this Servant defeated Berserker in direct combat, something even I cannot accomplish. Based on that alone, a Servant like her is only suitable as an ally, not an enemy. Or do you think we can defeat them?"

As he spoke, Cú Chulainn cast a solemn look at Remilia and Koizumi.

Even after her battle with Berserker, Cú Chulainn did not feel Remilia had become less threatening. On the contrary, she seemed even more dangerous. Fighting a vampire with recovery abilities powerful enough to defy reason was not a wise move. Even if she had expended some stamina after a fierce battle, this was still not the time to fight her.

For no other reason than this: at first glance, a wounded beast might seem like an excellent opportunity to attack, but in truth, a beast driven mad by injury was at its most terrifying.

In Cú Chulainn's eyes, Remilia was exactly that sort of creature.

Saber's Identity

Olga Marie fell silent at once. She had to admit that Cú Chulainn's words made sense.

Although Olga Marie was proud and liked ordering people around, she was still highly capable as Chaldea's Director.

She naturally understood what Cú Chulainn meant. Especially with Saber as their common enemy, it was unsuitable to fight Remilia. Even if she knew the pair were suspicious, she could only suppress her doubts and accept them for now.

After joining forces, the group arrived at an abandoned school building to rest.

Apparently, the girl named Mash had undergone intense training from Cú Chulainn earlier, so she needed a break now.

Likewise, Remilia needed rest. After fighting that Berserker, her body had remained tense the entire time, which was not good. Koizumi suggested that she take a break, no matter how stubbornly she denied needing one.

"Fouu~!"

With a smack, some strange creature jumped right onto Koizumi's face, startling him.

Koizumi instinctively held out his hands, and the creature leaped onto them, seeming rather affectionate.

"It is?" For some reason, Koizumi felt that the creature before him was extraordinary.

"Hm?!" Remilia's crimson eyes fixed tightly on the creature in Koizumi's hands.

The creature gave her a very dangerous feeling. She did not know why, but that was how she felt.

"Fou!" Mash hurried over, looking apologetically at Koizumi. "Sorry, this squirrel-like creature is Fou. He doesn't usually approach anyone other than me. I don't know why, but he seems to like you."

"Huh? Is that so?" Koizumi froze slightly and instinctively looked at the creature in his hands.

"What an incredible creature."

"Oh, right. My name is Mash Kyrielight. It's a pleasure to meet you." Mash spoke politely, then introduced her Master, Ritsuka. "This is my Master, and also my senior."

"Hello, I'm Fujimaru Ritsuka. Nice to meet you." Ritsuka introduced herself boldly, though she seemed quite restrained around the person called Olga Marie, which made Koizumi curious.

"My name is Koizumi. Nice to meet you, and also... Huh!" At some point, Remilia had vanished. However, Ritsuka smiled and patted Koizumi on the shoulder.

"You're looking for the Servant beside you, right? She seemed to have gone up to the rooftop just now. The Director and Caster are up there too, so it should be fine. Don't worry."

Koizumi frowned, seeming somewhat displeased that Remilia had left like that. But then he sighed softly. What could he do? He had already realized that Remilia was a willful girl, had he not?

"She hasn't fully recovered, yet she's running around. Could she stop making me worry so much?"

Hearing that, Ritsuka and Mash exchanged glances. It seemed that this person had a very good relationship with that Servant.

"Um... Mr. Koizumi, have you really lost your memories? Mr. Cú Chulainn said you used your own blood as a catalyst to summon that Lancer. You really don't know anything about it?" Mash could not help asking.

Honestly, after interacting with Koizumi, Mash did not feel that he was an evil person. Instinctively, she wanted to ask. Even if he might not tell the truth, perhaps his response would reveal some clues.

Koizumi's reaction was roughly what they had expected. With a trace of confusion on his face, he simply looked at the two of them.

"I don't remember anything about the past. Also, I vaguely remember something piercing through me, but when I woke up, I had already seen the young lady..." Koizumi spoke with an apologetic expression.

Ritsuka and Mash exchanged looks again. Honestly, with him having said that much, what else could they ask?

Meanwhile, Cú Chulainn was discussing Saber on the rooftop with Olga Marie. Remilia naturally intended to come up and listen, but that made Olga Marie rather uncomfortable.

There was nothing she could do. After being stared at by Remilia like that earlier, Olga Marie was terrified inside.

"Hey! Caster, it sounds like you fought that Saber before. What kind of Servant is she?"

Remilia's voice was full of curiosity. She had heard that Heroic Spirits were people who had gained great fame in history, myths, and legends. Maybe one day, she would even encounter her ancestor Dracula.

Olga Marie also looked at him curiously. She was very interested in Saber's true identity as well.

However, the instant Remilia mentioned Saber, wariness appeared on Cú Chulainn's face.

"That's right. After experiencing that person's Noble Phantasm, no one could possibly fail to recognize her true name."

"The second sword in the stone, used to choose a king. Even in your era, it was an extremely famous holy sword."

"Its name is—Excalibur, the Sword of Promised Victory!"

The moment he finished speaking, Olga Marie instinctively covered her mouth, her face filled with shock.

Even Remilia showed surprise. Although the place where she lived was isolated from the outside world, that did not mean she knew nothing about those so-called myths and legends. She had read and heard the legends of King Arthur, alright?

"It's actually Excalibur!"

"That's right." Cú Chulainn nodded lightly. "The sword of the world-renowned King of Knights, Artoria!"

"You want that child, Mash, to fight Artoria? How could that be possible?! She still can't even fully deploy her Noble Phantasm!" Olga Marie exclaimed anxiously.

Although she was imposing as Director and appeared arrogant toward others, she cared greatly for Mash.

"I don't think that girl can defend against that holy sword either. I sensed extraordinary power from that shield. The Heroic Spirit attached to that little girl is probably no minor figure, but if she cannot even use her Noble Phantasm yet, then all this is merely empty talk." Remilia crossed her arms and spoke calmly.

"Well, don't worry. The girl has that shield. She'll be fine." For some reason, Cú Chulainn had great confidence in Mash's shield.

Seeing his confidence, Remilia furrowed her brows slightly. Could this man have seen through the true identity of the Heroic Spirit attached to that girl? Strange.

"But then again, that girl may not need to fight at all. With Lancer and me here, Saber should be no problem. Back then, Saber was even at a disadvantage against Berserker, and she only defeated him because of her reserves of mana. Lancer himself can kill Berserker, and with my cooperation, I think Lancer and I can handle Saber!"

Seeing that Olga Marie still wanted to say something, Cú Chulainn quickly interrupted her.

Perhaps he had seen through the true name of the Heroic Spirit attached to Mash, but even if he knew, Cú Chulainn would not say it. In his view, if Mash did not discover it herself, it would have no meaning at all.

After hearing Cú Chulainn's words, Remilia's pride immediately swelled, and she snorted coldly.

"Did you really need to say that? That was merely a wild beast. As Queen of the Night, I would never lose when the circumstances favor me!" The favorable circumstances Remilia referred to were naturally the absence of sunlight.

The sky was covered in darkness, making it an absolutely perfect situation for Remilia.

Cú Chulainn looked speechlessly at Remilia. He had only praised her casually, yet she had immediately climbed onto the pedestal. Still, there was no denying that she was truly terrifyingly strong.

Thinking this, Cú Chulainn looked solemnly at Remilia.

Although he did not think she was likely to be the real culprit behind this abnormality, he could not rule out the possibility. It was better to remain cautious. At the very least, he could not let down his guard before Saber was defeated.

"Alright, I've asked everything I wanted to ask. I'll head down first."

With that, Remilia, looking proud as ever, placed her hands on her hips and headed downstairs.

Apparently, she had only come up to ask about Saber.

At least, that was what Olga Marie and Cú Chulainn thought. What they did not know was that Remilia had only come upstairs because she was bored and wanted to see whether anything interesting was happening.

At her core, Remilia was simply that kind of person. She did everything according to her own whims. Put nicely, she was free-spirited. Put poorly, she was simply willful, no different from a child.

After resting for a while, Koizumi became fairly familiar with Mash and the others. During that time, the doctor named Romani Archaman, who called himself Dr. Roman, also asked Koizumi a series of questions. Naturally, he did so while Remilia was on the rooftop. If Remilia had been there, she probably would have glared fiercely at him long ago.

Cú Chulainn led Koizumi and the others to a very dark but spacious cave.