The Person Being Guarded

"Go, little Artoria. I'm rooting for you." Mo Li's words, which Artoria did not believe at all, immediately angered her greatly.

But before she could settle the score with Mo Li, she first had to deal with Berserker Lancelot.

"Ah!" Artoria unleashed her mana and went on a wild assault against Lancelot, venting the anger Mo Li had caused on the unrecognizable subordinate before her.

Listening to the distant blend of thunder, chariot wheels, and bellowing oxen, Mo Li knew Rider had chosen this moment to enter the scene. And if he had guessed correctly, Rider had likely come to stand up for Artoria—after all, fighting two Servants in succession was clearly no good thing.

Rider and Waver arrived in their ox-drawn chariot. After landing amid flashes of lightning and claps of thunder, Mo Li was the first to greet Waver. "Hello, Waver. You're very welcome to take part in the Fourth Holy Grail War, but I hope there won't be any deaths in this Holy Grail War. The Holy Grail War system has malfunctioned, and the Grail has been corrupted, so wishes can no longer be properly fulfilled. That means the seven of us still have room to coexist peacefully."

The first to react was not Waver, but Rider. "Huh? Even a universal wish-granting device like the Holy Grail can be corrupted?"

"Yes. Angra Mainyu was summoned in the previous war, after all. Under those circumstances, even the Holy Grail system could not escape unscathed. Truly tragic."

"You know me?" Waver asked Mo Li foolishly.

Mo Li smiled and nodded. "I know every Master in this Holy Grail War. To be honest, Waver, your summoning and choice of location were not particularly clever either. But I'm kind-hearted, so I didn't hold it against you. Besides, I wasn't supposed to participate in the Holy Grail War in the first place. I only became involved because of a few accidents."

Rider spoke thoughtfully. "Angra Mainyu, huh? Then you were originally something like an observer or a maintainer of the Holy Grail system, weren't you? After all, you mentioned that the Holy Grail War system had malfunctioned, and that you were not supposed to take part in the Holy Grail War."

"That's right."

"I understand." Rider looked toward the Servants on the battlefield, who had stopped fighting because of his arrival, spread his arms, and loudly declared, "Both sides, sheath your swords! No insolence before the King's carriage!"

He spoke as though he were issuing a decree within his own kingdom, with an air of absolute certainty.

Everyone looked toward Rider. Once he had confirmed that he had drawn enough attention, he continued his proclamation. "My name is Rider, the King of Conquerors!"

The moment those words left his mouth, everyone except the three informed people—Mo Li and the others—including Waver, was stunned.

Rider continued announcing, "I have descended upon this world in the Rider class for this Holy Grail War! Hmph!"

Waver stared at Rider with his whole body trembling, his mind immediately going blank. Most people were shocked by how casually he had revealed his identity.

Once Waver came back to his senses, he anxiously tugged at Rider's cloak in protest. "What the hell are you thinking?! You idiot!"

Rider flicked Waver in the forehead with a finger, knocking him down, then turned back to the Servants. "Though fate has led me to compete with you for the Holy Grail, I have a question first. Will you join my ranks and yield the Holy Grail to me? If you do, I will treat you as friends, and together we shall share the joy of conquering the world!"

He asked it as though it were only natural. Not only could Masters like Kayneth and Kiritsugu Emiya not understand it, even Diarmuid could not understand it—much less Artoria, who was also a king.

Diarmuid was utterly helpless in the face of someone he could not decide was a fool or simply overbearing. Shaking his head with a sigh, he said, "I regret that I cannot accept this proposal. The only one to whom I shall offer the Holy Grail is my new lord, with whom I formed a contract in this life. It will never be you, Rider!"

Artoria beside him could barely stand to look at Rider. "Did you interrupt my duel with Berserker just to speak such nonsense? As a knight, that is an unforgivable insult!"

Even though Mo Li had explicitly told them that the Holy Grail was corrupted and unusable for now, they still intended to pursue it. After all, wasn't the person responsible for maintaining the Grail here, working to purify it? In that case, they only needed to fight as usual and determine a victor first. There was no need to fight to the death, as long as victory and defeat were decided.

Watching Waver in the field, who seemed less like he was trying to lecture his Servant and more like he was making a futile protest, Kayneth's anger subsided. He immediately said, "Is that so? So it was you. I had been wondering what madness drove you to steal my Holy Relic. I never expected that you wanted to enter the Holy Grail War yourself, student Waver Velvet."

Hearing that familiar voice and familiar tone, Waver's pupils contracted. His face was filled with the fear of facing a harsh teacher, along with a trace of resentment and defiance. He did not want to simply admit fault to that voice.

Seeing Waver's miserable display, Kayneth stepped out of the shadows and into the light. Looking at Waver, he said, "For you, I shall make a special exception and give you some extracurricular instruction. What the mutual slaughter of magi is, and the terror and pain within it—I shall teach it to you without reservation. You should consider it an honor."

Seeing Kayneth appear, Waver was terrified into recalling the fear he had felt when he had been completely unable to fight back. Mo Li suddenly wondered whether he should pay Olga Marie a visit. She had been born for some time already. If he visited her home now and said he had come for Olga Marie's sake, he probably would not be treated as a pervert.

With his current reputation, becoming Olga Marie's teacher should not be a problem.

Rider placed a large hand on Waver's back, startling him awake. He gave the boy an encouraging look, then shouted at Kayneth, "Hey, magus! From the sound of it, you originally intended to become my Master in that boy's place! If so, then that is truly hilarious! The man who becomes my Master must be a warrior who rides across the battlefield at my side!"

Then Rider sneered even more contemptuously, "A coward who does not even have the courage to show himself is utterly unqualified! Hahaha!"

Hearing Rider's undisguised mockery, even Kayneth's normally composed expression twisted. This was the first time he had heard someone mock him so openly—and it was mockery from Rider, the King of Conquerors.

Although Kayneth regarded Servants as high-grade familiars meant to accomplish his goals, he still took them seriously. He cared deeply about Diarmuid's legend itself, for example.

Seeing that Kayneth did not answer back, Rider turned his head and looked around. He could sense the gazes of the strong, and immediately shouted, "Hey, there are others here, aren't there? You lot hiding in the darkness and peeping from the shadows."

Hearing Rider's words, Artoria also thought of the issue. They had been fighting for some time, and Rider had made quite a commotion. Any true participants in the Holy Grail War should have turned their attention here long ago.

Four Servants had already been confirmed here: Saber Artoria, Lancer Diarmuid, Rider, and Berserker Lancelot. That left Assassin, Caster, and Archer.

Artoria asked, "Rider, do you mean they are already here?"

Rider gave Artoria a thumbs-up with his left hand in praise. "Saber, and Lancer, your honorable duel was truly splendid! Surely I and Berserker are not the only Servants drawn here by the clear sound of swords and spears clashing."

Faced with someone who finally appreciated the honor of their fair and glorious battle, Diarmuid smiled knowingly as well.

Watching Rider shout through his familiar, Tokiomi Tohsaka immediately felt that things were going badly. Sure enough, Rider spoke the words he did not want to hear. "Servants summoned by the Holy Grail, gather here now! Cowards who fear showing their faces shall be scorned by Rider, the King of Conquerors!"

Kirei Kotomine also found Rider's words troublesome. His Servant was Hassan of the Hundred Faces. Assassins were supposed to remain in the shadows, yet Rider had made such a declaration...

Then Mo Li made a hand gesture.

Everyone who understood the gesture froze for a moment, then made the same decision: reveal themselves!

Caster Medea Lily flew over to Mo Li with little Caren, while Kirei Kotomine's Assassin, Hassan, immediately leaped out as well, openly exposing himself beneath the moonlight. Lancelot also obediently returned to Mo Li's side. The three Servants shielded the non-Servants behind them—though one of those people could fight better than any of them.

The outside participants were dumbfounded at the sight. "All of these people are gathered around that man..."

When he saw little Caren, Kiritsugu Emiya froze. "That is... a Command Seal? No wonder he is participating in the Holy Grail War..."

Irisviel stared in shock at the three Servants who had appeared before her in an instant, protecting her and the other two.

If those three had formed an alliance from the beginning, then fighting alone truly was not a good idea. Even if nothing had gone wrong with the Holy Grail War, they likely would not have had much chance of winning in such a situation.

Rider also looked at Mo Li and the others in surprise. Even he had not expected such valiant beings to gather at the other side's side. Compared to himself, that man seemed more like a lord supported by his retainers.

"Interesting, Waver." Rider patted Waver on the shoulder and assessed Mo Li's group. "If the team opposite us is a whole, then forgive the presumption, but that purple-clad girl looks like a princess who never leaves that man's side. That Assassin is someone who works in secret to erase the sins hidden in the darkness. As for that Berserker, he is the great general who charges into battle for that human, who is braver than a Servant. And that man is undoubtedly their lord—the core they protect. I never expected to see such people in this age."

Since he had made no effort to conceal himself and his voice was so loud, Medea Lily's face immediately turned red at Rider's assessment. "What do you mean, a princess who never leaves his side? I-I'm not that attached to him, okay?!"