Chapter 23

Unlike the Director and Mash, Dog Brother, known as the Celtic bulldozer, gave Su Mo a thumbs-up and smiled. Everything went without saying.

Su Mo did not want to explain this sudden disaster either. He had not lived through several decades in his previous world for nothing; he knew that the more one explained such things, the worse they looked.

So, beneath the moonlight, Su Mo raised his head at a forty-five-degree angle and gazed into the night sky as though he had weathered all the hardships of the world.

"Kiyohime, remember this. As your Master, no matter what you do, I will never dislike you. If you want to hug me, then hug me..."

"Master really is the best!" Kiyohime's lovely face blossomed into a gentle, jade-like smile. Then she hugged Su Mo's arm even tighter, pressing her cheek against it and rubbing hard...

After clearing out the skeletal Vengeful Spirit fodder along the way and obtaining a few Evil Bones, the group finally arrived at Ryudoji Temple!

Ryudoji Temple... or rather, the former Ryudoji Temple would be more accurate. The temple had been destroyed so thoroughly that not even scraps remained. The only reason they could find it was because the gate of the gatekeeper from the Fifth Holy Grail War was still standing there.

But why was the gatekeeper's "gate" still there when the entire temple was gone? Could it have been turned into a Noble Phantasm?

"Master, be careful!"

Just as they were about to enter the cave, a rapidly flying arrow shot toward Su Mo. Fortunately, Kiyohime burned it away with fire halfway through.

"Tch. I had planned to eliminate the Master who serves as your source of magical energy, but it seems that will not be so easy."

Along with that helpless voice, a man appeared, holding black-and-white twin blades. He had short white hair, and over his black School Swimsuit, he wore a short red skirt!

The moment Su Mo saw this Red A, tainted by black mud, his anger flared. He took a deep breath, raised his voice, and roared at him, "Emiya Mom! What did I ever do to you? Was it really necessary to keep aiming at my head and shooting at me the whole way here?"

What could one shout accomplish?

Most people might think it could accomplish nothing besides being a little noisy. Yet when Red A on the slope heard Su Mo call him Emiya Mom, his footing slipped, and he rolled straight down the slope.

"Brat! Who are you calling Mom?!"

Red A was furious. After being tainted by black mud, he had only tied on a short red skirt to keep Saber settled down, gathering ingredients for her to fill the enormous gap in her appetite. And yet?

This stranger not only called out his true name from when he was alive, but even called him Mom. It immediately gave him the feeling of having eaten shit.

"Senior, Director, please hide behind me!" Sensing Red A's killing intent, Mash immediately raised her shield and stood in front of everyone.

Compared with Mash's caution, Dog Brother appeared remarkably calm. He looked at Red A with great interest and said,

"You're still protecting Saber?"

"Hmph. My job is merely to issue eviction notices to boring visitors!"

"Aren't you just a watchdog? I don't know who you're trying to protect Saber from, but let's settle this here!" After Dog Brother spoke, he immediately turned his gaze toward Su Mo, his eyes gleaming.

Su Mo understood what he meant without needing it said. He raised his hand and tossed Dog Brother a Command of the God of War, nearly boosting him to his third Limit Break.

"This guy has gone too far. He kept targeting me the entire way. Don't give me any face—teach him a brutal lesson!"

"Master, rest assured. I will definitely satisfy you!"

Having successfully wrung a skill out of Su Mo, Dog Brother impatiently swung the crooked club in his hand and charged at Red A.

As for Red A? When he saw Su Mo give Dog Brother a boost, the golden energy overflowing from his body and the terrifying killing intent locked onto him made his face drain of color. Without hesitation, he turned and ran.

"Why are you running, Archer? Keep fighting me! We were having such a great time fighting before!" Dog Brother let out a barbell-like laugh and chased closely after Red A.