Clash of Ideals

"Berserker, unleash your Noble Phantasm." Li Zihan's voice reached Alcaeus's ears.

A thunderous boom like a shell exploding in its chamber rang out, and Alcaeus vanished without warning, like a mirage. He leaped into the air in an instant, the ground beneath his feet shattering inch by inch. The Great Axe blazed with dazzling light amid the howling wind, and the air suddenly began to tremble. Even the Sea Monster sensed the danger. It stopped attacking Rider and Lancer, sending all its tentacles hurtling toward Berserker.

Blood-red light coiled around the Great Axe. At that moment, this nameless axe radiated a presence that far surpassed any Divine Weapon.

Like a mountain collapsing, a vast portion of the Sea Monster's body evaporated outright. But that was only the beginning. Eight identical slashes tore through its body at the same moment, and half of the beast's massive form vanished into nothing beneath Alcaeus's attack.

As expected, it couldn't be killed. Li Zihan sighed. All he could do now was stall for time and wait for today's protagonist to arrive.

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P.S.: Wishing to get Mostima in a single pull the day after tomorrow.

Everyone, lend me your luck!!!

Chapter 16: Clash of Ideals

The scene shifted to the Einzbern Family.

"Kiritsugu, I'm going to the church." A stern female voice rang out in the empty hall. She was a petite woman with skin as white as snow and shoulder-length golden hair. At first glance, she looked like a noble young lady from a medieval European court. Her lovely face was dazzling enough to leave one breathless.

A girl like that would definitely be popular with the male students if she appeared on a campus! Anyone could figure that out without even using their brain.

Unfortunately, she was no campus beauty. She was the Heroic Spirit summoned as Saber in this Holy Grail War. Though she could not defeat Archer, could not defeat Berserker, might not even be able to defeat Rider, and had even been ambushed by Lancer, she was indeed the strongest class in theory.

"Not yet." A detached voice sounded from across from the girl. Saber's Master—Kiritsugu Emiya—rejected her proposal without the slightest hesitation.

"Kiritsugu, you should know what happened at the church." Disgust, a rare expression for Saber, surfaced on her face. She stared directly into her Master's eyes as she questioned him.

"Of course I know. The Holy Church has already sent a request for aid." The man whose upper body was wrapped in bandages walked up to Saber with Irisviel supporting him. His brows were tightly furrowed from the pain, but his black eyes remained as calm as ever, without a ripple. "If they can't stop it, all of Fuyuki City could be destroyed."

"Even so, you still don't want me to fight?" She suppressed her fury, but the hand hanging beside the seam of her suit trousers had already clenched into a fist.

Irisviel looked at the furious Saber, wanting to say something to her, but when she saw Kiritsugu Emiya's exhausted profile, she found herself unable to speak.

"You cannot fight." Kiritsugu Emiya said so without hiding his intentions. "If anything happens to you during the campaign against Caster, we will lose all hope of winning."

Like a match falling into dry grass—or even a powder keg—Kiritsugu Emiya's words completely enraged Saber. She no longer suppressed her anger and roared at her Master, "If that monster breaks through the church's blockade, can you bear the responsibility for what happens then?!"

"Calm down, Saber. Even if you went in your current state, it would be useless." Kiritsugu Emiya remained as calm as Saber hated him for being. He analyzed the current situation. "Berserker has already been summoned back by his Master. He is a Servant far stronger than you. If even he cannot resolve this, going there will not help."

Kiritsugu Emiya continued his analysis. "Our top priority is to eliminate Lancer or Lancer's Master. Only then can the wound on your hand be healed, allowing you to regain the ability to unleash your Noble Phantasm."

"You have become a heretic, Kiritsugu." Saber glared at Kiritsugu Emiya, her blue-green eyes filled with hatred.

"So what if I have, and so what if I haven't?" Even under Saber's questioning and accusations, Kiritsugu Emiya's expression remained unchanged. Only by obtaining the Holy Grail could he save all humanity. If becoming a heretic would allow him to hold the Holy Grail, then so much the better. He was willing to be the first heretic, to eradicate all the evil in this world.

"You have completely fallen, Kiritsugu Emiya." Wind swirled before Saber's hand. "I heard from Irisviel that you seek the Holy Grail to save all humanity, but what you are doing now is abandoning some people. Have you ever thought about those being abandoned?"

Is there anything wrong with sacrificing some people for all humanity? Kiritsugu Emiya almost wanted to laugh as he watched the furious Saber.

He indifferently lit a cigarette for himself, but his hand kept trembling. He tried several times and still could not light it. In the end, Irisviel helped him ignite it. He took a deep drag and recalled the family members from his life.

His father had been a genius magus. He knew many defensive spells, but he had never suspected that his own son would attack him. So even after being shot, he had only stared at him in bewilderment.

Sacrifice his father and save the innocent people who would die in the future because of his father's Dead Apostle transformation experiments.

Natalia Kaminsky was a powerful bounty hunter. She could coldly and ruthlessly take others down, yet help people with the same indifferent attitude. She mocked the weak with the logic of an assassin, yet sighed over the price required to become strong.