Li Zihan greatly disliked those two lunatics, both rationally and emotionally. Most magi were not quite right in the head, but those two were insane even by a magus's standards. At the very least, magi did not kill people in pursuit of art or to blaspheme the gods.
Rationally speaking, C Group's Master, Ryunosuke Uryu, was a perverted serial killer, while his Servant, Gilles de Rais, was a lunatic capable of endlessly summoning Sea Monsters. If they were left alone, who knew what mess they might cause? They would only add more variables to this Holy Grail War and complicate the battle.
Emotionally speaking, Li Zihan could not accept what those two lunatics did either: using human bones and flesh as materials to make instruments, performing symphonies, giving children hope before personally destroying it, and savoring the living despair that followed.
It had quite the feel of dark art. Li Zihan admitted that they were rare artists indeed. If demons existed, they would surely appreciate them.
To help them better display their talents, Li Zihan felt it necessary to send them to Hell for further study.
Artists like them were better off staying obediently in Hell and exchanging insights with demons. The human world was not suited to them.
Azure butterflies danced through the sewers, giving off a dim glow. The slender boy pinched his nose as he directed his familiars to install pinhole cameras at every turn in the sewers, applying minor modifications to the lenses to keep them from emitting a red light that might alert someone.
It was always best to prepare for both possibilities. Although Gilles de Rais was useless at magecraft, his Noble Phantasm was unquestionably high-end equipment. There was still a chance that using familiars as scouts would get them discovered. Li Zihan thought that if the familiars were killed, these cameras would take over as scouts and continue tracking the C Group Master and Servant.
Or rather, these familiars had been cannon fodder from the start. Their purpose was to numb the enemy's vigilance, conceal the cameras that were actually conducting reconnaissance, and use their deaths to notify their new master—an enemy had appeared.
Watching the insect-shaped familiars hide cameras around every corner, the boy took out his phone and called the nominal head of the Matou Family, telling him to keep a close eye on the cameras at all times. Free labor should not be wasted. Besides, if Li Zihan had to monitor hundreds of cameras himself, there would be no need to fight this Holy Grail War at all. The time spent watching surveillance feeds alone would be enough.
He raised his left hand and snapped his fingers. Illusory butterflies flew from all around the passageway to their master's side, following his command and merging into the shadowy figure beneath his feet, which had blended with the shadows of the sewers.
Imaginary Numbers Magecraft—Dimension Pocket. For those with the "Imaginary" attribute, it was not difficult to learn but was extremely practical. That damned System had crashed the moment it booted up, so there were naturally no perks like a System Space. To make it easier to use Mystic Codes and command familiars, Li Zihan had put considerable effort into Imaginary Numbers Magecraft. Unfortunately, the Clock Tower strictly controlled the spread of advanced magecraft. Teaching spells like Dimension Pocket was already the limit.
Inspecting the utterly crude trap before him, Li Zihan rubbed his chin. Obviously, this thing could only be used to deal with C Group once; it could not be reused.
Fortunately, he had never expected these things to deal with the other groups. As long as they could take care of C Group once, that would be enough.
Next, it was time to deal with the other uncertain factors. Thinking this, the boy headed for the sewer exit.
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P.S.: Have any of you readers posted inline comments? (○｀ 3′○)
For a noob like me, inline comments might be even more important than recommendation votes and monthly tickets. {{{(_)}}}
The Knight of the Lance and the Lord of Mineralogy
At the Clock Tower, Kaineth El-Melloi Archibolt was a name known to everyone. The ninth head of the prestigious Archibald Family, the Lord of Mineralogy, and a first-class lecturer in the Spirit Evocation Department. Gifted with exceptional talent and born to a noble family, he had not only inherited the accumulated magecraft and Magic Crests passed down through generations, but also possessed rare talent worthy of them. Without question, he was one of magecraft's favored sons.
With such outstanding conditions and exceptional talent, anyone could imagine the path ahead of him—a broad, brightly lit road.
Yet Kirei Kotomine, so gifted in magecraft, had been in an exceptionally foul mood these past few days. What had happened recently made this genius of the mystic arts want to swallow a few fast-acting heart pills.
Three months earlier, news of someone had reached the Clock Tower from the Far East. That traitorous disciple who had abandoned his teacher's teachings had appeared in Fuso. Kaineth ordered the Intelligence Department to investigate the credibility of the information and received a reliable answer: "Your former disciple is active in the island nation and intends to participate in a local magecraft ritual."
As a teacher, Kirei Kotomine felt both obligated and responsible for bringing his wayward disciple back onto the proper path of magecraft—either forcing him to turn over a new leaf or killing him.
What followed was simple: acquiring a Holy Relic, preparing a Mana Reactor, studying the Holy Grail system, and... buying bulletproof vests before reinforcing and modifying them.
To deal with that traitorous disciple who never played by the rules, Kirei Kotomine had unquestionably made thorough preparations.
Then members of the Department of Law and Politics informed the Lord of Mineralogy, who was about to depart: the Holy Relic you so carefully prepared has been stolen.
Your Holy Relic had been stolen.
Stolen.
This should have been a classic plot from a wuxia novel. A highly respected sect leader discovered the whereabouts of a disciple who had betrayed the sect and decided to cleanse the sect. Following the usual plot, the sect leader and the runaway disciple should then engage in a fierce battle, with neither gaining the upper hand after three hundred exchanges. The sect leader would then gradually seize control through his deep reserves of skill, find the perfect opportunity, defeat the runaway disciple in one stroke, and kill him with a palm strike. Or perhaps, considering the disciple young and ignorant, the sect leader would capture him, lock him in the black prison behind the mountain, and order him to reflect on his mistakes.
Before you continue