Medea and Wang Xiaoming / Shirou

"Let me introduce our Servant to you--"

After a slightly awkward moment, Father Shirou, as if nothing had happened, began to introduce the other [Red] faction Servant in the room to Wang Xiaoming.

"Lancer, Karna."

A tall, handsome man standing in the corner of the room opened his eyes slightly and nodded in the direction of Shirou and Wang Xiaoming after hearing Shirou call his name.

Heroic Spirit Karna, the hero who is immortal and whose name is etched in the ancient Indian epic Mahabharata, was born between the sun god Surya and the human woman Kunti. He received a golden armor from his father as proof of his sonhood, making him a truly great hero from birth.

Shirou then turned her gaze to another part of the room, Atalanta was whispering with Lily.

"... I think Archer needs no introduction."

After a brief silence, Shirou led Wang Xiaoming to the Achilles.

"My name is Achilles!"

After proudly announcing his real name, Achilles stared intently at Wang Xiaoming's facial expression, wanting to see his shocked reaction upon learning his name.

To his surprise, Wang Xiaoming maintained his calm and collected expression, nodding at him just as Lancer had done before.

"Then please take care of me, Rider."

(Achilles:???)

Unable to see the scene he wanted, Achilles could only wear his frustration on his face.

"Next is..."

Shirou scanned the room, seemingly without finding what she was looking for, hence her hesitant tone. Just then, a voice sounded beside them:

"It's my turn now."

The moment the words left his mouth, golden spiritual particles flashed beside Wang Xiaoming—

"I am the [Red] Assassin, Semiramis."

A beautiful woman in a heavy dress leaned against him and greeted Wang Xiaoming in an intimate tone:

Please take good care of the Master of [Betrayal Witch]~

Two updates are owed so far (Orz)

Blade progress [41/200]

Chapter 215. Medea and Wang Xiaoming

"Please take good care of me, Master of the [Betrayal Witch]~"

Almost the instant Semiramis's voice fell, the atmosphere in the entire room changed instantly.

Atalanta cast his unfriendly gaze over, while Achilles, his subordinate, stepped forward first.

"Hey, Assassin, you—"

Before she could finish speaking, the man next to Semiramis suddenly reached out and brushed away her hand that was resting on his shoulder, as if casually brushing dust off his shoulder.

After completing this series of actions, Wang Xiaoming finally had the leisure to turn his attention to Semiramis --

"Empress of Assyria, I am astonished by your rudeness. Whatever your reasons for saying those words, please spare this old man whose heart already belongs to another."

Raising his hands and looking innocently at Semiramis, whose eyes held a hint of shock and anger, Wang Xiaoming said...

"Mr. Kadoya, I apologize for Assassin's previous rudeness."

Shirou, the Master of the Semiramis, stepped forward at this crucial moment. The Assassin, however, snorted and turned his face away, seemingly showing no intention of apologizing whatsoever.

"Yes, it's okay, I accept."

Wang Xiaoming answered casually, glancing in Lily's direction, only to meet her gaze directly. Wang Xiaoming then flashed her a victory sign.

--yeah!

Upon witnessing this, Lily instinctively avoided Wang Xiaoming's gaze. However, the gaze of Atalanta beside her softened considerably when he looked at Wang Xiaoming this time.

"Oops..."

Feeling that things were getting out of her control, Shirou pressed her stomach hard, looking very distressed, but she still stood up bravely.

"Now that everyone is here, we should advance towards the [Black] side's position."

Shirou's words instantly changed the atmosphere in the room, which had seemed to be on the verge of collapse, and everyone's attention turned back to him.

After all, this was a battle that everyone in the Red Faction had been eagerly anticipating—for their grand ambitions, for the opponent they craved...

Shirou gestured to Assassin with her eyes, and Assassin nodded, then walked back to the throne and pressed his hand against the gem embedded in the armrest of the throne.

The next second, the entire room began to tremble slightly.

Apart from Wang Xiaoming and Lily, the remaining Servant in the room did not show any unusual behavior, because they knew that the Noble Phantasm of the Semiramis— [Hanging Gardens of Babylon of Babylon]—had begun to move.

"Gentlemen, prepare for battle. At this pace, we'll be within about an hour of them being able to see us from the Millennia Fortress."

Assassin's words silenced everyone. Of course, it wasn't out of fear. It was simply because hearing her mention a specific number like "one hour" ignited a fierce fighting spirit within them.

"Oh, right."

As if remembering something, Shirou patted his head, then took out a sheathed Japan sword from a corner of the room and walked up to Lily with a fawning smile.

"Caster, could you try upgrading this weapon?"

"Hmm..."

Lily turned her gaze towards Wang Xiaoming, and after receiving a "you decide for yourself" look from him, she reached out and took the heavy-looking knife.

Lily pondered for a moment, then as she silently murmured something, her hands, resting on the knife, suddenly emitted a bright light...

"Give."

After taking the knife from Lily's hand, Shirou looked it over and then smiled as he drew it from its sheath.

Although Japan swords share the same basic shape, they can take on various forms depending on the soul of the blacksmith. Some are beautiful and charming, veritable works of art, while others, like the one in Shirou's hand, are bold and unrestrained, designed specifically to target a particular enemy.

Even to Servants who are experts in all weapons, past and present, East and West, this sword is a top-grade item worthy of being called a first-class product.

However... the faint magical fluctuations emanating from the blade of that knife seemed to prove a fact.

--This sword seems to be a Noble Phantasm?

Caster can turn an ordinary sword into Noble Phantasm with just a casual enhancement?

This is absolutely absurd!

"It's not my fault."

Seeing that everyone's attention had turned to her, Lily was so frightened that she quickly hid behind Wang Xiaoming, but still peeked out and said, "It's because that sword itself is very powerful; it has the qualifications to become Noble Phantasm, which is why it turned out like this."

"After all, it's a treasured sword once wielded by a legendary swordsman."

Shirou muttered to himself. His expression relaxed slightly, revealing a mischievous smile.

"Now that we have the weapons, we won't be defeated so easily on the battlefield."

"Hey, you wouldn't...?"

Both Rider and Archer simultaneously displayed a stiff expression, an expression of even greater surprise than knowing that Lily could create Noble Phantasm.

"Ah, that's right. I'm going to the battlefield with you."

After sheathing his sword, Shirou scratched his cheek and flashed a bright smile.

"But don't worry, I actually have quite a bit of experience in combat."

"Master..."

Wang Xiaoming, who was standing on the outside of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon looking down at the scenery below, suddenly heard a voice in his ear. He turned his head and saw Lily standing behind him.

"What's wrong?"

Regarding the previous...

Seemingly finding it difficult to speak, Lily, after a moment of hesitation, mustered her courage and looked up at her Master— "Master, what do you think of what Assassin said?"

Is it important?

Looking at Lily, who was unusually serious, Wang Xiaoming smiled and asked her a question.

"Very important."

Lily nodded vigorously.

Although I always subconsciously avoided it before, it was still something my future self would do. As long as I am [Medea], then the title of [Betrayal Witch] will be a stain that I will always have to bear.

Therefore, this time, Lily wanted to know what her Master truly thought about her not being "Lily" but "Medea".

Seeing Lily's expression, a mixture of nervousness and anticipation, Wang Xiaoming didn't keep her in suspense. He gently placed his hand on Lily's head and whispered:

"To me, whether you are now or in the future, scarred and broken, you will always be an irreplaceable princess in my heart."

"Huh?"

Lily looked up in surprise and saw Wang Xiaoming's equally serious expression; her face instantly turned bright red.

Seeing this, Wang Xiaoming, unable to suppress his mischievous curiosity, quietly leaned close to Lily's ear and whispered:

"So, are you satisfied with this answer, Your Highness?"

Sorry, and--

One update is currently owed.

Chapter 216. Shirou

An hour passed in the blink of an eye. Looking at the Servant who had regrouped in the hall, Shirou began to ask the Servant present who was willing to fight as the vanguard in this war.

However, among the options, Shirou first eliminated Assassin beside him and Caster behind Wang Xiaoming.

Putting aside the Servant that neither of them are Servants capable of appearing on the front lines, Assassin's ability to summon Noble Phantasm of such exceptional quality as [Hanging Gardens of Babylon of Babylon] naturally comes at a price— Semiramis becomes almost powerless and completely incapable of combat after leaving the garden.

However, such a thing is impossible; the Red Faction has no reason to abandon this Hanging Gardens of Babylon, which is a fortress-level structure.

As for Caster, she's been hiding behind her Master in a daze since earlier, so it seems she won't be able to go to the battlefield anytime soon.

However, considering the nature of Caster Magecraft, having her in charge of logistics is not a bad choice.

"So, who should go first?"

In response to Shirou's question, Archer, Rider, and Lancer exchanged glances. Lancer shook his head first, indicating his withdrawal. Then, Rider and Archer looked at each other. It seemed that both of them wanted to be the first to step forward. Assassin shrugged helplessly, while Wang Xiaoming, who did not intend to participate, adopted an attitude of indifference.

Shirou looked at the two defiant Servant before him with a wry smile:

"Could you please try to resolve this peacefully?"

Although neither wanted to give up this opportunity, the [Black] side's stronghold was right in front of them, so in the end, the two came up with a "compromise" solution.

"I'll lead the charge!"

Rider, seemingly having gained the upper hand in his "contest" with Atalanta, revealed a smug smile, while Archer summoned his longbow:

"Then I will use my Noble Phantasm to pave the way for you with a preemptive strike."

Now that the Servant to be deployed have been decided, there's no need to worry. Both Archer and Rider Servant the Red Faction are trustworthy heroes.

Shirou didn't dwell on the matter. While everyone was enthusiastically discussing how to deal with the [Black] faction's Servant, he quietly left the room. Looking at the Millennia Fortress beginning to appear beyond the darkness, he took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. "Finally here..."

--My heart started to beat faster.

In that fortress, in that place, lies what he has longed for for many years.

A surge of excitement welled up inside him, and he desperately tried to suppress the urge to smile.

"It seems Father Shirou is a man with a story."

The joy in his eyes instantly turned cold, but when he turned his gaze to the person who had come, a warm smile appeared on his lips.