Servants of the Black Faction / Servants of the Black Faction (Part 2)

"Mr. Kadoya-- "

Seeing Caster's Master appear beside him without him noticing, Shirou greeted him with a smile.

Wang Xiaoming nodded slightly, then took out a box of "Dragon Smoke" from his pocket. He had "scammed" it from Shishigou before they parted ways.

After lighting a cigarette, Wang Xiaoming turned his gaze to the outline of the Millennia Fortress, which was gradually becoming clearer in the darkness.

"Is it important?"

The question from Wang Xiaoming made Shirou, who was about to leave, quietly stop and turn around, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes as she looked at Wang Xiaoming.

"Even though you're just Master who commands Servant, you're willing to risk your life to rush to that battlefield. There must be something very important to you there, right? Is it the Holy Grail?"

"..."

"Ah, just take it as an old man's rambling."

Perhaps sensing Shirou's wariness, Wang Xiaoming shrugged nonchalantly and continued, "I'm just curious, if you die in this battle, wouldn't everything you've done before become nothing but wishful thinking?"

"..."

Perhaps sensing that the man standing before her was driven by nothing but curiosity, Shirou hesitated for a moment, then, as if having made up her mind, answered calmly:

"If my plan goes against the will of God, I will surely be destroyed on this battlefield. Perhaps I will die tragically in battle against my Servant, or perhaps I will be killed by a puppet or a homunculus due to carelessness. I might even be caught in the range of my own Noble Phantasm and lose my life."

People die, Servant die too. It's perfectly normal for a kind person to be caught up in something unreasonable and meet a tragic end.

If one is not a righteous being, then that kind of fate is inevitable.

"If that's the case, I will accept death calmly. God hasn't forgiven me, and that's something that can't be changed. But, if—if I'm lucky enough to survive this war..."

For the first time, Shirou revealed an expression other than a smile in front of outsiders. His eyes showed no fierceness, madness, anger, or hatred; instead, they were as calm as a crystal-clear lake. It was hardly the look of someone about to go into battle.

"That means God has forgiven my actions and has mercy on all people... My desire to obtain the Greater Grail is correct."

Perhaps he just wanted to relieve the tension in his heart before the battle. Just as Shirou thought, he felt much more relaxed after revealing a part of his inner thoughts.

She didn't expect the man in front of her to understand her thoughts, but as someone she could confide in, Shirou still wanted to thank him.

But I didn't expect --

That's truly remarkable.

"Huh?"

Hearing Wang Xiaoming's words, which were tinged with emotion, Shirou blinked in confusion. This seemed to be an unexpected turn of events.

"To be willing to risk your life to accomplish it, even without complaint... Although I don't know what grand ambitions you harbor, if you don't reach the Holy Grail alive, everything you've done will be meaningless."

There's no need to investigate whether his wishes are right or wrong; his attitude alone deserves respect.

"..."

So, let's try our best to survive.

Seeing Shirou deep in thought after his words, Wang Xiaoming reached out and patted him on the shoulder.

Thank you very much.

After regaining his senses, Shirou solemnly expressed his gratitude to Wang Xiaoming.

"I hope this is of some help to you."

Seeing that the cigarette in his hand had burned to the end, Wang Xiaoming casually stubbed it out and then turned to walk back into the room.

Watching the figure disappear down the corridor, Shirou finally couldn't suppress the doubts in her heart:

Why should you help me?

They were merely "allies" in name only, and even his own Servant seemed to harbor some hostility towards Caster. Therefore, even with [Revelation], he couldn't figure out what this man was thinking.

Upon hearing the question from behind him, Wang Xiaoming casually waved his hand.

"Perhaps it's just a coincidence, but my little rascal happens to share your name, so I couldn't help but grumble a bit. If you think I've said too much, just pretend you didn't hear me."

After uttering those words, the figure in the corridor vanished completely into the darkness, leaving only the white-haired youth standing there, lost in thought.

[Shirou what...]

He thought of Archer, who was also named Shirou, on the [Black] side in this Great Holy Grail War.

However, his surname seems to be W...

Current blade progress [75/200], one update needed.

It seems like the 19th is the 3rd anniversary lucky bag sale... emmm

Is it too late for me to turn off the bounty now?

Chapter 217. The [Black] Faction's Servant

The Yggdmillennia Clan made comprehensive predictions about the direction from which the Magecraft of the Mage's Association... that is, the Red Faction, would launch their attack, and based on this, they formulated a meticulous counterattack plan.

Will they approach through the streets? Or will they attack through the forest like last time? Although flying is too difficult for a modern Magecraft, considering that the main opponent is Servant, it is expected that the enemy will launch a surprise attack from the air.

Even so, no one had imagined that the enemy would attack with territory.

"In other words, both sides currently possess fortresses."

Archer sighed as he stood on the city wall. In front of him, the "Hanging Gardens of Babylon," which the Semiramis was so proud of, was floating in the air.

Rider, standing next to him, casually patted Archer on the shoulder:

"Isn't it better to keep it simple and clear? Since those guys came with territory, it means that's the enemy's entire force, which saves us the trouble of searching for them later."

You're right--

After listening to Rider's words, Archer nodded.

Unlike previous Holy Grail War where all Servant fought individually, this time the Servant are divided into clearly defined factions. If they fight alone, they are likely to be surrounded and annihilated by the enemy.

If the goal is to definitively determine the victor, the best opportunity lies in a one-on-one duel within a full-scale war. Furthermore, the [Black] side possesses the Millennia Fortress, making a multi-pronged attack by the enemy virtually effortless.

[The Calabash Brothers Save Grandpa]

A story someone had once told him suddenly came to Archer's mind.

"Hey, Archer, can you shoot down that castle?"

After Rider interrupted his thoughts, Archer bluntly ended TA's daydream with a hand chop. "What a joke. A fortress of that size probably wouldn't even have much effect on Anti-City Noble Phantasm."

"Is that so--"

Covering his head, Rider turned his gaze back to the fortress opposite him, whose size was clearly visible to the naked eye. The fortress, suspended in the air, was larger than usual, even comparable in size to the Millennia Fortress.

"Archer, is it about to begin?"

Fiore's voice, trembling slightly, could be heard beside Archer. She asked in a soft voice. There was a hint of tremor in her voice, but that was only because Archer was her Servant. To an ordinary person, her voice sounded completely calm.

"Yes, the enemy is now prepared to attack. The inverted fortress, Nebuchadnezzar II, or Semiramis?" Although he roughly knew Assassin's real name, he had to admit that the other party had brought quite a bit of trouble...

Archer, his brow furrowed, turned his gaze to his Master.

"Master, this battle will inevitably turn into a conflict between Servant. To prevent a sneak attack Servant the enemy Servants, you should return to the fortress first."

"Archer is right, Fiore. In this situation, victory can only be achieved through the help of Servant."

Darnic suddenly appeared on the city wall.

"It seems the enemy has summoned Dragon Fang Soldiers. They must be doing this to fight our androids and golems."

Darnic spoke as if he had witnessed it firsthand. Although he didn't know the specific methods, it seemed he had personally conducted the reconnaissance.

"Uncle..."

"We Magecraft cannot interfere in the battles between Servant. All we need to do now is not get in their way."

"That's right, Darnic. Next up is our territory."

Shining spiritual particles formed a human form. Vlad III (Vlad III) appeared on the city wall with a smile, then turned his gaze to the sky above the battlefield, where Semiramis's prized Noble Phantasm lay, but Lancer's eyes held undisguised hatred.

"Not only did they bring that ugly thing into my territory, but they also scattered those filthy skeleton soldiers everywhere."

Lancer carries an absolute responsibility to kill the invaders. This is different from his mission Servant to vie for the Holy Grail. This is Romania, his territory. The moment they invaded his land, they became enemies, conquerors, and Ottoman Turks.

Lancer, who fought against invaders throughout his life, recalled the war he fought during his lifetime.

It was a war in which there was no chance of victory, but even conceding defeat would be utterly devastating.

Even with no chance of victory, he resolutely took up arms and led his people to repel the Ottoman Empire's invasion from beyond their borders.

Therefore, he became Heroic Spirit.

That is why, even if the opponent is a great hero from the Age of Gods, as long as the battlefield is still in Romania, Lancer cannot be defeated!

"Then, my king, please display your power to the fullest."

Lancer nodded proudly, Darnic bowed respectfully before returning to the fortress. Fiore, however, seemed somewhat worried.

"Archer, your opponent is..."

"Rider, I'm the only one here who can handle him."

Without a moment's hesitation, Archer announced the name of his chosen opponent.

Achilles -- Achilles.

A world-renowned hero. In terms of ability stats alone, he is overwhelmingly superior to Archer's Servant.

There's no need to worry.

Even if the opponent is a great Greece hero, what I need to do remains unchanged. Besides, the Servant you summon can't possibly be anything less than the strongest."

Archer's distinctive pronunciation made Fiore instinctively hold her breath.

That day was exactly the same--

After Archer uttered those words, he demonstrated his strength in the battles against Mordred and Achilles, showing her through his actions that Servant's strength is not solely determined by their stats.

This time, however, he made a bold statement saying that he could fight on equal terms with the great heroes of the Age of Gods.

Perhaps in others' eyes this was just Archer overestimating himself, but as his Master, Fiore looked at Archer and nodded slightly:

"Then, Archer, everything is in your hands."

After leaving those words, Fiore retreated with Darnic into the fortress.

Once there were no more heroic Heroic Spirit on the city walls, Lancer looked at the empty space before him and said proudly:

"Appear here, Servant gathered under my banner!"

As a strong gust of wind arose, the figure constructed from golden spiritual particles gradually became clearer.

[The Dark Side] Berserker, Frankenstein. The Berserker, carrying a warhammer as long as his body, stares expressionlessly at the distant floating fortress.

Avicebron, Avicebron. He stands a few steps away from Lancer, carrying [Red] Berserker, who was previously captured by the [Black] side. Although his expression is hidden by his mask, he is also Heroic Spirit and has no reason to fear the battlefield.

Finally, there is Siegfried, Siegfried. Saber, carrying a heavy sword, stood silently in place, without uttering a word. Even so, the chilling aura emanating from him was not to be underestimated.

Adding to the Lancer, Archer, and Rider already on the city wall, there are a total of seven Servant.

In other words--

Currently, all combat forces of the [Black] faction have been assembled!

Regarding the bounty, I'll just keep it up for a few more days, I'm totally courting disaster. Orz

Chapter 218. The [Black] Faction's Servant (Part 2)

"Show yourselves here, heroes gathered under my banner!"

As the voice of the [Black] faction's lord, Vlad III, faded, [Black] faction's Servant appeared one after another before him.

Although their numbers could be counted on two hands, even the most powerful enemy Lancer had ever faced—the army of the Ottoman Empire —would pale in comparison.

"Everyone is here, so--"