Two Rulers / King Shirou

Once Ruler regained his senses, he didn't have time to think about any of that; eliminating the vampire was the top priority. The Black Keys that Chiron had handed him earlier slipped into his hand. Watching the struggling vampire, Ruler tossed the Black Keys away.

"I'm sorry, Lancer, whatever your wishes may be, this is your final destination."

The Black Keys struck the vampire squarely in the chest, and the purifying power began to rage through the vampire's body.

If it were just an ordinary human throwing the Black Keys, perhaps the vampire could barely resist. But this Black Keys was thrown by a saint recognized and worshipped by the general public. Its power and divinity are incomparable to those of anyone else.

The vampire struck by the Black Keys began to struggle violently, but the spear piercing his heart and the runes engraved on his body rendered his struggles futile.

At the same time, Ruler's sacred words began to echo in the room—

"The Lord's grace is infinitely profound, and His mercy is eternal."

You live in a deserted wilderness, with no idea how to find your way to survival.

"No, I haven't obtained the earth and wood yet!!"

The vampires, or perhaps Darnic, who felt their existence fading away, screamed in terror, but no one paid them any attention; Ruler's sacred words continued:

"Hunger, thirst, the soul is weakening. Speak his name, and you will be saved. Speak the name of the one who guided you to the path of survival."

The vampire struggled, but it was pointless. What could he do with his body bound?

"Satiate the thirsty soul, fill the hungry soul with fine food."

Ruler's voice revealed her unwavering faith, something that vampires, who had lost their faith and were no longer part of this world, could not possibly resist.

Ruler's sacred words became a blade. With each word he spoke, the vampire's existence was weakened.

"In the deep darkness, let those who are tormented and bound by steel find redemption."

The Baptismal Chant performed by beings beyond humanity are undoubtedly the natural enemy of vampires, who are enemies of the doctrine. Originally, vampires (Dracula) were monsters destined to be defeated by the doctrine.

"Break free from your shackles now and be saved from the deep darkness."

Ruler's words made the vampire clearly feel his dream gradually crumbling, and despair and anxiety filled his heart.

"May those who grieve for their sinful deeds and suffer for their injustices find redemption."

But why--

As Ruler's holy words deepened, the vampire's heart began to find peace, as if he were receiving baptism from a priest in his previous life.

Is it because I was originally a devout believer?

The reason is unknown, but the faith that permeates the depths of their souls has begun to purify the existence of vampires.

"Sing songs of joy to the righteous, and silence the unrighteous."

To completely free the monster before him, Ruler's incantation had reached its final line:

"May the departed souls rest in peace."

Hissing white smoke began to emanate from the vampire's entire body; what was being melted was not its flesh, but the vampire's very being.

Soon, the vampire, who had been almost completely melted, fell silent.

Wang Xiaoming easily pulled out the spear that had pierced the vampire's chest. As the spear tore through, the vampire's remaining body parts in the room turned to ash, seemingly disappearing after being transformed into magic.

"It's over..."

Ruler breathed a sigh of relief after sensing the vampire's ominous magic completely disappear. Although the unease in his heart hadn't completely subsided, at least the crisis before him had been averted.

He turned his head and smiled at Lily, only to find her staring at him with hostility... behind him?

Following Lily's gaze, Ruler discovered that behind him was...

"Chiron..."

Ruler then realized that with the complete annihilation of the vampires, the alliance between the [Black] and [Red] factions, which he had previously bound with Command Spell, had come to a complete end.

Therefore, there is no reason for the [Red] Caster and the Chiron to coexist peacefully. Furthermore, as the arbiter of this Great Holy Grail War, Ruler has no reason to prevent them from fighting...

"..."

Chiron, who also noticed this, remained silent. The twin blades he had been holding vanished, and his hands hung naturally at his sides.

"Did he die before he could obtain the Holy Grail, Darnic?"

Wang Xiaoming had also noticed this, shook his slightly sore wrist and stood silently in front of Lily. His sharp gaze met that of Chiron, the spear tip, its edge gleaming, perpendicular to the ground.

The friendly cooperation they had shown when they joined forces to eliminate the vampire vanished in an instant, replaced by a tense atmosphere. Ruler wanted to say something, but when he opened his mouth, no words came out.

Whether it's the Chiron or the [Red] Caster, they now have no reason to avoid their respective allegiance. It's all because of the demise of the vampires.

Looking at the hostile expression on the face of the [Red] Caster, the Chiron remained silent, turning his gaze to Wang Xiaoming, who held a spear, his expression calm and composed. The twin blades that had previously existed in this world had vanished without a trace, and Wang Xiaoming found him somewhat strange as he stood there, but this did not prevent the atmosphere between them from gradually freezing.

Just as the atmosphere plummeted to freezing point, a sudden voice, like a thunderclap, rang in their ears!

Chapter 243. Two Rulers

"I'm a little sorry, but Archer, your opponent now is me."

Wang Xiaoming raised his spear, pointing it at the Chiron opposite him. Although this sudden shift from "ally" to "opponent" created a slightly awkward atmosphere in the room, that's how the battlefield is...

But Archer's reaction left Wang Xiaoming somewhat puzzled.

"What's wrong, Archer? Are you not attacking because you look down on me for being human?"

"..."

Seeing that Archer hadn't drawn a weapon despite his challenge, Wang Xiaoming frowned in confusion.

Is it waiting for comrades from the same side, or...?

If the current situation continues in this stalemate, Wang Xiaoming would naturally be happy to relax. However, whether it was intuition or something else, he felt that there seemed to be another reason why the other party was not making a move.

The voice coming from behind Wang Xiaoming at that moment made the already tense atmosphere tense again.

"Hey, Mr. Kadoya, how about we put down our weapons for now?"

--It's Shirou.

Wang Xiaoming, who could tell the person's identity from the voice, turned his head slightly, but when he saw Shirou's attire, a look of surprise appeared in his eyes.

He still had dark skin and silver-white hair. Dressed in a black priest's robe with a red sash and cloak, he looked at first glance like any other clergyman.

However, Wang Xiaoming detected a Servant- specific aura on Hirou. At the same time, a telepathic message from Lily confirmed Wang Xiaoming's judgment—

[Master, this priest seems to be a Servant...]

In other words, this seemingly harmless boy— the Master of the Semiramis —is actually also a Servant?

If that were all, it wouldn't be a big deal, since even if they exploited a loophole in the Holy Grail War, they were still allies belonging to the Red Faction.

Since they had come out on the better side, they naturally had no reason to complain.

But Ruler's reaction seemed to be...

"How is that possible?!"

The moment Ruler saw the boy appear, she gasped. She possessed the skill True Name Discernment, which automatically revealed the true name, class, and abilities of any Servant encountered. If the boy before her was indeed Servant, she could immediately ascertain his class and true name.

That's precisely why--

"Why would Ruler...?"

That's right, the priest's class is [Ruler]. It should be a class that is never repeated in the Holy Grail War.

"--Nice to meet you, Ruler this time."

Who are you?

Chiron, his expression wary, gripped the materialized twin swords and stared at the priest opposite him.

"Well... I think Ruler over there probably already knows or has guessed some things..."

Shirou, who had just given a bright, sunny smile, was about to say something more when he was interrupted by several Servant from the Red Faction who had arrived from behind.

"Assassin's Master... what have you done to our Master!?"

Faced with Atalanta's serious questioning, Shirou's expression remained unwavering as he smiled and rolled up his sleeves. Everyone present gasped upon seeing his hand.

His arm is inscribed with the Command Spell of all the Servant of the [Red] faction except for the two sets on the back of Mordred's hand and Wang Xiaoming's hand, totaling fifteen.

"I have peacefully negotiated and obtained the transfer of your Command Spell from your Master. You need not worry about mana issues; the mana you need to maintain your presence in the world is a negligible problem now that you are connected to the Greater Grail."

"Peaceful negotiations?"

Upon hearing the question from who-knows-who, the boy glanced at the Karna on the other side:

"That's right, because our Lancer is the hero most skilled at seeing through other people's lies. So I have never lied from beginning to end. The orders I conveyed were all orders from your Master."

Ruler finally understood where her persistent unease came from.

From the very beginning, the incomprehensible actions of the [Red] faction, such as attacking Ruler and prematurely seizing the Greater Grail, were all part of a strategy he devised behind the scenes.

"So, what I sensed, the warning God was giving me, was actually your existence?"

"Really? I haven't had the slightest thought of disobeying God's will."

Seeing Shirou spread his hands in an expression of innocence, Ruler finally understood why he had been summoned.

The reason I was summoned in an abnormal state, possessing the France girl Laeticia, is probably because the [Ruler] class already exists in this world, which caused confusion in the Greater Grail's understanding.

Then, the reason this priest had been avoiding her was because he was also a Ruler. One of the Ruler's privileges was the ability to see through a Servant's class and True Name Discernment name, which was effective even for someone who had regained their physical body. If he were to meet her on the battlefield, the priest's plans would surely be ruined.

"You... are the Ruler who was summoned in the Third Holy Grail War in Fuyuki, aren't you?"

In a declarative tone, Ruler revealed the boy's identity.

Everyone present held their breath. This once-in-a-century scene forced them to suppress their doubts and listen carefully to the questions and answers between the two Rulers.

As the one being questioned, the boy shrugged and replied:

"That's right. So before becoming their official Master, I've been avoiding meeting you, since you hold Command Spell. If you find out, everything I've done will be in vain."

His calm voice contained no hatred or hostility, only a determination to carry it out absolutely to the very end.

Persuasion was impossible; the boy wouldn't stop until he was killed—that was the girl's conviction.

Therefore, Ruler drew the sword from his waist:

"What is your purpose, Amakusa Shirou Tokisada?"

"Of course, it's for the salvation of all mankind, Joan of Jeanne d'Arc!"

Chapter 244. Wang Shirou

"Saving all of humanity?"

Upon hearing Amakusa Shirou's words, Ruler's tightly pursed lips curved into a surprised smile, "Do you really want to fulfill such a foolish wish?"

"That's really going too far!"

Faced with Ruler's hostile questioning, Amakusa Shirou responded with a relaxed smile:

"You, who are called a saint by the world, would actually say that [saving all mankind] is a foolish wish. Isn't this the long-cherished wish of you [saints]?"

Ruler did not refute Amakusa Shirou's question; instead, he nodded in agreement.

"That's true, but no one has ever fulfilled this wish so far, and it's not something that can be achieved simply by talking about it, even with the Holy Grail."

Although the Holy Grail is known as an omnipotent wish-granting machine, it is merely a tool that allows one to skip the process of fulfilling a wish.

The Holy Grail is a tool that directly brings results to the wisher, disregarding the time, effort, money, and other conditions required to fulfill a wish.

Therefore, the Holy Grail can only fulfill wishes with definite results; it does not have the power to concretize abstract concepts such as "saving all mankind."

As the being summoned by [Ruler], Amakusa Shirou should also know the limits of the wishes that the Holy Grail can grant. That is why Ruler questioned Amakusa Shirou's unrealistic wish to [save all mankind].

However, Amakusa Shirou shook his head seriously, denying Ruler's words.

"My wish can be fulfilled, Ruler."

"What...?"