Dating Caster

Wang Xiaoming sighed softly, then stated his target for this operation.

"Why not Emiya Kiritsugu? Logically, he should be the highest priority target now that he is severely wounded."

Kayneth raised an objection. It seemed that the way Emiya Kiritsugu had left him humiliated still rankled him to this day.

"Then do you know where Emiya Kiritsugu is hiding right now?"

With a single sentence, Wang Xiaoming left Kayneth speechless.

A cunning rabbit has three burrows; as the Magus Killer, there was no way Emiya Kiritsugu would be careless after confirming that his side's intelligence had been leaked. If they wanted to track him down in such a short time, it would be harder than ascending to heaven unless he exposed himself voluntarily.

Furthermore, during the time Wang Xiaoming and Caster had been growing closer, Kayneth had been searching for Emiya Kiritsugu's trail himself. Even after exhausting the Archibald intelligence network, he still hadn't found a single trace, which left him feeling quite frustrated.

"By comparison, the whereabouts of the head of the Tohsaka family, one of the Three Founding Families, are much easier to grasp. Moreover, you have all witnessed the power of Archer with your own eyes. If we can force him to retire early, it would be of immense benefit to any of us."

Archer—though he had not struck many times, every time he did, the sheer scale and destructive power were terrifyingly astonishing.

What's more, regarding the Noble Phantasm Archer still kept hidden—Ea—Wang Xiaoming did not believe anyone on his side could remain intact after enduring a blast from it.

Even if this operation failed to eliminate Tohsaka Tokiomi, as long as they could force him to use the two remaining Command Spells in his possession, the mission would not be considered a failure.

Because that would already drive Tohsaka Tokiomi into a dead end.

A smile appeared at the corner of Wang Xiaoming's mouth.

Compared to the wishes of the other Masters for the Holy Grail...

Emiya Kiritsugu's hope for world peace felt laughable; Matou Kariya's struggle for Sakura felt pitiable; Waver was merely acting out of teenage angst to prove his own ability, having no real wish at all; and his teacher, Kayneth, was simply looking to add a "military achievement" to his resume.

Then there was Kirei Kotomine, who still hadn't figured out why he was participating in the war, and himself, who just wanted to survive...

Tohsaka Tokiomi's wish could be considered the most normal among all the Masters, but his scheme was daring enough to make one's heart skip a beat:

Reaching the Root—this was the lifelong pursuit not just of Tohsaka Tokiomi, but of most magi as well.

However, only a few knew that relying solely on the wish of the Holy Grail was not enough to reach the Root. It required sufficient energy, an incredibly powerful force capable of opening the door to the outside of the world.

To ensure the Holy Grail possessed enough power, all seven Servants had to sacrifice their lives and return to the Grail. By utilizing the power of their return to the Throne of Heroes located outside the world, a hole could be opened in this world, and the vast magical energy accumulated in the Greater Grail would be used to fix that hole in place.

In other words, the moment Archer—the King of Heroes Gilgamesh—achieved victory, would be the moment he was forced by a Command Spell to commit suicide!

Tohsaka Tokiomi, who bowed and scraped before the King of Heroes, had as his ultimate goal the death of that very person!

This could truly be called the greatest highlight of Tohsaka Tokiomi's life!

"Therefore, Tohsaka Tokiomi is our target for tonight!"

Wang Xiaoming said decisively, then swept his gaze across the group, finally resting it on Kayneth.

"Lord Kayneth..."

"Let me go... cough, cough!"

Before Wang Xiaoming could finish his sentence, Matou Kariya stood up abruptly. Perhaps due to his overwhelming urgency, his body, already pushed to its limit, began to cough violently again.

"Lord Kayneth, this operation requires you to coordinate with Matou Kariya. Are you willing to go? Though if you don't want to..."

Wang Xiaoming was truly worried about Matou Kariya's physical state, which was why he wanted to add an extra layer of insurance and made this request to Kayneth.

He had expected to spend more time persuading him.

Unexpectedly—

"Then what about Archer? If Tohsaka Tokiomi uses a Command Spell, our side will face a bitter battle. From this perspective, the effort and the reward are completely disproportionate."

Kayneth asked suddenly. His tone this time lacked the usual sarcasm, which made Wang Xiaoming feel a bit strange.

"No, that won't happen."

A mysterious smile suddenly appeared on the corner of Wang Xiaoming's mouth as he pulled an object from his pocket.

A pocket watch—

Wang Xiaoming was holding a rather old-looking pocket watch in his hand.

"Do you intend to use this thing to hold back Archer?"

Seeing the object, Kayneth asked with a tone of absurdity.

"Of course."

Wang Xiaoming replied as if it were a matter of course.

"Are you mocking me?"

Hearing Wang Xiaoming's answer, Kayneth's tone turned slightly cold.

"Not at all. You seem to have forgotten one thing..."

Wang Xiaoming waved his hand to indicate he wasn't joking and continued:

"Do you remember the class of my Servant?"

"Caster... could it be?"

Wang Xiaoming's answer made Kayneth pause, and then he suddenly remembered something.

Class Skill:

When a Heroic Spirit is summoned by a Master through the Greater Grail, they are granted unique skills based on the class they manifest as.

And the class skill of Caster is—

Item Construction.

This is the ability to craft implements imbued with magical energy, generally used by magi to create Mystic Codes. As a Witch from the Age of Gods, Medea's skill in Item Construction has long since reached the level of A-rank.

If materials are sufficient, she can even concoct potions that approximate the Elixir of Life.

The pocket watch in Wang Xiaoming's hand is a one-time-use Mystic Code that Medea completed by reverse-engineering the magecraft used to summon Heroic Spirits via the Grail, then utilizing some materials left behind by Zouken Matou.

[Junk]

At the time, after Medea finished this Mystic Code, the expression on her face clearly showed she was dissatisfied with it. A sudden feeling arose in Wang Xiaoming's heart: if not for the rush of time, Medea could likely have produced something terrifying.

The ability of the pocket watch is to delay the Command Spell orders transmitted to a Servant.

But the duration is only—

"Five seconds."

Looking at Kayneth, Wang Xiaoming's expression turned serious: "This is the limit of the time we can buy for you. However, I believe that with the abilities of Lancer and Berserker, five seconds should be more than enough for you two."

"Agreed."

To Wang Xiaoming's surprise, the first to agree was actually Kayneth. Conversely, Kariya was somewhat resistant to having others interfere in the grudge between himself and Tohsaka Tokiomi, his expression filled with dissatisfaction.

"If there is nothing else, then I shall go and prepare."

After saying this to Kariya, Kayneth left the parlor directly, and Lancer rose to follow him out. Watching Kayneth's back, a faint sense of unease stirred in Wang Xiaoming's heart.

This man shouldn't be planning to stir up trouble, should he?

"Why let others interfere in the grudge between me and Tohsaka Tokiomi?!"

After Kayneth left, Kariya came up to Wang Xiaoming, grabbed him by the collar, and demanded an answer.

"Can you think about Sakura for a moment?"

A single soft sentence from Wang Xiaoming instantly extinguished the fire in Kariya's heart. Ignoring the hand Kariya still had on his collar, Wang Xiaoming stared into his eyes and said word by word: "Rather than a coward who dies without burden after resolving his inner conflict, I think Sakura would rather see the Kariya who accompanied her through that dark experience until the end."

"Sakura..."

Kariya's hand dropped powerlessly. As the sole motivation sustaining his life, the memory of Sakura's past smiles surfaced in his mind once again.

[Uncle Kariya]

"Although war always demands sacrifices, as a friend I've just come to know, I still hope you can return alive."

Patting Kariya on the shoulder, Wang Xiaoming said with a smile.

Chapter Promotion Time~

If It Is for That Roman Flower

Author: Warrior of Love--Ibuki Hyoutan (Fellow fat pigeon 2333)

Synopsis: Saving humanity is fine.

Seizing the Holy Grail is also fine.

The thing I must do has always been only one!

If it is for that Ro(qin)man(mei)tic(mei) flower!

By the way, thanks to the big boss Royal Flagship Hood for the tip (:3"∠)

Chapter 51. Attending the Banquet

"I wish you—great military success!"

Standing at the entrance, watching Kariya's departing back, Wang Xiaoming silently recited this in his heart.

Come to think of it, it's about time now, isn't it...

Glancing at the clock hanging in the corridor, Wang Xiaoming turned to look at the woman beside him. Since they were attending a banquet, their etiquette naturally needed to be proper.

Thinking this, Wang Xiaoming performed a decent invitation gesture: bowing halfway, left hand behind his waist, right arm bent forward and extended toward Medea.

"My beautiful lady, may I have the honor of inviting you to attend a banquet with me?"

Looking at the ordinary-looking man smiling at her, a thought suddenly arose in Medea's heart:

[If I hadn't met this person...]

But such things were no longer important now.

Medea smiled, pursing her lips, and gently placed her left hand on Wang Xiaoming's right hand:

"Of course."

Like a princess stepping out of a royal court, her elegant posture was impeccable, and her clear, cyan-blue pupils shone like jewels under the illumination of the lights.

Nightfall, Fuyuki Bridge.

The Mion River was within reach of the river mouth, and the Fuyuki Bridge, which spanned its two banks, was a magnificent, red-bodied arched bridge with a total length of 665 meters. Beneath the bridge, the river water flowing slowly by shimmered with starlight tonight, reflected by the bright moonlight. Carried by the night breeze, the faint, salty scent of the water from the distant river mouth drifted over.

As the economic artery of Fuyuki City, this magnificent bridge connecting Shinto and Miyama Town was always bustling, yet tonight it felt somewhat different. The bridge, which usually saw a steady stream of vehicles even late into the night, was now unnervingly quiet.

"Oh?"

Standing in the center of the bridge, the burly man—whose oversized white T-shirt looked like a tight-fitting garment on his massive frame—sensitively detected the shift in magical energy around him. Moments later, a man and a woman appeared abruptly beside the red-haired man.

The man wore a black suit jacket over a white dress shirt; while the attire was casual, it surprisingly suited the occasion well.

Perhaps his short black hair and unremarkable features would cause one to subconsciously overlook this ordinary man, but the woman trailing half a step behind him was entirely different.

Her smooth, long blue hair draped quietly down her back, and though she wore a simple, pale blue dress, it could not conceal the noble aura surrounding her. A coat worn over the dress wrapped around her exquisite, shapely figure.

The charm of a mature woman was on full display.

Although their temperaments were extreme, they appeared unexpectedly harmonious to any observer.

"Haha, Caster and Caster's Master! I didn't expect you two to be the first to arrive!"

Upon seeing who had come, the red-haired giant laughed with a heroic air.

The newcomers were naturally Wang Xiaoming and his Servant, Medea.

"After all, your invitation was truly quite grand. As a guest, I would feel ashamed if I didn't arrive early."

The presence of a Servant that covered most of Fuyuki City...

It declared a heroic spirit that shouted, "Come! I am right here!"

Only the King of Conquerors standing before them—Iskandar—could pull off such a feat.

"Hahaha!"

Hearing Wang Xiaoming's praise, Rider laughed even more heartily, reaching out with a palm as large as a fan to pat him on the shoulder.

"After meeting you, I gave it some thought. The Holy Grail War is, at its core, a wild banquet for heroes; my previous thinking was far too narrow. Rather than inviting individual kings, it is better to issue an invitation to all participants. As long as someone dares to accept and respond to my invitation, they are a guest at this banquet!"

Wang Xiaoming, who had been sent stumbling by Rider's pat, could not help but be impressed by the man's spirit upon hearing his words, though it was a pity—