Dating Caster

[What can be done in five seconds?]

[Sharing a morning kiss with a lover? Or perhaps killing someone? Many things within one's capability can be accomplished in five seconds.]

[But when encountering something that exceeds one's understanding, even a single moment is enough to leave a person feeling helpless.]

Looking at Saber, who stood in front of Irisviel with a wary and questioning gaze, and Waver, who was clinging to Rider in a panic...

Wang Xiaoming glanced at Medea beside him. Seeing her innocent expression, he grinned helplessly; it was clear that Medea had guessed his thoughts.

He had only intended to sever the master-servant connection between Archer and Tohsaka Tokiomi, but now it seemed...

The effect of this disposable ritual craft you made in such a rush is a bit too good.

Because their connection to their masters was temporarily cut, the Heroic Spirits could only rely on the magical energy stored within their own bodies to act.

Rider felt the viscous sensation surrounding his body, which made him feel quite uncomfortable. He cast his gaze toward the calm and composed Medea and her companion, his naturally gruff voice dropping to a low register.

"Hey, Caster, this is your doing, right?"

Facing the formidable pressure radiating from Rider, Wang Xiaoming found his breathing slightly restricted, yet he still managed to force a smile.

"Just a little after-party entertainment following the banquet."

However, it seemed that the "entertainment" Wang Xiaoming spoke of was not accepted by those present.

"Time and again, you wear down a King's tolerance for you..."

Golden, rippling waves emerged behind Archer, and his cruel, furious voice reached Wang Xiaoming's ears.

"Mongrel, you have quite a lot of nerve!"

"Nerve? No, no, no. Once you know what I have planned next..."

Facing the dozens of Noble Phantasms emerging from those golden ripples, Wang Xiaoming showed no sign of fear. As the number he was counting down in his heart gradually reached zero, his mood began to grow heavy.

"It won't be too late to call me bold then."

The next second—

The golden radiance, along with its master, dissipated on the bridge in Fuyuki City. While the others had yet to grasp what had just transpired, Wang Xiaoming could only look toward the distant Tohsaka Mansion and silently recite:

[Kariya, I leave the rest to you.]

Boom, boom, boom—

The dull, rumbling sounds echoing from afar brought everyone, still confused by the previous scene, back to their senses.

The Heroic Spirits who had seen Archer fight in the warehouse district would never mistake those sounds; they were the noises of Noble Phantasms being fired from the treasury behind him.

It appeared Archer was in battle, but who exactly was his opponent?

Rider and Saber finally began to realize:

"Caster's master, from the moment we first met, I had already fallen into your scheme, hadn't I?"

Rider looked at Wang Xiaoming and slowly drew his sword from his right hip—Cyprus—pointing the tip at Wang Xiaoming's throat.

A King can be criticized, a King can be joked about, but a King will never allow himself to be used!

The polished, gleaming blade looked chillingly cold under the moonlight, yet it seemed insignificant compared to its master.

"Kid, if you don't have a reasonable explanation, then you can exit the stage right now along with Caster!"

In his rage, even a single glance from Rider was enough to stop a child from crying.

"An explanation?"

Wang Xiaoming chuckled at Rider's words:

"King of Conquerors, you, who are famous for war, cannot possibly have failed to discern the current situation. This is the Holy Grail War, not a war that can be decided solely by the skill of a Servant. So, I made plans for the sake of victory; what explanation do you need? Besides..."

Seemingly curious about what Wang Xiaoming was going to say next, Rider, still holding his sword, asked:

"Besides what?"

"Using words to shake Saber's conviction and cause her confusion—isn't that also your tactic, Rider?"

Wang Xiaoming's words surprised Saber, who had been listening from the side. The King of Conquerors slowly sheathed his sword and said:

"That is different. In my eyes, that little girl's ideals, heavy as a mountain, do not deserve to be acknowledged. If she cannot free herself from this 'curse,' then sooner or later, she will become a 'wandering ghost of the world,' losing her qualification as a 'King'."

"..."

Saber gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. She wanted to refute Rider's words but found no way to do so; this feeling of powerlessness made her very uncomfortable.

"But that is no reason for you to point fingers at Saber's ideals."

Disagreeing with Rider, Wang Xiaoming said:

"A so-called King is, after all, just someone who rules over a significant number of people. A King without their people is nothing more than a solitary individual. So... as an individual, what ideals one holds, what does that have to do with anyone else? If I win the Holy Grail, even if I want to use it as a water cup, that is my own business."

"Hmm, a rather novel argument."

Rider stroked the short beard on his chin and muttered to himself, while Saber, standing to the side, listened intently.

"Rider, do you think that just by using those words earlier, you can make Saber give up her pursuit of the Holy Grail?"

Wang Xiaoming asked suddenly, but both Rider and Saber shook their heads subconsciously.

"That settles it then. Everyone here is a Heroic Spirit, a person of strong will, and not someone who can be swayed by mere words."

Wang Xiaoming spread his hands and said, "Whether it is Rider, Saber, our side, or any of the other participants, only the victor who finally claims the Holy Grail has the right to speak, and the right to express opinions about others."

"Therefore, Saber..."

Wang Xiaoming looked at the golden-haired, green-eyed girl beside him, gazing into her emerald eyes, which were a completely different shade from those of Caster:

"Your past has long since been set in stone. Even if you obtain the Holy Grail and return to the past to change previous events, a thousand years from now, it will still be others who judge those days. Rather than agonizing over this so-called king's way here, it would be better to consider how to seize the Holy Grail; that is the proper path."

"Thank you, Caster's Master."

Saber thanked Wang Xiaoming sincerely. Just as Wang Xiaoming had said, weakness and confusion would not help her win the Holy Grail. Why should she let others point fingers at her merits and faults as a king?

"It seems the only one who played the villain here is me, then."

Seeing this scene, Rider scratched his head with a helpless expression, his previous anger having vanished without a trace. Watching Saber's eyes, which were as clear and serene as when they first met, shimmering with a confident light, Rider nodded slightly:

"Saber, although I do not approve of your ideals, I still hope we can compete in the name of the king's way on the battlefield."

"Then you had better be prepared when the time comes. You should know that King Arthur's sword is not so easily parried!"

Facing Rider's challenge, Saber responded with a posture that was dignified and inviolable!

Extra update delivered!

Thanks to [Taking a name is so hard], [Pathetic 233], [Rice], [Huayin], [Ah so boring], [Call me a salted fish], and [Book Guest 19208] for their tips.

Chapter 60. The Banquet Ends (One chapter owed)

"You should know that King Arthur's sword is not so easily parried!"

Saber's resounding reply made the few people present cast their eyes toward her.

"Then I am truly looking forward to it!"

Rider drew the Sword of Cyprus and slashed it through the air. The Divine Bull Chariot appeared accompanied by a thunderous roar; although it was not as grand as Ionioi Hetairoi, it was enough to capture the attention of everyone present.

"Hurry up, kid, get on."

"..."

"Hey, kid?"

"--Ah? Oh, right..."

Ever since he had witnessed Assassin being easily defeated, a strange shadow had been cast over Waver's heart. After all, it was his first time seeing such an unreasonable Noble Phantasm, and he was still immersed in the shock brought about by Ionioi Hetairoi. Although Rider was the Servant with whom he had formed a contract, this was still his first time seeing Rider's true power.

After Waver stepped onto the chariot with unsteady feet, Iskandar took one last look at Wang Xiaoming, who had already stood up, and said: "Caster's Master, if we meet on the battlefield next time, then I shall certainly conquer you with all my might!"

"In that case, I look forward to it as well."

Wang Xiaoming responded with a smile.

"Haha! Hold on tight, kid!"

Accompanied by the sound of muffled thunder and the panicked cries of the boy Waver, the lightning-shimmering chariot soared into the sky, gradually disappearing into the eastern horizon.

After Rider and his Master had left, Saber stood up and came before Wang Xiaoming and Caster, thanking them both sincerely:

"Caster, and Caster's Master, thank you both for your righteous words tonight."

"Heh—don't get the wrong idea, Saber."

Upon hearing Saber's thanks, Caster sneered and said:

"I just couldn't stand watching two people covered in filth spouting nonsense there. Do you really think you were in the right?"

Because of Caster's words, the atmosphere between them dropped to freezing point once again. Irisviel, standing to the side, looked somewhat uncomfortable, and even Wang Xiaoming broke into a cold sweat, preparing to smooth things over.

However, Saber, as the person involved, remained expressionless. Instead, she looked at Caster and asked in a low voice: "Caster, what did I do wrong? Please, enlighten me."

"..."

Wang Xiaoming raised his eyebrows in surprise. Looking at the Saber before him, he found that although her expression had changed slightly, she showed no signs of losing her composure.

It seemed that his words from earlier had indeed had some effect.

But the current Caster did not care what Wang Xiaoming was thinking; she continued with her own question.

"Even if you obtain the Holy Grail, what wish do you intend to make?"

"...I wish to change the fate of Britain, to spare it from the devastation of war and division, even if that Britain no longer includes me."

After some thought, Saber stated her wish.

"You mean you want Caliburn to choose a new king?"

"Saber?"

Upon hearing this question from Caster, Irisviel looked at Saber with worry in her eyes.

After giving Irisviel a reassuring look, Saber turned her gaze back to Caster and said with firm conviction:

"If there truly is someone wiser who can take my place, then I am willing to yield the throne to him."

Yes, that was it. If there really was someone who could lead a war-torn Britain to a new beginning and not repeat her own mistakes, then what did it matter if she yielded the throne to him?

"Is this the answer you arrived at after such careful deliberation?"

Upon hearing Saber's reply, a smile of pity curled the corners of Medea's lips.

"Caster, what do you mean by that? Are you trying to mock me as well?"

Saber's expression darkened. Although she had come to realize that her ideals were independent of others, as a king, she was not someone anyone could simply ridicule.

"No, I am feeling pity for... no, certainly not for you."

Seeing that Saber was about to speak, Medea said unhurriedly:

"I am merely feeling that it is not worth it for those Knights of the Round Table who fought alongside you."

"..."

Ignoring Saber's stunned expression, Medea continued:

"Your so-called quest to choose a new king means that the path you walked, the efforts you made, and the Knights of the Round Table who followed you and fought for Great Britain are all being negated by you."

"They fought through blood and fire for Britain, yet now, the king they loved and followed wishes to negate everything they did, to negate the entirety of Great Britain. To negate those who gathered under your banner, who fought for you and for Britain."

"Saber, how is such behavior any different from betrayal?"

"I... I..."

Saber's heart was filled with bitter agony. Although she did not care what happened to herself, those irreplaceable comrades-in-arms who had fought by her side and to whom she could entrust her life...

How could she ever be willing to negate them!

Watching the pale-faced Saber, Medea felt unexpectedly devoid of any sense of pleasure; a flicker of sorrow even passed through her half-lidded eyes.

It was precisely because she had experienced betrayal that she understood just how heavy the weight of betrayal truly was.

As for why Medea would bring this point up?

Perhaps it was merely the occasional kindness of a Witch.