Why Did the Priest Change Jobs to Become a Phantom Thief? / The Mysterious Arts Expert of Ancient Greece

In "Akame ga Kill!" and "Bleach", Iori has many followers, a significant portion of whom have formed deep bonds with Iori.

Because of the effect of the talent "Isshin Aspiration - Reverse", the longing they have for Iori will drive Iori's own progress and occasionally contribute some Art Style Value.

The quantity is small, but its value lies in its ability to accumulate over a long period of time. Similar to automatically refreshed Art Style CG, they are both extremely important strategic resources.

Now, Ciel has become an ally of Iori, though she herself is unaware of it.

"Iori, what is your real name?"

"Iori Aizen, that's my real name. I don't want to deceive you."

However, in this Holy Grail War, my identity is that of a wicked and unruly individual, driven from home by my father and sister, wandering the earth alone, and ultimately gaining renewed recognition from the gods for my Takehaya Susanoo -slaying achievements—Takeshiro, Susanoo-no-Mikoto, and Masurawo.

Susanoo!

——

[The Winter Form]

(Bond CG from Ciel)

Spirit - Slight Improvement

Mobility and Minor Improvement

Avoidance/Slight Improvement

Art Style Value +2

Special skills:

[The Holy Grail's Favor D]

They have gained the favor of the Holy Grail in a parallel world, receiving unseen protection and a slight increase in luck.

(The effect increases with the bond level)

Chapter 118: Why Did the Priest Become a Phantom Thief?

On the country road leading to the small Romania town of Turifas, the peaceful night was shattered by the fierce clanging of steel, the swirling flames and the pitch-black wind pressure clashing against each other, and the sword-like aura of dusk colliding with the emerald meteors!

Even without intentional sabotage, the aftershocks alone completely destroyed the winding road, which stretched for hundreds of meters, and the vast wilderness on both sides of it.

Perhaps the two sides deliberately chose this desolate place to fight; otherwise, if the battlefield had been in the city, razing a small town would have been an easy task.

It was a truly surreal scene, an exaggerated battle that could only be seen in mythology. The human eye could not discern what was happening inside; all that could be seen were invisible shockwaves ravaging the earth and trees, and the flames that were shattered turning the surroundings into Rengoku like Burning ...

On the edge of the battlefield, a Valkyrie, clad in silver armor and holding a flagpole, stood unmoved by the Unassailable wind, intently watching the battle and having the privilege of recording this great war that had returned to the age of mythology.

Joan of Arc, the young woman who had a tremendous influence on France history, not only saved her country during her lifetime, but her spirit continues to inspire the France people for centuries to come—except for World War II, France has always been courageous.

From her appearance, her features are delicate and well-proportioned, somewhat similar to the Black Faction's Rider King of Knights, but she lacks the majesty of a hegemon, instead possessing an aura of sacred inviolability and an unyielding pity deep in her eyes.

—This woman seemed to have been born to save people from suffering.

The Saintly Maiden has beautiful golden hair, like a wheat field in late autumn, braided and hanging down her back. Her armor is not bulky; it is a close-fitting type with some fabric embellishments, which perfectly accentuates her beautiful figure.

Her appearance is almost identical to that of King Arthur in his youth, so in a Holy Grail War in a certain Worldline, a goldfish-eyed Magecraft who wished to remain anonymous once mistook her for someone else.

This is really ridiculous. How can you judge someone by their face alone? If you just look down to their chest—how could you possibly mistake them?

Boom!

The deafening explosions shook the surrounding area, and waves of intense heat swept over them, forcing Jeanne to raise her arms to protect her face. Even as a transcendent judge, she couldn't help but feel a chill run down her spine at the sight of this battle.

The main characters on stage are four Servant, two each from black and red: Saber and Rider from the Black Faction, and Lancer and Rider from the Red Faction.

These four all possess formidable strength that can be considered the pinnacle of Servant. From martial arts to Noble Phantasm and Legend Rank, they are all impeccable. Even their Master have abundant mana, allowing them to fully unleash their power.

It is no exaggeration to say that any one of these four would be Laurel Wreath powerful figure capable of winning the Holy Grail War in an ordinary one, and would be virtually unbeatable.

In every Holy Grail War, if a Servant can summon even one or two of these, it's already considered to be of a very high level.

Four top-tier Servant gathered together for a chaotic battle—this has never happened before in any of this Worldline!

Only in a special war mode like the Red and Black War could such a spectacle occur!

Of course, Jeanne would not be excited by this. Although she gained fame in the war, she did not like fighting and sacrifice.

Furthermore, the reason these four Servant are fighting here is related to her; in a sense, she is a central figure, so her feelings are quite complicated.

The Red Faction is there to kill her, while the Black Faction is there to protect her.

It was clearly the Black Faction that committed the first foul and seized the Greater Holy Grail, so the Yggdmillennia clan should have been more wary of the Ruler.

But when Jeanne descended in "possession" form, it was the Red Faction that launched the first sneak attack on her?

It seems there are quite a few people with ulterior motives in this Holy Grail War!

Theoretically, if the Red Faction is hostile towards her, she should join forces with the Black Faction to fight against them. However, as the "arbitrator," Jeanne will not join any faction. She will only join forces with Servant when there is a threat that could cause the Holy Grail War to spiral out of control.

Although she didn't know why the Red Faction were hostile to her, it wasn't considered a serious violation, so Jeanne refused the Black Faction's offer to join her and remained neutral.

The blonde girl held a battle flag, her braids swaying in the wind as she carefully observed the changing battle situation... After a while, feeling that the outcome was uncertain, the girl thought for a moment and then went to pack up her luggage that had been knocked away by the Red Faction Servants in a sneak attack.

After all, she wasn't a genuine Servant; she had possessed a living girl. She didn't need to eat or drink, but the host needed to live a normal life.

——

A large-scale battle between four Servant Projection into the void. The chaotic flow of magic caused the image to become blurry and shaky from time to time, making it difficult to see the details, but it was still possible to make out that the two sides were evenly matched.

"Yes, Lancer and Rider on the Red Faction are indeed excellent... If we don't summon the great Northern Europe hero Siegfried and the Britain King of Knights, it will be very difficult to win this war."

Vlad III sat on his Throne, calmly assessing the combat prowess of the heroes.

Meanwhile, Fiore, the wheelchair-bound girl standing nearby, advised, "Your Majesty, Ruler hasn't joined the fight. Should we continue to commit our forces? With Archer's mobility, he can reach the target location quickly."

"No, that's fine. Given the current situation, continuing to commit more troops could easily trigger a decisive battle prematurely."

Vlad III said calmly, "For us, if we hold the decisive battle outside our territory, it would be tantamount to giving up our home advantage, which would be too advantageous for the Red Faction."

"I understand, it was my oversight." Fiore hesitated for a moment. "I'm just wondering why Ruler chose to remain neutral even after being attacked by Red Faction Servants?"

"This is probably the character of a saint. He doesn't harbor resentment over such things and can always view things from a fair and objective standpoint."

Vlad III smiled confidently, "Let's ignore her for now. Even if she remains neutral, she will become our ally in the future."

He spoke with such certainty that Fiore gave him a strange look.

Vlad III's confidence was not without reason. In the memories he "inherited," he discovered that the enemy Master, Shiro Amakusa, was Servant left over from the last Holy Grail War, and according to Darnic's memories, his class was [ruler]!

Compared to the Yggdmillennia, Amakusa had a much bigger hidden problem; otherwise, he wouldn't have sent people to assassinate Jeanne.

As the saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Although Jeanne was "neutral," she would definitely clash with Amakusa, which would make her a half-ally to Vlad III.

Therefore, he sent out his precious fighting force to ensure Jeanne of Arc's safety.

"By the way, has the Red Faction's Master made any moves lately?" Vlad III asked Fiore. "Have all the moles from the Mage's Association been eliminated? No thieves are allowed on my territory!"

"Don't worry about that. Caster, in cooperation with the Assassin, has already wiped out the spies."

As for the Red Faction Master ...

Fiore hesitated for a moment, then continued, "I don't know why... but it seems they've become phantom thieves."

"... Huh? Say it again?"

Chapter 119: Ancient Greece Mystic Experts

"To be precise, an unidentified phantom thief has appeared in Romania, and we tend to believe that he is the Red Faction Master."

Fiore reported to Vlad III, "After all, there are obvious signs of Magecraft at the crime scene, and apart from the Master sent by the Clock Tower, Magecraft in Romania are currently under the jurisdiction of Yggdmillennia."

"Phantom Thief?"

Wallachia felt a sense of absurdity. Although he had been indoctrinated with modern knowledge and could easily understand the meaning of the word, he simply couldn't connect it with the Holy Grail War.

"What do you mean? Are they thieves? What are they stealing?"

"This is quite intriguing. The stolen items were all public facilities such as museums, memorial halls, libraries, and banks. The perpetrators' targets were not valuable gold and silver treasures, but rather a large number of cultural relics and ancient books."

From Magecraft's perspective, it's normal to collect artifacts from all over the world in order to study ancient Magecraft and mysteries, even if it involves some dark methods that are outdated in modern society...

Strangely, the stolen items weren't any precious Holy Relic; most were simply antiques, valuable to collectors but meaningless to the Magecraft.

Fiore was also puzzled, unable to quite understand the behavior of the Red Faction Master (Shiro Amakusa).

It's not surprising that Magecraft would trample on all laws and morals and engage in illegal and criminal activities for the sake of their research, but the premise for doing so is that it's "worth it"!

In modern human society, civilization has developed tremendously compared to a century ago, and Magecraft's methods have also changed. With sufficient funds, even top-tier Holy Relic can be purchased, so there is no need to risk being targeted by the association to cause trouble.

Moreover, Romania is the territory of the Yggdmillennia, where the family has flourished and its influence has spread to every corner. The precious Magecraft resources have long been acquired, and those museums simply do not have any Holy Relic or materials.

After all, only with top-tier Holy Relic can one summon Servant that satisfies one's needs.

Otherwise, do you really think that you can just draw heroes from the Age of Gods so easily? You have to spend money!

By the way, Yggdmillennia is the best at this in Fiore!

In the Worldline of Fate/Apocrypha, the rampant occurrence of variant Holy Grail War has driven up the prices of various Holy Relic to exorbitant levels. It is against this backdrop that the wheelchair-bound girl manages to find the very best one:

Theoretically, it can summon the Holy Relic of Heracles, the Poisoned Arrowhead used by Hercules!

If Heracles is summoned in Europe, it is tantamount to winning the Holy Grail War —this is the consensus of almost all Magecraft!

But perhaps due to Fiore's bad luck, she failed to summon Hercules and instead summoned Chiron, the sage who was the victim of the Poisoned Arrowhead.

While this demigod is undoubtedly a first- Servant, compared to Heracles... Of course, Fiore is still quite satisfied, after all, Chiron has an excellent personality and is compatible with her.

Are they collecting items with 'history'? That could be in preparation for some kind of ritual.

Although Vlad III was not a legitimate Magecraft, ancient Romania was a very superstitious land, and as a king, he could be said to have extensive knowledge.

"After all, the Red Faction's Servant... should be a Caster, right? Perhaps they are gathering materials to build a workshop for him."

The memories he received from the parallel world did not contain any specific information about the enemy assassins, but he had a vivid memory of the Hanging Gardens and guessed that the enemy's actions were related to this unusual Noble Phantasm.

"Whatever the enemy wants to do, we cannot let him do it smoothly. Those who dare to steal on my territory must be brought to justice!"

"Your Majesty, leave this matter to the Magecraft below. It's not worth getting angry about," Fiore quickly advised, fearing that Vlad III would make an impulsive decision—Lancer's personality had clearly changed recently, and he was no longer as composed.

"Hmph, such a trivial matter isn't worth my personal attention, and it also depends on whether it's appropriate..."

Vlad III pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked, "How are Caster and Assassin now?"

——

Deep beneath the Thousand-Tree Castle, in a Magecraft Workshop comparable to a small factory, a massive and sacred spherical vessel, gleaming with golden light and containing a female bust, is placed under layers of protection, including physical railings and chains, as well as invisible Magecraft barriers and traps.

If you approach rashly, even an assassin skilled in stealth will be detected, leading to an attack from the Yggdmillennia Servant.

This Magecraft Workshop is located beneath the castle, boasting robust defenses, top-tier Magic Furnace, powerful puppet guards, and ferocious beasts kept at its disposal—it is virtually foolproof!

Of course, without a skilled Magecraft to oversee it, even the most powerful hardware facilities are just for show. But Yggdmillennia doesn't need to worry about that, because they have undoubtedly summoned the Magecraft authority of the Age of Gods.

At this very moment, the Caster and the Assassin mentioned by Vlad III are standing before the Greater Holy Grail, admiring the appearance of this the Miracle creation.

"How ugly! Humans have become so twisted in their pursuit of self-liberation."

Shuten-dōji, who was beaten to the brink of death by Iori and whose mind was "not quite right," can now stand up and make comments with dignity. Even his missing arm and demon horn have grown back... However, compared to the original, the restored parts are covered with flame-like red markings, making him look even more eerie.

"This 'cup' is incredibly ornate, but it's filled with bitterness. I was initially somewhat interested... but now I don't care anymore. Drinking from a cup like this would definitely taste terrible."

"You think so? I think it's absolutely beautiful. Although it's a creation of later humans and quite rough in many ways, the core Magic Circuit are extremely exquisite... It's a pity that it's too exquisite, its energy efficiency is too low, it's simply a shameful waste~"

Caster paused, then sighed, "If I were in charge of organizing it, the ceremony certainly wouldn't have dragged on like this. The original founders probably never imagined that a younger generation of Magecraft would fail to complete the ceremony even after three attempts, and that the fourth one would result in a Red and Black War..."

Nowadays, Magecraft focus on "Servant" and "Wish-granting machine" and take the outcome of the Holy Grail War very seriously, which is undoubtedly a sad thing in Caster's eyes.

Her Magecraft skills, ranking among the best in the entire Pan-Human History, allowed her to come into contact with the Greater Holy Grail on the very first day she was summoned, and she saw through the true nature of the Holy Grail War—

This is a large-scale Magecraft ritual, not a battle royale competition.

The killing among Servant is merely a means to complete the ritual; the key is to activate the Greater Holy Grail, which is what truly completes the ritual.

No matter how exciting the Servant fights or how thrilling the Master feuds are, if the ritual is not completed, it is all meaningless!

And completing the ritual does not require killing all the Servant...