Lan Ze

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Lan Ze (蓝泽)
Alias(es)	Divine Messenger; Caster; Mordred's Father King; “Merlin” (self-claimed)
Species/Race	Human; later possesses half-divine blood and becomes a Heroic Spirit 119
Gender	Male
Occupation/Role	Ereshkigal's Divine Messenger; Heroic Spirit/Servant in the Holy Grail War 7 104
First Appearance	Chapter 3

Background / History

Lan Ze first appears trapped in Ereshkigal's Underworld. Refused permission to leave, he attempts to pass the Seven Gates himself, dies at the second gate, and reaches the login interface; Ereshkigal follows him there despite forgetting his prior appearance 3. He later tells her that she is a game character rather than concealing the truth 4.

He accepts Ereshkigal's offer to become her Divine Messenger, then refuses Ishtar's competing offer out of loyalty to that contract. Ishtar retaliates by reducing his Luck to E-rank, though she also gives him Star Slice Gems 7. Lan Ze subsequently completes a hidden quest by killing 300 monsters and receives True Illusion Manifestation 7.

Driven by Ereshkigal's disappearance, Lan Ze undergoes Scathach's punishing dream-based Rune Magic training and learns that he can use the acquired magic in reality 10. His connection with Tiamat becomes central to his actions: after completing a mission to kiss her while she sleeps, he recognizes her loneliness and chooses to stay with her 15. He later brings her out of the dreamscape, earning a Spirit Core Expansion reward 28.

When Tiamat awakens as a Beast outside Uruk, Lan Ze rejects the System's order to defeat her and instead attempts to save her. Gilgamesh and other allies support his effort to cross the Sea of Life 39. He expends his mana using Excalibur, the Gate of Babylon, and Illusion Manifestation before continuing toward Tiamat through the black mud by physical effort alone 40 41.

After defeating Vortigern with Rhongomyniad, Lan Ze is unable to log out and is held by Kishinami Hakuno. The Holy Lance's erosion regresses his body and personality into an infant-like state in both the game and reality 90 93. His mind later recovers, though his appearance remains childlike; he is told that the erosion can be removed either by waiting three years or by entering a Holy Grail War 101.

Lan Ze chooses Heroic Spirit Summoning, becomes Irisviel's Servant, and enters the Holy Grail War in a high-school-aged body. Artoria gives him Rhongomyniad, now usable repeatedly without further erosion 104. During the conflict, he protects Sakura from the Matou family, aids Karen with a protective cross necklace, and works to transfer the Holy Grail to Chaldea 155 156 157.

He repeatedly opposes Goetia, surviving a mortal defeat and returning to Fuyuki to seek the other Beasts' assistance 234. With the Beasts' support, he confronts Goetia at the Temple of Time; his rapid healing lets him endure Goetia's attacks, and their combined efforts ultimately defeat Goetia 255 256 261.

Appearance

Lan Ze is described as having soft black hair, which rises around his forehead while he channels mana through Excalibur 40. Holy Lance erosion temporarily changes both his game and real-world bodies into infant forms, while later Servant summoning manifests him as a high-school-aged boy 93 104.

• Soft black hair 40
• Temporarily regressed to an infant-like body through Rhongomyniad's erosion 93 101
• Appeared as a high-school-aged boy after being summoned as a Servant 104
• Can assume a Magic Dragon form 130 232

Personality

Lan Ze is direct and unusually candid in dangerous or emotionally complicated situations, such as telling Ereshkigal that she is a game character rather than allowing a deception to divide them 4. He is persistent under pressure: he refuses Ishtar's recruitment despite her curse, continues toward Tiamat after exhausting his mana, and returns to face Goetia after being mortally wounded 7 41 234.

His strongest decisions are shaped by protectiveness and empathy. He remains with Tiamat after recognizing her loneliness, refuses to sacrifice her for the System's quest, rescues Sakura despite the risks, and helps Karen protect herself from demons 15 39 155 156. He can also remain composed when faced with hostile or powerful figures, including Ushi Gozen, Arcueid, and Goetia 230 242 234.

Abilities & Skills

True Illusion Manifestation

A hidden-quest reward earned after Lan Ze kills 300 monsters 7.

• Creates and throws illusions during combat 40
• Can manifest imagined objects, though he cannot create people with whom he can interact 24
• His manifested weapons and objects consume mana; attempting to create too many exhausts him 28

Rune Magic

Rune Magic learned through Scathach's training in a dream world 10.

• Remains usable in reality after dream training 10
• Supports his efforts to locate Ereshkigal 10

Gate of Babylon

Lan Ze can deploy and use the Gate of Babylon in battle.

• Fires Noble Phantasms in volleys 40
• Can clash directly with Gilgamesh's Gate of Babylon 112
• Produces the Chains of Heaven 112

Chains of Heaven

Golden binding chains summoned through the Gate of Babylon 112.

• Their binding power increases against targets with higher Divinity 230
• Restrained Ushi Gozen despite her attempts to break free 230
• Were used alongside Rhongomyniad to defeat Goetia 237

Rhongomyniad

The Holy Lance acknowledges Lan Ze as a wielder and later becomes a gift from Artoria 77 104.

• Lan Ze passes all thirteen restraints in a Round Table Conference 87
• Uses Anchor of the World three consecutive times to defeat Vortigern 87
• Its deity, Rhongomyniad/Number Nine, forms a contract with him 87
• Initially erodes his body and causes physical and mental regression 93 100
• Artoria later gives him a version that can be used repeatedly without worsening the erosion 104
• Defeats Goetia when combined with the Chains of Heaven 237

Magic Dragon Form

Lan Ze can transform into a Magic Dragon.

• Used to escape confinement in black mud 130
• Allows aerial escape from pursuers including Lancelot, Jason, Ozymandias, and Gilgamesh 130 232
• Reverts to human form after severe injury 234

Ancient Song

Lan Ze can use ancient song in conjunction with his dragon form.

• Used to evade Lancelot during his escape 130
• Kama counters it with sound-blocking magic 130
• Tiamat can assist him by singing the ancient song 130

Spirit Core and Magical Energy

Lan Ze's Spirit Core and mana capacity are repeatedly altered by external powers.

• Receives a Spirit Core Expansion after taking Tiamat out of the dreamscape 28
• Tiamat can replenish his mana faster than the Holy Grail 28
• His Spirit Core is expanded again through Tiamat's Sea of Life 228
• Displays rapid healing comparable to a Beast while fighting Goetia 256
• Can sense nearby magical fluctuations, though he fails to detect a Holy Grail on one occasion 206

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Excalibur — used against the Sea of Life, though it is swallowed and proves ineffective against it 41
• Rhongomyniad — Holy Lance recognized by and later entrusted to Lan Ze 77 104
• Gate of Babylon — source of Noble Phantasms and the Chains of Heaven 40 112
• Vimana / Heavenly Ark — airborne craft he can command and use for rapid travel 112 206
• Star Slice Gems — gifted by Ishtar after she curses his Luck 7
• Crystal Ball — resonates with the Tower of Radiance 70
• Protective glass bead — given by Tiamat after expanding his Spirit Core 228

Relationships

• Ereshkigal — Lan Ze's first Divine Messenger patron. Their relationship begins with his imprisonment in the Underworld and deepens after he honestly tells her she is a game character 3 4 7.
• Tiamat — regards Lan Ze as her child; he chooses to remain with and save her rather than obey orders to defeat her. She repeatedly protects and restores his magical energy 15 39 96 248.
• Sajyou Manaka / Aika — roommate and recurring magical ally. She helps with his messages and household life, later offers Root magic to replace his other magical energies, and openly discusses her insecurities with him 4 98 262.
• Ishtar — attempted to recruit Lan Ze as her Divine Messenger, cursed his Luck after he refused, and later maintains a flirtatious, competitive connection with him 7 162 195.
• Scathach — Lan Ze's Rune Magic teacher, training him harshly within a dream world 10.
• Artoria — sparring and chess partner who later proposes marriage, recognizes his compatibility with Rhongomyniad, and gives him the Holy Lance 55 62 77 104.
• Mordred — Lan Ze claims the role of her Father King; she is later revealed to be his biological daughter 87 90.
• Gilgamesh — ally during the Uruk crisis and a rival in use of the Gate of Babylon and Chains of Heaven. Gilgamesh supports Lan Ze's attempt to save Tiamat 39 112.
• Kishinami Hakuno — rescues but imprisons Lan Ze after Vortigern's defeat; her past with him later provokes jealousy among the Beasts 90 237.
• Irisviel — Lan Ze's Master after he chooses Heroic Spirit Summoning; she treats him with gentleness despite Justeaze's intent to use him to win the Grail War 104.
• Matou Sakura — Lan Ze rescues her from the Matou family and later returns to her through a Command Spell in a weakened state 155 210.
• Kama — adversary and uneasy associate who counters his ancient song, later returns his handkerchief and confronts him over her role in the Grail War 130 155 156.
• Arcueid — initially seeks Lan Ze's blood, but their encounter turns into games and a proposed alliance against Goetia; she publicly calls herself his “secret lover” 242 250.
• Minamoto no Raikou — follows Lan Ze into her dreamscape, where he accepts and restrains her Ushi Gozen persona rather than rejecting it 228 230.
• Goetia — Lan Ze's principal enemy during the Temple of Time conflict; Lan Ze defeats it with Rhongomyniad and the Chains of Heaven, then helps defeat it again with allied Beasts 237 255 261.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Underworld and Divine Messenger Arc

• Attempts to escape Ereshkigal's Underworld through the Seven Gates, dies, and reaches the login interface 3.
• Becomes Ereshkigal's Divine Messenger and refuses Ishtar's offer despite receiving a Luck E curse 7.
• Earns True Illusion Manifestation by completing the 300-monster hidden quest 7.

Tiamat and Uruk Arc

• Bonds with Tiamat after recognizing her loneliness and promises not to leave her 15.
• Removes Tiamat from the dreamscape and gains Spirit Core Expansion 28.
• Defies a World-Class Quest ordering Tiamat's defeat, choosing instead to save her in the Sea of Life 39.
• Uses Excalibur, the Gate of Babylon, and Illusion Manifestation in his attempt to reach her 40 41.

Britain and Holy Lance Arc

• Is acknowledged by Rhongomyniad and defeats Vortigern after passing its thirteen restraints 77 87.
• Is captured by Kishinami Hakuno and suffers Holy Lance erosion, which regresses his body and mind 90 93.
• Accepts Heroic Spirit Summoning to seek a cure through the Holy Grail War 101 104.

Holy Grail War Arc

• Serves as Irisviel's Caster and becomes involved with the Fuyuki conflict 104.
• Rescues Sakura from the Matou family and protects Karen from demons 155 156.
• Works to hand the Holy Grail over to Chaldea 157.
• Faces Goetia, survives a lethal defeat, and mobilizes the Beasts against it 234.

Temple of Time Arc

• Challenges Goetia at the Temple of Time with support from multiple Beasts 255.
• Endures Goetia's attacks through Beast-like regeneration 256.
• Helps secure Goetia's defeat, after which he faces renewed conflict over his relationships with the Beasts 261.

Notable Quotes

“It's time to truly awaken from your slumber, Mother!” 40

“Chains of Heaven. Simply put, the higher the Divinity, the stronger its binding ability.” 230