Solo Infiltration / Sea Demon Tentacles

Perhaps because she was locked up, or perhaps because she didn't want to bother with Gilles who was going berserk beside her, Kiyohime really felt that Gilles was more like a berserker than she was. In order to avoid dealing with Gilles, she chose to talk to the girl who was probably Illya over there.

Why would you cooperate with this person? Don't you want to obtain the Holy Grail yourself?

"I don't need the Holy Grail." Illya shook her head directly, speaking with absolute certainty, as if she had no interest in the Holy Grail whatsoever.

Kiyohime was taken aback by this attitude, and she immediately said, "The Holy Grail can grant your wishes, and any wish at that. Don't you have any wishes you want to fulfill?"

If they could persuade the girl to destroy the True Magic circle from the outside, they could escape. Therefore, she desperately wanted to make the girl one of their own.

In the end, Illya shook her head. "I don't need the Holy Grail to fulfill any wishes, or rather, the Holy Grail cannot fulfill my wishes."

Kiyohime was stunned again by what Illya said; she found it difficult to understand the meaning behind her words.

What does it mean that the Holy Grail could not grant her wish?

Kiyohime was unaware that the appearance of the Holy Grail meant Illya had lost herself, so she had no chance to make a wish upon Holy Grail.

Just as she was thinking about how to get the girl to dispel the True Magic circle for her, she heard another man's voice. "It's quite lively."

It was a blue-haired man wearing a T-shirt who didn't seem to be afraid of the cold at all. He glanced at the people who were locked up, chuckled, and handed the cup in his hand to Illya.

Here you go, your hot cocoa.

"Thank you," Illya said, taking the cup from the other person's hand, then taking a small sip, a happy expression on her face.

The newcomers were followers, and spearmen at that!

Almost instantly, Kiyohime recognized the newcomer's identity, but this also made her wary.

"Wasn't the spearman supposed to be dead? Why is he still here?" Kiyohime's doubts grew. Just then, Hassan of the Hundred Faces, who had been trying to break the True Magic circle's seal with Gilles, looked at the man and asked in confusion, "Cú Chulainn?!"

Hassan of the Hundred Faces has already learned from Kirei Kotomine that the true identity of the dead spearman was Cú Chulainn.

But if Cú Chulainn is dead, then who is standing before us now?!

"It's me. You're all under Kirei Kotomine's command now?" Cú Chulainn said, shaking his head. "It can't be that bad, can it? Suddenly adding several new Servants, all of them under one person's command... that's too much..."

As he said this, he suddenly remembered that almost all the Servants he had originally summoned were now working for Mephistopheles, and he felt that his guess was actually possible.

According to Mephistopheles, the purpose of the Holy Grail is to absorb Servants and temporarily seal them away in the same state they would be in when they return to the Throne of Heroes, thus stabilizing the passage from the mortal world to the Reverse Side of the World.

Since several Servants are currently unable to fight, it's entirely possible that the Holy Grail could simply throw the necessary Servants onto the opposite side of Mephistopheles and give them all to one person.

"So, the Holy Grail really does have its own consciousness..." Cú Chulainn muttered to himself, then glanced at the True Magic circle surrounding them and smiled, "Unfortunately, with the help of this True Magic circle, the Holy Grail can't achieve its goal."

Just then, Diarmuid walked in. Without any hesitation, he went straight into the True Magic circle. Kiyohime opened her mouth, then finally asked, "You surrendered?"

Gilles then shouted, "Why don't you fight? How can you expect Jeanne d'Arc to return with this behavior?!"

"I have nothing to do with Jeanne d'Arc," Diarmuid said with a frown, then ignored the obviously crazy Gilles and turned to Mephistopheles.

There was a clear sense in those eyes that said, "Don't forget what you said."

Mephistopheles smiled, then opened his mouth and began to chant a spell.

Mephistopheles had used this exorcism True Magic once before, against Gilgamesh, so he used it with ease now.

At this moment, under a mysterious force, a passage was torn open, and not through the Holy Grail, but by a higher power. This power tore a gap between the present world and the outside world as a passage, and then another powerful force swept up the four people inside the True Magic circle and flung them directly into the gap!

Even if the Holy Grail wanted to intercept it at this moment, it would be powerless, because the power of the Holy Grail was completely blocked outside. The inside and outside of the True Magic circle became completely different worlds. The people inside the True Magic circle were quickly sucked into the gap and began to return to their respective Throne of Heroes.

As Mephistopheles carried out this work, he continued to observe Illya, watching to see if any changes occurred in the girl.

So, as all four were thrown into the rift, nothing changed about Illya, a discovery that secretly relieved Mephistopheles.

"This is so easy, it doesn't feel like the Holy Grail War at all," Illya commented, taking a sip of hot cocoa. "Uncle, can't you let them win a little? A fight that's evenly matched is much more interesting!"

"I'm not filming a TV series or movie, there's no need for an evenly matched contest."

"But I'm watching the show!"

"Then you can continue reading at your leisure. I have some things to take care of, so I'll be leaving now!" Mephistopheles smiled, shook his head, and walked outside.

He was going to the church to see what Gilles, the Magecraft, was up to.

If the other party is using sacrificial offerings, then you must kill them before the sacrificial offerings are killed!

Chapter 105 Solo Invasion

The moment Kiyohime and the other Servants were banished from this world by Mephistopheles, Kirei Kotomine felt his connection with them severed.

It was at this moment that Kirei Kotomine confirmed one thing.

They failed.

Kirei Kotomine frowned slightly. The development of events was somewhat beyond his expectations. He should have had the upper hand, so why had he failed?

Kirei Kotomine frowned even more deeply after glancing at Robin Hood and Astolfo, who had only recently been teleported back.

Both sides' operations failed, and they lost four Servants at once, leaving him with only three Servants available.

"It seems their main force is indeed at the Emiya Household ..." Robin Hood said, telling Kirei Kotomine what had happened to him. Kirei Kotomine pondered after hearing about Robin Hood and Astolfo's situation.

"In other words, the school originally only had one Servant, who could have easily taken down the Master. However, an unexpected event occurred, which prevented Robin Hood Master from eliminating the Master immediately, allowing Saber to arrive and turning the situation into a two-on-two battle."

Thinking of this, Kirei Kotomine quickly asked, "So, what kind of accident was it?"

"Of course, it's because you really don't understand your junior sister at all." Robin Hood immediately complained. She was clearly Kirei Kotomine's junior sister, and Kirei Kotomine was the one who managed her family business, yet he had absolutely no idea about her strength!

Upon hearing this, Kirei Kotomine's interest was piqued. "Oh? Is there something about her that surprised me?"

Seeing that Kirei Kotomine, despite being at a great disadvantage, still showed an expression of wanting to know some gossip, Robin Hood sighed inwardly and gave a detailed account of Rin Tohsaka, whom he was facing.

"She possesses a peculiar Magecraft that allows her to instantly construct a fortified position that protects her and her companions. Even my relentless attacks have failed to break through it."

"If you had invested more people in our side from the beginning, perhaps we could have broken through this defense together. But I alone, even with Astolfo, don't think I have any hope of breaking it."

"However, I am, after all, a wandering knight, and I still have a good eye for observation. The main reason she can perform such powerful Magecraft is probably because of the gem on her wrist. You didn't even mention that gem at the beginning?!"

"A gemstone? On her wrist?" Kirei Kotomine pondered for a moment, then suddenly realized, "That's a family heirloom, passed down to her by her father. But actually, it's just a gemstone that can continuously extract magical energy, so it doesn't have to be thrown away after one use. For her, its greatest use is probably just saving money."

Kirei Kotomine shared what he knew about the Moon Goddess's Gem, then asked, "Why do you think that thing is the key item for casting spells?"

Robin Hood said, "The aura—the gem has the same aura as the protective barrier she used. I think that reason is enough."

"But as far as I know, this gem has never actually shown any remarkable power in her father's hands. If you're really sure that Rin's display of strength this time mainly came from that gem..." Kirei Kotomine thought, then shook his head and said, "It's already very difficult to get our hands on this now, and we only have three Servants. We have to be careful."

At this point, Astolfo immediately raised his hand. "They seem so fierce, they have no intention of negotiating and just attack. Can't they think of any other way?"

"A solution will be found soon, Mr. Astolfo. Please be patient. We must proceed with caution in order to rescue Jeanne d'Arc from her amnesiac world," Gilles said, making a chuckling sound like a witch.

"Actually, with the Master's help, I have already made some preparations. As long as we go to this place, which is an ocean, we can summon the Sea Demon by sacrificing those who are still alive. If necessary, we can sacrifice the entire city's population together, and then we can definitely summon the most powerful monster!"

"With the help of powerful monsters, even if we're missing four Servants right now, it doesn't matter. We can easily handle this opponent!"

Gilles spoke these words in a relaxed tone, without any hesitation or pity for the ordinary people he was to sacrifice, and without even a hint of madness.

It was a very ordinary, unchanging expression, but it was precisely this expression that sent a chill down Robin Hood's spine.

There wasn't even a hint of fanaticism; he remained completely calm, sacrificing an entire city as casually as eating and drinking. How could this guy become Heroic Spirit? Is he sure he's not a demon?!

Thinking this way, Robin Hood could only dream about it. The decision here was made by his Master; he was merely a Servant who came to do things. Moreover, it was obvious that the priest in front of him also agreed with the plan.

But he soon realized something. "Wait a minute, what do you mean by those people who aren't dead yet? Did you arrest some people?"

"No, actually, Master showed me the basement. There were many people in there. Although they were all in bad condition, they were not dead yet. They still had blood in their bodies, they could still breathe, they could still think, and they had their own souls. As long as their blood and souls were used as sacrifices, the Sea Demon could be summoned directly!"

Upon hearing this, Robin Hood immediately looked at Kirei Kotomine, his eyes filled with shock.

What's going on? Does this church have a long-standing tradition of kidnapping and imprisoning people?

"Those who should have died ten years ago were saved and then used their own bodies to allow the King of Heroes to remain in the present world. These were all actions of the King of Heroes; I merely watched and did not intervene."

Kirei Kotomine said with a smile, "Besides, they are in so much pain right now. Even if they die as sacrifices, a quick death would be a relief for them, at least they wouldn't have to suffer anymore."

Although he didn't know the specifics, Robin Hood could imagine the situation just from hearing the descriptions. Gilles, on the other hand, said in a very emotional and exaggerated tone, "My Master, you are too kind. For these pitiful humans, being sacrificed as a offering is indeed a kind of relief!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a loud crash was heard, and the church door was kicked open!

A man in a trench coat and top hat appeared at the church entrance, looking at the group with a smile, "To describe your evil deeds so elegantly, you all are truly shameless."

Upon seeing the figures appear, the group immediately knew that the enemy had attacked. Kirei Kotomine looked around and laughed, "Archer, I don't know why you're so confident, but are you sure it's not reckless for you to charge in alone like this?"

His smile was full of confidence, "This is a church, not only does it house several Servants, but the secrets hidden here are also something you shouldn't use as a battlefield."

"Don't worry, I have great confidence in myself. None of your tricks can stop me!" Mephistopheles said, taking a step forward. With just one step, he transformed into a hurricane, sweeping towards the people inside the room!

This is the manipulation of wind. With the wind-related spells combined with Mephistopheles's supersonic physical strength, he can now display extreme destructive power!

In an instant, the pews on both sides of the church were tossed about and shattered by the air waves caused by the sonic boom!

The sturdy stone flooring also cracked and even split completely under the force of the hurricane!

Mephistopheles's speed was simply too fast, far beyond what a normal human could react to.

However, Kirei Kotomine was no ordinary person. He was a battle priest who had experienced many battles and an exorcist. The moment Mephistopheles appeared at the door, Kirei Kotomine had already cast his Magecraft. Relying on divine power and combined with the physical skills he had learned, his speed and observation skills also increased dramatically.

So, he barely dodged Mephistopheles's attack, and at the same time, he swung his hands sharply, and two short swords formed of magical energy flew out and stabbed towards Mephistopheles!

Almost simultaneously, Robin Hood leaped backward to create distance, drew his bow with an arrow already nocked, and pulled back with his right hand, drawing the bowstring taut, aiming, and firing!

The arrow was surrounded by wind, which further increased its speed as it flew towards Mephistopheles. At this moment, Robin Hood's attack and Kirei Kotomine's attack complemented each other, and once they hit their target, they would surely cause great damage!

Mephistopheles, however, neither dodged nor evaded, but charged straight forward, enduring all the attacks until he reached Kirei Kotomine.

He reached out his hand, grabbed Kirei Kotomine's head, and slammed him to the ground!

At this moment, Astolfo, who was quite far away, had not even reacted yet, and Gilles was unable to make any response at all. He was still chanting the spell, and had not even finished reciting it.

Mephistopheles, defying the attacks of his own group, charged forward and grabbed Kirei Kotomine —a development no one had anticipated.

Then, looking at Mephistopheles, who had just slammed Kirei Kotomine to the ground and then kicked him, and seeing that he didn't even have any injuries, sent chills down their spines.

Robin Hood, the only one to launch an attack, was utterly shocked by what he saw.

My attack just now wasn't a casual strike; it was an attack that gathered a lot of power. If the opponent had dodged it, that would have been fine, but instead, he charged straight at me without flinching or dodging, and didn't even suffer any damage. How... how did this guy manage to do that?!

"Father Kirei Kotomine, is that right? My reason for contacting you isn't just about preventing you from using those people to do bad things or any kind of justice; it's more about personal grudges." Mephistopheles said, and without hesitation, he stomped down.

He controlled the force of his kick perfectly; it didn't kill the opponent outright, nor did it injure them, but it was definitely enough to cause them pain.

Hearing Kirei Kotomine let out a muffled shout, Mephistopheles reached out and grabbed him again. With a snap of his fingers, magic power materialized into ropes, binding him up.

"I don't recall having any conflict with you, and although you are Rin's Servant, I don't have any hatred between me and Rin, do I?" Kirei Kotomine said, even appearing unusually sincere.

Upon hearing this, Mephistopheles scoffed, then glanced at a Servant beside him who was hesitant to act because he had captured Kirei Kotomine, and sneered, "Leaving aside the hatred between you and Rin, after all, you killed his father and even indirectly caused the death of his mother, I'm too lazy to even mention those things."

"Tell me about the conflict between us. You harmed my sister, so there's nothing wrong with me seeking revenge, is there?"

"Your sister? Could it be that your sister is some kind of unorthodox Magecraft?" Kirei Kotomine asked, not even bothering to ask how the other knew about the past. Perhaps because he had heard that he had caused the death of the other's sister, Kirei Kotomine's expression became even more delighted.

"My name is Mephistopheles Fraga McRemitz."

Upon hearing the name, Kirei Kotomine froze, his expression one of utter astonishment, as if he had heard something unbelievable. It took him quite a while to react.

"You're Bazett's brother?!"

"Yes."

"You're a Servant from the future?!" This discovery greatly excited Kirei Kotomine, who even asked directly, "So, who is the victor in this Holy Grail War?"

He shook his head again after saying this, "History has definitely changed. The fact that the Holy Grail has reacted this way means that you were behind this problem with the Holy Grail, and since you come from the future, you used your prophetic abilities to carry out many schemes, right?"

Mephistopheles listened to Kirei Kotomine's analysis, he simply raised his hand and conjured a gleaming lightning spear in it.

This lightning spear contains the thunderous power of Zeus, lightning meant to cleanse impurities and evil forces. Mephistopheles hurled the spear almost the instant it was formed!

"Boom!"

The Servants didn't have time to stop him, and Kirei Kotomine, who was bound, was naturally unable to dodge. He was instantly blasted away by this lightning strike!

Having killed the priest with a single blow, Mephistopheles scoffed, "I don't have time to explain to you!"

Chapter 106 Sea Demon Tentacles

The death of a Servant will not cause any harm to the Master, and the death of Master will not cause the Servant to disappear immediately.

As individuals who need magical energy to act, Servants usually have their magical energy supplied by their Master, but they also accumulate their own magical energy. Unless faced with a situation that greatly depletes their magical energy, even if their Master dies, their own magical energy is enough to sustain them for a period of time.

In this context, Archer Servants generally possess strong mobility after separating from their Master.

For example, Shirou Emiya in the future, or Gilgamesh.

As for Mephistopheles himself, there's nothing to say about him; he's just too special. Not to mention that he's Archer now, even if he weren't Archer but a Magecraft, a class that consumes a lot of magic power, he could completely break free from his Master and remain in this world.