The memories ended, but before Sovell could recover from his melancholy, Chiron's warning reached him:
"Lancer, the Greater Grail has been taken!"
The instant he heard those words, Sovell's brow furrowed again.
He felt he really would start getting wrinkles at this rate, but this was clearly no time to worry about that.
Ignoring Astolfo's shouting on the other end of the channel, he turned to look toward Yggdmillennia Castle:
"Huh? What's going... on?"
One glance was enough for Sovell to answer the question he had asked a second earlier.
While everyone was caught up in the battle, the Red Faction's Hanging Gardens of Babylon had quietly moved into position directly above Yggdmillennia Castle!
Magic power connected the Hanging Gardens of Babylon to the center of the castle, where a tornado had appeared. It not only severed the Greater Grail's connection to the ley lines, but forcibly dragged it out from underground.
But Sovell could also tell that it was no tornado, because the wind there showed no signs of being controlled.
This was clearly a magecraft array designed specifically to seize the Greater Grail!
"You've got to be kidding. How did the Red Faction learn about the Greater Grail's structure?"
"We do not know yet, but the fact remains that it has been taken," Avicebron said.
Sovell firmly rubbed the crease out of his brow and issued orders to the other Black Faction Servants still operating outside:
"Attention, all Black Faction Servants. Disengage immediately. The Red Faction has taken our Greater Grail. Return to the castle at once to discuss countermeasures with the Masters. Leave the remaining Dragon Tooth Warriors and the cleanup to the Automatons and Homunculi."
"Understood."
"All right."
"Mm-yes."
As the others responded over the channel, Astolfo, who was at the edge of the battlefield,