However, at the most critical moment of the battle, Ryou betrayed her and seized the Holy Grail.
Only then did she realize that his initial goal had been the Holy Grail itself.
As the loser, she could only return to the Throne of Heroes, filled with endless anger and regret.
It should be noted that from the moment Jalter was born, she carried the resentment of being betrayed by the French King, the Church, and her homeland.
Ryou's actions were not just pouring salt on her wounds; they were like tearing open her scars and stabbing her again.
In such a situation, anyone would likely succumb to darkness.
And since she had already fallen into darkness, what could happen next?
Of course, a triple darkening! How could she possibly be redeemed at this point?
The words of Gilles de Rais stirred the pain and resentment deep within Jalter's heart.
But Gilles de Rais continued.
"So, given the cunning nature of that traitor, ordinary strategies won't work. Only an open and unavoidable scheme can drive him into a corner."
"What kind of open scheme?"
Jalter nearly gritted her teeth as she forcefully uttered each word, having been reminded of her painful memories.
"My lady still has one privilege, doesn't she? Those fourteen Command Seals are your greatest trump card! All you need to do is proclaim the name of the Ruler to the other participants of the Holy Grail War, calling on them to collectively hunt down Nguyen RYou, the violator, with Command Seals as the reward.
A deal like this, where they eliminate a competitor and gain Command Seals as a reward, would be too tempting for the other participants to pass up. Even if they sense something is off, they'll likely turn a blind eye.
Surrounded and attacked by everyone, no amount of scheming from that traitor would matter.
This is what's called leveraging the tide of the situation and crushing him with overwhelming force."
Although Jalter typically preferred brute force, she had to admit that this open strategy was excellent.
The momentum of the situation is far more effective than any underhanded plot.
"This is a good plan. Let's do it!"
"Then, my lady, please wait patiently for the other participants to summon their servants and gather in Fuyuki City."
"Fine. I can't wait to see the despair on that bastard's face when everyone gangs up on him!"
Dangerous, reptilian-like sparks gleamed in Jalter's golden eyes. She involuntarily licked her lips, her cold beauty exuding a deadly allure.
...
Meanwhile, setting aside the darkened duo for the moment:
After slipping out of sight of Jalter and Gilles de Rais, Ryou and Medea reunited at sea.
Medea lived up to her reputation as a witch from the Age of Gods, a direct disciple of the Goddess of Magic.
In no time, she disabled the Greater Grail's magical detection of Servant locations, rendering Jalter's abilities useless.
Then the two of them flew in a loop around the city in the sky, heading toward the new district of Fuyuki City.
During the dull flight, Medea suddenly asked, "Master, it seems that Black Jeanne knows you~"
A look of confusion appeared on Ryou's face as well.
"That's what I find strange too. I should be meeting her for the first time."
"Heh~ But from what I see, it looks like Master toyed with her and then abandoned her, so she's come seeking revenge."
Medea's words, as usual, were shocking.
Ryou nearly choked.
"How could that be! Today was the first time I've met her!"
"Is that so?"
Medea wore an expression of disbelief. Seeing her look, he knew she didn't believe him.
This was so unlucky!
If something had happened between them, he wasn't the type of man to shirk responsibility — if it had happened, he would admit it.
But heaven knows, this was the first time he'd met Jalter.
Ryou could only vaguely guess that this situation might be related to the unknown Origin Gem at the core of the Greater Grail, as indicated by the system.
But whether he believed it or not, Medea certainly wouldn't.
There was no helping it. Jalter seemed entirely like a vengeful woman wronged by a heartless scumbag, and her expression didn't show any signs of pretense. It was hard not to believe her.
In any case, this massive scapegoat was something he would have to bear for now.
With both Ryou and Jalter's forces temporarily laying down their arms, Fuyuki City entered a brief period of peace.
However, Fuyuki City, known for its nuclear-level destruction, was a natural convergence of cause and effect.
The current peace was nothing more than an illusion before the impending storm, just like the calm before a storm always takes time to brew.
At that moment, the head of the Tohsaka family, one of the three families managing the Holy Grail War, was bowing respectfully to a young man clad in gold armor, with golden hair and red eyes, who radiated an air of superiority, as if the world revolved around him.
This young man was Tohsaka's strongest trump card, the Hero King—Gilgamesh.
A Servant with two-thirds divine blood and one-third human blood, Gilgamesh possessed top-tier stats and Noble Phantasms.
He had the strength to compete for the title of Grand Servant.
Tohsaka naively believed that summoning such a powerful Servant as Gilgamesh would guarantee him an easy victory.
What he didn't realize was that his compatibility with Gilgamesh was extremely poor, and from the start, their contract was doomed to fail.
Meanwhile, in a secluded spot on the outskirts of Fuyuki City...
A young man, who appeared no older than fifteen but exuded a weathered and experienced aura, had just finished drawing a summoning circle.
"This should be about right."
Though his voice sounded immature, his tone carried a calmness far beyond his years.
He took a deep drag of his cigarette, then threw it to the ground and stomped it out.
With a dramatic flick of his oversized red cloak, he began to recite the incantation to summon a Servant.
"I declare— Your body shall obey my will, And my fate shall be linked with your sword. Respond to the call of the Holy Grail, If you accept this will and this reason, then answer me..."
As the incantation ended, a storm of magical energy roared to life, and the violent winds made the surrounding trees creak.
The summoning circle began to glow with an unprecedented crimson light.
A noble and elegant figure appeared amidst the dazzling radiance.
"I am Medb, Queen Medb. Are you the fine warrior who will fight for me?"
The figure standing in the circle was a beautiful young girl with silver-crowned hair, dressed in a white gauzy gown with a white fur coat draped over it. Her long, slender legs were clad in white fur boots, and her dark golden eyes shimmered with charm as she tossed a flirtatious wink at the young man.
She appeared innocent, yet her entire being exuded an irresistible allure.
She was both pure and seductive, a paradox perfectly embodied in this young girl.
However, her charm seemed to have no effect on the young man who had summoned her.
"How is this possible? Why did the one who was summoned turn out to be you!?"
Waver Velvet wore a shocked expression as if he had just witnessed something utterly unimaginable.
"What do you mean~? Are you displeased to see me?"
Medb immediately pouted, her face full of dissatisfaction. Her coquettish demeanor was entirely natural, and even though one might know her true nature as a seductive vixen, it was still impossible to resist the allure she exuded.
This was the Queen Medb from Celtic mythology, whose charm was said to be unparalleled in the world.
Faced with such a lovely woman, 99% of men would fall for her, yet the young man in front of Medb happened to belong to the 1% who remained unaffected.
Waver was completely oblivious to Medb's charm, rubbing his forehead and muttering to himself.
"With both compatibility and the relic I used, I should have been able to summon that man. But why... why did it turn out like this? There must have been something wrong with my summoning method! Yes, that has to be it!"
Waver took a deep breath.
"Waver Velvet, calm down. You still have a chance. As long as you win in the end and obtain the Holy Grail..."
Smack!
Before Waver could finish his sentence, a whip came cracking down on him. The whip glowed faintly with a pink light, enhanced by magic, indicating that its wielder had already lost her patience.
As the most renowned queen of Ireland, Medb had always been surrounded by countless men, all of whom treated her like the stars adorning the moon. How dare this man ignore her charm and cast her aside like an old shoe, not even bothering to look at her?
Looking at Waver, who was off in his world studying the summoning circle, his figure overlapped with someone from Medb's past whom she despised.
Fury flared in her heart, and without thinking, she lashed out with her whip.
To teach her Master a lesson, Medb cruelly infused her whip with magic.
But what happened next took her by surprise.
Without Waver making any noticeable movement, her whip smacked into an invisible wall with a resounding crack, and a ripple spread outward, faintly revealing the pattern of a Bagua formation.
"You... you're no ordinary magus!"
Medb's mouth dropped open in shock.
Waver straightened his posture, and from his seemingly youthful body, a commanding aura surged forth, as if he held the world in his hands.
"My name is Waver Velvet. You may also call me... Zhuge Lang!"
...
Fuyuki City Grand Hotel, located in the bustling new district of Fuyuki City, was one of the city's newest landmark buildings and its finest hotel.
Most wealthy foreign tourists to Fuyuki stayed here, and recently, the number of such visitors has increased significantly.
But today, the hotel welcomed a particularly extravagant guest who booked the entire 24th floor—Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald, a nobleman from England.
At this moment, three figures were in the room: two women and one man.
However, contrary to what one might expect, the nobleman from England seemed to be the least important person in his room.
Kayneth sat in the guest chair, his face filled with suppressed rage and humiliation, glaring at the figure seated in the main chair like an empress.
Golden locks crowned with a golden tiara, icy blue eyes more splendid than any gemstone, yet radiating an overwhelming sense of authority that made it impossible for anyone to meet her gaze. Paired with a coldly beautiful face, she exuded the aura of a ruler who dominated the world.
Indeed, in a certain parallel world, this woman had ruled over Europe, Africa, and parts of Asia, with her empire spanning almost half of the globe. She was a holy emperor.
In that parallel world, her prestige was comparable to that of the gods.
What puzzled later historians was that after her empire's crown prince, the only legitimate heir, was personally executed by the emperor due to rebellion, the emperor seemed to lose all interest in an heir and never married again.
This holy emperor, who remained unmarried for life, grew weary of the mortal world and, before the eyes of many, tore open space itself, mounted her beloved horse, and disappeared through the rift without looking back.
This peerless holy emperor was none other than Artoria Pendragon.
Now, this empress-like figure sat facing Kayneth, giving orders with imperial authority, and the Clock Tower prodigy known as Lord El-Melloi, with his sleeked-back hair resembling a lemon, was utterly powerless before her.
The missing Command Seal on the back of his hand was the best proof.
For this holy emperor, whose spirit origin had fully ascended to godhood, Command Seals were nothing more than a symbol of their contract and had no real power over her.
And if that were all, Kayneth could have accepted it.
But now, his fiancée, Sola-Ui Nuada-Re Sophia-Ri, was standing behind the holy emperor, dressed in a maid outfit, and massaging her shoulders with a look of utter infatuation.
This was the kind of treatment Kayneth could only dream of, yet it was being enjoyed by someone else.
Even worse than being cuckolded was witnessing the betrayal right in front of him.
Kayneth felt like the most unfortunate person in the world, and yet there was nothing he could do.
He could only watch helplessly as the woman he had fallen in love with at first sight threw herself into the arms of someone else, willingly serving as a maid, a role even lower than a lover.
Worst of all, Kayneth, the ninth head of the prestigious Archibald family, a distinguished magus and the Lord of the Department of Mineralogy at the Clock Tower, had lost to a woman... a woman... a woman...
This truly was a tragic tale.
...
As the dates for the Holy Grail War drew near, a growing number of mysterious individuals began to appear at Fuyuki International Airport.
A plane had just landed, and two of its passengers immediately attracted the attention of everyone nearby.
One was a beautiful and elegant woman with silver-white hair, dressed in a white winter coat, her scarlet eyes glowing with fascination.
Surprisingly, she didn't have the mature air of a socialite but rather the innocent curiosity of a young girl, her gaze wandering around as she took in all the unfamiliar sights.
This stark contrast only enhanced her charm, making her even more captivating.
Whether they were young boys or weathered older men, many people couldn't help but sneak glances at this charming lady while pretending to do other things.
If this innocent and romantic woman attracted the attention of most men...
Then the girl in boy clothing beside her, with her golden hair, dressed in a formal black suit and wearing black gloves, resembling a classic English butler, captured the attention of many women.
With the perfect appearance of a knight guarding her lady, she was the embodiment of the ideal dream lover for many women.
At that moment, the silver-haired lady seemed to make a request that troubled the golden-haired knight. Her stern expression, which had been present ever since they disembarked, softened with hesitation.
However, the perfect knight quickly caved under the lady's coquettish attack.
She extended her hand in a classic gentleman's gesture of inviting a partner to dance, and the lady, smiling sweetly, placed her delicate hand in her.
Then, arm in arm, the lady and her knight walked away, leaving behind a trail of envy and admiration as they disappeared into the distance.