Kiritsugu Emiya's hand trembled, almost dropping the specially crafted handgun he was holding.
He fixed Waver with cold, piercing eyes as if he could see right through him.
"Don't look at me like that. Even though I don't want to fight here, my Servant is right beside me, just in case."
As he finished speaking, a pink-haired girl, regal as a princess, materialized beside Waver from her spiritual form. There was no mistaking her—this was Medb.
The queen, who appeared as innocent and playful as a young girl, waved at Kiritsugu. Then, without hiding her curiosity, she looked him up and down.
Kiritsugu's mouth twitched. Had he sensed any killing intent from her, he might have summoned Saber right then and there.
Though the other side didn't seem hostile, Kiritsugu, as a seasoned battlefield mercenary, wasn't about to trust the words of an enemy.
The magical energy within him surged. If the opposing Servant made a move, he would instantly activate the magic crest in his body and use his Time Alter ability to buy time, while simultaneously summoning his Servant with a Command Spell.
Kiritsugu's eyes subtly scanned the surrounding crowd of evacuees, a trace of anxiety and helplessness flickering in his gaze.
Though he had no intention of starting a fight among the civilians if the enemy attacked, he would have no choice but to respond.
For the sake of his wish, he couldn't afford to fall here.
If sacrificing the evacuees would grant him his wish, he wouldn't hesitate.
Fortunately, Waver truly wasn't looking for a fight and showed no intention of engaging.
"If you don't want to waste a Command Spell, Mr. Emiya, why don't we just pretend we never saw each other?"
Waver suggested.
Kiritsugu nodded, though his guard never lowered. It wasn't until Waver and Medb walked around him and toward the ruins that Kiritsugu swiftly blended into the crowd and left.
"Such caution," Waver remarked with a sigh.
"If you hadn't stopped me, I could've taken him down right here. No man can resist my Medb's charm!"
Medb declared confidently.
This queen, who had captivated countless kings and heroes, had even turned her exploits into a Noble Phantasm after becoming a Servant.
Unless someone simply wasn't into women, how could any ordinary magus resist her unparalleled charm?
Had Waver not intervened, Kiritsugu would have fallen under Medb's Charm skill the moment they met, becoming her puppet to manipulate at will.
Medb, confident in her allure, did not doubt this.
"And then Summon his Servant with a Command Spell."
Waver left her with just one sentence as he continued forward without looking back.
Medb pouted angrily at Waver's retreating figure. Seeing that he wasn't paying her any attention, she had no choice but to follow.
'Damn it, this brat! He ignores the charm of a queen like me! This is infuriating! I don't care if I lose the Holy Grail War—Waver must be straightened out!'
When Medb was first summoned, she hadn't been particularly interested in this pretty boy with his delicate, submissive features. She preferred muscular, rugged men.
However, Waver's constant disregard for her charm bruised the pride of this queen, who prided herself on her allure.
Women can be strange creatures sometimes, especially beautiful ones. Even if they aren't attracted to a man, his complete indifference can get under their skin.
Thus, Medb had made it her mission to win Waver over.
Recently, she'd been trying every trick in the book to seduce him and make him fall for her.
Her tactics included parading in front of him after a bath, wrapped in a towel that barely covered her chest and lower regions as if she might reveal everything with the slightest movement.
Or she'd wear a sheer, barely-there nightgown and sneak into Waver's room for a late-night visit.
She'd even pretended to trip into his arms or greet him at the door wearing nothing but an apron.
Any other man with normal interests would have lost control on the first day and pounced on her like a ravenous wolf.
Yet after countless attempts, Medb's success rate against Waver remained a solid zero!
This was something Queen Medb, with her lofty pride, absolutely could not accept. With her boundless charm and shameless tactics, she could have straightened out even the most steadfast of homosexual kings, yet this fresh-faced boy remained completely unfazed, mocking her with his indifference.
It was infuriating!
Although Waver's personality, appearance, and temperament were completely different from the men Medb was used to, he reminded her of a stubborn, unshakable straight man with a teacher complex, leaving her utterly at a loss.
But the more this happened, the more it fueled Medb's competitive spirit.
If I don't straighten you out, you can turn my name upside down and call me that!
Leaving aside the queen's internal scheming for now...
Waver weaved through several alleys, bypassing the police barricades, and entered the ruins.
Then, he stopped in front of a slightly protruding section of debris.
Whoosh!
At that moment, a giant ball of mercury pushed aside the rubble and emerged.
The mercury ball opened, revealing Kayneth and Sola inside.
Thanks to Kayneth's genius-level magical craftsmanship, the two were almost completely unscathed, though Sola's face was pale from shock, and Kayneth was drenched in sweat, clearly exhausted from magical depletion.
Just then, a voice called out.
"Professor Kayneth, long time no see."
Kayneth immediately tensed up, his eyes full of vigilance.
With his Servant gone, his magical tools destroyed except for the Volumen Hydrargyrum, and his mana drained, Kayneth was at his most vulnerable. In this state, even a regular person with a gun could easily take his life.
When Kayneth saw who the voice belonged to, his pupils contracted.
"It's you, Waver Velvet!"
Upon noticing Medb by Waver's side, Kayneth's expression shifted to one of sudden realization.
"So, you're participating in this Holy Grail War too!?"
To Kayneth, this lowborn student had always kept a low profile, yet now, he'd caused such a massive commotion without making a sound.
"Was all this your doing? I can't believe you would betray the honor of a magus! I completely misjudged you, thinking you were better than this!"
Mistakenly thinking that Waver was responsible for the destruction, Kayneth's face filled with fury.
Waver's face immediately darkened with frustration.
He knew his professor was rigid, but he hadn't expected such an enormous leap in logic.
"Ahem! If I said this wasn't my doing, would you believe me, Professor?"
Faced with Kayneth's "You must be joking" expression, Waver sighed and began to explain.
"You're saying that all of this was done by the famous Magus Killer?"
Kayneth looked skeptical. It wasn't that he didn't believe it—it was just that his student's appearance was too coincidental.
After all, they were both participants in the Holy Grail War, and backstabbing wasn't uncommon.
However, Kayneth had heard of Kiritsugu Emiya's reputation. He knew Kiritsugu was a man who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals, a man who had abandoned the honor of magus. It was said that a few years ago, Kiritsugu had married into the Einzbern family, one of the Three Founding Families, becoming their live-in son-in-law.
Given that the Einzbern family was involved in this Holy Grail War, it wasn't surprising that Kiritsugu had shown up.
Waver knew Kayneth still harbored many doubts, but as long as he achieved his goal, none of that mattered.
"So, Waver, what brings you here?"
Kayneth adjusted his clothing, and the arrogance unique to the old noble magus families radiated from him once more.
"I want you, Professor, to withdraw from the Holy Grail War."
Waver's words were shocking.
"What!?"
Kayneth's face immediately twisted in a mixture of anger and disbelief.
"So, Waver, you think you've got me cornered?"
He practically spat the words through clenched teeth.
"You're right," Waver admitted without a hint of embarrassment.
"You!!!"
Kayneth pointed a trembling finger at Waver, so furious he couldn't find the words to continue.
With his Servant ignoring his commands, his Command Spells ineffective, and his base—built at great expense—destroyed, even a lowborn apprentice of only three generations now to stand over him.
Had Sola not held him back, Kayneth might have attacked on the spot.
Beside him, Medb watched with great interest as her Master tamed this lemon-headed man.
She suddenly found that toying with someone without lifting a finger, manipulating them at will, had a certain charm. It seemed more appealing than the muscle-brained warriors she was used to.
Medb realized she might have fallen in love again.
Facing Kayneth's fury, Waver remained calm as water and began his persuasion (or manipulation).
"Professor, you should be able to see the reality of the situation now.
Your Servant won't obey your commands, and the Holy Grail War is full of despicable people like Kiritsugu Emiya, who will stop at nothing.
Do you think you stand a chance under these conditions?
A genius who doesn't grow is meaningless."
Kayneth's face showed a flicker of hesitation, but the pride of his ancient, noble lineage wouldn't allow him to back down so easily.
Seeing this, Waver decided to drop another bombshell.
"You might not know this yet, but today, one of the participants from the Three Founding Families—Tokiomi Tohsaka—was confirmed dead.
And let me remind you, his Servant was none other than the oldest king, the King of Heroes, Gilgamesh—one of the most powerful Servants."
"What!?"
Kayneth's face filled with shock. Anyone participating in the Holy Grail War would have done their homework, and the King of Heroes was undoubtedly one of the most formidable Servants.
The Emperor of a parallel world whom Kayneth had summoned was also among the top tier, but unfortunately, she was so strong she could outright ignore Command Spells.
"That's not all. A man named Nguyen Ryou seized Tohsaka's Command Spells, forced the King of Heroes to obey him, made the Ruler faction withdraw, and then commanded the King of Heroes to commit suicide.
Faced with such ruthless opponents, do you still believe you can win, Professor?
What if they threatened you by holding Miss Sola's life at stake?
And I've heard that some noble magus families back home are stirring. Even within the Archibald family, there are those eyeing your position.
If you are defeated here in Japan, the consequences could be..."
Waver's barrage of arguments left Kayneth drenched in cold sweat, his eyes filled with panic.
"But I am the head of the noble Archibald family. To flee with my tail between my legs would disgrace our family's name..."
"Is the survival of your family, or Miss Sola's safety, worth less than some hollow pride?
Sometimes, having the courage to accept a dignified defeat is the greatest strength."
Waver spoke with deep meaning.
Kayneth was silent for a moment, looking at the worried Sola beside him. Finally, he gritted his teeth and said:
"Waver, you've convinced me. I'll buy a ticket back to London right away. Of course, I'm not forfeiting—this is simply a compromise to protect the family's interests and ensure Sola's safety."
Waver finally breathed a sigh of relief, having successfully persuaded his stubborn mentor.
Just as Kayneth was about to leave with Sola, he suddenly turned back.
"I almost forgot. Since I've decided to return home, I no longer need the Command Spells. I'll entrust them to you."
Kayneth said this as he patted Waver on the shoulder.
"It's an honor."
A strange feeling crept into Waver's heart. He had a sense that things weren't that simple.
But before he could figure it out, Kayneth had already instructed Sola to transfer the Command Spells to Waver.
When the transfer was complete, Kayneth looked visibly relieved.
Waver sensed something was off but couldn't quite put his finger on it.
'This should be a good thing... right?'
He could only comfort himself with this thought.
At that moment, Kayneth patted Waver's shoulder again, this time with a serious expression.
"Waver, good luck."
With that, Kayneth left with Sola in tow.
Clap clap clap!
Suddenly, the sound of applause echoed.
Lancer appeared, riding her divine steed, and descended in front of Waver, looking down at him.
"So, your name is Waver? That was quite the performance... But if you think gaining the Command Spells means you can control me, you're gravely mistaken."
Lancer spoke calmly.
Waver's heart sank—he finally realized where the problem lay.
"You can resist the Command Spells!?"
Lancer nodded.
"To be precise, the Command Spells do not affect me at all. Of course, if you don't believe me, you're welcome to try."
"No need."
Waver couldn't help but smile bitterly.
No wonder his professor's Servant wouldn't obey him. The Servant had been fearless all along.
Thinking about it, Waver realized that with Kayneth's arrogance, no Servant could have forced him to submit—unless he had no way of controlling them.
"Ara~ Seems like your dear professor left you a little parting gift, didn't he? Was this his way of getting back at you?"
Medb laughed gleefully from the side.
Waver pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.
"Looks like the professor agreed to my plan, but he's still holding a bit of a grudge."
Seeing Waver finally in a tough spot, Medb was in an exceptionally good mood.
Suddenly, a mischievous idea popped into her mind.
Just the thought of this fun little scheme, which could mess up her Master's plans, made Medb even more delighted.
And that idea began to burn in her heart like wildfire.