"…We need to plan our countermeasures. Saber's opponent is indeed a divine spirit—and a god-king level at that," Amakusa Shirou Tokisada said gravely from where he sat on a confessional bench inside the church.
A unique survivor of the 1930s Holy Grail War in Fuyuki City, Amakusa was not human; he was a Servant who had participated in that war. During the Third Holy Grail War, the Einzbern family had used two significant cheats: one being the Avenger class, theoretically the most destructive; and the other, the more tactically versatile Ruler class.
In this timeline, the Einzbern chose the latter and summoned Ruler Amakusa Shirou Tokisada.
Amakusa had not been strong as a Servant, relying solely on the perks of his class and the cheat-like abilities granted by his skills and dual-arm Noble Phantasms, allowing him to simulate both True and False Instinct. But as a Master now, skills like Revelation and True Name Discernment made a tremendous difference.
Sixty years ago, when the Einzbern Master perished in the Holy Grail War, Amakusa had managed to reach the Greater Grail before it was taken, gaining a physical form in the world.
Thus, Amakusa Shirou Tokisada had remained in the mortal world, preparing meticulously for the Holy Grail's reappearance over the past sixty years.
For the sake of his wish—to save all of humanity.
"A god-king?!" Semiramis exclaimed, genuinely surprised. Generally, the Holy Grail War only attracted demigods or human heroes, perhaps an occasional deity, but the response of a god-king to a Master's call was truly rare!
"So, Master, should we recall Rider, Archer, and Lancer immediately? With only me by your side right now, if we're attacked…"
Considering the situation, Semiramis suggested they be recalled; her Noble Phantasm was still incomplete, and she couldn't ensure the Red Masters' full protection. If they were ambushed…"We could be utterly wiped out," she said.
As for their own Red Caster…well, best not to mention him. He was entirely useless in battle, not worth even an ounce of backup! Red Caster was none other than William Shakespeare, England's greatest dramatist. His literary prowess was unmatched, but…this was the Holy Grail War!
In a bloody conflict like this, Shakespeare had no place—there was no chance the Black Masters of Yggdmillennia would agree to a poetic duel!
After some thought, Amakusa Shirou took a deep breath and spoke. "Let's wait. Berserker, Spartacus, still has his uses. Even if he's uncontrollable due to madness, we should still squeeze every last bit of value out of him."
"We'll have Rider and Archer escort Berserker Spartacus to the Yggdmillennia stronghold, then return immediately."
After a moment of silence, Amakusa added, "If they encounter more than two Black Servants, they should prioritize retreating safely and avoid engaging in prolonged battle. Spartacus' character and Noble Phantasm are most effective when he's overwhelmed."
Based on Spartacus' historical behaviors, Amakusa understood his creed well. The revolutionary would never attack a weaker enemy; he only struck against those in positions of power.
On this battlefield, it was clear which side Spartacus would see as the oppressors—the Yggdmillennia Masters ruled through homunculi and held sway over Trifas. He wouldn't be concerned with nuances like whether homunculi possessed rights or not; they were simply the enemy.
Moreover, "The former ruler of Romania, Prince Vlad III of Wallachia…and now, a mysterious god-king. Both of these figures represent the ultimate oppressors."
"As for Lancer, we won't call him back. His target remains the same: to intercept Ruler on her way to Trifas. She will only be an obstacle to us," he added.
As a former Ruler in the Third Holy Grail War, Amakusa knew better than anyone the disruptive potential of a Ruler's class abilities at critical moments.
"I understand," Semiramis replied.
"… " Rising to his feet, Amakusa pushed open the heavy doors of the church and gazed toward the distant Yggdmillennia stronghold, thinking to himself, May the ravaging beast cause the Black faction some trouble.
Despite feeling a sense of looming danger, Amakusa didn't have access to a cheat like the World Chronicle. His Noble Phantasms could offer some insight through his Instinct skill, but it was low-ranked (D) and merely the false version, so even sensing the danger was a stroke of luck.
Meanwhile, Vlad III was silently leading his forces to attack.
Elsewhere, below a cemetery…
"Saber!"
"Stay back!"
Seeing the battered, bloodied figure of Mordred, Kairi Sisigou took a step toward her, but she waved him off, then, leaning heavily on her sword, rose slowly to her feet.
Snap, crackle—!
Weak red lightning crackled over her form, purging the purplish-red spots left behind by her earlier battle, and she continued, "Hah…thanks, Master. I…almost didn't make it back."
Hurrying to her side, Kairi couldn't hide his concern as he saw her shattered armor and bloody state. "What were those purplish-red spots? What happened out there?"
"I don't know exactly…whatever it was, it wasn't good. After that woman hit me with it, it kept gnawing away at my spirit core and mana. It was tough to shake off…if I couldn't release my mana, I wouldn't have been able to get rid of it."
Having finally purged the strange magical substance from Selene's attack, Mordred slumped, staggering over to her Master before collapsing to the ground.
Her armor and sword dissolved, leaving her in her casual attire, breathing heavily. "Master, we need a new plan. As much as I hate to admit it, I can't beat that woman head-on."
She had no reservations, no misplaced pride. Her time on the battlefield had taught her well—if you lost, you acknowledged it, regrouped, and fought harder the next time!
"…Saber, can you at least deduce your opponent's class?" Kairi asked, stretching his hand, from which a Command Seal had just disappeared, and he, too, took a seat.
"Uhh…" Mordred hesitated. She'd been so relentlessly pummeled that she hadn't actually discerned her opponent's class.
Seeing her hesitation, Kairi raised an eyebrow, "Don't tell me you went through all that without even figuring out her class…"
"Ugh, fine! She never used a weapon—just her fists…" Mordred ruffled her blond hair in frustration, growing quieter as she recalled how her opponent hadn't even bothered to draw a weapon. "And don't look at me like that, Master!"
Generally, the easiest way to identify a Servant's class was by their weapon; swords meant Saber, spears meant Lancer, and so on…
"Forget it…for now, we should lie low and let our allies investigate the Black faction's Servants." Kairi shook his head, waving off her complaints.
"Fine. Let's do it your way, Master!"
Yggdmillennia Stronghold
"Your Majesty!"
Upon spotting Selene, a homunculus warrior wielding a slender long-axe approached, kneeling with a blank expression as she reported, "Your Majesty, Lord Darnic has important information to relay in the central hall."
Upon entering the grand hall, Selene saw that, aside from Avicebron, Black Caster, all other Servants had joined Vlad III in the assault on the Red faction's church stronghold.
"Darnic, I already know of Vlad's plan. What additional intelligence do you have?" she asked.
In the hall, under layers of protection from the golden-armored Imperial Guards, all the Black Masters were gathered. The throne sat empty, with Darnic standing on the steps beneath it.
"Your Majesty, Prince Vlad has mobilized, and according to the World Chronicle, Red recently deployed their Lancer, Karna, from the church as well."
Noticing Selene in her silver battle armor enter, Darnic tore his gaze away from the real-time projections of Vlad's forces and quickly approached her, bowing low.
"So, this is the final phase," Selene remarked.
"Yes, Your Majesty. Currently, the only Servants protecting the Red Masters are Assassin and Caster. Prince Vlad's ambush is sure to be effective, and even if the Red Masters use Command Seals to recall their Servants…"
"They'll have spent Command Seals, which puts us at a strategic advantage," Darnic replied confidently.
Selene glanced at the World Chronicle's projection, then turned to Darnic, who awaited her instruction.
"Good. So, did you summon me to join the raid, or to handle the three Red Servants who've reached the forest?" she asked.
"No, Your Majesty. I suspect the Red Masters have another objective altogether—their Servants in the forest are likely a diversion," Darnic said, his gaze flashing as he gestured toward the projection showing Red Lancer's progress. "After deploying those three Servants to distract us, the Red Masters then sent Lancer in the opposite direction."
"If I'm right, their true target is the Ruler of this Holy Grail War!" Darnic declared.
"Ruler is already making her way toward Trifas. It's highly likely the Red faction intends to either sway her to their side—or…" Darnic trailed off.
Selene found his assumption amusing. He'd guessed half correctly; that previous Ruler survivor of Fuyuki was indeed planning to take out this round's new Ruler.
"If possible, Your Majesty, I'd like to request that you intercept and thwart the Red faction's plans. At the very least, attempt to win Ruler over to our side," Darnic proposed cautiously.
"No," Selene replied. "Ruler's role is to judge impartially—she can't show favoritism. And if she does, she forfeits her purpose. I'd eliminate her if that happens."
"And as for Red, how can you be so sure they intend to recruit Ruler instead of killing her? Let them fight each other. The three Servants in the forest are the real prey."
Placing a hand on Darnic's shoulder, Selene continued calmly.
Understanding her domineering nature and the futility of pushing back, Darnic quickly bowed, accepting her decision. "Yes, Your Majesty."
"There's no need for such formality, Darnic. If you still have doubts, you're welcome to watch Red Lancer's moves… As for me, Avicebron, let's go. The hunt begins."
"Understood," Avicebron replied.
Meanwhile, Vlad III was swiftly closing in on the church at Sighișoara.
"Ahh, oh Queen of Assyria, my Master, what grave event could bring such worry to your faces?"
A theatrical man clad in olive-green medieval garb sauntered through the church nave, arms wide, eliciting exasperated looks from Assassin and her Master.
"Enough with the dramatics…Caster, please quiet down. My Master and I are strategizing," Semiramis sighed, her voice tinged with frustration.
"Ah, but to say such painful things! To one like me, Shakespeare, art is life itself. Without inspiration, I must roam to find—"
"Enough, Shakespeare!" Amakusa Shirou Tokisada interrupted, using his real name to convey the urgency. The ease on his face was gone. His Noble Phantasm, Right Hand - Evil Eater, had amplified the impending threat, suffocating him. "Assassin! We need to move now—"
"Attack! Crush them!"
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Bullets tore through doors, windows, walls, pews, and even the statues inside the church, splintering fragments everywhere.
"The Lord of Extreme Punishment!"
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
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