"There really is such a terrifying affinity that melts in the mouth. I wonder if I can ever meet such a soulmate."
Walking on the street, Roland thought about the situation just now. Without the Key of All Spirits, even if the compatibility is very suitable, the person possessed by the spirit will be polluted by knowledge and his personality will be alienated.
For example, influences and representations, these things always exist on the possessed person, and even if he perfectly meets the digestion requirements, he cannot avoid this outcome.
But to be honest, Roland felt that for Kotomine Kirei, this made no difference, as they could not escape the category of the twisted person anyway.
"Four servants and berserkers have been dealt with. The remaining three spots, if all goes well, will be decided in the next two days. Don't let me down, Darnic."
——
"Rider! Stop playing, come on, there might be a big fight next."
In the huge suite, Weber pushed open the door in a hurry and called out to the king who was sitting in front of the TV, immersed in the strategy game.
Iskandar didn't even raise his head, staring intently at the screen in front of him.
"What happened? Did my master come up with some brilliant strategy again? If so, kid, stop being busy and play a few games with me."
Iskandar expressed his emotions in a somewhat unhappy tone. He has always been a man who speaks his mind. Since the last argument with Kenneth, the two parted unhappily.
Afterwards, it was all thanks to Waver's maneuvering and acting as a lubricant between the master and servant that Kenneth accepted the division of labor where the rider usually decided whether to attack while he concentrated on dealing with the master.
After seeing his master back down, Iskandar did not push his luck any further, but his usual conversations with Kenneth inevitably reached a freezing point.
"I don't have time to play games with you! This time, another master sent a familiar and issued a formal declaration of war."
Wever didn't seem surprised at the King of Conquerors' addiction to games, and quickly told the topic.
"oh?"
Upon hearing the news, Rider paused, took his hand off the handle and touched his chin.
"It seems that I have been treated as a soft persimmon."
Although Kenneth's magical workshop is also very conspicuous, so are the three servants. After seeing the fighting power of many servants, choosing to challenge Rider is an act of contempt.
"It may also be because Kenneth-sensei's workshop is too terrifying. Even if a Servant invades, it won't be able to succeed in one strike."
Weber complained. After the last experience, although Kenneth's face turned blue and he was shaking with anger, he still agreed with Weber's suggestion and let the workshop's barrier cover the entire building. For this reason, although the strength of the barrier was reduced, the safety was greatly improved.
"Do you know who declared war?"
Iskandar frowned and asked in confusion.
But when the name of this person was mentioned, Waver became hesitant.
"It's Darnic, the Master of Lancer."
Kenneth walked in calmly and spoke calmly, but even Weber could hear the coldness in his voice, like a chill wind blowing through.
"That shameless guy actually thought that I, Kenneth, was the first person to be eliminated? He just drew a good card."
Kenneth snorted coldly, not caring at all that his servant was right next to him.
"It's that Enkidu after all, hahahaha!"
Iskandar, who had gradually become accustomed to Kenneth's occasional low EQ remarks, was not very annoyed, but just spoke with interest.
"In this Holy Grail War, I guess only that Gilgamesh can be his enemy."
"If that's the case, then you don't have to worry about the difference between the Masters. You just need to focus on choosing excellent relics."
Kenneth waved his hand nonchalantly, "Darnic hopes to let the servants fight on their own from a distance, and then I, as the Master, will fight him alone."
"I always feel like there's something fishy going on... My Servant clearly has the advantage, but he voluntarily gave it up and chose to have a one-on-one fight with his Master. It's too unreasonable."
Waver said thoughtfully. In the past few days of close interaction, he has come to understand that his teacher is a true genius. In a battle between magicians, it would be difficult for him to be defeated.
"I have already promised."
But Kenneth said something shocking.
"Hey, hey hey hey! Teacher Kenneth, why are you doing this?"
Weber was stunned, looking puzzled.
"Because this is also an opportunity. Rider, if you can hold back Lancer, I will be confident that I can quickly deal with Darnic. In this way, we can turn the disadvantage into an advantage and turn defeat into victory."
Kenneth answered Wever's question.
"So what are the risks?"
Iskandar nodded, and contrary to his usual practice, he did not refute Kenneth, but agreed with the decision.
As he said this, he turned his head and looked at Waver, who seemed completely inconspicuous between the two of them.
"Boy, I want to hear your opinion."
"But I'm not the Master..."
Normally, when he didn't need to speak, Waver could always quickly see through the clues of various things, but when the decision-making power was really handed over to him, he became timid.
"I also want to hear your opinion, Mr. Wever." Kenneth's eyes also swept over: "After all, unlike the talentless person I imagined, you don't seem to be completely useless."
If it were in the past, Wever would have jumped up in anger after hearing such comments, but now, he has understood that this is Kenneth's unique way of praising.
So he just raised his head and looked at Kenneth with firm eyes without fear.
"The trap here is that if we want to fight Darnic during the duel between Lancer and Rider, we must leave this fortress-like magical workshop, because no magus would be stupid enough to fight one-on-one in the enemy's magical workshop, not to mention that Kenneth is from the monarch family of El-Melloi."
"That's right, Mr. Wever," Kenneth nodded secretly, his eyes showing some satisfaction, "Rather than using such a crude and dangerous method as blowing you up directly, a truly resourceful magus would use an open and aboveboard strategy to force you to leave your magical workshop."
"That guy's nickname is Eight Tongues. It's impossible that he didn't think of this strategy. Therefore, there is a possibility of a trap in this battle. The question is whether we have the courage to face it. Whether you have this courage is the first lesson I want to teach you."
Are you going to participate in this dangerous battle?
This was the hint hidden in Kenneth's words. Being stared at like this, he unconsciously wanted to retreat.
He had witnessed the fight of the servants and the determination they had to put into the fight. This was the result of being under the protection of teacher Kenneth. Was he sure he would not drag down the teacher in such a fight?
Compared with these enlightened magus, his preparation and determination were nothing. Although he was complacent at first because his suggestions made up for Kenneth's loophole, Waver had gradually lost his immaturity and accepted his own insignificance.
Such an opportunity will never come again. Perhaps this Holy Grail War will be an important opportunity to change my destiny.
Weber no longer hesitated and expressed his inner decision.
"Teacher Kenneth, I want to go with you!"
"Hmph," Kenneth raised his eyebrows, and his spirits improved a lot, "It barely looks like he came out of the El-Melloi classroom."
Although his words were as arrogant as ever.
"No matter how good Darnic is, he can't change the fact that he is the only one of his generation to truly become an elite magus. If he leaves the magical workshop, no matter how much you think highly of him, he is just a third-rate magus using fourth-rate magic. There is no way he can defeat me."
Kenneth narrowed his eyes slightly, looked at the fully-refined Volumen Hydrargyrum on the table, and smiled.
Kenneth has no confidence in a battle between Servants, but it is a completely different story if it is between magus.
"The rhythm of this Holy Grail War is finally back under my control. Now I am invincible!"
"Oh--!"
Iskandar also clenched his fists for the first time in a long time and cheered.
——
By dusk, due to the early curfew caused by the recent gas explosions, Fuyuki City fell into silence for the first time in a long time before the sunset completely fell.
Iskandar drove the Godly Wheel alone and leisurely arrived at the mountains dozens of kilometers away from the national highway of Fuyuki City. This was the site of the decisive battle left by the Lancer team.
Although he considered whether this was a ploy to lure the tiger away from the mountain, Rider did not think that his mobility would be underestimated to this extent.
Sure enough, in this remote mountain range, Lancer, with a deep aura, was quietly caressing the trees beside him. Although she was dressed in white, her inhuman beauty still shone brightly under the light of dusk.
Enkidu raised his head and looked at the rider who was coming with a thunderous momentum, and showed a helpless smile.
"You're here, Rider. When Master said you would abandon your base and attack, I thought he was joking."
"If you want to use this kind of deterrence to attack the king, Lancer, you have chosen the wrong person."
Lancer just sighed with his usual pitiful expression, "No, I'm just lamenting the fate your master will face next. If you hide in the workshop, my master may still choose to wait, but if you walk into the trap like this, you are courting death."
Perhaps because of the unfaking emotion in Enkidu's words, Iskandar also had a bad feeling in his heart.
"Why, are you underestimating my courage? Or are you underestimating my master?"
"I am only stating a fact. Your master will die at the hands of my master. I thought he would lie dormant for a while that day, but I didn't expect it to get worse."
Lancer said in a sad tone: "Although you may not believe it, I don't want to see this happen, but unfortunately, everything is irreversible."
"Who said that? Although I don't understand what you mean by that, anyway, I'll just knock you down right here and quickly!"
"Yes, but unfortunately, the Master gave me an order to stop you, so this cannot happen."
"That's hard to say..."
Rider shrugged, letting the hot wind blow through the winter mountains.
The dry landscape, the blinding sunlight, and the mouth-drying scorching desert replaced the surrounding environment, and the mirage-like army once again gathered under Iskandar's sword.
"Lancer, I know you may think that my words are just meaningless nonsense, but after seeing the eternal scenery in my heart, can you still maintain this confidence?"
The bright red cloak behind Iskandar fluttered in the strong wind like the most eye-catching military flag.
"My goal is to reach the end of the world, to see the scenery of the Endless Sea. This is the common wish of my compatriots who gather under the same dream. Lancer, you will be the first step for me, Iskandar, to embark on the journey!"
Iskandar roared, and the army behind him responded one after another, joining in the chorus that was as loud as a raging wave.
"Exactly! Exactly!"
In the army behind him, Braceface, a tall horse as strong as a bull and Iskandar's childhood trump card, also snorted and walked to Iskandar's side.
"This is my Iskandar's most powerful treasure, the power of the King's Army!"
"Ahh, what a shocking development."
Lancer looked at this vast and boundless world, but he did not feel afraid. Instead, a look of nostalgia appeared on his face.
"Different hearts, moving towards one goal, gathering under one goal, humans are really interesting."
He squatted down, stroked the lifeless desert, and smiled sincerely.
"Rider, whether you did it on purpose or not, I want to thank you. No extra lives will be harmed by me here, so, in return..."
The king who never stops on his domineering journey has told me his ambitions and dreams so seriously and created such a suitable stage, so I have to respond as well.
As Enkidu was thinking this, the next moment, in the lifeless desert, tiny flowers that seemed to be about to cry suddenly broke through the soil and showed signs of being about to bloom.
"Next, I will also fight with all my strength, rider."
In response to his call, the planet chirped.
With Lancer as the center, circles of invisible ripples spread out under his feet, and a large amount of magic power gushed out. This was the wedge connecting heaven and earth, man and God.
Enkidu opened his arms and with a joyful smile announced the recurrence of the miracle.
"O' Humans, Let Us Restrain the Gods (Enuma Elish)"