Chapter 10 How to lose when a dragon hits your face?!
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It's dark—a time synonymous with liberation for the average office worker in Fuyuki City.
But for the participants of the Holy Grail War, darkness signifies something far different: the beginning of the true conflict.
However, this is only the first night of the Holy Grail War. Even if there is a skirmish, it will likely end hastily. No one would be foolish enough to reveal all their cards this early in the game, right?
Elric Bradley had prepared for this in advance. After taking a short nap in the afternoon, he set out directly.
Although Elric was something of a nocturnal creature—his energy levels at night were unusually high—getting some rest beforehand was always a good idea. More importantly, it gave Tom extra time to sleep.
He had seen firsthand what happened when Tom got sleepy. The Servant would stumble forward, only to collapse after walking a few steps. The thought alone was enough to make Elric uneasy.
He wasn't too worried about fighting another Magus, but encountering a Servant while Tom was in such a state would be a disaster. While Elric had faith in his own abilities, he was fully aware that he was no match for any of the participants in this war.
"It's so quiet. There aren't many people out tonight." As Elric strolled along the River, he couldn't help but notice the eerie stillness. Not a single living soul was in sight.
Earlier, there had been a few people walking along the riverside, but the closer he got to the estuary, the more desolate it became. Eventually, the area was completely deserted.
This, however, was a relief. It meant Tom could walk freely for once, sparing Elric from having to carry him around his neck the entire time.
To be honest, carrying Tom had been tolerable at first. But over time, it became increasingly uncomfortable, and now Elric's neck was drenched in sweat.
As for why he was wandering near the River, it was because two iconic battles from the original timeline had taken place in this area. The first was Saber and Lancer's duel at the port near the river's mouth, and the second was the raid against Caster within the river itself.
With no clear idea of who the participants in this altered Holy Grail War were, Elric could only rely on guesswork.
In the original timeline, this would have been the point where Kayneth Archibald El-Melloi was making a spectacle of himself, drawing attention to provoke battles. But right now, there was no such activity. At the very least, Tom hadn't sensed anything unusual yet.
Suddenly, the sharp crackle of electricity broke through the stillness.
"Sizzle! Sizzle! Sizzle!!"
"What's that noise?!" Startled, Elric quickly scanned his surroundings, but found nothing.
It wasn't until Tom pointed to the sky with his paw that Elric spotted a faint streak of lightning cutting through the darkness. It was thin, almost imperceptible, and appeared to be at a tremendous altitude.
There was no doubt about it—this was the work of a Servant. Most likely, it was Iskandar, Rider of the Fourth Holy Grail War.
If that was indeed the case, it was good news. Despite the inconsistencies in this timeline, some of the characters might still match the ones he remembered. If he could confirm this, Elric would regain the advantage of foreknowledge.
Seeing the streak of lightning, Elric immediately felt the urge to investigate. However, the phenomenon was moving too fast, and reaching the scene in time on foot seemed unlikely.
"Tom, let's go check it out!"
Without hesitation, Elric broke into a sprint, urging Tom to follow.
But after running just a few dozen meters, Tom—who had been trailing alongside him with a somewhat dazed expression—suddenly stopped.
The Servant leapt into the air, only to flop dramatically onto the ground, lying completely motionless.
Then, Tom picked up Elric Bradley with surprising ease and dashed off toward the direction where the lightning was disappearing, moving at a speed far faster than Elric could ever manage on his own.
"???" Elric, mid-stride, suddenly found himself lifted off the ground, cradled like a sack of flour under Tom's arm. He looked down at the ground zipping by, utterly bewildered.
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A few minutes earlier, in the yard of a house in Fuyuki's residential area.
Inside the house, Waver Velvet was intently observing the images transmitted by his familiar, his concentration absolute, when a sudden crack of thunder shattered the quiet. Startled, he glanced out the window and discovered that Alexander had slipped outside—and worse, he had already summoned his warhorse!
Waver quickly flung open the window and hissed a panicked whisper, "Rider! What do you think you're doing?!"
Alexander, standing proudly in the yard beside his warhorse, Bucephalus, turned toward Waver with a wide grin. "What else? I'm going to war!"
"Of course I know you're heading out, but why now—and why in such a flashy manner?!" Waver snapped, watching Alexander prepare to mount his horse.
"This is the Holy Grail War, Master. What kind of King of Conquerors would I be if I sat around during battle?" Alexander replied, genuinely puzzled by Waver's concern. With that, he swung himself onto Bucephalus, his every movement radiating confidence.
"Battle? Are you out of your mind? The Holy Grail War isn't some circus gladiatorial match! You'll get yourself killed!" Waver's voice rose with panic.
Alexander tilted his head, clearly unconcerned. "I aspire to be a hero like Achilles! What kind of hero avoids the battlefield when the call to arms is sounded?"
Waver, realizing the severity of the situation, felt his frustration boil over. "Are you listening to yourself?! This isn't a heroic saga, you lunatic! Stop right there!"
His anger was compounded by disbelief. Here he was, participating in the Holy Grail War with what should have been an overwhelming advantage—two Servants instead of one. He had Rider, a powerful servant in Alexander, and Caster in Zhuge, a brilliant tactician. Victory should have been assured, yet here was Rider, about to jeopardize everything by acting recklessly.
Zhuge, who had been silently observing the exchange, approached Waver from behind and clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Why not let him go?"
Waver froze, hand twitching toward his Command Spells as he debated whether to use them. "Why let him go?! The better question is, why should he go at all?!"
Feigning deafness to Waver's protests, Zhuge raised his voice and addressed Alexander. "Rider! Your Master says he wants to join you on this expedition!"
Waver's jaw dropped. "Wait, what?! I never said that!"
Using his inherent skill, Military Advice (A+), Zhuge already knew that no harm would come to Waver on this excursion. The ability granted him unparalleled foresight, capable of predicting any outcome with absolute certainty. Unless an enemy had equivalent luck or an equally potent ability, there was no counter.
This foresight also meant he could seize the opportunity to teach Waver a lesson. Watching his cowardly Master blunder about often gave Zhuge a headache. A little fieldwork might do the boy some good.
Before Waver could formulate a coherent objection, Zhuge grabbed him by the back of his collar and effortlessly hurled him out the window.
"What are you—AHHHHH!!!"
Caught entirely off-guard, Waver flailed in the air. Alexander, delighted by this unexpected turn of events, caught him mid-flight with a hearty laugh.
"Master, you surprise me! You're a warrior after all! Very good, very good! I'm proud to have you as my Master!"
Without waiting for Waver's panicked protests, Alexander urged Bucephalus forward, the massive steed leaping into the air with a mighty gallop.
"Wait—stop—NOOOOO!!!" Waver's scream echoed through the night, fading into the distance.
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Meanwhile, Elric, still tucked under Tom's arm like a doll, found himself running toward the direction the lightning had vanished.