Ningguang walked forward at a measured pace, her clay constructs moving ahead of her like loyal guards.
"Everyone, shall we form an alliance?"
She wasted no time getting straight to the point.
The situation was clear.
Barbara alone was no match for Yunli.
Miyabi had gone off to assassinate Yanqing.
Even if they couldn't eliminate Yunli immediately, they only needed to stall her.
As long as they delayed her until Yanqing was defeated, Yunli would lose her source of magical energy.
At that point, she would be at their mercy.
"Deal!"
Barbara agreed without the slightest hesitation.
She had been worrying about how to defeat Yunli.
Ningguang's arrival gave her tremendous confidence.
One person wasn't enough?
Then two would do.
"You people… have no shame."
Yunli was furious.
One alliance wasn't enough?
They had to add another ally too?
"Well, that's hardly our fault."
Barbara felt immensely satisfied.
Weren't you acting all arrogant a moment ago?
Why are you scared now?
She prepared to launch another charge.
At that very moment, a system notification rang out.
[Attention: Player Hoshimi Miyabi has been eliminated.]
Barbara's eyes lit up.
"Heh. Your Master's already been eliminated. You're next."
The announcement was music to her ears.
Today, she was absolutely going to eliminate this so-called "traitor" who could grow stronger.
"Hey, hey. Listen carefully to who was eliminated."
"Obviously… Hoshimi Miyabi!"
Barbara froze.
Her eyes widened in disbelief.
An Heroic Spirit had actually been eliminated by a Master?
How weak was that?
"C-Captain?"
Yanagi stared in shock.
No matter how she thought about it, she couldn't understand how Miyabi could have been defeated.
That shouldn't have happened.
"Hahaha! Now you're all dead!"
Yunli was delighted.
They had tried to assassinate her Master, and now they had paid the price.
"H-How did he do that?"
Yanagi was utterly confused.
How could a Master possibly eliminate a Heroic Spirit?
"Well… naturally, we have a secret weapon."
Though Yunli had no idea how Yanqing had pulled it off, that didn't stop her from bluffing confidently.
"A secret weapon?"
Jean frowned.
She hadn't heard anything about a secret weapon.
But Yunli looked so certain that Jean couldn't help wondering.
Could it be one of the Five True Magics?
Before anyone could say more, another system announcement sounded.
[Attention: Player Yanqing has been eliminated.]
Yunli: "…"
Miyabi: "…"
Barbara smirked.
"Heh. And you were so smug."
Everything that had happened today seemed to be working in Barbara's favor.
"How is that possible?! He was eliminated too?!"
Yunli's expression crumbled.
A terrible feeling rose in her chest.
The first two elimination spots had already been taken.
If she was eliminated here as well, she'd become the third and receive a punishment.
"No. Absolutely not."
Losing the game was one thing.
Being punished was another.
That was unacceptable.
Her gaze swept over the battlefield and locked onto Yanagi.
Now that Yanagi no longer had a Heroic Spirit protecting her, she was the perfect target.
As long as Yunli eliminated Yanagi first, she could avoid punishment.
With that thought, Yunli tightened her grip on her spear.
The moment an opening appeared, Yanagi would be her first target.
Meanwhile, Yanagi felt no better.
Her Heroic Spirit was gone.
That meant her alliance with Jean had effectively become meaningless.
When one side no longer had any combat strength, the other had no reason to keep honoring agreements.
"I'm doomed."
She let out a long sigh.
Surrounded by enemies and defenseless, she felt as though the whole world had turned against her.
Then her eyes shifted to Yunli.
Wait.
Yunli was also Masterless now.
Could they… form a new contract?
If she gained a powerhouse like Yunli as her partner, she would still have a real chance at claiming the Holy Grail.
The more she thought about it, the more sensible it seemed.
Without hesitation, Yanagi stepped toward Yunli.
Whoosh!
Ningguang had been watching closely.
The moment she saw Yanagi move, she understood exactly what was happening.
A magical projectile shot toward her.
"This is bad."
The attack came too suddenly.
Yanagi had no time to dodge, and there wasn't enough time to cast a defensive spell.
Clang!
At the critical moment, Barbara swung her sword and intercepted the attack.
"Hey! What are you doing?"
Ningguang frowned.
Barbara blinked.
"Uh… she's still part of our alliance. We signed a contract. Attacking her now wouldn't be right."
Jean nodded approvingly.
As expected of her sister.
Barbara was someone who valued honor.
Ningguang rolled her eyes.
"You're the one who signed the contract. I didn't."
"And she's clearly trying to form a new contract with Yunli. You're seriously helping her?"
Those words hit Jean and Barbara like lightning.
They turned toward Yanagi.
She was already standing beside Yunli.
"Let's form a new contract. That way, we can still compete for the Holy Grail."
Yunli lowered her raised spear.
She quickly realized Yanagi was right.
Even though Yanqing had been eliminated, she could simply partner with another Master.
That would solve her mana problem.
And if she won in the end, she would still get rewards.
As for Yanqing?
Who cared?
He was too weak to be worth worrying about.
Without hesitation, Yunli abandoned her former Master and formed a new contract with Yanagi.
The magical bond was established.
Mana began flowing to her once more.
"Miss Jean, the contract between us is still in effect. We can continue cooperating."
Jean sighed helplessly.
"What else can I do?"
There was little point starting another conflict right now.
Ningguang, however, was unwilling to let this pass.
"No. We eliminate her right now."
She had taken considerable risks by showing herself.
If she gained nothing from this, how could she accept it?
Turning to Barbara, she said sharply:
"If we don't eliminate her now, do you really think you can defeat Yunli one-on-one later?"
Barbara hesitated.
That was a very real concern.
Could she beat Yunli alone after this?
Almost certainly not.
Yanagi scoffed.
"Oh, please. She's obviously a Caster. She has countless tricks. This is just an attempt to sow discord."
Ningguang calmly replied:
"I'm simply stating the facts."
And she was.
Yes, she was trying to stir conflict.
But her logic was sound.
Anyone who gained Yunli as an ally would instantly become a major threat.
If left unchecked, they could easily wipe out the remaining players.
Barbara and Jean exchanged uncertain glances.
They were now the ones holding the decision.
The problem was that both sides made compelling arguments.
Who should they trust?
They couldn't possibly fight both factions at once.
And if those two sides turned around and allied against them?
That would be even worse.
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