"!"
"Is it really wise to just let him go out on his own like that?!"
Goredolf spoke up, cold sweat beading on his forehead as he watched the figure vanish into the distance.
He didn't understand the Rider's motives, but the idea of a mere Servant acting with such blatant disregard for their Master's authority was utterly incomprehensible to him.
"It's fine. Let him go."
Darnic stood on the steps leading up to the castle, his hand tightening slightly as he spoke in a low, resonant voice.
'I only hope you aren't foolish enough to do something truly stupid.'
'Otherwise...'
The tone of his unspoken thought wasn't one of concern, but a cold, hard warning.
Such an arrogant display would have been intolerable for most Masters, but for a magus like Darnic, who had lived for an exceptionally long time, it wasn't a significant issue.
He had no intention of stopping the man; in fact, he wanted to use this excursion as a way to measure the true extent of the Rider's power.
With such a display of confidence, there was no way the man was entirely useless, right?
He had already dispatched several familiar spirits to follow the Rider from a safe distance. All he had to do was wait within the safety of the castle for the report.
"But still!"
Goredolf looked at Darnic's composed expression, but his own anxiety only continued to mount.
He was painfully aware that the only Servant currently capable of defending the castle was Saber,Siegfried.
If something unexpected happened now, it would be a disaster.
After all, of the remaining three Servants, one had no combat capacity, one was unconscious, and the other was undergoing emergency repairs...
"I only hope this doesn't turn into a catastrophe..."
***
"Hmm."
Standing on the main road, Madara looked down at the distance indicated on his radar and fell into a brief moment of contemplation.
He had been running for some time now, but the radar showed that he had only covered a relatively small portion of the total distance.
The enemy's "Territory" was likely further away than he had initially anticipated.
Should he just manifest his [Perfect Susanoo] and fly the rest of the way?
The thought flickered through his mind for a second before he dismissed it.
While his mana supply was more than sufficient, there was no need to make such a grand, unnecessary display just yet.
"Never mind..."
His thoughts shifted to the "Summoned Beast" that served as his [Noble Phantasm]...
But as if weighing a specific concern, he halted his actions.
Better to save that particular trump card for a more critical moment.
"I'll treat this as a bit of light exercise."
Instead of assuming his spirit form, he continued to run toward his destination at a steady, practiced pace.
***
"So, it'll take at least three more days to complete the construction?"
Shirou Kotomine looked at Semiramis, who was already "At Work," and let out a thoughtful sigh.
Semiramis didn't even acknowledge him. She was entirely focused on chanting a series of complex incantations that would have been unintelligible to anyone else.
In order to manifest the [Hanging Gardens of Babylon], Semiramis had to chant for three full days and nights to complete the necessary ritual.
The cost in resources and wealth was staggering; Amakusa had practically spent an amount equivalent to the treasury of a small nation to secure the materials.
The more money and high-grade materials they poured into it, the more powerful the fortress would be once it was complete.
Semiramis had once offered a playful, almost mocking warning to him:
"Prepare yourself for bankruptcy if you wish to challenge the heavens!"
To that, Amakusa could only offer his silent, determined support.
He had poured everything into this war; he certainly wasn't going to hold anything back now.
Sixty years of accumulated wealth and preparation were being treated as nothing more than a "Dowry" for his success.
"Hmm... I sense a Servant moving nearby."
"It seems the Black faction's Servant will be the first to launch an attack."
"Coming here alone... he must have a great deal of confidence in his abilities."
Amakusa turned his gaze toward the horizon, his "Privileges" as a Ruler allowing him to sense the approaching entity.
"Either he's an ignorant fool who doesn't understand the disparity in strength..."
"Or..."
He didn't dismiss the possibility of a formidable foe. After a moment's thought, he decided to send the scouting Assassin to investigate.
***
"Ugh!"
Trapped within a cramped, narrow vessel, her body had already begun to regenerate. A head emerged from her shoulder as she let out a series of low, distorted growls, her face twisted into a predatory, unsettling smile.
This war was remarkably convenient.
As long as she continued to draw upon the so-called "Magical Energy," her damaged physical form continued to mend itself.
There was no need for her to control others or gather Duel Energy.
She gorged herself on the mana without restraint, her hunger absolute and bottomless.
It felt wonderful.
'Judai...'
'I'll be coming to find you soon...'
As she reached out to touch the side of the container, a harsh ZZZT sound echoed through the chamber.
The scent of scorched flesh drifted from her fingertips. It was a potent, incredibly difficult seal to break.
"Ah... I suppose I'll have to convince them to let me out first..."
Recognizing her current situation and the presence of her "Partner," Yubel let out a chilling, rasping sound.
"War..."
"Victory..."
"Wish..."
Even with her shattered, twisted psyche and warped logic, she still possessed a very clear sense of her own "Desires."
She wanted to see Judai Yuki once more!
And she would bring the full weight of her "Love" to him.
"Hehe... I can sense two souls nearby who are drowning in the depths of darkness."
"Even from this distance, I can feel them."
"Those blackened hearts... they're quite exquisite..."
She let out a low, mocking laugh as she sensed two specific resonant frequencies that caught her interest.
"So, even sealed within that container, you can still perceive those at a distance?"
"I suppose it's only natural for someone with a heart as dark as yours to be attracted to similar existence."
A familiar voice echoed through the room, and Yubel's gaze shifted toward the source.
Shirou Kotomine!
This man also carried a tragic, heavy past, yet he was devoid of despair or resentment.
She had tried to manipulate the darkness and hatred buried within his heart right from the start, but she had failed.
This man, who could completely control himself and remain unaffected by her influence, was someone Yubel found exceptionally irritating.
'Her race is a Demon.'
'But based on her Noble Phantasm, she doesn't seem to be anything recorded in standard mythology.'
'Furthermore, her mental state appears to have been damaged by some external factor, leading to a Distortion of her cognitive processes and personality.'
On the other side, Amakusa watched her, his mind processing the information he had gathered.
As he possessed [True Name Discernment], any Servant he encountered would have their true identity and capabilities laid bare before him.
This was a convenience granted by his former "Ruler" class.
He already knew many secrets about her from the moment they first met.
Therefore, he was being exceptionally cautious in how he handled this Berserker.
If he allowed her to run rampant...
It could very well lead to a catastrophe of unimaginable proportions.
To be honest, having to share a faction with such a volatile Servant was a significant burden, especially since he didn't have a Command Spell to directly control her.
But fortunately, Amakusa had control over the other three Masters who had come from the Clock Tower, which gave him the leverage he needed to manage her.
"Hehe... don't worry."
"I have no intention of causing trouble."
In her current situation, Yubel had no choice but to adopt a more submissive stance.
Without outside assistance, the seal alone was enough to keep her contained for the duration of the war.
And as for this Master named "Shirou Kotomine," she knew that if he were to cut off her mana supply, she would remain "Locked Away" until everything was over.
Given her goals, she didn't want to engage in a futile, self-destructive struggle with him.
She would focus on restoring her body first, and then she would formulate a plan based on how the war developed.
Briefly cooperating wasn't something she found particularly humiliating.
Amakusa remained unmoved by the twisted, mocking smile on her face.
He didn't need to guess what she was thinking to understand her true nature.
But the fact that Yubel possessed no inherent resistance to Command Spells gave him all the confidence he needed.
And Yubel was well aware of that fact, which was why she was currently behaving so... "Sincere" in her negotiations with him.
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika_Kagura]