Faced with Berserker's defection, Amakusa and the Empress assumed their roles as Red Faction's representatives, engaging in tense discussions.
"For now, let Archer pursue him first. Whether we can stop him remains uncertain—success is fifty-fifty at best. No, it might end in failure."
"This is no laughing matter."
Empress complained with evident displeasure. This was understandable—though the Red Faction had assembled, they were far from battle-ready. Moreover, the Black Faction was entrenched in the impregnable Fortress of Millennia, fully prepared for war. No matter how exceptional Berserker might be alone, it would amount to nothing.
At most, it would just mean one more Servant pointlessly throwing their life away.
"What shall we do, Master? My Noble Phantasm isn't ready yet. Charging in under these circumstances would be sheer recklessness. We have no choice but to abandon him."
Hearing this, Sakatsuki's attention was drawn to the stunning black-clad beauty with elven ears—Servant Assassin, Semiramis.
A legendary queen from 9th century BC Assyrian history.
Born between Derketo, the Syrian fish goddess, and a human man, she was denied maternal love and left by the water's edge. Warmed by the wings of doves and nourished by the milk they brought, her beauty captivated King Ninus of Assyria at first sight, who took her as his queen.
Days after their marriage, she poisoned King Ninus—an event regarded as the oldest recorded poisoning in legend. Thus, she earned the title of the world's first poisoner.
Her most powerful Noble Phantasm was the "Hanging Gardens of Babylon." Historically, the gardens weren't built by Semiramis, hence its name bearing the epithet "Vainglorious." Yet by harnessing the faith of countless believers who misunderstood this, she could still manifest it as a Noble Phantasm.
Amakusa spent sixty years searching before ultimately choosing Semiramis as his Servant, largely due to this Anti-World Noble Phantasm.
Because of its fraudulent nature, activating this Noble Phantasm came with stringent conditions. First, materials like wood, stone, minerals, plants, and water from places Semiramis once lived had to be gathered and assembled. Then, Semiramis had to conduct a prolonged ritual to transform this fantasy into reality.
The ritual required roughly three days—precisely why Amakusa and the Empress wore such pained expressions upon learning of Berserker's desertion.
Until the Hanging Gardens were complete, the Red Faction's wisest choice was to hold their ground.
While their leaders agonized, Shakespeare showed no sympathy. Instead, he laughed with mischievous delight:
"'Mischief, thou art afoot, Take thou what course thou wilt!' Hah, just like that!"
"——Hah, so it was you, Caster, who instigated him?"
Under Amakusa's half-smiling gaze, Caster remained motionless, looking up at the sky with a somewhat embarrassed expression as he averted his eyes.
"You actually told him the location of Trifas? You really are—!"
"Oh, the sorrowful mad knight who ceaselessly pursues the one he must betray. I, Shakespeare, could not bear to witness his torment!"
Hearing such words brimming with the essence of a troublemaker, Sakatsuki shifted his attention to Shakespeare, recalling information about him in his mind.
To Caster·Shakespeare, this world was nothing short of an earth-shattering legend. No, it had to be. He genuinely loved extraordinary beings and ceaselessly pursued the tales woven by them.
For this reason, a little deception and instigation were, in his eyes, "permissible"—all for the sake of the story.
That's why you are the one I've designated as the Servant most likely to join our Blue faction...
After all, whose story could be more bizarre than his? Whose sacrifice could better satisfy the insatiable appetite of this great literary master?
Sakatsuki believed that Shakespeare's literary sensibilities would never let him pass up the story of the Blue faction!
"You're really such a headache, you..."
Ha—Assassin let out a deep sigh. Caster, completely unfazed, replied to her:
"A man like me is often called a 'troublemaker' or a 'star of mischief.'"
Just then, Amakusa waved his hand, stopping the bickering between the Empress and Shakespeare.
"There's no helping it. Request Archer to provide rear support for Berserker. But strictly order him to retreat immediately if the situation turns unfavorable. That Berserker is absolutely unstoppable. Even if his Master's Command Spells are exhausted, he'll just repeat the same actions after some time."
"Understood. I'll relay the message to Archer via familiar." The Empress, ever the capable aide, nodded in agreement. Amakusa responded with a grateful smile before turning his gaze to Sakatsuki, who was idling about.
"As for Mr. Sakatsuki, who has only recently joined us..."
"Ah, I get it, I get it." Sakatsuki smoothly cut him off. "It's my turn to prove my worth to the Red faction, right? Don't worry, I'll step in to help when the time comes!"
"...I'll leave it to you." Watching Sakatsuki's flippant demeanor, Amakusa couldn't help but reminisce about the composed and cold-blooded killer he became in battle.
Mr. Sakatsuki's personality... is truly something else.
***
On one side was the magi clan Yggdmillennia, seeking to break free from the Clock Tower. On the other were the magi hired by the Clock Tower, who could not tolerate this and aimed to reclaim the Greater Grail.
There would be no surrender, no peace, no room for negotiation. This was a true battle of annihilation, a fight to the death where both sides were prepared to die.
Yet, most wars begin quietly.
And so, as both the Black and Red factions assembled in full, the curtain of night fell punctually on this day.
Soaring above Trifas, a roughly crafted yet intricately designed bird-shaped familiar—seemingly molded from clay yet defying gravity—rotated its eerie, pale-white eyes. As if detecting something, it swiftly turned and glided beneath the dense clouds.
In the dead of night, Trifas was enveloped in silence. Every household had extinguished its lights, and not a single 24-hour shop remained open.
Only the dim glow of street lamps fought against the darkness, their feeble light barely making a dent in the oppressive night.
Then, a bright, cheerful female voice pierced through the stagnant air, echoing clearly in the darkness.
"Wow, this feels amazing!"
The speaker was a striking girl clad in a red tracksuit, her golden hair tied into a ponytail. She wore impossibly short hot pants and a top that barely qualified as a sports bra. A black-and-gold necklace adorned with an "X" symbol dangled against her fair skin, swaying with her energetic hops.
Though the outfit would seem scandalously revealing without the jacket, on her, it radiated an unexpected vigor and charm.
"Sorry, Master, for making you spend so much!"
"Don't worry about it. Consider it a necessary expense," replied Kairi, tearing his gaze away from Mordred's lively antics and once again marveling at how history could be so absurd.
Who would have guessed that beneath the terrifying, heavy armor lay such a spirited young girl?
If Mordred was indeed a clone of King Arthur, and had grown to this state in just a few years, did that mean her mind was also only a few years old...?
A sudden, heavy thump on his back interrupted his "treasonous" musings. Mordred grumbled,
"But seriously, we've barged right into enemy territory, and no one's even come to attack us?"
As a rogue Master-Servant pair who had broken away from their faction yet still sought the Holy Grail, Mordred and Kairi had been searching for a foothold to strategize their assault on the Fortress of Millennia. In a typical Holy Grail War, targeting a Master's workshop would suffice, but this time, it wasn't necessary.
The reason was simple: their enemy's stronghold was already confirmed to be that fortress. There was no need to search further. Neither Masters nor Servants would leave that impregnable stronghold—in other words, without capturing it, they could achieve nothing.
That was why they had come to Trifas under the cover of night.
"Relax. This is a town under Yggdmillennia's control," Kairi said, hands casually tucked into his pockets—though his fingers were already curled around a hidden mystic code.
"So... the security's good?" Mordred's voice trailed off as she and her Master halted simultaneously.
"See?" Her Master chuckled, clearly pleased with her cooperation.
Without warning, humanoid and non-humanoid golems emerged from all directions, having apparently been concealed on nearby rooftops.
And not just that—armed figures wielding battle axes had also silently gathered, joining the golems to encircle the pair.
No, to call them human would be too generous. The most striking reason was that their faces weren't just similar enough to be mistaken for brothers—they were practically identical copies.
"Humans... no, homunculi?"
"..."
Hearing Kairi's grumbling, Mordred shifted uneasily.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing... Master, give your orders."
"My magecraft is slightly lacking when it comes to dealing with golems... I'll handle the homunculi. The golems are yours."
"Got it."
"Show me your power, Saber!"
With that spirited shout, Kairi charged forward first. At the same time, Mordred turned around—the towering golem had already appeared behind her, swinging its massive stone club down at her!
Boom!
Centered around crimson lightning, a violent shockwave tore through the air, producing a thunderous clash of force against force.
"Understood—Master!"
Her gauntlet blocked the golem's attack as the golden-haired girl's smile twisted into something fierce. Before the golem could strike again, she retreated on scarlet lightning, then dashed forward in an instant, stepping onto the stone club just as the enemy raised its guard. Using the momentum, she leaped up, her red-and-white armored feet kicking off the building's walls.
Power gathered—charge!
"Hah!"
With an explosive shout, fragments of the wall flew alongside shattered pieces of the golem's body. Crimson lightning surged, illuminating the cruel smile on the girl's face!
***
Hey readers!
Want to read ahead? 📖 Join my Patreon for early access to 30+ advance chapters! Your support helps me write more and bring the story to you faster.
🔹patreon.com/aarvan🔹