The honorable duel between the swordsman and the lancer had begun.
Every step they took cracked the ground. The wind pressure from every swing of their weapons toppled streetlights. The impact of steel on steel tore countless gashes into the surrounding pavement.
The eyesight of an ordinary person could no longer follow their high-speed exchange, only able to see the aftershocks and blurred afterimages of the two clashing and countering each other.
So this is a battle between Heroic Spirits? Lin Jiuan's eyes shone with fervor. The human instinct for adventure within him made him want to join the fight, but what remained of his reason and his own weakness kept his feet rooted to the spot.
"Jiuan," Irisviel suddenly called his name softly. Her gaze never left Artoria. She had to be ready to provide immediate healing if she was injured and watch for a potential sneak attack from Lancer's hidden Master. The battle between Servants could be for honor, open and fair. But the battle between Masters could never be so.
Yet, she couldn't suppress the curiosity and worry in her heart. She needed to know the origin of this boy she had picked up and grown so fond of.
"Mrs. Irisviel?"
"How did you know Lancer's identity, as well as matters of magecraft and the Holy Grail?" Irisviel desperately wanted to look into his eyes, but she couldn't tear her gaze away from the fight. She just squeezed his hand tighter, as if begging him not to lie to her.
"Mrs. Irisviel, do you remember when we first met, I told you I was being hunted by men sent by the master of the house?"
"I remember."
Lin Jiuan took a deep breath, his voice tinged with a weary resignation. "The one hunting me... and the family I was staying with... was the Tohsaka family."
Irisviel's hand, holding his, trembled. The Tohsaka family. No one participating in this Holy Grail War was ignorant of the name of Fuyuki's masters. As a participant from the Einzbern family, she knew them all too well. Ever since the Justica, the Saint of Winter, sacrificed herself to create the Holy Grail, the Einzberns and the Tohsakas had gone from collaborators to opponents, fighting three life-or-death wars. Now, this was their fourth fateful duel.
"I escaped from Tokyo. I know a little about magecraft," he explained. "When I got to Fuyuki, I happened to meet the wife of the Tohsaka family in a park. Mrs. Tohsaka took pity on me and adopted me. I don't know why he hated me, but he sent people to kill me and sink my body in the river. I only survived by using a feigned-death spell. I was wandering around after crawling out of the river when I met you. You know the rest."
Lin Jiuan's tone was sincere, and the facts were true, though he omitted many important details—like him being a 'Beast', and his... complicated relationship with Mrs. Tohsaka. But even if Irisviel found out later, could she say he had lied? He had only omitted a tiny bit of information.
The more Irisviel heard, the more shocked she became, and the more pity she felt for him. Her mind had already constructed a hundred-thousand-word backstory for him. This poor little thing must have had his family destroyed by villains, or been ostracized by his elders, forcing him to flee all the way to Fuyuki, only to encounter such a thing.
As for why Tokiomi Tohsaka would want to kill him, Irisviel had a thought. Perhaps Mrs. Tohsaka couldn't resist Lin Jiuan's temptation and, with him... Irisviel could certainly understand. After all, Lin Jiuan was so cute and handsome; any normal woman would have her imagination run wild upon seeing him. But she was different from those women. She only saw him as a little brother and would definitely protect him!
Irisviel asked no more questions. This answer was enough to put her at ease. Though she was curious, everything else would have to wait until after the battle.
The two fell silent, quietly observing the battlefield.
With Lin Jiuan's warning, Artoria avoided being tricked by Diarmuid's two spears, but their fight reached a stalemate. After some time, just as in the original story, Iskandar, the King of Conquerors, arrived on his chariot with Waver, stopping the two Servants just as they were about to unleash their ultimate moves to decide the victor.
"Shameful! Truly shameful!" Iskandar boomed. "All you heroes gathered in Fuyuki, seeing the magnificent spirit displayed by Saber and Lancer here, do you dare say you feel nothing at all? Though you each possess True Names to be proud of, if you just hide and peek from the shadows, you are nothing but cowards! What kind of Heroic Spirits are you?! Now! All Servants chosen by the Grail, gather here! If there are any cowards who dare not show their faces, they shall face the scorn of Iskandar, the King of Conquerors!"
"Here he comes," Lin Jiuan murmured, a look of anticipation in his eyes as he listened to Iskandar's indiscriminate taunt. It's finally ending. Come on out, Gilgamesh, so I can go home and sleep.
Sure enough, just as Iskandar's voice fell, a golden light appeared in the distant sky. The light descended, landing on top of a streetlight more than ten meters high, solidifying into a figure clad in shining armor.
But when Lin Jiuan saw the figure that had coalesced from the golden light, the smile on his face froze. Wait a minute. How did you become a woman too, Gilgamesh?
Then, something even more terrifying happened. This female King of Heroes did not respond to Iskandar's taunt that had drawn her out. Her gaze swept briefly over them before finally locking onto him. The moment their eyes met, a bloodthirsty and mocking smile appeared on Gilgamesh's stunning face.
"Interesting."
BOOM!
Lin Jiuan's mind went completely blank, with only one thought remaining.
This woman... she's seen my true form!
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