"Dodge quickly!"
Sensing an indescribable frustration, Kyoko Sakura could only shout a warning to her Master who was hiding nearby.
Red bramble chains shuttled through the air, blocking the opponent's route.
'At this moment, I actually feel relieved that my ordinary attack abilities were sealed...'
Looking at the magic circle on her body, Kyoko Sakura couldn't help but feel fortunate.
Otherwise, in her current state, her Master might not have had the chance to escape.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Sparks flew as silver droplets protected the surroundings like slime, but the gradually denting traces hinted at unfavorable consequences.
Volumen Hydrargyrum.
The Mystic Code possessed by Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald boasted excellent abilities in both offense and defense.
This was something he specifically wore to assist Sola...
'Even if Lancer can't attack with her spear, we won't be able to hold out much longer.'
Kayneth frowned as he and Sola remained protected, but the two couldn't escape smoothly.
Lancer being controlled by Caster was truly unexpected.
Or rather, they had never witnessed such a straightforward method of control before.
"Sola, use a Command Spell!"
Making this judgment, Kayneth could only resort to such means.
There was no way they could outrun a Servant like Lancer on foot.
Without understanding the principle behind the opponent's manipulation, the best method at present was to use a Command Spell to reclaim Lancer.
"But... how should I word the order?"
Hearing this, Sola hesitated for a moment before speaking.
Although Command Spells were said to be able to command Servants, if the issued instruction was too vague, its effectiveness would be insufficient.
"Just order her to leave here immediately."
"Given the current situation, other Servants and Masters will likely approach soon as well."
"We must first leave this area that may become a focal point; we can't stay here any longer."
One could only say that Caster's strange abilities had forced them into such a wretched state.
These Heroic Spirits always possessed moves beyond their comprehension.
"By Command Spell I order!"
"Leave from here! Lancer!"
Red light flashed on the back of her hand; the bramble chains crisscrossing the air paused, and the attacks ceased.
Seizing this opportunity, Kayneth immediately took Sola and fled the scene.
"Heh, quite flexible!"
Her body frozen in place, Kyoko Sakura actually breathed a sigh of relief.
She had been afraid her Master wouldn't think clearly and would try to fight head-on; that would only make things worse.
For now, simply being exposed outside wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
"Tsk, I can feel the flow of magical energy weakening."
"It seems Caster's magecraft isn't omnipotent after all—the controlling spell and the Command Spell have conflicting effects."
That controlling force binding her had begun to weaken, though the magic circle on her body remained conspicuous.
Pondering how to counter Caster, Kyoko Sakura felt slightly annoyed.
Just one opponent was already this troublesome; she dared not imagine what the other participants would be like.
Although she had regained the "Intrinsic Skills" of a Magical Girl due to her "Heroic Spirit Transformation," they could only be used as surprise moves.
Once seen by opponents skilled in combat, they might become ineffective.
"This war... is much harder than fighting Witches!!"
...
"So Rider and Berserker are the only ones who haven't shown themselves yet?"
Tokiomi Tohsaka sat in his carefully arranged magic workshop, meditating.
He had witnessed the confrontation between Caster and Lancer through his familiar.
Counting the Servants revealed so far, only Rider and Berserker remained hidden.
"Last night's bombardment..."
"Was that Caster's doing, or not?"
Based on the abilities Caster had displayed today, it was difficult to determine who exactly had attacked yesterday.
"Rider..."
"Berserker..."
Actually, the possibility of either of those two Servants being responsible seemed higher...
"The Matou family has also entered this time, but they haven't made any moves so far..."
"This is very strange."
Recalling a certain forgotten faction, Tokiomi Tohsaka frowned in thought.
Reasonably speaking, the Matou family had originally been absent from this session, but later he heard that someone on their side had also been selected.
Only, they hadn't revealed who it was...
Previously, Tokiomi had simply assumed the Matou family harbored ambitions of their own, so he hadn't paid much attention; now it seemed very suspicious.
Were they being too quiet?
Rider and Berserker—he still didn't know which of these two was their Servant.
"Teacher?"
"How is Assassin's condition?"
"The injuries are severe; movement is currently difficult."
"I see..."
Looking at his disciple entering the room, Tokiomi Tohsaka asked first, but upon receiving the answer, he felt somewhat troubled.
Originally, having Assassin spy on the situation would have been ideal, but this injury had caused unexpected complications.
"Send a familiar to monitor the Matou family..."
"Surveillance?"
"They should also have participants; we need to remain vigilant."
"Understood."
Complying with Tokiomi's arrangement, Kirei Kotomine said nothing more.
Even as he departed, his expression remained indifferent.
Compared to Tokiomi's ambitions, Kirei Kotomine now cared more about finding his own "satisfaction."
Perhaps he had once been an obedient "good child," but merely dreaming of fragments from Assassin's life experiences had filled him with "emotions" he had never possessed before.
Was it sadness? Surprise? Or... pleasure?
That impulse to take action had given him, someone who had always been without desire, a moment of enlightenment.
Under the awakening of these strange emotions, Kirei Kotomine no longer clung to his past tranquility and indifference.
"Indeed, between people there exist unknown possibilities."
"The answer I seek is becoming clearer and clearer."
Originally he had wanted to see this figure—Kiritsugu Emiya—with his own eyes, but now it seemed unnecessary.
"To have stirred such curiosity in me... Indeed... this Holy Grail War is truly mysterious."
Filled with the desire for exploration, the priest who had discovered his true self began his search.
"Assassin."
"It would be better to pay some attention to Teacher's words. Sending familiars isn't safe—go personally."
"Be careful."
Instructing the figure in the shadows, Kirei Kotomine stood naturally with his hands behind his back.
Whoosh!
The blurry figure vanished from the spot, causing Kirei Kotomine to marvel once again at how effective the medicine from Gilgamesh had been.
Such a severe injury, healed in just one night.
Though he had exchanged a Dragon Ball for it, that hardly mattered.
As for losing his participant qualification...
As long as he and Assassin cooperated well, such opportunities would come again.
As long as the Servant remained in his grasp, sooner or later they could seize new Dragon Balls and return to the game.
As for the Dragon Ball that Gilgamesh had taken back into his treasury, that was even less of a concern.
As participating Masters, the knowledge granted to them by the Dragon Balls far exceeded what Heroic Spirits understood.
Gaining something for nothing... and the concealment he had made from his teacher.
Thinking of his bold actions, his heart filled with an unknown satisfaction.
'Gilgamesh is ultimately too naive...'
'Does he really think taking the Dragon Ball into his treasury prevents anyone from obtaining it again?'
The corners of his mouth curved into a subtle arc; Kirei Kotomine looked forward to witnessing the "King" lose his composure.