Kiritsugu and Artoria slowly walked deeper into the cave.
The deeper they went, the quieter everything became. Artoria's expression gradually changed, her instincts warning her that something was here.
Several presences.
Watching them from the darkness.
Kiritsugu noticed her reaction immediately.
"…Saber?"
"We are not alone."
Not long after, the two finally reached the end of the cavern.
And there it was.
The Greater Grail.
A massive ritual structure stood at the center of the cave, glowing faintly in the darkness. Dense mana filled the entire area, heavy enough that even Kiritsugu could feel the pressure pressing against his skin.
For a brief moment, both of them stared at it silently.
This was the object countless magi had killed each other for.
The miracle machine said to grant any wish.
Then—
Clap.
Clap.
Clap.
A slow applause echoed throughout the cave.
Kiritsugu instantly pointed his gun toward the darkness while Artoria stepped forward, placing herself between him and the Grail.
Several figures slowly emerged from the shadows.
Men in black robes.
A priest with a calm smile.
And behind him stood a tall man in a white coat adjusting his glasses while several others followed quietly behind him.
The moment Artoria sensed them clearly, her expression darkened.
"…Devils."
The priest smiled wider.
"My, how frightening. The famous King of Knights recognized us immediately."
Kiritsugu narrowed his eyes.
So Ren really wasn't lying.
The priest slowly spread his arms. "Please, don't be so tense. We merely came to witness the birth of a miracle."
"One built upon corpses and blood," Artoria replied coldly.
The priest chuckled softly. "And yet humanity still keeps repeating it."
His eyes slowly drifted toward the Grail.
"Honestly, humans are fascinating creatures."
The man in the white coat suddenly stepped forward before giving a small polite bow.
"Allow me to introduce myself."
His voice was calm and refined, more like a scholar than a devil.
"Valefor Neberius."
He adjusted his glasses lightly.
"A humble researcher."
Several people behind him stepped forward as well.
"My peerage," he added casually.
Some of them smiled arrogantly while others simply stared at Artoria and Kiritsugu like predators observing prey.
Valefor then looked toward the Greater Grail with visible fascination.
"Isn't it beautiful?"
His voice almost sounded emotional.
"To think old magi managed to create something this advanced."
He let out a small laugh.
"And those fools from the Clock Tower still act superior."
Then he glanced toward Artoria with a faint smirk.
"Though I suppose we should thank them. Without human greed, we would never have found something this entertaining."
Kiritsugu kept his gun aimed steadily at them.
The priest sighed exaggeratedly.
"So hostile."
Then his smile slowly sharpened.
"Well, if you insist…"
His eyes moved toward Artoria.
"The truth is simple. The Holy Grail is far too dangerous to leave in human hands."
Artoria frowned.
"And devils are somehow better?"
"Oh no," the priest laughed lightly. "We are much worse."
The atmosphere suddenly became colder.
Even Kiritsugu felt it.
The arrogance.
The complete lack of fear.
These people weren't acting cautious at all. It was as if they already believed victory belonged to them.
The priest looked toward Artoria again, his gaze lingering on the invisible sword in her hand.
"Still… I must admit, seeing the legendary King Arthur in person is quite an honor."
Artoria's eyes narrowed slightly.
"I did not come here for conversation."
"How unfortunate," the priest murmured softly.
Then his smile disappeared completely.
"Kill them."
The moment those words fell, several magic circles exploded into existence around the cave.
The corrupted devils and peerage members rushed forward instantly. One lunged toward Artoria from above while another unleashed black flames toward Kiritsugu.
Clang!
Invisible Air exploded outward as Artoria blocked the incoming strike, the shockwave alone sending several lesser devils crashing into the cave walls.
Then she moved.
Fast.
Far too fast for normal eyes to follow.
Her invisible blade flashed once and one of the corrupted devils was cut clean across the chest. Holy energy burst from the wound like burning light, making the creature scream as its flesh melted violently.
The surrounding devils instinctively stepped back slightly.
Holy swords were their natural weakness.
But then the corrupted devil suddenly roared and charged forward again. Its massive body forced itself through the holy damage through sheer toughness alone.
Artoria's eyes narrowed slightly.
The creature's chest was practically split open, yet it was still moving and getting even more violent.
"Interesting," Valefor murmured while observing from behind. "The corruption stabilizes their bodies better than I expected."
Artoria clicked her tongue and swung again.
Boom!
Another slash exploded across the creature's shoulder, nearly tearing off its arm. Yet before she could finish it, several magic circles suddenly appeared around her.
Artoria immediately jumped backward.
A second later black spears erupted from below while another peerage member attacked from above, forcing Artoria to twist her body midair to avoid the strike.
The peerage members didn't give her even a second to breathe. One attacked from the front while another circled behind her, and at the same time spells continuously rained down from the backline.
Kiritsugu fired several shots in support.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Specialized origin bullets pierced through one of the devils, instantly disrupting his magic power and making him cough blood violently.
But Kiritsugu's expression only became darker.
There were too many and these people coordinated frighteningly well.
They weren't fighting honorably.
They were hunting.
Artoria blocked another attack before immediately turning to destroy several incoming spells. But the moment she created even the smallest opening, the massive corrupted devil charged again.
Boom!
Its giant fist smashed into Invisible Air, forcing Artoria backward several meters as the entire cave trembled slightly.
Kiritsugu tried firing again, but a magic barrier intercepted the bullet midair.
The priest smiled mockingly.
"You look exhausted, King of Knights."
Artoria remained silent.
But he wasn't wrong.
She had already fought Caster.
Then Lancer.
Even Servants had limits.
Especially with Kiritsugu as her Master.
Kiritsugu was not a proper magus. Compared to traditional magi, the amount of mana he could supply was painfully low, and recovering magical energy naturally during combat was nearly impossible.
Under normal circumstances, Artoria could overwhelm everyone here without much difficulty.
But these devils understood that perfectly.
That was why they never gave her room to breathe.
Attack - Retreat - Magic bombardment.
Then the corrupted devils pressured her from the front again.
Over and over.
Like hunters slowly exhausting a wounded beast.
Another explosion erupted nearby.
Kiritsugu rolled behind a rock formation just as black flames exploded across the cave floor. His breathing gradually became heavier.
This situation was getting worse.
Meanwhile, Valefor calmly watched the battlefield from behind his peerage while adjusting his glasses slightly.
"…As expected of a Servant."
His eyes slowly narrowed.
"But even heroes grow tired eventually."
Meanwhile, from a distance, Ren and Aesc silently watched the battle unfold.
Their presence remained completely hidden beneath layers of Thaumaturgical Symbols Ren had placed around them. To the people inside the cave, it was as if the two simply didn't exist.
(Author's note: I will start using the words "Thaumaturgical Symbols" instead of Rune and Symbol)
Aesc watched Artoria get pushed back again and again, her expression gradually becoming more serious.
"…They're about to lose."
Another explosion echoed throughout the cave as Kiritsugu narrowly avoided a barrage of black flames.
Aesc looked toward Ren.
"Let me help them."
Ren didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he casually opened a portal beside him and reached inside.
A moment later, he pulled out a pistol.
Aesc blinked.
"…A gun?"
She looked genuinely puzzled.
Against Stray Priest, perhaps it still made sense, But against those corrupted monsters and devils? with ordinary bullets?
Ren ignored her questioning look completely.
Then he took out his trusty pen.
Aesc watched quietly as Ren began drawing strange symbols directly onto the pistol itself.
The first symbol glowed faintly blue.
TS-381-V2 Known as the Kalaphastian Isle.
A symbol capable of strengthening and enhancing the material it was attached to.
The second symbol looked far more complicated.
TS-1817-V7 Known as the Twelve Holy Owls of Serrinithium.
When affixed to a weapon, any entity killed by it would trigger a violent spatial collapse around the corpse. The stronger and larger the target, the larger the resulting annihilation zone would become.
Unfortunately, Aesc didn't know about this symbols, her eyes narrowed slightly.
Unlike the first symbol, this one gave off an unsettling feeling. Just looking at the symbol itself made the surrounding mana fluctuate strangely.
Although she had already read Foundation records regarding Thaumaturgical Symbols, the documents never fully explained every single effect. According to the archives, the Foundation possessed an absurd amount of thaumaturgic symbols collected from anomalies, civilizations, and things humanity probably should never have touched.
And apparently—
Ren knew how to use them casually.
For Ren, these thaumaturgic symbols weren't particularly rare anyway. Like this two were originated from SCP-1548.
Now you might be asking how strong those two symbols are? Well, with a proper material, it strong enough to explode a planet like Mars.
swoosh
After finishing the final stroke, Ren spun the pen lazily between his fingers.
"Alright." (˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶)
Aesc glanced at the pistol again.
"…And what exactly does that do?"
Ren smiled slightly.
"You will see."
Then his gaze shifted back toward the battlefield.
At that moment Artoria was forced backward once again while several peerage members moved in together, trying to corner her completely.
Ren casually raised the pistol.
"Now you can help them."
Bang!
The shot echoed loudly through the cave.
One of the corrupted devils froze.
Then its head exploded like a crushed melon.
But that wasn't the end.
The moment the creature died—
The second symbol activated.
Space itself suddenly distorted around the corpse.
And then—
Boom!!!
A violent explosion erupted from the area itself, not from fire or mana, but from space collapsing inward before violently detonating outward.
Several nearby peerage members were instantly sent flying.
One lost an arm.
Another slammed violently into the cave wall while coughing blood.
Even Valefor's calm expression finally changed slightly.
"…What?"
For a brief moment—
Everyone stopped moving.
Even Artoria and Kiritsugu froze slightly after witnessing the bizarre explosion.
Valefor's expression stiffened for the first time.
"…Spatial collapse?"
Meanwhile, from the hidden corner of the cave, Ren stared at the battlefield in disbelief.
Then he immediately cursed loudly.
"What the hell are you all stopping for?!"
His voice echoed throughout the cave.
"Attack them!"
Ren pointed toward the injured devils like an angry gamer watching noob teammates.
"Do you think this is some turn-based game?!"
Artoria blinked.
Kiritsugu's mouth twitched slightly.
Even several devils looked momentarily confused.
Aesc covered part of her face with her hand.
"…Why are you shouting…"
"Because they're wasting a perfectly good opening!" Ren snapped immediately.
One of the injured peerage members suddenly tried to stand back up.
Bang!
Another shot rang out.
His upper body disappeared instantly.
Boom!!!
Space around the corpse violently folded inward before erupting outward again, sending another nearby devil crashing into the wall.
Ren immediately pointed again.
"See?! Combo opportunity!"
Aesc stared at him silently for a moment.
Then she sighed.
"…Are you really the head of a secret organization." ( – ⌓ – )
"What the- still questioning me? Go finish them off!"
The battle resumed almost immediately after Ren's shouting.
And this time, the situation flipped completely.
With Aesc joining the battlefield, the pressure on Artoria instantly lessened. Unlike before, the devils could no longer overwhelm her through numbers and coordination alone.
Aesc's magecraft was terrifyingly precise. One moment several peerage members tried surrounding Artoria again, and the next countless fairy spells exploded around them, disrupting their formation completely.
At the same time, Ren continued firing casually from the backline.
Bang!
Another corrupted devil lost its head.
Boom!!!
The spatial collapse triggered instantly, swallowing the surrounding area in a violent explosion that sent several devils flying.
The battlefield quickly descended into chaos.
Valefor's calm expression was long gone.
"Fall back!" he shouted immediately.
Too late.
Artoria appeared before one of the remaining corrupted devils and swung downward mercilessly.
Clang!
Holy light exploded across the cave. The creature didn't even have time to scream before its massive body split apart.
Meanwhile Aesc's magecraft pierced through several magic circles protecting the peerage members, forcing them backward repeatedly.
Within minutes, the fight was over.
The priest lay unconscious near the wall, his body covered in blood. Valefor himself had lost one of his arms, blood dripping heavily onto the cave floor. Behind him, only two peerage members remained alive.
His Queen.
And a heavily injured Rook.
The rest were dead.
Valefor's breathing became ragged as he stared at the group before him.
Artoria slowly raised her sword again while Kiritsugu aimed his gun coldly. Beside them, Aesc calmly prepared another spell.
Then suddenly—
"Wait!"
Valefor raised his remaining hand hurriedly.
"You can't kill me!"
His voice carried obvious panic now.
"I am a pureblood devil from the Seventy-Two Pillars! If you kill me, the Maou will hunt every single one of you!"
His confidence slowly returned as he spoke.
After all, his family had already committed far worse crimes before. The Neberius family's experiments on other races had once been exposed publicly, yet even then the punishment from the Maou had been laughably light.
A political warning.
Some restrictions.
That was all.
The pureblood devils always protected their own.
That was why Valefor still believed he could survive this.
Even if he failed here, the Demon Kings would still stand behind him.
Unfortunately for him—
Ren didn't care.
The moment Valefor finished speaking, Ren casually raised his pistol again.
"…You done?"
Valefor froze.
"You—"
Bang!
The bullet instantly pierced through the lying priest's head.
Boom!!!
The spatial collapse erupted immediately afterward, completely swallowing the priest's body in a violent explosion.
The entire cave shook again.
Valefor's face instantly turned pale.
Ren looked at Valefor's pale face and immediately snorted.
"Seriously, you devils really love throwing your Demon Kings' names around like some kind of admin privilege."
He casually spun the pistol around his finger.
"'Oh no, the Maou will come after you.'"
Ren mocked dramatically before rolling his eyes.
"What's next? You gonna report me to customer support? so they can ban my account?"
Even Kiritsugu's expression twitched slightly after hearing that.
Valefor's face darkened instantly.
"You insolent human…"
Ren ignored him completely and pointed toward the dead devils around the cave.
"Bro, your entire squad just got wiped in under ten minutes and you're still talking like you're some kind of raid bosses."
He clicked his tongue loudly.
"If i were you, it would be really embarrassing."
The surviving Queen immediately glared at him furiously.
"No offense, but your team coordination was garbage too."
"Your frontline tank kept charging without support, your backline kept overcasting useless spells, and your positioning was terrible."
He pointed toward the dead corrupted devils.
"This guy especially. Bro was built like a Dark Souls boss but moved like an overloaded truck."
Aesc quietly covered part of her face with her hand as if telling them she didn't know this guy
Meanwhile, a black tick mark practically appeared on Artoria's forehead.
After all—
If their coordination was considered garbage, then what did that make her, someone who had been struggling against them just moments ago? lower than garbage?
For some reason, she suddenly felt personally attacked.
Meanwhile, Ren remained completely oblivious.
"…Please stop provoking them." said Aesc helplessly
"No, no," Ren replied immediately. "Trash talk is an important combat mechanic."
Then he looked back toward Valefor.
"And honestly? If these are the elites from the Seventy-Two Pillars, then your faction is cooked."
Valefor's remaining hand trembled violently.
"Do you even understand who you are mocking?!"
Ren shrugged.
"Yeah. A bunch of overconfident nobles with family issues."
Then he casually pointed his gun toward Valefor again.
"I'm serious though. Go call your Demon Kings."
A faint grin slowly appeared on his face.
"I kinda want to see if they're any less disappointing."
The atmosphere instantly froze.
Even Artoria glanced sideways at Ren after hearing that.
Valefor's expression twisted completely.
For devils, the Maou weren't simply rulers.
They were symbols of pride.
And Ren had just trampled all over that pride like it was nothing.
"You bastard…!"
Suddenly, Valefor reached into his coat and pulled out a black syringe filled with strange dark liquid.
He then stabbed the syringe directly into his own neck.
The liquid entered his body instantly.
Then—
Crunch.
A horrifying sound echoed from his body.
Valefor suddenly screamed as black veins spread violently across his skin. His remaining arm rapidly enlarged while dark flesh expanded unnaturally across his body.
Bones cracked.
Muscles twisted.
The surrounding mana instantly became more violent.
Artoria narrowed her eyes immediately.
The transformation looked similar to the corrupted devils from earlier.
But different.
Unlike those mindless monsters—
Valefor was still conscious.
His golden eyes still locked onto Ren with pure hatred.
Dark horns slowly grew from his head while his body expanded into something far larger and more monstrous than before.
Yet despite the transformation, a twisted smile slowly appeared on his face.
"You…" he growled heavily.
"…will regret insulting the House of Neberius."
A violent wave of demonic energy erupted from his body, forcing even the remaining peerage members to step backward in fear.