There was no hesitation in Roland's eyes. The moment he sensed Enkidu's intent to fight, everything had already been decided.
The Heavenly Chains, seemingly so mighty, were in fact a double-edged sword. Against gods, they were near invincible; but before ordinary men, they were merely chains.
Though most powerful heroes carry some trace of divinity, there are exceptions, let alone Roland.
He was no child of the Type-Moon world. He had no ties to its divine lineage, no righteousness-born divinity. He was a Infernal Demonic mage, not a god. Those eight immortal pillars of justice had nothing to do with him.
Bound by the Chains of Heaven, Roland inhaled deeply. The crimson path of flame stretched beneath his feet, the earth melting, the air boiling. Trees vanished into ash and embers.
Enkidu, caught off guard, took the full brunt of the blow. He wouldn't die from it, but it was more than enough for Roland's purpose.
He strode toward Danic and, with a flick of his hand, revealed the sight upon the man's chest.
"Sheep?"
Roland stared at the familiar emblem and gave a slight shrug, unsurprised.
A talisman, of course. After seeing Danic's conduct and confirming the mark, this was the only conclusion.
But then, Roland frowned.
Around the Sheep Talisman coiled a turbulent mass of chaotic souls. They did not affect the talisman's power, but their presence was an eyesore, like someone had slapped a flyer onto his car.
At that moment, Enkidu returned. The blow had hurled him far, but now he stood again, watching Roland hold his Master's life in his hands. Yet instead of alarm, a strange relief softened his expression.
Roland slowly drew his hand back and shifted his gaze to Enkidu.
"You're not even going to make a token threat? Just let me do as I please with your Master? You do realize this talisman is what anchors his very personality."
Though the powers 'Thousand Wisdoms' once bore were greatly diminished, the remnants combined with his rediscovered knowledge gave him more than enough insight. Roland could see the core of Darnic's magecraft at a glance.
"Without this, your Master becomes nothing but a homunculus driven by instinct. You're fine with that?"
"That shouldn't matter," Enkidu tilted his head slightly, smiling gently. "In fact… I think this might be better for him."
"I see," Roland murmured, lips curling faintly. "So Danic never truly formed a proper contract with you. He exploited a loophole. That explains a lot, his past deeds, and why he came to Fuyuki."
Roland's fingers brushed the talisman but did not remove it. Instead, he pressed it lightly and let his magic seep in.
"Though asking him won't yield answers… I'd best see for myself."
Even dormant, the talisman's power outstripped any ordinary Mystic Code.
The Sheep Talisman may look unremarkable, but in the hands of its rightful owner, it could command countless arts, control over souls, memory alteration through dream manipulation, and more.
Through such insights, Danic had clawed his way into the mysteries of the soul. The talisman was sealed, its power inert, yet he had staked everything upon it.
But for this wretch, who had cast aside his very existence to cling to the talisman, there was nothing he could do to stop Roland.
If Darnic had been awake, terror would have consumed him as his memories unraveled, flashing past like a reel of film, blurred, sharpened, torn apart while Roland sifted through them like a patient archivist, harvesting the truths he sought.
"Hmm…"
Roland's brow furrowed briefly.
Rare secrets unfolded before him: the arcane arts of a Grand Magus, the evolution of spellcraft, techniques long buried in the graves of history. To ordinary minds, such knowledge would crush the soul beneath its weight, but to Roland, reborn with a fraction of his thousandfold wisdom, it was nothing more than a gentle rain.
When he finished, his eyes gleamed faintly.
Now he knew the truth of the Third Holy Grail War. He understood how Darnic's caution had warped into madness, how obsession had become creed.
Releasing the talisman, Roland rose without taking it. His gaze upon Darnic was strange, half disdain, half intrigue.
So, that's why he accepted my pact without resistance… Even after attaining his ultimate aim in this war, he held no fear of being bound. He intended to honor the pact.
Because
His goal was never the Grail.
"Take your Master and leave. He'll wake soon."
Roland spoke evenly, already turning toward the Einzbern castle.
"What are you planning?"
Enkidu's voice was calm, but his eyes shadowed faintly. As a weapon, rebellion was not his nature. Yet the enemy had altered the path unexpectedly sparing Darnic, leaving the talisman untouched. It defied all reason. And yet, he could only return to his post as a Servant.
"Why? I wonder that myself." Roland glanced back with a crooked smile. "Oh, and when he wakes… give him a message."
After Roland vanished into the woods, Enkidu crept to his Master's side, still wary of some hidden trap. But there was none.
"…What is this?"
He stared after Roland's fading silhouette, then lifted Danic gently and retreated to their base.
Not long after laying him upon the sofa, Darnic's heavy lids fluttered open.
"Lancer? Where… are we?"
Ignoring the ache gnawing his body, Darnic's hand flew to his chest. Even knowing consciousness meant the talisman remained, instinct demanded confirmation.
"Roland let us go? What's his game?"
"He only left me a single line." Enkidu's tone deepened as he echoed Roland's hoarse voice.
"No one can stop their nails from growing, nor can anyone suppress their true innate nature. So go on."
Darnic's pupils contracted sharply. He probed Enkidu's face for clues, but found none.
"He didn't… say anything else?"
"No."
"I see…"
So, has Roland seen through me? Or does he intend to use me to claim the Grail?
No. I can't falter now. I will achieve greatness, greatness beyond all limits.
Three Command Seals remain. The talisman is untouched. Lancer, still the lamb in my grasp, a sacrifice awaiting the blade.
I am the Master. Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia.
When I fuse with my Servant, the shell binding the talisman will shatter. Its inner might will awaken. Through the bond of souls, I will become its first true vessel.
And when that happens, whatever scheme Roland plots, it won't matter.
With this divine power, I will fear nothing.