Chapter 219: The Egg of the Beast King
"Damn you, Lancer!"
In a certain underground tunnel in Fuyuki City, Gilles slammed his fists in rage against a child hanging on the wall, brought back in time by the Command Seal.
Punch after punch, the "bang bang" sounds echoed repeatedly through the space.
"Um, Master… what happened?"
Watching Gilles so furious, Ryunosuke Uryu, feeling a bit pained that his freshly crafted 'artwork' had been reduced to a pile of meat, scratched his head and asked.
He still remembered the excitement on Gilles' face when he first brought the children along. How could just a few hours later, Gilles have turned into this state?
"Ryunosuke, my Master! You cannot even imagine the atrocities I have suffered!"
Hearing Ryunosuke's question, Gilles clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, recounting the events that had just transpired.
"Just a little bit more! I was so close to bringing Jeanne back! But that damn Lancer and his Master stole my Jeanne away again!
Unforgivable! They must pay for this!"
Grasping his own head, Gilles screamed hysterically.
Suddenly, he seemed to remember something and abruptly stopped speaking.
"Master?"
Seeing Gilles tilt his head back, motionless, Ryunosuke softly called out to him.
"My Master… I remember you like children very much, don't you?"
Gilles slowly turned his head, his eyes trembling as they fixed on Ryunosuke.
"Yes… that's right. Why do you ask?"
Ryunosuke had always known Gilles enjoyed tormenting children; he couldn't understand why Gilles suddenly brought this up.
"There's a little girl with extremely high potential next to Lancer's Master. I think, if it were you, Master, you'd like her very much, wouldn't you?"
"Eh, really?!"
Gilles' words immediately lit up Ryunosuke's eyes. But then he hesitated—she was Lancer's target.
Although he liked children, he wasn't crazy enough to go snatch one from Lancer himself. Even Gilles had needed the Command Seal to retrieve his, so going there himself would be suicidal.
"Of course. Here, take these…"
With a 'gentle' smile, Gilles pulled out a very ordinary-looking wristband and a revolting, constantly wriggling fruit.
"This wristband has a charming function. Any child you wish to capture will obey you if you take hold of them.
And this fruit I hold is actually the egg of the Beast King. If you swallow it, Master, you can summon beasts with its power. Of course, the more you use its power, the quicker the egg matures…"
"So that means… if I eat it, I can summon beasts just like Grandpa does?"
Hearing Gilles' explanation, Ryunosuke felt no fear. Instead, his previous impression of the egg changed entirely, and he eagerly eyed it, excited to swallow it and experience summoning beasts firsthand.
"That's right! So, Master, will you eat it?"
Seeing the expression on Ryunosuke's face, Gilles already knew the answer, but he still held up the two items, awaiting confirmation.
"Of course I'll eat it!"
With certainty, Ryunosuke put on the wristband and eagerly swallowed the Beast King's egg.
Entering a warm, nourishing space, the previously dormant egg extended several tendrils that clung tightly to the walls of Ryunosuke's stomach, drawing nutrients and vitality from its host.
Simultaneously, a faint connection appeared in Ryunosuke's mind.
With a thought, a beast summoned by Gilles appeared right before him.
"Master, did you see that?! I summoned a beast too!"
Ryunosuke curiously inspected the quietly standing beast and then turned to Gilles with joy.
"As expected of my Master…"
Just by swallowing it, he successfully summoned a beast. Watching Ryunosuke's excitement, Gilles wiped away a tear of satisfaction.
Being summoned into this Holy Grail War, meeting a Master of his taste, and encountering Jeanne—he had truly been lucky.
"The Grail has already chosen me as its owner!"
"Then anyone who dares block my path must be dealt with!"
.
.
.
"Kiritsugu!"
In an inconspicuous yard of Fuyuki City, after retreating from Einzbern Castle, Irisviel finally reunited with the two people she had been longing for.
But seeing Kiritsugu's severed right arm and his blood-soaked clothes, she quickly covered her mouth to stifle a scream.
"Sorry, Irisviel… it's my fault I couldn't protect him!"
Artoria carefully laid the heavily injured Kiritsugu on the corridor floor, guilt written all over her face.
"Now is not the time for apologies! Irisviel, hurry and heal him! It hasn't been long since his arm was severed—it should still be possible to reattach…"
Struggling to sit up from the floor, Kiritsugu instructed Irisviel to cast healing spells on him.
The large holes in his legs quickly healed under her treatment. Although his face remained pale due to blood loss, he could clearly feel that he could move his legs again.
"Continue…"
With his lower body healed, Kiritsugu ordered Irisviel to heal his severed arm and the strange symbols on his chest.
No matter how hard she tried, even using all her mana, the remaining injuries showed no improvement at all.
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