Right now, Allen was living leisurely as usual, gathering information about who would be participating in the Holy Grail War.
Last month, I found out that Kayneth had lost his catalyst—
which meant Waver Velvet still ended up stealing it. I didn't know what class he would summon,
but the most likely possibility was a Servant of the Lancer class.
As for Kayneth, there was a good chance he'd get a Caster-class Servant instead.
Tokiomi, on the other hand, was obviously going to summon an Archer-class Servant… and end up in trouble midway through the war.
"Well, I don't care if he dies. At least his wife is quite nice… and beautiful," I muttered.
Rider, overhearing his Master mumbling about another Master's affairs, could only shake his head.
For someone who still looked like a boy, Allen was surprisingly—no, shamelessly—perverted.
"Hey, Rider, you're back," Allen said, turning to see his Servant—an incredibly beautiful woman.
It was such a shame that he was still young and hadn't reached puberty yet, so he couldn't do anything with her.
"Yes, Master…" she replied softly, not saying much as she sat down beside him.
Then she lifted him up and placed him on her lap.
"You're very clever at making me happy. I think… after this war ends, I'm not going to let you return so easily to the Throne of Heroes," I said in a teasing tone, leaning against the soft space between her breasts.
"I will accept whatever Master desires."
"Then it's a promise."
Medusa wrapped her arms tightly around Allen, as if she never wanted to let him go.
After getting to know Medusa for a year, her relationship with me and Sakura has grown much closer. Well, I suppose this is far better than her variant in other timelines, where she either ends up dead or merely accompanies Sakura without ever getting to enjoy life.
"Onii–chan, can we play again tomorrow?" she asked, leaping into my arms. The once-shy little girl now seemed to have gained a sense of confidence, though she still showed a hint of jealousy whenever I was near Medusa or Justeaze. Perhaps it's because she knows I'm her future husband, so she wants to monopolize me entirely for herself. Still, I always tell her that I'll have a large harem in the future, so whether she likes it or not, she'll have to accept that fact.
It's strange how easily a child—especially one from a magus family—can accept such things. Maybe it's the influence of their upbringing. I've been teaching her a lot about magecraft, and now her magic circuits are fully activated. With an impressive total of forty units, it's already enough to make her a first-class magus. Her affinity lies in Earth and Imaginary Number, making her highly talented in summoning magecraft. Perhaps once this war is over, I'll summon a Servant who can properly teach her magecraft. And I think Medea would be the most suitable teacher for her.
"Sorry, but for the next few days, Onii–chan will be busy and might not have time to play like usual," I said while gently stroking her head.
"Is it because the war starts tomorrow?" Sakura asked in an anxious tone. She already knew about the fake Holy Grail War that would take place here. Even her older sister had moved yesterday to seek shelter at her mother's family home to avoid the effects of the war.
"but it is very dangerous will Onii–chan be okay?"
"Of course"
"You have to promise you'll come back to me," she said. While hugging me tightly.
"I promise I'll be fine. Don't worry, Onii–chan is very strong," I reassured her. We then spent our time playing and watching TV together in Sakura's room, enjoying the last moments before our temporary separation.
After that, I ordered Justeaze to move with Sakura to a nearby city for safety, traveling by train. Sakura pouted about it and wanted to stay with me, but I insisted, and in the end, she had no choice but to accept my decision.
The next morning, after escorting Justeaze and Sakura to the train station, Medusa reported that Irisviel, along with Saber, had arrived from the airport. "It seems Kiritsugu isn't with them. Well, he's probably using Saber and Irisviel as decoys, but of course, my target is that woman, since she's carrying Avalon with her—and coincidentally, Saber is with her too."
My goal was simple: to copy Avalon and Excalibur. Both of those holy treasures would be extremely useful to me. More importantly, Avalon could serve as an additional protective tool, which would be just as valuable for my women in the future as it would be for myself.
"What are they doing, by the way?" I asked.
"They seem to be relaxing, especially that homunculus. She looks more like she's having fun than Saber," Medusa replied.
"Ahh… what a pitiful woman," I muttered.
Medusa looked a little confused as to why I called the homunculus pitiful, especially when she was clearly enjoying herself.
"Master, why is that? Doesn't she look like she's having fun and enjoying her time?" Medusa asked.
"You don't seem to understand. That woman is dying, and soon she'll become the Lesser Grail. You know, the lifespan of a homunculus is short. On top of that, she seems to have developed her own ego. She looks like someone who's never known the world—having lived only in a secluded place, rarely meeting people. Like a newborn seeing the vast world for the first time… truly innocent, isn't she?"
"I understand, Master. But why will she become the Lesser Grail?" Medusa kept observing the girl, starting to feel a bit of sympathy for her.
"Ahhh, about that… it's because she's the vessel for the Lesser Grail. So when a Servant dies, their soul doesn't return to the Throne of Heroes, but instead resides in the Lesser Grail. The more souls it stores, the more her body will gradually transform into a lesser grail. With that grail, the master who wins the war can use the Lesser Grail to summon the Greater Grail and make a wish."
"That means the winner also has to take the Lesser Grail? Isn't that unfair, Master?"
"Yeah, that's just how it is. There's nothing fair in this world. Alright, once you're done keeping an eye on them, you can return to me, Rider. Let's prepare ourselves for tonight."
"Yes, Master." So Medusa stopped watching them and went back to my side.
Night was beginning to fall. Allen was at a storage dock in the eastern harbor, sitting casually atop a crane, eating popcorn while waiting for something.
"Master, what are we waiting for?" Medusa asked.
"Isn't this a perfect place for a fight? So let's just wait… something interesting is bound to happen," Allen replied, offering her some popcorn.
"Just relax, we're in hiding. Remember, your target later is Saber. You don't need to kill her—just keep her busy. Meanwhile, I'll take care of that homunculus."
"Will Master kill her?"
"Nope. I just want to copy Avalon. Oh, and try to make Saber drop her sword—I want to copy that too."
"I thought Master was going to end this war right away."
"Hey, wouldn't that be boring if someone died at the start of the fight?"
"Master seems more like someone watching a show rather than actually fighting a war."
"Well, that was my intention from the start. And… did you just dare to mock your Master? You know that hurts my feelings," he teased.
Medusa only smiled at his antics. In her eyes, among all the magi, Allen was truly different. She felt grateful to have him as her Master.
Not long after, Medusa sensed someone approaching.
"Master, it seems someone's coming, and I can feel a barrier being set up."
"Alright, according to plan, we'll hide first and see what happens." Allen then put on his cloak, adjusted his height to that of a grown man, and wore a mask capable of altering his face.
"I'm basically like the adult version of Leonardo DiCaprio right now. I just hope this guy wasn't born in this world—otherwise, I'd feel really guilty if his corpse were to be found floating when he films Titanic later."
While waiting, I spotted a Lancer standing still, clearly waiting for his opponent to arrive. His mana was flaring enough to give away his location to every Servant present.
"Is that Diarmuid Ua Duibhne? Looks like Kayneth still summoned Lancer," I thought.
Not long after, Artoria arrived with Irisviel.
"Finally, someone showed up. Out of all the people who just pass by but hide like turtles, you're the only one who actually came," he said, praising his opponent's fighting spirit.
"A true warrior with a burning will to fight—you must be Saber, am I right?"
"Indeed." Saber raised her invisible sword. "And you must be Lancer."
"It's a real shame we can't exchange names in this war—especially when this is a fight to the death," Lancer replied in a tone of disappointment.
Saber, feeling the same, answered in the same tone, "That is a condition we can't avoid. We're not fighting for our own glory. I assume you've pledged your loyalty as Lancer to your Master. Am I right?"
"Absolutely." He spoke with a grin, as if a life-or-death battle wasn't something to dread. His sorrowful yet charming expression could easily captivate women, and for a moment, even Irisviel found herself entranced.
"Enchanting Magic…" Irisviel then used an Einzbern family artifact to dispel the magical effect.
"It's extremely rude to use that on a married woman, Lancer," she said, her tone slightly angry.
"My apologies for my rudeness, my lady. But I hope you don't blame me—it's something I was born with, like a curse. If anything, blame yourself for being born a woman," he said.
"Rider, I hope you're not falling for his charm, or I'll get mad," I said while hugging Medusa from behind.
"A–Ahhh… n-no, Master. I wouldn't be affected by such a simple curse," Medusa answered, blushing from the sudden intimacy.
With a scoffing tone, Saber raised her sword. "You're not planning to use your face to make me go easy on you in battle, are you, Lancer?"
Saber paused, then continued, "If that's the case, I'd be very disappointed."
Lancer shook his head. "So, Saber, your Magic Resistance as a Saber-class is really high. Well, if I were ordered to kill women who fell for my looks, I wouldn't be able to handle the embarrassment. I'm grateful that my opponent is you, Saber."
"Oh, so you prefer to fight with honor?" Saber replied with a smile—the kind of smile that welcomes death in anticipation of the fierce battle to come.
"In that case, let's begin."
Lancer took his stance, both spears in hand, ready to defend or strike. Saber raised her invisible sword with both hands, mana surging through her body as her knightly armor manifested around her.
"Saber… be careful. For now, I can only support you with healing magecraft. I won't get involved in anything else—it's impossible for me to keep up with your battle directly."
Saber nodded. "I'll handle Lancer. I hope you stay alert—his Master is still hiding, so be wary of his cunning."
The fierce battle spirit radiating from both Servants stirred up powerful winds that swept through the area, strong enough for even Allen to feel them.
With her emerald eyes, Saber radiated a fearless determination toward the fight to come. "Irisviel, I'm entrusting my back to you."
"I understand, Saber. Bring me victory."
"Of course."
Lancer stood tall, his twin spears—one blood-red, the other golden-yellow—gleaming under the dockside lights. His movements were light yet brimming with readiness, like a dancer poised to begin a deadly performance.
Across from him, Saber gripped her invisible sword with both hands. The mana surging through her body flared brightly, manifesting the golden-blue armor of a true knight.
"Are you ready, Saber?" Lancer asked with a faint smile, his eyes glinting like a predator's.
"I won't hold back," Saber replied curtly, her tone cold but charged with fighting spirit.
In an instant, Lancer lunged forward—his body blurring beyond the limits of normal sight. The red spear sliced in from the side, forcing Saber to shift her stance and block with her sword. The clash of metal rang out into the night, sparks scattering from the impact.
Before Saber could take a breath, Lancer's golden spear thrust upward from below. Saber twisted her wrist to parry it, but his power and speed forced her back half a step.
The next wave of attacks came like a storm—red and gold spears striking in alternating patterns, slashing, stabbing, and sweeping with unpredictable rhythm. Saber blocked and parried, her footwork fluid yet undeniably defensive.
On the edge of the arena, Irisviel watched tensely, while Rider (Medusa) stood beside me, her eyes tracking every motion with unwavering focus.
Lancer seized even the smallest opening. The moment Saber's guard shifted, the red spear shot forward—slash!—splitting the armor on the back of her hand. The Gáe Dearg's effect immediately severed the flow of reinforcement magic in that area.
Saber felt a sudden chill in her hand but didn't falter. She met Lancer's gaze with steadfast resolve.
"That spear… it can sever magical energy," she muttered.
"Correct," Lancer answered with a faint smirk. "And here's the other one."
The golden spear spun, catching the dock lights before darting forward in a deadly thrust. Saber raised her sword to block—but the Gáe Buidhe's curse meant even the slightest wound from it would never heal.
Their next clash cracked the concrete beneath their feet. The ring of metal on metal echoed relentlessly, their speed leaving only faint blurs in the air. Every motion was a lethal dance—Saber wielding her strength and knightly technique, Lancer his agility and pin–point precision.
Spray from the crashing waves began to soak their boots as the ocean struck the dock. Their breathing grew heavier, yet neither showed a hint of retreat.
*****
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