"Grand Order"?
A term that was both foreign and familiar to Lancer. His strongest impression of it was naturally Grand—Darius... ahem, no, it was Illya and that legendary Assassin.
But he set that matter aside for now. He was more concerned with the man about to appear.
Clap... Clap...
The sudden sound of applause startled everyone. After all, in a burning city, anyone would be unnerved by such a sound.
"Truly impressive. To think you actually defeated Saber."
Accompanied by a "solemn" voice, a middle-aged man in formal wear and a green hat appeared on a nearby small hill.
"Lev? Lev... Lev!!"
First came confusion, then hesitation, and finally excitement.
To Olga Marie, Lev was extremely important. If they were once just familiar acquaintances, then after her father's disappearance, he had helped her immensely with the burdens of the family, the tasks of the Animusphere department, and most crucially, the construction and operation of "Chaldea," into which her family had poured all their effort.
To her, he was like a father or an older brother.
Some people used to gossip about Olga Marie behind her back, saying she reached the pinnacle of her life because of her father's disappearance. But those types were basically just idiots who only knew how to be jealous; they had no idea of the hardships hidden behind that seemingly glamorous title.
She was barely twenty when her father vanished. Even if she was a genius, she was still far too young for the business of being a magus. Pure magecraft was one thing, but family affairs couldn't be solved by magecraft alone.
Negotiations with other families, managing the family's business...
Many things could only be decided by her as the head of the house. In her most lost and helpless moments, Lev appeared. He silently supported her from behind. She hadn't even noticed that within her trust for him—as if for a father or brother—something else was mixed in. But that feeling hadn't truly sprouted yet, because...
Just as Olga Marie rushed toward Lev, he suddenly snapped his head up.
His expression was as calm as ever, but the malice radiating from him was now completely unmasked.
"Olga, I didn't think you lot would actually win. It is truly—unpleasant!"
Following his cold words was a flick of his right hand. Terrifying magical energy erupted from beneath her feet. The running Olga Marie was suddenly hoisted into the air, her whole body floating uncontrollably.
But just as she was filled with terror, a pair of familiar arms tucked her under his waist.
"Are those your last words?"
A voice even colder than Lev's rang in Olga Marie ear.
Lancer, spinning his black spear in one hand while holding Olga Marie with the other, didn't let his right hand waver for a second. After all, he had been waiting for this moment for a long time.
There was no doubt that even Olga Marie, who was very close to Lev, hadn't noticed anything wrong with him—she had even been thrilled by his arrival. Similarly, Lev hadn't expected Lancer to attack him directly. It was normal to be "wary" of a sudden newcomer, but they didn't know each other at all; who would go straight for the kill?
Unfortunately for him, Lancer was nothing like he imagined. Lancer not only knew he was here, he was very "familiar" with him.
Lancer didn't know if the guy would be redeemed in the end, as he hadn't followed the later plot, but he knew the man was their obstacle right now.
The black spear, carrying a terrifying momentum, thrust toward Lev's forehead. The sheer force of the poised strike even created strange "clouds" around the spear tip.
Lancer didn't act often, but when he did, he didn't hold back. The goal of this strike was, without question, to kill him.
Lev didn't even have time to react to this abrupt and horrifying killing move, but just then, a powerful surge of magical energy suddenly emerged around him, forming a barrier.
Ding!
Under the crisp impact, the spear shaft bent slightly. The two were so close that Lancer could see the panic and disbelief on Lev's face. Lancer was certain that this defensive magic circle was absolutely not cast by Lev himself.
Though stunned by the sudden attack, Lev reacted quickly. His feet were covered in mana, and with a sharp kick, he instantly distanced himself from Lancer.
During this interval, it wasn't that Lancer didn't want to pursue, but rather that the magical barrier was something even his full-strength strike couldn't completely shatter.
Under normal circumstances, Lancer could only go head-to-head (frontally) with the weakest class, Assassin. But after loading the Heroic Spirit template, he possessed the capital to wrestle with the standard Knight classes. This stemmed from his bizarre experiences—every "journey," everything experienced during those journeys, and everyone he met eventually transformed into his power.
Although the Caster class meant his Strength hadn't received its maximum enhancement, this strike wasn't something just anyone could block. So, who was connected to Lev and could block this move?
'Goetia?'
"!!"
Aside from knowing that the Doctor eventually dealt with him, Lancer didn't know the specifics, but Mash "sacrifice" was beyond doubt. Such a fearsome opponent could very well be nearby right now. Thus, he decisively gave up on attacking the barrier. He released his right arm, letting go of Olga Marie, and gripped the spear with both hands in a defensive stance, his eyes scanning the surroundings tensely.
You couldn't blame Lancer for being paranoid. As far as he knew, Goetia shouldn't be showing up yet, right? Now that there was an action suggesting his presence, how could Lancer not be on high alert? After all, he didn't have the confidence to face him.
Lev, who had thought Lancer would chase him, saw Lancer cautious expression and replaced his nervousness with a smirk.
Although he was willing to sacrifice his life for his "goal," he didn't want to "fall before the banner was even raised." After giving Lancer a mocking look, he leapt down behind him. Clearly, he intended to take his trophy—the "Holy Grail."
Lancer couldn't remember the final plot points, but he knew that as long as it was something the enemy wanted to accomplish, doing the opposite was generally correct. Coincidentally, Mash, supported by Ritsuka, was walking toward them. Lancer stopped overthinking.
"Olga Marie, head back to Mash and Fujimaru. I'll be right back."
Having said that, Lancer ignored Olga Marie and sprinted toward the Greater Grail.
Olga Marie, who had dropped to the ground the moment Lancer let go, was still in a daze.
The person she trusted most wanted to kill her, but she had survived?
At this moment, she didn't even know what expression to make. There was the excitement of survival mixed with the grief of being betrayed by someone she relied on. For a time, she was overwhelmed by a tidal wave of emotions.