Although he was pursuing his opponent, Lancer didn't press too hard. Instead, he launched a few tentative attacks. Clearly, he was worried about whether "Goetia" was truly watching this battlefield. If he was, Lancer had no choice but to back off; if not...
Clang!
The spear, knocked askew by a magic bullet, traced an arc before thrusting toward Lev's back once again.
If there is anything in this world more terrifying than a "known horror," it is the "unknown." Lev was currently in exactly that state.
Ever since Lancer first attacked him, Lev had realized something was off. There was the pre-emptive preparation, the blatant malice directed at him, and Lancer own bizarre condition—he seemed neither Servant nor human.
'Damn it! My plans are being completely trashed!'
His mission wasn't finished yet; he couldn't afford to die here.
During the chase, he had tried to use his magical energy to directly seize the "Greater Grail," but the "Flame Barrier" surrounding it completely cut off that possibility.
'CASTER!!!'
His internal fury had nowhere to go, but right at that moment—
Crack!
A strange sound rang out as the ground beneath Lancer and Lev shattered violently.
The terrifying fissure looked as if the earth itself was being torn open. Following this crack, the entire underground space began to shudder.
"Tch! This world can't hold on anymore..."
Lev glanced at the Greater Grail—so close he could almost touch it, yet unreachable. He clicked his tongue in annoyance.
Even with the blessing of their "King," he couldn't survive within a collapsing world. Thus, he decisively bypassed the Grail and activated the "Extraction Rite" he had prepared beforehand.
Ping!!
The spear struck the spherical magic circle with a crisp ring. Lev, whose face had been contorted with rage, now regained his usual "elegant" smile.
"Unknown magus, since you want it so badly, I'll give this 'Grail' to you as a gift..."
"Gift? Come and try to take it if you've got the guts! Stop trying to save face. The Rune barrier set by Caster is something even our teacher couldn't break directly. Aren't you about to run away? Say whatever parting threats you want and get out!"
The state of Lev's departure didn't look like "Rayshifting," but rather the "World-Crossing" that Lancer was much more familiar with. As an experienced traveler, Lancer knew that "crossing" involved completely peeling the individual away from a world. He knew he couldn't stop him, so he didn't waste energy trying. Instead, he planned to use verbal provocation to fish for more information.
By this time, Mash, Fujimaru Ritsuka, and Olga Marie had walked over from the distance. Mash expression was complicated; back at Chaldea, because of her "birth," most of the staff hadn't treated her well. There were only two true exceptions: "Professor Lev" and the always-grinning, informal "Dr. Roman."
But the more striking sight was Olga Marie. With her hands clasped together, she showed none of her usual dominance. Instead, she looked like a lost fledgling, utterly helpless.
Perhaps because his first mission had been aborted midway, Lev's heart was now completely filled with negativity. He wanted to "attack" Lancer, but he didn't even know who Lancer was, so he had no leverage. He couldn't bring himself to hurl vulgar insults like a common thug, but the appearance of Olga Marie gave him a perfect "outlet."
"Truly a shame, Olga. Your life is already a flickering candle in the wind..."
"What?"
"Have you not realized it yet? You don't have a shred of talent for 'Rayshifting.' So why are you here? I was quite surprised when I saw you earlier; I thought the bomb I planted under your feet had failed. So, the truth is, you..."
"Am already dead, right? I already know."
Her voice was tearful yet steady, causing Lev to blink in surprise. How did she know?
But before he could react, her timid voice gradually turned firm.
"Professor Lev, I urge you to confess. I want you to tell us your purpose for doing this. If you confess, perhaps the Clock Tower will show you leniency..."
She had kept Lancer words buried in her heart. Though she hadn't wanted to believe them, they had acted as a "preventative shot." While Lev's words now forced her to accept the truth, she didn't completely collapse. Even in "death," she hadn't forgotten her duty or her family's grand ambition.
Faced with Olga Marie righteous questioning, Lev merely snorted with disdain.
"The Clock Tower? Hah! Why do you think Chaldea can't communicate with the outside? A severed communication line? Heh, it's simple. Because of 'CHALDEAS,' Chaldea survived. But the rest of the world is already exactly like this Fuyuki. Do you... understand what I mean?"
He posed the question just like a teacher during a lecture to increase interaction, but here it was purely malicious. His meaning was clear: the world had been destroyed, and only Chaldea remained.
Everyone's morale took a hit in that instant, but—
"Aren't you underestimating everyone a bit much? Since 'CHALDEAS' protects Chaldea, what makes you think other places don't have something similar? Do you think the Clock Tower's centuries of standing are a lie? The Magicians who peer into the Root might die eventually, but they can at least cling to life for a while longer. This world might be being destroyed, but right now, within its ruins, there are people working just as hard as those in Chaldea... Humanity is weak, but it's precisely because we can face that fact that we can become strong. I've already seen it! In the end, human hope will prevail!"
Lancer wasn't just talking big. As he said, while he didn't know the "process," he had seen the "ending." In a way, he possessed a form of "Clairvoyance" as well.
Lev could see through mere posturing or baseless confidence, but the words Lancer spoke and the emotion behind them left him momentarily "shaken."
But then he snapped out of his trance, his expression twisting further.
"Hmph! Fine then, let me see it! Let me see just what kind of thing this 'hope' you speak of really is!"
The ritual was fully deployed. He began to transfer out of "Singularity F," but even he didn't notice the growing unease in his heart...