"Ha!"
Silver light surged like a gale. In an instant, "Sumanai" appeared before Rhodes, greatsword raised high and brought down with crushing force.
Despite the apologetic nickname, despite being mocked as "five-star endurance, three-star attack," even derided as the shame of five stars—
There was no denying it. As one of Europe's most famous heroes, Siegfried might not have been a top-tier Servant, but he was formidable. Wielding the greatsword of legend, he once crushed the evil dragon Fafnir beneath his blade, a figure of undeniable valor.
Now, under his Master's command, that renowned hero swung his weapon at Rhodes, a man who appeared utterly defenseless. Judging by Siegfried's solemn expression, he might even have believed he was delivering righteous judgment.
Given Rhodes'… colorful behavior, perhaps Siegfried truly thought he was purging evil.
The sword wind rushed toward him.
Rhodes did not flinch.
Or rather—after activating the Enchantment Epic Spell Persistent Mechanized Mind, fear was no longer something he could afford.
His hand closed in the air, slow yet precise. A pitch-black sphere appeared in his palm without warning.
A medium capable of erasing everything.
The only treasure he had brought with him from Faerûn.
He hesitated.
The price of detonating it was so severe that even his frozen logic stalled for a fraction of a second.
And then a slender figure stepped in front of him.
Tamamo-no-Mae braced herself. A silver mirror spun rapidly before her, an unimaginable defense unfolding around them.
"Release—!"
She screamed the word, her voice tearing raw.
Dozens of Magic Circuits within her artificial body roared to life. Boundless mana flared, crimson arcs igniting in the air. Tamamo Shizuishi accelerated further, humming with power.
Her pale, delicate hand rose.
Mana poured in.
The spell was completed in an instant, forming an impregnable barrier.
"Mantra: Aphotic Cave!"
A pitch-black shield bloomed outward from Tamamo Shizuishi, enveloping them both in the blink of an eye. The stone itself vibrated with a clear, resonant hum.
"Bang—!"
The harsh scream of steel echoed through the dark hall. Siegfried's greatsword crashed down again and again, each blow heavy as a storm, yet the Aphotic Cave held firm. The barrier rippled slightly, but the Tamamo Shizuishi remained untouched.
"Does it hurt…?"
Rhodes' gentle voice sounded within the darkness.
He wrapped an arm around Tamamo-no-Mae's slender waist. Eight primary Magic Circuits and sixteen auxiliary ones overloaded at once. Bone-deep pain tore through his body as mana ripped from his own life force surged into her, compensating for her dwindling reserves.
"No!"
Tamamo-no-Mae's face paled as the flood of power washed through her. She tried to resist, to stop him from giving more—but the bond engraved upon her Spirit Core made disobedience impossible.
"This was my mistake," Rhodes said quietly. "Even a rabbit that survives by playing cute will bite when cornered. Let alone a fat dog that preys on others."
A sharp glint flashed in his eyes.
"Don't worry. I'll give him a lesson he'll never forget."
"…Mm."
Tamamo-no-Mae nodded obediently.
At that moment, Siegfried's assault came to a halt.
"Stop, Saber!"
Gordes shouted suddenly, his voice shaking with fear.
"Yes, Master."
Siegfried answered calmly, lowering his silver greatsword.
The Aphotic Cave shattered, dissolving into brilliant motes of mana that slowly faded from the air.
On the far side of the hall, Gordes stood frozen, not daring to move.
Two pitch-black scythes rested against his neck.
RyuZU stood behind him, her expression docile. The blades had already cut two shallow wounds across his throat. Thick, crimson blood seeped out, the heavy scent spreading through the hall.
In moments, Gordes's pristine Yggdmillennia uniform was soaked red. He trembled in place, too terrified even to clutch his own wounds.
"How utterly stagnant, Gordes." Rhodes mocked without hesitation, watching the fat man's pathetic state.
"Truly pitiful—attacking an ally the moment you summon a Heroic Spirit. With such a despicable character, how dare you call yourself a noble? You're nothing but a clown on a stage."
"Ugly. Stupid. Arrogant."
"Becoming a Master didn't change the fact that you're trash. From start to finish, you were never even worth being crushed under my heel. A pitiful piece of filth."
The eighteen-year-old spoke as he gently squeezed Tamamo-no-Mae's waist, savoring the smooth, yielding warmth beneath his fingers.
"You—"
Gordes surged with rage, but the cold, burning pain at his throat silenced him instantly.
"Lord Rhodes."
A conciliatory voice echoed from the throne at the front of the hall.
Vlad III rose slowly and bowed.
"Would you be willing to grant me some face? I won't insult you by asking for forgiveness. Once the Holy Grail War is over, Mr. Gordes will be entirely at your disposal. For now, however… spare his life. What do you say?"
All eyes turned to Rhodes.
The other Masters looked almost desperate.
Yggdmillennia had paid dearly for this Holy Grail War. Killing Gordes in a fit of anger would likely provoke the collective fury of the magi present.
Rhodes sighed.
Then a cunning smile crept into his eyes.
He knew the original course of events. Gordes would survive the Holy Grail War—but as the first fool to lose his Heroic Spirit, killing him later would be trivial.
What mattered now was extracting profit.
An opportunity like this could not be wasted.
"I want compensation," Rhodes said, feigning anger as everyone stared in shock.
"I want all of Gordes's magical knowledge. His entire family fortune. Ownership of every homunculus in this castle. And the complete Magic Crests of the Musik lineage."
"To appease my wrath."
"From this day forward, the Musik family will be erased from the glory of Yggdmillennia."