Chapter 22: The Witch in the Dark Night
However, Saber did not know to what extent he had grown stronger compared to the period of the Fourth War, so it was only reasonable for her to have such concerns.
"Rest assured, Saber. Even if I truly encounter danger, I can escape."
Saber briefly recalled the events of the last Holy Grail War. Even if her impression of Shirou's strength remained frozen a decade in the past, she still acknowledged his capabilities.
"Then... alright. If you encounter danger, you must call me with a Command Spell," Saber insisted, unable to sway him.
Sakura, who was clearing the dishes, also smiled.
"Be careful on the way."
"Yeah, I know."
Saying this, Shirou walked out of the house.
The Tohsaka residence was located on a mountain far from the city, surrounded by woods. Under the dim night sky, Shirou walked along the highway reflecting the moonlight.
In fact, he could have reached the Tohsaka residence quickly by flying or using teleportation magic. However, Shirou still preferred the feeling of strolling under the moonlight.
The faint chirping of insects coming from the forest, the glow cast by the bright night moon, and the intermittent cool breeze felt like a solo musical movement.
Suddenly, Shirou frowned. As if sensing something, he looked toward a certain direction in the forest.
"Fluctuations of magical energy, though it doesn't seem like a magus..."
Narrowing his eyes slightly, Shirou murmured.
"I'll go take a look."
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Inside the corridor of a luxury hotel, a blonde man dressed in white was roaring with a distorted face.
"Damn it! You damn bitch! I finally finished constructing my 'Mage's Workshop' and you just destroyed it like that!"
The blonde man named Atram Galiast roared.
Where he currently stood was a luxury hotel under the name of the Galiast family. Because of Atram Galiast's arrival, the entire hotel had been closed for business for about two weeks to serve as his base for the "Holy Grail War."
At this moment, the hotel corridor was as silent as a death row cell. In the corridor leading to the basement, the ceiling lights flickered as if short-circuiting, adding a horrific atmosphere to the entire hallway. Splatters of black blood stained every corner of the walls.
Severed limbs and broken arms could be seen everywhere; the silent corridor was paved with corpses.
In the basement engulfed by firelight, a large number of incubators had shattered. Nutrient fluid flowed all over the floor, and children who had fallen into a state of unconsciousness lay prostrate within it.
The device located in this basement was Atram's magical apparatus. It was a refinement workshop that used human children as "fresh materials" to refine "magical energy" crystals. It was designed with the latest scientific equipment to shorten the time required for refinement and chanting.
In this scene, the man raging like a baboon was completely out of place with the atmosphere.
Standing in front of the roaring blonde man was a woman wearing an indigo and purple hooded cloak and long purple robes. Even though her true face was hidden by the hood and her body was tightly covered, one could still see that she possessed an excellent figure.
"Foolish fellow. You have already used up all three Command Spells. Do you really think you can match me?"
From the woman whose purple robes could not hide her proud figure, a voice emerged from the face largely hidden by the hood.
"What do you mean!?"
Atram angrily scanned the thoroughly destroyed basement, the veins in his neck bulging and turning red as if about to burst. His eyes were bloodshot like a rabid dog.
"What did you say? Even though you're just a Servant, you actually want to rebel against your Master? You bitch!"
Atram Galiast was a mixed-race magus of Western European and Arab descent, the son of an oil king. Atram Galiast's status in the Mages' Association was higher than that of ordinary magi; one could say his title was bought with money.
Of course, it was lower than that of the Lords (such as El-Melloi or Barthomeloi) who were pure aristocrats. His treatment was similar to that of the Tohsaka family, who, despite their decline, were still recognized as nobility.
The education Atram received since childhood led him to view "humans that can be bought with money" as something other than human; he could be described as a villain raised from birth. This time, he also bought the slot to participate in the Fifth Holy Grail War from a certain magus.
Originally, the Servant Atram Galiast wanted to summon was someone else, but an accident occurred halfway through, leading the original catalyst to be auctioned off by the Izelma family of the Department of Creation (Valuarie) at the Clock Tower. Consequently, Atram Galiast had to find a Golden Fleece as a catalyst instead, summoning Medea of the Caster class.
Initially, Atram Galiast's attitude toward Medea was somewhat humble and polite. However, upon learning that Medea could not summon a dragon in the modern era, Atram Galiast's attitude underwent a drastic change, and he even spoke harshly to her.
After Atram Galiast showed Medea his magical workshop where he cruelly tortured children, Medea remarked that the workshop was too low-level. She then refined crystals from the atmospheric mana out of thin air that far surpassed that of the workshop.
The modern magus Atram Galiast thus deeply felt Medea's power. Therefore, Atram Galiast used a Command Spell to forbid Medea from using her Noble Phantasm against him, and then successively activated the remaining two Command Spells to restrict her, making it impossible for her to launch any magecraft or attacks against him.
"Even if all three Command Spells are used up, your magical energy has already been restricted to below that of a human by one of my spells. With your current magical energy, even a second-rate magus like me can defeat you at will."
Atram Galiast glared furiously at Medea in her purple robes.
"Once I've incapacitated you, I'll show you the meaning of cruelty!"
"Heh! Even if my magical energy is restricted, do you really think you can match me?"
As a Caster, even if Medea's magical energy was restricted to the level of a second-rate magus, the means she possessed were still far beyond the reach of these flesh-and-blood magi.
She was a witch who lived in the Age of Gods; therefore, the magecraft she exercised possessed power close to the domain of True Magic. She could perform any great magecraft using "High-Speed Divine Words." Her skills even surpassed the strongest class of modern magi and exceeded those of Magicians.
The world was once filled with magic. The manifestor of the mysteries that once made people marvel—that was Medea.
"Of course I know that, which is why I specifically sought out help!"
Atram Galiast saw a flicker of emotion appear on the half-face visible under the purple-robed woman's hood, and he immediately let out a gleeful laugh.
"El-Melloi II, help me finish her off!"
Instantly, a powerful surge of Heroic Spirit magical energy struck. Medea's body could not help but tense up.
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