Souya truly felt the situation was becoming troublesome.
From the very beginning, he noticed that the number of golems in the Black Faction's army was far fewer than depicted in the original story, and their designs and appearances were vastly different.
To ordinary people, this might not seem significant. Golemancy is a major branch of alchemy, and mass production is inherently difficult. But to Souya, this was highly abnormal.
Knowing the original plot, this discrepancy made him realize the Black Faction had likely not summoned Avicebron as their Caster, but someone else entirely.
While he had anticipated roster changes in the enemy faction, realizing the most troublesome class had been swapped made him frown.
He knew that in a Holy Grail War, the most dangerous Servant is not the Saber with the strongest overall stats, nor the Berserker with the highest raw power, but the Caster with the most bizarre and complex methods.
Although most modern magi look down on the Caster class due to their own arrogance, Souya understood how brutally difficult a Holy Grail War could become against a truly powerful magus.
One could never predict what insane tricks a Caster might pull—Gilles de Rais in the Fourth War and Medea in the Fifth War were prime examples.
Now, knowing that the relatively straightforward Avicebron had been replaced, and judging by the familiar illusion and floral scent, the enemy Caster was highly likely his old nemesis Merlin, or worse, the even more insidious Proto-Merlin. Souya felt a massive headache coming on.
Illusions capable of deceiving not just humans but the World itself... while he and Morgan could resist them thanks to the Blessing of the Lake, how would the other Servants cope?
Furthermore, both versions of Merlin were incredibly cunning. Even though Souya currently held the initiative in the war, he wouldn't put it past the Nightmare to have already dug a massive trap for him.
Could he be mistaken? Could it be a different "special" Merlin? Souya didn't think that would be any better. Regardless, an Archmage renowned as a Sage and a master of illusions was a terrifying opponent.
"I have to prepare for the worst."
Souya sighed helplessly. Suppressing his worries, he turned his attention to the pink-haired girl lying unconscious on the ground.
Looking at her familiar silhouette, pointed ears, and the black dragon horns hidden in her pink hair, Souya's expression grew strange.
"No way... is it really her?"
He instinctively reached out to roll the girl over to check for a dragon tail. But the moment his fingers brushed her skin, the girl's eyes snapped open.
Souya's hand froze awkwardly in midair. Caught completely off guard, the two stared at each other in stunned silence.
Moonlight spilled into the alley, illuminating the girl's face. Souya blurted out.
"So it really is you, you idol..."
Before he could finish, a resounding slap, accompanied by the Dragon Girl's embarrassed and furious shriek, landed squarely on his face.
"Pervert!"
Smack!
Meanwhile, on the other side of town, Mordred and Chiron were locked in fierce combat.
Their clashes sent countless bolts of lightning and magical arrows scattering in all directions, ravaging the stone streets.
If Sisigou hadn't had the foresight to set up a soundproofing boundary to block outside interference, the Sighisoara city government would likely be issuing multiple notices about "gas explosions" the next morning.
But overall, it wasn't a major issue. The government officials in Sighisoara had already been hypnotized by magi sent by the Mage's Association. No matter how much collateral damage the Holy Grail War caused, they would find suitable excuses to cover it up.
Boom!
As Chiron created distance and fired several devastating magical arrows, Mordred unleashed a surge of magical energy. The silver blade of her royal sword churned with crimson lightning. The energy condensed at the tip into a massive red hammer, sweeping away the incoming arrows in a single blow.
She had learned this move by mimicking Artoria's Strike Air when she was a child. Due to their differing attributes and Mordred's lack of interest in naming things, it didn't have a title, but empowered by her A-rank Strength and berserk lightning, its destructive power already surpassed Artoria's version.
"Hmph!"
Taking advantage of the dust kicked up by the explosion, Mordred sneered. She closed the distance in a flash, appearing right in front of Chiron, who was still holding his longbow.
"Got you! Archer!"
Seeing Chiron standing blankly before her, seemingly unable to react, the smirk on Mordred's lips grew colder. She brought her lightning-wreathed sword crashing down toward his skull.
Anyone witnessing this would firmly believe Chiron was about to perish. In standard Holy Grail Wars, a ranged Archer is fundamentally unequipped to handle a Saber specialized in close-quarters combat. And Mordred was undeniably an elite even among Sabers.
But this was the Nasuverse. The Archer class loves close combat.
"That is my line!"
Facing Mordred's heavy slash, Chiron remained perfectly calm even as the blade neared his head. At the critical moment, he allowed his longbow to dissolve into magical energy, facing the royal sword bare-handed.
In a flash of motion, Chiron demonstrated how to break the attack. His hand shot out like lightning, gripping Mordred's shoulder. Using her own momentum against her, his other hand seized her wrist.
Applying force and shifting his weight, Chiron executed a flawless shoulder throw. Mordred was slammed violently into the ground, her downward slash neutralized completely.
"Ugh, you bastard!"
Feeling the pain radiating through her entire body, Mordred scrambled up from the ground, glaring fiercely at Chiron like a wild beast.
"My apologies. That was Pankration," Chiron smiled softly, explaining his technique.
Endowed with the knowledge of the Holy Grail, Mordred immediately understood what Chiron had used. The ultimate Greek martial art, combining wrestling, grappling, and boxing—it was one of the Sage Chiron's proudest masterpieces.
But Mordred showed no fear. Raising her sword, she prepared to charge again.
Chiron, however, did not take a defensive stance. He raised his arm, gesturing for her to stop.
"Wait a moment, Saber of Red."