Black Faction Mansion Headquarters.
“Abandon this place immediately! Any surviving homunculi are to execute or stop the vampires attacking their own kin!”
The homunculi resisted the current command.
Though born and bred as combat weapons, their rebellion began the moment they were betrayed by their master.
Spartacus would have been delighted if he were alive.
The number of homunculi was beyond imagination, but vampires began appearing during the process as well. The homunculi fought back accordingly.
“Form ranks with spears to keep them from approaching! Archers, fire at the vampires' heads immediately! Swordsmen, behead any vampire that gets close!”
One of the female homunculi was the one who had been in charge of Gorde Musik's childhood education. Having lived a long life, her command of the homunculi was generally perfect.
However, the variable was that, having become vampires, the weapons they themselves carried could not completely kill their turned kin. They had no choice but to retreat slowly.
“We escape like this! Right now…. Gah!”
“An excellent homunculus is a nuisance. You would be useful as a pawn.”
Just as Danik tried to suck Tool's blood to make her a vampire pawn.
The mansion began to shake.
“This is….”
Due to the sudden vibration, Danik momentarily released Tool and withdrew to another location.
“Cough, we survived…. My luck really is something…. We'll withdraw here while the Vampire Lord is distracted elsewhere!”
『““““““Yes!””””””』
And so they came outside the mansion.
“What is this….”
There, the corpses of their kin—homunculi who had become vampires—were burning with blue flames.
Those weapons were each made of silver. They could see vampires pierced precisely through the heart or head, dead instantly.
“Heh, young lady… Not bad? You were busy trying to save everyone while others abandoned and ran. Should I say I didn't expect you to command and raise the homunculi survival rate?”
“A Servant….”
As Tool pointed her weapon at the Servant, Hector raised both hands and spoke.
“This uncle has no intention of harming the young lady~ If you intend to fight to the end, I guess this uncle would be in trouble too? But if you want to fight, I won't hold back and will defeat you.”
He spoke in an optimistic tone, but when he spoke seriously at the end, Tool pondered for a moment.
“Is Gorde Musik safe?”
“Ah, if you mean him, he's safe. It would be better for you to surrender and lay down your weapons, but given this situation, I guess you need the silver weapons.”
“Silver weapons….”
Tool thought about vampire traits and knew silver was one of their weaknesses.
Fighting in this state was also unreasonable, and if the goal was to save more, retreating was the answer.
“I will go to Gorde Musik. He is the only commander in this situation.”
“Got it. This uncle has no intention of forcing you. Anyway, I'd like you to take the other homunculi with you. It seems this mansion will collapse before long.”
“Huh?”
When Hector pointed to the sky, Tool looked up.
In the sky was a massive floating island.
No, to be precise, it was the Hanging Gardens.
Due to the Hanging Gardens' influence, the Greater Grail was instantly seized. Danik, who had possessed Vlad III's body, flew as a bat but was pushed back by dozens of bombardments and lasers, unable to even get close.
As Tool couldn't regain her senses in this Holy Grail War that had become a mess beyond a Holy Grail War, Hector said one more thing.
“For this reason. Please move quickly, this uncle is tired from waiting.”
“Everyone, evacuate! All of you, move forward and get away from the battlefield!”
As the homunculi withdrew from the battlefield, Hector looked at the Hanging Gardens and spoke.
“Haa, that seems to be the Greater Grail. From my standpoint, well, it's just a beautiful ornament, I suppose. What should we do, Master?”
『Let's subjugate the vampires first. We can fight that later without issue.』
“Ah, after the Holy Grail War ends, this uncle would like to travel the world a bit. Is that possible?”
『Can't you say that after it's over? Say it after surviving. What are you doing, setting up a death flag?』
“Hahaha…. Saying that leaves me speechless….”
Hector was truly at a loss for words.
A death flag line….
He had said it meaning he wanted to rest comfortably after the fight was over, but Akira's words were too cruel.
‘This uncle might have been emotionally wounded?’
Anyway, Hector was sulking.
================
“That is my Grail!!!”
The flying Vlad III tried to reach the aerial fortress while evading bombardments, but after failure upon failure, he finally arrived.
Meanwhile, on the ground below….
“『Sword of Rotating Victory』Excalibur Galatine!!”
“『Sword of Promised Victory』Excalibur!”
『My Beautiful Father's Rebellion』Clarent Blood Arthur!
Golden beams of light completely swept the mansion away, red lightning additionally churned up the surroundings, and finally, solar rays turned the vampires to ashes—burning or vanishing without a trace. Vlad III was walking the path of destruction, unable to make a proper judgment.
Thus, the mansion evaporated, leaving nothing behind due to the solar rays. Now all that remained for us was to execute Vlad III.
Then, a pigeon approached Akira and spoke.
『Greetings. I am Shirou Kotomine, the Master of the owner of the aerial fortress. I ask the Master who commands numerous Servants: Will you come alone to the aerial fortress?』
“I can't go alone? Do you think I'm some kind of angel who can ascend to the sky?”
At those words, accompanied by a coughing sound, the voice spoke again.
『Ahem, I made a mistake, unlike me. Then, could you ride Astolfo's griffin and come here?』
“If that's the case, I don't mind.”
『Then, I will be waiting.』
Immediately, everyone looked at Akira and shouted.
“Akira, it's clearly a trap!”
“Are you in your right mind to believe that guy, like Papa Mama said?”
“I never said it quite like that, but, Mordred…”
“Mikon, that's right. That's a no.”
“Chirp! It's a favorable fight! Why go alone?!”
“……. Hmm.”
Then, Jeanne d'Arc spoke.
“Excuse me, are you still listening?”
『Yes, I'm listening…. I unintentionally overheard the conversation openly…. What is it, Jeanne d'Arc?』
“He is not a legitimate Holy Grail War participant, but as a Ruler, I believe I must watch you. And I would like to hear the reason for unreasonably asking the Master to come alone.”
『Ah, that's what you meant. Then, let me say one thing. The reason your Revelation isn't working properly is due to the actions of a third Master. The reason I asked him to come alone is to ask why he participated here, turning this Holy Grail War into a mess without even having a wish…. I have a rough idea why the Master came here, but I simply want to have an honest conversation. I have no other intentions. If I say I have no intention of fighting cowardly, would you believe me?』
“It's hard to trust….”
At Jeanne d'Arc's words, everyone nodded.
The pigeon flew around and said one last thing.
『If you cannot trust me, then it's regrettable. But if you do as I say, I will open a path. If Jeanne d'Arc wants to join in, I won't stop her, though I wonder if it will be meaningful.』
So Akira called for Astolfo.
“Astolfo, I'm counting on you.”
“Hmm…, I have no choice. Since you're my Master, I'll trust you!”
“I will also participate. If there's danger, I will protect you.”
“…….”
Akira thought.
About whether protection was really necessary.
If he were prepared to die, he was confident he could win even against over a hundred Servants.
He concluded that since the other side had a combination of the non-combat novelist Caster and an Assassin specialized in poison, he could probably win.
This was neither arrogance nor anything else.
It was simply part of the journey.
“Astolfo.”
“Yes! Hippogriff!”
“Kweh! (Why did you call?)”
“Yes, Hippogriff says he wants to fly too!”
“Gweh…. (Isn't there anyone to interpret for me?)”
“Fou…. (Hang in there.)”
“Kweh…. (Somehow, being comforted is healing….)”
“Fou. (What's your relationship with Astolfo?)”
“Grrr Kwah! (A Master who arbitrarily interprets my words and doesn't understand me!)”
“Fou (That's not so bad? We have Merlin on our side. Throwing people into other-dimensional holes and releasing them is his daily routine.)”
“Kwah…. (I can't believe there's such a trashy guy.)”
“Fou…. (He's absolute trash beyond redemption.)”
“Guluk…. (You've had a hard time….)”
“Fou (Thank you.)”
Among them, Astolfo, not understanding the conversation, smiled and said.
“It seems Hippogriff has made a friend. They seem to be getting along well!”
Meanwhile, Akira and Jeanne d'Arc shook their heads and thought.
‘He was definitely talking about Merlin.’
‘Absolutely, it feels more like they comforted each other rather than became friends.’
Anyway, that feeling was strong.
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