In the "rat tunnels" pervasive beneath the entire city of Tosk, "Black Knight" Sero Delien, after once again slaying a monster from a "nightmare," turned to look at his attendants, realizing that apart from the old butler wearing a monocle, no one else remained.
Sero stood, leaning on his sword, and asked in a deep voice, "Varys, how long have we been trapped in these so-called 'rat tunnels'?"
"Your Excellency, though in different nightmares, the passage of time is hard to perceive, I know it has been three days," the old man adjusted his monocle, responding elegantly.
Sero nodded, then suddenly raised the black greatsword in his hand, stopping it before the old butler's neck. He asked in a low voice, "Who exactly are you? Varys would not speak to me like this! Are you one of those 'rats' hiding in the sewers? Do you think you've got me cornered, so you've stopped pretending?"
"Your Excellency, I am on your side," the old man replied with a smile, showing no fear. He curled the corners of his mouth.
"Don't want to say? Then I'll herd you and directly question your soul; it's the same." "Black Knight" Delien exerted force with his arm, and the black greatsword, laden with deep darkness, immediately struck down.
Immediately after, a deep gash appeared on the "Black Knight's" own shoulder. The sturdy black armor seemed to be torn apart by something, and the injury rapidly spread, threatening to approach his heart.
This was the "Black Knight's" "Blade of Flesh and Spirit," which not only corroded flesh, annihilated souls, and shattered barriers, but also nullified the defenses of any creature with degenerate intentions. It was one of the "Black Knight's" core Beyonder abilities, stemming from the "Degeneracy" domain.
But at this moment, such a powerful strike had landed upon himself.
"Why go to such lengths? I originally wanted you to explore more of what else is special about this 'Kaspersky' that Roselle specifically designed to deal with me..." The old man looked at Sero with a deliberately feigned "regretful" expression, shaking his head, "I originally thought we were cooperating quite happily... Huh?"
But as he spoke, he suddenly let out a soft "Huh," because he noticed the scene before him rapidly dissipating, and the "Black Knight" whom he had supposedly "killed" also vanished. In its place, the old man's own left hand was silently severed.
—That was precisely the hand he had "stolen" the fate of being slain from, and then returned to the other party.
"So it was a nightmare... Has Sero Delien been captured already? When? I didn't even notice... This is truly interesting." The old man surveyed his surroundings with interest, then used the "Flesh and Blood Magic" he had stolen to restore his left arm.
"Very good, to actually make me unable to contact my other avatars... If I hadn't gathered some of them in Tosk beforehand, I might truly not have been able to crack this so-called 'Kaspersky'!"
After speaking, the old man's appearance began to change, transforming into the figure of a young man.
This figure wore a long, robe-like black trench coat, paired with black trousers and black leather shoes. He had a broad forehead, a thin face, and wore a tall top hat and a very distinctive monocle made of crystal, appearing extremely refined.
He pinched the top and bottom edges of the crystal monocle, and a smile spread across his face, "I've found you, little rats."
.....
At the unknown space at the end of the "rat tunnels," within the "Men in Black" base that Ebner had once visited to rescue "Vice Admiral Iceberg" Edwina.
The young man, who called himself the "Commander," looked at Sero Delien, bound upside down on a cross on the altar, and smiled, "'The Hanged Man' symbolizes degradation and sacrifice. It is most fitting for you, a believer of the 'True Creator' and a 'Black Knight,' to bear the 'contamination' entangled upon His Majesty..."
Unfortunately, Sero, who had fallen into a coma, couldn't hear these words, otherwise he would surely have warmly greeted the young man's family.
"As for the other sacrifice..." The young man paused here, seemingly sensing something, then shook his head, saying:
"The main structure of the arrangements in the 'rat tunnels' is composed of three combined 'Mystical Reappearances' personally left by His Majesty, who is the 'Emperor of Knowledge.'
"Although the 'Nightmare Dragon's Game' and the 'Rhine-Solomon Crow Lasso' have both been cracked by you... the last layer, the 'Cretan Labyrinth,' isn't so easy to unravel.
"His Majesty once said that the 'mystical' prototype of this labyrinth was designed to trap a minotaur... and Amon, a fellow who always occupies others' fates, is also a type of 'minotaur'...
"What a pity... I still haven't been able to decipher the meaning of His Majesty's words... But my personal experience tells me that this 'labyrinth' is indeed very effective against Beyonders of the 'Marauder' pathway... enough to trap you until His Majesty needs your help to transfer the 'contamination' onto the 'Black Knight.'"
Looking at the Beyonder characteristics and monocle placed on the other two altars, the young man laughed unrestrainedly.
He would always remember the scene a hundred years ago when his mother suddenly put on a monocle, "parasitizing" his elder brother, younger sister, and father who had returned from outside, all of them smiling at him with glasses on.
He would also always remember the chestnut-haired monarch who personally rescued him and later designed to capture that Amon avatar, avenging him...
Therefore, even if he could immediately activate the arrangements in the "Kaspersky" stronghold to capture the Amon avatar in the "rat tunnels"... he still endured, waiting for the moment of His Majesty's return.
.....
Since the "Dream Labyrinth Tower" began operating, only five people in total have managed to pass the fourth floor and reach the third.
Of these five, two had even perished within the second-floor scenario, becoming a permanent part of the "Labyrinth Tower."
Just as Ebner, Klein, and Edwina were drawn into the top floor of the "Dream Labyrinth Tower," the three current highest-authority holders on the third floor immediately received news from the "Labyrinth Tower" and were forcibly "teleported" inside.
—Beyond the fourth floor, all challenges must be faced in person!
"A tower climber has entered the first floor. The final authority contest scenario has begun... Confirming total tower climbers: 5 people. (Those sharing authority are counted as 1 person)."
.....
Tylers Renault, a Sequence 4 'Prophet' and a high-ranking deacon of the Church of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom, was in the library consulting information when he suddenly received a notification from the "Dream Labyrinth Tower." He quickly gave instructions to his subordinates, then retrieved his usual Beyonder items and, before the countdown ended, actively opened the "Door of Dream and Reality" to enter his resting room.
—After all, most of his equipment was actually stored there.
"How could someone suddenly arrive on the first floor? Before, no one had even passed two floors..."
He was puzzled, so before the "scenario" officially began, he prepared a ritual and actively performed a divination.
"Assist the holder of 'Light Seeker' in achieving final victory..."
"The prophecy is so clear, is it the Lord's decree?"
Tylers's face showed astonishment. He wasn't afraid of being punished for not reporting the "Dream Labyrinth Tower" matter, as the Holy Scriptures of the God of Knowledge actually supported secretly hiding and guarding some knowledge and information. Furthermore, as long as one didn't betray the interests of the Church of Knowledge, some other "two-faced" borderline behaviors, such as deep interactions with people from other churches or nations, would not be pursued.
Aside from the official teams handling Beyonder cases, the rest of the Church of Knowledge's organizational structure was quite free and open, more like a confederation of guilds composed of scholars.
In short, after determining that the "prophecy" was indeed the "Lord's" decree, Tylers frowned. He hesitated for a moment, then opened the "exchange list" and spent all his points...
.....
Oravi Island, Rorsted Archipelago.
"Disciple of Silence" Jacks had just heard the prompt from the "Dream Labyrinth Tower," followed immediately by another decree: "Destroy the Labyrinth Tower's final ritual."
Jacks knelt on the ground, his forehead pressed firmly against the floor, trembling as he said, "Your will be done... Great Mother Tree of Desire."
.....
Trier, the "Saint of Shadows" of the Aurora Order swallowed his bitten-off finger, then humbly prostrated himself on the ground, saying, "Following your oracle, I shall surely achieve victory, seize and destroy that blasphemous tower."
.....
Meanwhile, in the scenario on the first floor of the Dream Labyrinth Tower, Ebner rubbed his temples and stood up. Then, he saw words written in "blood" on the ground... It was the task for the first floor:
"Clearance Task: Win the 'Holy Grail' War and make a wish to the 'Holy Grail.'
"Optional Task 1: Heroic Spirit Summoning. Use 'Holy Relics' to summon your own Heroic Spirit.
"Optional Task 2: Kill all 'Masters' except yourself.
"Optional Task 3: Find the person possessed by 'Roselle Gustav's Phantom' and awaken them."
These words only existed for half a minute before transforming into a "magic circle" composed of many magical symbols.
Holy Grail War? Heh, what a fitting scene... No matter what wish the final person makes, it will probably be 'twisted' into resurrecting Roselle, right?
Then what is the evil of this world within the Holy Grail? The 'Chaos Sea,' or the 'Fallen Mother Goddess''s contamination?
Huh... I have another note on me... This is my substituted identity... Kiritsugu Emiya? I didn't expect to be part of the protagonist's team...
Heh, there's indeed a 'Command Seal' on my wrist.
Ebner looked at the patterns on his wrist and mumbled a few complaints, then saw Edwina push open the door and walk in. He peeked behind the door but didn't see Klein's figure.
Edwina also took out a note and said, "I seem to have replaced this person named Irisviel von Einzbern..."
Edwina doesn't have the qualification of a 'tower climber,' so she can't be a 'Master'?
Ebner glanced at her wrist but didn't find any "Command Seal," and other thoughts flashed through his mind:
Kiritsugu is here, his wife is here... So where is Maiya Hisau?
At this moment, the "Magic Mirror" in his sleeve subtly vibrated.