Of course, Ryougi Raku would not be distracted by the spectacle. Although the tentacle monsters seemed vulnerable, the one truly in danger was Saber!
"Lancer, go assist Saber!" Ryougi Raku ordered.
"You and she deal with Caster. I will find Emiya Kiritsugu and repay him for the 'gift' he gave me earlier."
"Yes! Please be careful, my lord!" Lancer did not stand on ceremony. He naturally understood his Master's capabilities. Though still somewhat concerned, he trusted his Master more.
With a nod, Ryougi Raku vanished into the dense forest the next moment, charging toward the distant castle!
…
Witnessing the extraordinary magical power emanating from the grimoire in Caster's hand, Saber knew that unless it was destroyed, these monsters would never cease!
Hundreds of monsters surrounded Saber, yet she charged toward Caster without hesitation. A whistling sound cut through the air as a tentacle swept toward her left. Saber instinctively reached out with her left hand to block it, but the wounds inflicted by Lancer still remained, and this time her reaction was too slow!
The tentacle instantly seized her left arm, and Saber's forward momentum halted abruptly. Another tentacle coiled around from behind, wrapping around her neck!
"Ugh!" She felt a wave of suffocation.
Just as she was about to unleash her magical energy to repel the tentacles, a red light flashed like lightning! The tentacles binding Saber were instantly severed, and a figure appeared beside her...
"Lancer!" Saber exclaimed in surprise upon recognizing the figure.
"Why are you here?!" Saber had not expected her rescuer to be Lancer.
"My lord and I rushed here upon sensing Caster's magical fluctuations. Seeing you in danger, my lord ordered me to assist you!" Lancer swept his twin spears, deflecting several oncoming tentacles.
"Where is Raku?" Saber asked, puzzled by Ryougi Raku's absence.
"He has gone to find your true Master! That one gave us quite the 'gift' today!" Lancer's face showed clear anger.
Saber was stunned. She hadn't expected them to know her Master was someone else. At the same time, she felt a pang of shame. As a knight, though she hadn't devised the plan, she had participated in this deception... Moreover, she was confused by Lancer's anger. Was he blaming her for the concealment?
"Um... I..." Saber spoke hesitantly, as if wanting to explain.
"No need to explain! Both I and Lord Ryougi believe in you!" Lancer interrupted Saber's apology.
"Thank you, Lancer, and please convey my apologies and gratitude to Raku."
"Of course!" Lancer nodded in agreement.
Saber saw nothing wrong with Ryougi Raku seeking out Emiya Kiritsugu. Master versus Master, Servant versus Servant—it was always fair. Moreover, this was such an open and honorable challenge!
"Caster! Saber is my opponent! The scar on her left hand was inflicted by me, and her life is the honor I will dedicate to my lord! Since you are so presumptuous as to seek easy gains, do not blame me for acting as Saber's injured left hand and slaying you! Hmph, only I have the right to face her one-handed sword strikes!" Lancer shouted furiously at Caster in the distance.
"Bastard! Bastard! Bastard! How absurd!"
Caster clutched his head and screamed at the sky, "That beautiful saint—every drop of her blood, every piece of her flesh, her very soul—all belong to me!"
Lancer ignored him and asked Saber beside him, "So, King of Knights, my lord has ordered me to assist you in killing Caster. Now, I believe it is best we join forces!"
"Of course!" She smiled at Lancer and shifted to the right, allowing Lancer to cover her left side. She knew she now had a left arm she could trust!
"I can handle hundreds of these small fry with one hand!" Saber declared, gazing at the horde of monsters before her.
"Ha! Same here!" Lancer smiled with confidence.
"Bastard! You! Unforgivable!" The grimoire in Caster's hand trembled violently, releasing deeper magical energy. The number of monsters swelled even further, the layers of encircling creatures seeming intent on devouring Lancer and Saber completely.
…
The moment Lancer appeared in the crystal ball, Emiya Kiritsugu was startled. He had shown no reaction earlier when Saber was trapped and in danger...
"It's Lancer? How could he be here?" Emiya Kiritsugu muttered subconsciously, but before anyone else could speak, he said to Irisviel, "Iri, search carefully for his Master!"
"Ah, yes!" Irisviel shifted the crystal ball's perspective but found no sign of Ryougi Raku.
Emiya Kiritsugu frowned, pondered for a moment, and ordered, "Maiya, take Iri and escape from the castle! Head in the opposite direction of Saber!"
"Kiritsugu…" Irisviel looked at him with concern.
"It seems Lancer's Master is heading this way. Iri, you should avoid him for now!" Emiya Kiritsugu explained.
"…Raku? It shouldn't be…" After a moment's thought, Irisviel felt somewhat unconvinced.
"Just in case!" Emiya Kiritsugu insisted.
"…Alright!" Seeing her husband's determination, Irisviel nodded in agreement.
…
Ryougi Raku moved swiftly, reaching Einzbern Castle in a short time.
Gazing at the magnificent castle before him, Ryougi Raku sneered and strode slowly inside!
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The long history of Einzbern Castle was evident from its exterior, and its interior was even more luxurious, resembling a European royal palace. However, despite its vast size and the expansive forest surrounding it, few actually resided within. If those struggling to afford homes knew of this, they would be astounded...
Of course, Ryougi Raku had once been among those who couldn't afford a home...
He advanced step by step toward the gates of Einzbern Castle, slowly drawing the longsword at his waist. When within reach, he delivered a light slash, and the entire gate shattered into flying fragments...
Entering the hall, in contrast to the biting cold outside, it was warm as spring. The surroundings were resplendent yet not gaudy, instead exuding a remarkable nobility that highlighted the Einzbern family's millennium of heritage, far from some so-called upstart.
Ryougi Raku said nothing upon entering. He knew it was impossible to lure Emiya Kiritsugu out with mere words.
As he wandered through the vast castle, he admired the precious calligraphy and paintings lining the corridors—though he didn't quite grasp their artistic merit...
A valuable carpet lay underfoot, muffling all sound. Ryougi Raku took a step and frowned slightly. The next moment, a violent explosion erupted beneath his feet. Not only that, as if triggered in a chain reaction, the murals and vases around him exploded one after another, ejecting countless tiny steel ball fragments. For a time, explosions rippled continuously!
Gradually, the noise subsided, and the entire corridor was shrouded in dust and ruins. The once-noble castle had been ravaged by the blasts, yet Ryougi Raku emerged at the corridor's end, continuing forward at the same pace as before, as if the explosions had done him no harm. However, upon closer inspection, his speed had indeed slowed slightly.
Emiya Kiritsugu, observing from the shadows, was astonished that Ryougi Raku remained completely unscathed...
Seeing Ryougi Raku heading directly for him, though he didn't know how the other had pinpointed his location, he quickly moved, using his familiarity with the terrain to widen the distance between them.
Emiya Kiritsugu swiftly reached a wall, pressed against it, and pulled out a monitor, only to find Ryougi Raku absent from the entire corridor!
Danger—!
Emiya Kiritsugu's instincts, honed through countless life-and-death battles, saved him...
A flash of sword light passed by, and the wall behind him was cleaved open by a blade from the outside. Had he not fled quickly, he would have been sliced in half.
"He still has some warrior's intuition!" Ryougi Raku remarked as he stepped through the breached wall...
Emiya Kiritsugu did not respond, his mind racing as he calculated how to counter.
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(TL : More Chapters @patreon.com/c/Gooberilla)