"You are... the third Ruler?"
Looking at the silver-haired, purple-eyed succubus before them, exuding an aura full of ethereal emptiness, the names of the other party surfaced in the minds of Jalter and Jeanne d'Arc.
Merlin Ambrosius, a hybrid of incubus and human, a living magus. Her mystery and power had no concrete definition, but her strength was absolutely formidable, making her the existence chosen by the Counter Force.
"Ah? I'm a Ruler?"
Looking bewilderedly at the artifact of the Holy Grail War in her hand, Merlin wondered where her cream puff had gone?
'Where did that big cream puff go?'
'Damn it, really damn it! Where did my food go?'
'Just which bad guy made me a Ruler? It was... oh, it was the Counter Force. Well, never mind then.'
Being opportunistic, money-grubbing, assessing the situation, and most importantly, knowing when to admit defeat… Merlin, who understood these things well, obediently shrank her neck a little and greeted the two Jeannes.
"Hello there, my two teammates. Let me see... You two are... Jeanne?"
The knowledge and memories given by the Counter Force in her mind allowed Merlin to recognize her two companions. A trio of Rulers faced a total of thirty-six Masters and Servants.
Pausing for a moment, Merlin thought to herself, 'Why was I chosen as a Ruler? Wasn't I just a regular Servant? Couldn't I have been summoned by Isbel? So annoying!'
Drooping her head, Merlin's big eyes darted around, trying to build a good relationship with the two Jeannes.
Jeanne: "Merlin? Weren't you staying in Avalon? How did you get here?"
Jalter: "Ambrosius, aren't you a still-living existence? Why did you become the Counter Force's representative?"
Unlike everyone else, Merlin was a very special existence in the Snowfield City World.
Firstly, unlike Crimson Moon, Hope, and the other Servants, she wasn't just alive like them… primarily, in the Snowfield City World, there was also her parallel world counterpart, the Male Merlin.
Secondly, she was different from Artoria and the others because she herself was alive and hadn't formed a contract with the Counter Force.
For example, living Servants in Snowfield City don't have parallel world selves, like Crimson Moon and Hope.
Whereas those like Female Gil and Artoria do have parallel world selves, and their parallel world counterparts who formed contracts are Servants.
Therefore, Merlin was the only one whose parallel world self was alive and yet was conscripted. This absolute uniqueness also made her the Counter Force's representative.
Having digested all the memories in her mind, Merlin was an incubus, a succubus, one who devoured one side of the world, a magus from time immemorial.
Not understanding how Merlin could become a Ruler chosen by Alaya, the two Jeannes asked Merlin why she came.
Merlin: "Why did I agree? Do I even need to say?"
Blinking her big eyes, Merlin Ambrosius responded with a relaxed expression: "Naturally, it's for my husband!"
Jalter / Jeanne: "???"
Although they didn't quite understand, they were greatly shocked.
Jalter / Jeanne: "For your husband?"
Startled by Merlin's bold statement, the two Jeannes exchanged a glance, feeling as if the world was collapsing.
Slightly taken aback, Jeanne thought for a moment, then tentatively said to Merlin, "Ambrosius, you should understand the importance of the Holy Grail War."
"This Holy Grail War, summoned by the Counter Force, with so many Servants and Masters, plus a trio of Rulers, will inevitably change the world's landscape. Although I'm not entirely clear on your reason for becoming a Ruler, maintaining the progress of this Holy Grail War and ensuring its successful conclusion is what we, as Guardians, should do."
Nodding beside Jeanne, although Jalter wore a disdainful expression, she also let out a long sigh and said, "Although what my other self said sounds high-sounding, she's not wrong. There are too many participants in this Holy Grail War, so certain rules need to be maintained."
"Although I scorn the Counter Force's actions, for now, there truly isn't a better way than the Holy Grail War to maintain this world's stability."
Merlin: "???"
Merlin: "What does the Holy Grail War have to do with me..."
Letting out a cold and clear laugh, Merlin suddenly changed from her previous carefree, seemingly scatterbrained appearance.
Her cold eyes fixed on the two Jeannes, her tone devoid of any emotion, "You two... have you forgotten? I am a Succubus, a Phantasmal Species that feeds on human dreams."
"The future of humanity, the future of the world… what does it matter to me how they turn out? I don't care about those things."
Her long-standing demeanor had always been particularly happy and cheerful. But one must not forget, unlike the somewhat, but not entirely, conscience-lacking Merlin, this Merlin was truly a pure person who seeks amusement.
In her eyes, as long as something feels interesting and fun, she doesn't care who or what it involves.
To put it simply, as long as Ryuya isn't present, even companions like Artoria, Morgan, and Vivian, whom Merlin has known for so long, she can easily, without any bottom line or recognition, abandon them.
After all, in Merlin's eyes, the entire world is merely a process for her amusement. Precisely because Alaya understood this aspect of Merlin very well, it chose Merlin as its representative.
Because Alaya was deeply convinced that the amusement bursting forth from the final outcome of this Holy Grail War would absolutely captivate Merlin and also make Merlin betray Ryuya, the man who once sealed the Root for twenty years.
However...
"Listen well, you two Jeannes. What I want, what I anticipate, from time immemorial to the present, has been only one thing and can only be one thing: my beloved, the only man I treasure… Isbel Pendragon."
"If my beloved weren't in this world, then I truly wouldn't care what Alaya wants to do. Even if the Counter Force really wanted to deal with my former companions or something, it wouldn't be my business. But since my husband is here, then I'm sorry."
At this point, Merlin showed an apologetic smile to the two Jeannes, but her purple eyes held not a trace of emotion.
"Sorry, I'm going to find my husband now. As for these artifacts, I'll be taking them."
Shaking the box in her hand, Merlin's figure began to become dreamlike, a skill unique to succubi.
Jalter / Jeanne: "Damn..."
Just reacting that Merlin truly didn't take the Ruler identity seriously, as the two Jeannes tried to grab Merlin, a wave of pink cherry blossom fragrance drifted over, flowing past the Jeannes' hair towards behind them.
Staring dazedly at the spot where Merlin disappeared, the two Jeannes were silent for a long time. Then Jeanne spoke up initiatively: "So... without the artifacts now... what should we do?"
Meanwhile, at the Einzbern Castle.
"Hubby, Hubby, I'm back!"
Accompanied by a familiar laugh, the visage of Merlin sounded from mid-air.
Watching the hikikomori descend from above, a helpless expression appeared on Ryuya's face.
"As expected of you, my foolish... wife."