The establishment of the Time Travelers Alliance began in the first year of Conan

Chapter 360 The Chaotic Situation (Seeking Monthly Tickets!)

Just as no one knows how many people at Homurahara Academy watched Emiya's high jump under the setting sun.

At this time, there were quite a few observers at Fuyuki Harbor.

Leaving aside Merlin and Jewelcrafter, who fought fiercely in the gap created by the Second Magic due to the "scabbard" issue.

The one who was most restless was actually Tokiomi Tohsaka.

As an assassin concealed on the boom of a harbor crane, he attempts to observe the current situation and gather information about other Servants.

Assassin used a secret technique to share vision with her Master, thus informing Kirei Kotomine of everything that happened.

Therefore, naturally, Tokiomi Tohsaka also found out about it.

Tokiomi Tohsaka certainly hadn't anticipated this.

He might actually send Archer to help ahead of time because the other Servants might be too weak.

According to Tokiomi Tohsaka's idea, after causing Archer to put on that good show on the first night, one or two Servants should be eliminated on the second day of the Holy Grail War.

However, since the King of Heroes had already displayed his divine power the day before, and even Caster had been defeated.

Therefore, the only Servants left at this moment should be Lancer, Rider, and Saber, who are skilled in direct combat.

As for the Berserker summoned by the Matou family this time, Tokiomi didn't care.

Based on the limited information left over from the last Holy Grail War, the Heroic Spirits summoned by Berserker were not powerful.

More importantly, Archer's Noble Phantasm and class undoubtedly give him an advantage against Servants who lack reason.

It must be said that, in a normal Holy Grail War, Tokiomi Tohsaka's decision would be like that of a mediocre officer in a war.

Although it's not a groundbreaking method, it's simple and effective.

This strategy of "building strongholds and fighting protracted battles" is based on the principle of "using orthodox tactics to achieve victory."

When you already have the advantage, it's difficult to find any weaknesses.

Following this trajectory, all we need to do is wait for Assassin to gather as much information as possible about the enemy Servants, let them wear each other down, and the Tohsaka family will surely emerge victorious.

But as mentioned earlier, this strategy is based on the premise that one's side does indeed have a certain advantage.

And now-

"This...how is this possible?!"

"The Holy Grail can actually summon Servants of this caliber?!"

The situation made it impossible for Tokiomi Tohsaka to maintain his usual elegance, and he had to confirm with his disciple once again whether there was any error in the information he had observed.

Listen to what Kirei reports; anyone with a modicum of sense would doubt their own hearing.

What do you mean that from today onwards, the Weiyuan River will have two more tributaries?!
Such words are utterly absurd, like something a drunkard would say!
But it is what it is.

Even that legendary "scabbard" only emitted a wisp of light.

Even if what [Artoria] revealed was merely a fleeting afterimage of past glory, a reflection of an impossible possibility—

The damage it has caused has already exceeded common sense.

At this moment, Fuyuki Port, located at the end of the Mien River, clearly demonstrates this extraordinary power.

The once neat, rectangular corner of the warehouse area has been cut into three pieces, like fragile cardstock, by an invisible pair of scissors and scattered there.

Such a commotion that tears the earth apart cannot be explained by a "gas explosion" in any way.

(Approximately as shown in the image below.)
"The association will probably use the traces left by yesterday's storm as an excuse."

Tokiomi Tohsaka couldn't help but feel a sense of relief.

Fortunately, I had already hired the Mage's Association to make some preparations for this Holy Grail War.

Even yesterday's storm could conveniently cover up the traces of this accident.

As for the compensation to be paid afterward...

Thinking about this, he couldn't help but feel a headache coming on, and he reached out to press his slightly bulging temples.

Such follow-up work is clearly not something that can be solved with the price of one or two gems.

Fortunately, the Tohsaka family was able to buy the harbor at a relatively low price afterward.

"Even if it's a temporary loss, in the long run it won't be too much of a loss."

But the real key point is clearly not that.

"Such an attack was released hastily, and it doesn't even seem to have suffered any damage."

This really surprised Tokiomi.

Although Saber is the most powerful of the seven classes, based on the records of the past Holy Grail Wars, she shouldn't be this much stronger.

"Because in the past, you always sent puppets to participate in battles, and then lost due to performance issues, so this time you specifically tried to find the strongest artifacts to summon, just like me?"

After much thought, Tokiomi felt that this was the only possibility.

After all, Archer's trump card, which he had summoned, should be able to do the same thing by using the power to divide the world, provided it was used at a higher level.

"In short, it seems we have to abandon the strategy of letting the enemies wear each other down."

Then, we can only try to get Kirei to make a move first.

Tokiomi walked up to the jewel transmitter and began to communicate with it about sending the Church's forces to fight.

Although he had some doubts about the Knight Commander that Father Risei mentioned, who was capable of defeating a Heroic Spirit head-on.

However, after the Assassin's surveillance strategy brought great benefits to his side, Tokiomi Tohsaka would never use them as cannon fodder in the face of the enemy.

“But we need to really test Saber’s strength, Kirei.”

"Especially to find out Saber's true identity, or whether that is her most powerful Noble Phantasm. And how many times she can unleash it."

“I understand. I will use the excuse of the damaged spiritual veins and the association’s insufficient combat strength to persuade Father Raymond to set off immediately.”

……

In fact, Tokiomi Tohsaka's suggestion was exactly what Kirei Kotomine was thinking.

Nobody likes having their "true nature" seen through at a glance.

This is especially true when that "essence" appears distorted and obscure in the eyes of others.

Unlike the self that indulged in "pleasure" under Archer's influence.

At this moment, facing Father Raymond's almost prophetic accusation—a fellow believer and a fellow believer bathed in the same grace—Keeley could not help but take it to heart.

Father Raymond's tone even suggested that he had already foreseen his own future, that he would inevitably fall into evil and abandon the Lord's grace.

"If he is really that powerful, perhaps... he can find a way for me to understand what is called 'true happiness'."

As for why they didn't just ask the knight for advice directly.

Kirei Kotomine would never have made such a foolish move before figuring out which doctrine Raymond followed and whether he possessed the quality of "hating evil as if it were his enemy".

The reputation of the Knights Inquisition was not exactly infamous within the church, but it was certainly enough to stop a child from crying.

"If the other party were to confirm the evil in my heart, I would probably be immediately purged as a heretic."

Kirei Kotomine was well aware that the Church had always been ruthless in its pursuit of "suppressing heresy."

Let alone entrapment, they even use insiders as bait and traps.

It's not uncommon for people to be sent to "sacrifice" themselves.

It must be like this.

That's definitely what I think.

Intending to murder a colleague, deliberately concealing information to put the other party in danger, and then using the debt of saving their life or the threat of death to force them to reveal the method of "redemption"...

This is absolutely not the kind of thinking a "normal person" should have.

More importantly, and absolutely not, one should derive any pleasure from it.

Kirei couldn't deny that a secret happiness did well up inside her when she was contemplating all of this.

As a believer in the Lord, he immediately rebuked himself for such blasphemous thoughts.

He even gripped the wooden armrest of the table and chair so hard that he cracked a protruding corner because of this sudden self-loathing.

My gaze involuntarily drifted to the side of the jewel phonograph—

Those were materials about Kiritsugu Emiya that I had collected privately.

Having been observing the battlefield from an Assassin's perspective in real time, he had already reported to Tokiomi Tohsaka that Saber's Master was a silver-haired woman.

Kirei had originally thought she would be disappointed by Kiritsugu Emiya's absence.

But in reality, he didn't.

because--

Just as Tokiomi heard, upon discovering Rider's arrival, he immediately began to tell him about Raymond's "power".

His teacher clearly understood his hint.

In any case, he didn't actually kill his colleague, did he?
As Kirei Kotomine left the priest's room where the jeweled phonograph was kept, a subtle smile curved his lips.

"Besides, even if I hadn't brought it up, the teacher... had already discovered a win-win solution."

……

Raymond agreed to Kiri's request without hesitation.

“Since it is our lord’s land that is being harmed, it is indeed necessary to stop the enemy’s atrocities.”

His tone was calm and resolute, as if he were stating something self-evident.

In his silver-gray pupils, besides the unchanging radiance of his faith, a chilling fighting spirit also rose.

Perhaps it was to prove that he was not succumbing to the darkness within.

Or perhaps it was a last-ditch effort based on normal human morality.

Kirei Kotomine bowed slightly to show his respect, and then "kindly" gave the knight commander a word of advice.

“Father Raymond, according to Assassin’s observation, Saber’s strength is extraordinary. If you are to fight her, please be extremely careful.”

At this moment, Kirei's "concerned words" "kindly" pointed out the culprit behind the destruction, leaving Raymond with no choice but to accept it.

After all, if the purpose of setting out was to stop the destruction from continuing, how could they not confront Saber?
"The Lord has already made me aware of it."

The calm and steady response remained concise and clear.

"Even the lost sheep will find the way to salvation in the glory of the Lord."

Raymond paused briefly, his gaze seemingly piercing through Kirei Kotomine, aiming to pinpoint his truest thoughts.

In Kirei's eyes, the knight before him began to chant softly.

This is both a declaration of mission and an opportunity for redemption for those who listen:

"Because this world is being judged, and the king of this world will be driven out."

"God will wipe away all the tears from their eyes. Death will be gone, and sorrow, crying and pain will disappear, for the former order has passed away."

As a priest, the familiar words of the Book of Revelation and the Gospels made Kirei Kotomine's expression freeze.

The words seemed to contain a deeper meaning that went beyond the literal words.

When Kirei snapped out of his reverie at the seemingly suggestive implication, he was astonished to find that the knight commander had vanished without a trace.

The figure remaining in the hall clenched his fist.

Following the Assassin's report, Kirei Kotomine hurriedly headed towards the priest's chamber.

……

At the moment when Raymond and Matou Kariya were both on their way to the harbor on orders from the Alliance—

"What...what are you thinking, Rider?!"

In Weber's view, the practice of actively announcing one's presence before attacking, or even "announcing one's name" before the battle, is simply absurd.

They are currently in the middle of where Lancer and Saber just fought.

"Didn't we agree to take the opportunity—"

The Conqueror King made his familiar forehead-flicking motion, causing Webber to immediately shut up instinctively.

Immediately afterwards, silence fell over the battlefield.

He remained oblivious to the devastating environment and turned to look at Saber in front of him.

Looking at Saber, who was hostile towards him, Iskandar thought to himself that this was troublesome.

The current situation is no longer as peaceful as it was in the past, according to historical inertia.

Saber's Master lies behind him, his fate unknown.

Lancer's aura, however, was gradually stabilizing in the distance, and even showed signs of recovery.

In other words, in Saber's eyes, regardless of what the King of Conquerors' true intentions were, he had already helped Lancer's side to some extent.

Fortunately, Rider is clearly not a person who cares about details.

He brazenly continued speaking:
"Although we are competing here for the Holy Grail, there is one thing to ask before we actually begin."

"Rider, if you don't move aside, I'm going to draw my sword against you."

Saber interrupted Rider, her voice filled with anger, her heart filled with anxiety for Irisviel's safety.

Artoria knew perfectly well that, given Lancer's Master's despicable tactics, once Lancer recovered, that scoundrel would definitely order him to retreat with her.

In that case, without a cure, Irisviel would be doomed.

Kenneth, too, felt a complex mix of emotions at that moment.

Standing atop the container, he could see clearly that the guy standing with Rider was the student who had stolen the Alexander the Great cloak he had bought at great expense—

Weber Velvet.

But at this moment, this guy's actions could very well have inadvertently saved his own life.

Kenneth could have easily predicted this situation, given the current discord between Rider and Webber.

If the Servant you summon is that burly man, the situation obviously won't be much better.

But in any case, if it weren't for this thief, he wouldn't have ended up being "cursed" at all.

Thus, this awkward emotion transformed into an indescribable tone, breaking the stalemate.

"I was wondering where you got the courage to steal a [Monarch's] relic, but I never imagined you would use it to participate in the Holy Grail War."

He then pronounced Webber's full name.

"—Mr. Weber Velvet, my 'close' student."

Under the impact of the "box weapon," Weber was speechless for a moment.

In a daze, he seemed to see that familiar, cold face again, looking down at him from above the podium with contempt and pity for him.

Kenneth's curse-like words echoed clearly in Weber's mind once again.

"Don't you know that when magicians fight each other, it is another meaning of 'death'?"

“If I were you, I would immediately leave such a dangerous ceremony and then live a mediocre but peaceful and happy life like an ordinary person.”

Without a doubt, the murderous intent hidden within that gentle tone that sent chills down Webber's spine was genuine.

Strangely, Weber sensed a deep-seated bitterness in his words, even a strangely contradictory and heartfelt consolation.

They did not tremble at this blatant threat, nor did it stir up any deep-seated resentment stemming from past humiliations.

The young magician carefully assessed his own emotions.

Then, Weber was even somewhat surprised to find—

The act of simply “trying to discern the complex meaning in Mr. Kenneth’s words” was something that I, in the past, could not have imagined.

So, what has changed?

His hand instinctively went to his chest.

Inside his coat, the clear outline of the hard-covered magic book was pressed against his heartbeat.

In that instant, Weber suddenly realized.

Ah, that’s it.

Without realizing it, I had actually come to regard Mr. Kenneth as an equal.

No, it's not just about equality.

My heart surged like a million waves crashing simultaneously, and I could almost hear a million people beating war drums at the same time.

An unprecedented sense of power emerged from Weber's conviction of "correctness".

He turned his head and looked at the figure that had appeared as a red dot in the projection of the spell—

The place where the monarch of the Clock Tower, whom he could only look up to, resided.

It turns out that the monarch of the Clock Tower is nothing special after all.

……

Just as Weber was about to speak in Kenneth's direction, just as he was about to say something...

Rider immediately grabbed her thin shoulders with a strong, forceful grip, interrupting her movements.

Rider is truly impressed by Webber.

Although he was somewhat surprised and pleased by the speed at which the boy had grown and how much he had changed.

But if he continues to speak, it will really cause trouble.

The Saber before me is a formidable opponent.

If Webber and Kenneth were to start talking, judging from this young man's impetuous behavior—

Saber can immediately determine that Waver has recognized Lancer's true location.

If she chooses to bypass him and pursue him, then he'll really be out of luck.

after all--

Fate is not so easy to deal with.

After reflecting on this in his heart, Rider quickly took over the conversation while Webber slumped into his chariot seat in pain.

"Judging from your words, you must be some kind of monarch, right?"

As he spoke, he looked around in a mocking manner, then deliberately gave a pitying smile.

He then spoke in a contemptuous tone.

"This is truly hilarious, even to me!"

"Leaving aside the fact that anyone who wants to become my summoner must be a warrior who fights alongside me on the battlefield."

"Hahaha! I have never heard of a monarch who lacks even the courage to appear before his enemies!"

Kenneth's expression changed involuntarily at the sound of his hearty laughter.

Rider's subsequent taunts were even more ruthless.

"Could it be... the king of the rats?!"

Rider's words, which seemed to be meant to provoke Lancer's Master and force him to reveal his true form, made Saber hesitate for a moment.

—This servant does not appear to be an ally of Lancer.

Amidst that anger that seemed to emanate from the silence, the Conqueror King raised his voice and shouted in all directions:

"There must be someone hiding in the shadows, spying on us!"

Saber and Kenneth were both taken aback.

The figure that had just been about to give chase cautiously retreated again, shielding Irisviel, who seemed to have fallen into a coma, behind it.

Kenneth's ideas, however, were completely off-track.

He had seen the starry sky that suddenly appeared when Saber arrived not long ago.

"Could it be that Rider's divine lightning disturbed that person?"

While the two were still in shock and uncertainty, that loud voice that resounded through the sky began to call out again.

"Saber and Lancer, the commotion of your duel will surely attract more than one Heroic Spirit."

"Now that you all possess true names that you can be proud of, do you only dare to sneak around and peek?"

As he spoke, the divine ox on the chariot seemed to understand and kicked its hoof, spitting out a loud bolt of lightning.

"Now, if any heroic spirit dares not show its face, it is not even as good as the ruler of rats! I, Iskandar the Conqueror, will bestow upon him the name of a rat!"

Such a powerful speech was carried across the entire sky with the sound of thunder.

……

Without a doubt, everyone present heard the sarcastic remark clearly.

Kenneth, in particular, was subsequently known as the "Lord of the Rats," and even the best-tempered person could not tolerate him.

Given Rider's meddling and his blasphemous words, he was bound to attract the attention of the goddess who was watching this place.

For "unlucky Kenneth," he believed he had done his best in terms of planning.

If even after doing all that, the goddess still doesn't acknowledge his struggles, then he's at his wit's end.

Therefore, for Sora's safety...

Whether it's to make it easier for Lancer to exit the game, or to allow him to recover his fighting strength as much as possible—

Kenneth removed the [Moon Spirit Essence Fluid] buried underground, which constituted the third layer of the ritual, and then sent it to meet Lancer to accelerate his recovery.

……

For Kiritsugu, knowing about it is one thing, but seeing it actually happen is another.

He couldn't help but sigh softly.

"...The world was almost conquered by that kind of idiot?"

On the other end of the intercom, Hisayu Maiya's voice immediately rang out.

"Kiritsugu, the Alliance's orders have arrived."

The magician killer's expression immediately turned serious.

After taking one last look at Irisviel, who was still lying there, Kiritsugu shifted his gaze from the two dark red bloodstains on the ground.

He shouldn't have been emotionally affected by Irisviel's injury.

After all, he should have been mentally prepared for such risks when he had Alice disguise herself as the real Master.

But now, Kiritsugu Emiya has to admit that he did have an impulse to appear immediately and save Irisviel.

Perhaps this is the most accurate description of "possessing a sharp weapon".

If Kiritsugu wanted to, he could really do that with just a flick of his finger.

In fact, according to the course of fate, Alice shouldn't have gotten hurt this time at all, if she had actually intervened...

"Ha—I really am greedy."

Shaking his head to clear his mind of these distracting thoughts, Kiritsugu refocused his attention on Rider and the others.

According to what Maiya just mentioned in the communication.

Next, he needs to cooperate with Rider's actions to get Webber and Kenneth to form an alliance.

Although I don't know, and I can't see the purpose of doing this.

However, since it was an order from the "Alliance," Kiritsugu Emiya would carry it out meticulously.

……

Kenneth must work with Webber.

This was a decision Conan made immediately after discovering that Conan was actually "analyzing the Third Law".

Failure is no loss, while success, or even the slightest progress, is a considerable achievement.

Moreover, the psychological analysis of Kenneth El-Melloi has been updated based on that scene.

"Without considering the victory of the Holy Grail War, Kenneth, whose goal is survival, no longer has the same strong killing intent towards Waver as he does with the inertia of history."

Conan paused for a moment, then pointed out a point that TDD had analyzed.

"He even felt a little grateful for the fact that he stole the relic."

Yes, you heard right, Kenneth did feel a sense of gratitude towards Webber's actions.

Of course, the most overwhelming feeling was regret.

He viewed the 'stolen relics' as something he had lost and gave up the opportunity to participate in the Holy Grail War.

"And after being indirectly saved by Weber at this moment, it became even more difficult for him to harbor any hostility."

Looking at the conclusions that Conan had projected and analyzed, Hasegawa Tsuki smiled.

"From this perspective, his personality is indeed somewhat awkward."

Who would have thought that Kenneth, who had been unexpectedly saved, was genuinely trying to persuade Webber to leave the battlefield?

However, because she also harbored resentment over the stolen belongings and held Waver in contempt—

He used threatening language to warn the "thief student".

If it weren't for the data, who would believe that this was Kenneth's genuine return of Weber's kindness?
……

Of course, if anyone is the one who gets most angry at Rider, it's definitely not Kenneth.

At this moment, Tokiomi Tohsaka's tone carried a hint of bitterness.

"This is... really bad."

And so it happened again; the newly formulated strategy was disrupted once more by this unexpected event.

The effect of Rider's words will render his recent decision to have the Church send out troops completely meaningless.

Kirei Kotomine had already rushed back to the priest's room and sat down again in front of the phonograph.

He frowned as well. "This is indeed a bit troublesome."

Tokiomi and Kirei knew that although this provocation was very obvious and clumsy.

But there is one king who will never turn a deaf ear to Rider's words.

(End of this chapter)