Davidian's Holy Grail War

"May I ask what brings you here, Lord David?" However, for his own sake, Tokiomi still needed to ascertain David's purpose. He had flown for a moment before landing directly at the church. Even Tokiomi couldn't fathom David's current intentions.

I hate you.

"It's simple. Just tell me the locations of the Berserker and Magician Servants. I've summarized it up so far, and there's no point in stealing the other five Servants besides these two. They're all arrogant types. The King of Conquerors, the King of Heroes, Diarmuid who has the pride of being the strongest knight, and King Arthur. As for the Assassin, although it's not impossible, considering that I'll be fighting your King of Heroes in the end, the chances of winning if I bring a complete slacker won't be very good."

David had made his point quite clearly: this Holy Grail War was crucial for him. He didn't want to stay in this world either. If it weren't for the fact that Tokiomi's magical abilities weren't yet at an insurmountable level, he might have helped Tokiomi win the war and then had Tokiomi send him back.

"Do you really have to get involved? In this Holy Grail War, although I have indeed received the help of the strongest hero, to be honest, after seeing so many powerful heroes, I dare not say that I am guaranteed to win." Tokiomi was very confident before, but now... he is becoming more and more cautious, for fear of being caught off guard and losing.

“Of course, I don’t want to stay in this world for even a second longer. To be honest, Merlin has been connected to me ever since I landed. Unfortunately, he didn’t have the ability to send me back in time, not to mention he’s currently in Avalon and doesn’t want to come out.” Davidian didn’t mind saying a few extra words, after all, there probably weren’t many people who could kill him now. Not even the King of Heroes, that was a fact.

Tokiomi was shocked and was about to ask a question when Gilgamesh couldn't help but reveal his true form. He couldn't help but laugh and said, "Huh? That Merlin is still hiding in the tower. Is he really that guilty? That guy."

"Well, there's nothing we can do about it. After all, when we asked that guy to do something, he didn't do anything, and by the time we wanted to change things, it was too late. That's what they mean by 'too late to regret.' By the way, he warned you not to mess with King Arthur, lest he get so angry that he comes looking for you to fight." Davidan's attitude towards the King of Heroes was very casual, much more casual than with everyone else. After all, although he respected the man, he wasn't the King of Heroes's subject, so he could be much more relaxed.

"Hahahahahahahahahahaha!" Gilgamesh laughed wildly. "I never thought I'd be warned like this. I'm two-thirds god and one-third human. That guy is half-human and half-sleep demon. And then there's that guy with divine right of kings. The ones with Grand-rank magician qualifications are really something else, hahahahahahahahahahaha!"

He casually spoke to Tokiomi about things that Tokiomi would never understand or even encounter in his entire life. After all, this world was very peaceful, and everything was fine.

Davidian waited until he finished laughing before pressing Tokiomi for an answer: "So, continuing our previous topic, I hope you can tell me the exact location of the magician so I can see if I can squeeze into this Holy Grail War. As for the Berserker, I have to give him a quick death myself. Consider it a personal matter, but it's also good for you all, since you can save some magic power and avoid having the King of Heroes take action personally. You don't want to expose his trump card in front of them, do you?"

"We are still investigating the location of the Magician and his Master, but we suspect that they may be the perpetrators of the recent series of child abductions, and are very likely mentally deranged and out of control Servants. As for the Berserker, he was severely injured by your attack before, and in order to replenish his magical power, he and his Master may have found a place to secretly recuperate."

Tokiomi chose to disclose all the information he currently possessed, because, as Davidian had said, it was a sure-fire deal for him; one of the two attendants was a madman, and the other was his enemy.

However, at that moment, a young priest pushed open the church door and walked in. He saw the crowd gathered there and showed a surprised expression, but he quickly composed himself.

"Teacher, we have located the Berserker and his Master's movements, as well as the location of the Magician and his Master's magic workshop."

Davidian shook his head, then turned to look at the young man. At their first meeting, Davidian sensed the young man's twisted nature. He couldn't help but think to himself, "Is this the Assassin's Master? Truly, it's rare to find one or two such aberrant beings among humans."

He couldn't help but turn back to look at the King of Heroes. This was terrible. It seemed that even without his intervention, Tokiomi Tohsaka was doomed. He could only blame this one-in-a-million chain of fate; if he had summoned some powerful Norse warrior instead of someone like the King of Heroes, perhaps this poor magician could have survived.

Chapter 169 The First

What followed was simple. The new young man, Davidian, remembered his name: Kirei Kotomine. He recounted the movements of the Berserker and the Magician, valuable intelligence obtained through his Servant, Hassan-i-Sabah. After listening, Davidian stood up. The Magician was beyond saving; he and his Master could simply take him down. As for the Berserker, he'd go over there now.

"Thank you, Tokiomi Tohsaka. I'm on my way now. Please speak freely." Davidian stood up and lowered the nameless sword he had been carrying on his shoulder. It was best to give Lancelot a quick death now.

"If you encounter my daughter, please spare her life." Tokiomi gave this reply, and David raised an eyebrow, indicating that he had made a note of it.

"Oh, by the way. Hero King, I'm afraid we'll inevitably have to face off in the end. When that happens, please don't hold back and bring out as much stuff as you can from your treasury. I, the lord of Camelot, will satisfy you with the flames of the phoenix." Davidian uttered these words before leaving, then transformed into a blazing phoenix and soared into the sky.

Gilgamesh couldn't help but burst into laughter. After laughing to his heart's content, he said, "Indeed, it's quite interesting to encounter something like this. It's rare to find something that even I, the king, cannot see clearly. That sword is truly fascinating."

The Hero King's words shocked Tokiomi as well. He never expected that there would be something in this world that even the Hero King could not see clearly.

“Don’t be surprised, Tokiomi. I do know a lot and can see a lot. But some powerful things can block my ability. I can see David’s past and know the goals behind his actions. But his ability is protected by that sword; what he can’t see, he can’t see. Even if I look away, I can only see nothingness.”

The King of Heroes' treasury contains the original texts of countless Noble Phantasms. But unfortunately, that sword itself is the original text, and it has never left its mark on history. Those who knew of its existence intentionally erased that sword from the annals of history; it is a weapon known only to a select few.

Of course, Davidian didn't care about any of that now; he had already landed at the Matou family's doorstep. Taking advantage of the still-dark night, he intended to take down Lancelot in one fell swoop. After all, the Holy Grail War was conducted in secrecy… very secrecy, indeed.

“Come, Lancelot. As Lord Camelot, I will deliver the fatal blow as before.”

He had barely taken a step forward when a black aura appeared. A jet-black berserker swung his holy sword directly at him, his helmet already gone. Lancelot charged at him with an extremely ferocious and twisted face, and Davidian responded with a bitter smile, using his nameless sword. Having fallen to this state, he probably couldn't even use the holy sword's beam attack or its directional blast ability.

Even so, Lancelot wielding the Arondette was still significantly more powerful than before. Davidian thought for a moment; this was probably the real boost from the Holy Sword. His entire combat ability had been enhanced, right? He himself had been like that before; without the Dark Sword's massive enhancement, he probably wouldn't have been able to kill Lancelot.

So that's what you meant, Master. You've been hiding, huh? Since you couldn't be sure you wouldn't resort to any ruthless means to harm your Master as well, you cautiously hid away?

But that's pointless; berserkers consume the most mana. An ordinary person would probably be drained of mana in a matter of moments, so I'd better just finish him off quickly.

In a purely hand-to-hand combat, Davidan swiftly overwhelmed Lancelot. Merlin had once praised his talent as comparable to Lancelot's, but in Britain, Davidan's demanding work prevented him from honing his martial skills. Now, after fifteen hundred years of experience, Davidan's martial arts completely surpassed Lancelot's.

Therefore, the outcome of the battle was obvious: Lancelot fell before Davian. As before, Davian destroyed Lancelot's heart with a single sword strike, shattering his spiritual core.

Lancelot collapsed to the ground. Davidian deactivated his transformation and plopped down beside him, patting Lancelot's slowly disappearing body. Before dying, the berserk mode had finally subsided, and Lancelot was back to the person Davidian knew.

"Lord David, I ask you. In your world, what was my final fate? Did my king grant me the ending I deserved?" Lancelot asked with his last breath as he lay dying.

Davidian pursed his lips before saying, "Well, His Majesty is very angry. It's not about what happened between you and the Queen, since you know the truth. As for your relationship with the Queen, His Majesty is quite happy for you. But you've killed too many Knights of the Round Table, and that's not something that can be easily dismissed. So I received King Arthur's order and gave you a quick death."

"Is that so?" Lancelot smiled with relief. "It really is. I envy me over there. In the end... I was actually punished by order of my king and died at your hands. I entrust my king here to you."

"Alright, alright, go in peace. Lancelot, although I don't know how far I can go, I'll try my best. You, who are usually so reliable and loyal, actually made such a big mistake. It's not like you at all." David patted his chest hard, expressing his regret for what the guy had done back then.

Hearing David's promise, Lancelot closed his eyes contentedly, and in his last moments before disappearing, he said, "Perhaps it's because... I'm getting old."

With that, he transformed into blue magical particles and vanished into thin air. David stood up, sighed, and then strode into the Matou residence.

The moment he stepped inside, he knew his gut feeling was right. Disgusting, utterly disgusting. The smell, the sensation—it was overwhelming. An inhuman, rotten stench permeated the air, making him want to vomit.

Lancelot's Master... he remembered this guy's name was Matou Kariya. This guy's life force was quite weak; it seemed that even without summoning a Servant, he wouldn't live more than a month. Honestly, such a self-satisfied guy who doesn't value his own life.

He gently patted Kariya's shoulder, simultaneously casting a small amount of magic to wake him up. Once the guy was awake, Davidian said, "Alright, alright, I'll give you a chance. Tell me your wish. After all, we've dealt with your Servant, so fulfilling your personal wish isn't out of the question."

In this weakened state, Kariya chose to believe the man before him. He led David to the basement, burning away all obstacles in their path with flames. Finally, they saw the little girl standing there, and below them, an endless swarm of disgusting insects.

Davidian frowned; this was truly disgusting. He lightly leaped down the steps, and endless flames erupted from his body, scorching the entire area. Davidian hadn't seen such a disgusting magician in a long time. You really can't talk about humanity with magicians… Modern magicians aren't even as good-natured as Merlin.

Chapter 170 So disgusting

After Davidian had burned all the disgusting parasites on the scene to ashes, the main character appeared. Davidian looked at the withered old man, and the guy truly disgusted him.

"Using insects to complete reincarnation, you're disgusting. You're not even as good as that guy from the Holy Church who's been dead for almost two hundred years... almost two hundred years. That guy was a true genius. He completed the creation of the Soul Circuit, changing hosts generation after generation. His abilities may decline, but his soul remains undamaged. That guy is much more powerful than you."

Davidian raised his sword, pointing it at the filthy, disgusting creature before him. He certainly disliked this vile and despicable method of reincarnation. After all, the powerful figures he had encountered—Merlin Morgan, practically immortal, and Artoria, blessed by the Holy Sword, eternally alive—were nothing special. This man, while possessing some skill, was just so-so.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel a pang of melancholy. Morgan was probably no longer alive, nor had she gone to the inner sanctum. What kind of fate befell her before she finally ascended to the Throne of Heroes?

Despite being criticized in this way, Zouken Matou showed no displeasure. Instead, he chuckled maliciously, "Young lad, you do have some insight, but it's foolish of you to spout nonsense in front of an old man with just this ability. Since you dare to act recklessly here, I'll show you just how a 500-year-old insect magician like me really is."

David looked at the countless flying insects swarming towards him, though he didn't know what subject this was supposed to be. But to him, it didn't seem like anything special.

"It's like a slug or leech that can only hide in cool, damp places."

Bang! A massive explosion erupted from the Matou mansion, the intense phoenix flames reducing the entire estate to ashes. The enormous phoenix flew towards the Tohsaka family's residence. David had never intended to fight Zouken Matou to the very end, not because he couldn't win, but because their synergies were poor. Dealing with someone so determined to survive would be a waste of David's time.

If the Dark Sword were still around, things would be much better. Using the magic circuits as a connection, Zouken Matou could be banished directly to the Dark Dimension. As long as Davidian is alive, Zouken will never be able to escape. Ultimately, he will only face utter death in that dark dimension.

But none of that matters now; someone will take care of these things in the future. Just like that guy he once met, the Count of Monte Cristo burned him to the ground, thus secretly protecting humanity.

He landed on the ground, just as Tokiomi Tohsaka had returned to the mansion. He looked at Kariya Matou, who had lost all his former vigor, and his own daughter Sakura, and for a moment, an expression of disbelief appeared on his face.

"Tohsaka... Tokiomi!" Even though his body was still extremely weak, Matou Kariya suddenly unleashed a ferocity like a wild beast and pounced on Tokiomi. Fortunately, David reached out from behind and pulled him back, preventing him from falling directly onto Tokiomi.

"Calm down. If you charge forward now, Tokiomi could probably take you down in a few punches and kicks if he really wanted to fight back. I know you're pretty reckless, but you can't do this." The flames dissipated from David's body, revealing his dignified yet somewhat aged face, which was around forty years old.

Holding David back, Matou Kariya could only endure it. However, Sakura would not endure it; she cried and wailed as she rushed into Tokiomi's arms. This little girl, not yet ten years old, had suffered countless inhuman tortures over the past year and was almost losing her childlike nature. Fortunately, now, in front of her biological father, all the emotions she had buried deep and almost forgotten were stirred up.

Tokiomi was shocked by every word his biological daughter uttered, and the torment she had suffered over the past year filled him with deep remorse as her father. Good heavens, he had made such a mistake without even knowing it; he felt utterly ashamed to face Aoi and Rin.

"Please forgive me, Lord David. Please allow me to attend to my family matters first, and I will come out to thank you in person later." Tokiomi hurriedly led Sakura towards his home, while David casually stood in the Tohsaka family's courtyard, carrying his nameless sword.

Golden spiritual particles coalesced into a human form, and the figure of the Hero King reappeared before him. With a teasing smile on his face, he couldn't help but quip, "You dealt with the berserker quickly, as expected of you."

“In the past, it might have taken a lot more time, but now it’s just like this. Hero King, just seeing you makes me restless. I’ll definitely have to put in a lot of effort on you.” David expressed his annoyance with the person in front of him; seeing this kind of person gave him a headache.

“But if you remove the Berserker and the Magician, you only have five choices left. What do you do? Which one do you want to find?” As soon as Gilgamesh finished speaking, Davian looked at his hands.

A slight burning and stinging sensation appeared on the back of his hand as Davidian looked at the suddenly appearing red emblem. How fast! He'd just dealt with the Berserker, disqualifying Matou Kariya from being a Master. And now the Command Seals had already found him. What a nuisance.

"Heh heh, looks like the Holy Grail is quite fond of you." The King of Heroes let out a smug laugh. David pursed his lips; he hadn't expected to be approached so quickly. There weren't even any Servants alone, yet he'd already been given Command Seals. This Greater Grail… he really looked forward to seeing Masters and Servants clash.

"If you like it, then so be it. I'll go check out the magician's workshop later... That guy seems to be a twisted individual, hopefully I can give him a quick death. It would be best if his Master was also there, to be honest, I really can't stand that kind of scum. King of Heroes, don't do anything like that later." Davidan tapped his shoulder lightly with his nameless sword, as a reminder to the guy in front of him not to act recklessly. He was supposed to be a king, even a tyrant should show some royal dignity.

Gilgamesh raised his head and said disdainfully, "Of course, who do you take me for? In heaven and on earth, from ancient times to the present, there has only been one hero king like me. Of course, I would never do such a despicable thing."

Davidian nodded; he believed that much. After all, the man before him was a mighty hero-king, a transcendent tyrant of the divine age; such a fellow couldn't possibly commit such an atrocity.

The two chatted casually, exchanging a few words, until Tokiomi Tohsaka emerged from the room. At that moment, he bowed deeply to Davidian once more, this time with all his sincerity and respect.

"Lord Davidian. Please allow me to express my deepest respect and gratitude to you. I made such a terrible mistake due to a moment of carelessness. If it weren't for your appearance, my own daughter would probably have suffered endless torment in the future. At this moment, please allow me to express my deepest gratitude to you."

Chapter 171, Part 2

Davidian waved his hand, signaling the guy to stop, and joked, "If you really want to thank me, why not hand over the King of Heroes as a Servant to me? Well, but you probably can't do that anyway. After all, you modern magicians' pursuit of the Root is like a leech, impossible to erase."

Tokiomi smiled wryly. Although the man before him had lived for fifteen hundred years, he still seemed to have a rather unconventional personality. But what he didn't know was that it was because David's responsibilities as Lord Camelot had been temporarily relieved with the end of Britain. Otherwise, he would probably be seeing the peerless knight now, displaying all his authority and suffocating Tokiomi.

"Oh, by the way, this kid... I don't know his name, but he fought for your daughter. And he harbors a deep resentment towards you, since you made your daughter suffer so much. Even someone like me, let alone someone close to you, can't stand this kind of thing. You have to explain things to him properly, at least let him resolve his inner conflict before he dies. Because his life, which could have been uneventful, is now nearing its end because of your carelessness."

Davidian could certainly see Kariya's hatred and jealousy towards Tokiomi, but Kariya hadn't completely gone mad yet. At least letting him resolve his inner conflict before his death was Davidian's small compensation for taking away his chance to participate in the Holy Grail War; after all, he wasn't a heartless person.

Tokiomi looked at Kariya. He now understood why this man had participated in the Holy Grail War, and why he had refused to inherit the Matou family's magic and had given up his pursuit of his wife. The Matou family's ugly magic—a person with ambition would certainly not want to inherit it.

“Please come inside, Mr. Kariya. I’d like to discuss these matters with you. Aoi should have already prepared the tea inside; please enjoy it.” He gestured towards the house, and Kariya walked in silently. Davidian didn’t follow; this was their private matter and had nothing to do with him.

Gilgamesh teased him about why he didn't go in, but David only said that he had other things to do, after all, he needed to go to the magician's place.

"You guys are all so worried about this and that, but I don't care at all. After all, although I have obtained Command Seals and the qualifications of a Master, I don't have a Servant yet. A Holy Grail War can't summon a new Servant, so I'm not a real threat yet. Therefore, I can do whatever I want. That's all, see you then."

After speaking, Davidian took to the sky once more. The Hero King watched the great bird soaring through the air, a look of admiration on his face. Loyalty, in any era, was something he appreciated.

"If you and I could stay together until the end, perhaps we would end up like him, Enkidu." Gilgamesh smiled and disappeared into the small courtyard. Although he had found the Holy Grail War rather boring, now, the King of Conquerors, the King of Knights, the Lord of Camelot—there were indeed many interesting fellows.

As for Davian, he wasn't heading to the sewers Kirei Kotomine had told him about. Instead, he was heading to the forest near Einzbern Castle. He could sense a demonic aura there; it was probably where magicians were fighting. In his transformed state, he could clearly feel the divine power battling the demons—it was likely Artoria.

When he arrived, as he expected, Artoria was indeed below him, with Diarmuid standing beside him. As for those fighting them... well, a bunch of weaklings.

[Phoenix Unparalleled Slash!]