FATE: Target of Grand Master

Sanzang was even more confused.

"What does that mean? What is 'holy punishment'? Why is there 'holy punishment'?"

"The 'holy punishment' is the punishment inflicted on those whose souls are not pure enough, and this punishment is naturally slaughter. As for why, I don't know; you can only ask the Lion King."

"Impossible! Xia Yan, even if you saved my life, this kind of joke has gone too far. The Lion King's first 'Sacred Battle' isn't until tomorrow noon. How could you possibly know in advance what the Lion King will do after the 'Sacred Battle'?"

Sanzang felt that Xia Yan was lying to him.

Xia Yan, however, grasped the key phrase in Sanzang's words: "The Holy Election will not be held until noon tomorrow!"

It seems I must hurry and discuss the attack on Camelot with Richard and Osmandis.

As for Sanzang's question, it was indeed difficult for Xia Yan to explain, so Xia Yan chose the most sincere method and said that he came from a parallel world and had witnessed the Lion King "Saint Ba".

Sanzang naturally had some doubts about such an answer, but he also felt Xia Yan's sincerity. With her experience of traveling west, she was able to tell whether the other party was lying.

Just as the two were at an impasse, Tawara Tota said, "In that case, Master, why don't you stay for a couple more days and wait until the 'Saint Selection' begins tomorrow noon to witness firsthand the results of those who were not selected."

Sanzang originally had no intention of staying on this land, but after talking with Xia Yan, he decided to follow Tawara Tengtai's advice and stay until tomorrow.

After ending the somewhat unpleasant conversation, Sanzang and his companion followed Xia Yan and the other three to the camp of the pseudo-Crusaders.

"Let me introduce you. These two are Richard I, the Lionheart, and Jacques de Morais, the 23rd Grand Master of the Knights Templar."

Xia Yan turned his hand away from Richard and Morley and towards Sanzang and Tawara Tengtai.

"These two are Tripitaka masters who have a deep understanding of Buddhism, and Tawara Tota, who has the deeds of 'shooting down a centipede' and 'slaying Taira no Masakado in battle'."

Out of respect, Richard deliberately removed his gauntlets, revealing his right hand, and shook hands with Sanzang and Tawara Tota respectively. Morai, however, did not extend his hand but instead raised his sword with one hand in salute, to which Sanzang naturally returned the salute with both hands clasped together.

Xia Yan inquired whether anything major had happened to the pseudo-Crusaders in the past two days, and received denials from Richard and Morley. So Xia Yan told the two that the Lion King would be launching the "Holy Battle" at noon tomorrow.

"Sanzang, let me confirm again. If what I say is true, and the Lion King massacred civilians after the 'Sacred Battle,' what would you do?"

Sanzang frowned, still unwilling to believe that the Lion King would do such a thing, but she also felt that Xia Yan was not a bad person and would not easily say such things.

She paused for a moment, then replied, "If what you say is true, Xia Yan, I will assist you in correcting the Lion King's mistakes."

That's exactly what Xia Yan wanted to hear, since the only thing that could hinder Xia Yan's side in this trial was the defense of the Holy City Camelot.

In particular, there is that gate that only allows Servants of Order and Good and those with pure souls to pass through; no other people or Servants can pass through it.

Xia Yan wasn't sure what the outcome would be if Morgan went all out, but even if the gate was breached, Morgan's magic would be depleted, and he would definitely suffer when he encountered the Lion King again.

Now that Sanzang has agreed to help him, he can help him break open that gate just like in the original story. Once they enter Camelot, no one can stop them.

"Although I'd love to attack before the 'Holy Cultivation,' this attack requires Sanzang's assistance. So, we'll wait until Sanzang witnesses the massacre after the 'Holy Cultivation' before we attack. However, I don't have the habit of standing idly by while slaughter unfolds before my eyes, so I need to allocate our forces. My servants, Sanzang, Tawara Tota, and I will mingle among the people participating in the 'Holy Cultivation' to stop the slaughter before it begins. The Knights of the Round Table and the Master on the Lion King's side will certainly be on the defensive as well; we'll handle them as well. Richard, Morai, I'll send you a message once we begin our operation. You lead the pseudo-Crusaders to provide support on the perimeter and take away the civilians participating in the selection."

"Then we'll lead the Sphinxes to launch a feint attack on the outskirts to draw away some of the Lion King's Cavalry."

Osmandis's voice came through a remote communication magic.

"That's right."

Osmandis's words coincided with Xia Yan's.

"However, I might need to trouble the Sun King. You should be able to sense the magic within Camelot, right?"

"certainly."

"Then you can imagine how troublesome it would be if all that magic were used for defense."

Osmandis was silent for a moment.

"You mean you want me to help you break through Camelot's defenses?"

"This shouldn't be difficult for the great Sun King."

Xia Yan's flattery flowed seamlessly; after all, when asking someone for a favor, one should maintain the proper attitude.

"Hmph, fine. Since I have agreed to the alliance, I will naturally fulfill the obligations that the alliance should fulfill."

Just as Xia Yan was about to end the battle meeting, Mo Lai, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up.

"Xia Yan, I have a suggestion. You might want to listen to it. If it's not suitable, just pretend I didn't say anything."

Xia Yan smiled and looked at Mo Lai: "Commander, you don't need to be so polite. Just say what you want to say."

"Alright. I suggest Richard come with you. Firstly, I can handle the task of directing the pseudo-Crusaders and guiding the civilians on my own. While you're attacking, the Lion King shouldn't have time to attend to us. Secondly, Richard's Noble Phantasm is very powerful, and it would be a waste to use such combat power to guide the civilians. Xia Yan, you guys are under the most pressure, and having Richard would provide an extra layer of protection. Perhaps we'll need him again after we enter Camelot."

Molai's words reminded Xia Yan that Bedivere wasn't in his trial, so the Holy Sword that had shaken Artoria's resolve after she became the Lion King was also gone. Perhaps Richard's Noble Phantasm could be the key to awakening the Lion King's humanity at this moment.

"Commander, thank you for your suggestion. Richard, we'll have to trouble you to come with us."

Richard did not raise any objections. He looked at Morley and said, "Commander, the false crusaders and civilians are in your hands."

Morai nodded.

Don't worry.

The operational meeting concluded, and everyone began preparing for tomorrow's decisive battle.

Late that night, on the outer walls of Camelot, four figures gazed out into the dense darkness.

"It seems Xia Yan didn't launch the attack ahead of time as you expected."

Sal's tone was ambiguous, neither indicating relief nor disappointment.

"It seems this person is still the kind of person who prioritizes profit above all else. However, he's likely to suffer a setback this time."

Zhang Hao's tone was full of aggression.

"Don't forget how high the quality of Xia Yan's Servants is. Just Musashi and Cú Chulainn alone are enough for all six of our Servants to fight, not to mention Morgan," Sal reminded him.

"Of course I haven't forgotten. However, I'm not entirely unprepared. This time, Gawain and Professor St. George are guarding the gate, and Tristan, who has recovered from his injuries, is on the city wall. You and I will hide in the crowd and find Xia Yan hiding inside after 'Holy Punishment' appears, then launch a sneak attack. If the sneak attack fails, we can create chaos. Even if Xia Yan wants to retaliate, the chaotic civilians around him will interfere, which will limit the actions of his Servants. The Knights of the Round Table won't have such concerns. What we need to do is hold back Xia Yan's Servants and give the Knights of the Round Table the opportunity to attack."

"What about the false crusaders? And what about the Sun King's side?"

"I learned some things from Agravan. The False Crusaders are almost wiped out. Although there are still two Servants left, their strength is not superior to the 'Blessed' Knights of the Round Table. Even if they really come out in full force, we have the Cavalry of the Righteous to resist them. As for the Sun King, he is indeed a bit troublesome, but the Lion King said that if the Sun King dares to take action, she will handle it herself, so we don't need to worry about it. To put it another way, even if we can't hurt Xia Yan this time, we can retreat back to Camelot. In a war of attrition, we, with the Lion King, still have the advantage."

Listening to Zhang Hao's plan, Sal didn't feel very confident, but since things had come to this point, he had no other choice but to do his best and leave the rest to fate.