FATE: Target of Grand Master

How is that possible!

I actually lost to this rookie Master!

impossible!

Absolutely impossible!

Julius could not accept the reality of Li Shuwen's defeat.

No, I haven't lost yet!

Although Assassin was defeated by the opponent's Saber, the red Saber was also in poor condition and would not be able to fight for a while. Judging from her appearance, she could not even stand up. So, now it is a battle between Masters.

Julius looked at Xia Yan, who had been lying on the ground without moving since the start of the battle, and realized that his condition was much better than Xia Yan's.

Master battles are advantageous to me!

You have to be quick!

If the opponent's Servant recovers, I will truly have no chance at all!

Julius began running towards Xia Yan, his dagger aimed at the man's throat. However, the moment he saw Xia Yan turn his head, he knew he was wrong.

Those were golden eyes!

Magic Eye!

This rookie Master even has Mystic Eyes!

No, this guy is not a rookie Master at all!

Julius's perception was once again shocked, and before he could think any further, his body began to petrify uncontrollably.

"Damn it! I shouldn't have let you go yesterday!"

After leaving behind these words, Julius's body turned completely into a stone statue, standing there in place.

"call..."

Xia Yan let out a long breath.

The battle is finally over.

It must be said that this battle was truly dangerous.

If the location hadn't been an enclosed plaza, his method of using water droplets to determine Li Shuwen's position wouldn't have worked. And if he hadn't summoned Nero, who possessed the Perseverance effect, he might already be dead to Li Shuwen.

The last time I felt this dangerous was when I fought the old bug in the FSN dungeon.

Even when he was stabbed in the abdomen by the Mad King in the Fifth Singularity instance, he did not feel this.

Xia Yan suddenly realized that he had been protected by Morgan too much. A fledgling eagle must rely on itself to soar and not be afraid of wind and frost.

In fact, before the message box popped up, Xia Yan had already called out to his Servants in his mind, but not only Morgan, but even Cú Chulainn, Musashi, and Euryale did not respond.

This situation is remarkably similar to the start of the FSN trial, except that FSN gave items to change existing Servant contracts, while this time the item is to directly summon a Servant.

Thinking of this, Xia Yan slowly stood up, walked to Nero who was still panting heavily, took out a wet tissue, and wiped the bloodstains flowing from Nero's seven orifices.

Thanks to the residual effects of Avalon within his body and the recovery spray Xia Yan had used earlier, Xia Yan was able to move despite the pain. Even if he hadn't used the Mystic Eye, Xia Yan would have had other ways to deal with Julius, but using the "Petrifying Mystic Eye" was more convenient.

Nero was clearly surprised by Xia Yan's action of wiping her face. She wanted to stop her, but the injuries caused by Li Shuwen's "No Second Strike" made her twitch at the corner of her mouth, and she swallowed the words that were on the tip of her tongue.

As the wet wipe in his hand turned from white to red, Xia Yan wiped the tissue more gently, while also apologizing.

"I'm so sorry, Your Majesty Nero, for making your entrance into such a mess."

Nero was taken aback. He didn't think he had told the performer his real name.

Seemingly aware of Nero's confusion, Xia Yan said with honeyed words, "No other hero spirit could possess beauty comparable to Venus, the aura of an emperor, and such superb martial arts skills as His Majesty Nero."

Xia Yan's goal was clear: aside from his own enhancements, he was essentially starting from scratch, and he needed to build a good relationship with his Servants in the shortest possible time.

Upon being praised by Xia Yan, Nero immediately revealed a confident smile, nodding and making an affirmative "hmm" sound, completely ignoring the fact that she was not the only one who fit Xia Yan's description.

After wiping the blood off his face, Xia Yan paused, looking at Nero's slender neck and protruding chest.

"Please help me wipe it; I've given my permission."

Nero's pretty face flushed slightly, but she still raised her chin.

Since Nero had agreed, Xia Yan was not one to back down, and immediately helped the Rose Emperor wipe away the bloodstains that were affecting her beauty.

After restoring Nero's beauty, Xia Yan plopped down on the ground and said to Nero, "The situation was urgent just now, so I didn't have time to introduce myself. My name is Xia Yan, and I consider myself a fairly professional Master."

Xia Yan's words seemed somewhat boastful, but Nero didn't think he was exaggerating. Xia Yan's understanding of Assassins, his strategies for countering them, and the Mystic Eyes he used on his Master in the previous battle all proved his strength.

"Hmm. I acknowledge you as my performer, and that will not change. Although you already know my real name, out of courtesy, I must give a formal self-introduction. I am Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, the fifth emperor of the Roman Empire, and my artistic talent is comparable to that of the god Apollo."

As Nero introduced himself, he stood up, his slightly raised head displaying ample confidence.

Xia Yan was also very happy to see Nero stand up again, which meant that Nero's condition had recovered to some extent.

Despite being hit by Li Shuwen's Noble Phantasm "No Two Strikes" which has a one-hit kill effect, Nero survived thanks to his inherent skills and the perseverance effect of Sunset A activated three times. However, his condition was almost equivalent to being on the verge of death.

Fortunately, this skill will also restore some of Nero's Spirit Origin status after it is triggered. As long as Nero is given some time, she will be able to move freely again.

"I didn't expect I'd be a step too late."

Suddenly, a cheerful voice rang out.

Xia Yan and Nero looked in the direction from which the sound came, and saw a man dressed as a priest slowly emerge from the darkness of the entrance.

Kirei Kotomine remains the supervisor of the Holy Grail War in the world of Fate/Extreme Challenge, but here he is an AI created by Mooncell based on a real-world character.

"Father, are you really late, or did you deliberately come late?"

Although it is an AI, Kirei Kotomine did stop the conflict between Julius's Li Shuwen and Kishinami Hakuno's servants on campus in the original work. Now, a long time has passed since the previous warning. According to Kirei Kotomine's performance, he should not have arrived so late. Combined with the pleasure-seeking nature of his prototype, Xia Yan felt that he was deliberately late to watch the show, even without any evidence.

"I have the mission of keeping an eye on you unruly Masters."

Looking at Kirei Kotomine, who had a pleased expression but didn't answer the question directly, Xia Yan was 100% certain that he had deliberately arrived late.

"Given that you are a new Master participating in the Holy Grail War of the Moon, I will first state a red line rule. Battles in the Holy Grail War can only be conducted in designated arenas. Fighting anywhere else is a serious violation and must be punished."