FATE: Target of Grand Master

"I'm alright. Are you hurt?"

Xia Yan didn't blame Nero; instead, he showed concern for her, which made Nero feel even more guilty.

Yesterday I was full of confidence that I would suppress the opponent, but I messed up. If I could have held Vlad III back for a few more seconds, perhaps this battle would have been over.

However, they were still in the middle of a battle, and Nero knew he couldn't let these emotions affect him, so he immediately replied, "I'm fine. What's the next step?"

Xia Yan turned to look at Lan Lujun and found that Vlad III had already shielded her behind him, so it seemed that she would not have a chance to use the Mystic Eye.

"My wife, I never imagined that your beloved possession would have a magic eye. If you want to get your hands on it, you'll have to put in a lot of effort."

"I'm so hungry, I can't stand it anymore."

Lan Lujun clutched his stomach and said weakly.

"Don't worry, I'll end the battle as quickly as possible."

Vlad III's magical power began to rise rapidly, a sign that he was about to use his Noble Phantasm.

"Player, I also need to use the Noble Phantasm!"

Seeing that Vlad III was about to use his Noble Phantasm, Nero did not hesitate to plunge the "Primordial Flame" into the ground.

"Admire my talent, listen to the thunderous applause! Then praise this golden theater!"

"Noble Phantasm! Stab the Castle!"

"Noble Phantasm! The Glorious Imperial Rule Sung by a Young Maiden!"

Two scenes appeared simultaneously in the arena.

On one side, Vlad III was the center, and long spears kept protruding from the ground all around him, spreading outwards into the distance.

On the other side, with Nero's feet as the center, a magnificent Roman theater emerges from beneath his feet.

The sight of rose petals falling in the air and a blood-stained spear appearing in the same scene is quite incongruous, yet it perfectly captures the intense confrontation between the two Servants.

The two Noble Phantasms collided and fought each other like they were vying for territory. At the boundary, the spears that were thrusting out of the ground one moment would be covered by the Golden Theater floor tiles the next, turning into dust. However, the gold on the ground would soon fade away again, and the spears would thrust out of the ground again, and so on and so forth.

Both sides' Servants were rapidly depleting their mana and had to concentrate fully, while Xia Yan quietly hid in a corner of Nero's Golden Theater, carefully observing the battle.

Vlad III's spears, which were originally evenly distributed, have shifted their density towards the boundary line in order to counter Nero's Noble Phantasm, while the density of spears in the remaining positions has become sparse.

Xia Yan's viewpoint remained unchanged: in this battle, he had a clear advantage at the Master level, so what he needed to do was to turn that advantage into victory.

After squinting and observing carefully for a while, Xia Yan gradually observed the firing frequency of Vlad III's Noble Phantasm. The frequency at the boundary had reached one shot every half second, while behind it it was one shot every three to four seconds.

It's now!

Having calculated the intervals in his mind, Xia Yan seized the opportunity and swung out the black and white twin swords in his hands.

Gan Jiang and Mo Xie traced two semi-circular trajectories in the air, avoiding the boundary line of the treasures before immediately plummeting towards the direction where Lan Lujun was.

"What?"

Vlad III was clearly surprised that Xia Yan possessed such a strange technique in addition to his Demon Eye. He immediately swung his golden spear and shattered the two weapons that were attempting to ambush his wife.

"Saber's Master, if you think you can hurt my wife with such petty tricks, you are seriously underestimating me."

However, Xia Yan walked out from a corner of the Golden Theater with a smile on his face, his hands behind his back, declaring as if making a judgment: "I have never underestimated you, Grand Duke, but we have won this battle."

Vlad III immediately understood Xia Yan's meaning.

Because his attention was drawn to Xia Yan's attack, the magic supply at the boundary line decreased for a moment. Don't underestimate this moment. In the battle of Noble Phantasms where both sides are going all out, this moment can be like an ant hole on a dam, causing the originally impregnable defense to collapse instantly.

Nero's Noble Phantasm is the flood that breaks through the dam.

The golden theater broke through the barrier of the spears and, in the blink of an eye, included Vlad III and Lanlu.

Nero finally pulled out the "Primordial Flame" that had been stuck in the ground, then charged forward at high speed, arriving in front of Vlad III in a few seconds.

"Piercing Lord, I and the musician have won this battle."

The "Primordial Flame," wreathed in scorching heat, slashed down. Vlad III held his golden spear in front of him, but he could not stop Nero's attack.

Tick-tock... Tick-tock...

Seeing his broken spear and the pool of blood beneath him, Vlad III fell backward.

Nero looked at Vlad III lying in a pool of blood, sheathed his greatsword, and said, "The outcome of this battle is not that I am better than you; the difference between us lies in the difference in our Masters. My musician is far stronger than your Master."

Vlad III was certainly aware of this.

When he chose Lanlu as his Master and as his beloved wife, he knew that this day would eventually come.

Just as he fought back against the powerful Turks when he was at a disadvantage, he knew that his day would come the moment he picked up his spear.

Even if we cannot defy fate, it does not mean that defying fate is futile and meaningless. Even if we fail this time, there will be a next time, and even if we fail next time, there will be a time after that, until we drive the invasion and oppression off the land beneath our feet.

"Alright. As the victor, stop flaunting your power in front of the losers. As the Roman Emperor, you should know this basic etiquette."

Nero was not surprised that Vlad III knew her real name; the moment they both unleashed their Noble Phantasms, they both knew each other's true identities.

Nero turned around, preparing to leave, when he heard Vlad III's voice again.

"Roman Emperor, you and I both have distorted, monstrous sides; be careful not to go astray."

Nero did not answer, but left directly.

Vlad III turned his gaze to the other side, where Lanlu Jun had also fallen to the ground.

Due to long-term malnutrition, Lanlu died the moment Nero slashed at her, which could be considered a quick and painless end to her painful life.

Sizzle...

As the losers of the Holy Grail War, their fate was naturally to be erased from the data.

With his eyes closed, Vlad III quietly accepted his fate of having his spirit origin broken down.

On the other side, Xia Yan and Nero, the victors, witnessed the entire process of the losers dissipating. Despite having gone through many trials and defeated many opponents, Xia Yan still disliked this atmosphere.

During the elevator ride back, Xia Yan remained silent, and Nero, who was beside him, did not try to strike up a conversation with him as usual.

"Master Xia Yan, congratulations on your victory in the second round of the qualifying round."

Kirei Kotomine, who had been waiting outside the elevator, spoke in a cheerful voice.

Xia Yan nodded slightly, as if to say hello, but showed no intention of speaking.

"Get a good rest tonight, and don't forget to come to the lobby on the first floor tomorrow morning to draw your opponent for the third round."

Xia Yan replied with "I understand," and then led Nero toward his lounge.