FATE: Target of Grand Master

Xia Yan, who had slept until dawn without realizing it, got up and checked his condition. His mental and physical strength had recovered well, and his magic power, which had been consumed a lot, had recovered to more than 80%. Overall, he could give his condition a good evaluation.

After all, he only rested for one night, so it's already quite good that he's recovered to this state.

Upon arriving at the stadium on time, Candy Vine was still standing on the stage explaining today's rules.

"Originally, we were supposed to draw lots again today to decide the matchup arrangement, but I'm already tired of one-on-one duels. So, let's stick to the group competition we discussed before, with all members of Group A facing off against all members of Group B, and everyone playing at the same time."

Candy Vine's words immediately sparked a discussion among the Masters in the audience.

"May I ask a question?"

Having learned from yesterday's experience, the Master's attitude towards the Candy Vine was naturally much more respectful.

"Can."

The candy vines watched the Master who wanted to ask a question.

"If I understand correctly, you mean that the two Masters from Group A and all six Masters from Group B will fight simultaneously in a single match to determine the winner, which is essentially two against six?"

"That's right. The seals I stamped on the backs of your hands yesterday will have an enemy/ally identification effect in the arena. As long as the Servants belong to the same Master, even if their attacks hit each other, they will not be damaged. You don't need to worry about accidentally hitting friendly forces, just attack freely."

After receiving the candy vine's approval, a very small cheer immediately erupted from Group B.

After seeing Xia Yan defeat Li Zhuang yesterday, the Masters in Group B were very nervous about who would have to face Xia Yan again. No one wanted to be the unlucky one, but even if they advanced again, who could guarantee that they wouldn't be the next unlucky one?

Now that's settled. Even if Xia Yan is incredibly powerful, he has virtually no chance of winning against six opponents.

Although Xia Yan sensed the hostility from the Masters of Group B, compared to his feelings, Xia Yan's existence was more like a mountain pressing down on them, making it hard for them to breathe. Therefore, after hearing the confirmation from the Candy Vine, these Masters couldn't help but release the pressure they had been holding back for so long.

However, they overlooked one point: the candy vines of the "benevolent" Alterego had just said yesterday that they wanted fairness, so why would they offer such an unfair duel format today?

The candy vines on the stage waited deliberately for a moment. Although they didn't see the aggrieved and distressed expressions on Xia Yan and Hu Xia's faces, they at least witnessed the barely suppressed joy from Group B.

So, next, it's time for them to perform the "smile disappearing trick".

The candy vine clenched one fist and opened the other hand into a palm, gently tapping the fist on the palm, making a gesture as if it had "almost forgotten something very important".

"Oh dear, I almost forgot to mention. To enhance the spectacle of this duel, each Master can summon a Servant they previously contracted and who is currently in a safe house after entering the arena."

Upon hearing this, the B-group Masters, who had been filled with joy, were immediately stunned.

Logically, this rule should have further amplified Group B's numerical advantage.

Although the Master ratio remains two against six, the actual number of Servants is four against twelve due to the addition of the rule that allows the summoning of an additional Servant.

A difference of three times, it's an absolute crushing defeat.

However, the Masters of Group B did not forget that Xia Yan possessed a powerful weapon called "Morgan".

How many ordinary servants can one Morgan deal with?

The Masters of Group B dared not think about it, yet they had no choice but to.

The joyful and relaxed atmosphere immediately vanished from the B-group Masters, replaced by a serious and tense one.

Meanwhile, Xia Yan and Hu Xia on the other side also reacted to this rule of the candy vines.

You can bring a Servant who has already been contracted.

In just a moment, a name came to mind for each of them.

Xia Yan frowned slightly. Although this rule did allow him to summon Morgan, having Morgan deal with so many Servants on the other side meant the situation was still not very good.

Xia Yan did a quick calculation. Based on Hu Xia's performance so far, even if her Servants aren't top-tier, they shouldn't be too bad. Assuming her Servants can fight four opponents at once, then he still has eight Servants to deal with.

Given Nero's condition, holding back two Servants shouldn't be a problem, but Morgan would have to deal with as many as six Servants.

Even for Morgan, this number is by no means easy.

After much deliberation, Xia Yan asked Hu Xia beside him, "Hu Xia, now that we're at least on the same side, it's time to reveal the situation of your Servants, isn't it?"

In contrast to Xia Yan, who was carefully assessing the strength of the two groups, Hu Xia seemed very relaxed, as if she were an outsider like Candy Vine and Kirei Kotomine.

From her perspective, this round of fighting was basically over.

She knew that Xia Yan would definitely summon Morgan, and she herself would summon her trump card—Artoria Alter (Lancer).

With these two Servants, Hu Xia didn't even bother to calculate the combat power of Nero and the Servant he had obtained in this trial.

However, after seeing Xia Yan's serious expression as he carefully assessed combat strength, Hu Xia decided to tease him.

She dropped her relaxed demeanor, mimicking Xia Yan's thoughtful expression, and replied after a moment, "Alright, then I'll tell you the Servant I summoned in this trial. Archer, Zenobi."

Zenobia was the queen of the Palmyra Empire, which existed in the third century near present-day Syria.

Palmyra was originally a vassal state within the Roman Empire's sphere of influence, but due to its immense wealth gained from trade along the Silk Road, its national strength gradually increased. Zenobia, as the de facto ruler, and his son usurped the throne and declared national independence, which naturally provoked suppression from the Roman Empire.

Subsequently, for six years, the Palmyrean Empire caused considerable trouble for the Roman Empire. This was due to a combination of factors, including the Palmyrean Empire's own strength, the instability of the central government of the Roman Empire, and barbarian invasions.

Unfortunately, Rome's fate was not yet sealed, and a military emperor emerged—Aurelianus.

In an effort to rebuild the Roman Empire, Aurelianus personally led an expedition, conquering the Palmyre Empire, and Zenobius was thus taken prisoner.

It is said that during Aurelianus's triumphal procession, she was adorned with dazzling gold chains and shackles, and dragged through the city of Rome dressed in jewels, a public display of extreme humiliation.

This is also the origin of Zenobiana's highly exposed appearance in Type-Moon.

Of course, combat effectiveness has nothing to do with exposure; in fact, a highly exposed appearance might distract the enemy.

In short, Zenobi's combat strength is decent, basically in line with Xia Yan's expectations.

"Then who is the Servant you are preparing to summon?" Xia Yan continued to press.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Xia Yan could now legitimately inquire about Hu Xia's background. He believed that Hu Xia would reveal the truth when it came to his own safety.

"Xia Yan, it would be impolite of you to keep prying into the lady's information."

However, he still underestimated the nature of Hu Xialezi people.

Besides the part of her mind that enjoys watching fun, this little girl's crazy personality definitely takes up a lot of space in her brain beneath that beret.