To become a king and a magician

"Of course, the most useless thing among magicians is trust, isn't it?"

"You can understand, huh? That's good. Now I can cooperate with you with peace of mind." Reiroukan Misaya sat down again and said, "Since you have these Mystic Eyes, then we actually have two trump cards to deal with Sajyo Ayaka."

Arthur's holy sword, Natsukawa Torato's demonic eye.

The former destroys the beast's physical body, while the latter erodes the beast's soul.

"I think we can go and kill Ayaka Sajou right now."

“No, there’s still one problem to solve if we want to deal with Aika.” Arthur interrupted Misaya Reirōkan’s suggestion. “When I fought Aika last time, she summoned her dead Servants back in the form of Shadow Servants.”

"In other words, Ayaka Sajou might also... this time."

Natsukawa Tora understood Arthur's meaning, and at the same time, he realized something—Sajō Aika was currently at Mount Enzo, the location of the Greater Grail.

In every Holy Grail War, the soul of every fallen Servant is absorbed by the Lesser Grail and then used by the Greater Grail to open a portal to the Root. This can essentially be seen as the Greater Grail possessing a record of all Servant summons from past Holy Grails battles. And if, with Ayaka Sajō's power, she were to use this record to recreate those Servants as Shadow Servants...

Is it possible to face nearly thirty Servants at the same time?

“I think so,” Arthur nodded.

Xia Chuanhu was immediately stunned.

31. Request to assemble and attack the enemy's crystal.

More than thirty Servants—considering that the strength of Shadow Servants would be weakened, so it's actually roughly equivalent to more than twenty Servants—even so, in terms of combat power, it's extremely terrifying. At least a single Servant would absolutely not be able to contend with it.

"Arthur, if you use your Noble Phantasm, can you handle this?"

"Xia Chuanhu asked."

Arthur thought for a moment, then shook his head: "That's certainly fine, but considering your magical energy level, Master, I think my Noble Phantasm can only be used once in this Holy Grail War. If I use it before dealing with Ayaka..."

"That's true..."

Mana supply is the most direct factor affecting Arthur's combat ability. Although his magic circuits have been activated and his mana supply is gradually increasing, if he were to unleash his true name, Natsukawa Torama's mana would be completely drained, and he would be unable to recover it in the short term—at least until he faces Sajō Ayaka. And once he loses the Holy Sword, even with his Mystic Eyes, the three of them will be unable to kill Sajō Ayaka.

However, if the Holy Sword is not unleashed, the numerous Shadow Servants will be a difficult problem to deal with.

We've hit a dead end.

"How about finding outside help?"

Misaya from the Reiko-kan suddenly spoke.

"Since the three of us can't solve this, how about we find a few more people? For example, other Servants from the Holy Grail War."

Other Servants?

Xia Chuanhu fell into deep thought.

That's one way to do it, but who should we contact? Of the seven Servants in the Holy Grail War, the assassins who have already left the stage are useless to call upon. Diarmuid can try to negotiate through his relationship with Kenneth. As long as the situation is explained clearly, given his sense of justice, he shouldn't stand idly by. The only thing to worry about is Kenneth's side.

The same applies to Iskandar and Weber's group; in fact, Weber was easier to persuade because he didn't have many opinions at this stage.

As for the remaining three groups...

Gilgamesh was not someone to be negotiated with, but Natsukawa Torato thought that even if he wasn't called, Gilgamesh would come running over on his own. After all, he was a beast, and Gilgamesh, no matter how willful, wouldn't allow such a being to run rampant on his land.

Lancelot's whereabouts are unknown. If he were still alive, given Matou Kariya's condition, he would likely be turned into a suicide bomber, left to his own devices.

As for Morgan... I wonder if sacrificing her looks would be of any use to Arthur?

“If we’re going to call in outside help… I think we should be able to get at least two people.” Natsukawa Tora shared his thoughts. “Lancer and Rider, they should be willing to help, but the problem is we can’t get in touch with them.”

Natsukawa Torama knew that Waver was staying at an old man's house, but he didn't know the exact location. The same was true for Kenneth; he hadn't been in contact with him since he was attacked by Emiya Kiritsugu, but with the contract in place, even if Natsukawa Torama didn't contact him, he would probably come looking for him eventually.

In other words, all we need to do now is focus on finding Weber and Iskandar.

Thinking of this, Natsukawa Torato said to Reiryukan Misaya, "Can I ask you for a favor, Reiryukan Misaya?"

"explain."

“Arthur and I are currently participants in the Holy Grail War and are somewhat tied up, while you are someone unrelated to the Holy Grail War, making it easier for you to take action. Could you please go and find the Rider Group?”

The Holy Grail War is still in its early stages, with everyone testing each other. Like hunters lurking in a forest to capture the same prey, none dare to make the first move, fearing that they might be the ones to pounce. And whoever emerges first from the dark forest will inevitably become the first target for the others – one less competitor is always better.

Moreover, after experiencing Kiritsugu Emiya's attack last night, Natsukawa Torara was worried that he might be sniped by Kiritsugu Emiya from some unknown corner.

Therefore, at this stage, Natsukawa Tiger will avoid going out if possible, and even if he does go out, he will have to take Arthur with him.

However, Misaya Reiko is different. She is an outsider in the Holy Grail War and will not be attacked. It would be most appropriate for her to go find Waver.

Reiko Misaya tapped her fingers on the table, pondered for a moment, and then nodded: "Alright, I'll grant your request. But you have to tell me some clues. I'm afraid that before we find her in such a big city, Ayaka Sajou will have recovered."

"He is currently living in an elderly person's home through suggestive magic, and may frequent places such as libraries and game stores. He is not particularly good-looking, and has a weak and submissive appearance."

This is all the clues Xia Chuanhu can offer at the moment; anything more he says would be as good as saying nothing at all.

Reiko Misaya nodded, then stood up: "Okay, I understand. I'll let you know once I find it, so—"

"Ding-dong~~~~!"

Before Misaya Reirōkan could leave, the doorbell of the Natsukawa family's house suddenly rang, followed by the voices of two people outside the door.

"Natsukawa? Are you home? This is Ryudo."

Willow Cave?

The student council president! What's he doing here?

No, that's not the point. The point is—

(Arthur!)

Natsukawa Tora looked sharply toward the kitchen, but it was empty—Arthur had consciously entered a spirit form!

(Very good, then the rest is—)

Looking at Reiko Misaya, Natsukawa Tora's first thought was to stuff her into the closet. If Ryudou Reikan knew that a super beauty had appeared in his house, he could easily imagine what would happen when he returned to school next time!

How long has it been since Natsukawa Tora went to school?

Glancing at the doorway, Reiryukan Misaya asked, "Is this someone you know? Should I go open the door? Or pretend you're not home?"

"Yes, I pretended I wasn't there—"

"Huh? The door wasn't locked? Natsukawa, are you actually home? I've brought you some study materials."

Liu Dongling's voice rang out again from the entrance hall—he was about to come in!

Reiko Misaya pursed her lips, stood up and walked towards the entrance. Hearing her footsteps, Natsukawa Torama quickly asked in a low voice, "Hey, what are you doing?"

"Just watch me handle it. He's just an ordinary person, right? I'll just use a simple hint magic trick to get rid of him."

Hints at magic?

Yeah, there's that trick too!

Misaya Reirōkan is a professional magician and someone who has experienced the Holy Grail War. She is extremely adept at dealing with ordinary people.

A huge weight was lifted off Xia Chuanhu's shoulders.

32. The impending assassination

While Natsukawa Torato was discussing how to deal with Sajou Aika, inside the Einzbern castle—

"Snapped!"

Morgan tossed the man in her arms onto the ground like trash and smiled at Kiritsugu Emiya, who was sitting in the room: "Master, I brought you a gift. Would you like to see it? Master of Berserker, Kariya Matou."

Emiya Kiritsugu paused in his smoking, then looked at Matou Kariya, who was bound by magic and unable to move, and had not yet woken up from his coma. He frowned slightly and said, "Caster, I don't remember giving you such an instruction."

"Yes, because it was my own decision."

Tell me your reasons for doing this.

"You get a powerful tool without lifting a finger, don't you think that's a great deal?" Morgan said, lifting up the arm of Matou Kariya that was adorned with a Command Seal. "You know about the commotion the Tohsaka family caused last night, right, Master?"

Kiritsugu Emiya nodded: "Yes, but I was tracking the Lancer group at the time, so I didn't pay attention. Speaking of which, how is the Saber group?"

“I’m definitely no match for Saber in a head-on fight, so I’ll take a step back and place a magic mark on that little Master. He and Saber won’t be able to see it. As long as you want, Master, I can provide you with his movements at any time.”

Last night, although she met with Natsukawa Tora as a stand-in and didn't have any physical contact with him on the surface, there was actually some—the moment Natsukawa Tora looked at her fake body with his demonic eyes.

【A hostile gaze】This can be considered a type of spell in itself. Countless spells can be cast using this feature. With Morgan's abilities, he could easily use this feature to cast magic on Natsukawa Tora. However, with the ability of a clone, he can only cast one magic mark.

Morgan's meeting with Natsukawa Tora at noon was to confirm whether her magic mark was still there, or whether it might be discovered and used against her. As she just said, Natsukawa Tora and Arthur were completely unaware.

Kiritsugu Emiya nodded in satisfaction, then turned his gaze back to Kariya Matou: "So last night after the retreat, you went to the Tohsaka family, witnessed the battle between Berserker and Archer, and then captured Kariya Matou and Berserker after the battle?"

"Well, it's fortunate that this man is particularly easy to deal with, otherwise it would have taken a lot of effort. Moreover, it's a pleasant surprise that Berserker is someone I know well, and I think bringing him back will help us deal with that group better."

"An acquaintance? Do you know Berserker and Saber's real names?"

"After all, they are all people with whom I have a deep connection. The Holy Grail War is truly a strange thing. I thought I would never see them again, but we were able to reunite. In a sense, I am quite grateful for this ritual." Morgan crossed his arms and leaned against the door frame. "Saber's true form is King Arthur, and Berserker's true form is Lancelot."

King Arthur and Lancelot.

Kiritsugu Emiya couldn't help but touch his chest, feeling the scabbard within him—the relic that summoned Morgan—and then sighed, "I was a little curious why King Arthur's scabbard summoned you. So it turns out you were summoned before me?"

"What? Are you unhappy about summoning me?"

“No, I’m glad.” Kiritsugu Emiya stubbed out his cigarette, stood up and walked toward the door. “Compared to the King of Knights, I think Caster is much more useful.”

Smiling at his Master, Morgan asked, "Are we setting off? Who are we going to face?"

“Saber. Take Berserker with you.”

"It's still daytime now."

“So let’s make the arrangements first.” After saying that, Kiritsugu Emiya took out his walkie-talkie. “Maiya, it’s me. Let’s move out.”

——————————————————————————————————

Several hours after Misaya Reiko left, Natsukawa Torato's house was visited again, but this time the visitor was not a special person, just a deliveryman.

Looking at the message on the slip that read "Sender: Kenneth," Arthur placed the package on the table: "Master, it was sent by Lancer's Master."

"Mr. Kenneth? What's inside?"

"It's... a pair of glasses, and a letter."

After opening the box, Arthur took out the glasses and the envelope, then opened the letter and read: "[Tiger Natsukawa, this is the Mystic Code I mentioned before that can be used to suppress the Mystic Eyes. With this, you don't need to wear that sealing cloth anymore. PS: Come see me when you have time. You can't slack off on your magical training!]" - that's what the letter said.