Type-Moon, I'm a magician, is that true?

"Be quiet, Rider! You won't even give me time to cry!"

The only response he got was a burst of energy.

"Don't cry, kid. You are still too young now. There is no other way. Let me give you a direction to calm down."

Pointing his thick index finger at the Master named Waver Velvet, Rider smiled with confidence.

"Go find allies."

"Huh~~ What are you talking about?"

Faced with Weber's confusion, Rider sat cross-legged on the ground, took the chess pieces he had bought yesterday, and placed them one by one on the chessboard as servants.

"When you encounter a strong enemy, you can either flee or join forces to siege them. Since there is a Servant recognized as the strongest in this Holy Grail War, siege is a self-evident agreement."

"The weak are forming alliances to challenge the strong, using this method to subvert the boundaries between the strong and the weak. Any intelligent person would surely be trying to find reliable allies."

"Well, if we target Archer and Caster, this is a viable approach."

Throwing his own "horse" to Weber, Rider pointed to the chessboard, where seven toys representing classes were already placed.

"Well, boy, tell me who are the suitable candidates for our alliance."

"Um……"

Inspired by Rider's words, Weber unconsciously took the chess piece and his brain began to work rapidly, analyzing each one with the help of the collected intelligence.

"First, we must rule out Saber. Caster's Master has obvious characteristics of an Einzbern android. They just left together. The two parties can be considered one and the same. They are almost the leading force in this Holy Grail War."

"There's no point in forming an alliance with the powerful. They'll most likely be the next targets of siege."

"Assassins are hard to find, and most are weak, so it's hard to expect them to be useful on the front lines."

"The Berserker was most likely summoned by Matou from the Three Great Families. After all, the flames that day were so noisy, much like what a Berserker would do."

"As for the last lancer..."

At this point, Waver looked up at Rider, who was listening with gusto: "Do you remember the Servant who waited at the port all night yesterday but found nothing?"

"Of course, I waited on the bridge for half the night. Master, you were so cold that you crawled into my cloak."

Recalling what happened yesterday, Rider scratched his cheek in distress.

"I'm sure there are servants who were attracted to Lancer's fighting spirit just like me, but I didn't expect anyone to take action until the very end. It seems everyone in this Holy Grail War is very cautious."

"He's actually our best choice. He's got guaranteed strength among the top three, is eager to fight, and won't lose control like a berserker. As the most agile Servant in his class, he can entangle his opponent well and allow you to charge forward."

"Well, according to what you said, we should go find Lancer."

"Choose him for now, Rider. Did you remember his scent last night?"

Rider raised his hand to take the spear chess piece handed to him by his master and smiled heartily.

"Don't worry, as long as he reveals his whereabouts, my chariot will definitely arrive at the scene immediately."

"Then everything will wait until tomorrow."

Looking at the boundless starry sky outside the window, Waver encouraged himself.

Coincidentally, in a luxurious hotel far away from him, Kenneth, wearing a robe and with his hair combed meticulously, had the same thought.

"Lancer, it's because of your uselessness that I have to condescend to find a way to form an alliance with another Master. Don't you feel ashamed?"

In front of the floor-to-ceiling window of a luxury hotel, a magician was scolding a strong and handsome man who was kneeling on one knee. It was not difficult to understand the relationship between the two from his words.

"I am deeply sorry, my lord. I am responsible for the humiliation you have suffered. Please give me a chance to prove myself. I will defeat the other Servants and offer you the Holy Grail."

Lancer seemed to have thrown away his pride and just humbly begged for the Master's forgiveness, but his action made Kenneth even more angry.

"Defeat? How? Are you planning to use two guns to pierce through that densely packed Noble Phantasms, or use your agility to dodge the devastating magic cannon? You're just boasting!"

"...Please do not insult my determination to sacrifice my life for you."

"Determination?! Can determination bring victory? Can determination be exchanged for the Holy Grail?! It's worthless!"

Lancer lowered his head even lower.

Kenneth's fiancée Sora couldn't stand it anymore. In order to protect Lancer, she took the initiative to speak up and retorted Kenneth.

"Stop arguing, Kenneth. Is this how you behave? A shrew scolding you like a bitch?"

"No, Sora, I'm not..." Seeing that his fiancée had spoken, Kenneth became obviously panicked.

"No, it's useless for you to just blame Lancer here. The matter is settled. You are a team, you should make up for each other's shortcomings. Lancer is slightly behind, so you should make up for it at the level of Master."

"But Sora, the difference in strength is too great. I can't change it on my own."

"Aren't you a child prodigy? You're already giving up after just this? Is this the famous genius Kenneth from the Clock Tower?"

"..."

Staggering back, Kenneth sat down on the sofa weakly. His fiancée's disappointment in him made him unable to speak again.

The relationship between the Lancer group reached a freezing point.

Assassin was currently chasing after Saber and their taxi.

What about the Berserker group? Are they not making any movement at all?

Yes, not at all.

The Matou family was silent and the old house was empty. The Berserker and his Master seemed to have left, leaving only an empty house.

In the dark lair beneath the mansion, only a wisp of black, hellish fire flickered on the filthy bricks.

Thus, the second night of the Holy Grail War came to an end. Although some Masters left the stage, no Servant died.

The next morning, Illya's childish but firm voice was heard in the Einzbern castle.

"I reject Kiritsugu's alliance proposal!"

Chapter 136 Father and daughter break up and agree to fight (4k)

The next morning, when Illya woke up from her sleep, she felt the long-lost sense of happiness.

The days of childhood seemed to return at this moment. The bed was no longer as cold as snow, and the cold surrounding me was no longer gnawing at my lungs.

"Sniff."

The tip of his small and delicate nose twitched slightly unconsciously, and he smelled a familiar fragrance, which was the pleasant scent of his mother, like a white rose.

"Mother……"

Illya muttered in a half-asleep state, and subconsciously arched her body towards the warmth and fragrant smell.

But this subconscious action brought about an overflowing softness and warmth, which was completely different from the touch of the pillows she usually felt in the Snow City.

The overly comfortable touch suddenly woke Illya up.

Before she even opened her eyes, she subconsciously called out the name of the person she trusted.

"Caster, are you there?"

The trembling voice echoed in the empty room, but received no response. Instead, a pair of white arms pressed Illya hard into her plump and soft body.

“Wow!! Who…?”

Illya struggled hard, but she was not afraid. Everything she was experiencing now always gave her an inexplicable sense of déjà vu, the fragrance and the wanton hug.

"Mom is so sad. After waking up, she didn't even call my name or Dad's name first. My daughter is not close to me anymore."

Illya stopped and asked tentatively.

"Is it mom?"

"Wow, wow, wow~ Now you've even forgotten your mother's hug. It makes me even sadder."

The gentle and pleasant voice deliberately turned into a crying tone, and Irisviel's hands, eager to touch Illya's hair.

"Anyway, I'm really pissed off right now, and I need to rub Illya really hard to make it better!"

Irisviel spoke cruelly, but her hands were actually so gentle when she caressed him.

Feeling the warmth coming from her head, Illya's body stiffened for a moment, then quickly relaxed.

She completely buried herself in the arms of the person she loved most, wrapped her arms around her waist, and couldn't help but sniff her sour nose.

"Mom~"

"Well, Mom is here, and Dad is with us too."

As soon as she finished speaking, Illya felt another pair of cold hands touching her head. Compared with Irisviel's hands, these hands were much rougher and always caused stinging when touching her face.

But she doesn't mind.

Only after Kiritsugu left did she realize that this uncomfortable touch actually meant the most beautiful and happy time.

"Kiritsugu, mother, we are together again."

The girl's weak voice was like mist that would disperse with a gust of wind, but the emotions contained in it were so strong that both Airi and Kiritsugu felt a mixture of sadness and joy.

"Well, we are all here, Dad and Mom are here."

The three of them hugged each other, like an ordinary family of three. At this moment, the shadow of the Holy Grail War briefly dissipated from them.

Saber and Aiwen stayed outside the door, watching the scene quietly.

Altria's eyes were filled with complexities. Was this father really her Master? He looked so ordinary, like someone you could see anywhere, not like a warrior at all.

Saber prefers the Emiya Kiritsugu in front of her, but she has to admit that only the Emiya Kiritsugu in the past can cooperate with her to win.

It was a mockery, fate mocked this burdened king.

The things she favored could not help her, and the means she hated led to victory. The spiraling contradiction had emerged since King Arthur's lifetime and had continued to this moment without disappearing.

"But that is why I seek the almighty wish-granting machine, which will surely cut through all this and bring light."

With her hands clenched tightly, Artoria was determined to obtain the Holy Grail.

After that, Illya spent a happy morning.

Waking up, having breakfast, and playing in the castle are all ordinary daily experiences, but the people who accompany you make this time a unique treasure.

It’s a pity that happy times are always short-lived.

The shadow of the Holy Grail War will never go away, it always hangs over the heads of all participants.

As a father, he can devote everything to Illya, but as Emiya Kiritsugu, he can't do that. The dream he pursues is about to be answered, and after paying so much, he can no longer stop.

Therefore, when he knew Illya's wish, the two of them could no longer return to the morning.

"Illya, are you serious?"

Sitting in front of the table, Emiya Kiritsugu folded his hands, supporting his chin. His face was a mixture of sadness and seriousness, appearing more serious than usual.

"Well, my wish is to be with Kiritsugu and my mother forever. So, Kiritsugu, please give up your pursuit of the Holy Grail."

Their daughter's simple wish made Emiya Kiritsugu and Irisviel look at each other in bewilderment. They felt something that was both unexpected and reasonable.

A child's world is so small, so she will value everything she can reach from the bottom of her heart.

Compared to the wishes of other contestants, this simple thought may not mean much, but for Illya, the weight of this wish outweighs everything.

Perhaps it is because they are adults that they cannot understand the world through the eyes of children.

At least Emiya Kiritsugu felt that his wish needed the help of the Holy Grail more than Illya's wish which could be easily fulfilled.

Therefore, he earnestly persuaded her: "Illya, you are with your parents now. Even if your father pursues the Holy Grail, it does not conflict with your wishes."

"Kiritsugu is lying! If you pursue the Holy Grail, you will definitely leave me and mother in the end. You will chase your desire until I can no longer see your shadow."

"Illya, who told you this?" Emiya Kiritsugu was very surprised: "It clearly hasn't happened yet, why do you speak as if it's true?"

"It's me." Aiwen took a step forward and stood behind Illya.

"I told my Master everything I saw, including the futures under different choices."