Shirou, who returned from the Fairy Kingdom

Sometimes considered a curse, sometimes a blessing—one of the oldest powers on this planet.

In Mesopotamian mythology, the goddess who gave birth to life fell into chaos and became the mother of monsters, an enemy of humankind.

This is the origin of the world-devouring power known as the "Potnia Theron".

"Hehe, good boy~"

Potnia Theron reached out her palm and stroked the giant serpent with a loving smile.

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Volume 5, Chapter 208: Why is Jack the Ripper still here?

2:20 a.m.

When Aika Sajou returned, she found her servant waiting at the entrance of the inn.

He stood there quietly, his slender figure seemingly blending into his surroundings.

"Saber, I'm back."

The girl, who had been calm, immediately broke into a big smile and ran to Shirou's side.

"...Aigo".

Shirou said somewhat unhappily, "Why can't I get in touch with you?"

"I'm sorry I made you worry?"

"Of course I was worried. I came back and found you weren't there... But it's during the Holy Grail War, and it's very dangerous outside."

Sajou Aika replied with an innocent and carefree expression, "Hehe, but Saber didn't tell me I couldn't go out today, did she?"

That's absolutely true.

Ultimately, Shirou, as a Servant, had no right to interfere with his Master's actions.

But he still asked, "Where did you go just now?"

Prior to this, Shirou had run to the top of a nearby high-rise building.

He used his superhuman eyesight to search the nearby streets, including the church on the mountain, but he couldn't find Aige anywhere.

So she must have left Sigiswara.

But if that's the case, she can't possibly get back so quickly.

Shirou could never have imagined that Aika's movement wasn't a horizontal movement, but rather a journey to the Empress's "garden," several kilometers above the ground.

"Just like Saber and you have the mission of fighting, I, as a Master, also have a job that only a magus can do, right?"

She cleverly brushed it off.

Sajou Aika looked at her with a smile, seemingly not intending to explain why she had gone out.

"Let me come along next time," Shirou said.

Aika hesitated slightly before declining his request: "No need, Saber just needs to focus on her own battle..."

"So, did you have a great time tonight?"

"Well……"

Shirou nodded.

Perhaps influenced by the Dragon Heart, Shirou is now more focused on enjoying the battle than before.

Whether it was Karna or Siegfried, the battles with them were very enjoyable.

"But……"

"Let's not just stand outside, let's go inside quickly."

Aika took Shirou's hand and led him into the hotel.

She murmured happily as she walked.

"Relax, Saber..."

Just enjoy the Holy Grail War to the fullest; there's no need to worry about anything else.

As a reward for your hard work, I will surely offer you the Holy Grail.

Sajou Aika once again tells the boy that she would give everything for him.

Shirou: "..."

He once asked Aika what her dream was, only to be told that "her wish is to fulfill Saber's wish."

Since Saber, your wish is to enjoy the Holy Grail War, then I have no choice but to offer the Holy Grail to you.

Shirou felt this was wrong.

But if you ask him what's wrong, he can't quite put his finger on it right now.

Shirou in the past also considered Morgan's wishes as his own.

Shirou doesn't think the two can be equated, but... what exactly is the difference?

"Miss Aige."

Just as Aika Sajou was about to enter the room, Jeanne d'Arc, who came out from next door, called out to her.

“I heard from Altoris that you left without leaving any information, is that right?”

"Altoris looked for you all night, do you know how worried he was?"

"……what?"

Ai Ge blinked.

Jeanne d'Arc walked over and grabbed her wrist: "It seems I need to talk to you about the rules and discipline that a Master should follow in the Holy Grail War."

Shirou glanced at Jeanne d'Arc.

Please.

—Well, leave the lecturing to me.

Joan of Arc nodded confidently: "Please come to my room, Miss Aige. I think we can sit down and have a chat."

"Wait, wait a minute, Ruler..."

Sajō Aika cast a pleading look at Shirou—

The red-haired boy waved and said, "Don't cause Ruler any trouble, okay?"

Sajou Aika was dragged to the next room by Jeanne d'Arc.

That night, Aika was lectured by Jeanne until after 4 a.m., and in the end, she was unable to return to her and Shirou's room.

……

……

"I didn't expect Saber to retire so soon..."

In a room in the city of Mirenia.

Danic, the chieftain of the Thousand World Tree, is face-to-face discussing future strategies with the "Black" archers.

If Lancer Vlad III is the "King" of the Yggdrasil, then the Archer before us is its "Strategist."

His real name is Chiron—a sage in Greek mythology who taught many great heroes, including Heracles and Achilles.

With the upper body of a human and the lower body of a horse, he is a true deity, with Cronus, the god of the earth and agriculture, as his father and Philyra, the goddess, as his mother.

However, he was accidentally struck by a poisoned arrow from Hydra. In order to escape the pain of poisoning, he gave up his immortality and lost his original complete divinity, thus becoming an object that could be summoned as a heroic spirit.

He now appears in the world in human form rather than centaur form, sacrificing some of his ability parameters.

After all, if a centaur is seen holding a bow and arrow, his real name can almost be confirmed.

Chiron's position in the "Black" camp was second only to Vlad III. Lancer greatly admired his strategic vision and trusted his noble and incorruptible character.

That's why Danic specifically sought out Chiron to discuss future strategies.

Darnick looked somber as Saber left the stage. In the original plan, Siegfried the Dragon Slayer was supposed to be preserved as a last-ditch fighter.

Now that we've lost Saber, we can only make good use of the Berserker power that we stole.

"...Is Spartacus's side under control?"

Danic nodded.

Caster is indeed very capable; he completed the contract ceremony for the substitute Master in just one night.

Next, all we need to do is transfer Gordes' Command Spell, who has lost his Servant, to Caster, so that he can trigger Spartacus's second berserk state.

Suddenly the door opened, and the two of them looked in the direction of the door at the same time.

"Uncle, Archer, may I bother you for a moment?"

The one who broke in was Fiore, the Master of the "Black" Archer.

For a girl who usually handles things with elegance, she was a little flustered today.

"Fiore, why didn't you knock?"

The girl did not answer, but moved her wheelchair to the table and spread out a newspaper.

"This is……"

"The serial killer appears to have started in Bucharest, Romania, and then moved north from Bucharest, now even reaching Sigișoara."

Danic's face grew increasingly grim as he read the newspaper.

Although the details of the killings have been omitted, there have been more than double-digit victims, and the whole of Romania has been plunged into a state of panic.

However, what truly spurred Danic on was not the serial killer, but rather—

The victims were nominally tourists, but in reality, they were magicians planted in various places as spies by the Thousand Trees clan, or magicians registered in the Clock Tower's directory.

"In other words—this serial killer specifically hunts magicians and possesses the ability to kill them."

If the murderer were just a highly skilled magician, that would be one thing, but what came to Fiore's mind was a famous monster far more powerful than a magician.

The mage of the same clan, Hyoma Sagara, once said that the Servant he planned to summon was Jack the Ripper, who was the one who committed this series of bloody crimes.

"...Wait a minute, Fiore, what are you saying?"

Danic gave him a puzzled look.

Jack the Ripper did not exist, and could never have existed.

Because a Servant has already been summoned in place of him in this Holy Grail War, namely "Black"...

"........."

Danic was stunned.

Fiore nodded, and said seriously, "We've all probably made a mistake based on assumptions—"

Although Hyoma Sagara's whereabouts are unknown, Jack the Ripper was indeed summoned by someone as the "Black" assassin.

"How can this be……"

Danic… Even the sage Chiron was so surprised that he couldn’t speak.

If Jack the Ripper was actually the last Servant to join the Holy Grail War, then—

Who exactly is that red-haired boy who defeated Saber last night?

"Uncle, what do you think? I don't think we can leave Jack the Ripper's Master alone."

Fiore said with a serious expression.

Judging from the fact that the other party watched the unusual situation unfold to the point of reporting it, this magician must be mentally unstable, far deviating from the fundamental principle that magicians should remain as secretive as possible.

After thinking for a while, Danic decided to send several of his clan's magicians, who were stationed in Tulipas, to investigate.

"...If it really is Jack the Ripper, the magician probably wouldn't be able to fight him."

Should we go and investigate ourselves?

Fiore's proposal was indeed reasonable, but leaving Tulipas for Sighishwara was another matter entirely.