You are very strong, but my painting style is better than yours!

It was because of this that she happened to meet a Red Caster performing some magical rituals in the city, and recognized his real name at a glance using her class privileges.

“You should know Circe, the island witch of Greece, right?” Joan of Arc continued, “She was summoned in this Holy Grail War, and I suspect this fog is also related to her, but for some reason she deliberately set up magic to protect the residents here…”

"Is this strange?" Ritsuka asked, somewhat puzzled. "Shouldn't Circe have done that?"

“That’s someone who’s known for his wickedness even in Greek mythology!” Joan of Arc said matter-of-factly. “It’s really incredible that she would care about mortals.”

Considering the generally low moral standards of ancient Greece, Joan of Arc's assessment is quite accurate.

However, Ritsuka didn't think so. She said with a grin, "Maybe Circe likes to toy with humans, but deep down he also loves them. It's just that his way of expressing it is a bit extreme and twisted?"

"what?"

"A bad temper and a love for humans can coexist."

Ritsuka said naturally, "I've seen many people who, after causing a huge scene, deeply regret the damage they've done. They're clearly sorry, but they won't say it out loud and instead try to make up for their mistakes in secret."

Mashu nodded repeatedly as if trying to suppress a laugh, seemingly recalling some past events.

Joan of Arc blinked and said incredulously, "Are there really such eccentric people in the world?"

"Yes, and quite a lot," Ritsuka said with a sigh. "If everyone could be more straightforward, I wouldn't have to suffer from stomach aches all the time..."

"I can tell you're having a tough time too." Jeanne looked at Ritsuka, who looked like a student, and saw a bitter smile on her face, like that of a corporate slave. She couldn't help but feel a little sorry for her.

"Well, you'll get used to it."

Ritsuka perked up and smiled, "Although there are many tsundere guys, they're actually quite cute once you spend enough time with them~"

Time slipped by unnoticed, the sun began to touch the horizon, and in the dim light, the shadows of all things were stretched to their limits, while a wisp of mist drifted in the air.

Just as the three were about to find a place to stay for the time being, a small, snow-white beast with fluffy fur suddenly appeared out of nowhere and jumped onto Mash in a few swift steps, with a gait that even Servants could not avoid.

"ah!"

"Fu~"

A fluffy little beast with big ears, its appearance somewhere between a cat and a dog, but its cuteness is the sum of both. It jumped into Mashu's arms and enjoyed the softness of the girl's well-developed body, making the sub-Servant girl blush. However, it seemed to be quite skilled at it.

The purple-haired girl was startled, but breathed a sigh of relief after seeing clearly: "So it's Fufu-san... Really, you came along with the spirit particle transfer this time too? Where have you been all this time?"

"Fu~"

The little beast didn't speak, but simply nudged itself further in, making Joan of Arc's expression strange.

This little animal... seems to be something special!

-

As night fell, fog once again enveloped Tulifas. The experienced residents had already retreated to their homes, but Ritsuka and the others did not stay at the inn. Instead, they took the initiative to clear the monsters from the streets.

Circe's barrier is not an absolute defense. If the number of monsters reaches a certain level, their ferocious nature will be constantly amplified by the stimulation of their companions, eventually ignoring the threat of the barrier and forcibly attacking residential houses.

At that time, a horrific tragedy will occur in Tulifas!

To avoid this situation, Ritsuka did not choose to go to bed, but instead mustered her energy to work with Mash and Jeanne to reduce the number of monsters.

To be fair, these two Servants are top-tier, with impeccable stats and combat experience. However, a subtle point is that they are both skilled in defense but lack offensive capabilities, basically relying on brute force to smash things with their weapons...

This fighting style is undoubtedly inefficient when dealing with some stubborn magical beasts. Two skilled Servants would need to expend a lot of effort to defeat an enemy who is far weaker than them.

This arduous "monster-hunting" experience is like running a daily quest with only a single Servant and having to attack each one individually with basic attacks, which is truly heartbreaking.

Ritsuka couldn't help but reminisce about the many combative Servants she had in Chaldea. If only Saber or Archer had been there, the progression would have been much smoother.

Whether Ritsuka was lucky or unlucky, not long after, a "Saber" actually emerged from the thick fog, but she was from the opposing faction and her class was [Rider].

"Watch out! It's the Black Faction's Rider!" Jeanne was the first to notice the Wild Hunt King's arrival, shielding the orange-haired girl behind her. "Her real name is—"

“King Arthur, Artoria.” Ritsuka looked at the other person solemnly and uttered her true name softly.

"Wow? You actually recognized me. Have we met somewhere before, little girl?"

Emerging from the thick fog, Artoria was not wearing a helmet today, and her breastplate was lighter in style, but she still looked majestic on her warhorse, with two monsters mercilessly pierced behind her.

She observed Ritsuka with great interest, not only because the other party seemed to be an "acquaintance" of hers, but also because she was curious about the orange-haired girl's background.

As far as Rider knows, there shouldn't be any other Masters left in this Holy Grail War, and... the thing in that Demi-Servant girl's hand looks kind of familiar!

At first, she didn't notice, but when Rider took a second look and slowly superimposed the image of the cross shield with something from her memory—her eyes widened.

"So there's another way to use it...?"

"Soda-yo (yes), isn't it interesting?"

Ritsuka seemed to be able to guess what Rider was thinking, and then added, "There are many things you can't even imagine."

"Oh?" Upon hearing this, Rider couldn't help but look Ritsuka up and down.

"It seems you're no ordinary magician. I have a feeling there's a special 'connection' between us... It's like we're acquainted in some parallel universe."

We're more than just acquaintances; I even helped your "son" turn your coffin board into a surfboard—of course, there's no need to elaborate on that!

"This Holy Grail War has really produced quite a few strange characters," Artoria remarked, then raised her spear and aimed it at Ruler, also bringing the Chaldea duo into her attack range.

She has a "friendship" with Ritsuka and Mashu, but that doesn't stop her from being a formidable warrior. As a ruler, the most important thing is to separate public affairs from personal feelings.

"Ms. Jeanne!"

"Don't be impatient."

Jeanne raised her hand, signaling Mash not to rush forward, then asked sternly, "Rider, what do you want to do?"

"Ruler, don't you understand your own position? How dare you swagger around in the city like this?"

King Arthur shook his head. He had no problem with Joan of Arc herself, and even thought that the savior of the nation was admirable in many ways. However, eliminating her was a consensus between the two camps, since Joan of Arc would be a key player for either side if they wanted to monopolize the Holy Grail.

Ruler did nothing wrong; the problem was that she was summoned to this Holy Grail War where everyone was cheating.

"Hand over the two Command Seals that correspond to mine, and I'll let you go."

Instead of attacking immediately, Rider said something that surprised Joan of Arc.

"You... want a Command Seal?"

“I don’t want Medea to become my Master, and no one in this world can control me.” Rider’s thinking was very simple. “With your two Command Seals, plus my own Magic Resistance, even if I turn against Medea in the future, she won’t be able to do anything to me… Just in case.”

"I see, but I refuse!"

Joan of Arc said sternly, "Giving away a Command Seal without cause is a violation of the rules!"

"...What a stubborn guy, even though it would be good for you."

Rider frowned, and black and red magic surged from the gun: "Since that's the case, I'll use brute force to make you submit!"

"Mash, prepare for battle!"

"Understood, Master!"

The Chaldea duo were on high alert, because they both knew how powerful King Arthur was in this form, and that Mash and Jeanne alone would probably be no match for him.

Jeanne d'Arc gripped the flagpole tightly, determined to protect Fujimaru Ritsuka, the "Master of Humanity," no matter what.

A great battle was about to break out, but at that moment, several Servants simultaneously changed their expressions and retreated—

boom!

A thick bolt of lightning struck the ground, and an astonishing surge of magical energy dispersed the surrounding mist, revealing a black-haired young servant emerging from the lightning.

"Gentlemen, please give me some face and let's end the night here."

Chapter 144: This is the dedication of speedrunners! (4K)

"berserker?"

Artoria was somewhat surprised and paused for a moment before dissipating the magic from the gun.

Although she was confident, she didn't think she could take on three at once, especially since these three Servants were not simple. One of them even brought a dining table—no, a round table—and King Arthur knew very well how strong that shield was.

Why should we shelter them?

Rider had given up on fighting, but still asked with amusement, "If I remember correctly, you should be on our side, right?"

There are many reasons, of course, but explaining them one by one would be too troublesome.

Iori thought for a moment, then smiled casually: "Because they're all beautiful girls, do you need a reason to save a damsel in distress?"

"..."

King Arthur was speechless for a moment, and Joan of Arc was also unsure how to react.

Ritsuka nudged Mashu: "Hey, did you hear that? He said I'm a beautiful girl!"

"Indeed."

Although the reason was perfunctory, it was quite convincing. King Arthur couldn't find anything wrong with it. She had only asked casually and had no interest in investigating further. Finally, she took a deep look at Mash and the large shield in her hand, then reined in her horse and turned to walk into the mist.

She doesn't plan to go back tonight; she's going to hunt some magical beasts to relieve her depression.

"call……"

Only when the Rider's aura completely disappeared and the howls of monsters echoed from the distant fog did everyone relax, with Iori letting out a long sigh of relief.

"Luckily, I managed to intimidate her, otherwise it would have been troublesome."

"what?"

Ritsuka asked the boy in surprise, "Aren't you her match?"

Seeing Iori's impressive entrance, she thought he was a top-tier fighter who could rival Rider. After all, even the usually arrogant Rider spoke to him as an equal, which indirectly proved his strength.

Iori waved her hand: "I am just a weak Berserker, without the power of the Three Knights."

The rider retreated mainly because the ruler was there; my appearance was merely giving her a way out.

"Is that right?"

Ritsuka always felt that the truth was not as Iori said, but she didn't dwell on it.

"Anyway, thank you for helping us. My name is Fujimaru Ritsuka, and this is Mash. Um, you already know Jeanne d'Arc, right?"

Good evening, Chaldea Master.

Iori smiled and said, "I'm the red team's Berserker, you can just call me Iori."

"Do you know Chaldea?" Ritsuka was somewhat surprised, but this wasn't the first time she had encountered such a situation. Some Servants with special backgrounds could perceive the "Humanity Burning" phenomenon, and some could even "see" other singularities.

She felt that Iori might also be a special Servant of this type.

Sure enough, after introducing herself, Iori said, "Not only Chaldea, I know a lot more... In short, let's give a thunderous cheer to the savior of humanity!"

boom!

A blinding bolt of lightning erupted from Iori's left hand, transforming into a flowing beam of light that pierced through the thick fog and disappeared. Almost simultaneously, an explosion and a shrill wail followed.

"It's a monster!"

Everyone reacted quickly, and Mashu skillfully raised her shield to block Ritsuka.

"It seems the earlier magical fluctuations attracted them." Iori calmly looked around, coldly scrutinizing the numerous dark figures that were faintly visible in the mist.

"Perfect timing, these guys are getting more and more numerous, it's time to clean them up!"

-

With limited visibility and a large number of enemies, Ritsuka initially thought it would be a difficult battle, but it turned out to be much more challenging.

The Berserker who called himself a "weak servant" displayed absolute dominance, cleanly and efficiently resolving battles against any kind of monster, practically turning the streets into an assembly line for slaughtering monsters!

Joan of Arc can also act as a support, protecting him from behind, while Mashu and Ritsuka hardly need to participate in the battle... How to put it, it feels like teaming up with a high-level NPC in an RPG game.

That night, the streets of Tulifas were soaked by a torrential downpour of blood and flesh, but when the fog cleared, the limbs of the monsters disappeared as if nothing had ever happened.

"Huh...it's finally over!"

Ritsuka stretched lazily; she hadn't had a proper rest since arriving at this singularity and was now extremely tired. However, she remembered her mission, so she mustered her energy and went to find Iori.

“Berserker, you—”

“I’m sorry, I already have a Master.” Iori said as she held the sword in reverse and sheathed the Ama-no-Murakumo.

This divine sword is superior to ordinary swords, and Iori is currently a fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy. Due to his height and arm span, there are some obstacles when he is drawing the sword from its sheath.

Actually, the best choice is to put the scabbard behind your back like Shiro does, but Iori is used to drawing her sword from her waist, so she hangs the scabbard diagonally at her lower back.

When he grows to the height of seventeen or eighteen years old, this problem will no longer exist.