Chapter Forty-Four: The First Night of Battle

Using food to cleverly divert Saber’s attention, Lancer chatted with her for a while before decisively taking Sakura and leaving.

“My king, now is not the time to meet,” Lancer said inwardly to Saber, who sat behind the glass.

Suddenly, Saber stopped eating, her fork mid-air.

“It really is him. Even with a mask on, doesn’t he realize? So many of his little habits haven’t changed at all,” Saber murmured, gazing through the glass.

“Toria, I think he must have his own reasons for hiding himself,” Irisviel consoled Saber. After hearing about Lancer and Saber’s history that morning, she had already guessed much about the two of them.

“You’re right. Since we’re participating in the Holy Grail War, there’s no avoiding the fight. I refuse to believe I won’t have a chance to hear his real thoughts.” Looking at Irisviel’s gentle smile, Saber felt as if she’d been healed and returned the smile in kind.

“Saber, are you full?”

“Almost. That guy still knows me best.”

“Saber, I’m really curious—how did you eat back in those days?”

“Generally, my teacher would make magical food. Through alchemical means, it was enough to keep me from hunger three meals a day. Sometimes, when Lancer went on missions, he’d bring food back—like bison or wild boar.”

Watching Toria pat her stomach, Irisviel couldn’t help but sigh inwardly, “So even the other Knights of the Round Table all had a hard time.”

As they passed an arcade, Lancer grabbed two keychains, planning to give them to Sakura and Rin before leaving.

——— Time passes ———

“Is Sakura asleep, Kariya?” Lancer donned a nearly unrecognizable coat. Previously, everyone had only seen Lancer in a white jacket; no one had ever seen this black one, and he’d never shown it himself. Yet upon becoming Berserker, he’d been forced to wear this outfit, tossing Kariya’s brown overcoat over his shoulders.

“She’s asleep, but Berserker, are you sure about this outfit?” Kariya had given up commenting on Lancer’s fashion choices.

“Well...” Lancer couldn’t exactly say he thought it looked cool, even if his chuunibyou side found it appealing.

“I’m heading out. There shouldn’t be trouble tonight, but after all, this place was the big worm’s lair. It’s even safer than the Tohsaka mansion. If you’re attacked, use a Command Seal to summon me immediately.” With Kariya’s confirmation, Lancer left.

This time, he wasn’t going to watch the legendary battle between the eternally unlucky Lancer and Saber, but was after Caster. Though Lancer sympathized with him—after all, Caster had sacrificed everything for Jeanne d’Arc and turned from the youngest general into a madman—he felt it was better to release him sooner. Wasn’t Caster’s happiest moment meeting Jeanne after death?

Since all of Caster's magecraft came from books, he rarely caused magical fluctuations. Even so, Lancer asked Byakuya to search the city for places with a strange, bloody scent.

Fortune favors the diligent. After half an hour, Byakuya returned to tell Lancer it had found the most suspicious location.

“Lead the way!”

“Chirp, chirp!”

Soon, Lancer arrived at a place infamous for its “sin” in the anime.

“It seems right. Byakuya, stay outside. If they escape, track them for me.” Without waiting for an answer, Lancer went in. He trusted Byakuya completely, ever since the night it had “died” in battle.

Since the opponent was the real Caster, not some third-rate magus like the worm, Lancer gripped his long-unused sword, Shadowedge. It wasn’t that the twin blood-drenched Tang swords weren’t good, but he didn’t want their blades tainted by these monsters’ filthy blood. Shadowedge, existing and not, was immune to such corruption.

As soon as Lancer entered the room, he realized he was too late. The heavy stench of blood meant only one thing—there had already been victims.

“Damn it!” Any thoughts of looking cool vanished; he kicked the entire wall down with all his might.

“Heh, I didn’t expect a guest tonight,” Caster said calmly when he saw Lancer burst in, while Ryuunosuke beside him looked bizarrely excited.

“Hey, hey, that was awesome, sir! Can you do it again?”

“Haha, such an eager Master. Of course, I can.”

If one ignored the severed limbs strewn about, the small bodies still twitching on torture devices, and the children cowering in the corners, the pair looked just like a fan meeting his idol.

“Side Quest—Exterminate.

Once honored as a knight, faced with such inhuman cruelty, you vow to hunt down these monsters until one of you dies.

Reward: Freely project a Noble Phantasm within the scene for one hour and give it to another.”

“I don’t need a quest for this. I would have erased this filth anyway!” Lancer growled into the empty room, his clenched teeth betraying his rage.

“At the border of darkness and light, a guardian unseen now becomes manifest.” Knowing the enemy could summon sea monsters, and unsure if he could protect the children, Lancer sacrificed his only defensive Noble Phantasm to shield them.

“Kids, can you still stand?” Lancer asked the children behind him.

“Yes!” “Mama!” “I want to go home!”...

Cries and wails filled the room. Some children, frozen by terror, finally found their voices and began to sob.

“Stop crying! The one of you who isn’t crying—take the others and get out. I’ve placed my ‘protection’ on you; you won’t be harmed, but whatever you do, don’t get separated.” He looked down at them and said, “If you want to live, then run with all you have!”

With that, Lancer charged forward, never looking back.

——— The Conqueror’s Interlude ———

“Haha! As heroes, do you intend to cower in the shadows?”

The Emperor, a natural-born tank, taunted the other heroes. His provocations were remarkably effective.

“Wretch, you dare call yourself a king? In this world, only I am worthy of that title.” With a flash of gold, a girl in golden armor appeared, floating on a throne at the center of the battlefield.

“So the Hall of Heroes employs child labor now,” Weber thought, oddly composed.

“Is that all? Is no one else going to step forward?” As the Emperor continued his taunts—

Boom! Boom! With a surge of magical energy and a thunderous crash, a figure landed between Lancer and Saber’s battleground, and the massive magical presence vanished.

“Damn, using your strongest Noble Phantasm on the first day? What trash!” Lancer grumbled, but was secretly relieved—the sea monster wouldn’t be rampaging through the city now.

“Hey, long time no see.” The Emperor greeted the newcomer, who nonchalantly dusted himself off and stood.

Lancer quickly scanned the assembled heroes. This was the Holy Grail War’s first full gathering.

“And who are you, dropping from the sky, you wretch?” The golden king glared at the strange Lancer, his irritation palpable.

“Your Highness, I am a Berserker participating in the Holy Grail War. It’s a great honor to meet you here, King of Kings—Gilgamesh.”

The moment Lancer saw the little king, all his composure scattered to the wind. He was only short of falling to his knees and swearing fealty.

“Oh? Not bad. A mongrel with some knowledge. You even know who I am. This time, I’ll forgive you for being taller than me on your arrival.”

An awkward silence fell. “So that’s why he was angry—because you were taller?” Suddenly, everyone understood and glanced at Gilgamesh’s petite figure...