"Ruler of the Third Holy Grail War, Amakusa Shirou Tokisada, welcomes you all!"
"Hiss!" Hearing Amakusa Shirou Tokisada's self-introduction, everyone present was dumbfounded.
After all, the Third Holy Grail War was seventy years ago, meaning Amakusa Shirou Tokisada had been alive in the human world for seventy years. (Although the original work states sixty years, that should be a bug.
After all, Lord El-Melloi II, i.e., Waver, appears, so how could it be sixty years? Sixty years after the Third Holy Grail War would be the Fourth Holy Grail War, but Waver's teacher was still alive then! So I think the Holy Grail War corresponds to the Fifth Holy Grail War, seventy years later.) As for why he had existed in the human world for so long, such a question didn't even need to be asked. He was after the Greater Holy Grail. This thought emerged in everyone's minds.
"Assassin's Master, no, Amakusa Shirou Tokisada! What have you done to our Masters?!" Facing Atalanta's indignant questioning, Amakusa Shirou Tokisada chuckled, then raised one hand and pulled up his sleeve.
Looking at that arm, all the Servants present couldn't help but gasp. Red Archer Atalanta, Red Lancer Karna, Red Rider Achilles, Red Berserker Spartacus, Red Caster Shakespeare, Red Assassin Semiramis. Except for Red Saber Mordred, each Red Faction Servant's three Command Spells, totaling eighteen, were all visible on his hand.
"I peacefully requested them to hand over their Master's rights and three Command Spells. You needn't worry; the magical energy required to maintain your existence is a trivial matter now that we are connected to the Greater Holy Grail."
"Peacefully?" Hearing one of them retort, Amakusa Shirou Tokisada nodded, then glanced at Karna and said seriously, "Furthermore, Red Lancer is a hero most skilled at seeing through lies. Therefore, I had to ensure that while speaking as few falsehoods as possible, events would progress in a direction that suited our intentions."
"The reason I specifically conveyed my orders through
the Masters was also for this reason. Indeed, the Masters did not lie. They all believed those were instructions based on their own judgment. It is the same now."
"Is that so? Was it your existence that I was sensing, and that the gods warned me about?"
"That's hard to say. I never intended to defy the will of the gods." There was no need to ponder deeply; Jeanne's summoning had been abnormal from the start. Her summoning method was a possession summoning, using another's body. Initially, it was thought to be a side effect of the unprecedented fourteen-Servant summoning, but now, upon closer inspection, it was the complete opposite. In a situation where fourteen Servants were bound to fall into chaos, the Greater Holy Grail should have, at all costs, ensured Ruler was correctly summoned.
The reason it ultimately failed was because the Greater Holy Grail's perception became confused. And the reason this priest had been avoiding her was because he himself was also a Ruler. One of Ruler's privileges is the skill "True Name Discernment."
This skill, which can discern a Servant's class and True Name, is naturally effective even for someone who has regained flesh. If he had met Jeanne on the battlefield, Amakusa Shirou Tokisada's plan would certainly have been ruined.
"Before becoming their official Master, meeting you would have caused a lot of trouble. After all, you hold Command Spells. If you had discovered me, everything I did would have been in vain, wouldn't it? I can't let anyone hinder my dream." There was no hatred in Amakusa Shirou Tokisada's voice, but it contained resolute will.
Persuasion was impossible; as long as he wasn't killed, this young man would not stop, the girl was certain of this. Jeanne silently gazed into Amakusa Shirou Tokisada's amethyst-like eyes and asked seriously, "What is your objective, Amakusa Shirou Tokisada?"
"Why even ask? Of course, it's the salvation of all humanity, Saint Jeanne."
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"What exactly are you thinking, Amakusa Shirou? Do you truly desire the Holy Grail that much?" Jeanne did not believe Amakusa Shirou Tokisada's statement. In her opinion, the salvation of all humanity could not be achieved simply by relying on the Holy Grail.
"Of course, you, who also believe in God, should understand this very well, shouldn't you?"
"Please don't joke around! The Greater Holy Grail of Fuyuki is not the Holy Grail that believers recognize; you should know this very well." As if not allowing the other party to utter a single falsehood, Jeanne continuously pressed Amakusa Shirou Tokisada. And at this moment, accompanied by a soft laugh, Amakusa Shirou Tokisada's Servant, Red Assassin Semiramis, suddenly materialized.
"Ha, if that's the case, then there's no need to guard that Holy Grail so formally, is there?"
"Red Assassin, is this your scheme?" Facing Jeanne's straightforward question, Semiramis chuckled as if pleased. "Indeed, perhaps I deceived and incited this pure Master, leading him down an evil path. But unfortunately, I am merely a Servant. A Servant must, of course, obey their Master, no?"
"Assassin, what have you done to our Masters?" Red Archer Atalanta, clad in verdant green, questioned her.
"You mean 'former Masters,' don't you?" Semiramis replied nonchalantly. Seeing this, Atalanta was about to lunge, but Achilles quickly stopped her. Despite this, Achilles's expression was also filled with a chilling hostility.
"You needn't worry; they are, of course, still alive. Didn't I say so? I had them peacefully transfer their Master's authority to me."
"In a half-dream, half-awake state, they all firmly believe they have won the Holy Grail War. They're too pitiful, so please don't wake them up."
After hearing Amakusa Shirou Tokisada's words, Atalanta and Achilles almost simultaneously took action. Atalanta drew her bow and shot an arrow, while Achilles's spear aimed directly for Amakusa Shirou Tokisada's throat. However, both their attacks were simultaneously blocked by Karna and Semiramis respectively.
Facing Karna, who had caught her arrow, Atalanta angrily demanded, "Lancer, why are you hindering me?
You wouldn't possibly acknowledge this man as a Master, would you?"
"Strictly speaking, he is indeed a Master. However, even I have not agreed to the change of Masters. But your actions are too hasty. Before shooting your arrow, shouldn't you first inquire about the truth of the matter?" Hearing Karna's defense, Atalanta reluctantly retreated. Achilles, who had pierced Semiramis's divine fish scales nearby, also retracted his weapon.
"Thank you, Lancer." Karna replied to Amakusa Shirou Tokisada's thanks without turning his head, "No need to thank me; this wasn't done for you anyway. However, with your power, it would have been easy to dodge that arrow just now. Don't always rely on me."
"Hmm, you're right." Amakusa Shirou Tokisada shrugged with a bitter smile. Then, he turned back to Ruler and said, "Next is our demand. This Holy Grail War, it can be said, has already been decided. Among the Servants present, our Red Faction holds an absolute advantage!"
Although the remaining Servants on both the Red and Black sides were now equal in number, their quality was not on the same level. The Red Faction had lost Saber and Berserker, but the Black Faction had lost Saber and Lancer. Especially now that Amakusa Shirou Tokisada had gained ownership of all Red Faction Servants, the previous Saber and Berserker did not obey his commands anyway.
Therefore, their loss had almost no impact on the Red Faction. But the Black Faction had lost its main forces.
Especially the Archduke, who was invincible in Romania; his death in the Hanging Gardens was an absolute major loss for the Black Faction. And now, the Black Faction's personnel were also incomplete; once surrounded by the Red Faction, they would be in great danger.
Looking at the three Black Faction Servants, Amakusa Shirou Tokisada was about to say something when he suddenly paused. "Oh, my eyes have truly failed me; I didn't expect there to be a Counter Guardian among us!"
"May I ask, is this Counter Guardian also here for me?"
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