Chapter 188: Faint Hope
[You intended to use a kiss to win over the opponent, but you didn't realize that a top-tier hunter often appears in the guise of prey.]
[You struggle to break free, but Medb has used the skill "Alluring Euphony" on you.]
[Your defense clearly drops a level, and you are also struck by Medb's Charm.]
[Please make a Magic Resistance check.]
A die tumbles down.
[Result: B — check successful.]
[You barely resist the opponent's Charm.]
The heart-shaped affection gauge above his head surged rapidly.
Eikou was left dizzy by her kiss, as if drowning in perfect love.
But the next second he snapped back to clarity; while a shred of reason remained, he hurriedly pushed her away.
"You…"
His face flushed crimson, scarcely believing what had just happened.
Eikou glanced at the pink gauge overhead—phew, it almost shot past 90; just a little more and he would have been Mind-Breaked in reverse.
If the leader himself were stolen away, the Holy Grail War would end immediately.
"Tch, what a pity…"
Medb said this, but the look on her gorgeous face was pure delight; she even lingered to lightly lick her lips.
"Boy-ya~, let me give you some advice. Your little tricks can at most fool a few naïve girls like yourself. But with me…" her smile grew even more alluring, "a strong, lusty big sis like me—such things are useless~."
"…"
Damn it, he understood that weakness all too well.
With his level of skill, at best he could bully opponents like Jeanne Alter, but when facing bold and aggressive ones like Melusine or Medb, he could only end up being the one bullied.
"Tch…"
The plan had failed—Medb was not the type who could be easily subdued!
So what should the next move be?
Use the same tactic against Kriemhild or Brynhildr?
Hardly possible, since his affection had already reached a dangerous threshold.
If he slipped up and failed again, the reverse would happen—he'd be dragged away by the opponent, with not the slightest margin for error.
Face them head-on in battle, using tactics to wipe out all enemies?
Impossible—the level gap between the Servants on both sides was too great, and this terrain only suited a direct confrontation.
Use "Disaster With Women" to solve the problem?
Maybe earlier it could have worked, but for the same reason, his own affection gauge was nearly full; if he triggered "Disaster With Women" and it overflowed, then what?
Should he gamble? Dare to gamble?
Eikou's mind was blank.
Though unwilling to accept it, Tristan's words were true—this was an extremely disadvantageous situation for him, so obvious that Tristan could tell at a glance he would lose.
He turned to the brutal battlefield beside him: Yu Ji and Pollux had exchanged only a few blows before completely falling into a losing position.
Brynhildr and Kriemhild were nearly overwhelming, pressing them until they could barely breathe.
Such a result was no surprise; both of his teammates were already weakened, totally unmatched against the other side.
Medea Lily was the only one of them still in full fighting condition, but she possessed no offensive ability at all.
"Haa…"
A drop of cold sweat slid down his forehead.
Meanwhile, Tristan rose from the throne, quietly closing his eyes as he stepped down the stairs.
"To be honest, outnumbering the few with the many goes against the spirit of chivalry, which is why I did not strike directly," he said. "But I need wait no longer. The outcome is decided, and dragging this out is only torment for you."
"…"
"But if you can, please run away right now," Tristan suddenly added.
"…Why?"
"Because the order I received from the Holy Grail is to defeat you, not to kill you. You and I have no grudge, and in fact you and another version of me are friends. If that is so, I have even less reason to kill you—that would be almost a tragedy."
Unlike the student Tristan, the Tristan before him appeared calmer and more rational, purer, summoned solely by the Holy Grail.
"There is no longer any need to fight me to the death; it would all be meaningless."
"Sigh…"
Eikou only let out a heavy breath. "Everyone understands the reasoning, but to run away in this situation would mean I'm no longer a man."
"Is that so?"
With that, Tristan gently waved his hand, signaling Kriemhild and Brynhildr to stand down, while he himself quietly took up his bow.
"To defeat your team I don't even need their help—alone I am enough. Not because my skill is unmatched, but because your companions have grown so weak they can no longer stand. If you can witness this overwhelming gap with your own eyes, perhaps you will change your mind."
"What… did you just say…!"
Hot-tempered as ever, Yu Ji all but exploded, her furious shout lashing at the red-haired knight before them.
"Senpai, wait—"
Eikou barely got the words out before she lunged forward, Pollux immediately on her heels.
For some reason he sensed that they all vaguely understood—even if they fought with everything they had, they could not defeat this Round Table Knight.And yet they charged in anyway.
Because Tristan had dismissed his allies, this was, at least in theory, their best chance of victory.
If they could bring him down here, they might at least weaken the enemy team's overall strength.
Two violent gusts of killing intent roared toward Tristan.
But he merely plucked a single note on his harp.
[Admonishment of the King of Knights, Phantasmal Music of the Painful Lament.]
Just as they were about to reach him, Pollux suddenly felt her power drain away.
The buffs Eikou had bestowed on her were quietly unraveled by the harp's sound.
At the same moment, Yu Ji—an Assassin—slipped behind Tristan, her twin blades flashing like a vampire's fangs, striking straight for his unguarded back.
…Yet they could not pierce even an inch further.
"What—"
Her wrists refused to move as freely as before. Invisible, steel-hard threads had silently coiled around them.
In an instant, more of those unseen strings whipped forth, binding all four of her limbs so tightly she could not move at all.
Those threads were the very strings of Tristan's harp, drawn taut like a bow.
The precious chance to strike was gone.
Pollux tried to attack, but she too stumbled into the invisible trap; even a Servant's body could not avoid the sharp cuts of those wires.
With a face full of regret, Tristan raised his bow, arrow aimed squarely at Yu Ji.
"It pains me—truly pains me… to shoot a young, beautiful widow at such close range.It goes against all my principles."
Without turning, he spoke to Eikou:
"But this woman, steeped in tragedy, is already sinking into and being assimilated by this Singularity. You cannot save her. Better to let her die by my hand—it will be a merciful release. At least you still have a chance to live. Take it and flee."
"Tristan, you bastard—!"
Eikou started forward with a curse, but a shout from Yu Ji stopped him cold:
"Human, what are you waiting for—go, now!"
Her limbs were bound tight, almost completely robbed of strength.
Those crimson eyes, though defiant, lowered their lashes with a quiet sadness, as if resigning herself to fate and the end that awaited.
Even an immortal race, if its spirit core were shattered by Tristan's arrow, would die.
But Eikou shouted back, voice ringing with stubborn resolve:
"Senpai, who do you think I joined this Holy Grail War for? If I abandon you now, why the hell did I even come to this Singularity? For sightseeing?"
"Face reality. We cannot defeat him. Even if you somehow overcame the red-haired knight, how would you handle the rest of the enemy team?"
"We… we may have no chance of victory at all…"
This wretched scene was something Eikou could hardly bear to watch.
Yu Ji exhaled a faint sigh, almost too soft to hear.
"Even if you leave now, I won't blame you. I know you've risked your life for me. It's unbelievable that you've come this far for my sake, when there's nothing in it for you."
"I never thought I'd have to say this to you again—I promised myself I'd only ever say it once in my lifetime—but… along this whole journey, thank you, Mochizuki Eikou. I have nothing with which to repay you."
Eikou's eyes flew wide.