"Excuse me, are you my Master?"
Draco gently wiped the black mud clinging to her body, like a red lotus unsoiled by the mud.
"Umu, didn't expect the one who summoned me to be my own mother?"
Draco looked at Manaka with slight surprise. As one of the One Corners of Beast VI, she could see the connection between Manaka and herself.
In a certain world line, Beast 666 formed and was born because of Manaka.
This was Manaka's idea. If she wanted to pursue her beloved prince, what could be more reliable than her own child as an assistant?
Looking at Draco, Manaka also smiled, though whether this smile was for Draco or for her prince remained unknown.
"Prince, Manaka will come find you soon."
Manaka turned and left as if she hadn't seen Draco. As for Angra Mainyu slowly writhing in that place, she didn't care.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
Matou Manor, in the underground chamber.
Even the crooked Magic Array drawn on the ground hadn't changed. Aslan still stood beside it, reciting an incantation.
"I wonder if the Counter Force will learn from Sakura's previous experience."
"But let's try anyway. What if it works?"
"After all, there's no loss if it fails. If it succeeds, I can verify my suspicion."
Aslan extended his right hand forward.
"Is anyone there? Squissshh, come forth, demon from the outer world!"
"You captured by the Counter Force, Squissshh? Come forth to save the world."
Reciting the incantation he'd just made, Aslan wanted to see how great a sacrifice the Counter Force would make to oppose him.
However, to Aslan's surprise, the object actually reacted.
The Heroic Spirit Summoning Array drawn with chalk began to shine, and three Command Spells also appeared on the back of Aslan's hand.
"I'm leaving. This Counter Force doesn't learn from experience at all?"
The corner of Aslan's mouth twitched slightly. One could only say they were beings without self-will, possessing only instinct? So easy to exploit.
He just used the alias Arthur Proto, and he actually succeeded in summoning?
Or had the Counter Force started to panic?
Was the threat he posed to the Counter Force that strong?
Light rose into the sky. Aslan skillfully took out two pairs of sunglasses for himself and Sakura.
He removed them after the light faded.
After the light faded, a white figure stood calmly. Upon seeing Aslan, the other clearly froze for a moment.
Then he quickly showed a wicked smile full of mischief.
"Yo, am I the Caster who's been summoned?"
"Excuse me, are you my Master?"
"Yo, didn't expect I'd summon an acquaintance."
Aslan was slightly surprised seeing the white-haired man appear before him. Based on the information left by Arthur Proto, his knowledge of Fate, and the fact that he felt like slashing him upon sight,
Aslan immediately recognized his identity—Merlin.
He was the Caster, a Hybrid between human and Incubus, essentially not human. He was the legendary Magus of King Arthur, the king's mentor, and also King Arthur's aide and close friend.
Of course, all of the above were contents of legend and myth, for reference only.
After all, the thing Aslan most wanted to do now was raise the Holy Sword in his hand and slash him.
Of course, Aslan thought about it, and he did it.
"Oi, Master, I'm your Servant—surely you wouldn't be that cruel, right?"
Seeing Merlin draw a sword from somewhere, he blocked Aslan's slash.
This slash was considered a Saber's attack.
"Stop pretending, Merlin. I know it's you."
Aslan pulled back his sword and said wordlessly while looking at Merlin. Wasn't the strong scent of Arthur on his body enough to prove his identity?
"Hahaha, I didn't expect the one who summoned me to be the King."
Merlin said in a tone that was extremely pitiful. After that, he also put away the Holy Sword he'd drawn from somewhere.
Even so, Merlin was still greatly shocked seeing Aslan. Was this the opponent he had to face?
Just now, with only Aslan's restrained slash, if he hadn't used Reinforcement Magic, he almost couldn't block it.
Truly worthy of being an opponent the Counter Force had to face by summoning seven Grand Servants.
Yes, seven Grand Servants. Even Merlin didn't know what possessed the Counter Force—they immediately brought out seven Grand Spirit Origins.
For this Servant's descent, the Servants had to fight Aslan.
Even to fight the Ultimate One, such a configuration wasn't needed, right?
"Enough pretending. Do you think I don't know that King Arthur in this world is a woman?"
Aslan glanced at the useless Incubus exploiting this loophole and said wordlessly.
"But Merlin, with our relationship, no need to pretend, right?"
Aslan smiled and looked at Merlin.
"What exactly is the Counter Force doing to oppose me?"
After all, Aslan didn't have Clairvoyance. Though Laplace Demon was very useful, in a situation like this, it wasn't very helpful.
"King, they're doing nothing. Just summoning seven Grand Servants."
Merlin was also someone who loved watching drama. He immediately betrayed the Counter Force without hesitation. After all, the Counter Force hadn't been human for one or two days.
"Hiss, I feel the Counter Force is overestimating me."
Aslan stroked his chin and took a deep breath.
Isn't it just easy to destroy a planet?
Is it necessary to be this serious?
Even during Humanity Incineration, weren't there so many Grand Servants appearing, right?
"King, I'm the Servant descending as Grand Caster. Don't worry, King. I'll always be by your side."
Merlin said without conscience.
After all, to him, nothing was more important than interesting things in the world. Now clearly, this wasn't an apocalyptic crisis.
This was all trouble the Counter Force brought upon itself. Being on Aslan's side would clearly be very enjoyable.
So Merlin naturally chose to stab the Counter Force in the back.
Following the King Arthur from another world—surely it would be a very interesting thing.
Of course, the "other world" mentioned here wasn't a parallel world, but another world truly beyond the Root's connection range.
"This Holy Grail War will surely be very interesting, King."
"Only you think it's interesting."
Aslan said with a helpless smile.
"But I'm treated as the Final Boss who must be defeated."
"Eh, wait, when Little Garden observes me, will I become a Demon Lord?"
Aslan quickly realized the crucial point. He didn't want to gain the Demon Lord identity this soon.
"Merlin, do you think the other Servants will know my identity?"
Merlin stroked his chin, thought for a moment, then shook his head.
"I don't think so. After all, King is indeed Arthur."
Merlin and Aslan looked at each other for several seconds, then laughed simultaneously.
[Heroic Spirit: Merlin
Class: Caster
Strength: B
Endurance: E
Agility: D
Mana: A
Luck: C
Noble Phantasm: C
Class Skills:
-Territory Creation C
-High-Speed Incantation C
-Item Construction C
-Clairvoyance EX
Personal Skills:
-Charisma B
-Hybrid EX
-Hero Creation EX
-Dreamlike Charisma A
-Illusion A
Noble Phantasm:
-Garden of Avalon: The Everdistant Utopia C]