"That's… Gilles de Rais!" Waver was the first to speak. "Damn it! He chose this moment!"
Alexander the Great didn't say anything more. He simply drove the ox cart straight toward the river. Even though he was already worn out, he couldn't let that monster be.
At the same time, both Alexander the Great and King Arthur's group were also heading toward the river.
Unfortunately, on the way, Diarmuid reverted back to Lancer. The two boosted Command Seals had run out. But since his mana wasn't fully drained yet, he could stay for a while longer.
Lancelot, still a powerful Saber, reached the riverbank along with King Arthur.
By then, the fog over the river had grown so thick that visibility dropped to less than two meters. Ordinary people nearby began noticing, gathering at the banks to watch curiously.
"For Gilles de Rais to survive this long without a Master… I don't think there's been any news about missing children on TV lately," Waver remarked.
"Indeed. Without a Master, he should have vanished quickly. Even if a Magus had a huge amount of mana, he shouldn't last this long. And he already summoned that giant sea monster before, which should've cost a lot," Alexander the Great agreed with a nod.
"Maybe it's because of that Noble Phantasm," Tia said. "He always talked about his god. That Noble Phantasm, the Prelati's Spellbook, describes forbidden knowledge of some evil god. Maybe he really is linked to it. Didn't I say before? The Holy Grail is full of this world's evil. Maybe that evil really gave Gilles de Rais a connection with some outer god."
Could it be… one of the Outer Gods from the Cthulhu Mythos? Something even worse than the giant octopus? If that happened, wouldn't Guardians be sent here?
And then—
———— Search begin
———— Search complete
———— One match found
———— Body suitable
— Spirit compatibility confirmed
— Bloodline compatibility confirmed
— Personality compatibility confirmed
— Mana compatibility confirmed
— Beginning temporary seal on host's personality and insertion of Servant's spirit
— Gaining consent from original personality
— Starting backup of host body in a separate domain
— Spirit insertion complete. Beginning compatibility process between spirit and body
— Starting assignment of class abilities
— Beginning insertion of all Servant data and necessary information up to the current age
— Separate domain backup complete
— Class ability assignment complete. Skill "God-Slayer EX"
— Necessary information insertion complete
— Compatibility process complete
— Entire procedure finished
— Servant class: Saber. Materialization complete
"Tia, is it? Not bad, truly my descendant. At first I thought I'd just borrow your body for a while, but it looks more like I'll be lending you my powers instead. Use them well, and call me if you need me."
"Hm?" Tia suddenly thought he heard a voice. "Who?"
Tia froze for a second. Other than hearing his name, he couldn't understand anything else.
"Oh, I forgot. I am Senji Muramasa. Just now I was called here by the will of the world and possessed you."
Tia was stunned, then suddenly understood.
Senji Muramasa had possessed him, and even temporarily lent him all his power.
Wait… I'm only 7 years old! Even if Muramasa were to be summoned, it should only happen after I became an adult. Why am I considered suitable now?
"Tia, you're already 7 years old, and your body has grown enough to handle my powers. I can't see your past, nor do I know how a child like you could already be fit for me to descend into, but I can hear your thoughts. In any case, you are now a Servant. The others don't know yet, since I haven't fully released my power."
But Tia was even more confused. In this Holy Grail War, what could possibly be worth summoning Senji Muramasa for?
"Of course, it's because of the God-Slayer EX skill, something I never had before but was suddenly granted this time."
God-Slayer?! Don't tell me some Lovecraftian Outer God is really going to descend? That's insane! And Gilles de Rais—what right does he have to summon an Outer God just with that single Prelati's Spellbook?!
And a giant octopus… the only thing that fits that image would be Cthulhu itself.
"Oh? An Outer God? Seems this is worse than I thought. But I believe in your strength. You also seem to have allies. Make sure to rely on them."
The Emperor and Lancelot, huh? The Emperor is already exhausted, but maybe Lancelot could become stronger—if I can forge a holy sword. I wonder if I can manage it now that Muramasa is with me.
"Kid, you've got big ambitions. In any case… if you make good use of my Noble Phantasm, you might really be able to forge a holy sword that lasts."
Really? Then I'll try…
"But… I should warn you first. I was summoned specifically to slay gods. The will of the world judged that a god's descent is threatening this Holy Grail War, so I was dispatched. Once the god is destroyed, I'll probably vanish too. If you truly want a holy sword that lasts, you'd better forge it before I disappear."
Looks like I'll have to act fast.
At that moment, a message was delivered to the minds of every Servant and Master, including Tia.
"Attention all Masters and Servants. I, Kotomine Risei, Overseer of the Holy Grail War, have just received word from the will of the world. Gilles de Rais is summoning a god, which seriously violates the rules of the Holy Grail War. Therefore, the will of the world has dispatched a God-Slayer. All Masters and Servants are to give their full support in eliminating the god."
"What! A god!" Alexander the Great was the first to look in shock at the thick fog.
"A god! A God-Slayer!" Waver too stared at the fog in shock.
At this moment, the other Masters and Servants who had arrived showed varying degrees of surprise, each wondering who the dispatched God-Slayer could be.
But among them, only Gilgamesh spoke with scorn: "A god? Hmph! Slaying gods is what I do best! A filthy god summoned by some lowly ritual? I can kill it myself!"
Saying this, Gilgamesh rode his flying treasure, Vimana, into the sky above the Mion River. His eyes pierced straight through the fog, into the pitch-black opening within. And inside… a massive octopus was about to emerge.
It's past 2 AM already… I still have to wake up at 6 tomorrow…
(End of The Chapter)
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