"That's right! Blood! Despair! Screams!"
Caster grinned, revealing yellowed teeth, his smile like a vengeful spirit: "We will turn this Fuyuki City into a living hell, using the blood of children to pave a red carpet to welcome the Saint's return!"
"Only in the depths of ultimate despair, Jeanne... will you remember me, remember the glory of when we once fought side by side!"
He suddenly leaned close to the crystal ball, staring fixedly at Hansen's nonchalant face on the screen, a trail of blood mixed with saliva trickling from the corner of his mouth.
"Just you wait... false god."
"I will tear you to pieces, pull out your intestines to make harp strings, and play a dirge of death for you!"
"Jeanne... I'm coming to save you soon!!"
...Fuyuki City, early morning.
The cycle of day and night did not bring the expected freshness; instead, the entire city was shrouded in a layer of gloom.
At Einzbern Castle after breakfast, the television in the living room was broadcasting the morning news.
"...As of now, more than fifteen children have been confirmed missing in Fuyuki City. The police are conducting a full investigation..."
On the TV news, the female anchor reported the latest developments of the serial child disappearances in a trembling voice. The footage of parents' heart-wrenching cries made every person with a conscience feel suffocated.
Irisviel sat on the sofa, looking at the faces of those anxious parents on the screen; the black tea in her hand had long since gone cold.
She wore a well-tailored set of loungewear, the slim-fit design highlighting her graceful figure.
Her long silver-white hair fell over her chest, her brow slightly furrowed, her eyes reflecting the empathy and pity of a mother.
"It's truly unsettling." The kind and beautiful young woman couldn't help but sigh softly. "Even ordinary people are being dragged into this?"
Hansen sat nearby, flipping through a parchment letter that had just been delivered by a familiar, his face expressionless.
"It's not just ordinary people." Hansen tossed the letter onto the table with a soft thud. "The Church can't sit still anymore either."
"The Overseer has issued an emergency notice, suspending all private duels between Servants to prioritize the subjugation of Caster. The faction that completes the kill will be rewarded with command spells."
The content on the parchment was exactly the truce agreement issued by Father Risei Kotomine.
"Caster?" Saber, who was finishing her tenth dessert, stopped her movements, swallowed the food in her mouth, and her expression turned serious. "The Servant who caused the mana fluctuations near the Mion River?"
"Yeah, that guy's actions are too filthy; he's broken the rules."
Hansen leaned back against the sofa, his finger tapping the armrest rhythmically. "I have no interest in the so-called Church orders or command spell rewards, but the thought of something that can't even be called human living in this world is enough to turn my stomach."
Hearing this, a cold light of agreement flashed in Saber's emerald eyes. "Although I don't agree with most of your methods, this time, Ruler, your judgment coincides with the way of the knight."
"Is that so?" Hansen stood up and straightened his collar. "Madam, for your safety, I'll have to trouble you to set out with us again."
"It is I who should thank you, Mr. Han Sen," Irisviel rose graciously. "Whether for Kiritsugu's wish or for those harmed children, please be sure to eliminate this enemy."
"As you wish, Madam. Well then..." Hansen turned to Saber at the snack table. "Saber, have you had your fill?"
Artoria quickly finished her last gulp of milk, grabbed a napkin to wipe her mouth, and her azure eyes instantly became sharp. "I am ready for battle at any time, Ruler."
"It is my duty to slay such an evil that violates the knightly code!"
"Then let's go." Hansen stepped toward the door. "If we finish the job early, we can still make it back for afternoon tea."
...Fuyuki City, underground drainage system.
This was the dark side of the city, a corner where sunlight could not reach.
The air was thick with the characteristic stench of sewer decay, mixed with a pungent smell of rust—
That was the scent of a large amount of blood fermented with sewer mold.
In the dark and damp corridor, rats scurried through the sewage.
"Wonderful... truly wonderful!"
Caster's master, Ryuunosuke Uryuu, wearing an orange hoodie stained with dark red blotches, danced neurotically in front of a blood-stained altar.
In his eyes, what lay before him was undoubtedly a freshly completed work of art.
"master Caster! I understand! I finally understand!"
Ryuunosuke turned excitedly, looking at the thin figure kneeling before the crystal ball in frantic prayer, his eyes shining with a sudden realization.
"It's not that God doesn't love us; God loves us too much!"
"Whether it's joy or fear, whether it's life or death, these are all colors bestowed by God!"
"Aren't these intestines scattered on the floor and this bright red blood the brushes left behind by God?!"
"In that case, no matter what we do, God will forgive us—no, God will appreciate it!
"Because we are coloring this boring world! COOOOOL—!!"
Caster Gilles de Rais did not turn around.
His bulging eyeballs stared fixedly at the silver sports car approaching in the crystal ball, his skeletal fingers scratching his cheeks until the flesh peeled back.
"Jeanne... Jeanne is coming..."
"She is calling me... she is crying in that false god's cage... she is waiting for me to redeem her..."
Gilles de Rais stood up abruptly, ominous mana surging beneath his voluminous robes. The human-skin grimoire in his hand, the "Prelati's Spellbook," flipped its pages on its own, the sound of the pages turning like the whispers of countless vengeful spirits.
"Ryuunosuke, are you ready? Since the Holy Maiden is about to descend, we must offer the grandest festival!"
"Of course! master! I can't wait to show God my new work!"
Ryuunosuke grabbed the boning knife, a naive yet cruel smile on his face... The silver Mercedes-Benz 300SL sped wildly through the streets of Fuyuki City like a bolt of lightning tearing through the night.
This time, however, the person in the driver's seat had changed.
Irisviel gripped the steering wheel with both hands, her holy and beautiful face now filled with excitement and focus.
Her snow-white hair fluttered slightly from the inertia of a sharp turn, her ruby-like eyes shining with the light of a child playing with a beloved toy for the first time.
"Intersection ahead, turn left!" Saber, sitting in the passenger seat, looked more nervous than she did during battle.
Dressed in a black suit, she gripped the handle on the car ceiling tightly, the veins on her fair and attractive hands bulging.
Clearly, she was exerting quite a bit of force.
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