Clang!!!
"Well, well, to be this good at your age. In terms of swordsmanship alone, you are a genius greater than Setanta."
"Thank you."
The previous night, Saber had invaded, but she was ultimately defeated. Not in perfect condition, far from her Master and with insufficient magical energy, and with her parameters lowered due to her Master, she had faced Okita.
She was too obsessed. In the Age of Gods, that level of skill was overflowing. In the Age of Gods of Greece, which was overflowing with heroes, there were plenty of heroes of that level. Certainly, from that era to the modern era, her skills are strong, but… that is only after the Age of Gods. How many monsters overflow in the Age of Gods? Look at Greece, it is a world where they fight even though robots appear.
Britain may have had dragons, but they were rare. In the Age of Gods, you would run into dragons on your way to the market. Named dragons like Fafnir are famous, but there are many other dragons that are not famous. The Age of Gods is a paradise for dragons.
In a way, you could say that Artoria did not learn everything from her master. Hero Creation? I wonder. It's not the Strongest Creation. Artoria is overflowing with talent. But honestly, in my eyes, she is just an ordinary person. Who is a genius, you ask?
Her.
"Is the sparring over?"
"Well, let's stop here."
Okita Souji. This girl is a true mad genius. She is said to have died at the age of 25, and in her later years, she could not even hold a sword. In other words, she is a madwoman who mastered Flag of Sincerity before she was even 20. Such a mad talent is a true genius; a talent on the level of Artoria is common in the Age of Gods. And even that is a cute level compared to Setanta. He is a guy who can fight against Gilgamesh for 12 hours even when he is nerfed.
Honestly, I see her as pitiful. She was born in the wrong era. If she had been born in the Age of Gods and had a master like Chiron or Scáthach, or if the situation had been different, even Merlin could have drawn out a talent on the level of Setanta, or even greater. It is truly a shame… that child cannot control her heart, the power of a dragon, at all. Does she use a sonic boom like Bathory? Does she have the powerful martial prowess and wisdom of Sigurd? Is her body invincible like Siegfried's? Or can she become a dragon like Sieg?
Honestly, she is mediocre. That Merlin fellow, because she had to become the king of Britain, he left a child who could have even entered the divine realm in the human realm. How foolish; in a hellish Britain like that, she should have entered the divine realm… overwhelming martial power is the only way to achieve peace in a chaotic world. Look at Qin Shi Huang, they couldn't even defy him until he died out of fear. Britain should have done it that way.
And the fact that he did not cast out Lancelot is the answer to how badly Merlin raised the child. Do you think I saved her heart for that? I will make him pay the debt in a big way later. At least, it doesn't seem to be this time… that Merlin fellow, that's not how you raise a child, you idiot.
[You're being a little harsh.]
"Who told you to peek? Get lost."
bjc3OFlqaUxFTm5DK1pnMjE4L2Z5NWlqekNhbEtDeXNOem1DVWp6dnpOemtxS3VQbEZRc0dldlp4TmFxNDg0Mw
[Hey, I just contacted you, and you're being so mean? Aren't you being a little too harsh on Artoria?]
"…Please, Scáthach."
[Hmm? What's all of a sudden—]
[BOOM!!!!]
[Uooooh! The tower!!!]
"Get lost."
He suddenly contacts me and makes a fuss. This is why you can't be a pervert who sees the present. I contacted Scáthach, who is in the Land of Shadows (the reverse side of the world), and had her immediately fire Gáe Bolg Alternative. This should teach him a lesson. If you're so unhappy, you should have raised the child well yourself. A guy who asked a nearly 600-year-old geezer to catch a dragon has a lot to say.
If I get caught by AUO, it's Merlin's fault. That guy has no tact…
"Who are you talking to?"
"It's nothing. There's a peeping tom."
"Heh… let's go eat some dango."
"I'll pass. I just came to see Medea."
"Is that so~ then let's eat next time."
I came to meet Medea, and I had a sparring match with Okita, who said she was itching for a fight. That three-stage thrust is really not easy. If I get hit, I'll be in trouble. I can dodge it, but it's still scary every time I see it. It pierces through all concepts of defense… it's a power that ignores physics.
"Hah… there are about 2 hours left."
In 2 hours, Shinji Matou will activate the school's barrier with Rider. And that is when I will make my move.
From what I see, Saber and Shirou are gradually getting closer, just like in the original story. Still… she's not a heartless child. I should at least provide an opportunity. Bow down and prostrate yourself before me, Merlin.
"Well then, Medea, let's go."
"Yes, Lord Fergus."
Well then, shall we proceed as planned? I headed to the school with Medea. Okita was guarding Ryudou Temple, and Medb was at the Einzbern Castle, so it was no problem for me to make a move. Illya was disappointed at home, but… she would be watching through the crystal ball that Medea had given her, so it was no problem.
As the sun began to set, Medusa's barrier was set up at Homurahara Academy.
Well… a barrier of this level is not very effective against me. Medea can also offset it with magic, so it doesn't matter. A Medusa with Sakura as her Master might be a different story, but a Medusa with Wakame as her Master is just a third-rate Servant.
I threw runestones here and there, and Medea also casually threw a barrier Mystic Code at the school. Even if Medusa were to be killed, they wouldn't easily notice the change.
Crash~!
Shirou was thrown out of the window, and I entered the school at the right time. Rin and Shirou were outside, and Saber was summoned with the light of a Command Spell. Emiya would probably show up soon.
"Well then, please play with me."
As I threw a runestone, it transformed into a 1-meter-tall golem, and Medea summoned Dragon Tooth Warriors. Then, we entered the science room where Shinji Matou and Rider were.
"Wh-what! A Servant!?"
"Bingo~"
"St-stop her, Rider!"
Shinji quickly tried to run away, but the classroom was already sealed by a barrier. Medusa stood in front of me and Medea.
Clang!
"I have no ill will towards you."
"!?"
I parried her attack with the edge of my hand, and quickly got behind her. I then wrapped my arms around her neck and twisted it.
Crack!
"It's a shame. We're from the same place, in a way."
"What can you do? She's a nuisance if she's alive."
Even if I were to kill Shinji, she would go to Sakura, and given Medusa's personality, she would never betray Sakura. Then it would be a nuisance. Medusa's speed is certainly difficult for anyone other than Okita or me. Even Saber would have a hard time against a serious Medusa, unless she's Alter. Unless it's Emiya's Unlimited Blade Works.
"R-Rider is…"
"I have no ill will towards you. However, it would be a nuisance if you were to live. Even if it's just a watermelon, he would notice."
Slash!
And I cut off Wakame's neck without pain. It would be a problem if Shinji Matou were to live. Still, this guy is not a lost cause like Cathbad or Conchobar… but leaving aside rehabilitation, if this guy lives, Gilgamesh will come out early. Whether it's a suggestion or something else, a geezer of Matou's level would notice. Even if not, Gilgamesh, who occasionally watches over Sakura, would notice me if he saw Shinji. Then it would be a problem. It's not the time yet. In the first place… the only route where Shinji Matou lives is UBW. In the other two routes, he dies.
This is his fate. From the moment he felt an inferiority complex towards Sakura Matou, it was so. If he had lived the life of an ordinary person, he would have lived a good life, but he took the wrong path.
"Well then, let's do it right away."
"Yes."
My runes and Medea's illusion were activated, and my appearance became like Rider's. This would give the Saber faction even more of a sense of caution. And especially, Emiya would be confused. Because it's different from the future he knows.
"Hmm, perfect. It's convenient that her original way of speaking is similar to mine."
"It's really seamless…"
"Illusion is not my specialty, but I hate to admit it, but Merlin is more amazing."
The voice can also be modulated with a simple spell. There's no need to use runes for this. It's a simple spell. Well then, shall we go? They've probably come up by now. The barrier that had disappeared with Medusa's death was also replaced with another barrier. They probably won't notice right away.
I changed Curruid Bolg into a chain like Medusa's and also changed its color from red to silver.
"Well then, shall we go?"
Dash!
With the Wisdom of the Land of Shadows, I can easily imitate Medusa's fighting style. In the first place, that kind of fighting style is a tactic I've even used against Scáthach. I got my ass handed to me, but…
I found the group that had come up to the same floor, and our eyes met.
I finished preparing to act and quickly charged.
Clang!!!
"Rider!"
"Please do not interfere."
Even I thought it was a perfect imitation.
Following that, Emiya swung Kanshou and Bakuya. I jumped back and dodged. Then, I threw the chain, and this time, I decided to do it a little more my own style.
Clank, clank, clank~!!!
The chain, as if it were a living creature, flew like a snake and wrapped around Saber's right hand. I then pulled with all my might, and Saber, who tried to pull back, was pulled along without being able to resist.
BAAAM!!!
"Guh!"
Last time it was a fist, this time I threw a kick that imitated Rider and at the same time released the chain, sending her flying to the wall at the end of the corridor.
Thud!
"What!? Saber!"
Emiya was shocked. It's probably because I'm stronger than the Medusa he knows. A sense of caution is necessary… I have to thoroughly trample on Saber's pride so that she can abandon that foolish obsession. I have to firmly implant the perception that she is the weakest in this Holy Grail War.
Clang! Clang, clang, clang!!!
Then, I swung the chain nails and attacked Emiya, and against him, I went easy on him as much as possible and pretended to be pushed back. That way, Saber and the others won't misunderstand. But in reality, Emiya seemed to be angry that I was only going easy on him.
Clang!
"Tch… you bastard, did you kill your Master?"
"Archer? What are you talking about?"
"Why do you think so?"
"Shinji Matou is not even a mage. That's why you could never be on a level to defeat Saber. But what you just did… your Master has definitely changed."
A very Emiya-like answer, who knows the difference between Shinji and Sakura as Masters. At that, I grinned.
"I didn't intend to do that either. But I only did it because he severely insulted Sakura."
"You don't even intend to hide it…!"
"What…? You, killed Shinji?"
Shirou was flustered. He was his friend, after all. But he is just an inconvenient obstacle in this story right now. I am just a visitor, and I will just lead Illya and those around her to the best possible ending.
By the way, it's hard to act because I'm a different height from Rider… it's hard to match my line of sight and attack range to my outward appearance. I wonder if this is what it's like to be a CG actor.
"Haaah!!!"
Saber charged, releasing magical energy with the wind. I dodged her with all my speed, kicked her in the face, and sent her flying out the window.
Crash!!!
"Saber!"
"Well then, I will gently kick you too."
Shirou ran out towards Saber, and Emiya was fighting me…
"That's enough."
""!?""
Just then, Medea appeared at the scheduled time and held Rule Breaker to the neck of Sakura, who had fainted because of Medusa's barrier.
"Sakura…"
I acted surprised and distressed and spoke. At that, Medea grinned. Wow, she really looks like a villain… as expected of the original villain.
"Thank you for giving me this opening. To leave your Master so defenseless… you're not just following this child because she's your Master, are you? She seems precious to you."
"Kuh… what are you going to do to Sakura?"
"It's nothing. Just making you mine? I wanted Saber, but the timing wasn't right. Still, it's good to have a lot of fighting strength. If you obediently follow my words, I will guarantee this child's life."
As she said that, Medea stabbed Rule Breaker. Then, she created an illusion that made it seem as if the ownership of the Command Spells had been changed.
"...."
"Good girl~ come over here."
I pretended to have no choice and went to Medea's side.
"Caster…"
"What, a Command Spell snatch? Is that a Noble Phantasm too!?"
"That's all for today. Well then, see you later?"
And so, with Medea's teleportation magic, we left the school. Phew, acting is hard. For now, we came to Ryudou Temple.
"Phew… that was tough. You're good at acting, Medea."
"You're the one who was excellent, Lord Fergus. To act as if you knew Medusa so well…"
"Are you jealous?"
"…A little? Is it, perhaps, unseemly?"
"Haha, it's just cute."
Dispelling the illusion, I hugged her. Medea hugged me back…
"Oh."
Okita, who happened to be nearby, saw that and let out a sound of admiration.
"Ahem… why are you here?"
"I'm staying here, you know? Munch, munch… what's with that person? Are you going to make an offering?"
"It's not like that. She's a hostage, nominally… ah, shall I have her try on the clothes I made before? How about some Celtic-style clothes?"
"Bondage? …Well, do as you please."
"Yay~♪"
So Bondage Sakura is coming after all… the reason I kidnapped Sakura is simple. It will strengthen the relationship between Shirou and Saber. Shirou will support the powerless Saber, and the two will gradually get closer. And seeing the kidnapped Sakura, Rin will want to save her sister, just like in Heaven's Feel, and the sisters can get closer…
Yes, the optimal environment for Illya to live in is being created. I'll deal with Zouken later, before this is all over. And later, I'll have everyone come to the Einzbern Castle and create a pretext for Shirou to get closer to Illya, just like in the original story.
Really… making a happy ending is difficult.