"Damn... bastard..."
Lancer braced himself with his spear and slowly stood up, breathing heavily as he stared at Caster.
He still didn't know who this Servant was, but the massive surge of mana Caster had just unleashed had engulfed the entire mansion grounds. Bazett, still not fully recovered from her injuries, was knocked unconscious again by the blast—unable to even use her prized Noble Phantasm.
Since Caster hadn't activated his own Noble Phantasm, Fragarach hadn't been able to trigger.
The sheer force of Caster's magecraft alone rivaled the True Name release of a Noble Phantasm. Lancer knew this was a battle he couldn't win. But at least it wasn't an unfair loss—Caster's Master had clearly made thorough preparations to summon such a powerful Servant.
He coughed up another mouthful of blood at the thought.
The fight was lost—but that didn't mean Lancer would give up.
Bazett was still alive. He had to make sure she stayed that way.
Just then, two shadows shot out from the forest behind Caster.
Fierce winds morphed into blades, layering over each other like a net and sweeping toward Caster. But the earth beneath his feet rose instinctively, forming a solid wall that blocked every wind blade with ease.
When Lancer got a clear look at the new arrivals, he gave a dry, irritated laugh.
"Took you long enough. I almost thought you'd teamed up with Caster," he said.
"I think we were pretty fast—Caster was just faster," Shiomi replied, lifting both spears and leveling them at Caster. "No wonder they call you the one with eyes that see past and future. You tracked us down this quickly."
Morgan pointed his magic spear at Caster, her tone icy. "Not a speck of dust on you."
Despite the intensity of the battle, Caster truly looked untouched—like he'd just stepped onto the battlefield, his condition still pristine.
The cold wind hadn't let up, and the Four Pillars of Evil that had been repelled earlier now began to reappear, one after another, from the forest.
"Three against five... definitely a disadvantage," Lancer said as he walked over to stand on Shiomi's other side. "You'd better be ready to die. Otherwise, you're just going to die here."
Shiomi aimed his spear at Caster. "We'll die—but we'll make sure Caster doesn't leave."
"Sounds nice, but I'd rather he be the only one buried with my husband," Morgan said lightly, but the aura she gave off was fierce—completely focused on the enemy before her.
"Heh. Then I'll make sure to drag the enemy far away before I die," Lancer joked with a grin. "Wouldn't want to get in your way."
At that moment, Caster raised his head slightly, as if he'd heard someone speak.
For the first time, the unchanging expression on his face shifted—just a little. A flicker of wistfulness crossed it, like there was something he had wanted to do but never could.
"All right. We'll retreat for now."
With that quiet murmur, Caster turned around. Surrounded by the Four Pillars of Evil, he vanished into the forest.
"Tch... Caster's Master sure plays it safe." Lancer slowly lowered his spear and spat out the blood in his mouth, clearly frustrated.
Shiomi gave it some thought. "Maybe they're just trying not to reveal too much of their strength here?"
"Maybe," Morgan said, easing her stance. "Or maybe Caster's Master already knows who you are... and they're wary of you."
"Wouldn't be surprising. I am from the Land of Shadows, after all—"
As he spoke, he turned to look at Lancer, only to see the blue-clad figure collapse backward. The red spear he had gripped so tightly slipped from his hand and rolled to the ground.
"Hey!"
Shiomi quickly crouched down to check on Lancer's condition.
"…Haha… Looks like this is it." Lancer let out a couple of weak laughs, breathing heavily. "What a troublesome Servant. As a Magus… even master might not be able to match him."
"You're not saying you already…"
Shiomi released his mana to try and heal him, but immediately realized that Lancer's Spirit Core was damaged. The only reason he'd been able to stand and face off against Caster was likely due to a Battle Continuation-type skill.
"That guy's magecraft is practically on par with a Noble Phantasm," Lancer sighed. "And he countered me right after I released mine… Who the hell is he?"
Rather than dwelling on his own bitter defeat, Lancer seemed more concerned with Caster's identity.
"The King of Magecraft. His name is… Solomon." Shiomi hesitated for a moment, then revealed Caster's true name.
Lancer's eyes widened. Then he let out a series of helpless but hearty laughs.
"Well, no wonder we couldn't beat him. That kind of opponent…" Lancer said. "I may have studied magecraft under my master, but I'm probably not even as good as you."
Shiomi looked at him silently, neither confirming nor denying it.
"But damn, it was over way too fast. I didn't even get the chance to go another round with my junior…" Lancer closed his eyes, clearly frustrated. "Didn't have any real wishes, but now I get to disappear with regrets."
Shiomi looked at Cú Chulainn and couldn't help but chuckle. "You're really too much of a battle junkie."
"As if you're not," Cú Chulainn shot back with a grin. His body had begun dissolving into motes of magical light—a clear sign he was fading. "Hey, tell me—do you have a thing for our master?"
"…Good guess," Shiomi muttered, lips tightening.
"Wait, don't tell me you actually—" Lancer teased.
Shiomi frowned. "Keep going and I'll personally send you off right now."
Startled and half-laughing in alarm, Lancer suddenly burst into laughter that echoed through the forest.
"Hahahahaha! Now that's something! Guess I really have no choice but to hand over the title of 'first disciple'—it just wouldn't feel right otherwise!"
"Tch…"
"Cough, cough…" The laughing took too much out of him. Lancer lay there, staring up at the winter sky. "Hey… could I ask you to take care of Bazett? Whether it's the Association or the Church, just get her somewhere safe…"
As he spoke, Morgan, who had gone off to assess the situation, returned carrying the unconscious Bazett in her arms.
"Got it. I'll handle the rest," Shiomi replied. "Senpai."
"…Alright, alright…"
Lancer struggled to raise his hand, gave Shiomi a thumbs-up, and with a bright smile, vanished.
Shiomi remained crouched for a moment longer, waiting until Lancer's presence completely faded. Then, with a sigh, he slowly stood up.
"Let's go. To the Church."
"Mm."
Morgan replied softly.
...
(100 Chapters Ahead)
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