The Exorcism Tale of Hachiman

Thanks to Hachiman Hikigaya's reminder, Artoria finally managed to return in time.

“Master......”

Artoria was slightly taken aback when she saw Kiritsugu Emiya's empty right arm.

She then quickly helped Kiritsugu Emiya up, preparing to break through the encirclement with him.

"Put my arm on!"

Despite the pain causing beads of sweat to form on his forehead, Kiritsugu Emiya still remembered to take his right arm, which bore the curse mark, with him when he retreated.

Chapter 219 The Egg of the King of Warcraft

"Damn Lancer!"

In an underground pipe somewhere in Fuyuki City, Gil, who had been summoned back in time by the cursed seal, angrily slammed his fist into a child hanging on the wall next to him.

Punch after punch, the 'bang bang' sounds echoed continuously in the space.

"Um, sir, what happened?"

Seeing Jill's angry expression, Ryunosuke Uryu, feeling a pang of heartache that his newly completed artwork had turned into a pile of minced meat, scratched his head and asked...

He could still vividly recall the excitement on Jill's face when he left with the children. How could he have turned into this state in just a few hours?

"Ryunosuke, my master, you can't possibly imagine how terrible I've been through!"

Upon hearing Ryunosuke Uryu ask what had happened, Gil clenched his fists and recounted the events that had transpired through gritted teeth.

"So close! I was so close to bringing Jeanne back! But that wretched Lancer and his Master have taken my Jeanne away again!"

"Unforgivable! They must pay the price!"

Gil clutched his head with both hands and screamed hysterically.

Suddenly, he seemed to remember something and abruptly stopped speaking.

"master?"

Seeing Gil suddenly tilting his head back and not moving, Ryunosuke Uryu called out to him softly.

"Master, I remember you really like children, don't you?"

Jill slowly turned her head, her trembling eyes fixed on him as she asked.

"That's correct, is there a problem?"

Jill knew from the very beginning that he enjoyed torturing and killing children, and Ryunosuke Uryu was somewhat confused as to why he would suddenly ask such a question again.

"Lancer's Master has a little girl with exceptionally high aptitude by his side. I think if you were Master, you would really like her, right?"

"Eh, really?!"

Jill's words instantly brightened Ryunosuke Uryuu's eyes, but when he thought that the target was next to Lancer, Ryunosuke Uryuu was in a dilemma.

Although he likes children very much, he's not so crazy as to go and steal them from Lancer himself.

Even Lord Gil couldn't defeat the one who had to be taken back through the cursed seal. Wasn't he just courting death?

"Of course. Please take this..."

With a 'gentle' smile on his face, Jill pulled out a rather ordinary-looking bracelet and a rather disgusting-looking, wriggling fruit from his clothes.

"This bracelet has a deceptive function. As long as you catch any child that Master wants to capture, they will obediently follow you."

"As for the fruit in my hand, it is actually the egg of the King of Monsters. If you swallow it, Master, you can use the power of the egg to summon monsters to help you. Of course, the more power you borrow, the shorter the time it will take for the egg to become familiar with the monsters..."

"Huh, so that means if I eat it, I can summon those magical beasts like Grandpa?"

Despite the consequences Gil mentioned, Ryunosuke Uryu was not afraid in the slightest.

On the contrary, after hearing Jill's description, he changed his previous impression of the egg and was looking at it with great interest, eager to swallow it and experience the feeling of summoning a magical beast again.

"That's right! So, Master, would you like some?"

Looking at the expression on Ryunosuke Uryuu's face, Gil already knew the answer, but he still held up the two items in his hands, asking Ryunosuke Uryuu for his reply.

"Of course we have to eat it!"

He answered Jill's question with a very affirmative answer. Then, with an excited expression, Ryunosuke Uryu put the bracelet on his wrist and couldn't wait to swallow the egg of the King of Monsters.

As it entered a warm and nutritious place, the previously dormant monster egg extended several tentacles from its surface and clung tightly to the stomach wall of Ryunosuke Uryu, beginning to absorb the host's nutrients and life force.

At the same time, a faint connection appeared in Ryunosuke Uryu's mind.

With a thought, an identical magical beast summoned by Gil appeared before him.

"Master, did you see that?! I've summoned a magical beast too!"

Ryunosuke Uryu curiously examined the magical beast standing quietly in front of him, then turned his head and called out to Gil with a joyful expression.

"As expected of my master..."

It had only just swallowed it when it successfully summoned a magical beast.

Seeing Ryunosuke Uryu's excited expression, Gil couldn't help but wipe away the tears of relief that welled up in his eyes.

He was so lucky to be summoned in this Holy Grail War, to meet a Master who matched his character, and to meet Jeanne d'Arc, whom he had been longing for!

"As expected, the Holy Grail had already chosen me as its master!"

"In that case, anyone who dares to block my way must be dealt with!"

.........................

"Kiritsugu!"

In an inconspicuous courtyard of a house in Fuyuki City, Irisviel, who had retreated from Einzbern Castle, finally met the two people she had been longing for.

However, when she saw Kiritsugu Emiya's severed right arm and the horrific sight of his clothes being soaked in blood, she quickly covered her mouth to stop herself from screaming.

"I'm sorry, Irisviel, I failed to protect him!"

Artoria carefully placed the heavily injured Kiritsugu Emiya on the corridor floor, then said with a guilty expression.

"This isn't the time to talk about this, Irisviel, hurry up and heal me! It hasn't been long since my arm was severed, it should be able to be reattached..."

Kiritsugu Emiya struggled to sit up from the floor and then instructed Irisviel to cast a healing spell on him.

The large holes in her legs healed quickly thanks to Irisviel's treatment.

Although his face was still pale due to the loss of blood, Kiritsugu Emiya could clearly feel that his legs could move again.

"continue....."

With his lower body fully healed, Kiritsugu Emiya immediately had Irisviel treat his severed arm and the strange symbols on his chest.

However, no matter how hard Irisviel tried, even using all her magic, her remaining injuries did not improve at all!

Chapter 220 Rin Tohsaka, who skips school

"Why is this happening? I clearly used healing magic!"

Seeing the wounds still visible on Kiritsugu Emiya's body, Irisviel cried out anxiously.

"It's probably because of that Heroic Spirit weapon..."

Compared to Irisviel's panic, Kiritsugu Emiya remained remarkably calm.

Recalling how Diarmuid had deliberately switched to a yellow dagger to sever his right arm and brand him, he was almost certain that the yellow dagger was imbued with a spell that would prevent the wound from healing.

"So what do we do now? Kiritsugu, you're in a completely unsuitable condition for fighting!"

Hearing Kiritsugu Emiya's explanation, Irisviel did not feel relieved; instead, she became even more nervous.

After all, Kiritsugu Emiya was the true participant in this Holy Grail War for the Einzbern family.

With his injuries so severe, his chances of winning if he continues fighting are extremely low!

"It's alright, I can still hold on... At least I've figured out the ability of that Servant weapon at the cost of an arm."

Compared to Irisviel's worries, Kiritsugu Emiya paid no attention to his injuries.

For him, as long as he could win the final victory and realize his heart's desire, he would be willing to give up his life.

"The Berserker's red lance possesses anti-magic properties, while its yellow dagger has the ability to prevent wounds from healing. Historically, the only Heroic Spirit wielding dual lances and possessing a similar legendary status is probably the great Irish hero 'Radiant Diarmuid.' But why is Diarmuid summoned as a Berserker?"

Thinking of this, Kiritsugu Emiya frowned.

According to Diarmuid's legends, he wouldn't be surprised if the opponent were Saber, Lancer, or even Rider, but this one was summoned by the Berserker class, known for its berserk and bestial nature...

"Is this yet another matter for which the cause is unclear?"

Thinking of the pleasure in Diarmuid's eyes when he tortured him, Kiritsugu Emiya suddenly had a bad feeling.

................

The second day of the Holy Grail War.

Based on the information provided by the system, Hachiman Hikigaya began to investigate the high-magic points in Fuyuki City, excluding the Tohsaka family.

Considering how tiring today's itinerary was, Hachiman Hikigaya didn't bring Sakura along, but instead let her stay at the inn to rest.

Of course, in order to protect Sakura's safety, Hachiman Hikigaya also left Karna behind.

As for Hachiman Hikigaya's own safety, he wasn't particularly concerned.

After all, according to Karna's assessment, his current strength has reached the level of a Heroic Spirit.

Unless he encounters other powerful Servants, Hachiman Hikigaya alone can handle a magician or a single Assassin clone.

Moreover, after Gil escaped using the cursed seal, Hachiman Hikigaya understood how to use the spell on his hand. If he encountered someone he couldn't defeat, he could simply use the cursed seal to summon Karna to save the day.

After a morning of investigation, Hachiman Hikigaya has successfully located a temple called Ryudoji and a mountain cave on the outskirts of Fuyuki City.

These two places are the two places with the highest magical power, apart from the Tohsaka family's mansion and the newly developed residential area in Fuyuki City.

Unfortunately, despite Hachiman Hikigaya's diligent search, he couldn't find even a single clue about Caster.

"Is the next stop that guesthouse area?"

As he walked back to the city from the mountains, Hachiman Hikigaya stood on the street waiting for the traffic light, pondering his next exploration goal.

To be honest, after failing to find Caster's whereabouts at Ryudouji Temple and the Great Hollow Cave, Hachiman Hikigaya had already given up hope on the remaining most magical guesthouse area.