Those time travelers that year

……

...

.

At the same time, outside this upscale hotel, in an alley not far from the hotel, Matou Kariya, wearing a hooded jacket, leaned against the wall of the alley, watching the panicked crowd rushing out of the hotel because of the fire alarm. Then, he asked Ciel, who was standing behind him, "Why did you bring me here?"

“Tokiomi Tohsaka’s Servant is Gilgamesh, the King of Heroes, who is no easy opponent. Even your Berserker’s chances of winning against him are definitely less than 20%.” Ciel, also looking at the chaotic scene before him, replied, “And just a few hours ago, Lancer revealed his Noble Phantasms: one is destructive magic, and the other is a curse that inflicts unhealable wounds on an enemy… I think one of the Berserker’s Noble Phantasms is the ability to steal other Servants’ Noble Phantasms! If you can steal Lancer’s Noble Phantasm, then your Berserker’s chances of winning against Gilgamesh will be much higher.”

"Of course, this is mainly to hold Archer back so that we can carry out the decapitation strike against Tokiomi Tohsaka. My Servant is Caster, who is not good at direct combat but is better at support..." Ciel said, "As long as Archer is held back, my Caster can easily dispel the magical barrier in Tokiomi Tohsaka's villa. At that time, as long as Caster can hold back another Heroic Spirit who is also not good at direct combat..."

"Then we will have the opportunity to carry out a decapitation plan against Tokiomi Tohsaka directly."

"Are you so sure your plan will succeed?" Matou Kariya asked rhetorically.

“Whether it’s Tokiomi Tohsaka or Lancer’s Master, they are both orthodox mages, and they share a common trait: they are arrogant and conceited.” Ciel shook a finger. “Similarly, when facing a challenge not from a Servant, but from another mage, he would never refuse. Nor would he use a Command Spell to call Archer back to save his life before he is in mortal danger.”

"The power you gained after enduring a year of suffering, don't you want to take revenge on the man who always looked down on you and took everything from you?"

"Shut up! I don't need your words!" Matou Kariya roared, interrupting Ciel. "Tohsaka Tokiomi... I will definitely kill that bastard with my own hands... cough cough cough... definitely..."

“Okay, okay!” Ciel raised his hands. “I know, I know, so isn’t this helping you? Ah… I think Saber’s Master should be taking action soon, but that doesn’t stop him from spending hours painstakingly planting bombs and setting off fire alarms to disperse the ordinary people.”

"Oh, right, here you go!" Ciel took something out of his trench coat pocket and tossed it to Matou Kariya.

"What is this?" Matou Kariya took it casually and found it to be a crudely made glass bottle filled with a deep blue liquid.

"One of my personal collections contains liquefied magic. Well, you could say it's a potion specifically for replenishing magic."

"What?" Kariya Matou stared at the bottle in his hand in surprise. Although he didn't particularly like magicians, he knew that generally, magicians replenished their mana either by waiting for it to slowly recover or by absorbing it from ley lines. "You mean, this can replenish mana consumption?"

"Of course, after all, your Berserker will be the main force later, facing a Lancer at his peak. Only by going all out can the Berserker have a chance to defeat the Lancer, but if he kills his own Master because of this, wouldn't that be a joke?"

62. The Fallen Director Ken (middle)

Boom!

A series of explosions rang out, and the entire hotel was subjected to continuous, violent explosions from the underground parking lot upwards. The attackers behind the scenes had frantically planted high-explosive bombs throughout the hotel, using the most sophisticated methods to demolish the entire building.

The objective was simple: to kill the magician residing in the top-floor room of this hotel. Falling from a height of hundreds of meters, even the strongest barrier could not withstand the impact.

Amidst the explosions and the cries of those frantically evacuating the hotel, the building collapsed from below like a domino effect. In the chaos, Ciel and Kariya Matou went against the flow of people towards the crumbling structure.

"Did you do this?" Matou Kariya asked Ciel as they walked.

“No, it wasn’t me. If it were me, it wouldn’t be that spectacular,” Ciel explained. “It was Saber’s Master who did this. He spent hours covering the entire hotel with bombs, and the high-achieving student, who was used to magic, was just swarmed with technology.”

"he!?"

"Yeah! Who told you that the silver-haired lady in the port battle not long ago was Saber's Master?"

"This is insane!" Matou Kariya cursed under his breath. "Madman..." He thought he had seen madmen before, like the old geezer in his own family and Tokiomi Tohsaka who pushed his daughter into the fire. But he never imagined that there were even more insane and irrational madmen in this world.

"That's not crazy enough! If it were nine years ago, he wouldn't have moved the ordinary people out in advance; he would have just mercilessly sent everyone to their deaths."

"Damn it!"

“However, it was precisely because Saber’s Master was too soft-hearted and underestimated the Servants that the methods he used to relocate ordinary people served as a warning to Lancer and his Master. After all, they are top students from the Clock Tower, and with precautions in place, even though the magic workshop they painstakingly created was blown to pieces, it was enough to protect them and allow them to escape.” Ciel glanced at Matou Kariya. “This is also our opportunity. At this moment, Lancer’s team, having just escaped, is at its weakest, unless Lancer’s Master uses a Command Spell to restore Lancer to full strength immediately.”

"However, Lancer's Master has already used a Command Seal in the previous battle. So, he will definitely be hesitant next. At this time, you just need to have Berserker attack Lancer directly."

"Given Lancer's personality, he will definitely fight to the death to cover his Master's escape. You will be responsible for engaging Lancer, and I will be responsible for dealing with Lancer's Master."

“Once Lancer’s Master dies, without the support of magical energy, and already weakened, Lancer will absolutely be no match for the berserker. Moreover, given the Berserker’s martial arts skills and battle intuition, he won’t be easily subdued by Lancer’s Noble Phantasm.” Ciel, seeing Matou Kariya’s grim expression, chuckled and said, “Hmph, what’s wrong? Isn’t this the norm of the magical world you’re most familiar with and most despise? Or have you already made the resolute decision to go to hell, only to be held back by personal emotions?”

"Tch, I'll do what I'm supposed to do..." Matou Kariya said through gritted teeth, "but you haven't forgotten what we agreed on."

“Of course, as long as you take down Lancer and let your Servant seize Lancer’s Noble Phantasm,” Ciel said as he ran. “At the right time, I will let you take revenge yourself… Of course, you will have to wait and have enough patience.”

"Because you only have one chance. If you can't take down Tokiomi Tohsaka in one blow, he'll be a formidable opponent that you can't handle alone once he's on guard."

…………

.........

……

...

.

“Madman, bastard!” In the ruins beneath the collapsed building, a layer of silvery-white fluid receded, revealing Kenneth’s twisted and crazed face. Yet, deep fear lingered in his swollen eyes. “Disgraceless trash… how dare you…”

"Cough cough... Master, the situation is critical. We should evacuate as soon as possible." Lancer, who looked disheveled, held the Crimson Rose Spear of Exorcism in one hand and Sora in the other, and advised Kenneth, "Please take Miss Sora and leave first, Master. The attackers won't just leave like this."

"Ugh, you bastard, I know! You don't need to say anything more!" Seeing Lancer holding Sora, Kenneth felt like something had snapped, and he roared at Lancer, "If it weren't for your stupidity, things wouldn't have turned out like this, you piece of trash!"

"I am so sorry, Master!" Faced with Kenneth's anger, Lancer lowered his head. "This is my dereliction of duty as a knight, but please, Master and Miss Sora, evacuate first."

“Ahem, yes, Kenneth, Lancer is right, we need to leave here first.” Sora spoke up at this moment, but it was obvious that seeing his fiancée siding with Lancer like this, Kenneth’s face became more and more distorted, and his gaze towards Lancer became more and more unfriendly.

However, this was not the time for him to act rashly. As one of the most outstanding geniuses, he was not a fool who acted without thinking. With such a major event occurring, even if the attackers did not catch up, the other Masters and Servants would definitely come here to find out what was going on. If he were to get trapped here, Lancer, who was currently in a sorry state trying to protect him and Sora, might not be a match for the other Heroic Spirits.

unless……

Kenneth glanced at the Command Seal on his left hand, then looked away. As his last resort, Kenneth didn't want to waste his remaining two chances so soon.

“Okay, let’s find a safe place first…” Just as Kenneth was about to leave, Lancer’s voice rang out.

"Master is in danger, they are the enemy!"

"Roar!!" A frenzied roar resounded. A terrifying killing intent and violent magic emanated from behind Kenneth. Fear gripped the self-proclaimed genius magician in an instant, leaving him cold and powerless, unable even to move a finger.

"Master!" In the moment of crisis, Lancer reached out and grabbed Kenneth, throwing him and Sora together. Then, the blood-red magic spear met the onrushing black tide.

"Berserker!"

Kenneth finally regained his senses when he was thrown into the air, and used his Mystic Code, Moon Essence Liquid, to protect himself and Sora. Then, Lancer's roar was heard.

Boom! In his desperate attempt to parry, Lancer was mercilessly blasted away by the berserker's club. But enduring his exhaustion and pain, Lancer rose again, charging at the Berserker with both pistols, shouting at the same time:

"Hurry, Master!"

Gritting his teeth, fueled by fear and burning resentment, Kenneth had no choice but to leave with Sora. The war between Heroic Spirits was beyond the reach of a magician like him. While he was undoubtedly a genius, the terrifying battle between these spirits meant that any one of them possessed the power to obliterate him in an instant. Even the aftershocks were beyond his capacity to withstand. He wasn't the overpowered protagonist he was a decade later, capable of directly confronting Heroic Spirits.

……

However, Kenneth and his fiancée, who were in a hurry to leave, were spotted by someone watching from the shadows.

In the darkness outside the suddenly erupted battlefield, Charles, wearing a trench coat, watched Kenneth and Sora flee in disarray, a cold smile appearing on his lips.

"I'm sorry, Director Ken, you're doomed again. But a naive person who imagines life-or-death battles as a childish war game is doomed to die sooner or later, isn't he?" A ball of fel energy ignited in Charles's palm, spreading outwards with an aura of destruction and devastation. "Moon Spirit Essence Liquid, and its preparation method, are among the few spoils of war! As long as you don't encounter anything that can dispel magic, it's quite useful, isn't it?"

"Then, I'll have to accept it, though!"

"Sorry, Kenneth El-Melloi Archibald. Your imagined war game is about to... Game over!"

I'm updating three chapters today, and there will be one more tonight. I need to speed things up and finish Fate.

63. The Fall of Director Ken (Part 2)

Previously, Kenneth El-Melloi Archibald had always considered himself a genius, a born success story. He possessed excellent magician lineage and a talent that earned him the title of "prodigy." At a young age, he was already a first-class lecturer at the Clock Tower, with a promising future and few who could rival him.

Before arriving in Fuyuki, a small city in the Far East, he believed that the final glory of this magician's game called the Holy Grail War should belong to him. Yes, he came to participate in this Holy Grail War not for the rumored omnipotent wish-granting machine, nor for the so-called Third Law, whose existence was uncertain. He came simply for glory, to add a glorious victory to his personal resume.

But sometimes, war, or rather, a deadly struggle, is not as simple as he understands it. Kenneth, with the arrogance typical of magicians, always considered himself superior, but those who truly understand war are not magicians like him, but those ordinary people who are insignificant in his eyes.

Of course, Kenneth, now fleeing in humiliation and fear, wasn't thinking about all that. He did know that using the power of a Command Spell could restore Lancer to full strength, but looking at Sora, exhausted from providing magic power to Lancer, and something else…

At this moment, Kenneth El-Melloi Archibald hesitated. So, while Lancer was desperately intercepting Berserker, and despite having a chance to counterattack, he hesitated for a split second before choosing to leave with Sora and let Lancer cover their retreat.

This wasn't exactly a wrong decision, but in Charles's opinion, it was the best decision imaginable. So, after running with his fiancée for a while, Kenneth suddenly stopped.

"Huff, huff... What's wrong, Kenneth?" Lancer, already exhausted from his efforts to intercept Berserker's attacks, was rapidly depleting his mana. Even the most skilled mage was showing signs of fatigue under the constant draining of mana by a Heroic Spirit. From the moment they began their escape, Sora, the red-haired female mage, had been panting heavily; the extreme mana drain was even causing her physical condition to deteriorate.

"What happened? Why did you stop?"

“Something…something’s wrong. Why, why haven’t we seen a single person after walking for so long?” Kenneth’s face twitched. He sensed something was wrong and looked around. The entire street was silent, without a trace of anyone. This was unusual. As a modern city, it shouldn’t be this quiet at night. No, this wasn’t quiet anymore; it was a deathly silence filled with an eerie atmosphere. “Damn it…”

"This, this is a barrier! But, how is this possible?" At this moment, Sora, who was also a magician, reacted. "Impossible, when was this barrier set up? How could such a large-scale barrier be set up without anyone noticing?"

“No, it’s possible!” Kenneth’s face darkened. He felt fear creeping closer, along with a suffocating sensation as if something was stuck in his throat. “One reason is that he is a Servant, a Caster of the rank of Caster…”

"What?" Fear flashed across Sora's face. If they were truly facing a Servant, even a weak Caster wouldn't be someone the two mages could handle. Having witnessed battles between Heroic Spirits, they weren't arrogant enough to think they could face a Servant's attack alone. "How is this possible? Did Berserker and Caster team up? But..."

“No, it might not be Caster.” Kenneth looked around warily, his Mystic Code, Moon Essence Liquid, transforming into a sphere that enveloped him and Sora. “It could also be a collaboration between Berserker and Saber’s Master. After all, if Lancer is eliminated, only Saber and Berserker can benefit. The former can remove the curse on Lancer’s Noble Phantasm, while the latter… is probably after that ability to steal Noble Phantasms, after Lancer’s Noble Phantasm.”

"But didn't they fight before? How could that be?"

"Why wouldn't a madman who blows up an entire building with a bomb, a guy who disregards the honor of magicians, do such a thing?" Kenneth roared, somewhat losing his composure.

"To be precise, if it really were Kiritsugu Emiya, he probably would have gone even further." At this moment, a voice rang out, startling Kenneth and Sora so much that they almost jumped.

"Who is it? Show yourself!" Kenneth shouted. "Stop sneaking around. If you still have any dignity as a magician, then use these underhanded tricks."

"Just a heads up, the one who blew up the building was Emiya Kiritsugu, Saber's true Master." The sound of footsteps echoed through the silent street. With each step, the streetlights and other light sources around them gradually went out. The footsteps came from right in front of Kenneth and Sora. "And I'm just here to pick up some scraps."

"Who are you? Berserker's Master?" Kenneth asked, looking at the boy in the black trench coat who appeared before him.

“Let me introduce myself! My name is Charles Gretel.” Charles bowed deeply to Kenneth, his hand on his chest. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Kenneth El-Melloi Archibald… and… farewell for tonight!”

"You want to kill me?" Kenneth's face twisted in pain. "Have you forgotten? I can summon Lancer anytime."

“Of course, if you’re willing to be a coward!” Ciel raised his head slightly and looked at Kenneth. “The Clock Tower’s ‘prodigy,’ huh? To put it bluntly, you’re just a hothouse flower. If you’re afraid of an enemy who isn’t even a Servant… please, I won’t laugh at you. I think when you return to the Clock Tower, no one will laugh at the famous Kenneth El-Melloi Archibald for such a trivial matter.”

"...Do you think this kind of reverse psychology will work?"

“No, Kenneth!” Sora suddenly grabbed Kenneth’s arm. “Use a Command Spell to summon Lancer and have him come and protect us…”

"No way!" Kenneth shook off Sora's hand upon hearing his fiancée's words. "...No need to call Lancer over. This is a war between magicians. I'm going to personally kill this provocative bastard!"

Kenneth looked at Charles.

"No matter who you are or where you come from, you are now facing the wrath of Kenneth El-Melloi."

"Fervor, mei sanguis" (Boil, my blood!)

"Automatoportum defensio (automatic defense): AutonlatoporIunl quaerere (automatic target acquisition): Dilectusincursio (automatic attack)"

"Scalp!" (Slash)

The mercury barrier protecting Kenneth collapsed and transformed into a sharp mercury spike, attacking Ciel. Facing the incoming mercury spear, Ciel summoned an invisible wall in front of him, blocking the incoming attack.

"Scalp!" (Slash)