It's normal for an evil god to raise an Abyss.

"That's a blessing in disguise. At least I don't have to hold my neck while sleeping like some ahahahaha guy."

Because of the memories of the time traveler, Xueyue is still a little afraid of the real Assassin.

"However, besides us, are there other outsiders? They don't look like good people..."

If the enemy is from another world, then Xueyue will not be able to prepare corresponding plans. Some of the original plans will have to be overturned, and some "spare energy" will need to be reserved to prevent new enemies that are still lurking in the dark.

"As expected... before the hidden alien enemy shows up, we need a [useful] ally."

In the previous actions against the Matou family, the other groups have basically received the [results] and should keep observing Xueyue's group without taking any action. The intentions of the other groups can be detected from the long-distance spying of the familiars during the day. In this case, actively seeking an alliance would be more effective.

Having made up her mind, Xueyue began to think about which existing team to form an alliance with.

The group of Kenneth and Lancer was ruled out first. From the perspective of a Servant, Brush Brother himself was not that strong. Moreover, as a Master, Kenneth's death was basically a certainty in multiple world lines. Waver's subsequent transformation into El-Melloi II was already an event recorded in the quantum recorder. Xueyue did not want to and had no interest in mixing up this matter and further increasing the chaos in this world.

Then there is the group of Waver and Rider. If we consider the long-term, we can build a good relationship with Waver and use him as a useful tool in the future. But Waver is still in his growth stage and has a long way to go before he can grow into El-Melloi II. Xueyue also does not have the energy to make a [Hero] in such a short time. Rider is strong enough, but his temperament is an unstable factor. Not to mention solving the problem, sometimes he is the problem itself, so he is also ruled out.

As for the pair of Tousaka Tokiomi and Archer... Archer is difficult to deal with, and Tousaka Tokiomi's personality is not compatible with him, so let him be backstabbed...

Chapter 19: Alliance

After a simple screening, only Emiya Kiritsugu, Irisviel and Saber are left.

This group is the most suitable for the needs. Although Kiritsugu Emiya is a bit crazy, Xueyue, who has read the script, knows how to deal with it. Irisviel and Saber are also easy to communicate with. After the situation becomes more chaotic, staying with Irisviel, the little Holy Grail, will also help prevent the situation from developing in a more uncontrollable direction. If you think about it in the long run, you can even consider cultivating the child who is closest to completion, the darling of nature. Whether from the perspective of interests, morality, or Xueyue's personal selfishness, choosing this group is the most reasonable.

Xueyue knelt down, spread out a piece of parchment, and wrote something on it with special magic paint. After writing for a while, she rolled up the parchment, rubbed out a black dove with her shadow, and sent the letter away.

Next, all you have to do is wait quietly for night to fall.

"Sister Xue, will there be any more fighting tonight?" Abigail sensed something keenly and came forward to ask.

"Well...but the battle tonight is very dangerous, I plan to go alone."

"Oh..." Abigail's excited look obviously dimmed a bit, but she just responded obediently.

How could Xueyue not feel such an obvious change in emotion? She could only comfort Abigail in another way:

"Abi-chan, look, someone needs to stay at home too. Look, Sakura also needs someone to protect her. You're the only one she can rely on."

Xueyue pinched Abigail's cheek.

"Okay, I understand. I will protect Sakura." Abigail nodded obediently and walked into the room humming a little tune.

"That boy Abby really wants to fight alongside you." Bubbles appeared out of nowhere with a plate of cookies in his hand.

"I know, but I'm still more worried..." Xueyue sighed and picked up a cookie and put it in her mouth.

"You also know that Abby is much stronger than you think, and she is not as weak as you think."

"...I admit that I was overprotective of Abi, especially now that there are new variables. I'm worried..." Xueyue chewed the cookie carefully, "especially with Sakura..."

Paopao bent down, gently placed his chin on Xueyue's head, gently played with Xueyue's temples, and said in a somewhat evil tone:

"There are too many ties. Xiaoxue, have you become a little indecisive? Or do you need to [import] some memories?"

"That's not necessary. Those memories are enough for viewing." Paopao exuded a light fragrance, different from the deliberate artificial perfume. The harmonious smell that seemed to be created naturally made Xueyue feel a lot more relaxed.

"But you still have to give that child more trust. That child really wants to fight alongside you. She has told me privately many times that you should give her some opportunities to grow." Bubble gently put her arms around Xueyue's neck.

"It turns out that Abby told you a lot in private. I thought she would be more reserved in front of you..."

"That was true at the beginning. However, image is indeed the easiest way to influence people's attitudes, isn't it? A cute image is indeed easy to 'bewitch' humans, isn't it?" Bubble laughed.

"Nayako's idea has been played by you evil gods." Xueyue gently pinched the tender flesh on the inside of Paopao's upper arm, "Let's talk about it later. I will take Abigail with me more often."

"Also, Bubble, help me another billion times, oh no, once..." Xueyue turned her head and whispered something to Bubble.

"Hmm, you have a lot of bad ideas~" Bubble showed a playful smile, "This is very interesting, okay, I promise you~"

-------------------------------------

About thirty kilometers west of the bustling area of ​​Fuyuki City is a dense forest that is rarely visited by humans.

According to the urban legend of the locals of Fuyuki, there is a "mythical city" in this forest.

Of course, it is just an urban legend after all. This place is not too far from the edge of Fuyuki City. Although it has not been developed yet, if there really is such a castle, it must have been known to the locals long ago. In fact, some people have conducted on-site investigations and have never found any traces of artificial buildings.

In fact, only a very small number of magicians know that this so-called castle actually exists.

This castle is shrouded in multiple layers of illusions and barriers. It is impossible for it to be revealed to the outside world unless by chance. People who know the existence of this castle call this dense forest the "Einzbern Forest".

The Einzbern Family is one of the three great mage families in Fuyuki City. They used their huge financial resources to purchase the entire forest and built a base in it, which is enough to show the Einzbern Family's obsession with the Holy Grail.

In a brightly lit room in the castle, a map of Fuyuki City was spread out on the table.

"...There are two areas that need special attention. One is the residence of the Tōsaka family. The other is well known to everyone. It is Mt. Enzo. The spiritual veins in the surrounding area converge on Mt. Enzo. The details are just as described by Patriarch Ahad before..."

Kiritsugu and Irisviel were discussing the next plan, and Saber was standing by, waiting.

“…” Alice sighed unconsciously.

"Are you tired, Eri?" Kiritsugu asked her with some concern in his tone.

"I'm fine, go on." Irisviel suppressed her tired look and replied with a smile.

Of course, it would be a lie to say that he was not tired. Irisviel at least rested in bed for a while, but Kiritsugu had not rested since arriving in Fuyuki City. After arriving in Fuyuki City at noon yesterday, Kiritsugu and Maiya had been dealing with various chores. After the melee last night, Kiritsugu attacked Lancer's Master Kenneth, and Maiya was also attacked by Qi Li.

In this situation, it was not just physical fatigue, but also mental exhaustion from entering a war state. But Kiritsugu did not show any sign of fatigue, and Irisviel had even less reason to complain about the hard work.

And now is obviously not the time to rest. Caster, who also made a big noise last night, took the initiative to send new news.

Chapter 20 The Prelude to the Melee

[Kayneth and Lancer will attack Einzbern Castle tonight. We hope you will be alert. In addition, we hope to conclude a temporary alliance with you.]

The message does not contain many words, and the meaning does not cause much ambiguity, but the information hidden behind this message is large enough.

How did Caster know about the actions of Kenneth and the Lancer group? How did Caster know the location of the Einzbern Castle? And why did he suddenly mention the covenant at this time? Did the Lancer group already make the Caster group think that it was the most difficult enemy? These situations are worth pondering.

"We cannot confirm the truth of what the Caster group said, but as intelligence, we should set up certain defenses and also be wary of the actions of the Caster group." Kiritsugu made a decision quickly.

Kenneth's actions are understandable enough. Although Kiritsugu took the initiative to kill him last night, it is normal for him to come here for revenge. And since Caster took the initiative to send this message, it means that she is unlikely to just stand by and watch. She will definitely come here to join in the fun. However, she needs to be vigilant whether she is really here to make a "letter of allegiance" or deliberately release the alliance request in order to relax Kiritsugu and others' vigilance and take the opportunity to stab them in the back.

This is the Holy Grail War. If you blindly believe what other groups say, you will be eaten to the bone.

In addition to the variables of the Caster team, there is another variable, Kotomine Kirei, the most dangerous man. The attack on Maiya has already shown that he has chosen Kiritsugu as his target. Kayneth's actions may allow him to take advantage of the situation. Lancer team, Caster team, Kotomine Kirei, even if the possibility of Archer team and Rider team interfering is completely excluded, if these variables are handled carelessly, it will be enough for them to withdraw directly from the competition for the Holy Grail.

-------------------------------------

Kenneth stepped into the forest and heard the faint sounds of fighting in the distance. Lancer and Saber must have already started fighting. So he could go directly to the opponent's center and have a magic duel with the opponent's master.

Logically speaking, it was not a wise move to directly step into the territory of another magic family, but Kayneth had an unshakable confidence. In fact, as one of the top geniuses in the Spiritual Summoning Department in the Clock Tower, he did have enough capital to be proud of. The barrier set up by the Einzbern family was easily seen through.

"If the Einzberns' magic is limited to this level, we can probably guess what their center's defense is like."

Kenneth commented contemptuously on the barrier that blocked him. As he expected, the so-called battlefield here was nothing more than a magic ritual performed by a group of rural people for their own amusement.

Because of this, Kenneth, whose home was destroyed in such a brutal way and most of the ceremonial clothes he brought with him, must regain his place tonight and show these barbaric country magicians what a noble and elegant magician is.

Even though he had lost most of his ceremonial equipment, Kenneth was still calm enough because he always carried his strongest ceremonial equipment with him. Even though it was more inclined towards computing functions, it was more than enough for a battle of this level.

Kenneth walked leisurely, passing the trees that blocked his view, and the castle, which had been there for some time, appeared before his eyes.

"Hmph, it's not bad. After all, you are a magician. A castle of this size is better than those high-rise buildings that are randomly piled up without any background."

Kayneth was already planning to use this castle as his new base after completely defeating the Einzbern.

Since the ownership of the castle had already been determined, Kenneth naturally wanted to minimize the damage to the building caused by the battle.

Kenneth calmly placed the bottle he was holding under his arm on the ground. The bottle, without the weight-reducing magic, caused the ground to sink.

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

As the spell was chanted, the contents of the bottle began to overflow from the mouth of the bottle in a sticky state. It was mercury, but it seemed to have life and it rolled into a sphere on its own.

This is the ceremonial item that El-Melloi, as the monarch, is most proud of—the Moon Spirit Marrow Fluid.

"Automatoportum defensio (autonomous defense); AutonlatoporIunl quaerere (automatic detection of enemies); Dilectus incursio (automatic attack)."

Kenneth gave the order calmly, and with a shout of "Scalp!", the door was easily split open, and Kenneth strode into the hall.

The crystal chandeliers in the hall emitted dazzling light and the air was very quiet. The hall seemed too empty and no one came out to greet us.

"Kenneth El-Melloi, the ninth generation heir of the Archibald family, is here to meet you!"

The majestic Kenneth announced loudly in the empty hall, but of course, no one responded to him.

At this moment, Kayneth had already regarded the Einzberns as cowards who were afraid to fight. With such thoughts in mind, Kayneth walked towards the center of the hall with an increasingly contemptuous mood.

When he walked to the center of the hall, the four vases placed at the four corners of the hall suddenly exploded, and countless steel balls shot out from them. This was obviously not a magic trick, but a human mine. If it were an ordinary person, he would probably be shot into a sieve before he could react.

The Moon Spirit Marrow Fluid reacted extremely quickly, and soon formed a semicircular barrier on Kenneth's side, bouncing back all the steel balls. This was the excellence of the Moon Spirit Marrow Fluid's automatic defense mode.

"Hmph, have you fallen to this level, Einzbern family?"

Kenneth's tone was filled with anger and sighs. As someone who was proud of being a famous mage, he naturally thought that the Einzbern family, also a family of magicians, was "despicable" and "degenerate" for using such means. It was simply a shame.

"In that case, what follows is not a [duel], but my [punitive expedition] against you."

With a stronger murderous intention, Kenneth continued to move deeper into the castle.

Chapter 21: Flying Flowers

On the other side, because of the plan, Irisviel and Maiya retreated from the castle and walked through the forest.

Irisviel had been feeling a strange sense of uneasiness since a while ago. Soon, she understood the source of this uneasiness.

The perception of the barrier in the forest allows Irisviel to have a kind of "clairvoyance" magic, which allows her to see the appearance of intruders.

But the new intruder surprised Irisviel.

The black monk's uniform, the intimidating tall figure, and the serious expression on his face were exactly the same as the information Kiritsugu had provided.

"The new invader is Kotomine Kirei."

Maiya was also stunned when she heard the news. As she had once fought Kotomine Kirei briefly, she had a deeper understanding of how terrifying Kotomine Kirei was.

“Ms. Maiya, although the order you received from Kiritsugu was to protect my safety, I think there are more important things right now.”

Facing Maiya’s somewhat tangled and puzzled expression, Irisviel continued,

"This man alone must not be allowed to go to Kiritsugu. We have the same opinion on this point."

Based on the information she had collected previously, and a kind of "woman's intuition", Irisviel also believed that this guy was the man who posed the greatest threat to Kiritsugu.

“We two will stop that man here, is that okay, Miss Maiya?”

Facing Irisviel’s proposal, Maiya hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement:

"No problem, but please be prepared, ma'am."

-------------------------------------

Relying on the information provided by the spiritual Assassin, Kotomine Kirei was able to get a general idea of ​​the battlefield in the forest.

When he learned that Kayneth was already heading towards Kiritsugu in the castle, Kirei became a little more anxious. If Kiritsugu was killed by Kayneth in advance, then his goal would not be achieved, so Kotomine Kirei sped up his pace.

The sudden sound of gunfire made Kotomine Kirei quickly assume a fighting stance and dodge the first two waves of gunfire neatly. Due to the illusion, the black keys that Kirei projected in all directions did not work.

With the third wave of gunfire, Kirei was simply knocked to the ground.

Seeing that the attack was effective, Maiya cautiously approached the "corpse" lying on the ground with the gun in hand.

However, this was exactly Kirei's trap. The black key projected at a concealed angle pierced Maiya's right calf, preventing her from escaping further. Then she suddenly bounced up, relying on the bulletproof design of the monastic uniform and the protective runes inside it. Kotomine Kirei withstood the bullets projected at Maiya's body and used a move from Bajiquan's Six Great Openings: Elbow Attack to cause Maiya to spit out blood and fall to the ground.

After receiving another kick to the chest, Maiya was already seriously injured. Seeing that Maiya was unable to get up again, Irisviel, who was supposed to be supporting the battle in the dark, appeared directly to confront Kotomine Kirei face to face.

However, the Einzbern family has always attached great importance to the study of alchemy and neglected the use of combat magic. This is also the reason why they were defeated in the previous Holy Grail Wars. Presumably, this time hiring Kiritsugu Emiya, the "magician killer", also means to learn lessons and make up for it.

At present, this guard was unable to fight, and the Master of Saber team had almost no fighting ability. As long as she was killed, it would mean the elimination of Saber team. It was for this reason that Kirei was a little surprised by this woman who showed up on her own initiative.

"Woman, you may be surprised, but I am not here to defeat you." Qi Li did not want to waste too much time on irrelevant people and negotiated with the idea that it would be a waste of effort.

"I know, Kotomine Kirei, I know your purpose. That's why I can't accept your suggestion. We won't let you go to Kiritsugu. We will stop you here!"

Although he was somewhat surprised by Irisviel's reaction, Kirei still understood the meaning. Fortunately, it would not take much time to defeat the android in front of him... Thinking of this, Kotomine Kirei immediately decided to attack again.