My family runs an adventurer's guild.

In the mind of the young and impetuous Weber Velvet, he had fantasized countless times about the scene of meeting Instructor Kenneth again.

It must have been a burning battlefield, where cunning magicians used all sorts of tricks, legendary heroic spirits fought and killed each other, the air was filled with the smell of blood and gunpowder, and the light of Noble Phantasms unleashing their ultimate moves illuminated the night sky with the color of destruction.

Only after the enemies have fought each other to exhaustion and are covered in wounds will he put on his most magnificent clothes, command his powerful and mighty heroic spirits, and proudly make his entrance with a triumphant smile. He will cleverly break through every trap, ruthlessly defeat every enemy, and finally stand arrogantly in front of the lecturer Kenneth who once despised him, and mockingly announce some victory speech to the defeated man, such as "Never underestimate a young man's potential."

However, Webber, who met his mentor Kenneth at the refugee camp, had just escaped the fire and trekked more than ten kilometers through the billowing black smoke. He was covered in soot and grime, looking like a destitute beggar, and even his shoes were worn out and falling apart.

Moreover, Waver wasn't accompanied by any "powerful and mighty Heroic Spirits" at this time; he only had an orange cat and a little fairy, who didn't look like they could fight at all...

So, after suddenly encountering Kenneth, Webber felt nothing but fear and despair, and his mind felt like it was about to explode!

Meanwhile, the cat Phil and the fairy Flor, these two silly creatures, clearly don't seem like the type to cheer Webber on.

On the other hand, as the victim whose relics were stolen by Waver, Kenneth El-Melloi Archibald had imagined countless times how he would dismember Waver, the despicable student who had caused him to lose face at the Clock Tower and almost become a laughing stock, during the Holy Grail War in Fuyuki City, to relieve his long-suppressed hatred.

Upon suddenly seeing Waver, Kenneth immediately flew into a rage. His first reaction was to summon Heroic Spirits and start fighting, until his red-haired fiancée, Sola, pulled on his sleeve.

"...Kenneth! Even if you want to kill him, please be mindful of the situation! The people from the Holy Church are watching!"

After his fiancée's reminder, Kenneth's mind, which had been clouded by anger, cooled down slightly. Turning his head, he immediately saw several church representatives and pastors dressed in black, who seemed to have also noticed the strange situation and were hurrying over from next to the soup kitchen.

So Kenneth had no choice but to reluctantly put away his magical costume, which was already poised to unleash its power, and watch as these clergymen from the Holy Church came over to question Waver's identity, examine the Command Seals on the back of his hand, make notes in their notebooks with a ballpoint pen, and then make their own judgment:

"...Well, it's clear now. Both of you are participants in this Holy Grail War. The Church does not intend to interfere in your duel. However, you must also abide by the rules. You cannot reveal the secrets of the magic path to irrelevant people, and you cannot start fighting here in front of so many people."

An agent of the church ruled, "...please wait patiently until nightfall, then find a secluded place to settle your differences!"

Weber, whose situation was precarious, was overjoyed and immediately agreed with a sigh of relief. Instructor Kenneth, though reluctant, was pressured by the Church and, out of reverence for the ironclad rule that "magic must remain hidden," he finally nodded reluctantly.

Thus, the magic duel was temporarily suspended, but the hatred, anger, and hostility between the two sides remained unresolved.

Author's message

P.S.: An extra chapter to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival! I expect to finish the Holy Grail War arc in about a week and move on to the Marvel arc.

After discussion, it was decided that since releasing extra chapters during the free period could cause confusion, Lao Lao Wang plans to release the remaining content of "Invincible City Management" after it was abruptly cut short in the extra chapters after the book reaches 10,000 views and is available for purchase.

Including the end of the Republican era volume, the return of Prince Ma, the joyous nuclear war in sub-Saharan Africa, and the final ending, it totals about 200,000 words.

I hope fellow readers can help promote this book, and it would be best if you could recommend it to some well-known authors' book lists, as the current number of book collections is really embarrassing!

Chapter 71, Cold War and Hot War (Part 2) Happy Dragon Boat Festival!

In fact, if Kenneth's attitude towards Webber was one of deep hatred before, it has now softened somewhat.

After being unexpectedly and forcibly evicted from the relatively comfortable city of Fuyuki, and forced to spend his days in a dusty, abandoned factory on the outskirts of Fuyuki with his increasingly pale-faced fiancée Sora, Kenneth, through a period of calm reflection, recalled certain details he had previously overlooked, and carefully analyzed the cause and effect of the whole incident. He gradually began to understand some of the strange things he had not noticed before.

After suppressing his previous arrogance and conceit, Kenneth, with his exceptional talent and intelligence, quickly saw through the fact that the higher-ups at the Clock Tower in London had no good intentions in sending him to the East to participate in the Holy Grail War; they had probably dug a pit for him to fall into. In the coming days, the Clock Tower might undoubtedly employ various dirty tricks to stab him in the back.

Perhaps some ambitious individuals and rebels within their own families have also gotten involved in this conspiracy that has only just begun to unfold.

Therefore, with many concerns, Kenneth dared not defy the demands of the Holy Church at this time. Even if he could easily crush these small fry in front of him, who knew whether the Clock Tower would support him afterward, or join forces with the Holy Church to stab him in the back?

Despite this, Waver's hatred for him, who stole his relic and caused him to lose face, has not subsided.

This good-for-nothing he labeled as delusional actually stole the sacred relic that should have belonged to him! And he even dared to dream of competing against him!

What utterly reckless and foolish behavior! What utterly overestimating their own abilities!

Unfortunately, this place had become a temporary refugee camp, not only crowded with people and eyes, but also with a group of members of the Holy Church watching nearby. Lecturer Kenneth had to temporarily suppress his murderous intent, only glaring at Weber with the darkest of eyes, and sarcastically saying in a voice full of resentment:

"...What a pity! Weber, I remember telling you when I was lecturing at the Clock Tower that a lowly mortal like you should enjoy the peaceful life that belongs to ordinary people, and shouldn't presume to compete with outstanding geniuses. That will only cost you your life!"

But you, oblivious to your own limited abilities, insisted on participating in this competition among the strong! You even committed theft in the process!

"So what's the result now? Hmph, the facts prove your incompetence! Trash is trash! Even if you stole my artifact, all you managed to summon was this cat! Did you intend to use this cat to put on a show for me? Hehehe!"

A cruel smile played on his lips as he stared with his blue eyes, a mixture of insult and pity, at the innocent and bewildered cat, Firi, perched on Waver's shoulder. According to the rules of the Fuyuki City Holy Grail War system, aside from Assassins who excel at concealing their presence, any other Heroic Spirit and Master would experience a strange, alarming reaction upon close contact.

However, Waver had hidden his real Rider fairy, Flor, in his pocket, with only the orange cat Firi perched on his shoulder, making it impossible to distinguish them at such a distance... Thus, Instructor Kenneth mistakenly identified the orange cat Firi as Waver's Heroic Spirit.

Weber was initially bewildered by Instructor Kenneth's nonsensical sarcasm, but that didn't stop him from sensing the deep malice in the other's words. So, without thinking, he retorted, "...So what? Instructor Archibald, before you laugh at me, why don't you take a look at what you've summoned this time? After coming to this degenerate island nation far from your homeland, you finally don't have to hide your disgusting sexual fetishes anymore?"

Weber deliberately forced a sly smile, speaking in an exaggerated tone while pointing at Lancer, the mouse-eared loli Sleepyhead, who had just gotten up while rubbing her eyes, "...I heard you brought your fiancée along to the battle, and then you're going to play like this in front of her? That doesn't seem very appropriate, does it? Heh! Or maybe the three of you are actually playing that kind of shameful game together?..."

"...Enough! You're such a disrespectful brat, Weber!"

Get ready for my tutoring session with you tonight! Hehe! Logically, I should be charging you extra!

I will impart to you, without reservation, the true meaning of magicians killing each other, and the terror and pain of death.

You must feel very honored. Even in death, you should die with honor!

With a burst of anger, Kenneth, whose rage had been reignited, unleashed his murderous intent mercilessly at Webber.

However, Webber, feigning composure, puffed out his chest and glared back defiantly—after all, with so many people watching, he and Kenneth were only locked in a "cold war" of mutual glares and verbal sparring; they couldn't actually fight for the time being. So what was there to be afraid of?

Meanwhile, the "fierce battle" between arsonist Tokiomi Tohsaka and magician assassin Kiritsugu Emiya was in full swing.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Located in a vast forest 30 kilometers west of Fuyuki city, Einzbern Castle (its annex in Japan) is a castle built in Japan.

The towering flames of the forest fire once completely engulfed the castle; the air, scorched for a long time, was filled with a suffocating heat and acrid smell.

Although by this point, with the surrounding forests burned to ashes and the flames, having lost their fuel, had mostly died out, leaving only wisps of smoke, the once colorful, magnificent, and ornate European-style castle, which seemed to have stepped out of a fairy tale, had been reduced to a charred and menacing ruin.

However, Saber Master Kiritsugu Emiya, who was guarding the castle, was actually still safe and sound. As a seasoned "magician killer" who had once fought against the carpet bombing of the US Air Force in Southeast Asia, a mere forest fire could not take his life.

—If the Viet Cong guerrillas, who thirty years ago mocked themselves for being "short-legged (lacking helicopters), blind (lacking radar), and weak-fisted (insufficient firepower)," were able to successfully withstand the relentless bombing of US Air Force B-52 strategic bombers with napalm bombs using rudimentary fortifications and outdated equipment, then there's no reason why Emiya Kiritsugu, with his abundant funds, superior equipment, and overwhelming force, should be so easily defeated by an untreated forest fire.

Therefore, faced with the raging fire that surrounded the entire castle, Kiritsugu Emiya immediately ordered the abandonment of the surface buildings. He then moved with his unconscious wife, Mrs. Irisviel, his female assistant, Maiya Hisau, the Saber-class golden dragon princess, Catherine, and the Einzbern family's homunculus maid squad to the castle's sturdy basement. There, they donned fireproof gear and continued their desperate resistance, waging a protracted war.

Although the raging fire consumed all the oxygen near the castle and heated the fountain in the Einzbern Castle courtyard to near boiling point, Kiritsugu Emiya and his men, sheltered in the basement far from the flames and protected by firefighters in full-body heat suits and closed helmets equipped with oxygen cylinders, have survived unscathed—except for Mrs. Irisviel, whose tragic fate was sealed from the very beginning…

Mrs. Irisviel's body was already in a state of extreme disrepair due to taking in the souls of three defeated heroes. Now, after being tormented by thick smoke, raging fire, and scorching heat, she had completely turned into a corpse by the time the fire was extinguished.

However, as a husband, Kiritsugu Emiya had no time to grieve and had to devote all his energy to preparing for battle.

"...The smoke outside is gradually dissipating, and the temperature is dropping. The main structure of the castle is still relatively intact..."

After using her familiar to conduct reconnaissance, the female assistant, Hisayu Maiya, said to Emiya Kiritsugu, "...Would you like to see the recording?"

“…Okay, Maimi, please show it to me now.”

Emiya Kiritsugu, fully alert, lowered his pistol. His voice sounded muffled due to the oxygen mask he was wearing.

Upon hearing this, Hisayu Maiya nodded, reached for the remote control of a television in the corner, and pressed the switch.

—In the magic taught by Kiritsugu Emiya, Maiya Hisau displayed exceptional talent in manipulating low-level familiars. Because of this, in actual battles, Kiritsugu Emiya often entrusted Maiya Hisau and her familiars with tasks of reconnaissance and investigation.

More importantly, Hisayu Maiya's most proficient type of familiar is the bat, which is very suitable for magicians who are accustomed to nocturnal activities.

The problem is that it's not only daytime now, but a huge fire is burning outside Eindzbern Castle.

In this situation, having Hisayu Maiya use the Bat Scout would be a joke and asking for trouble.

So, the familiar she just sent out was a rat, and a tiny spy camera was installed on its back—this was Kiritsugu's idea. Since magicians usually deceive others with illusions, barriers, camouflage, or hints, almost no one would think of guarding against electronic devices.

The image appearing on the 13-inch screen shows the current state of Eindzbern Castle, both inside and out—even the most terrifying fire needs fuel to continue burning. Once the forests surrounding Eindzbern Castle were completely burned, the fire naturally extinguished.

Looking around, all that remains of the once lush castle are smoldering embers, charred stones, and blackened soil.

However, the enemy who launched the fire attack was still nowhere to be seen, leaving Kiritsugu Emiya, who was preparing to counterattack, feeling helpless.

"...So the fire outside...should have been extinguished for a while now, right? Why haven't the enemies broken in yet?"

Kiritsugu Emiya squinted at the chaotic, shaky footage on the screen—it was filmed by a rat—and muttered to himself, “…Everything flammable nearby has been burned. Most of the castle’s defensive magic array has also been destroyed. So what is the enemy waiting for?”

—In fact, Kiritsugu Emiya had originally set up many magical gadgets for surveillance inside and outside Einzbern Castle. Some of these were trigger-activated, which would sound an alarm if stepped on by an enemy, while others were spying devices that could be used like binoculars to see enemy activity in the distance at any time.

Unfortunately, the fire and thick smoke that just swept through the area destroyed most of the props that Kiritsugu Emiya had set up in advance.

Therefore, at present, Kiritsugu Emiya can only make assessments, speculations, and judgments based on some blurry images taken by his familiar rat.

"...Should I go out and try to scout ahead? We'll have to fight eventually anyway, so why keep hiding and playing dead?"

Princess Catherine, who serves as the Saber class in this Holy Grail War, is wearing a pink dress with puff sleeves and ruffles. She sits listlessly on a paulownia rocking chair in the cellar, yawning as she speaks, seemingly unaffected by the raging fire, high temperature, lack of oxygen, and thick smoke.

—As a golden dragon with noble blood, powerful magic, and tenacious vitality, Princess Catherine, although not as heat-resistant as the red dragon who likes to bathe in lava lakes, was only about as comfortable as a gentle breeze to her from the temperature of a mere ordinary forest fire. It was far from harmful, and only made her feel a little stuffy in the cellar.

"...We cannot be so careless, Saber! We still don't know the identity and class of the invading enemy, or even their numbers! We also don't know where they are! So unless absolutely necessary, we must not easily give up our advantageous position of occupying the castle for a defensive battle..."

Kiritsugu Emiya explained with a serious expression, then suddenly his face changed as he felt a strong tremor in his entire body's magic circuits.

That was the remaining barrier that monitored and protected the entire Einzbern Castle, warning him, its temporary master!

"...Wait, alarm! The enemy seems to have broken in from the sky...Wait, what's falling from the sky isn't the enemy!!"

The next moment, accompanied by a long, sharp whistle that tore through the air, a huge explosion resounded above Kiritsugu Emiya and the others.

"...Whoosh—BOOM!!!!"

Then, countless dust and pebbles, mixed with cockroaches and rats, suddenly fell from the ceiling of the castle's cellar like a torrential rain, leaving Kiritsugu Emiya and the others covered in dust and dirt, looking like mummies just dug out of their graves...

"...Damn it! Cough cough! It seems the enemy is determined to force us out to fight! Cough cough! Oh! Here we go again..."

"...Whoosh—BOOM!!!!"

※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※

On the hilltop outside Eindzbern Castle, Tokiomi Tohsaka, as always, leaned on his cane, calmly watching the Eindzbern Castle (Japan branch), now charred black from the billowing smoke, as it was once again engulfed by the terrifying, shocking blast wave.

One after another, dazzling silver dragon breaths shot out from the mouth of Archer's little female dragon Lulutia, who was crouching next to Tokiomi Tohsaka. They then streaked through the air in silvery trajectories, eventually landing far away on Einzbern Castle, where they rose up in billowing smoke and bright flames.

Before long, a thick layer of smoke slowly enveloped the entire Eindzbern Castle.

"...Keep firing at the same rate, Archer, until you blast the enemy out or destroy this castle!"

Squinting at the Einzbern Castle, which remained seemingly unaffected by Archer's relentless bombardment, Tokiomi Tohsaka roared fiercely, "...Unleash your dragon breath and raze this castle to the ground! Archer, my mana should be sufficient!"

—Previously, watching Einzbern Castle being surrounded and engulfed by flames without any reaction from beginning to end, Tokiomi Tohsaka was slightly elated, thinking that the enemies in the castle might have been burned alive by the raging fire or suffocated by the thick smoke.

However, when Tokiomi Tohsaka finally relaxed his guard and took a break to contact his apprentice Kirei Kotomine, he was shocked to learn that, according to the information displayed on the new spirit artifact plate that Kirei Kotomine had just received and which was urgently sent by the Church, Saber in the castle was still safe and sound, and Saber's Master should also be alright.

It is conceivable that the Einzbern family's current state of dormancy and feigned death was merely a pretense to lure him into the castle.

If he becomes too complacent and, seeing that the enemy has no reaction, rashly enters Einzbern Castle with the mindset of looting and plundering, then who knows what kind of traps await him in that castle!

After all, this is the home ground of the prestigious German magic family, the Einzbern family!

However, now that he has noticed something amiss, why should Tokiomi Tohsaka dance to the rhythm predetermined by the enemy?

—Do not enter the battlefield chosen for you by the enemy; instead, force the enemy into the battlefield chosen for them.

This is one of the principles of military strategy that can be applied to both magical combat and conventional warfare.

Therefore, Tokiomi Tohsaka would never rashly charge into the Einzbern Castle and step into the many traps set by the enemy. He would only use increasingly fierce moves outside the castle to force the Einzbern family's enemies out and fight and annihilate them in the open!

Therefore, Tokiomi Tohsaka automatically ignored Kirei Kotomine's complaints about his rash arson in the forest, which had burned down almost the entire town of Fukayama. Instead, he ordered his Archer dragon, Lulutia, to continuously spew dragon breath, unleashing a powerful long-range bombardment of the Einzbern Castle. Having almost reached the "Root" after the Holy Grail War, Tokiomi Tohsaka, blinded by greed, simply didn't have time for such trivial matters; Kirei Kotomine would clean up the mess for him anyway. The most crucial thing now was to quickly destroy the Einzbern family!

Thus, the fierce battle for Einzbern Castle appears likely to continue for a long time before a final victory is decided.

A death race, a contest of patience, resilience, and perseverance, has only just begun...

Chapter 72, Tokiomi Tohsaka Still Dies of Betrayal

Accompanied by one after another silver fireball piercing the sky, accompanied by terrifying sound and light effects, the Einzbern Castle, which had already been scorched black by the fire on the outskirts of Fuyuki, soon began to tremble slightly amidst the continuous explosions.

Several overly tall and slender spires on the edge of the castle, whose structures were not sturdy enough, slowly collapsed amidst the fire and tremors.

However, although Archer's dragon breath attack seemed powerful and unstoppable, and indeed left Einzbern Castle devastated and on the verge of collapse, it was far from enough to completely eliminate the stubborn defenders within Einzbern Castle.

Indeed, Eindzbern Castle, which continues the architectural style of medieval Europe, is not the reinforced concrete Maginot Line. The seemingly magnificent high walls and towers around the castle are actually not capable of withstanding artillery shells at all, but rather are excellent and conspicuous targets.

However, Tokiomi Tohsaka, who was bombarding Einzbern Castle at this time, was not a German stormtrooper in World War I. Even after the outer walls and towers of the castle were destroyed, he did not have the courage to rush into the ruins and engage in close combat with the enemy. He was only hoping that the dragon breath of Archer Lulutia could kill the opponent directly from a distance... But the question is, is that possible?

It should be noted that during the Battle of Verdun in 1916, the German army amassed thousands of artillery pieces and unleashed more than two million shells and incendiary bombs on the French positions at an unprecedented intensity of more than 100,000 rounds per hour, but ultimately failed to completely eliminate the French soldiers hiding in the trenches.

While the dragon breath attack of the little female dragon Lulutia is spectacular, its power is only equivalent to that of a 155mm "Long Tom" heavy cannon.

Moreover, with Tokiomi Tohsaka's magical power, how many dragon breath attacks could he withstand? Thirty? Fifty? Or a hundred?

In fact, when the little dragon Lulutia had only fired eleven dragon breaths at Einzbern Castle without even completely collapsing one of the outer walls, Tokiomi Tohsaka felt that he had consumed too much magic power and had to call a halt in order to leave himself some room for maneuver.

—Although he is the head of a family of magicians, Tokiomi Tohsaka's personal qualities as a magician are actually quite average. The number of magic circuits he has is far less than that of his two daughters, Sakura and Rin, so he cannot support a high level of magic power consumption.

"...That's strange! When we bombarded the Hyatt Hotel before, it collapsed after just one dragon breath attack. Why is this castle so sturdy?"