Nobody knows how to be a villain better than me.

The vagueness of the statement.

Once the head of the Thousand World Tree family had calmed down a bit, this battlefield genius who had repeatedly defeated the British army glanced around at the rising fog, then looked at the Masters behind him who were exhausted after a night of exertion, and turned to look at Danic, issuing a stern warning.

"This fog feels very strange to me, and in the explosion just now, nearly half of the Thousand World Tree Castle's defense system has collapsed. We haven't gained an absolute advantage from the front, and now the battle lines are disconnected. If we continue to pursue, we will easily be defeated one by one!"

"That doesn't necessarily mean we'll lose!"

Danic frowned and snorted coldly, stubbornly sticking to his decision.

"I trust Her Highness's judgment."

However, before Danic could further refute the outsider's self-inflicted trouble, Vlad III stepped forward, stood behind Joan of Arc, and spoke in support, mercilessly stabbing his own master in the back.

"We also feel that now is not a good time to pursue them."

Moreover, after being reminded, Astolfo and Siegfried, who had a vague sense of foreboding, as well as Chiron, who knew the nature of a certain person well, also nodded in agreement.

The defection of the upper echelons infuriated the frustrated Danic, but he had to suppress his anger and bow slightly to Vlad III to straighten his posture.

"Your Majesty, I hope this is a wise decision."

There's no way around it; the common trait of conspirators is to hide behind the scenes and downplay their own existence.

From the very beginning of the Holy Grail War, he placed himself in a very low position and elevated Vlad III's status too high, serving the former king of Romania with the etiquette of a subject.

Since the monarch has made a decision, as a subject, one can only offer advice, not objections.

At least, that's how it appears on the surface.

Danic's lowered head flashed with a hint of coldness, and his purple eyes blazed with rage.

At this moment, Samael, who had stopped and was leaning against a tree trunk in the dense forest, looked back at the long-silent, misty entrance and shook his head slightly.

"Tsk, they didn't catch up? Oh well, let's go."

"Ok!"

As the surrounding mist rippled, a little white-haired girl wearing a black cloak quietly appeared behind Samael, nodding happily and skipping along behind the ancient serpent towards the pillar of light hanging not far away.

As he moved, Samael would occasionally reach into the spatial rifts and throw his hand behind him.

Left and right, left and right, up and down!

The little white-haired girl with bright eyes jumped up lightly, grabbed the meat jerky that was thrown to her, stuffed it into her mouth, and happily devoured it.

As the savory and salty flavors blossomed on her taste buds, the little girl's eyes narrowed into slits with delight.

Compared to the pungent smell of the heart, this carefully marinated monster jerky tastes much better. Having gotten so much food, I'll let my mom try some later.

However, one piece can only be divided into a small piece!

After a period of adjustment, the little girl, who was struggling with the distribution of food while happily eating, had lost much of the malevolence she had as an evil spirit, and her face showed more of the innocence and naivety that belonged to a child.

Jack the Ripper, an assassin with a special ability to attack women, was Samael's backup plan.

At the same time that Spartacus self-destructed, the gray mist released by Jack through his own concept had already quietly spread and was lying in wait near the Yggdrasil Castle.

Given the military strength carried by the ancient serpent, the Thousand World Tree would have to send out its entire force if it wanted to capture him.

At that time, those exhausted Masters, if they become separated from their Servants, will be nothing more than lambs to the slaughter.

Especially the two women, Serenico and Fiore, one arrogant and haughty, the other physically disabled.

These two Masters, with their obvious weaknesses, were caught off guard and targeted by Jack, making their demise virtually certain.

Unfortunately, for some reason, Danic, who had been teased for so long, didn't fall for it.

Am I not contemptuous enough?

A certain unscrupulous demon king stroked his chin and muttered to himself.

Yes, try again next time!

As the ancient serpent ascended the aerial fortress, it made a silent decision and entered its bedchamber.

As he passed through the outer magical barrier and entered the room, a sense of unease welled up in his mind, causing him to stop and look around.

The magnificent palace was now dimly lit, and an indescribable smell permeated the air.

It seems like I've forgotten something?

"boom!"

Just as Samael was sorting through his thoughts, a figure darted out from under the bed and knocked him to the ground.

Immediately afterwards, a soft, hot body pressed against her and entangled with her, restricting the prey's limbs, while her narrow, downward-looking eyes shimmered with a moist light.

The burning desire deep in her eyes made her like a mother leopard that hadn't eaten for three days and three nights, wishing she could chew up the creature in front of her inch by inch and swallow it into her stomach, sucking out every drop of bone marrow.

Give it to me!

The ancient snake, pinned to the ground, felt the pressure that was almost crushing its pelvis. It looked at the beautiful snake licking her cherry lips and muttering madly in the morning light and couldn't help but shudder.

Now, he finally remembered what he had forgotten.

Moments later, the door slammed shut, and violent shaking and forceful collisions spread throughout the entire [Vainglory Sky Garden] via the creaking bed.

Chapter 52 Persistent Spermatitis and Intermittent Illness 4.2k

thousand

Boundary Tree Castle.

After a night of fierce fighting, the warm light swept away the darkness and returned to the earth, but what came into view was a scene of broken walls and craters of all sizes scattered across the battlefield.

The wind was cold and the dew was heavy. Wisps of black smoke rose into the air. A group of artificial lifeforms dispatched from the bunker dispersed and used their pale arms, which were piled with muscles, to either dismantle the shattered corpses of their own kind, wave their hands over the gem cores of golems, or bring back the corpses of enemy dragon tooth soldiers to analyze their weaknesses. According to their orders, they cleaned up the battlefield in an orderly manner.

The cumbersome golems, on the other hand, were the main force in leveling trenches, filling pits, and rebuilding castles and outer defenses.

After a busy day, the previously chaotic battlefield has gradually lost some of its gunpowder smell.

Although the situation outside the castle had improved, the atmosphere inside the main hall was somewhat somber.

"So, whether it's capturing the enemy's [King], defeating all seven riders, or conquering that aerial fortress suspended in the sky, we can win?"

Danic flicked the contract in his hand, a cold smile playing on his lips.

"If that's the case, why not let me give chase? Just kill that guy, and everything will be solved!"

The man's purple eyes, filled with displeasure, gazed at the saint standing to Vlad III's right, a dark expression creeping across his face.

Since returning to the castle, Lancer has gone mad, treating this outsider Rluer with utmost respect. Whenever he makes a decision, he listens to this woman's opinions and views, and there is a subtle tendency for him to obey her every word.

Adding to this the so-called Great Command Seal on the back of the woman's hand, all of this caused Danick to feel a strong sense of repulsion and unease.

He hates change, especially variables that are outside his planned schedule.

The more difficult a factor is to control, the more unpredictable its future outcome becomes.

Jeanne sensed the hostility emanating from Danic. Her expression remained calm, and her clear eyes gazed at the head of the Thousand World Tree family as she pondered softly.

"If you want to win, you'd better abandon this dangerous idea."

"Danger? The advantage is with us, so what are you worried about?"

Danic retorted with a forced smile, then rhythmically tapped the five fingers of his scepter before pausing. His tone shifted, and his scrutinizing gaze became meaningful.

"I heard that you traveled with that person before. It seems he treated you quite well..."

According to Gold's report, when Karna intercepted Joan of Arc halfway, she appeared to have just gotten out of someone's carriage.

The two parties were very friendly, as if they were old acquaintances.

"That's right, it's precisely because we know each other that I know how terrifying that person is!"

At this moment, Joan of Arc's expression tightened slightly upon hearing this, but she quickly relaxed, her eyes calm and her expression solemn as she spoke softly.

"I met him once more than 500 years ago."

"hiss!"

The magicians present, and even the few Servants who were unaware of the truth, couldn't help but gasp when they heard this explosive secret.

An old monster who has lived for over five hundred years?!

While magic may have its share of methods to prolong life, this level is far too terrifying. Regardless of individual martial prowess, his life experience and knowledge alone make him a formidable opponent.

Five hundred years!

Danic's face showed a slight change of expression, and his heart was filled with emotion.

In order to find the root cause, the limited lifespan has always been a difficult problem for magicians to overcome.

Similarly, due to the significant flaws in the technique of soul fusion, he was also limited by it.

If a new method can be found to break through this limit, then one's own problem can also be solved easily.

If given five hundred years, he will surely be able to reach the source, face the truth, and all the magicians who looked down on him, criticized him, and turned their backs on him will bow down at his feet!

As his burning ambition ignited, the man gritted his teeth, gripping the scepter so tightly it creaked, his handsome face contorted with rage as humiliating memories flooded back.

Eighty years ago, as a rising magician, he made a glamorous debut, and a marriage proposal came his way. For Danic, this marriage would connect him with a family of noble blood. But then a magician claimed that Yggdrasilia's bloodline had been tainted and could not be maintained beyond five generations.

After that, his sworn brother, who had been laughing and patting each other on the shoulder while singing praises of friendship, and the woman who had shyly confessed her love to him and was supposed to become his partner, all left him.

Yggdrasil's dream of becoming a nobleman was shattered. Not only him, but the future of his successors was also taken away. Even if the supposed decline five generations later is proven unfounded, the label once attached to him can never be removed.

In that instant, Danic transformed the commonly touted goal of reaching the root of the matter—that is, constantly studying as a magician, ultimately rising above others, climbing to the top of the association, and becoming a nobleman—into an eternally pursued dream.

Therefore, his first consideration was how to prevent his clan from falling into ruin. Then he went to find the path back to the source.

Back then, out of pride, he refused the path of seclusion to conduct research, gritting his teeth and staying in the Mage's Association to await his chance for revenge. In the process, he absorbed various families far from the center of the Mage's Association, building up the power of his own family.

Finally, after

Through painstaking efforts, his proud Yggdrasil family flourished, and he himself was granted the title of "Grand Master."

And fate seems to always favor those who work hard.

By chance, he learned about the Holy Grail War in Fuyuki City and the third law of the Einzbern family from a fellow practitioner skilled in insect magic. This seemed to be a shortcut to the Root.

So he packed his bags and personally participated in the Third Holy Grail War.

However, the Einzbern family, which participated in the war, violated regulations by summoning Ruler, causing the Holy Grail War to end inconclusively.

Unwilling to accept defeat, Danic initially planned to use the power of the German military to seize the Great Grail from Fuyuki City for the launch ceremony, and then slowly try new methods.

However, the obstruction from the Magic Association, the Holy Church, and local forces forced him to abandon this tempting idea and withdraw in disappointment.

However, as he said before, fate always favors those who work hard.

A few months ago, just as he was struggling to find the source of the problem, a woman approached him and provided the necessary elements to start the Holy Grail War, allowing this subspecies Holy Grail War to proceed smoothly.

Although the woman gave the name of her old acquaintance, "Machiri Zorgen," the cautious and suspicious Danic did not fully trust this helpful "kind person."

Now it seems that a more convenient shortcut has enabled him to realize his great ideals.

Upon realizing this, Danic's eyes flickered, and he subconsciously asked a question.

"Who is he?"

"..."

Joan of Arc kept her cherry lips tightly pressed together, remaining silent throughout.

"Since we're all in the same boat, we should be more honest with each other. Tell me who he is and what his background is?"

Danic stepped forward, a feigned sincerity and humility etched onto his handsome face.

“Your Highness, if you want to lead Yggdmillennia to victory, you need to at least demonstrate qualities that we can trust.”

"Sorry, this is prohibited."

However, when Danic offered her an olive branch, she shook her head and refused without hesitation.

The name of God must not be spoken directly, nor should the face of God be looked upon directly.

Whether out of respect or due to the new rules of the Holy Grail War, one cannot voluntarily reveal that person's true identity.

This rule applies to all Heroic Spirits.

Seeing that his once infallible deception techniques had no effect, an uncontrollable gloom appeared on Danic's face.

Ruler! It's Ruler again!

The failure of the Third Holy Grail War was due to a man named Amakusa Shiro Tokisada, and this time it was again due to the interference of this French saint that his plans were completely overturned.

Could it be that I'm incompatible with this job agency?!