Chapter 649

Shajin narrowed his eyes and observed: "Your Servant is... Mr. Ruike? No, upon closer look, there's always some difference in demeanor..."

"Hey, the one next to Ruike wearing the company uniform... do you know him?"

Shajin shook his head helplessly: "Heh, there are more company members who recognize my face than there are sand grains in the Cigangniya desert... I couldn't possibly bother to remember each one of them."

Si Ke Te was infuriated by his arrogant attitude: "Damn it! Don't think that just because you bear the name Stone-Heart Ten I'm afraid of you! No matter how long the Strategic Investment Department's reach, it can't extend to our side! Once I win the Holy Grail, everyone will have to act according to my expression! I'll make you kneel on the ground and beg for mercy, then bark like a dog, oink like a pig, no, croak like a toad!"

——

fate/apocrypha。

"Tsk... wanting the Holy Grail just to make people imitate animal calls? What a boring idiot!"

Inside the inn, Modede sat cross-legged on a chair, happily enjoying the kebabs bought for her by Shizi Jie; having a body, she enjoyed the food while watching the battle on the heavenly canopy, the two complementing each other perfectly.

Shizi Jiejieli exhaled a smoke ring, the haze blurring his scarred face. He shook his head, his tone tinged with amusement: "However, in the Holy Grail War, this guy is already quite rare in his purity. If he actually obtained the Holy Grail and made such a wish, it would actually relieve people."

"……That's also true."

In Shizi Jiejieli's view, if one merely used the Holy Grail to satisfy personal desires—wealth, status, that sort of thing—it would actually be the safest. What's worrying is when the wish is something grandiose and vague like "hope for world peace" or "saving humanity"; who knows what unforeseen troubles might arise midway to its fulfillment?

"But it's pretty reckless that someone named Si Ke Te would go into battle without even investigating the opponent's Servant's strength and Noble Phantasm, just charging in headfirst."

Shizi Jiejieli flicked the ash from his hand, saying: "I've looked into it— that Lancer Ku Qiu Lin is a famous hero from the Ulster region of Northern Ireland, known as the 'Child of Light', with considerable skill. As for that Archer…… you'd probably need to see him in action to tell his true nature. But since he knows your father, Modede, can you tell which hero this Archer is?"

"Huh? How would I know? Anyway, there's no such figure among the Knights of the Round Table." Modede waved his hand, "I just want to see how my father won the Holy Grail."

"Oh? You're so confident that Saber will win?"

"Of course, the King of Knights is flawless; in that kind of ostentatious dreamland, he can easily win the war." Modede had great confidence in his father.

"But you still started a rebellion, didn't you?"

Modede swallowed the meat in his mouth in one gulp, letting out a satisfied sound: "That's another matter entirely—unrelated to the Holy Grail War. It's just because that king, due to his birth, refuses to acknowledge me. As the sole legitimate successor of the King of Knights, my talents are also flawless. So, Master, you can rest easy about this Holy Grail War."

——

Shajin shook his head with a helpless expression, as if unwilling to admit that he and such a person were coworkers at the same company.

Archer: "What a waste, actually using the Holy Grail to make people imitate animal calls……"

"So, Old Otto actually sent invitations to people in your department as well? I recall that the members stationed in Pinokangni are few and far between—could it be you……"

Si Ke Te panicked at once: "Ah! Could it be that you've heard my name?"

Shajin decisively added a follow-up attack: "Forget it, how could I possibly remember the name of a nobody?"

"Heh, you lot high‑ranking officials never treat us low‑level staff as anything. One sentence sends me to a barren land like the celestial vessel, another transfers me to Pinokangni! I originally thought this would be a cushy job……"

Si Ke Te grew angrier as he spoke, grinding his teeth: "Who knows… constantly lowering my head to discuss business with a bunch of Pipisi people, my cervical spondylitis is about to flare up!"

"But all this will become things of the past! Shajin? Heh, just let me replace you and become the new Stone-Heart Ten!"

——

Spirit Cage

"Good grief, could even the Luofu Celestial Vessel be considered a barren land in his eyes? Then what is our place? What is Belo Berg? What is prehistoric civilization?"

Shanda was completely shocked; in his mind, the celestial vessel had already been the ultimate retirement spot—supplies of all kinds were plentiful, and everyone there were long‑lived species, working for decades or even centuries, highlighting stability. Every celestial vessel is equipped with an envoy‑level general, safe and secure; he really couldn't imagine how that place could be linked to a "barren land".

"Someone like Si Ke Te probably has visited many worlds across the universe, right? He might actually have seen a more advanced civilization."

"Oh come on, I think he just learned to bark like a dog back in Jinren Xiang, suffered a loss, and now holds a grudge, only knowing how to mindlessly criticize. If it were up to me, I'd rather spend a lifetime in a celestial vessel‑type 'barren land'."

When Shanda recalled the scene of the celestial vessel back then, he could barely hold the steering wheel: "Apart from anything else, the fox people on that celestial vessel are truly gorgeous……"

Xiadou grinned: "Alright, Shanda, I'll tell your wife exactly what you just said."

Shanda was so frightened he almost couldn't catch his breath: "Wait a minute! Xiadou! Food can be eaten randomly, but words can't be spoken carelessly! If you spout nonsense, when you go back she'll surely beat me to death!"

——

"But all this will become things of the past! Shajin? Heh, just let me replace you and become the new Stone-Heart Ten!" Si Ke Te gave an order: "Use your Noble Phantasm to bring me victory, Assassin!"

"Filming has already begun, please get into position, actors."

Gerudi stepped forward upon hearing that, the corners of his mouth pulling to both sides as he thrust his hands high overhead, as if trying to seize a spotlight that didn't exist in the sky.

"Let the camera start, the film roll spin, and return to that——【Eternal Undying Silent Film Horror Show】!"

"Performance, ACTION!"

At the moment the final note fell, the world seemed to have been muted. All colors faded wildly, leaving only a monotonous black‑white‑gray scale, like photographic paper soaked in ink.

At the same time, Gerudi and Si Ke Te vanished right before everyone's eyes.

"Wait, this isn't some kind of spiritualization—it just vanished out of thin air before our eyes. This Servant's presence is blocked, even more eerie than I imagined. Wait——"