Chapter 196: Illyasviel

In these two days, besides the exoskeletons and powered armor produced by the Baiyu Group, the members were most concerned about the Holy Grail War Bai Ze was participating in.

Everyone, including the new recruit Anzu, eagerly followed the daily updates of the plot.

Time rolled back one day earlier; with the newly joined Tohsaka Sakura and Rider, Bai Ze’s alliance had grown to eight members.

According to Bai Ze’s plan, he intended to bring the Master of Berserker into this alliance.

And this Master was the biological daughter of Kiritsugu Emiya’s adoptive father—Illyasviel von Einzbern!

In other timelines, Illyasviel became interested in this nominal younger brother because Kiritsugu Emiya risked his life to shield Saber from a fatal blow.

But in this timeline, they never went to the church to meet Kirei Kotomine, nor did they encounter Illyasviel on their way back.

Despite the absence of these key plot points, Bai Ze still had confidence he could persuade Illyasviel.

Or rather, he was confident Kiritsugu Emiya could persuade her.

But what he never expected was that someone had already moved first, pushing Illyasviel to the opposite side.

Without doubt, this person was Medea—the Caster who had been lurking in the shadows, quietly growing stronger!

As previously mentioned, Medea was a twisted and troublesome Servant.

If she disliked someone, even her own Master, she would betray them without hesitation.

Especially handsome men who reminded her of Jason, or men who sought to use her, triggered intense revulsion in her.

Coincidentally, the Middle Eastern handsome magician who summoned her had stepped on nearly all of Medea’s triggers, so it was no surprise she betrayed him before the Holy Grail War even began.

After killing her Master, Medea lost her source of magical energy.

Just as she was about to dissipate, she was saved by a man named Kiriya Souichirou.

Since then, Kiriya Souichirou had become her new Master.

She poured all her emotions into Kiriya Souichirou alone, and determined to win the Holy Grail War by any means necessary to live with him forever.

In the original story, to increase her chances of victory, she not only stole the lives of townspeople to accumulate magical energy, but also illegally summoned a pseudo-Servant named Sasaki Kojirou to guard the mountain gate of Ryūdō Temple.

In this world, due to Bai Ze’s butterfly effect, Medea discovered the alliance among the others.

Thus, in addition to the above actions, Medea deliberately approached Illyasviel and used verbal provocation to push her to oppose Bai Ze and his group.

So when Bai Ze and his group arrived at Medea’s stronghold, Ryūdō Temple, they faced not only Caster and Assassin, but also Illyasviel and her Berserker!

……

……

“Bai, do you think Ichijou… is still alive?”

On a forest path outside Ryūdō Temple, Kiritsugu Emiya asked with a heavy tone.

The Ichijou he mentioned was his friend and student council president, Ryūdō Ichijou.

Just from the name, it was clear he had a deep connection to Ryūdō Temple.

In fact, Ryūdō Ichijou was the son of the temple’s abbot.

Ever since Bai Ze revealed that Medea was hiding in Ryūdō Temple, Kiritsugu Emiya had been worried about his friend’s safety.

He had called Ryūdō Ichijou many times, but never got through.

Coupled with Medea’s acts of stealing human lives to replenish her magical energy, Kiritsugu Emiya’s mood grew heavier, forcing him to prepare for the worst…

“Not necessarily.”

Bai Ze shook his head. “Even rabbits don’t eat the grass around their burrows. Establishing a magical workshop isn’t something done overnight. To avoid drawing attention, Caster wouldn’t dare harm the monks of Ryūdō Temple.”

Kiritsugu Emiya’s face lit up with hope: “Are you sure?”

Bai Ze glanced at him. “Not sure… does that mean you won’t try to save him?”

Kiritsugu Emiya paused, then shook his head, his expression hardening: “Whether Ichijou is alive or dead, I’ll do everything I can to rescue him!”

“Then it’s settled!”

A faint smile appeared on Bai Ze’s face.

Compared to Servants of other classes, Caster is a classic late-game hero. Though weak at first, once she develops, she becomes the ultimate force controlling the match!

Therefore, whether for the Holy Grail War or for the monks of Ryūdō Temple, Bai Ze must eliminate her quickly—he cannot let her continue draining innocent lives to replenish her magic.

Hearing Kiritsugu Emiya’s firm words, the Tohsaka sisters beside them were moved.

Bai Ze observed their expressions and thought: this timeline’s Emiya family was going to be full of entertainment—especially these two sisters’ romantic chaos was inevitable!

As the four walked together toward Ryūdō Temple, three others waited silently outside the temple gate.

“They’ve finally come!”

Medea, clad in a dark purple robe, curled her lips. With a gloved black hand, she lightly tapped the air before her—the floating purple screen shattered into glowing particles and vanished.

“Yes, they’ve finally come to kill us!”

Beside her, a man in a pale purple kimono leaned against the wall, arms crossed over a long sheathed katana. His deep blue hair was tied into a ponytail at the back, with strands hanging to his collarbones, and a fresh green twig between his lips—he carried an air of calm detachment.

Too bad the words coming from this carefree swordsman were so jarring.

Medea frowned slightly, glancing at him. “In any case, use your life to block them.”

“If you can’t hold them off, dying for your Master is a supreme honor!”

Supreme honor?

The blue-haired swordsman smirked, snapping the green twig between his teeth.

At that moment, a clear, bell-like laugh echoed from the nearby forest.

Medea and the blue-haired swordsman turned to see two figures emerging from the trees.

On the left stood a towering figure over two and a half meters tall, wild black hair streaming behind him, clad only in a heavy, dark metal war skirt—his upper body and legs bare, revealing muscles as hard and knotted as steel.

On the right stood a petite girl, under one meter forty in height.

She wore an exquisite purple dress, with long silver hair and ruby-red eyes, her delicate face lit by an angelic, sweet smile.

“A Servant summoned another Servant…”

“Your pairing is always so entertaining, no matter how many times I see it!”

Externally, Illyasviel perfectly matched the description of innocent innocence.

But Medea dared not relax, for behind this girl stood Heracles—the demigod son of Zeus from Greek myth!

Gazing at the towering, rugged figure, Medea’s face beneath her cloak grew grim.

Fortunately, Heracles had been summoned as Berserker—if he had been summoned as Archer, his ideal class, he would have been the strongest Servant in this Holy Grail War!

After a brief pause, Medea smiled faintly, raising her hand to summon a purple screen, addressing the delicate girl:

“Master of Berserker, as a gift for our first collaboration, choose your first opponent from these.”

“What a peculiar gift!”

Illyasviel blinked, grinning. “But I accept!”

She peered curiously at the purple screen and immediately saw Bai Ze and the other four.

Seeing the boy with brown-red hair and the girl with twin tails, Illyasviel’s eyes flickered, then she smiled sweetly, pointing at them: “I choose these two!”

“Oh?”

Medea regarded her with interest. “Both of them?”

Illyasviel smiled confidently, looking up at the towering figure beside her. “Even two Servants can’t stand against Berserker—Berserker is the strongest!”

“Is that so?”

Medea chuckled lightly. “What a reliable companion.”

“...Companion?”

Illyasviel’s childish voice echoed at the temple gate.

Heracles seemed to understand his Master’s meaning. Suddenly, a heavy axe-sword materialized in his hand, and a terrifying, violent aura surged from his body—his eyes locked coldly on Medea.

“...”

Medea was startled, leaping backward to create distance, frowning sharply at Illyasviel.

Illyasviel stood with her hands behind her back, smiling sweetly. “Caster, have you misunderstood something?”

“I only teamed up with you because I hate these weaklings who collude. But that doesn’t mean we’re companions.”

She turned to her Servant, speaking softly: “I don’t need companions. I only need Berserker.”

“...”

Medea’s lips twitched beneath her cloak.

Indeed, the most troublesome kind was a cruel, innocent child!

After a moment’s thought, she smiled gently. “Very well, I overestimated our bond. Do as you wish—I’ll find a way to separate the four below, giving you a one-on-two chance.”

“Is that so? That’s wonderful!”

As Illyasviel’s delighted voice rang out, Heracles, axe-sword in hand, bent his towering frame and lifted the petite girl onto his shoulder.

“Boom!”

The next instant, a deafening crash echoed before the temple gate.

Heracles shattered the ground and shot downhill like a cannonball, leaving behind a crater over three meters wide.

Seeing this, Medea’s face darkened—she hadn’t expected these two to be so reckless.

After a brief pause, she vanished in a flash, preparing to deploy her previously crafted Dragon Teeth Soldiers as flank support.

Thus, only the blue-haired swordsman remained before the temple gate.

He stared at the crater, sighing deeply.

“What a pity!”

“Such a skilled hero, yet summoned as Berserker...”

“I hope the next opponent will be worthy of my blade!”

Saying this, he drew his long knife from his waist, stroking the blade with his fingers, a faint anticipation crossing his handsome face.

(End of Chapter)