The appearance of the Old Man of the Jewels didn't alter Mydei's plans in the slightest.
It just meant little Sakura's teacher switched from one person to another. As for that slippery, somewhat roguish aura? Nothing much had changed there.
That night, instead of coaxing Sakura to sleep, Mydei took her with him towards the Einzbern family's stronghold.
Mydei's plan was straightforward: after helping the lady swap bodies, he would end the Holy Grail War right then and there. At this stage, there was simply no need to let the farce continue.
With his power, wrapping up the entire war in a single night wasn't just possible—it was a certainty.
As for Sakura? He'd promised the kid, so he'd bring her along. Protecting her was barely a distraction for someone of Mydei's caliber.
Among all the Servants present, the only one who could pose any real threat to him was Gilgamesh wielding Ea. But Mydei had a counter for that, too.
"Big brother... are you sure I won't be a burden?"
Even though Sakura had sounded so confident during the day, now, under the cover of night, her insecurities began to surface.
"Don't you worry. It's nothing I can't handle. You just trust me, alright?"
Mydei waved a hand dismissively, then vigorously ruffled the little girl's fluffy hair.
At that moment, they looked less like they were heading for a life-or-death battle and more like neighbors out for a casual evening stroll.
As the Holy Grail War deepened, Emiya Kiritsugu had moved them from the remote castle to an old estate within Fuyuki City itself.
"What a pity... this little courtyard," Irisviel murmured, a trace of regret coloring her features. "If it were possible, I'd love to settle down here with Kiritsugu. But... there's so little time left now..."
Saber, standing beside her, opened her mouth as if to speak, but ultimately remained silent.
Some things were simply set in stone. Not even a Servant could change that.
"If you want to stay, then stay. Provided you cooperate with me."
The words had barely left Mydei's mouth when his voice sounded right behind them.
In an instant, Artoria's hand flew to her sword's hilt, her grip tightening. The injury to her fingers, her thumb still not fully healed, made the movement awkward.
Simultaneously, she felt a spike of alarm. She hadn't sensed his approach at all.
Just what kind of Berserker are you? Or are you an Assassin in disguise?!
"Berserker, state your business. Otherwise, do not expect any courtesy from me!" Artoria stared at Mydei, her expression severe.
Her hand remained clenched around her sword's hilt, but inwardly, she felt a wave of anxiety. In her current state, if Mydei truly intended to fight, she stood no chance of stopping him.
"Emiya Kiritsugu. I know he's here. Bring him out. He's a smart man. With your combat strength as it is, you have zero chance of defeating me. Also," Mydei's tone turned warning, "I'd strongly advise against making a move on Sakura. You can't harm her. Trying would only push this situation to its most extreme conclusion."
Though his words were directed at Irisviel, the true target of his message was Kiritsugu, hiding in the shadows.
Hearing Mydei's words, Kiritsugu silently lowered his rifle.
He knew Mydei was right. Having witnessed the man's power firsthand, Kiritsugu had already made his choice. He would hear him out.
"What do you want?"
A moment later, Kiritsugu emerged from the shadows into the courtyard. He positioned himself slightly in front of Irisviel, his arm held in a way that allowed for a quick draw.
"Simple," Mydei said. "I'll prepare a new body for your wife. She won't need to be offered as a sacrifice to the Grail. The price? You withdraw from the Grail War."
"How about it? You can have your wife, a child, a warm home—a normal life. What do you say, Emiya Kiritsugu?"
"No!"
The refusal came in unison from Irisviel and Artoria, before Kiritsugu could even respond.
"This is Kiritsugu's lifelong dream! We will not give up!" Irisviel declared.
"No one can change my mind. The goal I have set, I will achieve," Artoria stated firmly.
Both had given their answers. Irisviel clearly valued Kiritsugu's dream more than her own life. As for Saber? Letting go of an obsession held for so many years wasn't something she could do on the spot.
"And what if I told you the Holy Grail is corrupted, incapable of granting your wish?" Mydei shrugged.
"...What? What are you talking about?" Kiritsugu finally interjected, unable to hold back.
"In the previous Grail War, the Einzberns, desperate for victory, summoned an Avenger-class Servant outside the usual system—Angra Mainyu. But the entity they summoned was pathetically weak."
"After his defeat, his rancor tainted the Grail. The Grail will still try to grant a wish, but twisted by that malice, its methods become extreme. Wish for world peace? It would simply eradicate all of humanity."
"It is simply a Monkey's Paw now."
Mydei gave another nonchalant shrug. "The Einzbern records contain all of this. You can verify it. Oh, and by the way, I ran into the Wizard Marshall today."
"As magi, you're familiar with the name, I assume? He's here for the Grail, too. But we made a deal. I handle the Grail for him, and he does me a favor in return."
"The... the Wizard Marshall! Impossible!" Irisviel couldn't suppress a gasp. The appearance of such a legendary figure was staggering. Even with her composure, it took her a moment to process.
"...I accept your terms. But I won't trust you completely."
Kiritsugu remained silent for a long while before finally speaking, the words seeming to cost him effort.
"Naturally. I won't keep you waiting long. As for Lady Irisviel, come with me. I'll prepare the ritual to transfer you to a new body. The old one will serve as the vessel for the Grail's descent."
"You truly have a way to save Iri?" Kiritsugu's expression was shifting, uncertain.
In all his years, he'd never heard of such a thing.
"Do I have any reason to lie to you?" Mydei scoffed slightly, then led Irisviel into a room.
Kiritsugu and Saber stood outside, tense and watchful.
Sakura, meanwhile, kept her eyes fixed intently on Mydei, saying nothing.
Of course, Mydei wasn't worried about Kiritsugu trying to take Sakura hostage. He'd left safeguards on her.
Kiritsugu, for his part, wasn't foolish enough to try such a thing. With his wife so close to Mydei, any hostile move would result in Irisviel's immediate death.
The next moment, Kiritsugu's eyes widened in shock.
Inside the room, Mydei didn't perform any elaborate ritual. He simply waved a hand, and a body slowly materialized.
The most astonishing thing was its appearance—it was identical to Irisviel. The only difference was that this new body had its eyes closed, like a sleeping princess.
Looking at the form, Mydei breathed an inward sigh of relief.
'Thank goodness the system is considerate enough to provide clothes for the body it creates. This would've been awkward otherwise. Not that being naked would really cost you anything...'
[Detecting host's emotional state. Behavior modified. Next time host uses this function, the created body will have no inherent clothing.]
'Whoa, no! I was just thinking! Don't take it seriously!'
Seeing the system's prompt, Mydei's face twitched.
The process itself was unbelievably fast. In mere seconds, the Irisviel lying on the floor lost consciousness.
When she awoke, she found herself in a new body. Compared to her original form, this one was vastly superior.
Even just waking up, Irisviel could feel the immense difference in her magical energy reserves, though the other enhancements had yet to manifest fully.
"It's... it's over already?" Kiritsugu stared, unable to hide his astonishment.
Since when did swapping bodies become so simple?
"Congratulations, Iri," Artoria said, a smile gracing her lips, though it seemed somewhat strained.
It wasn't due to any ill will towards Irisviel, but rather the shattering of her own long-held goal. If the Grail was unusable, then her motivation for participating in the war was gone.
"Don't look so glum," Mydei said, unable to bear the woman's expression. "It's not necessarily hopeless. The Grail might still be restored."
"If it is, I might just be generous and hand it over to you. It's useless to me anyway."
"Alright, let's get moving. We're heading to Ryuudou Temple. I'm ending this circus tonight."
With that, Mydei took Sakura's hand and set off towards the temple—the designated location for the Grail's descent.
This time, Mydei made no effort to conceal his presence. He unleashed his full aura.
Instantly, a shadow seemed to fall over the entirety of Fuyuki City. Everyone felt a heavy, oppressive weight in their hearts.
For the Servants, this presence was as conspicuous as a blazing fire in the dead of night.
By the time Mydei and Sakura reached Ryuudou Temple, the other Masters had already begun to arrive.
"Berserker! What is the meaning of releasing such an aura? Do you seek to make yourself the common enemy?"
The first to arrive was Lancer, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne. He frowned at the sight of Mydei.
"Ah, it's you, Mr. Unlucky. But I'm not your opponent today." Mydei raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips.
"Who are you calling 'Mr. Unlucky'?!" Diarmuid shot back instantly. But his attention was quickly captured by Saber, who was approaching, sword in hand.
Having already revealed her identity, Artoria made no attempt to disguise herself. She strode forward, her golden, shining sword held ready.
"Lancer, I have come to keep our appointment. Let us finish our duel here and now," Artoria declared, her gaze serious.
"Oh? It seems you two have formed an alliance. No matter. If you wish it, I shall defeat you first, and then present victory to my Master!"
A fierce grin spread across Diarmuid's face. He charged at Artoria, his twin spears at the ready.
Knowing that Artoria was injured, Diarmuid began with a powerful, sweeping strike, expecting her to avoid a direct clash. But the moment their weapons met, he knew something was wrong.
"Wha…!"
He stared at her in shock.
"Avalon protects me from all harm. Your curse is no exception!" Saber replied with a confident smile. With Irisviel no longer needing it, Kiritsugu had returned the sheath to its rightful owner.
Now, equipped with Avalon, Saber could finally unleash her true strength.
As arguably the most formidable Servant class, her power was immense. Knowing Diarmuid's true name allowed her to fight with extreme caution, neutralizing the threat of his twin spears.
Had he been summoned as a Saber, it might have been a fair fight. But as a Lancer, he was limited to his spears.
Mydei didn't linger to watch the battle. The others were arriving.
It was as if by some unspoken agreement. The sky roared as Iskandar descended with Waver in his chariot. And atop a streetlamp, a golden figure shimmered into existence.
"Mongrel. Flaunting your presence so brazenly... what is it you intend, gathering us here?" he spoke, a note of displeasure in his voice.
"The Holy Grail War ends tonight. Those who should have departed must return to the Throne of Heroes. A simple concept, is it not?"
"So, you propose to challenge the two of us alone?" Gilgamesh was almost amused by the audacity. Did this fool not hold him in any regard?
"No, no, no." Mydei waved his hands dismissively at Gilgamesh. "What I mean is, I'll take on all of you. If Saber hadn't become an ally, it would be me against four of you."
In that moment, Mydei bore a striking resemblance to a certain master who famously declared, 'I want to fight ten!'
"Mongrel! Your arrogance knows no bounds! I had considered granting you a dignified death, but now... you shall perish immediately!"
Gilgamesh's eyes blazed with fury. The next instant, countless portals of light swirled into existence behind him, Noble Phantasms poised to fire.
But just then, a massive figure interposed itself between Gilgamesh and Mydei.
"King of Heroes, I understand your anger. However, you must wait a little longer! My armies are already stirring, their blood boiling for battle!"
Iskandar grinned at Mydei, his face alight with excitement. He was burning with curiosity—when faced with Mydei's seemingly unstoppable, whirlwind solo assault, which would prove superior: his own boundless army, or his foe's singular might?
For a conqueror, defeating a powerful enemy in open combat was the greatest glory.
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T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.