Chapter 90: A fateful encounter, murder under the moon!
After confirming that the Holy Church was not to be trusted, Arthur began to make more thorough preparations.
The incubus, accustomed to slacking off, originally intended to use the excuse of protecting his Master to continue loafing around in the courtyard.
It wasn't until Arthur ordered Fou to supervise, and the pure white young beast unleashed a flurry of wild scratches, that Merlin finally shivered all over and scurried out of the Fujimura residence to set up his contingency plans.
Time quickly passed to the afternoon, and the energetic Taiga returned from school. Without a word, she dragged Arthur and ran all over Fuyuki City.
The Shopping Street, the old town, the New Metropolitan Hall...
Taiga, who seemed to be naturally tireless, always maintained a vibrant momentum.
Every time they arrived at a new place, she would enthusiastically introduce it to Arthur in detail, like the most passionate tour guide.
The Magus, new to the city, did not reject her kindness. He actively interacted with her along the way, perfectly playing the role of a curious tourist.
As the moon began to rise, Taiga led Arthur to their final destination for the day—
the harbor bay.
According to the girl, the moonlit scenery here was serene and beautiful, an absolutely unmissable tourist spot.
Arthur followed closely behind the skipping Taiga, stepping over the uneven shallows until they reached the edge of the coast.
A gentle breeze brushed the sea, creating ripples on the mirror-like water, and the shattered moonlight sparkled with the waves.
The moon slowly climbed over the horizon on the other side, quietly revealing its hazy beauty, captivating all who saw it.
Arthur stood on a high point of the shallows, gazing into the distance, a look of admiration flashing in his eyes.
"It is indeed a rare sight, well worth the trip."
"Hey! Arthur, come down quickly!"
Taiga stood barefoot on the seashore, excitedly waving her hand.
Snow-white waves gently washed over the girl's slender ankles, then shattered into countless sparkling points.
Arthur quickly raised his hand, about to step down.
Suddenly, a strange and profound surge of magical power, one he had never felt before, burst into his senses like a clap of thunder!
This reaction—it was a Servant!
...
Arthur subtly turned his head and quickly glanced over his shoulder.
He saw a pair of figures, like statues carved from gold and silver, walking side by side towards the bay.
The silver-haired woman wore a luxurious snow-white fur coat, every movement exuding an innate elegance, her temperament extraordinary.
The golden-haired woman accompanying her was slightly smaller, her movements precise as she walked, and her stiff, pure black suit accentuated a cold, stern demeanor.
Arthur waited leisurely for the approaching Master and Servant, then chuckled softly, as if in greeting.
He could perfectly conceal his aura; the other party evidently hadn't detected his identity as a Magus.
The youthful but extremely well-mannered Irisviel nodded politely to Arthur, then eagerly ran towards the beach she had been longing to see.
The stern Saber merely gave Arthur a quick glance before silently following her Mistress.
Behind them, out of sight, Arthur's fingers trembled almost imperceptibly, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
Just as Irisviel brushed past him—
An extremely faint resonance, so faint that even she herself might not have noticed it, quietly arose between them.
And the Saber who followed closely behind.
Although she didn't resonate with him personally, she made the Holy Sword within him hum with a longing, restless energy.
Could the other party be a member of the Knights of the Round Table?
A woman who could elicit such a reaction from the Holy Sword... it couldn't be such a coincidence, could it?
A flash of inspiration crossed Arthur's mind, and he vaguely caught a clue to the other party's true identity.
It was already night, meaning the Holy Grail War of the hidden world could begin at any moment.
Should he strike first and eliminate the other party's Master?
At such a short distance, even if the opponent was the strongest Saber-class Servant, she would be powerless to stop his lightning-fast assault.
However, where did that strange resonance on the opponent's Master come from?
And would it have an unpredictable impact on the direction of the upcoming battle?
Arthur absently accompanied Taiga in building sandcastles, his thoughts racing in a short period, quickly weighing the pros and cons.
Just then, Arthur accidentally fumbled and crushed the chimney of the fortress that Taiga had painstakingly built for a long time.
Artoria, who had been vigilantly standing by, suddenly stiffened, her sharp gaze instantly directed towards the depths of the harbor.
"Madam."
A soft but firm reminder instantly brought the playful Irisviel back to her senses. She immediately understood the situation.
"I understand. Let's go, Saber!"
The beautiful Master and Servant quickly exchanged glances, then walked away with resolute steps towards the distance.
Taiga pitifully tried to repair her sandcastle, but then turned around to find the two ladies leaving in a hurry, and couldn't help but ask in confusion,
"Huh? They're leaving already? They came all this way to Fuyuki for a trip, and they're not even taking a few pictures as souvenirs."
Arthur slowly stood up, casually brushing the sand from his hands, a hint of teasing in his voice.
"Miss Fujimura, not everyone can live as leisurely as you."
"Alright, let's go back too. We've been out long enough today."
Taiga pouted, still wanting more, then stood up casually and complained to the sky,
"Ah~~~ You're right, it's really time to go back to sleep!"
"So, where are we going to play tomorrow?"
Arthur couldn't help but laugh at her words. He truly admired the girl's seemingly endless vitality.
"Tomorrow's matters, naturally, will be discussed tomorrow. [Now, let's go home and sleep]!"
Arthur's highly suggestive words entered Taiga's ears like a magic spell.
She, who had been all smiles, instantly quieted down, obediently taking quick steps towards the Fujimura residence.
Only when Taiga's figure had completely disappeared from sight did Arthur close his eyes slightly, using the Command Seal connection to transmit a message to his Servant in the distance.
'Merlin, how much longer until you can get back?'
[Master, after all, I am just a frail Magus. I don't have the lightning-fast footwork of other Servants.]
The incubus's voice carried a hint of laziness, whether genuine or not.
'Stop messing around. I'll go ahead and scout the situation. You hurry up.'
[Yes, yes~ Your humble Servant understands!]
Ending the transmission, Arthur turned his head to look into the distance, a playful smile on his lips.
"In the Holy Grail War, full of deceit and traps at every turn, someone actually chooses to openly challenge like this?"
"Where did this pair of clueless individuals come from?"
...
Meanwhile, the harbor bay, where powerful expulsion spells had already been cast, was dead silent.
However, in the center of this supposedly empty harbor, a handsome man with two spears on his shoulder and dressed in a green tight-fitting combat suit stood proudly.
A massive, tangible magical power surged from his body without reservation, transforming into a blatant provocation that permeated the entire harbor.
Not long after, Artoria and Irisviel cautiously stealthily approached the scene.
From a distance, they looked at the lone Servant in the open space, who showed no intention of concealing his whereabouts.
"It seems the other party deliberately lured other participants here."
Artoria nodded slightly, confirming Irisviel's judgment, then added,
"I suspect the other party, like me, is also a type who excels in direct frontal assaults, which is why they made such a seemingly reckless choice."
Irisviel's expression remained calm as she continued to analyze,
"That means the other party's class is either Lancer or Rider."
Irisviel took a deep breath, turned to look at Saber, her pure eyes shining with brave, fearless light, revealing a captivating faint smile.
"Have you thought it through, Saber? Shall we begin our first battle right here?"
"I couldn't ask for more!"
Artoria stepped out of the shadows with confident and composed strides, proudly facing the long-awaited powerful enemy.
In the night sky, an almost imperceptible silver light flashed silently.
A strange bird, metallic in luster, flapped its wings silently and landed gracefully on top of a crane in the harbor.
It blinked its jewel-like, crystal-clear eyes and spoke in a human voice, with a hint of indescribable emotion.
"Alright, let me properly enjoy this—"
"What kind of powerful strength does the Servant Chaldea has been dreaming of possess?"