Chapter 106 Target locked! Commit suicide, Lancer!
At the edge of the dense forest, a black arc of light suddenly flashed, followed by a muffled roar of thunder.
Arthur blocked with the flat of his sword, and the fierce force of the impact sent him retreating more than ten meters, his steel boots plowing two long, thin scorch marks into the ground.
He shook his arms, and fine black electricity burst forth, leaping a few times in the air before falling silent.
Arthur had no time to ponder this incredibly strange counterattack; he looked up, searching for that dark figure.
Unfortunately, the opponent was exceptionally decisive, leaving not a moment after collecting the Servant's soul, with only a severed arm remaining on the ground.
Arthur stepped over to the severed arm and looked down, examining it.
Its skin was dark and lustrous, covered in dark red pictograms, vaguely discernible as ancient Persian.
"Indeed, it was right to remain vigilant about this Holy Grail War… Is it the eighth Servant?"
Arthur said, reaching into his pocket and taking out a newly concocted magical solvent, which he poured directly onto the severed arm.
As the magical solvent splashed onto the severed arm, there was a hiss, and flames erupted, like oil poured on fire, fiercely burning the arm.
Arthur's eyes narrowed slightly, and he concentrated, observing the changes in the surrounding magic.
A moment later, the solvent's energy was depleted, the flames gradually died down, but there was no unusual fluctuation in the surrounding magic.
Arthur's expression remained unchanged; he was not surprised by this result.
The previous black-armored beast and the purple-haired little girl could not be sensed internally.
It was only natural that the dark figure, hidden even deeper, also could not be sensed.
Just as Arthur was at a loss, Merlin's form solidified, appearing from his spirit-body state.
"Master, the pest control work is complete. Do I still need to continue observing Lia and their movements?"
Arthur blinked, collecting his scattered thoughts, and looked sideways at Merlin, who had been completely at ease the entire time, and asked with a frown.
"How is the Ghoul Cleanup Plan progressing?"
Merlin's gaze retracted from the distance, his tone still casual.
"It's going very smoothly. The ghouls within Fuyuki City have been largely cleared, and the few stragglers are no match for the Holy Church's Executors."
Arthur nodded understandingly, a hint of solemnity flashing in his eyes, and he commanded in a deep voice.
"Since that's the case, shift targets."
"From this moment on, you are to keep a close eye on every move of the Holy Church. If necessary, directly use illusion magic for strong control and activate the backup plan."
Merlin's eyes flickered upon hearing this, and his gaze fell on the dark severed arm on the ground, his tone puzzled.
"To act against the Holy Church? But we haven't even collected the reward for defeating the Berserker group."
"Is the situation really that dire? I always thought the backup plan Master spoke of was just a joke."
Arthur raised his hand, looking at the vermillion Command Seal on the back of his hand, which was missing a stroke, a cold sneer on his lips, but his eyes revealed a long-lost sharpness.
"The Holy Church cannot be trusted. Their reward cannot be taken."
"Merlin, playtime is over. The next battlefield is the entire Fuyuki City!"
"Sigh—you're never polite when sending me to work."
"Do you need me to have Fou punch you twice more?"
"Ahahaha~ I know I'm wrong, please spare me!"
Amidst their banter, the Master and Servant had already set off, heading towards Enzou Mountain.
...
At the entrance of the Einzbern castle in the western suburbs, Kiritsugu Emiya expressionlessly pushed open the car door and nodded to the three people waiting.
Without a single word of greeting, he strode inside.
The group of four quickly entered the conference room, and Kiritsugu Emiya unfolded a densely marked map, speaking in a deep voice.
"Next, the other participants will target the Berserker group, who could appear at any moment, and seize the opportunity."
"Maiya, go to Fuyuki Church immediately. The moment any group completes their mission, or Kirei Kotomine appears, detonate the explosives immediately!"
"Understood."
Hisau Maiya calmly responded, nodded slightly to Irisviel and Artoria, and turned to leave.
After Hisau Maiya left, Irisviel's innocent face was filled with surprise, and she asked softly.
"Um—Kirisugu, aren't we going to deal with the Berserker group?"
Kiritsugu Emiya shook his head, his tone stiff and direct as he replied.
"Even if the Berserker group is left unchecked, other participants will deal with it. What's more important now is how to win the final victory of this Holy Grail War."
Irisviel's brows furrowed slightly; her beloved's decision worried her, but she ultimately said no more.
Artoria's expression was complex; she wanted to speak several times but held back, her gaze falling on the two missing Command Seals on her Master's hand, and she ultimately chose silence.
Previously, to completely eliminate a large number of ghouls, Diarmuid resolutely destroyed his Noble Phantasm, lifting the curse on Artoria.
However, Artoria faced a hospital located in a bustling area and was unwilling to release her Noble Phantasm's true name and launch an attack.
Helplessly, Kiritsugu Emiya used two Command Seals to issue a command, forcing her to destroy the entire hospital and surrounding area with one strike.
This act further deepened the rift between the Master and Servant, who were already at odds.
...
The moon was bright and the stars were sparse.
Diarmuid maintained his spirit-body form, his figure agile, silently moving across the factory rooftops.
Tonight's extermination battle, fought alongside Artoria, had brought joy to the handsome Lancer's heart.
His Master would likely criticize his act of self-destructing his Noble Phantasm, but if not for that, it would have truly gone against the chivalry he upheld!
However, now the one giving him orders was his Master's fiancée, so perhaps the situation would be slightly different?
As he pondered, Diarmuid quietly landed and walked directly into the depths of Kenneth's magecraft workshop, preparing for his daily apology.
Creak—!
The iron gate of the abandoned factory let out a muffled groan, and Diarmuid, illuminated by the moonlight, looked at Kenneth, who was slumped in his wheelchair.
Under the pale moonlight, the room was precisely divided into light and dark, a scene with an indescribable eeriness.
Diarmuid failed to notice anything amiss in time, and he knelt on one knee, accustomed to the routine, and said solemnly.
"My Lord, tonight's combat plan with the other groups progressed smoothly, and most of the ghouls in Fuyuki City have been annihilated."
"Only when that mad beast, Berserker, appears, I will surely take its head with my spear and present victory to you!"
Kenneth stiffly raised his head, his eyes hollow as he stared at the unguarded Diarmuid before him, a strange arc slowly forming on his lips.
"Good. Now, listen carefully to my next command."
"Command?"
Diarmuid suddenly looked up, his eyes full of confusion.
After Kenneth's magic circuits were destroyed by Kiritsugu Emiya's Origin Bullet, wasn't all his actions handled by his fiancée?
Speaking of which, why was his Master's fiancée so quiet today?
[By the name of the Command Seal, commit suicide, Lancer!]
The spirit-word exploded in Diarmuid's ear like an iron rule, and the valiant Servant's pupils suddenly constricted!
But his body was already out of his control; the Gae Buidhe was summoned, its spearhead turned, and it resolutely pierced his own chest!
"Pfft! This… what exactly is this… Master?"
His Spirit Core shattered, blood gushed from Diarmuid's mouth, and he struggled to look up, only wishing to die with understanding!
Was it because he had helped the King of Knights repeatedly, even going so far as to destroy his Noble Phantasm, that he had completely disappointed his Master?
But as he strained to see the expression on Kenneth's face, a mosaic-like blur, as if from a lost signal, flashed by.
A dark figure appeared out of thin air, and at its feet lay the unseeing bodies of Kenneth and Sola!
"Hehe, go on your way obediently. Don't worry, the others will soon come to join you."
Diarmuid understood instantly, his eyes splitting with rage, and he let out a venomous roar completely unlike his usual dignified demeanor.
"You… you bastards! Do you want to win that badly?!"
"Even if it means using despicable methods and trampling on my only wish, do you still want the Holy Grail?!"
"I swear! I will use my blood to defile your dreams! Curse the Holy Grail! Curse your wishes to be forever accompanied by disaster!"
The dark figure listened to Diarmuid's hysterical wailing, feeling an unprecedented exhilaration in its heart and mind!
It slowly spread its arms, a cruel smile on its lips, and sneered.
"The Holy Grail is already tainted; your little curse is not even a fraction of it. Shut up and die, nourishment."
And so, in this forgotten corner, Lancer Diarmuid, filled with endless hatred and unwillingness, exited the stage.
That venomous curse did not dissipate with the wind; instead, it transformed into a chilling thread, coiling around the triumphant dark figure.