---o---
[Elysia's identity as a fey was merely a guess.
Although the other woman resembled a fey in many respects, King Arthur had, after all, seen true fey before. Aside from that pair of pointed ears, there was nothing else about her that strongly suggested she was one.
Of course... the most important thing was that she could not sense any aura of magical energy from Elysia. A Phantasmal Species would, to some extent, always possess magical energy.
But Elysia's body held no such power. On the contrary... within her dwelled another kind of power, one with a deeply corrosive nature.
This power was hidden so deep that she hadn't noticed it at all before coming into contact with the scabbard of the holy sword. It was only while her wound was healing that she sensed it.
Elysia, who had previously seemed non-threatening, now appeared in Saber's eyes like a terrifying beast. The sense of pressure she exuded was even stronger than Lancer's.
"Eh?" Seeing Saber suddenly look at her as if she were a monster, Elysia was completely bewildered. How strange. I haven't even done anything yet.]
Why did the girls in this world all look at Elysia with such an expression?
She considered herself a very enthusiastic and lovely girl. She could even become good friends with difficult people like Kalpas and Professor Mobius.
Now that she was in another world, she was repeatedly hitting a wall. Even she would get discouraged~
["Saber, your wound has fully recovered, hasn't it? Our battle is not yet over!"
Noticing that his curse had completely vanished, Lancer became even more excited. To be able to engage in a knightly duel with the legendary Knight King was, for him, a tremendous honor.
Faced with Lancer's invitation for a second round, Saber had no intention of continuing the fight. Instead, she looked to the sky. "Of course, Lancer. But... haven't you sensed it yet? This surging, overflowing magical energy."
As if in response to Saber's words, a flash of blue lightning suddenly tore across the sky.
"RUMBLE...!!"
From the distant horizon, an ancient chariot galloped across the sky, its wheels thundering with a deafening roar.
The next moment, everyone saw a chariot pulled by two bulls tear through the clouds of the night sky and descend, charging directly into the port.]
---o---
Yuta Togashi: "Th-That's such a cool way to make an entrance."
Conan Edogawa: "Is that... the Rider duo? Weren't they just observing?"
Sosuke Aizen: "With Saber at a disadvantage, Rider could no longer sit still."
Schicksal Overseer: "More than that, I am curious about what King Arthur meant by the 'deeply corrosive power' within Elysia."
Utaha Kasumigaoka: "By the way... isn't the Holy Grail War supposed to be conducted in secret? This entrance is a bit too extravagant, don't you think?"
---o---
[At the same time, the video on the screen of light rewound to two minutes earlier.
Two minutes ago...
The camera refocused on the Fuyuki Bridge.
As Saber was wounded and Lancer gained the advantage, Rider showed a serious expression and said, "This is terrible. That Lancer fellow used his special move. They'll likely settle the match soon. This is truly terrible."
Waver, hearing this, was confused. "Wh-What's so terrible about it? If they settle their match and someone is eliminated, isn't that a good thing for us?"
Rider immediately roared, "Fool! What are you saying? I was planning to wait for a few more to show up before making a move."
"But if this continues, Saber will be eliminated!"
Waver was even more baffled, unable to stop himself from retorting, "Wasn't your original plan to wait until their battle was over and then reap the spoils as the third party?"
Rider glanced back at Waver. "I was indeed hoping that other Servants might accept Lancer's challenge and reveal themselves—after all, it's much faster to take them all out at once than to hunt them down one by one!"
Waver was dumbfounded. "Take them all out... at once?"
Waver was startled by Rider's words. Rider extended his right hand toward the port, his tone becoming joyful and full of heroic pride. "Of course! The chance to cross swords with heroes from different eras is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Not to mention there are six of them at once! Naturally, I can't let a single one get away!"
"Just look at Saber and Lancer right now! They are both heroes who make one's blood boil with excitement! It would be too much of a waste for them to die!"
These words made Waver's face twitch. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore and threw his hands up, exclaiming, "The Holy Grail War is supposed to be a death match where we kill each other!"
Hearing this, Rider unhesitatingly slapped his Master, sending the boy flying with a feeble wail.
Then, Rider turned back toward the port, declaring with immense pride, "To conquer, but not to destroy! To dominate, but not to dishonor! That is true conquest!"
With that, he grinned, drew the large sword from his waist, and with a great shout, swung it violently upwards. A slash of sword-ki shot out, actually tearing open a ten-meter-wide rift in the space above. A crackling of blue lightning emerged, and the sound of thunder boomed.
Immediately after, the bellow of a bull was heard as two charging, jet-black bulls pulled a war chariot forth. Although they were galloping through the air, they moved as if treading on solid ground, kicking up fierce blue lightning that flashed incessantly above the Fuyuki Bridge.
The meek little Waver clung to the bridge, letting out a terrified cry, his body trembling. He looked weak and easy to bully.
Facing his Master's disgraceful display, Rider paid it no mind, nor did he mock him. Instead, he said with heroic spirit, "The spectating is over, lad! Let's go too!"
Hearing this, Waver could only let out an indignant wail, protesting that Rider only knew how to act recklessly, repeatedly calling him an idiot, his heart full of resentment.
To this, Rider simply turned back and grinned. "If you don't like it, how about you stay here and watch?"
Waver: "I'm going! Take me with you! Idiot!!!"
His voice sounded like he was on the verge of tears.
However, Rider was very satisfied, laughing heartily. "Excellent! That's how my Master should be! Hahaha~"
---o---
Hachiman Hikigaya: "Who is actually the Master here?"
Waver Velvet: "N-That's not me!"
King of Conquerors: "Hoh? So this is how this comment function is used?"
King Arthur: "To think you want to take on both me and Lancer at once. Such arrogant words!"
Kurumi Tokisaki: "?? The actual participants of the Holy Grail War are showing up?"
Conan Edogawa: "Are the people involved also watching the screen?"
King of Heroes: "Hmph. As a screen of light that connects the multiverse, being capable of this is only to be expected."
Diarmuid Ua Duibhne: "I did not speak before simply because I wished to hide my identity in the Holy Grail War. But seeing how things are now, there is no longer any point in hiding."
Whenever a scene like this occurred, the comment section would become much more active than usual. But this time, what no one expected was that even the Heroic Spirit Servants being watched could see this screen of light.
But hadn't the Holy Grail War started yet? In other words, was what this screen was broadcasting something that would only happen in this world's future?