"..."
Sera stopped and looked at Iori, but Iori did not care about her at all. He continued walking forward leisurely, leaving the silver haired girl with nothing but his back in sight.
"I don't understand… why are you guiding me like this? However I use the Holy Grail to make a wish has nothing to do with you, right?"
"So in the end, all the power of the Greater Holy Grail still has to be used to fulfill the Einzbern wish, instead of your personal desire?"
Iori clicked his tongue. "Stubborn. Have you never thought that you could have both?"
"All the power of the Greater Holy Grail must be used to open the 'Hole.' If magical energy is wasted and it fails to open, or the opening is too small… then everything will be for nothing!"
Sera was firm and was not shaken by Iori's words. "If we also have to set aside a portion for your wish, there won't be any room left!"
"Heh." Iori shook his head, looking unconcerned.
The Einzbern wish is "the salvation of all humanity." Such a grand topic requires the Third Magic to achieve.
Originally, the Einzbern "Winter Saint" could use the Third Magic to a limited degree, but it was incomplete. The cost was high and the efficiency was low, so it had little practical value and meant almost nothing for "all humanity."
That was why they joined with the other two families and created the Greater Holy Grail together.
Summoning Heroic Spirits and all that were just methods. The true nature of the Greater Holy Grail was actually a super magical furnace core that could expand the Third Magic.
However, there was a problem here.
If it was only used as a "container" to store magical energy, then no matter how large the vessel itself was, it would still have a limit. It could not meet the requirement of "saving all humanity."
Therefore, the Einzbern designed the ritual called the "Holy Grail War."
Its purpose was to use the summoning system and the magical power of the Greater Holy Grail to call forth Heroic Spirits engraved on the Throne of Heroes into the present world, make them kill each other, and then use the "Lesser Holy Grail" as a key to store the souls of the defeated.
The souls of Servants are magical energy of extremely high purity. They intercept them before they return to the Throne of Heroes outside the world, store them, and when enough have accumulated, release them all at once.
At that moment, when multiple Servant souls return together, with the support of massive magical power, they will carve open a "Hole" that leads to the outside of the world.
Through that "Hole," one can reach the Root of the world. That is the wish of all magi, including the Tohsaka family.
As for the Einzbern, they intend to use the "Hole" to draw the infinite magical power from outside the world, support the perpetual motion of the Greater Holy Grail, infinitely expand the Third Magic, and eventually cover all humanity to complete ultimate salvation.
So for an Einzbern Master, there is only one mission, after winning the Holy Grail War, use the Lesser Holy Grail in hand to open the "Hole" of the world.
Before that, no random wishes can be made. Otherwise, consuming the magical power stored in the Greater Holy Grail might affect the size and stability of the "Hole."
If it were before the Third Holy Grail War, the artificial human Master would have had another choice.
After opening the "Hole," they could use that infinite magical power to reshape their body, or even materialize their soul. That way, they could complete their mission and save themselves at the same time.
But Sera could not do that now…
There was a secret she had never confessed to Iori. But with "Clear Mirror Still Water," when Iori became serious, he could even see the pulse of magic circuits. So he clearly knew what was hidden inside the silver haired girl's body.
The Lesser Holy Grail.
Originally, the Einzbern family made the Lesser Holy Grail as an actual vessel. But during these sixty years of wandering, to ensure it would not be taken away, they simply gave the Lesser Holy Grail consciousness and hid it inside an artificial human body.
When the Holy Grail War ends, Sera will self destruct, reveal the Lesser Holy Grail, open the Hole of the world, and activate the infinite Third Magic.
For Sera, repairing her body has no meaning at all, because she is destined not to survive the Holy Grail War.
…To her, Iori's guidance sounded rather ridiculous.
"Berserker… Iori, are you deliberately trying to provoke my mind?"
"Then you will be disappointed. I am the successor of the Einzbern. The meaning of my life is to participate in this Holy Grail War and fulfill the centuries old wish of my family. I will never be influenced by personal emotions."
"Think whatever you like. I'm not that bored. I just say whatever comes to mind."
"The Einzbern wish, Amakusa Shirou's ideal, I have no interest in any of that. In the end, I'm just a very ordinary person."
"I only care about my own future. At most I'll widen my view to the people around me that I know. Beyond that… well."
"Unlike you, I have a long lifespan, and I plan to use all that long time to satisfy my own desires."
"The Holy Grail War may be something very serious in your eyes, but to me, satisfying my appetite is just as important…"
Sera caught up and continued walking side by side with Iori.
"But your words are full of suggestion, like Mephistopheles tempting people to fall."
"It is a person's own desires that make them fall. The devil only gives them an excuse."
Iori spoke without caring. "If you don't want to, then forget it. It's your own choice anyway."
"…Why?"
Sera felt her emotions becoming a little agitated. She placed her hand on her chest, trying to calm herself down.
"Why do you insist on making me use the wish?"
"Nothing special. It's just a pity."
Iori smiled lightly. "I really like quiet or cold type beautiful girls. A sickly aura matched with bandages and eyepatches is also very nice."
"That kind of transparent and fragile feeling like an ice flower about to shatter… it's really fascinating."
"For example, yes, you are a sickly character right now. You are a beautiful and delicate piece of art that would collapse with just a light touch."
"Uh… what are you suddenly saying?" Sera pressed her hand to her chest. Instead of calming down, her heartbeat quietly rose.
But the boy quickly added, "In the end, such beautiful things can only be admired from afar. People are attracted because they are fragile… and precisely because of that, they cannot reach out and touch them."
"The ultimate beauty of a woman should be having a strong heart beneath a fragile body. Even if she is shattered, she can still maintain her own wholeness and keep moving forward."
"… So I feel it's a pity. Right now, you are just a doll without independent awareness, only possessing a beautiful appearance."
Sera was silent for a long time. Her brows were tightly knitted. She seemed unwilling to accept it, but in the end, she still dejectedly admitted it.
"I am not obligated to make you like me."
"That's true." Iori smiled and shook his head.
In theory, however Sera used the wish had nothing to do with him. But somehow… the more he interacted with this silver haired girl, the stronger a certain thought in his heart became.
He really wanted to see whether this artificial human girl, who only followed orders, could break through her set personality program and produce something called "selfish desire."
In a sense, the current Sera was incredibly "pure." But if he could stain such a person with the color of corruption, that feeling would definitely be wonderful.
Sure enough… compared to a pretty but lifeless vase, Iori preferred a living "human" after all.
———
'I like more obedient Servants!'
Sera silently followed beside Iori. What he had said earlier did not shake her, but it made her uncontrollably produce a strange emotion mixed with dissatisfaction and irritation.
For an artificial human, this was quite a novel experience. If it were the usual Sera, she would definitely suspect that her body performance had declined, causing problems in her emotional circuits and making her lose absolute rationality.
But at this moment, Sera did not notice her abnormal state at all. For the first time in her life, she felt such a clear sense of rejection toward someone.
She did not want to judge whether Iori was right or wrong. She simply refused to understand.
This Berserker was too abnormal.
As a Servant, the unknown origin Aizen Iori was undoubtedly extremely perfect. He combined excellent combat power with rich intellect.
His magical energy consumption was extremely low, yet he still had parameters that could compete with the three knight classes.
Although his words were frivolous, one could sense the reliable core within him. There was no need to worry about his loyalty.
But his independence was far too strong. Not only did he seize the dominant position in the contract relationship, he even actively explored his Master's inner world… this made Sera very uncomfortable.
"A Berserker who talks this much…"
After a long silence, when Sera finally spoke, it was a sharp complaint. "What kind of hero are you?"
"My 'hometown' is quite a few places. It depends on whether you're asking about before death, after death, or what is recorded in legends." Iori still had no intention of revealing his "true name."
"What a troublesome guy." To respond to Iori's teasing, Sera deliberately sneered. "The three knight classes are better after all. For example, Saber."
"Huh?"
"At least excellent and noble swordsmen would not be as malicious as you. Nor would they indulge in pleasure. Even after becoming Servants, they still cannot give up their appetite."
"Give it back! Bastard, stop right there!"
An angry shout came from ahead. A small and nimble figure dashed across the street, followed by a fierce red big cat pouncing like a tiger.
"!"
Before Sera could react, Iori had already stopped and stretched out his hand in front of her, separating the silver haired girl from the big cat.
"Mm." Sera was slightly startled, and her impression of Iori warmed a little.
Although his personality was terrible, his actions were still very gentle.
"Meow!!!"
"Haha! Got you!"
The red "big cat" had simply tied up golden hair. Her emerald like eyes carried a captivating beauty, but her rough behavior did not match her elegant face.
Struggling with the cat and trying to snatch back the fried fish from its mouth completely ruined that pure appearance.
This golden haired girl, who seemed to embody the word "energetic," wore a hot tube top and short shorts, with a red jacket over her upper body.
No matter how one looked at it, she was a fashionable girl chasing trends, maybe even a rock music lover.
Although the amount of exposed skin was not low, surprisingly there was not much of a sensual feeling. Instead, she was full of vitality and youthful spirit, making people feel friendly toward her.
"Give it back! That's my food, you traitor. I am a knight who will inherit the throne. How dare you offend my… ah, that hurts!"
The stray cat fearlessly fought against the red tyrant. Even when grabbed, it did not yield. Its sharp little claws kept swiping back and forth, making it hard for the golden haired girl to succeed.
What kind of farce is this… Sera watched the scene speechlessly. Just as she frowned and planned to walk around, she suddenly sensed something. Her crimson eyes instantly shrank.
"This magical energy… could she be…"
"Damn!"
Has the decline of my body functions made my perception this dull? A Servant was right in front of me and I could not even recognize her.
Sera felt her heart tighten hard. She immediately raised her vigilance to the highest level. Now she finally understood why Iori, facing such a farce, showed an expression as if facing a great enemy and kept her behind him.
This golden haired, green eyed girl was undoubtedly a Servant.
'Why is she here… of course it cannot be a coincidence. Is she here to attack…'
"Hey, I told you not to run around!"
While the red clad girl was confronting the stray cat, a heavier figure hurriedly caught up from behind.
A thick black jacket, a fierce face covered in scars, and a burly body like a professional wrestler… the reason such a man could walk on the street without being arrested by the police was all thanks to concealment magecraft and psychological suggestion.
But when Sera saw him, she suddenly let out a breath of relief.
She recognized that distinctive face.
Shishigou Kairi, a magus from the Far East and also a veteran mercenary. Unlike colleagues who were like wild dogs, his credibility could be guaranteed.
He had also participated in a sub category Holy Grail War, so he could be said to be experienced.
The Clock Tower valued this point, so they recruited him and entrusted him with the mission of participating as a Master.
The reason Sera and Iori went out today was also because they had arranged to meet this mercenary Master privately, to get to know each other better as comrades of the same camp.
This was arranged by Lord El Melloi II.
It could only be said that the Lord was hardworking enough and completely worthy of the payment he received from Sera.
"Really, we still have to wait for someone. Don't run around."
"But!"
As soon as her Master arrived, the golden haired girl in the red jacket immediately raised the stray cat unhappily. "This guy stole my rations. I was saving that to grind my teeth slowly!"
"Thief, robber, barbarian, fish stealing cat!"
"…That last term isn't used like that."
Shishigou had already seen Iori and Sera. Just like him, Sera's appearance was also distinctive. He could recognize at a glance that they were the people he was waiting for, so he was not that anxious.
Like a helpless father, he coaxed the golden haired girl. "Alright, alright. I'll buy you another one, Saber."
"No! This is not about buying another one. Do I lack this one bite of food? This is about dignity!"
"Uh, then I won't buy it."
"That's even worse!"
The golden haired girl immediately retorted angrily, "How can you not keep your word? My Master must be someone who keeps his promises!"