"Greetings, Mr. Alexander...."
Samuel paused when mentioning Iskandar's surname, recalling that a certain chairman of board shared it.
"I'm not Caster, but Caster's Master. Strictly speaking... I'm the Master of Caster, King Solomon!"
"King Solomon?! The one who commanded the Seventy-Two Demon Gods?"
Waver's shock was palpable. The name Solomon was among the most renowned worldwide, alongside figures like King of Britain Arthur, Rome's Nero, and Iskandar himself—heroes who stood out among countless others, though still few in number.
Solomon's legend was defined by his mastery over the Seventy-Two Demon Gods, a feat of unparalleled significance in occult lore, marking him as a progenitor of magecraft. If this was truly that Solomon, summoned as a Caster, it was dire news for Waver and every pair in the Holy Grail War.
"Well... not exactly. He can no longer command those Demon Gods—or rather, he chooses not to. In short... he's not much different from a has-been."
As Samuel openly disparaged Roman, a voice interrupted.
"Hey, that's harsh! Though, you're not wrong..."
A grand ritual spell, requiring dozens of modern mages and over seven days to cast, unfolded. Space split open, forming a tunnel, and Roman stepped through.
"Uh, hello. I'm Roman, a doctor. Not King Solomon anymore, so don't overestimate me. I only dabble in magecraft."
Roman scratched his head, speaking humbly.
"Yeah, right!"
Waver thought with skeptical. Had Roman's entrance been less dramatic, he might've believed him. But the lingering grand spell behind him reeked of Versailles-like modesty.
Their banter eased the earlier unease.
"Perfect! How dare this cur wreak havoc in my domain... Roman, you handle this dog. I'm going to have a word with its master."
Samuel's gaze swept the scene. Though the firelight had dimmed, the gruesome sight was etched in his mind.
No need for words—just pure rage.
Samuel wasn't a saint, nor was he fond of children, especially noisy ones. Their deaths left him indifferent, like news of distant tragedies—irrelevant to him.
What he couldn't tolerate was something defiling his domain.
Though Tokiomi Tohsaka was Fuyuki's overseer, strength dictated true control.
In Samuel's blueprint, Fuyuki and its surroundings were his territory, where he planned to build a new "Academy City."
Now, a dog had entered his garden, trampled the lawn, and killed its inhabitants. The rule was clear: kill the dog, find the owner.
The dog wasn't the issue, but it had to die to ease his anger. The owner had to be confronted—inaction was complicity.
"No need to tell me, my Master!"
Roman was a true sage, in both concept and action.
Though he preferred to slack off, he tirelessly worked for others.
This time, he couldn't abide Gilles' atrocities. He wouldn't let Gilles run rampant—not just for people's safety, but out of respect for Gilles' former honor.
"Good!"
Samuel nodded, his body vanishing. Compared to Roman's spatial magic, his teleportation was subtler, more efficient.
"Now, gentlemen, could you assist me? I need to cast a grand spell to cover all of Fuyuki and pinpoint Gilles de Rais' location."
After Samuel left, Roman addressed Waver and Iskandar.
Waver gasped at Roman's words. "Cover the entire city? How..."
He stopped himself, realizing this wasn't an ordinary mage but Solomon, a founding figure of Western occultism. A spell of that scale seemed plausible for such a legend.
Normally, a city-wide spell required over three hundred skilled mages, vast amounts of mystical materials like mercury, and a month's preparation. Even then, it relied on leylines, with mages merely supplying materials and activation mana.
Waver had doubted Solomon's claim, but as a cornerstone of occult lore, it wasn't unthinkable.
"Alright! Kid, hop on! Roman, right? How can we help?"
Iskandar didn't hesitate, eager to lend a hand.
"Could I borrow your chariot to tour Fuyuki?"
Magecraft wasn't magic. To hastily cast an observation spell covering every corner of the city, Roman needed simple preparations.
He had to patrol Fuyuki, set up basic arrays, and disperse mana into the air.
Then, he'd form a pseudo-bounded field, maintaining it to locate Gilles.
"Done!"
...
Meanwhile, Kingu's chains spanned half of Fuyuki, slaying an octopus-like sea demon and saving another child.
She stood atop one of Fuyuki's highest points, the Fuyuki TV Tower, her gaze sweeping the streets. She rescued children and passersby with her chains, then used subtle, long-range suggestion to send them home to sleep.
Tonight's MVP for saving children was, without question, Kingu.
A thunderous chariot roared past her vision. The third figure aboard made her eyes narrow.
"King Solomon? No... Roman? Why is he...? Could it be..."
Kingu leaped from the tower's peak, traversing the city with her chains.
***
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