"Are you alright, Irisviel?"
While keeping up the appearance of guarding against Matou Kariya, Leon asked with concern.
"I'm fine. Thanks to Artoria… that pain only lasted for a moment. I feel much better now."
Irisviel forced a smile, her lips still pale.
"I see…"
Leon nodded in relief.
At the same time, he silently issued an order to Kariya. Having completed his assassination task, Kariya did not linger and immediately sank into the deep shadows beneath his feet, disappearing without a trace.
Lancer — eliminated.
At the same time, Leon heard Kiritsugu Emiya's voice through their communication.
Kiritsugu pointed out the locations of Assassin and Lancer's Master.
Leon's gaze briefly swept toward Assassin, then shifted to the rooftop where Kayneth stood.
"!!"
Hundred-Faced Hassan suddenly felt as if his eyes had met Saber's.
His whole body trembled.
"M–Master! Saber seems to have discovered me!"
"Do not panic," Kirei Kotomine replied calmly.
"If the enemy makes any move, I will immediately use a Command Seal to recall you. There is nothing to worry about."
Through their shared vision, Kirei briefly met Leon's gaze as well.
Those emerald-like eyes seemed to see through everything.
Calm.
Elegant.
The faint curve of Leon's smile carried a depth and mystery that was impossible to ignore.
Kingly Arthur Pendragon… what a respectable and terrifying hero, Kirei thought.
I wonder which of you is stronger—
You… or the King of Heroes, Gilgamesh.
At this moment, Kirei's curiosity reached its peak.
The unfinished clash between the King of Knights and the King of Heroes gnawed at his mind.
His brain practically trembled with anticipation.
Meanwhile—
Having lost his Servant, Kayneth was burning with rage.
He silently cursed Berserker and Berserker's Master, nearly stomping his feet in frustration.
Then—
Leon's gaze met his across the distance.
Leon's lips curled slightly.
His mouth formed silent words:
Found… you.
"—?!"
Kayneth instantly felt the suffocating sensation of being targeted by a lion.
Just as he tried to retreat—
Leon's figure vanished from the street.
"Damn—!"
A magic circle had just begun forming beneath Kayneth's feet.
Before he could even finish shouting—
Leon appeared directly in front of him.
STOMP!
Leon crushed the magic circle beneath his foot, cutting off Kayneth's escape.
Then he reached out to grab Kayneth by the throat.
BANG!
The grab failed.
Volumen Hydrargyrum automatically activated.
The mercury-like liquid metal instantly formed a perfect sphere around Kayneth, protecting him from every direction like a programmed defense system.
But against an opponent far stronger than himself—
This defensive method was no different from trapping himself in a cage.
"Oh?"
Leon raised an eyebrow.
"Impressive, Lancer's Master."
"But you didn't need to do this…"
As he spoke, Leon released Mana Burst.
The hand pressing against the mercury barrier pushed forward with overwhelming force, intending to rip Kayneth out of his "turtle shell."
Unexpectedly—
"Fervor, meus sanguis!
Boil, my blood!"
Kayneth's furious roar erupted from inside the sphere.
Before Leon could break it—
BOOM!!!
Volumen Hydrargyrum exploded outward like a bursting balloon.
Silver liquid metal scattered everywhere, instantly engulfing Leon.
The defensive shell transformed into a prison sphere, trapping Leon inside.
"I am the ninth head of the Archibald Family!"
"One of the Twelve Lords of the Clock Tower—"
"Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald!"
"How could I possibly die here—?!"
But before he could finish boasting—
CRACK.
CRACK.
The liquid metal surface filled with spreading fractures.
Not even 2.5 seconds had passed.
BOOOOOOM!!!!!
A golden beam of light erupted skyward.
All 10 liters of Volumen Hydrargyrum under Kayneth's control were completely vaporized.
Even as a Brand-ranked magus, second only to the highest Grand Rank, Kayneth felt utterly small and powerless before a top-tier Heroic Spirit.
Once, he had dismissed the Holy Grail War as a minor ritual in a remote region.
But now—
All his pride was crushed into dust by Leon's overwhelming power.
"AAAAAAH!"
Silver magical circuits flared across Kayneth's legs as he reinforced his body.
Screaming wildly, he leapt away in desperate escape.
For the continuation of my family!
For reaching the Root!
For Sola—!
I cannot die! I must not die!
Kayneth didn't even know whether he was driven by terror or sheer survival instinct.
He never looked back.
While fleeing, he poured mana into his body and deployed blocking magic circles along his path.
But—
All of it was futile.
After running only twenty-five meters, Leon caught up instantly.
Leon grabbed him from behind and lifted him like a chicken.
And just like that—
Kayneth's fiery determination collapsed into complete despair.
His pride.
His dignity.
His honor.
All had been effortlessly trampled by this Servant.
Back beside Irisviel and Artoria, Leon casually tossed Kayneth onto the ground.
The magus lay there like a lifeless salted fish.
"You might as well kill me," Kayneth said bitterly.
"Please stop humiliating me…"
"Huh?"
Leon blinked.
"What are you talking about?"
Irisviel stepped forward, about to explain—
BOOM!
A thunderous crash exploded in the sky.
A bolt of blue lightning struck down toward Leon's group.
Leon reflexively closed his eyes and pulled Irisviel into his arms to shield her.
At the same time—
Another smaller body also squeezed into his embrace.
"URAAAAA! URAAAA!"
A heroic, almost bovine battle cry echoed.
When the lightning faded and they opened their eyes—
They saw a flying chariot suspended in the air.
Standing atop it—
Iskandar, the King of Conquerors.
In his hand he held the limp figure of Kayneth like a salted fish.
Meanwhile his Master Waver Velvet clung tightly to Iskandar's leg like an accessory.
Waver nervously looked at Kayneth.
"Are… are you alright, Professor Kayneth?"
"Oh… it's you, Waver."
Kayneth glanced at him and forced himself upright slightly.
Then he slumped again.
"To think that I, Kayneth El-Melloi, would fall so low as to need rescue from my own student… how pathetic."
"Saber," Iskandar called out with a grin.
"I'll be taking this man with me. My Master here cried and begged me to save his teacher. Hahaha!"
"I didn't cry!" Waver protested with tiny fists.
But he avoided Kayneth's gaze guiltily.
"Waver…"
Kayneth looked at his most troublesome student.
His emotions were a tangled mess.
Embarrassment.
Frustration.
He had bragged about teaching them all a lesson—
And now things had turned out like this.
His pride had been slapped repeatedly.
He could hardly face the other students of the El-Melloi classroom ever again.
"Hahaha!"
"Saber, it seems we both have a habit of sparing the flowers on the battlefield."
"Our duel will have to wait for another day."
"But until then—"
"Don't lose to anyone else!"
Iskandar raised an eyebrow at Leon, who was currently holding two beautiful women in his arms.
Then he cracked the reins.
The chariot turned into a streak of blue lightning and vanished into the sky.
Its speed was even faster than the earlier Gordius Wheel.
"What do you think, Irisviel?" Leon asked.
"Should we stop them? They're still within my range."
He loosened his embrace and lightly swung the Holy Sword in his hand.
"Let them go, Leon."
"You've already consumed too much energy today."
"We can't place the entire burden of battle on you alone."
"After all… we are companions."
Irisviel gently shook her head.
She took out a snow-white handkerchief and softly wiped the dust and sweat from Leon's face.
"Let me do it, Irisviel."
Artoria stepped forward, reaching for the handkerchief.
But Irisviel turned slightly and avoided her.
"I'll do it."
"I'll do it," Artoria insisted.
"No need."
"I'll do it."
"No."
"I said I'll do it!"
Watching the two women argue back and forth, Leon sighed.
He tore the handkerchief neatly into two pieces.
"Then why don't you both do it? I can handle it."
The moment those words left his mouth—
Both Irisviel and Artoria suddenly flushed bright red.
"Pfft!"
Irisviel burst into laughter.
"Artoria, doesn't this make it look like we're fighting over Leon?"
"Not at all…" Artoria stammered.
Her face turned red like a boiling kettle.
She glanced at Leon, then hurriedly turned away, too embarrassed to meet his eyes.
"Oh my~ Artoria, you're blushing."
Irisviel suddenly hugged the smaller knight from behind, teasing her mischievously.
Then she winked knowingly at Leon.
Leon said nothing.
He simply smiled.
A notification suddenly appeared.
[Question: Would you like to perform today's sign-in?]
Has an entire night already passed? Leon thought.
[System Notification! Daily sign-in complete.]
[Congratulations. You have obtained: "Gift of Fate."]
Quality: One-time consumable
Description:
Death arrives.
Death leaves.
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