Thud! Thud! Thud!
As though gravity meant nothing, Leon sprinted along the vertical wall at incredible speed.
Every familiar that lunged at him—
Fell to a single slash of his sword.
"..."
Caster—Gilles de Rais—said nothing.
He simply continued summoning more monsters.
But as Leon carved through them with unstoppable momentum, Gilles realized he could no longer rely on the terrain to wear him down.
The yellow-bound Prelati's Spellbook in his hands erupted with black-violet light.
Without hesitation, he summoned a colossal Sea Demon over ten meters tall, its body covered in writhing purple-black tentacles.
The instant it appeared, the creature burst through the walls of the alley.
Opening its massive maw—
It swallowed Gilles, Ryunosuke...
And Rin.
"Mr. Knight!"
In the final instant before the Sea Demon's jaws snapped shut, Rin desperately stretched a hand toward the lone sliver of light outside.
Praying...
Begging to be saved.
Then the darkness consumed her.
But the very next moment—
A brilliant golden blade pierced the darkness.
Light flooded in.
Ryunosuke stared in stunned disbelief.
Gilles' enormous eyes contracted violently.
"Saber!"
"You madman!"
"Excalibur!!"
Light...
Warm, boundless light...
Filled Rin's entire world.
When she came back to her senses—
She felt strangely weightless.
Then gravity pulled her downward.
Something remained tucked safely in her arms...
Before she landed gently against a broad, warm chest.
"Are you all right, Princess?"
Rin slowly opened her eyes.
The first thing she saw was the face of the man she would never forget.
Short golden hair.
Gentle emerald eyes.
A faint, reassuring smile that seemed to warm the heart the moment one looked at him.
Leon was carrying her in a princess carry.
Using the momentum of his leap, he glided through the night sky above Fuyuki.
Dozens of meters below them, the city's lights stretched out like a sea of stars.
"What's your name?"
"...That's a secret."
"So stingy..."
"Are you sure you're okay?"
"Huh?"
Rin blinked in confusion.
Leon lowered his gaze, silently gesturing toward what she was holding.
Rin looked down.
Only then did she realize—
She was still hugging what appeared to be Ryunosuke's severed arm.
Blood continued dripping from the charred stump.
"Eeeeeeeeeek!!"
Rin unleashed a scream powerful enough to shake the entire world.
She immediately hurled the arm as far away as she could.
A short while later—
Leon landed atop a nearby rooftop.
Just as he was about to set Rin down—
She stubbornly grabbed the front of his armor and refused to let go.
"My legs are numb."
"You have to take responsibility."
"...Very well."
"Until you can walk again..."
"I'll take responsibility for you, Princess."
Rin nodded in satisfaction.
Resting her cheek lightly against Leon's silver armor, she blushed faintly.
"My name is Rin."
"Rin Tohsaka."
"I'm Saber."
"Hmph."
"I'll figure out your real name someday!"
"Oh!"
Suddenly remembering something, Rin looked up worriedly.
"Did those two monsters die?"
"...About that."
Leon was just about to answer—
When the communicator in his pocket rang.
He answered immediately.
Artoria's and Irisviel's voices came through the line.
"Leon."
"Caster and his Master escaped by diving into the sea."
"We couldn't clearly see Caster's condition..."
"But his Master is in terrible shape."
"Heavy blood loss."
"Moderate burns."
"He probably doesn't have much time left."
"I understand."
"They're probably heading back to one of their hideouts."
"I'm on my way."
Leon ended the call.
Rin immediately pouted.
"So they didn't die after all..."
"Rin."
"Your father entrusted us with rescuing you."
"I'm taking you back to the Tohsaka Mansion."
"No!"
"I don't want to go back!"
"I want to stay with you!"
She wrapped both arms tightly around Leon's neck.
Her little legs kicked indignantly through the air.
Leon raised an eyebrow.
Then he leaned close to her ear.
His voice became as soft as a devil's whisper.
"The Holy Grail War isn't a game."
"It's a battlefield where anything goes."
"And your father's Servant happens to be my strongest rival."
"Are you certain you want to stay by my side?"
"Aren't you afraid..."
"...that I might eat you?"
"N-Not at all!"
Although Rin instinctively shrank back, she stubbornly puffed out her chest.
"You certainly are brave."
"But remember..."
"Not every Servant is as easy to talk to as I am."
Leon smiled and vigorously ruffled her hair.
Elsewhere...
Rider's Group
"Excellent!"
"There's residual magical energy here."
"Looks like we've found the right place, Master!"
Driving the Gordius Wheel, Iskandar brought Waver to the entrance of an abandoned drainage tunnel.
The cavernous darkness resembled the open jaws of a demon.
Black-violet magical energy drifted in and out of the tunnel, creating an overwhelming sense of dread.
"Let's charge in!"
Iskandar was already preparing to storm inside—
When Waver suddenly threw both arms around one of Iskandar's massive bronze-colored arms.
"Wait!"
"The enemy is Caster!"
"I know."
"No, you don't!"
For once, Waver shouted with genuine force.
"Casters have the greatest advantage when defending their territory!"
"What kind of idiot charges straight into their stronghold?"
"And we're here to rescue hostages!"
"If we force them into a corner and they kill the children, won't we have made everything worse?"
"It's not just Rin Tohsaka."
"There are countless other children waiting to be rescued."
"...True."
Iskandar slowed the chariot slightly.
"But battlefields change constantly."
"If we've found the enemy's location and hesitate..."
"We may regret it forever once they escape."
"Precisely because we're rescuing people..."
"...we must strike before they can react."
"Victory belongs to those who seize the initiative."
"Never place your hopes in the enemy's mercy."
"Take control with your own hands."
"...All right."
Waver sighed.
"You convinced me."
"But why are you so fired up tonight?"
"Isn't it obvious?"
As the Gordius Wheel rolled deeper into the darkness, occasional flashes of lightning illuminated the tunnel ahead.
Iskandar spoke solemnly.
"No matter the era..."
"Children are the world's greatest treasure."
"Armies."
"Farms."
"Architecture."
"Trade."
"The future of every civilization rests upon the children who inherit it."
"Anyone who seeks to destroy that future..."
"...deserves no forgiveness."
For the first time since meeting him—
Waver saw unmistakable killing intent in Iskandar's eyes.
Caster's atrocities had genuinely enraged the King of Conquerors.
I can't hold him back.
With that determination, Waver slapped both cheeks hard.
The sting sharpened his focus.
He carefully observed every shadow around them.
The chariot wheels rolled over something thick and sticky.
A nauseating squelching sound echoed beneath them.
Waver forced himself not to imagine what it was.
But the smell of rust...
And rotting flesh...
Invaded his nostrils regardless.
He could only clamp both hands over his mouth, desperately fighting the urge to vomit.
"Something's wrong."
Iskandar frowned deeply.
Suddenly—
Countless tentacled familiars emerged from the darkness ahead.
Without slowing down, Iskandar snapped the reins.
CRACK!
The Gordius Wheel thundered forward like a bolt of lightning.
The monsters exploded apart on impact like fragile tofu.
"Rider!"
"What happened?"
Waver clung desperately to Iskandar's leg to avoid being thrown from the rapidly accelerating chariot.
"I can't hear anything except those familiars."
"Caster and his Master have probably already abandoned this base."
Without another word, Iskandar drove at full speed.
Soon—
The tunnel opened into an enormous underground chamber.
The light was so dim that Waver could barely make out anything.
"Is this..."
"A reservoir?"
"..."
"Rider?"
"Kid..."
"I don't think you should look."
Iskandar's broad back completely blocked Waver's view.
"What are you talking about?"
"If Caster's gone, then we should at least search for clues!"
"We need to figure out where he went..."
"And why he's kidnapping all those children!"
Having already lost any hope of earning Tokiomi's promised Command Seal, Waver refused to leave empty-handed.
"Maybe you're right."
"But..."
"You really shouldn't."
"This isn't something you can bear."
Iskandar's voice had become unusually heavy.
All traces of his earlier confidence had vanished.
"Oh, shut up!"
Ignoring the warning, Waver pulled two capsule-like Mystic Codes from his pocket.
After channeling magical energy into them—
He threw them forward.
Soft green light spread throughout the underground chamber.
Waver jumped off the chariot.
The instant his feet touched the ground—
They sank into something wet and soft.
He nearly lost his balance.
Some unknown liquid splashed onto his face.
Looking down—
He saw internal organs scattered across the floor.
Livers.
Intestines.
Hearts.
Everything had been torn apart as though by wild beasts.
Yet arranged with disturbing intent—
Like offerings in some ancient sacrificial ritual.
"W-What..."
"...is all this?"
His voice trembled.
Gathering every ounce of courage he possessed—
Waver slowly looked up.
His pupils contracted violently.
Before him unfolded a scene of horror that would haunt him for the rest of his life.
"BLEEEGH!!"
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