Chapter 136: A Contract

The first to be struck was the chest. Atrum Galliasta's chest was slashed diagonally from the upper left to the lower right, the flesh easily cut open, and his ribs severed. His still-beating heart was now exposed to the air.

Blood gushed out. How many arteries had been severed? It was impossible to count.

Next was his right arm. From the shoulder down, his entire right arm was severed. It was the arm that bore his Command Seals.

Atrum wanted to scream, to call for his Servant, who was right behind him, but his throat could no longer produce sound. The moment his right arm was severed, his throat had been cut.

"It's been a while since I've cut a neck. I'm a bit rusty."

The one holding the blade was a young man, dressed in modern casual clothes that made it hard to discern his origins.

Li Mo smiled, his eyes fixed on the magus who had just been declared dead.

"Your workshop was indeed a bit hard to find. But once I found it, I couldn't help but laugh. Your workshop's concealment method was to completely hide it, but the flow of mana from the greater source was always there. Your workshop actually disrupted the flow of mana from the greater source.

It's like a wide river with a rock blocking its flow. Of course, it would look strange.

By the way, kidnapping children in Fuyuki City? Are you an idiot? Oh, you probably didn't know this. Actually, a few of the children you transported from elsewhere died at sea due to negligence. The person in charge was afraid of you, so they contacted the local yakuza and had a few children kidnapped from Fuyuki City to make up for it."

Li Mo recounted the story. Before coming to the workshop, he had been moving around Fuyuki City, even clashing with the local yakuza.

He would have to deal with the yakuza again later, which gave him a headache.

The instigator of all this was now counting down to his death. The arm that had borne the Command Seals was now in Li Mo's hand.

Looking up at the refining workshop, the two researchers in biohazard suits had already retreated to a corner, raising their hands in a standard "surrender" gesture. Then there was the woman standing on the platform.

The figure hidden under the hood was enough for Li Mo to confirm her identity.

"Caster, how about making a contract with me?"

Li Mo said.

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Atrum's workshop was located beneath a luxurious mansion. This property had been purchased by Atrum specifically for this purpose. Otherwise, such extensive modifications wouldn't have been possible.

"Caster, you agreed just like that?"

Li Mo and Caster sat in a café, with the police station right across the street. The missing children had been retrieved from the workshop and handed over to the police by Li Mo.

The children were all locals of Fuyuki City, and the police would handle returning them to their families. The remaining children, however, were more troublesome. As for the people who had assisted Atrum, Li Mo had temporarily detained them. They still had some value to extract.

But Li Mo had more important matters to attend to.

Namely, forming a contract with Caster.

Originally, Li Mo had thought he would need to spend some time convincing her. But Medea had agreed almost immediately.

"The Command Seals from your previous Master are right there. You can just issue a command."

"But I don't know how to use them…" Li Mo muttered. "The mysteries I've studied are different from modern magecraft foundations."

"I know. Modern magi can't see the mana from the greater source. They rely on some internal organ to access it. But you can see the mana from the greater source."

Medea said.

In the workshop, she had heard him say that he had located the workshop by observing the flow of mana from the greater source. Thinking about it, the concealment spells used in the workshop had indeed been too rigid.

Li Mo said, "So, let's be honest with each other and form a proper contract, okay? After all, we'll be fighting side by side. It's better to cooperate willingly than to force it. Caster, do you have enough mana right now?"

They sat in the café, but a bounded field had already been set up. A small area had been turned into a simple "otherworld," preventing ordinary people from hearing their conversation.

"I can sustain myself for a while… I've already agreed. What else do you want to know?"

Does he know I'm Medea? Is that why he's wary of me?

A sense of weariness washed over Medea. As the heroic tales of Jason spread, so too did the story of Medea.

She hated it.

"Well… I just killed your former Master. I thought you might feel a bit conflicted about that," Li Mo said.

Not long ago, you killed his superior, and now you're smiling and saying, "Come work with me." Li Mo felt it was a bit strange… Even though Medea would later break her contract with the Oil Baron.

But Medea hadn't yet formed a contract with the Oil Baron…

"No, I already had issues with him before you arrived."

"Then, Miss Caster, may I ask why you're participating in the Holy Grail War?"

"What about you, my Master?"

"Hmm… I'm not sure yet. For now, I just want to participate in the Holy Grail War. For me, participating is more important than winning."

"Do you know my identity?"

"Huh? Would you prefer I call you by your name? Miss Medea."

So he does know my true name?

"Aren't you worried about me?"

"Why should I be?" Li Mo said. "Miss Medea, could you elaborate?"

"Aren't you worried I'll betray you?"

Medea said.

She felt like she was going mad. Why had she asked such a question directly? Why was she even asking this?

She couldn't understand…

The young man in front of her, barely in his twenties, always had a faint smile that gave off a sense of reassurance. Like a man shielding his family from the storm.

"Huh? Why should I worry about something that hasn't happened yet?" Li Mo said sincerely. "Trust is something that needs to be built and maintained over time. Miss Medea, I'll ask you again: Will you become my Servant?"

Medea looked at Li Mo's outstretched hand and, after a moment of silence, said, "My answer remains the same. I will."

She took Li Mo's hand.

Then, the contract was formed. The Command Seals that had belonged to Atrum were stripped away by Medea, and in this temporary otherworld, the contract was finalized.

At that moment, a system screen appeared before Li Mo.

"Scenario: Fate/stay night – Fuyuki City."

"Activated Clear Condition: Survive until the end of the Holy Grail War."

Li Mo's smile grew even wider.

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Let me know if you need further refinements or additional translations! 😊