Chapter 165: Dismantling the holy grail

The true names of Servants are considered strategic-level information. Each Servant's Noble Phantasm is derived from the heroic deeds of their lifetime, meaning that knowing a Servant's true name reveals their Noble Phantasm, allowing for targeted countermeasures.

This was precisely what Red Archer focused on. From the details shared by Sakura Matou, it seemed this particular magus knew the true names of all Servants participating in the Holy Grail War—effectively holding all his opponents' cards.

"You think I'd tell you how I know?" Li Mo asked, observing Red Archer's cold demeanor.

Red Archer had impressive acting skills. Li Mo mused internally—there was no way anyone wouldn't recognize Red Archer's true identity as "Emiya Shirou," with his past self standing right beside him. Yet here he was, pretending nothing was amiss—a testament to his talent. Compared to that, Li Mo felt his own acting fell short.

Li Mo's rhetorical question went unanswered, so he continued: "Never mind. Let me just say this: I've witnessed countless battles involving Heroic Spirits. Roughly speaking, hundreds of them."

"That's impossible. The Holy Grail War has only been held five times since its inception, and even accounting for duplicates, there couldn't be more than thirty-five summoned Heroic Spirits. How could anyone know over a hundred Servants? Even including alternate versions of the war, the number wouldn't exceed one hundred," Rin Tohsaka countered sternly.

"Rin, have you forgotten who your ancestor studied under?"

Rin froze at Li Mo's words. His statement immediately brought her thoughts back to the origins of the Tohsaka family. One of the three creators of the Greater Grail, **Tohsaka Nagato**, had a globally renowned mentor:

**Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg**. Known better by his titles—"**Wizard Marshal**" and "**Old Man of the Jewels**"—but most importantly, he was a True Magic user. He mastered the Second Magic: "Interference with Parallel Worlds."

At this realization, if Rin still didn't understand what Li Mo implied, she'd be foolish indeed.

"Parallel worlds… Are you a visitor from a parallel world?"

"As you wish to interpret it. Allow me to share a story. In one possible timeline where humanity faces extinction, guess what the Counter Force does?"

Rin hesitated slightly. A society on the brink of collapse? Could such a timeline exist?

Li Mo turned to Red Archer: "What do you think, red Archer?"

"In such circumstances, the Counter Force continuously dispatches Servants and even Heroic Spirits for assistance. Summoning hundreds of Servants isn't unusual when the survival of humanity is at stake."

For "justice." No one understood the patterns of the Counter Force better than Red Archer. At moments critical to human existence, the Counter Force acts to save, seizing any last lifeline. Heroic Spirits, as protective mechanisms, would appear one after another, eliminating both potential and manifest threats.

"Can something like this really happen? Then tell me, what's Archer's true name!" Rin demanded. She wasn't concerned about revealing her Servant's true name because she herself didn't know it. Learning through indirect means wasn't unacceptable.

"Hmm, I believe privacy should still be respected," Li Mo glanced at Red Archer and smiled.

Revealing Red Archer's identity now would spoil the fun. The more secrets he kept, the more intriguing it became. Reflecting on it, meeting his younger, awkward self might lead to delivering a punch or two, warning him not to embarrass himself further.

"Hmm? Don't you know?" Rin probed. Hadn't he readily revealed Saber's and Rider's true names? Why hesitate now with Archer? Was he lying?

"Not at all. I definitely know his true name—it's just that saying it would diminish the excitement. Perhaps Archer would even lash out in embarrassment. Here's a hint: his Noble Phantasm is a Reality Marble."

"Archer?"

Rin turned to her own Servant, who raised his hands innocently. "Master, my Noble Phantasm *should* be a Reality Marble."

"What do you mean 'should'? Why did my summoned Servant lose his memories? Are you two conspiring against me?"

"Far from it, Miss Tohsaka. Your panic is quite entertaining to us pranksters. Here's another clue: Heroic Spirits transcend time. Heroes recorded in ancient texts, existing in the past, can become Servants. But what about those who haven't yet achieved heroism—or even heroes from the future? They too can appear in this Holy Grail War. Anonymous doesn't always mean unknown; perhaps they're simply unnamed *for now*," Li Mo explained.

With this revelation, Rin looked anew at her Servant, sensing he was hiding something.

"Well… Can we set aside your issues with your Servant for later? Miss Tohsaka, both Miss Matou and Mr. Emiya have expressed their opinions. What about you?"

"I see. Then let's form a temporary alliance. What's our goal? Should we eliminate other Masters first, starting with Berserker?" Last night's encounter with Berserker left Rin acutely aware of his power.

"Ilya? She's Shirou Emiya's older sister and someone worth trying to reason with. When you meet her, use Kiritsugu Emiya as a topic to stall her. For now, though, it's late. Let's rest. I'll head back up the mountain. If you need anything, feel free to visit. Miss Matou, when you have time, come up as well—Medea believes your body requires some adjustment to recover fully."

Li Mo stood, cracked his neck, and added thoughtfully:

"Our temporary alliance has been established. There are currently five Servants within this coalition."

"You still haven't answered! What's the purpose of this alliance? What's our target?" Rin pressed urgently.

"For now… We'll discuss it tonight. Rest during the day. As for the goal, isn't it obvious?"

Li Mo lowered his voice: 

"—Of course, it's dismantling the Greater Grail!" 

Though the idea had only recently formed, Li Mo spoke with unwavering confidence. Since the Greater Grail was polluted, leaving it intact would only bring calamity. Thus, doing humanity a favor meant destroying it—to safeguard the people of Fuyuki City.