Typemoon: Starting Out as the Lion King's Personal Knight [284]

Although the Holy Grail War was established as a grand magical ritual by the Three Founding Families, other forces have also left their mark on it.

For instance, the Eighth Sacrament Assembly of the Holy Church.

Artifacts imbued with sanctity, such as the relics and blood of saints, the nails used in Christ's crucifixion, and the thirty silver coins received by Judas, are collectively known as holy relics.

To retrieve and manage these scattered relics across the world, the Holy Church established a special task force—the Eighth Sacrament Assembly.

Their involvement in the Fuyuki Holy Grail War stems from the name "Holy Grail" itself. The Holy Church intervened in the war to verify whether the Grail was truly the legendary Holy Grail, and their designated role in this war was to clean up.

Their responsibility is to uphold the principle that "Mysteries Should Be Concealed", erasing all traces of the war from the memories of Fuyuki's citizens and any physical records.

However, with the advancement of modern technology and the increasing scale of the war, this cleanup operation has grown ever more difficult.

As the successor to Kotomine Risei, and likewise an executor of the Eighth Sacrament Assembly, Kotomine Kirei witnessed a blackened star blooming over Fuyuki on the second twilight of the Holy Grail War.

This was not a vision granted by Assassin, nor intelligence gathered through intermediaries. No, Kotomine Kirei saw it with his own eyes—the radiance of that ominous star.

The scale of this black light was not vast, merely the size of a single building—perhaps comparable to a Hyatt Hotel.

Yet even so, it was the singular, overwhelming presence over Fuyuki City.

The dark halo devoured all visible matter, not only obliterating physical objects but seemingly consuming even light itself.

Though it had not yet formed an accretion disk, the sheer luminosity of that energy transcended all else.

And this was merely the release of someone's magical energy.

"Who is he fighting?"

This thought crossed Kotomine Kirei's mind. The wielder of that black radiance was undoubtedly Alaric, a man who had visited the church multiple times.

A participant in the Holy Grail War, the Master of Caster, Merlin, and a Knight of the Round Table from a parallel world—

All these titles seemed more plausible now that the King of Heroes, Gilgamesh, had acknowledged the authenticity of Alaric's parallel world traversal.

Regardless of the details, the second battle of the Holy Grail War had begun in Fuyuki City, with Alaric displaying absolute dominance.

This spectacle was witnessed by all Masters in Fuyuki, surpassing even the previous night's attention-grabbing display when Lancer Diarmuid Ua Duibhne unleashed his magical energy to draw other Servants into battle.

Several magi, who had distributed familiars throughout the city, also immediately noticed the battle at the Hyatt Hotel.

Even though they couldn't determine the exact cause of Alaric's overwhelming magical outburst, they all knew one thing—

They could not afford to ignore this battle!

...

Boom!!

The Hyatt Hotel continued to collapse. Countless fragments of rubble melted under the scorching heat of the black light, liquefying into molten metal that cascaded downward.

With the destruction of all footholds, Alaric and Diarmuid Ua Duibhne seemingly plummeted toward the earth together.

"We will settle this on the ground!"

Diarmuid Ua Duibhne quickly analyzed the situation. He had noticed Alaric's gaze shift toward Kayneth, realizing that Alaric's true goal was either Kayneth or something else entirely.

As Kayneth's Servant, Diarmuid may have enjoyed the battle, but he couldn't allow Alaric to succeed.

The sheer magnitude of Alaric's magical energy release was staggering. If that energy reached the ground unchecked, Diarmuid could imagine the catastrophic destruction it would cause.

And beyond that—Alaric had yet to reveal the awe-inspiring "Gate of Holy Judgment" he had used the previous night.

"I can do this!"

Pushing his abilities to their limit, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne steeled himself.

Even if Alaric unleashed the Gate of Holy Judgment, he believed he could withstand it!

Just as Diarmuid was preparing for the battle upon landing, he heard the resonant hum of the air.

To Diarmuid's shock, a pair of cold, steel wings took form at Alaric's back, materializing at astonishing speed.

When fully unfurled, those wings of steel spanned several meters, exuding a lethal aura so intense that Diarmuid felt as if he were facing a demonic dragon.

Bathed in the twilight glow, Alaric seemed to stride forth from the end of the world, his presence overwhelming and inescapable.

"He can fly?!"

Despite his shock, Diarmuid did not let the sudden manifestation of Alaric's steel wings cloud his judgment.

This was the worst possible scenario.

Alaric with flight capabilities would not fall to the ground with him. Worse still—he could now directly attack Kayneth Archibald El-Melloi!

And just as Diarmuid feared—

Without another word to Diarmuid, Alaric activated his steel wings, pouring magical energy into their thrusters. The resulting terrifying propulsion not only allowed him to hover but also granted him the ability to maneuver with precision!

Vwoom!

In mere moments—before even a fraction of a second had passed—Alaric closed the short distance to the trio encased in Volumen Hydrargyrum, Kayneth's Mercury Mystic Code.

Instead of using his Mystic Eyes of Death Perception to dismantle the Mercury Shell, Alaric simply punched it with overwhelming force.

The sheer impact sent the Mercury Sphere hurtling downward at breakneck speed, crashing into the street below with a deafening roar!

Following close behind, Alaric landed and immediately ripped open the Mercury defense, exposing Kayneth and his fiancée, Sola-Ui, before him!

Everything happened too fast—even Volumen Hydrargyrum's automatic defenses failed to react in time.

Inside, Kayneth, disoriented from the sudden fall, could barely process what had happened.

Faced with the man who had torn apart Volumen Hydrargyrum, he couldn't even muster a spell—

"Good evening, Lord Kayneth."

As always, Alaric greeted Kayneth with a smile and then laughed:

"Well then—farewell."

Before his words had even finished—Alaric's hand shot toward Little Red Riding Hood!

Vwoom!

The air howled—a crimson spear streaked forward like a bolt of red lightning, piercing through the atmosphere with unstoppable momentum.

This was none other than one of Diarmuid Ua Duibhne's legendary weapons—Gáe Dearg, the Red Rose of Exorcism!

Though Diarmuid could not reach Kayneth in time, if he could at least interrupt Alaric's action, it would be a success!

This was not a precise spear strike but rather a raw, violent projection of power—a technique akin to that of Ireland's Child of Light, the legendary Cu Chulainn.

The sheer force of the spear's flight split the air apart, leaving a blinding wake.

Now granted infinite magical energy, Diarmuid's full-powered throw elevated Gáe Dearg to the level of a Noble Phantasm!

Even Alaric couldn't take this attack lightly. If he continued reaching for Little Red Riding Hood, he'd be struck directly by Gáe Dearg!

"Will he dodge? Or use a defensive Noble Phantasm?"

Yet, as Diarmuid watched—his pupils contracted.

Alaric didn't dodge.

Nor did he defend.

Instead, he completely ignored Gáe Dearg, continuing to reach for Little Red Riding Hood—as if intending to take the spear's full force head-on!

"Is he planning to block my magic-piercing spear with his bare body?!"

In that instant—Gáe Dearg struck Alaric's side, just as his fingertips brushed against Little Red Riding Hood's neck!

Boom!

A terrifying impact exploded, and the howling air currents turned into a storm raging through the streets. However, Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald and his fiancée, Sola-Ui Nuaba-Re Sophia-Ri, easily withstood the storm's effects thanks to their innate defensive magic.

And because of this, they were able to witness—

A man who, despite being struck by the demonic spear, remained completely unharmed.

Even from Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald's perspective, that anti-magic crimson rose was an impressive magical artifact with immensely powerful effects.

Combined with Diarmuid Ua Duibhne's mastery, it was a force to be reckoned with. Moreover, the current Diarmuid was fighting in his strongest, peak condition when he threw the crimson rose.

Given its power, even a Servant would struggle to withstand it—

Yet, an unexpected event unfolded before their very eyes.

The one Kayneth saw as a formidable foe, the enemy he had to defeat—Alaric—was struck on the side by Diarmuid's full-force throw of the anti-magic crimson rose. Yet, he remained completely unharmed—not even a slight tremor in his stance.

With an almost casual motion, he caught the falling crimson rose and, at the same time, lifted the motionless Little Red Riding Hood with one hand!

One hand clenched around the crimson rose, the other gripping Little Red Riding Hood, Alaric rose to his feet, dispersing the reconstructed steel wings in the process.

The wings, initially in the shape of dragon-like structures on either side, reformed on one side of Alaric's body into a massive thruster, colliding with the force of the crimson rose's attack.

Even though he was subjected to equal force from both sides, Alaric didn't even waver.

With perfect ease, he had obtained Little Red Riding Hood.

This should have been a moment worth celebrating—

Yet, Alaric furrowed his brows, his gaze locked onto Little Red Riding Hood in his hands.

Beyond what Merlin had told him, this was his first time coming into direct contact with it, allowing him to sense the intangible force interfering with his will—or rather—

Desire.

Alaric, having experienced multiple instances of his desires intensifying, recognized this feeling all too well. If this desire continued to grow unchecked, it would eventually crush his rationality. Losing control would only lead to his destruction.

'As expected, this thing is dangerous.'

The amplification of desire was one thing, but what truly caught Alaric's attention was the deeper truth within Little Red Riding Hood. The seemingly infinite cycle of magical energy wasn't generated by some internal core—it was because Little Red Riding Hood itself was the core.

'A being similar to the Holy Grail… Does this mean it also has a wish-granting function?'

Alaric was deeply curious—could this Little Red Riding Hood grant wish? The Holy Grail system constructed by the Einzberns, Tohsaka, and Matou families ultimately produced a Grail that could grant wishes, though that was merely an additional effect. The true goal was to open the Root and achieve the recreation of the Third Magic.

Even if Little Red Riding Hood couldn't open the Root, as long as it could grant wishes, it would still be an immensely powerful artifact.

However, before Alaric could further analyze the nature of Little Red Riding Hood, another yellow demonic spear came hurtling toward him, exceeding the speed of sound, aiming directly for the arm gripping Little Red Riding Hood with absolute precision!

Sensing the danger in advance, Alaric instinctively used the anti-magic crimson rose to block the attack. The clash of the two magical spears resounded with an astonishing metallic shriek.

Though the first strike failed, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne did not relent. Taking advantage of his short spear, he swiftly closed the distance between himself and Alaric, locking the crimson rose in place to prevent Alaric from adjusting his stance for a counterattack.

Faced with Diarmuid's relentless assault, Alaric seemed almost uninterested. Even when retaliating with the crimson rose, his attacks appeared weak in Diarmuid's eyes.

At this close range—so close that even an outstretched arm wouldn't separate them—

Without hesitation, Diarmuid decisively swung the Gae Buidhe, the Yellow Rose of Mortality!

At this distance, even Alaric wouldn't be able to dodge!

The spear, gleaming like a bolt of yellow lightning, surged forward—only to encounter the only obstruction in this second life—

Alaric glanced sideways, staring at Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, who wielded Gae Buidhe. No matter how much strength was exerted, the demonic spear that had already touched Alaric's skin could not pierce any further.

Indeed, Gae Buidhe was a cursed spear that inflicted wounds that could never heal. Anyone struck by it could only be freed from its curse through the destruction of the spear or the death of its wielder.

However, if no wound was inflicted in the first place, then the curse of unhealable wounds could never take effect.

"You truly are strong—"

Diarmuid Ua Duibhne met Alaric's gaze head-on, speaking with complete candor. Yet, his expression was exceptionally serious.

"Unwinnable."

That was the only thought running through Diarmuid Ua Duibhne's mind at that moment.