The End of the First Night

A few dozen minutes later, on the surface.

Upon seeing Naoki and Mordred emerge from underground, especially Mordred, Gray—or rather, Jeanne—widened her eyes like bronze bells.

"Red Saber, you… no, you're not a Saber anymore?!"

Jeanne could see all Servant information, a special privilege of a Ruler. But now, she could no longer view Mordred's details.

Mordred didn't hide it, nodding. "Yeah, for personal reasons, I went straight to the Holy Grail and wished for a physical body."

"Straight to the Holy Grail? The Holy Grail War hasn't ended yet. That should only be possible after the war concludes and the final winner is decided—"

"Don't be so rigid, Ruler. Haven't you already figured out the outcome of this Holy Grail War?" Mordred grinned, patting Jeanne's head. "With me, Master, and this shiny golden lady here, neither the Black nor Red Faction can stand against us. Claiming the Holy Grail is just a matter of time, so making a wish early isn't a big deal!"

"But that's clearly against the rules!"

"What's the problem? Bending the rules once in a while isn't impossible!"

"No means no!"

"Alright, alright, Jeanne." Naoki stepped between them, separating the two. "Even if Jeanne says it's not allowed, Little Mo's already got a physical body. Are we supposed to send her back? Exceptions in the Holy Grail War aren't exactly rare, right?"

"Ugh…"

Naoki's words left Jeanne momentarily speechless. Indeed, Mordred had already obtained a physical body. No matter how much she protested, she couldn't undo it or punish her for it.

Besides…

'Miss Jeanne, I'm sorry. Big Brother often does things beyond reason like this. If possible, please bear with it.'

Gray apologized to her inwardly.

Sighing in resignation, Jeanne glared at Naoki. "Fine… but it mustn't happen again! Next time, please don't ever break the rules!"

"Okay, okay, I promise it won't happen again."

Mordred laughed as she answered, but from her expression, Jeanne was 100% certain that given the chance, she'd do something like this again!

No wonder this Master and Servant were paired!

"By the way, Jeanne, what's the status of the Black Faction?" Naoki asked. "With only three Servants left, continuing the fight against the Red Faction is clearly irrational. Are they planning to surrender?"

"About that…"

Earlier, while Naoki and Mordred went to the Greater Holy Grail's location, Jeanne had spoken with the Black Faction's Masters.

Of the six Black Faction Masters, only four remained: Chiron's Master, Frankenstein's Master, Astolfo's Master, and Avicebron's Master. Among them, only the first two were still conscious.

Gordes had been crushed by Naoki as the golem's core, while Darnic perished under the residual effects of Moon Fall. Astolfo's and Avicebron's Masters were also completely unconscious for the same reason and hadn't woken up yet.

The one who negotiated with Jeanne was Chiron's Master, Fiore Forvedge Yggdmillennia.

"The Yggdmillennia Clan was just wiped out by Miss Angelica." Jeanne said, glancing at Angelica. "Originally, the Yggdmillennia Clan planned to retreat temporarily, regroup, and return to the battlefield. But Black Rider's Master was somewhat irrational, issuing an attack order with a Command Spell, and the result was their complete annihilation by Miss Angelica."

"My task from Naoki-sama was to protect Gray-sama." Angelica said. "I judged that the situation could have endangered Gray-sama, so I eliminated them."

Naoki couldn't help but give a wry smile. "Your hands are quick… But good, that means the Black Faction only has Assassin left. They're essentially defeated. What about the Black Faction's Masters?"

"They've all been moved to a safe location."

"So…"

Naoki glanced at the entrance to the Greater Holy Grail's location behind him. "For now, we control the Greater Holy Grail. Next up is the offensive and defensive battle for the Holy Grail?"

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

Inside Sighișoara Church.

"—It seems the Greater Holy Grail has fallen into Master Naoki's hands."

After learning about Jack the Ripper from Atalanta and Achilles and finalizing their strategy, Amakusa belatedly realized this.

"Heading straight for the Holy Grail after such a massive battle… Wouldn't the Black Faction's Servants try to stop them?"

"That's assuming they still have any strength left. The second Moon Fall should've completely crippled them, and their Masters likely too." Amakusa said, frowning. "This is truly the worst-case scenario. Master Naoki is an utterly unpredictable variable."

Amakusa had planned to seize the Greater Holy Grail for 60 years, painstakingly gathering Semiramis's holy relics, preparing materials for the Hanging Gardens, and hiding in the church to secure resources. Until now, everything was set—just a few more days of prayer, and the Hanging Gardens would be complete, allowing them to reclaim the Greater Holy Grail.

Who could've predicted Naoki, the greatest variable of all?

"What now, Master?" Semiramis asked. "Facing an existence beyond all standards like him, will you still fight?"

"Of course."

Amakusa's answer held no trace of doubt. Since meeting him, Semiramis had never seen him waver.

"It's just that the enemy has shifted from the Yggdmillennia Clan to Natsukawa Naoki. Since this is the Holy Grail War, battles between Masters are inevitable. Assassin, please continue building the Hanging Gardens as planned. Once it's complete, head immediately to reclaim the Greater Holy Grail."

"You seem very confident."

"I just don't want to give up so easily."

Red Saber would be held off by Atalanta; the woman named Angelica would face Karna. Depending on the situation, Achilles might join in; meanwhile, Naoki would be dealt with by Semiramis and Shakespeare.

This tactical arrangement should pose no issues.

As for the Ruler who shared his role…

'I won't let you stop me, Ruler.'