Chapter 72: Steel Apology
A silver-haired girl quietly sat on the wooden bench in the flowerbed.
The warm midday sunlight bathed her slender body, making her look gentle and divine.
She was the pseudo-Servant possessed by the Roman god Amour — Caren.
"So we meet again at last."
Kotomine Kirei turned to speak to Eikou's group.
"Sorry, after parting ways with you earlier, I stopped here for a bit to think about the next move."
The pseudo-Servant named Caren also seemed to have noticed the three pigs — or more precisely, the massive demon boar wearing a priest's stole.
But unlike those other girls, she didn't act overly excited or show obvious emotion. She simply sat quietly and politely on the bench.
Her golden eyes occasionally stole glances at the pigs.
"What's with that? Does she like pigs?" Eikou asked.
"I don't know," answered Father Kotomine.
"Then maybe she likes cute creatures?"
"I don't know that either."
"Damn you, isn't that your daughter? How do you not know anything?!"
"No. Before you is the Roman god Amour, and I am the heretical priest Rasputin. We have nothing to do with each other. As for the body the god borrowed to descend into, that's nothing more than a faint, distant memory. There's no reason for us to acknowledge one another."
"Oh, so now you remember you're Rasputin, huh? That line is absolute trash, I can't stand hearing it anymore!" Eikou cursed.
This bastard had just pulled out the one line everyone at Chaldea hated most — "This Spirit Origin of mine has nothing to do with that person, don't mistake me."
Eikou immediately grew serious inside — Kotomine Kirei truly wasn't just any ordinary scum.
While the two were busy arguing, Caren, who had been quietly observing, suddenly moved.
She casually took out a bag of chocolate.
It was real chocolate — the perfect snack to replenish energy and sugar!
The eyes of all three pigs instantly lit up, their bodies squirming with eager anticipation.
Even Kotomine Kirei — who usually only liked spicy food — struggled to restrain the gluttonous instincts of the demon boar within.
That's right, this beautiful girl clearly liked pigs; she was deliberately luring them closer, wasn't she?!
Sensing the burning hunger of his two teammates, Eikou immediately stepped forward.
"Wait, let me go first," he said. "No matter how you look at it, I'm the one women love the most in this group. I'll set an example for everyone!"
"You just want to hog all the chocolate for yourself, don't you! There's no way we'll let you have your way!" Artoria shouted angrily.
"Wait," Kotomine Kirei suddenly turned serious, "Caren Hortensia is my daughter. Of course, as her father, I should be the one to eat my daughter's food first. That's proper etiquette!"
"Oh, now you suddenly remember you're her father? No way, whoever comes first eats first!"
"That's my daughter showing filial piety to me. If you dare to snatch it from me, that's blasphemy!"
What the hell is wrong with this priest?! His personality is soaring further and further beyond human limits!
Boar Artoria also charged in: "I'm the one who has to win her favor. Let me show you my ultimate 'roll-over-cute-act' skill!"
Just as the three pigs charged toward Caren's chocolate bag — especially Kotomine Kirei with his massive body leading the way,
"Fufu..."
Caren — the girl who seemed so gentle and graceful — suddenly showed a wicked, sinister smile.
The chocolate in her hand suddenly revealed its true form — a bazooka.
"Eeek!!!"
The moment he saw that heavy weapon, Eikou broke out in a cold sweat. He panicked and braked hard, but was rammed from behind by Artoria, and the two crashed into each other.
"Artoria, run!"
He shouted frantically.
Caren smiled, shouldering the bazooka, aiming the barrel straight at the pigs.
More precisely — at the giant demon boar wearing the priest's stole.
"Die, you bastard father!!"
Caren… so she recognized that demon boar as her father?! But even so, she still pulled the trigger?!
No — it's exactly because she knows it's her father that she pulled the trigger even more decisively! These two are truly the "loving father and filial daughter" straight from hell!
BOOM——!!!
A deafening explosion roared, flames bursting into the air.
Kotomine Kirei was blown flying right in front of the two of them.
Eikou trembled all over from fear — if that shell had hit him, he would've been sent straight to the Throne of Heroes for sure.
Thankfully, Kotomine Kirei was now a thick-skinned, tough demon boar, so even after taking a direct hit, it wasn't enough to send him back to the Throne of Heroes.
Even so, that shell scared Kirei so much that he turned tail and ran.
He quickly joined Eikou and Artoria's retreat.
The three pigs ran for their lives, while Caren chased after them with the bazooka.
[You are being pursued by Ruler Amour.]
[To be precise, Kotomine Kirei is the target. You and Artoria are just collateral damage.]
"Can you not follow us? She's not even aiming at us in the first place!" — Eikou yelled.
"That's exactly why you two can help me block her firepower."
Kotomine replied,
"Eikou, I heard you have a high-level skill called 'Disaster With Women EX,' right? Now's the time to put it to use. If you can become the man she loves, she'll surely drop her hostility. Say no more, I give you permission to be together."
"Permission my ass! Acting like some strict father-in-law now? As if she even gives a damn about your opinion!"
This priest is hopeless — black through and through, inside and out!
And on top of that, just to save his own skin, he's trying to push Eikou to seduce his own daughter. This man's humanity is completely gone!
Eikou had a bad feeling that if he really became Caren's lover, he'd be tortured even more miserably.
Without overthinking it, he immediately used another skill.
A pig does not die with empty feet!
[You attempt to use the skill "A Knight Does Not Die with Empty Hands EX" on Kotomine Kirei.]
[Even though you've turned into a pig now, because this skill has reached EX-rank, it bypasses disadvantageous conditions and activates directly.]
"Don't even think about it! Die, you bastard priest!"
Eikou roared, grabbing tightly onto the other's hoof.
[You obtained the temporary weapon "Steel Apology."]
[You use Steel Apology as a decoy flare, throwing it forcefully in another direction, successfully drawing Caren's attention.]
[Taking advantage of that moment, you and Artoria quickly run away.]
[When the two of you finally run until you're out of breath, what awaits you is...]