Irisviel, being a homunculus and the Lesser Grail, possessed excellent Magic Circuits, so she could bear Command Spells.
Saber was also surprised by this scene, "Ruler, this is...?"
Yusei smiled and explained, "As you can see, this is a reward for the Masters who followed my instructions and honestly kept their appointment."
"I am the Ruler of this Holy Grail War. The rules are set by me, and fairness is adjudicated by me. Just as I can grant each of you a Command Spell now, I can also directly disqualify any faction that does not conform to my rules."
"Therefore, please do not ignore my suggestions, and abide by the regulations I establish. Thank you for your cooperation."
These words were heard not only by Tokiomi, Kirei, and Irisviel sitting inside the Holy Church but also by the other factions who had sent familiars.
Just as Yusei finished speaking, the church door opened, and a gaunt old man walked in with a sinister smile.
"My apologies, these old legs aren't what they used to be, so I'm a bit slow. I trust I'm not considered late?"
Tokiomi saw the newcomer, his eyes narrowing slightly, but then he relaxed, paying no further mind, and continued silently looking at the back of his hand.
Currently, the Ruler's usefulness was far greater than he had imagined. The Ruler could actually force factions that didn't conform to his rules to directly withdraw from the war.
Thinking about it, if they could build a good relationship with the Ruler, wouldn't the Holy Grail War be practically in the bag?
Conversely, if they earned the Ruler's displeasure, it would be despair-inducing. Being directly penalized and forced to withdraw would mean waiting another sixty years.
Yusei watched Matou Zouken slowly take a seat, merely giving him a sweeping glance without further comment.
"A reminder: the Command Spell reward is no longer available. Let's set aside the issue of lateness for now. Secondly, my invitation explicitly stated that I wanted you to come in person. Sending a body composed of a pile of foul-smelling insects is not within the scope of my invitation."
"Is that so? This old one's body is frail and can only rely on these lovely insects for assistance. Even if you dislike it, there's nothing to be done."
Yusei directly ignored him and didn't engage further. Instead, he looked up at the church ceiling and shouted, "Aren't you coming out?"
There was no response. Just as Yusei was about to say something else, a thunderous roar sounded, followed by the loud bellowing of cattle. A chariot speeding through the air directly smashed through the Holy Church's doors and stopped at the entrance.
"Idiot! It's all your fault! We're already late! It's 7:10 now! Weren't you the one who said Rulers are always very rigid? Now we're ten minutes late! Will he be very angry?!"
"Ah, well, I didn't know that either. But there's no helping it. On the path of conquest, there's always some distance to cover. Needing time is unavoidable."
"In the end, it was because you had to finish that video game! This is a war, the Holy Grail War! Please take it seriously!"
On the chariot, a tall and a short figure were extremely conspicuous, seemingly engaged in a heated argument. However, it looked more like the short one was lecturing the big guy.
As he hit and yelled, the tall figure seemed to grow impatient listening and simply flicked his finger against the short one's forehead.
The slender figure instantly flew in an arc, landing right in front of Yusei, face down on the ground.
Everyone present watched this comedic pair in silence, not uttering a word. They were all observing this faction's situation.
Because such seemingly funny circumstances could be an act deliberately put on to make them lower their guard. However, Yusei knew this was indeed this duo's true colors.
Rider, the King of Conquerors, and his 'Master', Waver Velvet.
Yusei glanced at Waver at his feet, then looked around and nodded, "It seems that aside from the Caster faction not arriving, and the Berserker's Master unwilling to show himself, everyone else is here."
"As for the Lancer's Master..."
Yusei smiled, and his figure instantly vanished from his spot. The movement was so fast it left almost no afterimage, as if he had teleported.
Everyone who had been closely watching Yusei's speech had their pupils contract sharply. At that speed, if he wanted to assassinate someone, no one could stop him!
Boom!
Before they could process this thought, a confrontation was happening in a large tree behind the church.
A young man stood with Yusei behind him, Yusei's hand resting on his shoulder.
Next to him stood a man holding a long spear, its tip pointed at Yusei. However, Yusei used a single finger from his other free hand to press against the spear's tip, holding it completely immobile.
The posture of these three shocked everyone who saw it.
Forget the absurdly fast speed, just the fact that he blocked the spear tip of one of the Three Combat Classes with a single finger seemed impossible.
They were all Servants, after all.
Moreover, just looking at that spear made it clear it was a Noble Phantasm.
A Noble Phantasm couldn't even pierce the opponent's finger? How vast must the difference in power and dimension be to accomplish such a feat?
At this moment, sweat poured down Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald's forehead.
Although he always carried his Mystic Code, Volumen Hydrargyrum, with him, he didn't dare move a muscle now.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his Servant, Lancer's spear tip being blocked by a single finger and couldn't help but inwardly curse, 'Useless!'
Seeing that his display of authority was sufficient, Yusei released Kayneth and looked at Lancer with a smile, "No need to be so tense. I am not a participant. I am the Ruler of this Holy Grail War, the executor of fairness."
"Alright, please, both of you, come inside for the meeting."
Kayneth walked stiffly ahead without a word, followed by Lancer. However, Kayneth secretly noted down this Ruler.
The immense power gap, where even his Servant's spear couldn't pierce the opponent's finger, filled him with a sense of despair.
To say something quite embarrassing, when he heard Yusei say he wasn't a participant, he felt a twinge of relief.
This cowardly thought arising within him made him feel deeply ashamed.
Everything had happened too quickly. When everyone regained their composure, none dared to look down on this Ruler anymore.
He was no longer just the 'Command Spell Delivery Boy'.
Watching everyone take their seats, Yusei's own nervous heart relaxed slightly. That scene just now had made him quite tense too.
That was the tip of a Noble Phantasm spear. One wrong move, and he really would have been finished.