Lucien would not lay a hand on Artoria right now. With her temperament, she might take her own life without hesitation.
That would be like picking up sesame seeds while throwing away a watermelon. It was simply not worth it.
If he wanted to do anything inappropriate, it could wait until everything was fully settled.
Lucien understood priorities very well.
Artoria watched Lucien's departing figure, then carefully adjusted her clothing and released a slow breath she did not realize she had been holding. Only after he left did the pressure in the room finally ease.
She could not understand what kind of person he truly was.
She could not tell what he was planning either.
Nor could she determine with certainty whether he was good or evil.
One thing was clear. He was completely different from Shirou.
...
The next day, the sun rose over Fuyuki City.
After an early breakfast, Lucien set out together with Artoria.
Their targets were Kirei Kotomine and his Servant, Cu Chulainn.
Lucien had not forgotten the sneak attack from Cu Chulainn. If not for that interference, he and Artoria might have already killed Li Chong or at least inflicted a devastating injury.
His cells were still in a state of hunger. They urgently required fresh nourishment.
Whether it was Kirei Kotomine, a powerful magus, or Cu Chulainn, a Servant, both were excellent sources of sustenance.
They descended from the sky, and the outline of the church soon appeared before them.
Lucien landed lightly and stepped forward. With a sharp kick, he sent the massive church doors flying open. A cigarette rested between his fingers as smoke drifted lazily from his lips. Wearing his flip flops, he walked inside with an unhurried pace, his gaze calm and fixed straight ahead.
Kirei Kotomine sat quietly on a wooden chair, a Bible resting in his hands, as though he had already known Lucien would come.
Beside him, Cu Chulainn stood with his blood red spear held diagonally across his body. Neither of them showed any surprise at the arrival of Lucien and Artoria.
Lucien narrowed his eyes and released his senses. No other presence could be felt nearby.
There was no ambush.
"Greetings, the new Master of the King of Knights," Kirei Kotomine said as he set the Bible aside and rose to his feet, his expression unusually calm.
"So it really was you who helped that man become Gilgamesh's Master," Lucien replied flatly.
Ever since Li Chong obtained control over Gilgamesh, Lucien's first suspicion had fallen on Kirei Kotomine. After all, Gilgamesh's original Master had always been this man.
Li Chong only took that position by threatening Medea.
"Indeed, I was the one who caused it," Kirei admitted, spreading his hands slightly with a faint smile. "But surely we can still talk things over."
"Talk?" Lucien exhaled a slow stream of smoke, the corners of his mouth twitching into a faint sneer. "Your Servant ambushed me first, and now you want to discuss cooperation?"
"Why not?" Kirei replied calmly.
"Artoria."
Lucien lifted his hand casually and signaled her forward.
In the next instant, Artoria surged ahead, Holy Sword clenched tightly in her grasp as she charged straight at Kirei Kotomine.
The blade in her hand was no longer transparent.
Clang.
Sparks scattered violently as Cu Chulainn blocked her strike with his spear. The shockwave tore through the church, shattering nearby wooden chairs into splinters as wild gusts of wind swept outward.
At the exact same moment, Lucien vanished in a flash of golden lightning and reappeared beside Kirei Kotomine. His cigarette still hung at the corner of his mouth, one hand in his pocket. His left leg, propelled by compressed air, swept out toward Kirei with terrifying force.
"I am not a masochist. I will not pretend nothing happened after being ambushed."
Kirei's pupils shrank. He had not expected Lucien's speed to reach such an extreme level. He barely managed to coat his arms with magical energy and raise them to block.
The next second, it felt as though a mountain slammed into him.
Blood burst from Kirei's mouth as his body smashed through the church wall, carving a deep gash as he was sent flying.
On the other side of the battlefield, Artoria and Cu Chulainn were already locked in a fierce exchange.
Crack.
Golden lightning flickered and vanished. Before Kirei could even steady his breath, he rolled to the right, pushed off the ground with his hands, and leapt up in one fluid motion.
The ground within ten meters shattered and collapsed immediately afterward. Lucien stood there with his right foot sunk deep into the earth, his blue spiked hair fluttering slightly as he looked up at Kirei with a mocking smile.
Golden lightning crackled through the air, stirring gravel and dust into a storm.
In the blink of an eye, Lucien appeared above Kirei Kotomine.
"This level of power," Kirei murmured, horror rising in his eyes. "This cannot belong to a magus."
He had always believed Lucien to be merely a magus. Normally, magi were extremely weak in close range combat. Even he relied on Bajiquan reinforced with magical energy to shatter trees and contend with Servants at close range.
But Lucien was completely different.
His speed was like lightning itself.
There was no way to follow it.
Among all Masters, Kirei had always believed himself to be the strongest.
But now, that belief was shattered.
Pfft.
A sickening sound echoed as bones cracked within Kirei's chest. His eyes bulged as blood poured violently from his mouth and nose. His body slammed down from the sky, dense cracks bursting outward upon impact before collapsing into a crater. Shattered stones sprayed like bullets through the air.
"Magical Energy Release."
The dozen Command Spells on Kirei Kotomine's right arm vanished in an instant, transforming into pure magical energy that flooded into his body. His aura surged violently.
These Command Spells had been inherited from his father during the Fourth Holy Grail War and were meant to be used as a one time emergency power source.
Boom.
The ground exploded again. Kirei planted his right hand against his head, his body bent low, his left hand nearly touching the earth as he endured the impact by sheer will.
"Interesting."
Lucien watched with visible amusement, one hand in his pocket and the other holding his cigarette. As he observed Kirei's rising aura and stubborn resistance, playful mockery filled his amethyst eyes.
Behind Lucien, five black crystal like thorns tore free from his lower back. Each was hardened with Armament Haki, resembling black silver spears as they pierced through the air toward Kirei Kotomine.
"What is that?" Kirei shouted in alarm.
He leapt backward repeatedly, desperately dodging the incoming crystal spears. Even when his fists collided with them, the impact felt like striking solid steel.
Their speed was terrifying. Each swing whistled through the air, leaving lingering afterimages in its wake.
"Instant Kill."
As Kirei struggled to fend off the crystal attacks, cracks appeared beneath Lucien's feet. With a deafening explosion, his figure vanished once more.
Kirei attempted to dodge.
But time itself seemed to freeze.
That eternal streak of golden lightning swept past him.
A tearing sound echoed.
Kirei lowered his gaze in disbelief toward his own abdomen.
In the next instant, his upper body slid sideways. Blood erupted like a fountain as he was severed cleanly at the waist.
Several crystal thorns struck like venomous snakes, piercing straight into his body. Kirei's upper half trembled violently as his flesh withered at a visible speed, all of the blood and magical energy in his body being devoured.
Behind him, Lucien's face was filled with unmistakable satisfaction.
The flesh and blood of a magus was indeed far more nourishing than that of ordinary humans. The hunger within his cells was finally soothed as warmth and vitality surged through him.
Only a few breaths later, Kirei Kotomine had become nothing more than a shriveled corpse. At the slightest touch, it would crumble into dust and scatter into the wind.
The five crystal thorns behind Lucien swayed lightly in the air, glowing with a cold, seductive shimmer beneath the golden sunlight.
Golden lightning burst from beneath his feet as Lucien vanished once more.
...
Far from the church, deep within the mountain forest, Cu Chulainn was still locked in battle with Artoria.
At first, they had been evenly matched.
But the instant Kirei Kotomine died, Cu Chulainn lost his supply of magical energy. His aura plummeted sharply.
It would not be long before he vanished as well.
"It seems your Master is dead," Artoria said as she forced him back with a powerful sword strike, clearly sensing the sudden weakening of his presence.
"I did not expect it to end so quickly," Cu Chulainn replied with a weary sigh.
Their battle had only just begun. Unfortunately, his Master had fallen far too fast.
Before either of them could react further, an overwhelming sense of danger descended.
Cu Chulainn raised his spear defensively.
Golden lightning condensed into a human form.
A whip like kick tore through the air, sweeping up sand and stones from the ground as a crushing wave of pressure surged forward with unstoppable force.
____
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