It was night, bathed in lights and quiet revelry.
On the rooftop of the hotel, Lucien stood at the very edge, a cigarette between his fingers. His loose T shirt and beach shorts fluttered softly in the cool night breeze. Below him, the city glittered with endless lights, stretching like a sea of stars across the earth.
Beside him, Artoria had changed into a white, form fitting skirt that hugged her figure. Her long, graceful legs were wrapped in white thigh high stockings, and she still wore her three centimeter crystal high heels. Fiery red maple leaf earrings swayed gently beside her cheeks, and her flowing golden hair was styled with a single braid drawn from the front.
She turned her head quietly to look at the man beside her, her emerald eyes filled with tangled emotions.
These eight days had felt like a brand new beginning.
She had lived a life she had never known before.
Even though it was only eight days, to Artoria it was an irreplaceable memory. Only during these days did she truly feel that she was living for herself, not as a king, not as a weapon, but as a woman.
She had never been this happy.
Rebellious, daring, carefree, casting aside the rigid rules that bound her for so long, it was liberating beyond words.
"Hoo…"
Lucien exhaled slowly, his gaze drifting from the glowing city below up toward the vast sky above. His thoughts had already wandered far.
At present, there were only four remaining Master and Servant pairs left in the Holy Grail War.
Lucien and Artoria.
Li Chong and Gilgamesh.
Rin Tohsaka and Nameless, along with Shirou Emiya.
Illyasviel von Einzbern and the Berserker, Heracles.
These eight days had been unnervingly quiet.
Lucien had fully expected at least one group to make a move during this time, yet not a single Servant battle had erupted. No explosions, no clashes, no magical disturbances.
Nothing.
It was abnormal.
Especially Li Chong, the Reincarnator. That man did not seem like someone patient enough to remain completely inactive.
What Lucien did not know was that Li Chong had been forced into caution. After suffering two consecutive failures and losing his trump cards, he could no longer afford reckless actions. His mission had left him with a different strategy.
He merely needed to wait.
One mission was to ensure the Holy Grail manifested and was destroyed. Another was to protect the Child of Destiny from being consumed by the Darkness within six months. The moment those six months passed, he would gain fifty thousand exchange points.
By then, even if Lucien ascended into godhood, Li Chong would still have the confidence to kill him.
Naturally, he would also complete his third hidden mission.
In truth, he should have stayed this cautious from the very beginning. But Li Chong's nature was not one that favored patience. He craved excitement and battle. It was only after exhausting his strength twice that fear finally crept in.
On the other side, Rin and Shirou were still searching for an opportunity to reclaim Artoria. They, too, had remained passive for eight days, waiting for other Servants to clash first. After waiting endlessly without results, they finally decided to seek cooperation with Illya at Einzbern Castle tonight.
With everyone harboring their own schemes, a strange and fragile peace had settled over the battlefield for eight full days.
"Should we act?"
Artoria's gaze never left Lucien, especially his eyes. The deep amethyst color within them always drew her in without her realizing it.
"We cannot keep waiting like this."
Lucien rubbed his forehead lightly. The situation had grown increasingly troublesome.
If he moved first and went straight after Li Chong, there was a high chance that Nameless and Heracles would intervene at the end and reap the spoils. If he targeted Nameless and Heracles first, then Li Chong might seize the opportunity, and it would be even worse if they decided to cooperate. Lucien knew perfectly well that Shirou and Rin both harbored deep hostility toward him.
The safest path was clear.
Deal with Illya and Heracles first.
Obtain the heart of Illya, the Lesser Holy Grail.
Then eliminate Nameless and Gilgamesh to force the true Holy Grail into the open.
And finally, send Artoria on her final journey.
The only unknown was whether Li Chong understood the true progression of the war. It was entirely possible that he was thinking along the same lines.
"Artoria."
Lucien lifted his gaze toward the sky. The night was dazzling, the galaxy stretched across the heavens like a radiant ribbon of light.
"Hm?"
Suddenly hearing her name, Artoria blinked in surprise.
All her previous Masters had called her Saber. Only Lucien had always called her Artoria from the very beginning.
"Will you go easy on Shirou Emiya and Rin?" Lucien asked quietly. "I know you never truly wanted to be my Servant. Your heart has always been with them. If you are given the chance, would you betray me?"
"Just like the last battle, you did not go all out."
Lucien turned around abruptly. His amethyst, diamond patterned pupils met Artoria's gaze directly, calm and unreadable.
Her heart skipped violently. Struggle surged within her chest.
Seeing her fall silent, Lucien turned back toward the sky and spoke in a low voice, as if to himself.
"Power, women, treasures, responsibility, protection. These are what people chase."
"And what I pursue is survival, freedom, control over my own destiny. I live as I please."
"Let's go."
He cast Artoria one indifferent glance before rising effortlessly into the air. His body transformed into a streak of golden lightning that tore through the night sky.
Artoria's lips parted slightly. Without hesitation, she spiritualized and vanished, following closely behind him.
Their destination was Einzbern Castle, the residence of Illyasviel von Einzbern.
Golden lightning condensed in mid air.
Lucien hovered above the castle grounds, his figure descending as he forcefully pierced through a layer of defensive energy. He stopped three feet above the ground.
Four figures emerged from within the castle.
At the front stood Illya, her long silver hair flowing freely. At her sides were the two artificial lifeform maids, both with identical silver hair and crimson eyes. Their sole purpose was to protect Illya.
Behind them stood the towering figure of Heracles. His muscles bulged powerfully beneath his battle skirt, and his massive presence radiated overwhelming pressure, like an ancient beast awakened from legend.
Artoria appeared beside Lucien, her Holy Sword already gripped firmly in her hand. In an instant, her sexy skirt, stockings, and high heels transformed into her full set of combat armor.
"I think your previous outfit suited you better," Lucien said casually, releasing a thin stream of smoke. "You looked more sexy and beautiful like that."
"It would be troublesome in battle," Artoria replied softly. Her cheeks flushed faintly.
Lucien did not respond. His gaze locked onto Illya, and in the next instant, he vanished.
"Be careful," one of the artificial lifeforms shouted as they moved to shield Illya.
"Heracles," Illya commanded calmly.
Boom.
An enormous axe sword appeared in Heracles's hands as he unleashed a devastating swing toward the flashing figure of Lucien.
Eight crystal thorns erupted from Lucien's tailbone. They shot forward like deadly serpents toward the two artificial lifeforms, while his main body charged straight at Illya.
Heracles was completely ignored.
A terrifying storm of force exploded as Artoria raised her Holy Sword and met Heracles's attack head on. Compared to his massive body, she appeared slender and delicate. Yet it was this very body that firmly blocked the Berserker's overwhelming strike.
On Lucien's side, the eight crystal thorns forced the artificial lifeforms back at once. His left hand stretched forward toward Illya.
Her silver white hair coiled sharply as several magical white cranes formed at her shoulders. They fired at Lucien like enchanted bullets while she retreated rapidly.
Lucien did not slow down.
He burst straight through the magical cranes and appeared before Illya in an instant. His hand closed around her neck, lifting her into the air with absolute dominance.
Illya had been captured alive in little more than a blink.