The Ultimate Lich King of the Multiverse

There were only two Servants whose identities remained unclear. One was the mysterious girl who appeared last night and was suspected to be a Caster; the other was the deranged man Saber had encountered earlier that morning.

Their classes seemed obvious at first glance, but Kiritsugu couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.

From the beginning, the girl had never stated her class outright. Although she had used magic in combat, that alone didn't necessarily mean she was a Caster. Because Berserkers are typically crazed and irrational, everyone had instinctively assumed the girl wasn't one. And with her deliberately using magic, it only reinforced the idea that she was a Caster.

While their true identities might seem like minor details, in reality, they were extremely important. If someone mistook the girl for a Caster and let their guard down, they could end up paying dearly.

"Master, please decide quickly!"

Saber already knew that the culprit behind the recent serial murders in Fuyuki City was the Servant now standing before them. It was painfully clear what his intentions were in bringing along so many children.

They were all hostages.

Just the thought of it enraged Saber. A Heroic Spirit, summoned by the Holy Grail, resorting to such disgraceful, vile tactics?

Kiritsugu gave a silent nod. He might not like Saber, but only a Servant could fight another Servant. He had no choice but to rely on her strength.

Receiving Kiritsugu's silent command, Saber immediately left the Matou family's mansion. Her speed was astonishing. In less than a minute, she was face-to-face with the deranged Servant.

But what greeted her was a hellish sight—blood splattered everywhere, and the dismembered remains of children scattered around the man who called himself Gilles.

"You're finally here, Jeanne. I've been waiting for so long," Gilles said with a wide smile.

He wore a gleeful expression, as if proud of the gruesome "banquet" he had prepared. Standing in a pool of blood, his black robe was soaked in the blood of the children, making his already terrifying grin even more sinister.

"How does it feel to see this tragedy? Heartbreaking, isn't it? Can you imagine the pain those innocent children felt in their final moments?" he asked. "But Jeanne, this still doesn't compare to the agony I suffered after losing you, nor what I endured just to see you again."

Saber was about to lunge when a sob stopped her. A single child—the only survivor—was still alive. The small boy trembled and wept as Gilles gripped his head tightly, as though he could crush it at any moment.

"Oh Jeanne, your furious eyes are beautiful," Gilles said serenely, as if whispering to a lover. "Do you hate me that much? Of course you do. I betrayed God's grace. You, more devout than anyone, could never forgive me."

"Let that child go," Saber ordered, her voice cold and sharp as a blade.

"The Holy Grail War exists to determine the most worthy Heroic Spirit," she continued. "If you disgrace that with tactics like this, the Grail will surely reject you."

"But Jeanne," Gilles said with a faint laugh, "since you've returned, the Grail means nothing to me anymore… If you truly wish to save this child—"

He suddenly let go. The child dropped to the ground.

"Don't cry, little one. You should be grateful. Look, God has sent you a savior. Among all your friends, only you were blessed enough to be rescued."

The child seemed to realize that the golden-haired girl in front of him was his savior. With a loud wail, he ran straight toward Saber.

He wrapped his tiny arms around Saber's armored leg. Saber gently touched the child's hand with her fingertips.

"This place is dangerous. Run—go that way. Get as far from this street as you can!"

Crack.

A sickening sound came from the child's back. His sobs turned into a scream of agony.

Saber's eyes widened. Right in front of her, the small body split in two.

Instead of blood, a swarm of writhing black serpents erupted from within—but no, these were not snakes. Their bodies were covered in suction cups, like tentacles from a monstrous squid. They instantly coiled around Saber's limbs, binding her arms and legs with crushing force.

They weren't alone.

More tentacles burst forth from the mutilated corpses of the children scattered around, one after another. In seconds, dozens of these eldritch creatures surrounded Saber.

They were grotesque and formless—limbless, bodiless, unrecognizable. Their mouths were ringed with razor-sharp teeth like a shark's, and they had no visible anatomy. These weren't earthly lifeforms. They were abominations from another world—a world that defied natural law.

"I should've warned you in advance," Gilles said, grinning. "Next time we meet, make sure you come prepared."

A thick book appeared in his hand. Its cover glistened with moisture, as if it had been soaked in blood. A piece of human skin was affixed to the front.

To the naked eye, it looked like an ordinary tome. But Saber instantly sensed an enormous surge of magical energy radiating outward from it. There was no doubt in her mind—this was his Noble Phantasm.

Meanwhile, back in the Matou mansion, Kiritsugu watched everything unfold through the crystal ball. He now understood everything.

As he had suspected, the Servant who had been mistaken for Berserker was in fact—

Caster.

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