A Saiyan's Journey

The Saber in this Holy Grail War—Artoria, known as the legendary King Arthur and leader of the Knights of the Round Table.

In the lore of the Type-Moon universe, the Arthurian legend has always been a cornerstone, primarily because of Artoria's immense popularity. The creators have continuously expanded her story in response to fan enthusiasm.

This was Zuke's first time seeing a "real-life" version of Artoria. He had to admit that her heroic demeanor indeed set her apart from others. Standing beside her was Irisviel, who appeared like a princess under the protection of her knight.

In this scenario, it was clear that Zuke was cast as the villain standing against the knight.

"Leave immediately, intruder, or I will assume you are prepared to engage us in battle," Artoria declared.

Her hands moved into a sword-gripping stance, yet there was no weapon in her grasp.

It wasn't a bluff. Her sword was shrouded by the magical Noble Phantasm known as Invisible Air, a barrier of compressed wind that refracts light, rendering the blade invisible.

Artoria frowned slightly, her gaze locked on Zuke with a defensive readiness. She seemed to sense immense pressure from him, evidenced by the cold sweat forming on her forehead.

Unlike the mundane world, in this task-world, Zuke showed no hesitation when it came to killing. As a result, his aura carried a heavy and oppressive killing intent.

He had just slain two people before arriving here.

While a child like Rin Tohsaka might not perceive anything, a battle-hardened warrior like Artoria could tangibly feel the pressure.

"Saber…"

Behind Artoria, Irisviel looked at her with concern.

"Irisviel, retreat immediately to a safe place… This man is extremely dangerous."

Despite her confidence in her abilities, Artoria couldn't help but issue what sounded like an order to retreat in the face of Zuke's presence.

Artoria held a certain compassion for Irisviel, the homunculus who had never left the Einzbern estate. Compared to Kiritsugu Emiya, she recognized Irisviel more readily as her true Master.

Thus, in moments like these, Artoria naturally prioritized Irisviel's safety.

"The so-called King of Knights is actually asking her Master to retreat?"

Zuke smiled faintly. He had no immediate intention of killing Artoria.

For one, Artoria didn't possess any abilities particularly beneficial for him to devour—she was rather unimpressive in that regard.

On the other hand, she left a lasting impression on him as a character from the works he admired before his reincarnation.

However, his main objective was to acquire the Holy Grail from the Fourth Holy Grail War, meaning he couldn't let her go easily.

"You saw through my identity at a glance? Who exactly are you? Are you also a Servant?"

Artoria forced a faint smile, unwilling to believe someone who exerted such pressure could be an ordinary person.

The only plausible explanation was that he, too, was a Servant. The young girl clinging to Zuke's arm must then be his Master.

Even a child could become a Master in the Holy Grail War—how absurd.

"So, he's also a Servant…"

Irisviel glanced at Zuke and the Rin Tohsaka beside him, her expression tense.

From the intelligence Kiritsugu had gathered, there had been no mention of a Master resembling this young girl.

It wasn't surprising. While Kiritsugu had information on Tohsaka Tokiomi, Rin was only briefly mentioned as "one of two daughters." Unrelated details like that wouldn't have been recorded.

"Well, you could say that. I plan to speed up the Holy Grail War—it's too drawn-out at seven days, don't you think?"

Zuke's tone was lighthearted, his smile making him seem like a friendly high school student. However, his words made Artoria and Irisviel's faces pale.

"Progress is going well, after all. Lancer, Berserker, Archer, and Assassin are already eliminated."

Although Zuke hadn't personally killed Assassin, with Kirei Kotomine dead, Assassin would lose its mana source and return to the Throne of Heroes, effectively counting as his doing.

Artoria's body stiffened at his words. She hadn't yet received updates from Kiritsugu regarding events in Fuyuki City. Learning that more than half the participants were already eliminated in just two days shocked her.

Irisviel, standing behind her, reacted differently. The revelation stirred unease because of her role as the "Lesser Grail."

From the moment those Servants perished, their souls were absorbed into her, hastening the process by which she would transform into the complete Grail. The progress left her physically unwell the past few days.

Though Artoria didn't know of Irisviel's true nature, Irisviel herself was well aware. Once all the necessary Heroic Spirits were absorbed, she would cease to exist as a person.

She had mentally prepared for this transformation, but she had anticipated at least a few days. Yet Zuke had expedited the process by killing four Servants almost immediately.

"You said you eliminated those four Servants… Then you must be Rider or Caster?"

Artoria focused on Zuke, attempting to extract information through conversation. While she valued straightforward combat and knightly honor, she wasn't above using tactics like this during wartime.

"No, I've already met Rider and made a deal with his Master. I've decided to leave him for last."

Zuke smirked, unbothered by her probing, and continued to chat casually.

"My true class is Berserker. Strictly speaking, I was summoned outside the standard rules, so I'm not part of the original lineup."

"Huh?"

The young girl, Rin Tohsaka, perched on Zuke's arm, let out a puzzled sound.

To be continued…

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