To Become a King and a Magician 626-630

Title: Super Minotaur Mystic Eyes

Suppressing the Ministry of the Army was not a difficult task.

Although it was currently the heart of Japan’s military, heavily guarded by a large force, that only applied to ordinary people. Against a Servant, it was as good as undefended.

Moreover, the ones storming this place were Naoki and Okita. If he weren’t concerned that his actions could destroy the entire facility, Naoki would have obliterated it with a single Mana blast long ago.

And now—

“Master, it’s done.”

Her body drenched in Blood, Okita walked from outside into the command room and spoke to Naoki, who was sitting in the commander’s chair.

“All the forces stationed at the Ministry of the Army have been eliminated.”

“Yeah, good work.”

As he spoke, Naoki snapped his fingers. The blood clinging to Okita came to life, detaching from her body and clothes, and gathered in Naoki’s hand as a red, blood-colored orb.

After dissipating the blood orb, Naoki laughed. “This is much better. Though Okita covered in blood looks gallant, clean like this is best. You worked hard clearing things out, so take a break. I’ll handle the rest.”

“Alright, Master.”

Nodding, Okita hugged her sword and went to the sofa nearby, sitting down and closing her eyes to rest.

Shifting his gaze from her, Naoki turned to the two people he had bound on the other side. “So… sorry, our first meeting is a bit impolite, but you were the ones being rude first. You don’t have any right to complain about my actions.”

“My name is Natsukawa Naoki. I’m sure you both already know, right? Major Mawatsun of the Army, and—”

His gaze fell on the girl in a sailor uniform. After glancing at the Command Seal on the back of her hand, Naoki continued, “The Master of Archer, Asama Kaname.”

“This afternoon, I received a warm welcome from you two, so now I’m here to return the favor.”

Return the favor.

Recalling the scene outside where no one survived and blood flowed like a river, Mawatsun wasn’t sure if the other party was mocking him. He gave a bitter smile. “Your ‘return’ is truly heavy. I’m terrified.”

“Because I hold a bit of a personal grudge. Who can blame me for not being able to like this country in this era, no matter how you look at it?” Naoki smiled. “—Especially toward pro-war terrorists like you.”

In an instant, both Mawatsun and Kaname felt a palpable wave of hatred in Naoki’s words.

But quickly, Naoki shifted to a friendly expression. “But Miss Kaname doesn’t need to be so tense. I know a bit about you, and I won’t touch you, so don’t worry.”

Though it was just information he automatically gleaned upon seeing her, Naoki understood the girl’s situation.

Her father was a soldier, her mother a foreigner. Due to the war, both her parents had died. After that, Kaname led a difficult life until two or three years ago when Mawatsun found her, brought her into the military, and made her his courier.

However, to a Magus, an ordinary person like Kaname was merely a tool. Even now, as the Master of Oda Nobunaga, Kaname was still just Mawatsun’s tool. If she showed even the slightest opinion of her own, she would be beaten and punished—the slap mark on her face from earlier still hadn’t faded.

In truth, her nature wasn’t bad.

With that in mind, Naoki stood and approached Mawatsun. His fingers plunged into Mawatsun’s eye, and with a slight tug, he plucked out one eyeball.

The sudden attack and the abrupt loss of half his vision threw Mawatsun into a panic. But before he could scream in pain, Naoki shoved the eyeball into his mouth.

“Don’t scream. It’s just one eye, why make a fuss? As an honorable member of the Yamato race, for the sake of your empire, a small injury like this can be endured by gritting your teeth, right?”

“If you dare make another sound, I’ll pluck out your other eye and shove it up your anus—no, no. That’s too disgusting. I’m not interested in men’s backsides. I’ll just keep shoving it into your mouth.”

“Mmm… Mmm…”

With his hands and feet bound by Naoki’s chains and suspended in the air, Mawatsun couldn’t even cover his mouth. He could only clench his teeth tightly and swallow the pain.

“Yes, that’s it—now, one more.”

“Uwaah waaah waah waah waah waah waah waah—!”

“I told you not to scream. It’s just an eye.” Naoki sighed helplessly. After cleaning his hands with fairy water, he lifted Mawatsun’s blood- and tear-streaked face. “Alright, now you can talk—where’s the thing Oda Nobunaga developed with the Holy Grail?”

“Mmm… Vomit… Vomit…”

The nausea and disgust from swallowing his own eyeball left Mawatsun retching uncontrollably, unable to utter a single word.

“Such a coward. The soldiers I killed didn’t even scream in pain. As a major, at least set an example for your subordinates and show some grit.”

“Vomit… Mmm… You…”

“Oh, sorry, I forgot. You don’t have any subordinates left now. As for Miss Kaname… Hm, you’re right. It’s better if a girl doesn’t see this.” Naoki said, then covered Kaname’s eyes with his palm. Almost instantly, Kaname tilted her head and fell asleep.

Catching her as she slumped to the ground, Naoki sighed. “Her mental state is surprisingly fragile. Living with crazy fanatics like you must put immense pressure on her mind.”

*SSSSST!*

Right as his words fell, Mawatsun’s head detached from his neck. As it fell, along with his body, it was sliced into countless fragments until nothing remained, as if he had never existed.

Placing the unconscious Kaname in the commander’s chair, Naoki removed his glasses and looked at the spot where Mawatsun had been. His Mystic Eyes forcibly held back Mawatsun’s soul, which hadn’t yet ascended to the heavens, and transformed it into a distorted evil spirit.

“Show the way. You know where the Holy Grail bomb is, right?”

“Waaah waah…”

Like crying, yet also like roaring, Mawatsun’s spirit screamed twice before floating off in a certain direction.

-

Title: Oda Nobunaga: Went Out to Clear Some Minions, Lost My Crystal

The Holy Grail bomb was hidden in the Army’s Magecraft research laboratory.

Located in a warehouse near the sea in the Imperial Capital.

As mentioned before, to win this war, Japan utilized every resource at its disposal. Whether it was cutting-edge technology or mysteries previously considered enigmas, as long as it existed in Japan, it had to be sacrificed for the nation’s future.

The Magecraft research laboratory was established based on this ideology.

But despite the grand rhetoric, the higher-ups didn’t actually understand what Magecraft was. They only knew it involved spells that could produce various astonishing phenomena. Since it was useful, they took it and used it.

Thus, to keep the Magecraft research laboratory operational, various prominent Magus families in Japan were invited. Some of these Magi joined and began developing new war weapons for the Japanese Army.

The research on the Holy Grail was also conducted here.

—[The Fourth Laboratory of the Army Magecraft Institute]

That was its full name.

“So this is it.”

Looking at the tightly shut warehouse door in front of him, Naoki waved his hand to dismiss and calm the spirit of Mawatsun that had followed him. Then, he lifted his foot and kicked the warehouse door, shattering it into pieces.

Standing behind him, Okita grew slightly nervous at the sight. “Master, isn’t the noise a bit too loud?”

“It’s fine. There’s no one alive within a one-kilometer radius. No one will come. Besides, there are no Magecraft barriers or physical traps set up here. Apart from its somewhat remote location, this place is completely unguarded.” Naoki said.

“But it’s also a kind of ‘hiding in plain sight’ strategy. This place isn’t far from the main battlefield. It’s honestly lucky nothing has happened here until now.”

Even standing here, Naoki could hear the constant sound of gunfire from the distant battlefield. It wasn’t just the clash of modern technology and weapons but also because Nobunaga was there right now.

Japan had already lost on the main battlefield. The defeat in the Pacific and the collapse of the naval defense line meant it was only a matter of time before the front lines became completely unbalanced, and an invasion of the mainland was inevitable. A land battle was unavoidable.

As a hero who saved the nation, Nobunaga clearly wouldn’t let that happen. So, at this moment, she was fighting with all her might to crush the foreign enemies invading her homeland.

“Trying to hold back the setting sun as it slowly sinks… You must know it’s futile, Nobunaga. As long as this Singularity collapses, everything you’ve done will be for nothing.”

Even so, she would still crush the foreign enemies invading her homeland?

What a touching tale of a hero saving the nation.

“But sorry, I can’t let your wish come true.”

Naoki stepped into the warehouse after kicking down the door.

What came into view was a massive bomber aircraft.

Naoki also knew the origin of this bomber. When the war situation hadn’t yet reached this point, Japan had a plan called the Absolute Victory Air Defense Plan. It involved building a large-scale, long-range strategic bomber—the future Japanese Fugaku Bomber.

The plan had been halted, but now it was revived by Nobunaga. Based on her personal vision, she designed and developed it into a superweapon that could be called a flying fortress, naming it Azuchi.

In terms of armaments, it was equipped with 16 20mm cannons and could carry up to 25 tons of bombs. Its engine used rare magical stones, sufficient to fly solo to the United States for bombing.

If used in actual combat, the current war situation would surely be reversed with ease. The United States, which was aggressively attacking Japan, would be forced into a defensive position just because of this air fortress, giving Japan a much-needed respite.

And after gaining that respite, the world would undoubtedly face a more terrifying counterattack.

However—

Naoki lightly placed his hand on the surface of the bomber. The next second, the entire aircraft suddenly distorted and crumpled, as if gripped by an invisible giant hand, like a plastic bottle being relentlessly crushed.

Amid the deafening sounds of scraping and cracking, in just a dozen seconds, this crystallization of Japanese technology and Magecraft was reduced to a massive pile of scrap metal.

“That’s enough. Let Nobunaga deal with this when she finds out. Let’s head underground, Okita.”

“Compared to this pile of scrap, the thing underground is far more troublesome.”

As he spoke, Naoki stomped on the ground, creating a massive hole, and jumped down with Okita’s slightly helpless gaze following him.

Glancing at the staircase not far away, Okita hesitated for a moment before jumping down as well.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

The underground chamber wasn’t as large as the warehouse above, at most half its size.

Due to the dim lighting, when Okita arrived, she had to adjust for a moment. After adapting to the environment, she stood and looked toward her Master, only to freeze in place.

In the not-so-large underground room, a massive machine was stored. Okita didn’t know the specific function of the machine, but she could understand one thing placed on top of it.

“Is that… the Holy Grail?”

The area at the center of the machine looked like a container cultivating something. Inside that container was a writhing mass of flesh, constantly emitting a heart-pounding amount of Mana.

The Holy Grail was supposed to be a golden cup that could grant any wish—this thing in front of her had nothing to do with that description!

“Yes, that’s the Holy Grail.”

Naoki gave a definitive answer.

“This amount of Mana… Just the leakage is comparable to a Mana reactor core. If it’s fully unleashed, as I said before, it could really blow up the entire Imperial Capital.”

“Looking at this thing in front of me, I’m not sure if Nobunaga wants to save this country or destroy it.”

If this were used in a land battle, both sides would be annihilated together. The damage it would cause was unimaginable, and the subsequent consequences would be beyond comprehension.

After pondering with a serious expression for a moment, Naoki raised his hand to his ear and activated a communication spell.

“Hello, Angelica? Hurry over here. There’s something that needs to be stored in your Treasure Vault.”

-

Title: Almost Like Sweeping Everything in One Day

Night once again enveloped the Imperial Capital.

One hour after Naoki and the others stole the Holy Grail bomb.

Inside the inn they were using as their base.

Looking at the culture tube containing the indescribable object placed on the tatami, Naoki placed his hands around it as if embracing it. Chains continuously extended from his palms, wrapping around the tube dozens of times from inside to out before stopping.

“Hmm, this should do. Store it, Angelica. Now, unless I release these chains, this thing will never explode.”

“I understand, Natsukawa-sama.”

Angelica, still using her Class Card, opened the gate to her Treasure Vault and stored the Holy Grail bomb.

With that, one of the conditions causing this Singularity to form had been resolved.

Though Naoki wanted to immediately dispose of this dangerous object, unfortunately, he couldn’t think of a way to destroy it without causing significant consequences.

After all, this was a Holy Grail bomb powerful enough to annihilate the entire Imperial Capital. If it accidentally detonated during the destruction process…

“For now, we’ll keep it and bring it back, then hand it over to Da Vinci and Touko for analysis.”

After all, they were all-purpose geniuses and top-tier Magi. Solving this difficult problem should be manageable with a bit of time. If it truly couldn’t be resolved, there were still Rei and Manaka. Though neither could return to their former omniscient and omnipotent states, their knowledge had gradually recovered over these ten years.

Fundamentally, the Holy Grail was just a Mana crystal. Analyzing and neutralizing it wasn’t a difficult task.

“Alright, let’s review the current situation.”

“There are two conditions causing this Singularity to form. One is the Holy Grail, and the other is the vaguely conducted Holy Grail War. Now that the Holy Grail is in our hands, we just need to end this Holy Grail War.”

Saber, Archer, Lancer, Rider, Caster, Assassin, Berserker.

As long as the six other Servants besides Okita were eliminated, this Holy Grail War would end.

“There should be five Servants left now, right?” Okita said. “Me, Archer, Lancer, and Rider who haven’t appeared, and the Caster you said can’t die right now.”

“Maybe four. Perhaps Assassin has already killed Caster’s Master?”

Assassin—Izou Okada—was severely injured by Okita’s enhanced sword, then turned into an evil spirit by Naoki and sent back to the German base to wreak havoc.

Berserker—Mori Nagayoshi—had previously been given a Mystic Code restraint by Mawatsun, obtained from the German Army, to ensure control. That equipment was stored underground at the Ministry of the Army. But now that Mawatsun had completely vanished from the world, Nagayoshi, having lost his Master, would naturally return to the Throne of Heroes.

Caster—Maxwell’s Demon—though indestructible, its Master was likely killed by the rampaging Izou Okada, so it had probably returned to the Throne of Heroes as well. Even if it was still alive, it posed little threat.

By this calculation, only three Servants remained to deal with.

Archer—Oda Nobunaga, the yet-to-appear Lancer—Li Shuwen, and the yet-to-appear Rider—Sakamoto Ryoma.

“Should we strike first, Master?”

“No need. Regardless of the other two, I think Sakamoto Ryoma will come to us himself. In fact… once he learns the threat has been neutralized, he might voluntarily return to the Throne of Heroes.”

“After all, he was summoned by the Counter Force to ensure this Singularity doesn’t cause problems.”

Ryoma had no Master in this Holy Grail War. He was summoned by the Counter Force to deal with the Holy Grail bomb. Simply put, he was in a position similar to a Guardian. Now that the bomb was in Naoki’s hands, his purpose could be considered fulfilled.

He likely wouldn’t take further action.

Li Shuwen was also easy to handle. The spear master’s only goal was to challenge strong opponents. When the time came, Naoki would fight him with all his strength, and once Li was satisfied, the matter would be resolved.

The only problem was Nobunaga.

That Demon King was probably furious right now, wasn’t she? She had only gone to the battlefield to deal with foreign enemies. But when she returned, she found the Ministry of the Army massacred, the Azuchi bomber she had prepared for so long destroyed, and the Holy Grail bomb gone without a trace.

If Naoki were in her position, he’d probably have a spike in blood pressure and go looking for the culprit behind it all.

*BOOM!*

Accompanied by the sound of gunfire from downstairs, a “just as I expected” expression appeared on Naoki’s face. Following that, amidst the sound of rapid footsteps, the sliding door was suddenly kicked open from the outside!

*CRACK!*

A matchlock rifle was aimed at Naoki’s head.

*CLANG!*

A sword blade, swiftly drawn from its sheath, sliced through the barrel of the matchlock rifle.

Okita stared coldly at the uninvited guest before her. “Archer… Oda Nobunaga.”

“Saber… step aside, I didn’t come for you.” Nobunaga said with great dissatisfaction. Then she glared at Naoki with eyes full of rage. “You really surprised me, Saint-Sword-Man. You destroyed my base and my weapons without saying a word… You’ve got some guts.”

The only emotion filling Nobunaga’s heart right now.

Anger.

Extreme anger.

Originally, after defeating all the enemies on the battlefield today, she had planned to return to the Ministry of the Army for a brief rest. But she never expected that upon her return, she’d see a scene where blood flowed like a river, and her Master lying unconscious in her chair.

After waking Kaname and asking what happened, Nobunaga immediately thought of her research at the Fourth Magecraft Laboratory. Rushing there in a hurry, she found the place had been ruthlessly plundered!

“I really underestimated you, Saint-Sword-Man. In just one day, you managed to do this much, destroying all my preparations—you’re exactly as that Magus described.”

“Thank you.”

Naoki laughed shamelessly.

“By the way, you didn’t come here with bad intentions just to complain to me, right? If that were the case, you would’ve fired that shot already.”

“There’s something else you want to say, isn’t there?”

Pushing aside Okita’s sword and Nobunaga’s matchlock rifle, Naoki patted the table. “Sit down first. And have your little Master come in too. I think there are a lot of things we need to talk about.”

“Right?”

-

Title: This… The Final Request?

[“Nobu, you’ll definitely lose to him in every way, so if you truly reach the point where all your resources are exhausted, you can try talking nicely with him. Just shed a few tears, and you can resolve it!”]

This was one of the few sentences that Magus had left for Nobunaga before departing.

Back then, and even now, Nobunaga thought it was just a joke. As the Demon King of the Sixth Heaven, the hero who saved Japan, how could she possibly resort to charming or pleasing others?

Thus, after sitting down with Kaname, Nobunaga got straight to the point: “Though I think it’s unlikely, I’ll say it—return the Holy Grail to me, Saint-Sword-Man. If you do, I can still talk nicely with you. Or, to put it simply, as long as you return the Holy Grail to me, I’ll agree to any request!”

“No way.”

Naoki firmly rejected the offer. “A very tempting deal, Nobunaga, but sorry, the Holy Grail is the one thing I’ll never give back to you. Something like that is useless if left in this world.”

“And the goal you want to achieve with this Holy Grail—I won’t let that happen either. This country’s defeat is already set in stone. From the moment it allied with another nation and started this war in the world, its loss was inevitable.”

*BANG!*

The wooden round table shattered into pieces under Nobunaga’s fist!

With blazing red eyes glaring at Naoki, Nobunaga spoke in a cold voice: “I know full well that this country is in a disadvantageous position. But that doesn’t mean there’s no chance to turn it around. As long as I have that weapon, the final victory will be mine—”

“August 15, 1945, Japan announced its unconditional surrender. On September 2 of the same year, Japan signed the surrender agreement, and World War II ended—these are facts clearly recorded in history.” Naoki interrupted Nobunaga’s words.

“That’s how history goes. Though I don’t want to admit it, in modern history, the significance of ending this war for the world is clear. If it isn’t stopped quickly and is allowed to continue under your hands, no one knows what kind of impact it will have on history.”

“This is my country! Are you telling me to watch my homeland fall and lose?!”

“In reality, you can’t do anything about it.”

Naoki’s words sent Nobunaga into a fury: “Indeed, a Servant’s power is extraordinary in the modern era, but you’re just one person. You can’t handle everything—send a suicide squad to hold you back, then let the main force begin suppression operations on the homeland. Even if you completely wipe out the suicide squad, strategically, the enemy nation has already won.”

“Though there will be many difficulties in executing it, like underestimating your strength or failing to destroy the Army while keeping you occupied… Or, to be more blunt, the attacks on Nagasaki and Hiroshima—do you think you can stop them?”

Nagasaki and Hiroshima.

Upon hearing those two names, Nobunaga’s face filled with rage.

Meanwhile, Okita furrowed her brow in confusion: “Master, those two places…”

“The worst strategic weapon developed by humanity, the atomic bomb. The first time it was used in actual combat was in Hiroshima on the 6th of this month, and then again in Nagasaki on the 8th. The reason Japan surrendered on the 15th in history was because those two cities were completely destroyed.”

“The 15th… But it’s already past the 20th now.”

“Because they believed in Servants, in miracles, and in the Holy Grail.” Naoki said, looking at Nobunaga. “After witnessing Nobunaga’s power, Japan adopted a policy of continued resistance… Well, that’s also because the pro-peace faction’s leaders were constantly assassinated. That Magus named Mawatsun did a lot of dirty work.”

Otherwise, the situation wouldn’t have escalated this far.

Nobunaga clenched her fists tightly: “Even so… I won’t just watch this country get attacked. This is about protecting the nation—”

“Nonsense!”

Naoki suddenly shouted in anger.

“Protecting the nation, sure. To you, it’s protecting the nation, but it’s just Japan paying its debts! Nobunaga, don’t tell me you don’t know Japan’s position before this! This wretched country committed countless crimes across the world in this era! Now it’s just paying the price for it!”

“Don’t make your actions sound so noble! If you keep using that excuse, I’ll beat you to death and send you back to the Throne of Heroes!”

Master / Natsukawa-sama was angry.

Okita and Angelica realized this at the same time. And he wasn’t just angry—he was furious, enraged from the depths of his heart. Naoki had once said he didn’t hate Japan as a whole, but he could never bring himself to like Japan in this era, no matter what.

“Stop here, Nobunaga. The Ministry of the Army is gone, and the war moving forward has no suspense left. Even if you fight with all your might, it’s pointless. It’ll only prolong the suffering.”

“Are you also a victim of this war?”

Instead of responding directly to Naoki’s words, Nobunaga shifted to another topic: “Your hatred, your anger… it’s exactly the same as the enemies I’ve killed.”

“You could say that. Though I now bear a Japanese name, my hometown is the Mainland to the west.”

The west.

The Mainland.

China.

If that was the case, Nobunaga could understand why this Saint-Sword-Man from the future was so angry at her country in this era and at the words she had just spoken.

It was too much, and it was also wishful thinking. Her own country in the past had invaded others, committing unforgivable sins. So it was only natural that it had fallen to this state now. No matter how much she didn’t want to admit it or tried to sugarcoat it, this was the undeniable truth.

Japan right now, or Nobunaga right now, was merely arrogantly placing itself in the position of the victim.

No…

“I know everything.” Nobunaga said in a heavy voice. “All the causes, the actions of this country in the past—I truly learned about them after taking control of the Ministry of the Army. But… even if it’s all wrong, I won’t just give up on this country. This near-defeated nation needs my strength.”

It could be called human instinct.

When one’s homeland was being invaded and destroyed, no one could just stand by in such a moment, especially not Nobunaga.

*BANG*

Nobunaga’s fists suddenly slammed into the floor.

After bowing her head deeply, her military cap lowered, Nobunaga raised her head: “Saint-Sword-Man, can you listen to one… no, two requests of mine?”

“Huh?”

Naoki furrowed his brow. “Requests?”

“That Magus once said you’re fundamentally a good person. If someone sincerely asks you, as long as the request isn’t too excessive, you’ll grant it.”

“This might be my last meeting with you. After this, I’ll never come here again. So for the final time, I want to ask you for two things!”

The final meeting.

Looking into Nobunaga’s eyes, Naoki paused for a moment before sighing: “Alright, what are they?”

“My Master, Kaname.” Nobunaga glanced at Kaname sitting behind her, who still looked nervous and uneasy. “Can you look after her before you leave this place? In the Imperial Capital right now, the safest place is with you.”

The Ministry of the Army had been completely wiped out, and Mawatsun was thoroughly dead. Kaname essentially had nowhere else to go except by Nobunaga’s side. But clearly, the battlefield was no place for Kaname.

Naoki nodded: “No problem. And the other one?”

“Don’t stop me.”

Nobunaga spoke coldly, as if trying to etch her words into Naoki’s mind.

“After I leave here, and until you leave this place, don’t interfere with me! Not even a little!”

-

Title: Over Five Months!?

Nobunaga came suddenly and left just as abruptly. After speaking words that felt like entrusting a final wish, she vanished into spirit form right in front of everyone.

And after that, a week passed in the blink of an eye.

During those seven days, the flames of war engulfed the entire Imperial Capital. Even at night, the endless sound of gunfire could be heard. Battles raged constantly.

And Nobunaga fought on the main battlefield for all seven days.

Servants don’t need rest. For a Servant, rest is a process of restoring Mana, not sleeping. No matter the Servant, Mana will always be depleted during combat. Using a Noble Phantasm consumes even more.

Thus, endless fighting is impossible.

Yet Nobunaga truly fought for seven straight days. She may have rested in between, but from Naoki’s perception, her total rest time over those seven days didn’t exceed seven hours combined.

[“Even if this country needs to atone for its sins, I won’t just sit by and watch it lose. I’ll stake my life to lead this country to victory as much as I can.”]

That was the resolve Naoki read in Nobunaga’s eyes at the time.

Japan would lose, and as the defeated nation, it would face retribution from the world.

This was a fact clearly recorded in history, undeniable. Nobunaga alone could never change it. Yet, despite that, she still wanted to seize the chance to turn defeat into victory.

But… as Naoki had said, Japan’s losses were so immense that a single Servant couldn’t change the outcome. On battlefields where Nobunaga wasn’t present, Japanese forces crumbled like a collapsing mountain. And because Naoki had annihilated the Ministry of the Army, the Japanese troops on the battlefield were thrown into complete disarray.

Regarding this situation, Naoki didn’t interfere at all. He would only fight if the flames of war reached his inn. Otherwise, he strictly adhered to Nobunaga’s request, not obstructing her war efforts in the slightest.

On the other hand, after Naoki seized the Holy Grail bomb and hid it in Angelica’s Treasure Vault, the Holy Grail War quietly came to an end.

The German base stationed in Japan, as Naoki had predicted, was completely destroyed by the rampaging Izou Okada in less than twenty minutes. Not a single person survived the entire base. By the time Naoki arrived, the bodies were already beginning to rot. The German commander and his officers, who were the Masters of two Servants—Izou Okada and Maxwell’s Demon—also met gruesome deaths.

Combined with the Berserker who never appeared, three Servants were eliminated in just one day.

Sakamoto Ryoma never showed up either. Originally summoned by the Counter Force due to the Holy Grail bomb, after confirming the bomb had been safely dealt with, he devoted himself to protecting the suffering populace.

Naoki encountered him once while buying groceries but didn’t speak with him. He only secretly added a concealment barrier to the shelter Ryoma had built—though Naoki despised Japan in this era, the people in the shelter were innocent, also victims, so he was willing to offer a bit of help.

As for Lancer—Li Shuwen—he truly never appeared. No such person ever showed up in the entire Imperial Capital. But that was understandable; this Singularity was limited to Japan’s Imperial Capital, while Li Shuwen was summoned in Shanghai, China. Geographically, he wasn’t part of this Singularity.

Nobunaga fought outside, Ryoma was busy saving the people, and Naoki and the other three just sat and watched.

—Under these circumstances, a week passed quickly.

On the early morning of the ninth day Naoki was in this Singularity, the artillery fire that had raged for a week finally stopped. And by dusk, the Japanese government officially announced the nation’s unconditional surrender.

The Imperial Capital War thus came to an end.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

On the outskirts of the Imperial Capital, in a battlefield filled with smoke and explosions.

Stepping on ground riddled with craters, two groups of people appeared in this now-empty area.

Looking at the man dressed in a naval uniform before him, Naoki spoke first: “This is our first official meeting, right, Rider, Sakamoto Ryoma?”

“Yes, nice to meet you, Natsukawa-dono.” Ryoma smiled, holding his hat. “That said, to me, you’re someone I’ve really wanted to meet and thank. You’ve helped me a lot behind the scenes, and I’m deeply grateful.”

“If I could, I’d have loved to visit you with a gift, but the current situation doesn’t give me much time, so I could only intercept you here. Please forgive me.”

Naoki smiled. “It was just a small favor. I’m not a cold-blooded monster. I’ll save those who should be saved and help those who should be helped. It’s that simple.”

“See, I told you he’s a good person, didn’t I, Ryoma?” Behind Ryoma, a beautiful black-haired woman floating in the air smiled. “I don’t sense any evil aura from him. He’s a purely good person, one hundred percent. Even if he does bad things, his intentions must be good.”

“Yes, yes, Oryou-sama is absolutely right.”

Ryoma smiled, then looked behind Naoki. “Also, look at the woman there, Natsukawa-dono. You came here to…”

“Yeah, this kid said she wanted to see her one last time, so I brought her.” Naoki gestured to Kaname, who was holding his hand behind him. “You’re the same, right? If it was just to say thanks, you didn’t need to come here.”

“Yes. Though this was a mistaken war, Nobunaga-dono is undoubtedly a hero. I think, at the very least, at the end, I should show my respect as someone from the future and thank her for her sacrifice.”

“She’s not dead yet; I can sense it—I’m not going. Kaname, go with them.”

Naoki pushed Kaname toward Ryoma. “She said not to interfere with her; maybe she doesn’t want to see my grumpy face at the end. So I won’t go.”

Ryoma nodded. “Then, until we meet in the future, Natsukawa-dono.”

“I think we will. After all, my life is long. Maybe we’ll meet again in another Holy Grail War.”

“Haha, then please go easy on me when the time comes~”

After saying that, Ryoma took Kaname and walked deeper into the battlefield.

And then, five minutes later.

Within Naoki’s perception range, the two Servants closest to him also vanished.

The Imperial Capital Holy Grail War, seven Servants. Now, only Okita remained. The Holy Grail was also in Naoki’s hands—he had once again become the final victor.

“Heh, it really doesn’t feel like anything special.”

“Once Kaname returns, I’ll take Okita and Angelica back to Chaldea.”

“One week… I wonder if the second Singularity has been resolved.”

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

Chaldea.

Control Room.

With the sudden sound of an alert, all the staff in the control room tensed up almost simultaneously, and Roman, sitting in the main commander’s chair, jumped as if there were thorns in his seat!

“This alert sound…”

“That bastard Natsukawa! After disappearing for over five months, he’s finally back?!”