To Become a King and a Magician 621-625

Title: Because I Really Like Okita

After dawn, they would set out to investigate the Holy Grail bomb. Before that, they needed to sleep and recover their energy.

Three hours had passed since Naoki gave that order.

Okita still couldn’t sleep.

Though Servants didn’t need sleep, Okita’s inability to rest wasn’t due to that. After all, she had been in this world for ten years and had grown accustomed to living like an ordinary person.

The reason she couldn’t sleep was that her heart was too excited.

Sitting on the roof of the inn, gazing at the sky, perhaps because it was late at night, the war had entered a temporary ceasefire. No gunfire echoed from the outskirts of the Imperial Capital, granting a fleeting silence to the war-torn city.

Yet, the sky remained dark, the moonlight faint, and the clouds of war still loomed over the city.

“You’re here, can’t sleep?”

A voice suddenly came from behind. Okita turned and saw Naoki leaping onto the roof.

Okita shook her head. “No, it’s just that my heart can’t calm down, so I came out to keep watch. What about you, Master?”

“Pretty much the same, but I’m not used to it.” Naoki said with a wry smile. “After all, back in Chaldea, every night there’s always Rei sneaking into my blankets, and I can only really sleep when dawn breaks.”

“Rei-san really never gets enough, huh.”

As Okita said this, her cheeks flushed slightly.

At Camelot Apartment, the things between Naoki and Rei were no secret. After all, they all lived under one roof—there was no way to hide it forever. Besides, the people involved never intended to hide it.

Riddell, Rei, Manaka, Merry, plus Aoko who returned irregularly—unless Naoki had business to attend to at night, he was basically dragged to the bedroom right after his bath. The night would end when dawn arrived.

If it was a weekend, it might even last until the afternoon of the next day.

Of course, this wasn’t always the case. For instance, Merry sometimes pulled Naoki into the dream world instead of the real one. Riddell, with her frail physique, often couldn’t last until midnight. In truth, the strongest in “combat” were Rei and Manaka.

This wasn’t just about actual combat strength but also included the “combat strength” of various additional perks. For example, limited-edition skins that were never re-released, or personalized customization services that could be changed anytime to suit Naoki’s preferences… Even Merry once said that if Naoki ever died, it would definitely be at the hands of Rei and Manaka.

(So it’s the same in Chaldea. If there’s no schedule there, Rei-san and Manaka-san must be monopolizing Master every day.)

Thinking about it, Okita sighed. “Master must be really exhausted there.”

“It’s manageable. But I’m a fairy—even if I die, I might come back to life. Plus, with Avalon restoring my energy, no matter how much I expend, I can recover in minutes. The only issue is mental fatigue.”

This was also why Naoki was still awake.

The attention he usually poured entirely into Rei and Manaka now had nowhere to go, so even though it was two or three in the morning, he still felt full of energy and wouldn’t feel sleepy until noon.

Under normal circumstances, Naoki would’ve admired his mental resilience, but when he thought about how it was trained bit by bit by Rei and Manaka, his feelings became a bit…

“Well, let’s just say it’s passing the time. By the way, there are some things I wanted to tell you, Okita.”

“Huh? Something you want to say?”

“Let’s call it heartfelt words from the bottom of my heart.” Naoki smiled. “What I told you before about having you stand by my side until the very end… How should I put it? I’m sorry, that was a lie.”

Okita froze. “A lie? Master, do you mean… I’m actually useless? Of course, Master is so strong, you could handle everything even without me.”

“No, that’s not what I meant… Ugh, it’s more like the same mindset as your comrades back then.”

Naoki explained, “The people in the Shinsengumi thought your body was frail and left you behind for your safety. From their perspective, they were surely doing their best for you.”

“I’m more or less the same.”

“If there were no unexpected circumstances, I’d be happy to fight alongside you until the very end. But if your sickly skill triggers, or you get seriously injured, I won’t let you fight even if you don’t want to stop.”

Forcing a sick person to fight was wrong; sick people should rest properly—this was a very common mindset.

Okita could understand.

“Since long ago, I’ve always felt that Master is a rather strange ‘Master.’”

After a moment of silence, Okita began to speak.

“For both Magi and ordinary people, we Servants are just tools, a kind of familiar. Even if we get injured, we can regenerate our bodies through spiritualization—frankly, our life and death aren’t something Masters need to care about.”

“But… Master cares a lot. Why?”

This was a question that had troubled Okita for ten years. Not only that, she was also puzzled about why Naoki spent so much Mana to maintain her presence in the world. If there was a purpose, it would make sense. But over ten years, Okita had barely received any serious orders from Naoki.

After all, orders like “Catch Merry when she’s causing trouble and hang her up” were hardly serious.

Hearing Okita’s question, Naoki didn’t even think for a moment, answering with a completely natural expression. “Because I like you, Okita.”

“—!”

The sudden words made Okita freeze in shock for a moment, then her entire face turned bright red!

Like?

“Master, the ‘like’ you mean is…”

“Well, it’s the same kind of like I have for Merry and the others. After all, Okita, you’re beautiful and cute, a gentle Yamato Nadeshiko-type girl, and when you fight, you’re gallant and cool. It’d be weird if I didn’t like you.”

Beautiful? Cute? Gallant? Cool?

(Is that really me?!)

“Not just you, Okita, it’s the same with Artoria. I really like Artoria too. That’s why I care about you the way you described—though it’s not just that, ninety-nine percent of the reason is exactly that. You can understand it that way.”

“To exaggerate a bit—I want to make you my wife.”

(Even though Master says that…)

The overly candid confession made Okita feel like a computer overloaded with information. Her mind was on the verge of crashing. For ten years, Okita had only seen Naoki as her Master. But now, her Master was telling her he had ulterior motives toward her? And he said it in such a cheerful tone…

This truly showed the attitude of someone who persisted in bad behavior, like a dead pig unafraid of boiling water.

But it also made sense. More than half the residents of Camelot Apartment were already “claimed” by Master. If he still wasn’t open-minded by now, he could only be called foolish.

“Ma, Ma, Master…”

After her face stayed flushed for a while, Okita finally managed to speak again, stammering. “Th-thank you so much for your… liking me, but please give me a little more time. I’ve never experienced something like this before. I… Please allow me to not respond to Master’s feelings for now!”

“Sure, no problem.”

Naoki nodded. “Come to think of it, now’s not really the time to talk about this. I just said it because it came up… Anyway, Okita, don’t overthink it. You can give me your answer after everything’s settled. After all, I have plenty of time. It’s fine even if you think about it for a thousand years.”

“Alright… Thank you so much for Master’s understanding.”

“Then I’ll head down first. Even if I can’t sleep, closing my eyes is good too. Okita, you should go back and rest a bit more too, or it might affect tomorrow’s battle.”

“I understand.”

After saying that, Okita let out a slow sigh of relief. Even so, she could still feel her heart pounding rapidly. Being confessed to by someone—this was something that had never happened even when she was alive. It was truly her first experience.

Honestly, she didn’t know how to handle it. Among the people she knew, few had experience in this area, and she couldn’t contact them right now…

“Right, maybe he can.”

Since she had previously stayed in Avalon, Okita had some communication with the Incubus living there. Before answering this summon, that Incubus had also said he could offer help anytime if needed.

Thinking of that, Okita softly called out, “Merlin, can you hear me? I have some questions I’d like to ask.”

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

At the same time.

Merlin, who was busy guiding Artoria and the others in Avalon, heard this sudden call, and a bead of cold sweat rolled down his forehead.

(Oof, Lia not done yet, and now there’s another one… Sometimes accidents like this happen because of inappropriate live content.)

(Hmm, I’ll have to charge Natsukawa a consultation fee later.)

(By the way, does this mean I can make a new section on the Magical Merry blog?!)

-

Title: The King’s Treasure Vault, Useful for Travel

The next morning.

Opening his eyes after staying awake all night, Naoki sat up from the futon on the floor and realized that there was no one else in the room besides him.

When booking the inn, he had only reserved one room. So last night, aside from Okita keeping watch outside, he and Angelica had slept together. But now, there was only a neatly folded blanket beside him, and Angelica was nowhere to be seen.

(She’s downstairs, in a place like… the kitchen? Is Okita there too? Are they making breakfast?)

The clock on the wall showed half-past eight in the morning. Though Naoki hadn’t intentionally woken up at that time, simply opening his eyes when he felt like it, the timing wasn’t bad.

After changing into clothes hanging on a chair and leaving the room, Naoki headed straight to the kitchen on the first floor.

Since it was wartime, there were no other guests at the inn. If this place hadn’t been passed down through generations, the owner probably would’ve fled by now.

Crossing the quiet corridor, before even entering the kitchen, Naoki could already smell the aroma of eggs. As if sensing his footsteps, Okita and Angelica immediately turned around.

“Master, you’re awake?”

“Good morning, Natsukawa-sama.”

“Yeah, good morning to you both.” Naoki nodded. “Making breakfast? I could smell it before I even came in. Eggs, right?”

“Yes. But the facilities here are limited, so we couldn’t make much. My apologies, Natsukawa-sama.”

Angelica spoke as she served breakfast—plain rice porridge, scrambled eggs, and some pickled vegetables. Compared to Naoki’s usual breakfasts, this could be described as pitiful. But it was wartime, and for ordinary people, being able to eat until full was enough. A breakfast like this, out in the open, would already be considered luxurious.

And why it was so simple wasn’t hard to understand. As mentioned before, during wartime, this inn had no guests at all. Naturally, there were no chefs or cleaning staff. The reason there were still enough ingredients left in the kitchen for one breakfast was because the owner had kept them, and he shared a bit after Angelica gave him a gold bar.

“This is more than enough. I’m not picky about breakfast as long as it’s edible.”

To put it more extremely, as a fairy, Naoki only needed to absorb Mana to survive. He didn’t need to eat at all.

Sitting at the dining table, he glanced at Okita beside him. Naoki cleared his throat. “By the way, Okita, what time did you come back last night? I was meditating and didn’t notice.”

“Huh? I came back to the room around dawn, then slept for a bit. At seven, I came down with Angelica-san and helped chop some vegetables.”

Okita’s response was natural, and she didn’t seem affected by last night’s events.

Naoki smiled. “Good to hear. Let’s start breakfast. After eating, we need to begin the operation. We’ve got a heavy task ahead.”

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

Maps were useless for the Imperial Capital right now.

No one knew when or how the Imperial Capital would be attacked. The absolute defense line in the Pacific Ocean had already been breached, and it was only a matter of time before the fighting moved to the mainland. Even if there was a map, it would just be a piece of scrap paper.

So, a normal map of the Imperial Capital wasn’t obtainable at the moment.

But Naoki had no intention of using a normal map. Compared to hand-drawn maps that might have errors, he trusted his own sensory abilities more.

*WHOOSH!*

Outside a shop in the Imperial Capital’s commercial district.

Bringing Okita along, Naoki teleported from underground to the surface. He pulled out his special map from his pocket and crossed out one of the many red dots marked on it.

Using his sensory abilities, he had mapped out the entire topography of the Imperial Capital, then used Imaginary Manifestation to project his mental impression of the city into a two-dimensional form in the real world—this was the physical map in Naoki’s hand.

“Not here either…”

“This is the fourth one.”

Based on Naoki’s perception, there were hundreds of military bases scattered throughout the Imperial Capital, including long-term bases used for extended periods, temporary bases used only once, and decoy bases meant to divert attention.

The creation of the Eighty-First Holy Grail Bomb was hidden among these bases—with this in mind, though he didn’t want to search them one by one, it was the only method available now. To save time, the three of them had split into two groups.

Naoki and Okita had just infiltrated the fourth base. But this one was only a temporary base, and though it looked like it had been used just a few days ago, no important information was left behind.

“Then, onto the fifth one… Hm? Okita, what’s wrong?”

Noticing Okita’s dazed expression beside him, Naoki asked with concern. “Is your illness acting up? Want me to help suppress it?”

“No, it’s not that. I just feel like the way people around me are looking is a bit strange.”

“Looking?”

Naoki glanced around.

Indeed, many people were looking at Okita, but none seemed suspicious—they were all ordinary people. Faintly, he could also hear voices saying, “That must be the Shinsengumi.”

“Shinsengumi… Oh, it’s because of your clothes.” Naoki explained with a laugh. “The Shinsengumi are still very famous in the future. Your Shinsengumi outfit must’ve been recognized.”

At the moment, Okita was wearing a short white kimono, boots, and a light green haori. It was the iconic Shinsengumi uniform known to everyone in Japan. Only a few decades had passed since the Shinsengumi vanished from history—not even a hundred years—so it wasn’t surprising they were recognized.

Of course, no matter what the passersby thought, they’d never imagine the person beside Naoki was an actual Shinsengumi member. They probably just assumed she was a fan or something.

“Does it make you uncomfortable?”

Okita nodded. “A little. I’m not used to being stared at like this, especially since I’m working… Can I switch to spirit form?”

Naoki firmly crossed his arms. “No way. If you go into spirit form, how can I see you? Stay in physical form like this—but… you’re right. Your clothes are a bit conspicuous. Let’s get you a change of clothes first.”

“Huh?” Okita quickly shook her head. “No need, Master. There’s no need to spend that much money on me.”

“It’s fine. The money comes from exchanging gold bars from Angelica’s Treasure Vault—it’s basically free money, so it’s no big deal. Besides… let’s just say I want to see you in nicer clothes, to satisfy my personal desires.”

-

Title: Which Saber Can’t Fire a Beam?!

The residents of Camelot Apartment generally didn’t have many clothes in their wardrobes.

Rei and Manaka could change into whatever clothes they wanted at any time, and Merry was the same—illusions were incredibly versatile in that regard.

As for Gray, Artoria, and Okita, it wasn’t that they didn’t have clothes; they just preferred wearing the same outfit for a few days before switching to something similar, rather than changing daily.

The only exception was Rin, but rather than saying she bought a lot of clothes herself, it was more accurate to say she was gifted many by Crane.

As a fanatical seamstress, Crane frequently gave clothes to others.

Naoki also had plenty in his wardrobe, but he rarely wore them.

And now—

*CREAK!*

In one of the few clothing stores still operating in the Imperial Capital.

Okita, having changed into clothes picked out by her Master, walked out of the store and approached Naoki. “Master, sorry for making you wait. Since I’ve never worn clothes from this era, it took a bit of time.”

Okita was no longer wearing her Shinsengumi uniform. The light green haori had been removed, replaced by a beautiful sakura-colored kimono. The Kiku-ichimonji she had carried earlier was now stored in a long bag.

Seeing her appearance, which perfectly matched her vibe, Naoki was momentarily stunned.

Noticing her Master’s silence, Okita grew nervous. “I-Is it weird? Me wearing clothes like this?”

“No, it’s perfect.” Naoki said, giving a thumbs-up. “So beautiful that I don’t want you to go back to your old clothes.”

“Ugh… That’s a bit…”

Okita blushed.

(But this means I do look really pretty, right? Is this what Merlin meant by a change in appearance?)

If so, did it work?

Judging by Naoki’s reaction, it probably did.

Smiling slightly, Okita said, “But since I’ve always been in England, I didn’t realize the Shinsengumi were so famous in the future. Even in the store just now, people asked me about it.”

“Well, they’re an organization that often appears in books and even on screens in the future. But in this era, the Shinsengumi are more seen as tragic heroes. To truly gain widespread praise, that’ll have to wait until after this war ends.” Naoki explained. “Once the Incineration of the Human Order is over, I’ll find some Shinsengumi-related works from the future for you—like movies, TV series, and novels.”

“Thank you, Master.”

Okita, who was smiling a second ago, suddenly turned cold, her eyes sharp. Her hand lightly touched the bag holding her sword.

“Be careful, I can sense faint killing intent.”

“Yeah, I feel it too.” Naoki nodded. “They’re hiding very well, with almost no aura leaking. It’s probably an Assassin, and their Presence Concealment rank must be high… Even so, erasing their existence from the world is useless against me.”

If the enemy truly wanted to sneak up on Naoki undetected, they’d have to do it in a dream.

(If I’m not mistaken, this Assassin is—)

“Izou Okada.”

“Is that the enemy’s true name, Master?” Okita immediately understood the significance of the name. “Can you provide more information?”

“Of course, but let’s talk while we move. It’s not good to have a big fight in the city center. Let’s head to an open area first.”

“Alright.”

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

Izou Okada.

One of the four great assassins of Japan’s late Edo period, known as the Slayer Izou and the Spirit of Tosa.

He had an extraordinary ability to replicate any sword technique after seeing it once. As a swordsman, his talent was undoubtedly at a genius level. Though legends typically summoned him as an Assassin, his abilities were strong enough to rival a Saber, and his compatibility with the Saber class was actually quite high.

As long as he was a swordsman, the first battle would surely be tough.

“So, a swordsman who can steal others’ sword techniques?”

As she was carried through the forest by Naoki, hearing the information about Izou Okada, Okita’s expression grew slightly serious. For a pure swordsman like her, Okada was a bit troublesome in terms of compatibility.

“Well, even so, he’s ultimately just a hero from the modern era with minimal mystery. He can’t fly or fire beams, and he barely has any long-range attack methods. Plus, as an Assassin, his body is fragile. Honestly, he’s not considered a threat.”

“That’s true.”

Swordsmen who could fire beams—while this didn’t apply to all swordsmen, at least most Saber-class Servants were like that, especially heroes from eras where mystery hadn’t fully faded.

Compared to those ancient beings, Okita, Okada… heroes from the modern era seemed a bit pitiful.

No, not just in that regard.

(Since I can’t keep up with Master’s speed, I have to be carried… As a Servant, this is really embarrassing!)

After deciding to face Okada in an open area, Okita had initially planned to move with Naoki. But her speed couldn’t match his, and in the end, she had to be carried like this.

Even though her Agility was A+!

“Hm, this place is good enough.”

Stopping in an open field on the outskirts of the Imperial Capital, Naoki set Okita down. “Here, even if there’s a big explosion, it’ll just be seen as normal wartime activity and won’t cause major issues. Alright, Okita, lend me your sword for a moment.”

“Okay… Master, what are you going to do?”

“Nothing much, just giving a little blessing to a warrior heading into battle, as a fairy.”

Smiling, Naoki lightly ran his finger along the blade of Kiku-ichimonji.

Whether it was an illusion or not, to Okita’s eyes, the once-ordinary blade of her Kiku-ichimonji was suddenly enveloped in dozens of rainbow lights. Powerful Mana infused the blade, even forming a new layer of light on its surface, giving the impression that a single swing could unleash a torrent of light.

Naoki handed the sword back to Okita. “This should do. Its power and sharpness have been enhanced to their limits. It also has self-regeneration, an unhealable curse, a continuous bleeding curse, and the blade itself is laced with a highly lethal poison. Oh, and it can fire a beam equivalent to a C-rank Noble Phantasm.”

“…”

Looking at her beloved sword glowing in her hand, Okita suddenly felt a strange sensation.

At the same time, from the nearby forest, Izou Okada rushed out, standing before them, slightly out of breath. “Finally caught up—what’s that?”

“A sword.” Naoki laughed. “Come on, Okita. Think of this as a sword test. Try swinging it and see the effect—oh, by the way, this enchantment is one-time use and will disappear in a few minutes.”

“I-I understand.”

Holding a sword brimming with such mystery for the first time, Okita herself grew nervous. Instinctively, she assumed the basic stance of Tennen Rishin-ryū and swung—

*BOOOOOMM!*

A multicolored beam of light shot out instantly!

-

Title: Not Just Stealing Your Monster, But Beating You With Your Own Monster

Izou Okada was a swordsmanship genius.

No matter the sword style, he could often master it after seeing it just once.

As a result, Okada looked down on other swordsmen, considering those he could easily defeat as worthless trash.

This time was no different.

After arriving at the location as ordered by his Master and seeing the target he was supposed to kill, Okada was certain the girl holding the sword was a swordmaster. Though her exact level wasn’t clear, he felt it was still manageable.

[This looks like it could be fun.]

That was Okada’s thought at the time.

His own abilities gave him the confidence for such arrogance. And when he saw Okita and Naoki leave and head to the outskirts of the city, he guessed their intentions.

(They’re looking for a suitable grave for themselves. Good, outside the city, I won’t have to deal with their bodies.)

With that thought, Okada followed them. Though their surprising speed mid-way gave him some trouble, he eventually caught up.

(Since you made me chase this far, just wait and see how I’ll kill you!)

As he emerged from the forest, Okada saw Okita holding a sword glowing with rainbow light, looking extremely dangerous.

What was that? Was that a sword too?

Okada, born in the modern era with minimal mystery, didn’t understand Magecraft. Even if he did, he was someone who disliked studying and had no interest in knowledge beyond swordsmanship. So, even if he knew about it, he couldn’t be said to understand it at all.

Through instinct alone, he could grasp one thing—that sword was extraordinary!

And then…

“Ugh… Aaaaahhhhh…”

As if wanting to scream but trying to hold it back, Okada let out a roar akin to a beast’s. He stumbled back against a tree and collapsed, clutching his right arm—below the elbow, it was gone.

Beside him, the ground and forest looked as if they had been torn apart by something, a massive gash clearly visible.

This was undoubtedly the result of Okita’s sword swing. Enhanced by Naoki’s Magecraft and various fairy enchantments from Summoning Magecraft, though temporary, the sword was now capable of letting Okita fire a beam of light.

Even if its power was only at that level.

Seeing Okada slumped under the tree, Naoki walked over and crouched down. “Your survival instincts made you fight desperately to save your life, Assassin.”

“You…”

“Don’t look at me with those scary eyes. I’m not afraid. On the contrary, it feels like I’m being stared at by a rabid dog, giving me chills.” Naoki said, waving his hand. “But even though you saved your life, you won’t last long. I placed three curses on Okita’s sword.”

Deadly poison, unhealable wounds, and continuous damage.

In Okada’s condition, even if left alone, he would die and return to the Throne of Heroes in ten to twenty minutes at most.

However…

*WUUU!*

Suddenly, a wave of spatial energy spread around Okada.

(His Master is using a Command Spell, planning to save him… Is that even possible?)

Just as the light of the Command Spell transfer was about to envelop Okada, Naoki raised his hand, removed his glasses, and glared sharply at him.

“Uwaaaaaaahhhhhh!”

The sensation of his entire body being gnawed from the inside out made Okada scream in agony uncontrollably, and amidst such wails, the Command Spell transfer completed.

Seeing Okada vanish from the spot, Naoki adjusted his glasses. “Hmm, with this, we don’t need to worry about the German side.”

Soul Eater Mystic Eyes, Mystic Eyes that erode spirits. Any spirit seen by these eyes would turn into an evil spirit driven solely by destructive instincts. If Naoki didn’t control it, it would keep acting until it destroyed itself or was destroyed.

Of course, for Okada, Naoki had no intention of controlling it. After all, he was now completely out of control range. How could he control something beyond signal reach?

“With this, an uncontrollable executioner Servant has entered the German base. Though in his current condition, he can only last ten to twenty minutes, that’s enough to clear out the people in that base, right? The troublesome Caster can also be dealt with this way.”

“Caster?” Okita furrowed her brow. “Master… Though I’m used to it, I’m still shocked. Do you already know all the enemy personnel?”

“Pretty much. I might’ve forgotten who the Master is, but at least I remember the Servant. This time’s Caster, like the Assassin, is a Servant summoned by a German Magus. His true name is Maxwell’s Demon.”

Maxwell’s Demon.

A fictional entity born from a hypothetical experiment by a mathematician who tried to challenge the Root in the past. It was a Servant with a distorted spiritual foundation, born from humanity’s desire for “infinite energy.”

In terms of existence, it was strictly closer to a Phantom Spirit—a being born from human desires tied to a specific story or theory.

Though it fundamentally lacked combat strength, since its existence was based on the concept of “Maxwell’s Demon,” as long as that concept wasn’t disproven at this point in time, it was completely indestructible.

However, in 1981, mathematician Bennett’s paper disproved the “Maxwell’s Demon” theory.

This meant that if it appeared after 1981, summoned in an era where the concept of “Maxwell’s Demon” was debunked, it would lose its indestructibility and could even be destroyed by hitting it with a book.

“It’s 1945 now, far from 1981. So, the Caster is completely indestructible. Fighting it would be a waste of time—but in the end, it’s just a Servant. If a Servant loses its Master, it naturally can’t remain in the real world.”

With Okada’s abilities as an evil spirit, clearing the German military base wouldn’t be difficult. If he could directly kill the Master of Maxwell’s Demon this way, that would be ideal. If not…

(*Oh well, it doesn’t matter. At worst, I’ll drop the moon or use the Holy Sword. It’s a good chance to settle some personal grudges too. After all, in this era, Germany and Japan losing one or two bases won’t make a difference.)

Thinking that, Naoki said to Okita, “Well, let’s put the Caster issue aside for now. The most important thing is the Holy Grail bomb—there’s a Japanese military base on the outskirts of this city. Let’s check there.”

“Alright, Master.”

Okita nodded, instinctively trying to sheathe her sword, but the intense Mana and glowing light enveloping the blade prevented it from fitting into the scabbard.

“Master, this sword… Can’t your Magecraft be canceled?”

“Uh… Sorry, it can’t. Just wait a few minutes.”

-

Title: Throw the Traditional Magus to the Dogs

In the blink of an eye, it was already dusk.

In an old, abandoned town in the Imperial Capital, deserted due to the war.

*SLAP!*

Slapping the last standing soldier, Naoki shook his hand. “How many groups is this, Okita?”

Wiping the blood from her blade, Okita sheathed her sword. “Sorry, Master. After the fifth group, I stopped counting. These pursuers are really… persistent.”

Since defeating Okada that afternoon, Naoki and Okita had been relentlessly attacked by the Japanese military.

However, though it was called an attack, to the two of them, it was nothing short of suicide. None of the enemies they faced were Servants, not even Magi. They were all ordinary people with no special abilities, armed only with pistols.

“Is this a diversion?” Okita asked, looking at the pile of bodies she had created around them.

“No, they’re most likely coming for me.”

Naoki recalled his memories. “The one giving the orders is probably a Magus in the military. He’s the Master of a Berserker, a pro-war extremist, a terrorist who wants to seize the Holy Grail and the world for Japan—you probably get the picture, right?”

“He wants to kill Master to win the Holy Grail War?” Okita said. “Indeed, with this many attackers, even if I let my guard down, I might not be able to protect Master properly…”

The number of attackers they had faced was already over a hundred, maybe more. Perhaps the enemy thought that no matter how many people were sacrificed, as long as one could kill Naoki, it would be considered a victory.

Were they playing a gacha game?

“Well, if it were another Master-Servant pair, they might’ve died. Even if they survived, they’d likely be injured. But the enemy doesn’t know I’m not some weak novice. No matter how many soldiers they send, they can’t even scratch me.”

“If Master doesn’t allow it, nothing can harm you, right?” Okita gave a wry smile. “More importantly, about the investigation of the Holy Grail bomb… It turns out there’s nothing here either. This is the twenty-eighth one.”

Twenty-eight.

That was the number of military bases Naoki and Okita had investigated throughout the afternoon. Not a single piece of information about the Holy Grail bomb was found.

“So, it’s been reorganized… Hm, though it’s a bit of a waste, reaching this conclusion isn’t bad. It also confirms that just one strike can end it all.”

If the Holy Grail was still split into eighty-one parts, Naoki would find it a bit troublesome. Repeating the same task eighty-one times was exhausting. He’d much rather settle it all in one strike.

“With this, we just need to find out which base the Holy Grail is in…”

As he spoke, Naoki walked toward one of the bodies. After observing it briefly, he removed his glasses. Suddenly, a mist rose above the corpse, forming a highly distorted spirit in the air. After swirling aimlessly, it made a motion that seemed like kneeling before Naoki.

Okita watched the scene with slight surprise. “Master, this is…”

“Spirit Summoning Magecraft, a spell that temporarily calls a dead person’s soul back to the world. Since these people were sent under orders, they must have met the person giving the orders behind the scenes. By asking, we can find their location.”

“Huh? But aren’t your Mystic Eyes a form of Magecraft that erodes spirits?”

“Erode, then control. Isn’t that pretty similar to summoning and controlling a spirit? At most, these Mystic Eyes are a bit more absurd.” Naoki laughed. “Oh, Okita, be careful. Don’t step into my line of sight, or you’ll get damaged too.”

Hearing that, Okita hurriedly moved behind Naoki.

After locking eyes with the soldier’s soul for a moment, Naoki waved his hand to dismiss it and put his glasses back on. “Hmm, I’ve asked, Okita. Though I didn’t get the location of the Holy Grail bomb, I’ve got the location of the mastermind behind the scenes.”

“Then… as a thank-you for their ‘hospitality’ this afternoon, let’s pay them a visit.”

“Alright.” Okita nodded. “But why didn’t Master do this earlier when we encountered enemies?”

“…”

The sudden question made Naoki pause for a moment. After a few seconds, he spoke. “Because I forgot I had Spirit Summoning Magecraft.”

“…”

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

At the same time, in the Imperial Capital.

The Ministry of the Army.

“Failed again?”

Looking at the incoming report, a man with black-framed glasses and curly hair sighed with slight irritation.

The man’s surname was Mawatsun—his first name wasn’t important; what mattered was his surname. For someone from a magecraft family like him, the surname was a symbol far more significant than the given name.

He was a Magus hired by the military two years ago as a consultant for supernatural research. Now, he served as a special advisor in the army.

That was the official story.

As for what he truly was… “A fanatic who would do anything to obtain the Holy Grail and the world”—that description was sufficient. The reason Japan was still holding on despite the obvious situation was largely due to this man.

He used Magecraft to assassinate leaders of the pro-peace faction, employed Suggestion Magecraft and rhetoric to incite soldiers, and distributed potions that made them so euphoric they lost their sense of self… Though these were common Magecraft techniques for a Magus, when used in war, this was the result.

The soldiers relentlessly attacking Naoki and Okita had also been sent by him, under the pretext of “for the future of this country.”

Truly despicable behavior.

Rubbing his temples, Mawatsun looked at someone standing in the corner of the room. “By the way, how’s the information on the Saber side?”

The girl in a navy uniform trembled slightly upon hearing this. “About the Master’s information… I’m sorry, it’s still unclear. We only know his name is ‘Natsukawa Naoki,’ and he’s supposedly a Magus.”

Natsukawa.

A surname Mawatsun had never heard of. At least in his memory, there was no magecraft family in Japan with that surname.

“Also, regarding Saber’s true name, the Magus named Naoki called her ‘Okita,’ so her true name might be… Okita Souji.”

“Okita Souji. The Shinsengumi, huh?” Mawatsun sneered, adjusting his glasses. “I thought Saber would be a tough target, but she’s just a mere executioner. The best class was given to a third-rate character.”

“Continue the attacks on Saber’s camp.”

Hearing Mawatsun’s words, the girl named “Kaname” immediately showed a fearful expression. “Huh? Continue?”

Mawatsun nodded. “You understand what I mean, right? In reality, no matter how many people are sent to attack, they’ll never kill a Master protected by a Saber. But so what?”

“The goal isn’t to kill but to wear them down. Imagine, even for a Magus, being constantly chased by a group of ordinary humans from morning to night would mentally exhaust them. As long as they’re in the Imperial Capital, this situation will keep happening. To stay safe, the Servant has to remain in physical form, and that Mana consumption isn’t small.”

No matter how great a Magus was, they couldn’t sustain a Servant’s physical form for twenty-four hours a day. Even if they could manage it once, what about two days in a row? Three days? Or, more extremely… a week?

“Attacking the enemy’s supply line is a common war tactic.”

To the girl, Mawatsun, who spoke such inhumane words, was like a cold-blooded demon—such an operational plan was tantamount to throwing away soldiers’ lives, treating human lives as disposable goods.

The girl clenched her fists slightly and spoke tremblingly. “But… that’s…”

*SLAP!*

Before she could finish, a slap landed on her face.

Mawatsun shook his hand. “That’s not good, Kaname. Are you trying to defy your superior’s orders? Though you’re the Master of that creature, I have the right to punish you—a foreign bastard, who gave you the right to stand here and serve the homeland?”

“I—”

*BOOM!*

At that moment, a loud noise suddenly echoed from outside the room!

Mawatsun pursed his lips, glanced at the girl, then hurriedly pushed the door open and stepped out. “What’s going on?! Where did that sound come from?!”

“Major!”

Several soldiers gathered in the corridor quickly turned to report.

“We’re under attack!”

“What? Who’s attacking? Did enemy soldiers infiltrate the country?!”

“No!”

At the staircase nearby, a soldier missing one arm staggered up. “The enemy… the enemy… There are only two—Pfft!”

As soon as the words left his mouth, half the soldier’s head was sliced off. Immediately after, a girl with sakura-colored hair in a pink kimono, holding a sword, appeared on the staircase. After glancing around both sides of the corridor—

“The first floor is cleared. Start clearing the second floor.”