You are very strong, but my painting style is better than yours!

Master, what is your wish?

"Salvation for all mankind!"

Sera did not hesitate. This was her reason for living as a homunculus. The Einzbern family’s long-cherished wish had been passed down for hundreds of years and had long since become a curse. Even if she was the only one left, she had to fulfill it.

“What a grand goal~” Iori smiled. “The Holy Grail alone is probably not enough… but that’s irrelevant to me. All I need is to win.”

"Berserker, from this moment on I—"

"I will formulate the future action plan."

Iori and Sera locked eyes, their dark eyes deep and mysterious, brimming with convincing charisma.

"Unless you're confident you know better than me how to fight!"

“This… the Holy Grail War isn’t something you can win with brute force alone.” Sera, worried that Iori was underestimating the brutality of the Holy Grail War, quickly explained, “You also need to know how to gather intelligence, cultivate allies, and formulate strategies—”

Are you good at these things?

“…” Sera suddenly fell silent.

Just kidding, if Einzbern were good at these things, how could he have ended up in this situation today?

"Then you'll have to leave it to me. You're in charge of supplying me with magic and using support magic. Just be careful not to get killed by the enemy's Master."

Iori said earnestly, "Protecting yourself is the greatest help you can give me."

"……I see."

Although she was very unwilling, she was so weak that she couldn't argue with such a stubborn Servant. She decided to find a way to establish her authority in the future.

—And she really isn’t good at things related to “war”.

"There's something I need to explain beforehand... My magic circuits have been damaged. Although my magic power is sufficient, it will affect the transmission efficiency."

Sera said worriedly, "That means the 'magic channel' between us isn't working very well... there might be trouble later."

"Oh?"

Iori raised an eyebrow: "Compared to a weakened Master, a declining family, and a complicated situation, this is some rare good news I've heard today~"

“…Good news?” Sera looked up in surprise. “How can this be good news? If you release your Noble Phantasm while the passage is blocked, it might deplete your mana.”

"This is it!"

Iori's lips curled up slightly: "I love challenges!"

“Strange guy…” Sera muttered to herself.

Iori, a veteran lunar resident, began to look forward to it:

It's worth noting that the "mana replenishment" scene in the original game features a lot of CG animation.

Yes, she only did this to get the CGs, she had no improper thoughts at all!

But then again, Sera's looks and figure are quite good, especially with her silver hair and red eyes!

Now that Iori has been transformed into a "Spirit Origin" by the summoning system, at least during the Holy Grail War, she, like other Servants, possesses both spiritual and physical characteristics, meaning she will have all the necessary sensations...

Unfortunately, if it becomes necessary to replenish mana at a certain time, Iori will have no choice but to reluctantly shoulder this burden!

Chapter 97: The Second-Generation Teacher Couldn't Refuse (Part 2)

In a somewhat old café in London's old town, a middle-aged man with long black hair, wearing a dark suit and a red scarf... no, he was a young man who looked like he was middle-aged at first glance, probably just twenty-four or twenty-five years old, but his face had an inexplicable sense of vicissitude, making it easy to misjudge him.

He sat by the window, sipping his coffee while furrowing his brow as he perused the documents in his hands. He was clearly a bitter office worker or a middle manager experiencing a mid-life crisis.

However, his actual status was much higher than that.

After all, in some places he would be called "lord," a word with a somewhat antiquated feel, which in Britain often meant a noble title or someone of similar origin.

Jingle bell bell~

The narrow wooden door opened, and the waiter was about to step forward to greet them when he was stunned by the beauty that came into view. He forgot to breathe for a moment and was in a daze before he came to his senses.

Welcome!

"Guest, do you have a reservation?"

"No."

The woman had pure and mysterious silver hair, like a snowfield in the depths of winter, bringing a chilling cold. Her fair skin and long eyelashes set off a pair of clear, jewel-like red eyes—her beauty was almost inhuman.

Her attire was just a simple white trench coat and hat, but it still showed off her tall and slender figure.

For some reason, the waiter could sense an indescribable quality about this customer, a kind of elegance and restraint that was completely different from the so-called "aristocrats" left over from this era, stemming from time and tradition.

This made him even afraid to look the other person in the eye. He glanced at them briefly and then respectfully lowered his head, his gaze fixed on the dark brown riding boots on the customer's feet.

"one person?"

"No, two."

"And your friend... um?"

"A cup of black coffee."

Without responding to the waiter's questions, Sera walked in on her own, her red eyes sweeping over the room before she headed straight for the window.

Upon seeing this, the waiter "suddenly realized" and naturally assumed that the two people Sera was referring to were herself and the friend sitting by the window.

However, when Sera arrived, she asked, "Can we share a table here?"

"no problem."

The long-haired man didn't even look up; the contents of the document seemed to irritate him greatly, and he kept shoveling bitter coffee into his mouth as if it were just water.

Sera glanced at him, calmly sat down, and said leisurely, "What is it that makes His Excellency El-Melloi II so worried? Is the Clock Tower about to collapse?"

"..."

The man stopped what he was doing, his sharp gaze shifting from the document to the person opposite him, before relaxing.

"Oh, it's you. I'm sorry, Lady, my answer is the same as before: I can't help you with this."

El-Melloi II, whose real name was Waver Velvet, came from a very short-lived lineage of magicians and was not well-regarded. However, due to various unexpected events, he inherited the name "El-Melloi" and became the Lord of the Department of Modern Magic (Norigi), one of the twelve departments of the Clock Tower. He was also the most popular lecturer in the Clock Tower.

(Yes, even Director Riken won't survive; there will always be unexpected events that will ruin him. Waver will still become the second Waver; this is the will of the universe~)

He wasn't a particularly powerful figure in the Clock Tower; he was relatively inexperienced, and El-Melloi had also declined considerably, making him unremarkable among the Twelve Lords.

However, he has a great potential influence, and has trained many outstanding magicians, including geniuses known as "Original Stones," thus accumulating a considerable network of connections.

Some have commented that if he were ambitious, he could easily have created a separate faction within the Clock Tower... it's just that the Second Prince's personality isn't suited to doing so.

In this war between the Clock Tower (Mage Association) and the Yggdrasil family, although the Second was not the direct person in charge of the association, he played a role similar to a coordinator.

The selection of the Master for the Mage Association was finalized by the Second Prince—the important figures trusted his judgment.

Interestingly, although the Second Lord was diligent in selecting Masters, he never recommended any of his own disciples...

"You should just give up on this Holy Grail War."

The Second Prince bluntly stated: "They will not allow the three major families to get involved. Even if they beg me, it will be useless. You should leave London as soon as possible instead."

Since the defeat of the Third Holy Grail War sixty years ago, related information has been leaked. Ambitious magicians have been holding sub-Holy Grail Wars in various places, but they are all dubious and none can compare with the original Fuyuki version... But because of this, countless people are watching the three starter families, hoping to gain more knowledge and secrets.

Compared to Matou and Tohsaka, the almost extinct Einzbern family is the perfect prey... If they understood this, they shouldn't have shown themselves in public.

"Thank you for the reminder, Your Majesty, but it's a bit too late to say this now, because I've already been hunted like a rabbit in this steel jungle."

and--"

Sera raised her hand, revealing a three-stroke Command Seal on the back of her hand that resembled a Möbius strip.

"The roles of hunter and prey have now been reversed."

The second prince's pupils contracted slightly, then he understood: "I see, so you've already secured a spot... Generally speaking, summoning a Servant requires a massive amount of magical energy from the Greater Grail, and it's also impossible to summon outside of the battlefield (Romania)."

But as expected of the three starter families, they still seem to have some weaknesses.

However, now that you've become a Master, you can simply go to Romania. There's no need to come looking for me anymore, is there?"

"If I set off now, I will only be participating in the battle as an independent magician."

Sera paused for a moment, and then the waiter brought over a cup of black coffee. The silver-haired girl expressed her gratitude reservedly, took a sip, and then continued speaking.

"But I still want to go to Romania to quell this rebellion as a member of the Magic Association."

"...Why?"

The Second Prince was puzzled. Although the Einzbern family was a prestigious family with a long history, they did not actually care about family lineage or have any need to curry favor with the Magic Association.

Because the true "Einzbern" family does not exist, this family was originally composed of "disciples of mages" whose wish was to complete the tasks left behind by the mages:

The Third Law, the Cup of Heaven, and the grand ambition to save all mankind.

But later, these magicians recognized the limits of their abilities in the face of cruel reality. Some committed suicide out of despair, while others chose to escape. No one passed on the will of the magician.

Ironically, although the disciples gave up, the homunculus they created did not, choosing to remain in the workshop and try again and again... The Holy Grail War also began after that.

In other words, the "Einzberns" who first appeared in people's sight were just a group of androids carrying out the highest orders.

As a result, this group of androids also failed, and only one descendant remains to this day... To be honest, the Second Prince thinks it would be better for Sera to give up this surname and mission.

However, he also knew that it was impossible to get artificial humans to give up. They had very little self-awareness and of course would not actively resist.

For Sera now, since she has already summoned a Servant, she might as well just go and join the battle. After all, this is Einzbern's last chance. If they can't win, it's all over. What's there to be afraid of about the Clock Tower?!

This is precisely what the Second Emperor found most perplexing:

Even if you're an android, you don't need to be so particular about procedural correctness. You've already made it a fait accompli, so why are you still coming to the Clock Tower to ask for a Master spot?

"Times have changed, Lord."

Sera frowned slightly at the coffee, not because she tasted bitterness, but rather because she was melancholy because she could barely taste anything.

Although her right eye appears to be fine, she is actually almost blind, her spatial awareness has deteriorated significantly, and now she has even lost her sense of taste... It seems that her body is indeed approaching collapse.

"This Holy Grail War is not the chaotic battle of the past, but a confrontation between two factions. I don't think that a Master without any faction support can survive to the end in this war."

"So you need the association's approval?" The Second Prince nodded. "It's only natural for a person who is alone and vulnerable to seek protection."

"I have no choice."

Sera stated frankly: "Daniel, the patriarch of the Yggdrasil, is the villain who stole the Greater Grail and destroyed the Einzbern. If I appear in Romania, I will definitely be seen as a thorn in their side... Without the cover of others, I will become the target of their attacks."

“I sympathize with you. As an android, you have been given an excessively heavy mission, carrying out tasks that are simply impossible to complete.”

The Second Prince was also a man of few words: "But I still choose to refuse!"

"..."

"First of all, it is a consensus in the Clock Tower to exclude the three founding families from the Holy Grail War. Even the Tohsaka family, which has 'that person' as their backer, has stayed away from the Holy Grail War and continues to be active as a purely magical family."

The Einzbern family currently lacks any leverage to sway powerful figures, and they have no need to introduce an unstable element like you. Even if you were to obtain Master status, it would only amplify your threat.

Secondly…

The Second Prince took out a cigar, cut off the tip, lit it, and took a deep drag.

"Phew... I don't need to get involved in this mess."

"Does one of the twelve monarchs also have things he fears?"

"It's too much trouble!"

The Second corrected her: "Danic is a cunning old fox. His talent and shrewdness are top-notch. He's even been rated 'Grand Rank' by the association. In recent years, he's gathered many disillusioned magicians, allowing Yggdrasil to develop into an independent faction..."

The Clock Tower initially couldn't believe that such a guy would rebel, but it quickly realized that this was a good opportunity to establish its authority.

Externally, the aim was naturally to intimidate renowned magic schools across the land; internally, however, each faction hoped to gain an edge over others through military achievements.

"Military achievements?" Sera, being a relatively simple-minded android, was quite puzzled by this.

She didn't understand why the people of the Clock Tower would see the Holy Grail War as a place to earn battle merits, when it was clearly a battlefield where death was a near certainty.

That's underestimating the cruel system that the starter Pokémon painstakingly developed!

"Humph!"

At this point, the Second Prince was somewhat speechless: "Some people are arrogant and look down on the down-on-his-luck magicians of the Thousand World Tree, while others have participated in the Subspecies Holy Grail War and think they have experience and victory is assured."

"..."

Sera was at a loss for words.