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

"This……"

After Iori's reminder, the android girl's expression turned serious, and a faint magical light shone in her beautiful red eyes as she gazed at the distant church. After a moment, she looked surprised.

"Is this... a barrier?"

“That’s right. The first half of the chapel is fine, but the second half of the church cemetery is completely shrouded in a powerful barrier, which means that the priest has summoned his servant.” Iori shook his head slightly. “Although it’s not an impregnable stronghold, it would be too reckless to rashly attack a temporary workshop of a magus from the Age of Gods.”

"...You were originally planning to ambush the priest?" Sera looked at Iori in astonishment. "Why?"

"For your victory, my dear master." Iori smiled slightly, "Even if you win the Red and Black War, there will still be competition within your own camp. After all, there can only be one winner in the end... and this man is your biggest rival."

Sera was still puzzled: "Father Kotomine Shiro... but judging from his resume, he is just an ordinary priest who is passionate about helping the weak. He has neither shown anything special nor has any experience related to the Holy Grail War."

"If he's just an ordinary priest, why would the church send him?" Iori scoffed.

"But there's no point in saying all this now. He's a very cautious person. His servants should have noticed our presence long ago at this distance, but they haven't made a move, which proves that he won't leave the 'safe zone'."

A surprise attack would be far too difficult... I've decided to abandon this operation.

"it is good!"

Sera chose to trust Iori, even though the boy acted somewhat capriciously. The silver-haired girl began to think that following his orders wasn't so bad... after all, she was an android.

But just as the two were about to retreat, the sky suddenly darkened, and a cold wind blew through the forest, making a sound like a ghostly wail. An indescribable sense of oppression descended upon everyone's hearts.

"This is……"

"Don't let your senses wander!" Iori suddenly shouted sharply. "Focus your mind and don't use any magic!"

“I understand… but what is this?” Sera was breathless, her frail body unable to withstand such powerful pressure, and she couldn’t help but lean against Iori’s back. But as soon as she touched the boy’s body, her breathing became much easier.

“This is the power of a conqueror.” Iori looked up at the sky. “A servant with the attribute of a king has descended… but I wonder who he’s after.”

Even so, he already had a guess in his mind, because his arrival in this forest was purely impromptu, and normally there would only be one strategic objective here—

"Kick!"

A blinding bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, striking the cross atop the church. As the lightning flashed, a hemispherical magical barrier also appeared and disappeared.

Next, a rather complex magic circle appeared above the church. A beam of light, compressed from a large amount of magic power, instantly raised the temperature of the atmosphere, as if it had struck something in mid-air, causing its figure to gradually emerge. In a blurry view, it turned out to be a black-armored spearman riding a warhorse.

"The target was indeed the priest!"

Iori nodded, and suddenly an idea pierced through the clouds like sunlight, exciting him.

"Great opportunity! Sera, get ready to come with me!"

"Huh? All at once?" Sera asked uncertainly, "To besiege the priest and his followers?"

"No, it's the church cemetery. If I'm not mistaken, some priest probably left something there."

Iori grinned and said, "Master, let's go and empty his savings of sixty years!"

Chapter 99: The Priest's Ambition

For Vlad III, the true leader of Yggdrasil (the Black Faction), although Master Darnic was despicable, he had no conflict of interest with him. The reason he used the Blood Curse to control Darnic was not simply out of revenge, but also to seize real power in Yggdrasil.

Now that even his Spirit Origin has been altered, his way of thinking is more like that of the tyrant in his previous life. He believes that there can only be one leader in his territory, and he not only wants to be the "king" of the Servants, but also to make all the Masters of Yggdrasil bow down.

It wasn't difficult to do this, or rather, once he took control of Danic, the power was already in his hands.

Although the "Thousand Worlds Tree" was a powerful force, it was bound together by Danic's skill and strength. He gathered together a large number of magical families that were about to perish or had already perished, and established the concept of "family" using surnames and cheap magic crests (mass-produced crests unique to the Thousand Worlds Tree).

To put it bluntly, they were just a group of losers banding together for warmth, but with Danic's almost obsessive expansion, they accumulated a scale far exceeding that of an ordinary family.

Such a family lineage, not to mention the peripheral members, has no blood ties or kinship even among the "main family".

Since Vlad III had taken control of Danic, the other magicians had no reason to complain, at most they might have some reservations about "having to obey the familiar".

But just like Tokiomi Tohsaka in a parallel universe, you have to bow your head when necessary. After all, you summoned a father figure!

Compared to easily quelled internal affairs, powerful external enemies pose the greatest threat.

After synchronizing the "parallel world memories," Vlad III's greatest concern was neither the invincible Green Comet nor the noble and dazzling Son of the Sun, but the priest and his followers.

The priest himself was not very powerful, but he had ways to restrain "vampires". Vlad III was not sure if his spirit origin could remain stable. If he were to completely transform into a Berserker (vampire), he would definitely be unable to resist the power of purification.

On the other hand, the priest's servants can construct mythical-level aerial fortresses, which are a huge advantage in faction battles. The base that the Thousand World Tree has painstakingly built up over decades is simply insignificant compared to the servants' Noble Phantasms...

In order to eliminate his greatest threat, Vlad III decided to strike first. Since it was inconvenient for him to leave his "territory", he sent the most mobile Rider to ambush Kotomine Shiro.

As for where the intelligence came from, we have to give credit to Danic. Nicknamed "Eight Tongues," he had a strong network of connections, not to mention that the Clock Tower itself was not exactly a clean and honest place.

The information that Iori and Sera needed to use Rhinegold to lure the Second Prince to obtain was easily gathered by Yggdrasil.

All the resources that Danic had accumulated now belonged to Vlad III, providing him with a solid foundation for formulating strategies and tactics.

Incidentally, Vlad III not only changed the original plan of action, but also did not overlook the most important aspect of the Holy Grail War—the summoning of Heroic Spirits.

To win a war, a "king" as the commander is essential, but the quality of territory (Romania), people (Yggdrasil), and generals (Servants) is also important.

In a parallel world, the Black Faction Servants of the Yggdrasil faction are actually weaker than the Red Faction Servants of the Mage's Association in terms of overall strength.

This is because Danic, as the undisputed family leader, appears magnanimous, but in fact he is also very careful to suppress family members and not allow anyone to challenge his authority.

Originally, in order to ensure his victory in the internal competition, he would have the magicians below him prepare the relics themselves. As a result, the Thousand World Tree Servants were generally a level lower than those from the Association.

The only truly top-tier relics are the "Bloodstained Bodhi Leaf" and the "Poison Arrow," and they did indeed summon top-tier Servants... However, the two Masters each have personality or physical defects and are no match for the combination of Darnic and Vlad III.

Of course, Darnic wouldn't have imagined that the Reds had the ability to directly "move" the Greater Grail. Even if they could subdue their own faction's Master, it would be useless if they couldn't win the faction war.

Vlad III was clearly more confident than Danic; he was not afraid of his subordinates being too capable, but rather of them being too weak.

Therefore, Vlad III pulled out the World Tree's collection this time, selected the top-tier relics from it, and summoned Servants that were much stronger than before.

What surprised him the most was Rider. Although this Servant was undoubtedly best suited for the Saber class, summoning him as a Rider could also unleash extremely powerful abilities!

The reason she was sent was because her mobility was best suited for surprise attacks.

If Kotomine Shirou hasn't summoned any Servants yet or the Red Team hasn't gathered, then Rider can kill him directly!

If the priest has already gathered most of the forces of his faction, then the raid will lose its meaning. Vlad III does not want to fight a decisive battle outside of Romania, so the Rider can use his class advantage to disengage and return.

Vlad III believed that even if the other party had multiple Servants, no one could stop Rider if she was determined to leave.

The priest in the church and his contractor experienced Rider's power most directly.

Awesome!

It was not simply a collection of magic or violence, but also carried the majesty that only the most powerful heroic spirits possessed, as if a god had descended to earth. Even an attack from a distance could make people tremble.

With a gentle swing, the spear covered in jagged thorns shattered the A-grade magic cannon, and the wind pressure released from the tip of the spear caused the barrier above the church to flicker.

Without a doubt, this is a top-tier Servant, and their Magic Resistance is at least B or higher. It's only a matter of time before they breach this church.

"This is troublesome... Are you confident, Assassin?"

"What kind of confidence? Is it the confidence that I can escape alone, or the confidence that I can escape with you?"

"Hmm~"

A handsome young man with white hair, dark skin, and dressed in a priest's robes gave a troubled smile: "Is there no option to repel the enemy?"

"No, after all, I'm just an assassin, how could I possibly fight that kind of monster head-on?"

Although his class is assassin, the young man's servant is a beautiful woman dressed in an extravagant black dress, with thick black hair reaching the ground, exuding an aura of luxury and decadence.

The pointed ears revealed a hint of inhumanity, and its beauty was just like that described in many epics, enough to make a king infatuated, the kind of beauty that bewitches all living beings.

Now that the enemy is at the gates, she is not in a hurry at all. She even has the mind to mock her master: "It's because my master is a miser. He should have let me start working earlier. If we were in the 'garden', we wouldn't have to be afraid even if more Servants came."

"That's true, I didn't think it through."

Kotomine Shiro smiled apologetically: "However, the reason I didn't let you build a garden wasn't for economic reasons. In fact, when I decided to summon you, I was already prepared to go bankrupt, and I worked hard to accumulate wealth for sixty years in order to make this firework even more beautiful."

"Hum~"

Upon hearing this, Empress Semiramis closed her eyes and nodded in satisfaction, seemingly praising Kotomine Shiro's ambition.

However, the priest then added, "Your Noble Phantasm requires several days of continuous chanting to activate, and it will take even longer if you add the time needed to gather the materials. You cannot start it lightly until you have enough combat power to ensure your safety."

"I'll accept this reason for now... but what do you intend to do now, Master?"

If you don't make a decision soon, the barrier will be broken!

"There's no other way but to risk calling that great hero back."

Kotomine Shiro frowned and asked his servant, "Can you guarantee that nothing unusual will be detected?"

"Who do you think I am?" Semiramis said confidently. "Even the heroes of the Age of Gods could not possibly perceive my methods."

"That's good. After all, we can't let people find out that our Master has been 'kept' in captivity." The young priest's smile was harmless, but his words revealed a rather alarming amount of information.

Using his status, the young man was able to get close to each Master. These chosen ones of the Clock Tower were undoubtedly excellent magicians, but compared to a goddess like Semiramis... there was a dimensional gap between them in terms of knowledge and skills.

Using Semiramis's "poisoned wine," the priest rendered the Masters useless, causing their consciousness to fall into chaos, and then controlled their actions. From then on, whether it was summoning Heroic Spirits or commanding battles, everything was secretly manipulated by the priest.

—This is the crime that Kotomine Shiro committed in order to realize his ideals.

It was dishonorable, but very effective.

Semiramis's technique is impeccable. Even when she used "poison" to control the magicians, it did not damage their magic circuits or affect the magical channel between them and their Servants.

Kotomine Shirou was nominally entrusted by those Masters to lead this war on their behalf, thus gaining command of the Servants. By claiming that "magicians are unwilling to take risks and want to control the war from behind the scenes," he could isolate the Servants and Masters, preventing even the great heroes of history from noticing anything amiss.

The priest hasn't been able to control all the Red Team Masters yet, and there are only two Servants under his indirect command... Of course, even if only one is recalled, they should be able to defeat the enemy Riders by cooperating with the Empress.

There's just one small problem:

The two Masters who were rendered useless are in the church basement. The reason why the two heroes were ordered to go out and act freely was to keep them away from the Masters so that Semiramis could carry out more precise operations.

If we recall the Servant now, we might be suspected... We have no choice but to trust Semiramis's abilities!

"Use Command Spells, the barrier won't hold for much longer."

"Understood, Master."

Semiramis smiled slightly, while on the sofa in the church's basement, a magician, immersed in fine wine and incense, vaguely raised his hand, and a bright red Command Seal flashed by—

Chapter 100: The Black Knight King and the Son of the Sun

The Black Faction's Rider is a Servant with extremely distinctive features, making her unforgettable at first glance.

The upper body was covered by rough black steel armor, which was solid and reliable. The gender could be seen from the slender waist and the protruding chest, but it was completely devoid of the feminine beauty. Instead, it was full of sharp edges, and the surface seemed to be covered with sharp dragon scales, giving people a ferocious feeling. Rather than being used for defense, it was more like sealing a ferocious beast in the armor!

The helmet was also fully enclosed, with protrusions on both sides of the skull resembling dragon horns. The eyes in the viewing windows were devoid of any emotion, only cold indifference and deathly silence.

The lower body is a skirt armor suitable for riding horses, with steel plates protecting the sides of the thighs, and inside is a black long skirt that looks like a formal dress, but under the enhancement effect of magic, even the fabric has the hardness of metal.

Her slender calves, visible beneath the skirt, were also encased in black stockings as thick as sheet metal, not an inch of skin showing.

This is only the Servant himself; his "power" goes far beyond this.

As a rider, she naturally uses long weapons, but calling their ferocious appearance a "lance" is too mild a term and completely fails to describe their terror.

To put it figuratively, it should be a kind of torture device. On the black, spiraling lance, scarlet crystal spikes resembled congealed blood, seemingly proclaiming how many enemies this black overlord had ravaged!

As for the warhorse beneath him, as a symbol of "cavalry," its design is quite imposing, with pale mane and scarlet eyes. Its tall body possesses a wild and untamed beauty that lies somewhere between a living being, steel, and an undead.

—It's the kind of rare item that, once it appears in an RPG game, will be pushed up hundreds or thousands of times, just hoping to drop it once.

But at this moment, as the rider's mount, it is less eye-catching than its owner.

The design was so striking that Iori recognized Rider's real name from afar—

Artoria Pendragon

That's right, it's the King of Britain who wields the holy sword!

She should have been summoned as the undisputed Saber, but like Hercules, the great hero best suited to be an archer, she is one of the most well-known legendary heroes in Europe and has extremely wide class adaptability.

Besides her role as a Holy Sword Wielder, she also has legends about other weapons and mounts. Apart from appearing as a Berserker-class Spirit Origin, they can all be considered top-tier Servants!