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

His contractor is a pretty, intelligent, elegant and composed young woman, but unfortunately, she has a leg ailment and can only sit in a wheelchair.

At this moment, Master Fiore's eyes showed worry, but Archer signaled to her with his eyes not to worry.

The Masters of Yggdrasil generally felt uneasy when they were in the same room with Vlad III, because they saw Lancer as a dangerous Servant who was infamous in life and had been corrupted by some unknown spirit, which would then turn against his Master.

Lancer's mental state is extremely unstable, and the Masters are all afraid of following in the footsteps of the clan leader Danic, so they behave like elementary school students when holding war meetings.

The three Servants from Yggdrasil engaged Iori in battle one after another, but not only did they fail to capture him, they didn't even manage to inflict any significant damage, and one of their Assassins almost perished in the process...

In fact, it was fortunate that the Black Berserker's real name was "Asterius," the famous labyrinth lord, the Minotaur, whose name was deeply connected with "lightning," and whose exceptionally strong body was thus able to withstand the onslaught of lightning.

Otherwise, Iori's final all-out lightning strike would have effectively reduced an anti-military Noble Phantasm to a human target... Anyone else would have been killed!

Iori almost defeated two Servants without taking any damage. If this were in a game, Iori would have easily soloed the preliminary dungeon, and Vlad III, as the final boss, would naturally feel embarrassed.

The unusual sense of oppression made all the magicians in the hall afraid to even breathe loudly...

Chiron, on the other hand, did not have this sense of unease. He had always been very good at judging people, so he was certain that Lancer's "madness" was a rational and logical extreme behavior. Even if Vlad III completely turned into a madman, he could still lead this camp.

There will be no problem as long as we maintain a consistent stance with them.

"First, the red team's servant... Hmm, is that boy really a Berserker?"

"There is no doubt about that. Each class's Spirit Origin has corresponding characteristics, and that boy is indeed a Berserker with 'Madness' by default. However, he may have a special Noble Phantasm or inherent skill that makes him immune to the negative effects of Madness. Such skills are rare, but they do exist."

Chiron spoke eloquently: "Generally speaking, 'Berserk' is used to strengthen weak Servants. If you summon a powerful hero as a [Berserker], although it can increase their stats, they will lose their sanity and skills, so overall it is a weakening effect."

However, the Berserker of the Red side is different. He is one of the very few Heroic Spirits who can balance 'Berserk' and 'rationality', making him much more troublesome than a regular Berserker.

In fact, I think even if he had chosen to stay and continue fighting, it would have been very difficult for us to kill him.

"You have a very high opinion of him?" Vlad III asked, somewhat surprised.

"Assassin is not a weak Servant. She has excellent stats that make her a worthy candidate for one of the Three Knights, and her combat skills are also experienced and proficient. However, she was almost powerless against that person and was suppressed from beginning to end. She was even nearly killed..."

Even considering compatibility issues, it must be admitted that the red team's Berserker is far stronger than Shuten-dōji!

Chiron hesitated for a moment, then boldly said, "Moreover, he may very well be hiding his true strength."

"He didn't even use his full strength when fighting three Servants in succession?" Vlad III and the surrounding Servants were all surprised.

"It's just my gut feeling... but I firmly believe it."

Chiron had once gazed at Iori from afar. Although they had never met in person, he was quite impressed by Iori's calm yet cold gaze.

“I reviewed the battle logs repeatedly and found many suspicious points. What I was particularly concerned about was his special ability to be immune to ultimate Noble Phantasms when he fought Shuten-dōji. It seemed like Shuten-dōji’s attacks were ‘penetrated’ directly through him, but it wasn’t an illusion.”

"Is it his Noble Phantasm, like the vampire's mist transformation?"

Vlad III didn't care, because if he were to fall into vampire form, he would have similar abilities.

"It was just to evade attacks. Judging from his combat process, he only used the 'fog-like' ability once throughout the entire battle. Obviously, this is a trump card that he would not easily use, and there may be a limit to the number of times it can be used."

So as long as you're careful during battle and don't get outmaneuvered, you'll be fine, right?

"...Perhaps, but battles between Servants are a contest of Noble Phantasms and compatibility, and intelligence plays a significant role in them."

Chiron hesitated and said, "We cannot rule out the possibility that he deliberately displayed his abilities to induce us to obtain false information... I still think we should try to be as cautious as possible."

"Of course," Vlad III nodded slightly, but inwardly he didn't think so.

In his opinion, Iori is a very good Servant:

Its stats are well-balanced and excellent. It excels in melee combat while also possessing mid-range attack capabilities. It can unleash a field that grants immunity to abnormal statuses. Furthermore, its weapons can control lightning and water flow, and it also possesses sealing techniques targeting spirits.

Crucially, they also need brains; they must remain calm during battles and still have the capacity to care for their Master.

To be honest, Vlad III was very tempted. If it weren't for the opposing camps, he would definitely have brought such a talent into his fold!

But that's all. Lancer doesn't think Iori is a game-changer—he lacks the overwhelming dominance to deliver the decisive blow!

"I don't think he has activated his true Noble Phantasm yet, which is this hero's biggest trump card... It's just a pity that Assassin is unwilling to say more, otherwise we could have made some guesses."

Chiron only learned the true name "Yamato Takeru" from Shuten-dōji, but it was difficult to extract the characteristics of the Noble Phantasm from Takeru's story.

He wanted to ask Shuten to help him make a guess, but the woman turned him down with the excuse that she "couldn't think straight."

Well... it's really hard to refute!

-

“berserker… no, Iori, I’m sorry.”

In a hotel room, Sera sat on the bed, her slender arms supporting her on the edge of the bed. Just maintaining the tilted sitting position seemed quite strenuous, and her face was flushed from time to time. Her languid appearance was like that of someone who had a hangover, which gave her a unique charm.

The silver-haired android is clearly a young girl in the prime of her life, but under the "influence" of Shuten-dōji's fine wine, she has acquired a certain mature woman's charm...

"I'm the one who dragged you down this time. If it weren't for taking care of me, you could have even hunted down enemy Servants, right?"

“It’s not that easy.” Iori shook his head. “Assassin is not a concern, but the combination of Black Archer and Black Berserker is not so easy to deal with.”

Iori was confident he could easily take down a single calf, after all, this "natural monster" didn't have many combat skills, relying purely on talent and wildness to fight, and its Noble Phantasm was just something used to trap people.

Its brute strength is indeed astonishing (its stats are terrifying), but as a famous person once said:

"It's pointless if you can't hit it!"

Iori's skills and agility far surpass Asterius', and he also possesses the ability to see clearly and remain still. Unless one is foolish enough to wrestle with him, it's hard to imagine how one could possibly lose.

But that was a one-on-one fight. If Chiron were added, the meaning would be different.

The Greek sage is too versatile; his direct combat ability is only first-rate, but his support ability is top-notch... Iori doesn't plan to reveal all his cards so early, so retreat is the best option.

"Iori, I... um..."

"You don't have Shuten-dōji's true Noble Phantasm, but only a little bit of naturally emanating sake fragrance, which continuously generates magical power in your body, and that's enough to wash away the residue."

"I know... but this feeling is so strange... why..."

Sera's brow furrowed and relaxed at times, and her eyes sometimes looked confused, sometimes relaxed, and sometimes troubled... giving people a rather unsettling impression.

Iori noticed this too and sat down by the bed to observe her condition: "What's wrong?"

"I don't know... I have so many feelings in my heart that I can't describe... It's like, I don't know how to put it... Ugh, it hurts so much~"

So many things I never even noticed before… things I never cared about before, but now they feel like a curse… I don’t want these worries, these emotions!

Is it the magic of "wine"? In the myths of various countries, wine is a poison that can drive people mad, let alone Shuten-dōji, a notorious degenerate...

"Well!"

Sera curled up helplessly, and in her daze, she did something she would never normally do—she rested her head on Iori's lap.

This made her feel at ease, and the chaotic and inexplicable emotions in her mind were also greatly relieved.

“I’m sorry, Berserker, I know I shouldn’t have done this, but… why have I become so weak, like a human…”

"..."

Iori wanted to push him away, but hesitated slightly after raising her wrist. In the end, she reluctantly lowered it and gently brushed her Master's silver hair.

"It'll be alright, Sera."

"Um……"

Looking down at his Master's sleeping face, Iori suddenly had a strange feeling—it wasn't lust; he wasn't the kind of guy who would take advantage of someone in distress.

It means "to pity".

Sera constantly talked about Einzbern's long-cherished wish and didn't care about her own life or death. She tried her best to show her special status as an artificial human, as if she were a machine without blood or tears, moving forward only for a mission goal.

But looking at it this way, she's only a seventeen-year-old girl... that's her apparent age; as an artificial human, she's probably not even ten years old.

It's worth noting that Irisviel in the original story was shockingly "young"!

Born with a weak body and a short lifespan, and with so many spells written down on her, plus a hidden Lesser Grail within her, her life had been on a countdown since the start of the war... How did she view her life?

No wonder he emphasizes that he is an artificial human and therefore has no emotions.

If a person has normal emotions, wouldn't they either try to escape or go crazy?

Sera cannot acknowledge her emotional turmoil, because it would be an examination of her entire life.

When one is unable to defy the highest orders, the more one denies one's own life, the more tragic it becomes.

Since that's the case, it's better to end her life as a pure android. If she sacrifices herself for Einzbern's long-cherished wish, then at least her death will have meaning.

Beautiful, fragile, self-deceiving... this android girl is such a troublesome fellow!

but--

"It's fine."

Iori repeated herself softly, "I'll be right here with you, Sera."

Chapter 116: Impossible! Absolutely impossible! (4K)

Early in the morning, the morning light shone through the French windows, illuminating the room. On the soft bed, two figures embraced each other on the white sheets, their clothes still neat. The silver-haired girl lay curled up in the boy's arms, her delicate face calm and serene, exuding not a hint of eroticism but rather a strange sense of holiness.

"Well……"

The girl frowned slightly, slowly opened her eyes, and was initially a little dazed, but then her eyes became bright and she gradually remembered what happened last night, including boating to admire the moon, being attacked, and how she became like a baby seeking comfort from others.

"—!"

Seeing the black suit blocking her view, she suddenly opened her eyes wide and cautiously raised her head. When that familiar handsome face came into view, Sera couldn't help but take a deep breath, and her fragile heart began to beat faster than usual.

She only breathed a sigh of relief when she realized that Iori hadn't woken up and was even snoring softly, looking like she was fast asleep.

With her arms supporting her on the sheets, Sera raised her upper body and looked around in a daze, then at her and Iori's indecent state. It was fortunate that they weren't disheveled or naked, otherwise the level of embarrassment would have been several levels higher.

...No, why would she care about something like this?

Sera suddenly realized something was wrong with herself:

She was simply protected by a Servant and slept while in an abnormal state. Although the position was a bit ambiguous, she certainly wouldn't have had such strong emotional fluctuations in the past.

Now... she feels that her thoughts and actions are childish, or rather, much more irrational.

Homunculi are tools used by magicians to accomplish a task and do not require superfluous things like emotions. The Einzberns are different—they are homunculus created by homunculus, and are more extreme in this respect.

But Sera at this moment developed emotions similar to those of a human... From a magician's perspective, this is undoubtedly a kind of "deterioration".

As her body gradually deteriorates, are logical errors also emerging on a mental level? Sera thought to herself with a self-deprecating smile.

However, this is something she cannot control, and since she cannot change it, she can only try to adapt to it.

Sera shook her head and was about to get up when she glanced at Iori's sleeping face and was slightly stunned.

She suddenly thought of a question: How should she greet Iori after he wakes up?

What a wonderful night... no!

What's going on? This feeling of anxiety and distress is like having a brace around my neck.

Is this what people often call "awkwardness"?

Why not just play dead and get away with it?

Sera had a sudden idea. She blinked and, although there was no one else in the room, she subconsciously looked around before carefully lowering herself back to her side-lying position and closing her eyes.

She planned to pretend she was still asleep, and when Iori woke up and got out of bed, she would open her eyes and act as if they had never shared a bed.

It has to be said that after becoming "weak," she seems to have also learned the human trait of self-deception... no, it's more like she's become "slick."

Sure enough, perhaps due to the excessive consumption of energy, the silver-haired girl felt sleepy after closing her eyes and actually drifted off to sleep again.

"Hmm~"

In her hazy state, she shifted uncomfortably, resting her head closer to Iori's chest without ceremony, her expression calm and serene, a faint smile playing on her lips...

Iori opened her eyes and stared blankly at the guy who was using her arm as a pillow, speechless for a moment.

Isn't it a bit cruel to wake her up now...?

After thinking about it, Iori simply closed her eyes and went back to sleep, ignoring even the notification sounds ringing in her mind.

-

"Eating Mapo Tofu at a Japanese restaurant in Romania...it feels like a very novel experience."

Iori and Sera sat in a small Japanese restaurant, looking at the tender white tofu covered in red oil in their spoons, and secretly curled their lips.

There is a subgenre of Japanese cuisine called "Chinese cuisine," but it is not actually Chinese food. Like many other aspects of Chinese culture that have been introduced to Japan, it is a modified and reinterpreted creation.

If you've watched "Cooking Master Boy," you'll probably remember the Mapo Tofu and Shredded Pork with Green Peppers.