Chapter 4: Kayneth is the Anxious Type

'I don't quite understand the meaning of this.' I muttered to myself while looking at a Far-Sight Noble Phantasm that was so convenient it was almost a nuisance. In reality, my agitation wasn't just verbal; my back was probably drenched in cold sweat.

Where did this all begin? At the very least, I must be the cause of it. I tried to organize the jumbled mess inside my head.

First, this morning. I had left the Far-Sight Noble Phantasm active. It seems Sakura took a liking to it; she spends her free time watching it. It can be adjusted even without my direct intervention. Though she remains expressionless as ever, she was using it by changing the targets herself… I could only pray she wouldn’t develop a stalking-like watching hobby.

Around noon, a summons came from the Holy Grail, or rather, the Overseer. Naturally, there was no option to refuse. Ignoring it would draw suspicion, and I wanted information anyway.

But the method of communication was a problem. Given my circumstances, there was no way to do it discreetly. As a last resort, I sent out a Lowest-Rank Noble Phantasm. Even the lowest-ranked Noble Phantasm was still a Noble Phantasm—it stood out like a sore thumb. When it arrived, Kotomine whatever-his-name-was gave me the most startled look. No doubt every faction had made similar expressions through their familiars.

As expected, they provided quite detailed information. Though, the other side was either hiding the existence of Assassin or had lost track of Caster. they didn’t reveal his current location. When withdrawing the Noble Phantasm, I quietly left behind a single sheet of paper. If Kirei found it, he’d probably cling to Kiritsugu like a stalker. And hopefully, he’d stay put.

After getting the scrying tool back from Sakura, I searched for locations in the city that seemed likely, but I still couldn't find him. Perhaps my Luck statistic is just low? I had no intention of going out to look for him personally. The efficiency wouldn't be much different from using a Noble Phantasm. Besides, I didn't want to run into other camps and get forced into an encounter, and I hated the idea of showing my combat style in a joint operation even more.

By the way, Sakura didn't resist when I took the Noble Phantasm away. It seems she enjoys the act of "watching" itself and doesn't have a specific objective for what she sees. I felt that was dangerous in its own way.

I continued to search, continued to fail, and now it was evening. Having failed to find anything in the city, I decided to watch the entrance to the forest of the Einzbern Castle. But this was also a problem. The forest covers a massive area. There's no way there's only one entrance. There are several spots clearly opened and suitable for walking, but if someone doesn't care about paths, they could enter from anywhere.

Monitoring such a vast area in only limited spots—at this point, it was a failure flag. Still, I did my best. And I failed. I feel like screaming. Every bit of reliance on luck so far had resulted in a swing and a miss.

(Translator's Note: Well, it’s not surprising that Archer’s luck is very low, considering that his Master is Sakura.)

When I finally found them, the battle between Saber and Caster had already begun. Nevertheless, I prepared myself, just in case an opening appeared. Soon after, Saber's movements became strangely restless.

What was going on? Lancer hadn't even arrived yet. Changing my perspective to find the cause, I saw that for some reason, Kotomine was launching a surprise attack much earlier than expected. Why? Because I did something unnecessary, that's why. Even so, up until that point, I thought it wouldn't be an issue.

Almost simultaneously with Lancer's arrival, Berserker appeared for some reason. Without a glance at the other two, he began mashing through the Horrors (Sea Monsters). Saber immediately broke away from the front line to support Irisviel.

None of this made sense. 

I had a mountain of questions about Berserker's appearance and how they communicated. There was only one possible reason. I couldn't think of anything else.

No matter how you look at it, Kiritsugu and Kariya have formed an alliance. Thanks a lot for that.

"Why?!"

I insist I was absolutely justified in shouting at that moment. The sight of Sakura flinching beside me was comforting, but only for a brief moment. I was immediately plunged back into a headache.

Let's think this through. Is there a reason for Kariya to ally with Kiritsugu, or vice versa?

The reason for Kariya to antagonize Tokiomi has actually mostly disappeared. Tokiomi was betrayed by his Servant, which must have provided some satisfaction. Sakura's safety is guaranteed at the minimum level by being my Master. And the fact that he can move so freely means Zouken Makiri has been weakened to that extent. In short, he has more mental leeway than in the original story. All he needs now is a reliable guardian for Sakura after the Holy Grail War.

To someone who knows them, the conclusion that he would trust Kiritsugu more than Waver is shocking. However, with the information he has and Kiritsugu's characteristic of hating Magus—his "I don't give a fuck about magecraft" attitude—Kiritsugu must have seemed the most decent choice.

On the other hand, for the Einzberns, Kariya is a very convenient disposable pawn. If my information had been passed to them, they would want Berserker even if it meant pushing a little. As for Sakura, if she doesn't assert herself, they might judge her not worth killing. Even if they intended to kill her, hiding Maiya Hisau would solve that problem.

...The interests weren't entirely misaligned.

Cold sweat poured down. This was a very dangerous trend. Individually they were fine, but the survival rate drops drastically when these two team up.

It's not that there's no way to deal with Berserker, but the compatibility remains poor. If he acts as a wall with a weapon, Saber will have energy to spare. If she has energy to spare, then Excalibur becomes a threat. I could manage one of them alone. But if Arondight is activated at the same time, there's no absolute guarantee I can push through. I’d be hit by Excalibur in that opening and it would be game over... a terrifying possibility.

I should’ve killed Kariya back then. In the heat of the moment, I hadn’t thought that far, I could have wiped out the entire Matou Estate. Regret washed over me.

In this situation, I couldn't afford to ignore Lancer. As long as his spears were intact, Excalibur would remain sealed.

I have to act now, or I'm done for. If Kiritsugu wins, it'll be the end of me. To prevent that, I at least have to go and interfere.

With that, I stood from the sofa. Sakura reacted to my determined expression.

"I'm going to participate in the Holy Grail War for a bit."

"...Have a good trip."

With Sakura's encouragement (though it probably wasn't), I leaped out the window.

The silver membrane deflected a mountain of bullets and the swarm of insects. The impacts were fierce, but the Supreme Mystic Code created by Lord El-Melloi, Volumen Hydrargyrum, didn't even tremble. Yet, contrary to its overwhelming performance, the frustration of its user, Kayneth, was reaching its peak.

“Guh, Irisviel—!”

"Haah... haa... I've... contacted Saber! I've sent Berserker toward Caster!"

“I wanted to keep him hidden longer, but—”

“Don’t be absurd!”

"Do you really have the leisure to consult with each other right in front of me?"

Seizing the moment when their attack briefly ceased, I lashed out with a compressed whip of mercury. The tools they had been hiding behind were all blown away, and my targets retreated even more shamefully. Serves them right, thought Kayneth. But he had no intention of forgiving them with just this.

"A dropout who relies on science, and an amateur who can only perform this level of magecraft... Know your place!"

Three blades as thin as paper. They easily blew away the insects deployed as a smokescreen. Even the bullets flying through the gaps were no problem thanks to the automatic defense capabilities of Volumen Hydrargyrum.

It was boring. Completely boring. Biting his lip, he chased the targets who showed not a shred of fighting spirit.

(My magecraft was not worthy to be used for such trivial matters...!)

Ultimately, that was the crux of it all.

What Kayneth sought was strictly a conflict between Magus. Disposing of a fool who neglects magecraft was, in itself, an insult to magecraft.

A magus is a seeker who continues to pursue the answers of the world. Magecraft is the qualification required to pursue that truth. That is why a magus shuts themselves in their Workshop and continues their pursuit. Third-rate magi are fine. They are utterly immature, but they are just immature. If they knew their place, he even thought he might support them.

However, a fool who degrades magecraft into a mere tool is different. Killing them a hundred times wouldn't be enough. And the fact that he was using magecraft to dispose of those fools also made him furious.

He felt sick. It was the worst feeling he had ever experienced. Even when his beloved Sola-Ui was charmed by that idiot Lancer, his anger wasn't this intense.

His fury had clouded his judgment. Had he been his usual calm self, he might have noticed—that he was walking into a trap, steadily approaching death.

The one who cut through that flow of certain death was not himself. Naturally, it was not his servant, nor the people he looked down on as prey.

The trash threw away his gun. Then, he brandished another. Pertinaciously—snorting with laughter, Volumen Hydrargyrum began its automatic defense. They still hadn't grasped that such things couldn't even scratch it.

The continuation of the battle lasted only until this moment.

Suddenly, all the windowpanes shattered. The fragments, carried by the air pressure, rained down like a rain.

The two prey instinctively curled their bodies to protect themselves. Even so, they couldn't block the sharp glass fragments and suffered lacerations all over their bodies. In contrast, Kayneth's magecraft protected him without any effort. Because of that, he was the fastest to grasp the current situation.

The cause of the shattered windows. Outside stood a man clad in golden armor on a massive aircraft. He was merely standing there, looking down with a sense of composure.

“Impossible… a Servant?!”

The last Servant, the one about whom no information had been obtained. Likely Archer. Kayneth had expected him to remain in his stronghold, biding his time to seize victory. However, he never expected an attack to come at this precise moment.

No—come to think of it, it was the perfect opportunity. Three Masters had separated their Servants from themselves and were fighting each other.

(Damn it, was I careless!)

If it were a Servant who naturally fought and desired the Holy Grail, there was no way they wouldn't exploit such a gap. Because his own Servant was so fixated on a frontal duel, he had forgotten Archer's existence.

Archer took a sword in hand and held it out to the side.

(Can I block it!? No, if he has an ability like Gae Dearg...)

Thinking of unnecessary things, his movements couldn't keep up. To begin with, it was impossible for a human's reaction speed to surpass that of a Heroic Spirit. Unexpectedly, the one who reacted fastest to the certain death an instant away was the man who was nearly dead.

"Berserker!"

One of the marks on the man's right hand burst and vanished. A massive amount of converged Mana dissipated in an instant, changing form in response to his will. A path of light was constructed in a flash, making an impossible miracle—teleportation—a reality, and the next miracle was manifested. A dark knight in black armor, seemingly void-like. He moved faster than Archer could swing his sword and parried the blade with his armor.

"Tch!"

A small click of the tongue was heard. Was it directed at Berserker's appearance, or at being overpowered?

Archer did not resist the force that pushed him back, retreating with his aircraft. This is bad—everyone felt it. Archer is an Archer precisely because he excels at long-range attacks. At the very least, there is no such thing as an Archer so stupid they can't attack from a distance. In the first place, the only effective means of attack against a Servant is an attack from another Servant. If he moves to a place where even a Servant's attacks can't reach, they would be slaughtered.

The space behind Archer rippled. Not like heat haze—more like droplets falling on water, creating circular ripples. Many of them appeared. Kayneth could not be ashamed of the fear he felt. What felt the threat wasn't his senses as a magus, nor his intuition as a first-class lecturer of the Clock Tower, but a more primitive survival instinct that screamed out.

He frantically tried to construct the best defensive formation he could. He didn't know how much good it would do... but when humans face imminent death, they clutch their heads and curl their backs. In the same way, he began an Incantation.

Magecraft does not respond to a ritual lacking focus. That was Kayneth's biggest failure today, and the fact that he didn't need it was his greatest fortune.

Only Archer and Berserker noticed the approaching presence. Their reaction alone confirms the arrival of something beyond human comprehension.

Archer swung his sword towards his right side. No, he didn't swing it; he used it as a shield. Immediately after, a gigantic blue bullet, tinged with gold, struck him. A fierce, jarring sound, like thick metal being forcibly torn apart. The sparks born from the contact were large enough to hide Archer's figure.

Archer was pushed back along with his aircraft, He followed the bullet that had been parried and changed trajectory with his eyes.

Sticking a golden, shining sword into the castle wall as a brake. Stripping off the armor that should have been woven from mana, the spirit of the sword responded strongly to Archer's gaze. It was an application of the wind magecraft (Noble Phantasm) shown at the warehouse; using compressed wind pressure as thrust, she had flown there in an instant.

Saber, turning back to face Archer, held her sword behind her in a charging stance. The storm swirling at the tip had not yet subsided. A stance ready to leap out at any moment and aim for a fatal blow. Naturally, Archer was not one to fall for that so easily. However, now there was Berserker, who could play the role of creating that opening.

The momentary stalemate was quickly broken.

"My Lord!"

Arriving slightly later than Saber, Lancer leapt into the fray. Holding both Gae Buidhe and Gae Dearg, he took a position to respond to all other Servants.

"This is the end of it."

Archer was the first to realize the situation. While keeping the aircraft afloat, he turned it around and attempted to withdraw.

"Do you think I'll let you escape after all this, Archer!?"

Saber's angry roar was met with no verbal reply. Instead, a sword loudly stabbed into the floor. It landed exactly between the two Masters Kayneth had been targeting.

"Kuh!"

A grunt of frustration was heard. It was Archer's way of saying that if the fight continued, he would focus his attacks on the Masters. A Servant who can fly and attack from a distance. If they had to stop their feet to protect their Masters while fighting him, they stood no chance.

Both sides acted based on the judgment that there were battlefields more favorable to them than this one.

"Kayneth-sama, please excuse me."

Lancer's retreat was also swift. Stowing his spears, he embraced Kayneth and departed the location at full speed.

At that time, Kayneth noticed that Lancer was aligning his path with Archer's. Lancer's Agility was already the highest in this war. One couldn't catch up just by chasing normally. However, he likely used Archer as insurance in case someone tried to intercept him. While they might not hesitate against one person, but against two versus two or a free-for-all, they would hesitate. At least, the enemy Master would judge that. Kayneth made the same judgment.

The retreat itself was incredibly smooth. Without encountering any interference, they reached their base—the ruins—without incident.

In the words of appreciation offered by Sola-Ui, the ratio was clearly higher toward Lancer. Kayneth's uncontainable irritation accelerated further.

"My Lord, I apologize. I let Caster slip away just one step away..."

"Caster, after Saber."

"I beg your pardon, but...!"

"Never mind."

Kayneth dismissively cut off Lancer’s words. His emotions were not directed at Lancer now. Lancer understood that and did not press the matter.

Kayneth silently plopped down in a chair. He recalled the recent battle. The dropout who relied on modern weaponry and degraded magecraft into a tool. He was one step away from finishing him. The one who had interfered was a Servant who had only participated in battle for the first time since the disposal of Assassin.

"That damn Archer...!"

"Seems I’ve earned quite the hatred."

"What! You! When did you get here!"

The tip of the spear Lancer leveled pointed toward the darkness. In the dim light, a man stood there, shrouded in black but without the slightest dimming of his radiance.

He was wearing ordinary clothes, not armor or anything overflowing with mana. But that blonde hair and those crimson eyes—above all, that presence that overwhelmed just by being there—could never be forgotten.

Archer was not intimidated in the slightest by Lancer's pressure. He showed no tension. He walked toward them as if taking a stroll, and his attire and expression suggested that this was, in fact, nothing more than a stroll.

"No matter how much of a Magus you are, you can't set up proper defenses in a makeshift place like this that isn't even a Workshop, right? If so, there are plenty of ways to get in."

What should I do...? Kayneth's mind raced. His mana was significantly depleted, and he couldn't sustain combat for long. Lancer and Sola-Ui were in a similar state, having fought just moments ago. The Servant facing them had only aimed for a small risk with high profit from the sidelines and had no noticeable exhaustion.

Even if they tried to flee, the position was bad. The ruins had been chosen despite his dissatisfaction, purely to utilize Lancer's abilities. Although the interior was spacious, the walls were broken, allowing access to the outside. In other words, no matter how they fled, that flying craft would catch up instantly. The broken walls were too much of a hindrance for Lancer to hold him back.

"Well, don't be so defensive. I didn't come here to fight today."

With a rhythmic clack-clack of footsteps, Archer finally stepped into Lancer's range without even deploying a Noble Phantasm. The bewildered gaze came from his own Servant. Stop, Kayneth sent back a look. In response, Lancer backed up until he was one step in front of Kayneth.

Responding to a Servant who uses schemes is certainly dangerous. However, more than that, fighting was not wise. After all, the opponent was an Archer, and there was a hidden hope that Lancer wouldn't be suddenly overpowered at a distance favorable to him. At the very least, Archer shouldn't be faster in close quarters battle.

The Servant stopped five steps in front of Kayneth. Naturally, he did not step into spear range. There, Archer tossed something at him. A bundle of very ordinary copy paper, with no sign of mana. In short, just documents.

"Lancer, stay on guard."

"Yes!"

"Be as alert as you like."

The Archer stopped, shifting his weight to one leg and crossing his arms. A gesture an average person might make on the street. Was he mocking them, or was this a declaration of non-aggression?

Neither reaction speed nor Strength statistic... in every aspect, they couldn't compete with an Archer whose parameters—except for Luck—were first-class or higher for a Servant. To stop him, he had to believe in Lancer. If that was the case, it was ten thousand times better to be defiant than to look pathetic.

Kayneth picked up the documents and scanned them. After just a few pages, he frowned and discarded them without reading the rest.

"What is the meaning of this? Listing my career history—and only the obvious parts at that."

He snorted. So, this Servant was only at this level after all. However, Archer seemed entirely unbothered.

"An impressive career. I'd expect nothing less from one of the Lords of the Clock Tower. If I had been able to choose my Master, I would have chosen you."

"Naturally," Kayneth thought, puffing out his chest, and inwardly he didn't feel too bad. The attitude was a bit annoying, but he judged Archer to be more decent than Lancer. Even so, the fact remained that he was an opponent one couldn't afford to be careless with.

"So, what is it you want to say? If you came just to say that, I'll ask you to leave."

"To put it bluntly, I've come to form an alliance. If I'm going to team up, it'll be with the highest-level magus. Am I wrong?"

—So you understand. Kayneth couldn't help but let his lips curl slightly. The fact that Archer judged by looking at the Master, Kayneth, rather than Lancer, scored high points. However, he immediately corrected himself and glared back.

"Do you seriously think I would agree? You just interfered with me eliminating an enemy Master a moment ago. No, beyond that, you tried to eliminate me as well."

"I won’t say it’s a misunderstanding. That’s just how the battlefield is—the one who dies is at fault. …But if we’re talking about what just happened, I’d say I deserve your thanks."

"What?"

Kayneth's blood pressure shot up at Archer's joking comment. The man had dared to say this after interfering with his execution of the scum who had to be eliminated.

Even when faced with blazing anger, the man remained unconcerned. He even shrugged. Kayneth was moments away from his limit.

"You are certainly excellent, but that is why you are vulnerable to being blindsided. You should have investigated your opposing Masters."

Kayneth loudly clicked his tongue at the mocking tone. Those less-than-Magus weren't worth expending resources on intelligence. However, while he had tried to gather info, there were gaps, and his information had been insufficient. In terms of what Archer said, there were points he couldn't entirely ignore.

The next set of documents thrown was much thinner than the first. He knew whose it was before even looking. It belonged to that fool obsessed with modern weapons.

The Magus Killer. That's apparently what he was called. According to the records, he had defeated multiple powerful Magi... but looking at him, how much of that was true? In reality, they were likely just "starving dogs" whose names had grown too large. Furthermore, every single victory was a self-destruction due to the target magus's failure in spellcasting. It was pathetic.

Before he could conclude it was ridiculous, Archer spoke.

"Even if only ten percent of it is true, there must have been high-ranking Magi. Even if that's not the case, they were all Magi with a lot of experience. Now, let me hear your opinion. Is it possible for people who have been steeped in the path of Magecraft for decades to self-destruct so conveniently?"

Of course not. Even though he was still young among the Clock Tower lecturers, he still had years of experience. There are patterns to failures in magecraft, and one builds their ability by accumulating those lessons. When performing Grand Magecraft, one must exercise the utmost care. This wasn't something that could be dismissed as the self-destruction of an amateur. In other words, the only plausible explanation was:

"A counter against magecraft!?"

"Exactly. The man possessed some means to make that possible. He was patiently waiting for you to use Grand Magecraft."

Kayneth gritted his teeth and slammed the document down. He had pride. The pride of a great Magus who had accumulated achievements at the Clock Tower and become a first-rank lecturer at a young age. To have been exploited and mocked because of it—and by someone who seemed to have forgotten the true purpose of a Magus, no less.

This time, he would not be careless. He would take every precaution and stand before that man again. And... this time, he would absolutely kill him. He solidified his mud-like, swirling murderous intent and tucked it away. His fists were clenched so hard they had begun to bleed without him noticing.

"Should I... thank you?"

"I don't need it. This is a down payment for forming an alliance. I have no intention of revealing my True Name. In exchange, I'll provide information and a base. At the very least, a better place than this."

He had intended to suppress his fury. But his voice did not comply with his will. It was low and trembling.

He forced himself to believe he was controlling his emotions. If he could only believe it, he could become calm shortly, even if he wasn't calm now. It was a necessary skill for a Magus. Then, he considered why Archer had proposed an alliance.

He must’ve been hindered. By the faction that formed an alliance—Saber or Berserker, or perhaps both. That’s why he wants to team up with me, to eliminate them together.

"I'll consider the base later. I don't know how useful it will be, and I can't be sure there are no traps. In exchange, you must disclose all information about the factions other than yours and ours. If you do that, I will accept the alliance."

"Kayneth-sama!?"

"Silence!"

He yelled at his own Servant, harshly silencing him.

Kayneth was not so dull that he didn't understand why Lancer had tried to stop him. Essentially, Archer believed that even if Lancer remained until the end, he wouldn't be a threat. And that was likely correct. But where was the problem in that?

One of the few pieces of information gathered about Archer was that he was acting freely, using a puppet as a Master. This meant his current Master was dispensable. For example—Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald. Once the remaining Servants were Lancer and Archer, his victory would be assured.

He also knew the reason for Lancer's opposition. The Servant was still obsessed on his so-called honorable duel with Saber.

Don't screw with me, was Kayneth's thought. Swearing a hollow loyalty, charming his wife, and even ignoring the Holy Grail War to demand to stand on his desired battlefield—stop making a fool of me!

Serves him right. Thinking that, he felt his previous anger subside considerably.

"I don't mind those conditions. I intended to show all the information from the start anyway. Now that the alliance is formed. I can't have you dropping out so soon after forming the alliance."

"Are you saying that I will be defeated?"

"If you’re too tough, I’ll just avoid targeting you. Even Lancer can’t protect two people at a distance."

There was no lie in the statement that this had been his plan, and the documents were handed over on the spot. Kayneth's face visibly contorted.

"I see. You gathered this much information, and that is why you decided to act."

Dozens of pages, plus five. The dozens of pages summarizing the Masters' information were useful enough. However, it paled in comparison by the ridiculous, incredible information on the five pages. Yet those five pages contained all the information necessary to win the Holy Grail War, the details of the Servants.

Every Servant's True Name and every Noble Phantasm was completely recorded. The precision was like a joke. Parameters, skills, everything exposed. And that was exactly why he understood why Archer wanted to show this. For example, Assassin isn't dead yet. If he had fought while leaving Sola-Ui behind as before, she would have been taken hostage. For example, Berserker. If he had fought believing in the superiority of the "Red Rose" (Gae Dearg), they would have faced a brutal counter from Berserker true Noble Phantasm. And worst of all, Rider’s ultimate Noble Phantasm—a Reality Marble? That’s not even funny as a joke. Moreover, Rider strategy of overwhelming with numbers is Lancer’s natural enemy. The worst possible matchup.

However, with all this information, countermeasures could be planned. This information, combined with Archer's presence as a rearguard, was literally worth a thousand gold pieces.

He shoved the Servant information documents onto Lancer. Lancer, having looked them over, also widened his eyes in shock.

"Excellent. This is beyond my expectations. So, where shall we strike first? Caster? Or Saber and Berserker?"

"My Lord! I will certainly take Saber's head..."

"I told you to be quiet!"

Until now, he had allowed Lancer to have his way. But from now on, that would not happen. Kayneth, before he knew it, trusted Archer more than his own Servant. In fact, their compatibility wasn't bad.

"Hmm? I don't mind if you let him have his duel."

"...Huh?"

Whose voice was that?

Kayneth had fully expected Archer to offer support. Instead, it was an unenthusiastic affirmative. He was momentarily dumbfounded.

"The current Saber can't use Excalibur. In that case, Lancer almost certainly won't lose. Actually, there's almost no difference in the parameter values of these two."

"Look," Archer said, pulling a page from the papers Lancer was holding. The one that came out was, naturally, Saber's. A spectacular set of stats with mostly A-ranks. It didn't seem like anyone could compete.

"First, the Mana value. It relates to Noble Phantasm activation, but since Lancer's Noble Phantasm is the constantly active type and Saber can't use Excalibur, this difference is practically nonexistent. As for the large gap in Endurance, due to the power of the 'Red Rose' (Gae Dearg), Saber's is effectively C or lower. Well, she'll likely boost her Strength since she doesn't need it for Endurance. Even so, the final difference is only one rank in Strength."

It had been confirmed that Saber could change her parameters through Mana distribution. Since Lancer's Strength was B, even if Saber matched her Endurance to B, her Strength would only increase by one rank—that was the only difference.

As for the Agility bonus, since it was unclear how much of an advantage it would provide, it wasn't considered.

"...True."

Kayneth had been focusing on the high-level numbers, but when put that way, there really wasn't a significant gap. Or should he be surprised that Saber was still slightly superior? Once explained, it was convincing content.

But Lancer standing next to him with a face saying "Tell him more!" made Kayneth so angry he wanted to slap him.

"The rest comes down to fighting style. Saber’s Noble Phantasm is burst-type, so she relies on its power in the end. In contrast, Lancer relies on his own constant skill and technique. With her trump card sealed, this gap is significant."

"That is correct, Kayneth-sama! I swear I will defeat Saber!"

"By the way, he has poor compatibility with Berserker's Arondight. If the opponent gets a pure spec boost, skill might not be enough to compensate. His Master magical energy is the bottleneck there, but if the opponent has multiple Magus, that could be solved easily."

In response to the pleading Lancer, Archer remained lethargic. Forming an alliance to win meant anything was fine as long as they could win. If the chances of victory were high, he likely didn't care about the method.

It was irritating and infuriating. And he didn't like it... that ultimately, things were going exactly as this Servant wanted.

However, if it meant victory. It was also true that there was no reason to refuse. And Kayneth was not so senile as to relinquish victory simply because of personal dislike.

"...This time, there will be no next time. Remember that well."

"Yes... Ha! Leave it to me! I swear to bring you victory!"

Lancer bowed his head in a respectful salute. Even so, the unpleasant feelings Kayneth felt were hard to shake off.

Nevertheless. For the sake of victory—for the sake of reclaiming Sola-Ui and making a triumphant return to the Clock Tower—it was not unbearable.