Chapter 96. Masters in the real world gather together?
Looking at the pale white figure standing imposingly on Pegasus, eyes coldly gazing downward, hand tightly gripping a sword shining with gemstone colors.
Many netizens were dumbfounded.
"Ayo, did the Snoop Dogg brand weed I just used make me so high I'm seeing things?"
"High +1, since when did Raku Sou become strong enough to slash apart a Servant's attack?"
"Don't just say Servant, that's a Heracles with maxed-out Strength stats!"
"Motherfucker, Raku Sou and Yukino really are two damn cheaters, on the surface they're Masters, but in reality they're both people who can solo evenly with a Servant."
"Probably after mastering Reinforcement from the Age of Gods, combined with Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, they've basically eliminated all weaknesses."
"Umu, personally I don't think Raku-kun even needs to physically enhance himself to top-tier King of Knights level, just specialize in enhancing kinetic vision, neural reflex speed, and so on — once he sees the death line, just slash away."
"Just need to max Agility, plus Medusa's Pegasus Acceleration, and Mystic Eyes of Death Perception — that's invincible."
"Makes sense, feels like he could go head-to-head with Gilgamesh."
"I don't think it's that simple, Gilgamesh cheats even harder than Raku Sou, can't beat him."
…
BGM surged explosively, the screen flashing continuously.
["Medusa!"]
[On horseback in the sky, Raku Sou held the cold-glinting sword, coldly speaking a single line.]
[Medusa of course understood clearly, lightly nodded.]
[She arched her body, her legs clamping tight onto Pegasus, violet light radiating strongly from her eyes, Pegasus neighed loudly and charged straight toward the castle!]
["BANG!"]
[In that instant, a sonic boom roared out, the air trembling violently, the dazzling white steed turned into a white flash disappearing immediately, like a sharp sword piercing straight into the castle gate — even Demigod Heracles didn't have time to react.]
[In the white light stopping in front of the castle gate, a figure jumped down instantly.]
[A faint voice rang out, allowing no rebuttal.]
["Head of the Einzbern, planning to use a Command Spell to summon Berserker?"]
[Raku Sou calmly, without a trace of panic, coldly held his sword, his eyes scanning to one side — on the left, the twin maids nervously drawing their weapons, then looked over at the head of the house on the other side… a weary man with one eye half-closed.]
[In the distance, the burly giant let out a furious roar, his shiny black toes stomping hard.]
["BOOM!!"]
[With the earth-shaking sound, the ground cracked open into a deep meteor crater, Berserker shot through the wind like a black lightning bolt.]
[However, he still needed a moment to arrive.]
["Head of the Shinomiya household, trying to negotiate something?"]
[In front of the castle gate, the Purge King stared straight at Raku Sou, coldly clenching his fingers, "If you're planning to surrender, hand over the woman beside you… Yukinoshita Yukino, and I might consider sparing you."]
[Raku Sou coldly cut him off, "Don't say that pointless crap."]
["You felt it too, didn't you?"]
["Lancer, Assassin, Caster, Archer… all have been eliminated."]
["Of course." The Purge King, upon hearing that, let out a somewhat mocking smile, "It's a global mystical earthquake after all — even if you survive the Holy Grail War, Clock Tower…"]
["No, even Wandering Sea and Atlas won't spare you."]
["All three holy lands will see you as a thorn in their side, a nail in their flesh."]
["Clock Tower might still tolerate you, but Wandering Sea has more than one Divine-level entity — more accurately, that place was created by the gods themselves."]
[Yet, in the face of such threats, Raku Sou showed no fear at all.]
[He calmly cut the man off again: "No need to mention that. I'll say it once more — someone is hunting Servants. Not one of the seven Masters, but a different entity. Now, it's just you and me left."]
["Huh?!"]
[The Purge King, with heavy dark circles under his eyes, finally changed expression, "Hunting Servants?"]
["What kind of bullshit are you spouting, besides Servants who else can…"]
[Suddenly, the two opponents simultaneously twitched their pupils, both looking off into the distance.]
[Even Medusa on Pegasus froze, she and Yukino turning their heads to look back.]
[It's here!]
["Rumble rumble rumble...!!"]
[Black clouds surged in, covering nearly half the sky over Fuyuki City, the oppressive pressure so heavy it felt as though the heavens were about to collapse, forcefully turning day into night. No — even deeper, more terrifying than night itself.]
[A murderous aura filled with domination, curses, and resentment was drawing near — so intense it could be seen with the naked eye.]
[Near the Einzbern residence, at the edge of the forest, clusters of trees withered one after another, as if a brutal sword was stabbing its way forward.]
[At the heart of that malevolent and savage aura…]
["Creak."]
[The sound of metal clashing echoed, and a cold, ruthless king stepped out from the forest.]
...
Countless people on Earth held their breath, trembling with tension.
The dark hand pulling strings from behind the scenes, shrouded in mystery, was finally about to reveal itself?
Who the hell was it…?!
Suddenly.
The dazzling, multicolored sky went dark, and the image abruptly froze.
Everyone was stunned into silence, their eyes blank, unable to react in time.
WTF?
Where's the next part?
Why did it just cut off like that?
The world exploded into chaos — from Florida to Osaka to the romantic city of France… all across the globe came anguished, blood-curdling screams, as if tens of billions were being tortured at once.
Countless people rolled around in bed, crying in frustration.
"Yo yo yo, why'd it suddenly cut off mid-episode, bro?!"
"Civilized people don't use cliffhangers. Continue airing it!"
"Could you at least show us the hidden boss's face!!"
"Ahhhhhh! This is too much, damn that fucking Celestial Curtain…"
"Imgoingtodiewithouttheholygrailwar!!"
"I used to look down on this kind of stuff, and now I'm addicted. Well then, smile through the pain, I guess."
"Cliffhangers are a bad civilization! Executioner! Drag out that Celestial Curtain and cut it down for me!"
"Huh? What's with all the fuss? It'll air again in a few days anyway."
"You're right, only shut-in otaku are addicted to Holy Grail War. Next Friday is my wedding with Saber, please give us your blessings."
"Fuck off, Saber is our sacred, inviolable king — the United Kingdom!"
"No no no, she's clearly from Northern Ireland, only loosely related to Britain, not even on the same side."
"True enough. After all, the ancestors of those Anglo-Saxon raiders were invaders of Britannia."
…
After a long frenzy of arguments, the global uproar gradually quieted down.
With their reason returning, many netizens began enthusiastically speculating about the identity of the final enemy who had just appeared.
Was it Gilgamesh?
Didn't seem like it.
If the ancient King of Heroes had truly appeared, he would've made an over-the-top, arrogant entrance.
He'd show up spamming Noble Phantasms nonstop, and the whole gang along with the castle would be blown to ashes!
But if it wasn't a Golden King, then this cursed aura… Hassan of the Cursed Arm?
Still not right.
Cursed Arm is nowhere near powerful enough for something like this!
So all night long, netizens buzzed with speculation about the identity of the "dark hand pulling strings behind the scenes."
…
Chiba City, in a bright room.
Yukinoshita Yukino sat deep in thought. She felt she might be very close to uncovering the truth.
The one behind the scenes was, in all likelihood, the Shinomiya family's old butler — Fubo.
After all, he had always been inside the Shinomiya estate. Only he truly understood everyone, was knowledgeable in magecraft, familiar with Lancer's personality data, capable of striking at weaknesses and calculating how to kill Cú Chulainn.
She never considered the possibility that the culprit might be a girl.
After all, that person wasn't even a magus.
Then, the long-black-haired girl looked down at her own arm — where a crimson Command Spell, as red as blood, was etched.
Occasionally, it would even flash with a brief glow.
"Saber… or is it…?"
Yukinoshita Yukino murmured, her eyes filled with a mix of anticipation and nervousness.
But she still didn't know how to draw a summoning magic circle, and her magical energy had only just begun to form. Attempting a summoning now would only be a burden to others.
This time, she had to summon Saber in perfect peak condition — no more mishaps!
But first, she needed to cover it up…
She took a deep breath, and just as she managed to cover half of it—
Creak~.
The sound of the door being pushed open rang out, and Yukinoshita Haruno stepped in with her signature mischievous smile. Her gaze fell upon her little sister sitting on the bed, about to tease her a bit — when she suddenly caught sight of the glowing crimson Command Spell on that wrist.
... The two sisters stared at each other in silence!
Haruno was stunned, and Yukino was also frozen.
"That… if I say it's a tattoo, would you believe me? This kind of thing is pretty trendy lately."
After a while, the girl covered her face and sighed helplessly.
"Of course~."
Haruno smiled, turned around, and very deftly locked the door, making sure they wouldn't be disturbed.
Then...
Dragged Yukino out and talked all night long!
…
The next morning, the horizon gradually lit up with a pale white hue.
"You really are…"
Yukino sighed, feeling like she had just gone through an extremely exhausting night.
After a quick wash, she sent a few messages to this world's Raku Sou, with content like "good morning," along with some "suggestive" words hinting at a date — though in reality, it was almost a direct confession.
The girl stepped in front of the vanity mirror, gently rubbing her temples, habitually tying her hair up into a ponytail.
The moment she raised her hands, Yukino froze, then let out a somewhat helpless smile.
After subconsciously experiencing Archer's entire life in her dreams, she was indeed affected to some extent — subtly, without even realizing it.
However...
She was still herself, at her core still Yukinoshita Yukino – someone who always believed in doing what was right.
Good, just like this, happily head downstairs and enjoy a day off full of joy!
Yukino was in a rarely cheerful mood, humming softly as she gracefully stepped outside.
The sky was blue, the white clouds drifting lazily…
Suddenly, a cute twin-tailed girl stepped out from behind a utility pole, with an elegant aura, perfect figure, and a refined smile on her face, "Good morning, Yukinoshita-san…"
"What is it?"
Yukinoshita Yukino raised an eyebrow, "If it's something related to Celestial Curtain, then forgive me, I don't have time to talk."
Before her words were even finished, she was already turning to walk away.
Ever since Celestial Curtain announced the existence of the parallel world, her fame had far surpassed that of world-class divas.
Though she had become famous everywhere, it also brought Yukino a lot of trouble.
Countless companies around the world wanted her to be their representative, offered her debuts, and many tried to make connections with her...
However, Yukinoshita Yukino had always found it strange — clearly, after she rejected those olive branches from nations, all those pushy individuals silently disappeared.
So why was there still...
In Yukinoshita Yukino's surprised gaze—
"It seems like it was you who was following me a few days ago."
The young lady with a noble aura slightly curled her lips into a smile, lifting her snow-white wrist: "Because of this Command Spell…"
…
Chiba City, on a quiet street, at a convenience store bearing the 7-ELEVEN brand.
Natsuki Subaru lazily yawned, carrying a bag of adult magazines as he stepped outside.
He seemed completely unconcerned about the fate of the Purge King in the parallel world.
In fact, when it came to Celestial Curtain, he had already had a premonition — a premonition of his own death.
Even an idiot could tell, the main characters of this Holy Grail War were clearly Raku Sou and Yukino. The screen time and camera angles on those two said it all.
It's not that being the protagonist lets you survive, but that surviving makes you the protagonist.
The story would be told from their perspectives.
It was very clear that the story was unfolding from the perspective of Raku Sou and Yukino — which meant his counterpart in the parallel world was definitely going to lose.
It just wasn't clear whether he'd die at the hands of Raku Sou and Yukino, or the mastermind behind the scenes.
Whatever.
It didn't concern him.
The self in that parallel world wasn't him; he wasn't that miserable, nor that powerful.
"I'm about to stay up so much I'll get dark circles like the Purge King, yet I still haven't grasped even a bit of magecraft."
Natsuki Subaru sighed, deep in thought as he made his way home.
Not long after, as he passed by Makuhari Seaside Park, he suddenly heard a strangely addictive chant song that had been trending the past few years. Instinctively glancing over, he was instantly stunned.
At the central square of the park, a bunch of old folks, and even young people, were dancing together.
No, wait...
They were practicing magecraft in an utterly ridiculous way — the scene looked like some kind of mass public suicide rehearsal disguised as a social event.
He stared in shock, looking more closely and realizing that he recognized some of them from before he dropped out — classmates, teachers, even school administrators.
What the hell!
What the hell is this!?
I've only been holed up at home for a few days and the real world's changed this much already!?
Natsuki Subaru couldn't help but twitch the corners of his mouth.
Ehm...
How about going to Trash-zuma's house and having a heart-to-heart with that good bro for a bit?
He scratched his head, letting his thoughts drift.
Suddenly, in a shadowy corner beneath the school building, he saw a few people standing there.
Each of them was wearing a baseball cap and a face mask.
They were...
Natsuki Subaru's eyes lit up — something about them felt familiar. He couldn't resist and quietly followed them.
Not long after, that group of people arrived at a well-known café in the city — Hoshino Café.
Although its location wasn't very favorable, it stood out thanks to its simple yet elegant décor.
The atmosphere inside was quiet, and since it was still early morning and there weren't many customers, they didn't need to use a private room.
They all breathed a sigh of relief, and after sitting down and ordering the special breakfast sets of "Toast & Boiled Egg" and "French Toast," they took off their face masks.
Revealed were: Yukino, Hideyoshi, a twin-tailed girl… and the deaf girl.
No, she should be called Nishimiya Shouko.
Natsuki Subaru was a bit surprised — so it turns out the Masters from Celestial Curtain were having a meeting.
However, the beautiful twin-tailed girl turned around and gave a refined smile.
"This friend here, after following us for so long, shouldn't you come out now?"
"Ah… sorry… I wasn't intentionally following you all."
Natsuki Subaru raised both hands in the standard French military surrender pose and sighed as he stepped in through the door.
Was his reconnaissance ability really that bad?
He just peeked a little and still got caught!?
"It's fine, we were planning to come find you anyway."
Hideyoshi waved his hand nonchalantly. Today, the trap-boy's outfit was also very cute.
"Thanks for the pardon!"
Natsuki Subaru let out a sigh of relief.
"Sit." Yukino spoke calmly, her tone indifferent.
"..."
For a moment, Natsuki Subaru felt a bit flattered and nervous, but he obediently sat down.
He was also very curious — what were the Celestial Curtain Masters doing gathering in the real world?
The atmosphere suddenly grew a bit quiet.
Everyone present was subtly sizing each other up with curious glances.
"Now that I think about it, I remember from the information circulating online that Nishimiya-san isn't a local, right?"
Right after that, Natsuki Subaru couldn't help but break the silence. He took a sip of the hot coffee and asked in surprise.
"Mm mm..."
The brown-haired deaf girl nodded, signing with her hands, which only made Natsuki Subaru more and more confused.
He didn't understand a thing!
As if sensing Subaru's frustration, Hideyoshi beside him gently smiled and explained:
"Kurumi-chan was the one who reached out to her and suggested everyone meet up. Although Nishimiya-san is from Tokyo…"
"But Chiba City is only about forty kilometers from Tokyo, by train it's around an hour."
"Very quick~."
That last sentence, clearly spoken in a neutral voice, somehow still sounded adorably mischievous.
This trap is way too cute.
Natsuki Subaru clicked his tongue. Even though he knew Hideyoshi wasn't a girl, he was still "smitten."
However…
"Who's Kurumi-chan?"
Natsuki Subaru asked, a bit curious.
"Ara ara, that would be me~."
Next to the brown-haired girl, the twin-tailed girl with a mysterious aura smiled.
"Well then, allow me to introduce myself a bit."
"My name is Tokisaki Kurumi, and my dream is to become an Ally of Justice~."