"You useless fool! Nothing but a worthless braggart!"
Facing the harsh verbal assault, Lancer could only lower his head and silently endure.
"With such a limited amount of time, you couldn't even protect a single woman. Hmph! How dare you shamelessly speak of chivalry!"
Kenneth's furious words were accompanied by spit flying, but compared to Lancer, who felt ashamed of his failure, Kenneth's heart was filled with more anxiety and anger. He had been proud of obtaining new Command Spells, but reality once again plunged him into a cold abyss. Sola had disappeared, and only Lancer returned to his side with a gloomy expression.
"Although she was only a temporary replacement, Sola is still your Master! If you can't even protect your Master, what use are you as a Servant? And yet you dare to come back alone, with a thick-skinned face!"
"...I am truly ashamed."
Lancer weakly shook his head. His naturally beautiful face was distorted by grief, expressing his deep remorse for allowing the situation to turn into such regret.
"I apologize, my Lord... Sola and I do not have a formal contract, so we cannot sense each other's presence..."
"That's exactly why you should be more careful."
Kenneth ruthlessly shouted, cutting off the Servant's defense.
Under normal circumstances, a Master and Servant would be connected through a contract, and if one of them was in danger, the other would sense it through their magical connection.
But in this case, Lancer and Sola had not formed a formal contract according to the rules of contract magic and had directly engaged in battle. Lancer's unwavering loyalty to Kenneth had harmed him.
By the time Lancer finished the battle and returned to the Fuyuki City Center Building, Sola was already gone. The only thing he could confirm was that Sola was still alive, as her magical energy sustained Lancer's manifestation and activity, continuously flowing into his body.
If it were another Servant, they might be able to sense her general location through the supply of magical energy. Unfortunately, Lancer's contract was a special one that separated the contractor from the supplier of magical energy, resulting in a weak connection to the energy supplier. Even though he could speculate that Sola was still alive, Lancer had no idea where the magical energy was being supplied from. Searching for her in Fuyuki City without any clues would be futile, so in the end, he had to return alone.
"Ah, Sola... I shouldn't have entrusted her with the Command Spells... Magical combat is just too difficult for her..."
"I also bear some responsibility for not thoroughly advising her. However, the reason Sola made such a decision was because she hoped for your comeback, Lord Kenneth. In any case, please, no matter what, you must—"
Kenneth looked at Lancer with a murky gaze filled with jealousy.
"You still have the nerve to say such things. Don't play dumb, Lancer. You must have instigated Sola from the sidelines, right?"
"What... I would never do such a thing..."
"Truly living up to the legends, even seducing your lord's fiancee, unable to resist the temptation."
Lancer, kneeling with his head lowered, trembled violently.
"My Lord, please take back those words..."
"Hmph, did I hit the mark? Can't stand the anger, huh? So you're planning to show me your true vicious nature, huh?"
Kenneth continued to mock the restrained and agitated Heroic Spirit.
"You finally showed your true colors. You swear loyalty and selflessness, but in reality, you're just a beast driven by desire. What's the point of pretending to be proud of chivalry? Do you think you can deceive my eyes?"
"Lord Kenneth... Why, why don't you understand?"
Lancer's pleading voice was choked with emotion.
"I just... just wanted to defend my honor! I just wanted to fight a glorious war with you! My Lord, why can't you understand the heart of a knight!?"
"Don't act like it's true, Servant!"
Kenneth coldly rebuked Lancer, ignoring his plea. His suspicion and dissatisfaction with Lancer had finally reached the breaking point.
"Servant, know your place! You are nothing more than a shadow manifested through magic! Your so-called honor and dignity are nothing but the ramblings of a lost soul. How dare you lecture your master with such audacity!"
"!!!"
Lancer, humiliated and silent, hung his head. His slumped shoulders and vacant eyes staring at the ground no longer possessed the valor to wield twin spears and challenge numerous heroes.
As Kenneth reveled in his sadistic pleasure, Lancer's spirit crushed, and a sigh suddenly echoed in the empty factory.
"Ah, I can't bear to watch anymore. Lancer, if I were you, I would stab this guy with a single shot."
Kenneth's expression changed abruptly, and Lancer instinctively materialized his twin spears, ready to protect his Master. But before he could stand up, he noticed a purple blade appearing around his Master's neck.
The ruler of shadows, the Queen of the Underworld, stood next to Kenneth with the knife in her hand. Her Master was leisurely sitting on the windowsill, smiling at Lancer and Kenneth.
Lancer tightly gripped his twin spears but dared not make any rash moves. He only asked, "Assassin, what do you mean by this?"
"Nothing much, just a little regret. Regret that I saved your Master in the Einzbern Castle." Scathach's cold gaze sent shivers down Kenneth's spine. "If I had known what kind of person he is, I should have killed him with a single blow."
"It's my fault." Shinji sheepishly rubbed his nose and jumped down from the windowsill, slowly approaching. "I naively assumed that he still had the grace and conduct befitting a traditional noble. I didn't expect him to become such a waste after being struck by reality. Truly, appearances can be deceiving. Sensei, if I were to say such things to you, would you stab me with a single shot?"
"No, I won't. I'll just make sure you can't get out of bed for half a year."
Scathach's response put Shinji in the same state as Kenneth.
"Uh, then you might as well just stab me. Hey, Lancer, how about I settle this right here and help you find some relief?"
"No, please, Assassin's Master." Lancer lowered his spear and pleaded, "He is my Lord, the one I am loyal to in Diarmuid's name. No matter what happens, I will only serve him as my Lord in this lifetime. If you want to do this, I will consider you as my enemy."
"Don't be so rigid." Shinji measured his "God Spear Bow Blade" and rubbed the magical blade against Kenneth's face. "After experiencing what happened in your past life, you should have awakened, right? In China, there is an ancient saying, 'A good bird chooses its tree to perch on.' As someone like you, you should follow a wiser Lord. How about Saber? You are a noble knight, and she is a noble King of Knights. Wouldn't that be a good master-servant relationship?"
"Stop it, Assassin's Master. That is an insult to me!"
Lancer remained firm and unwavering.
"A master can be wrong, and a servant can advise and be saddened, but they will never betray their master."
"Even if Fionn plotted against you, you wouldn't regret it?"
"No regrets!"
"Even if your current master orders you to commit suicide?"
"This..." Lancer gritted his teeth and still uttered two words, "No regrets!"
"Foolish, utterly foolish."
Shinji felt a surge of frustration. He had even used his ultimate move, so why was it still like this? Did he have to sink to that level before he could feel regret?
"This is true knighthood, this is what it means to be a true knight." Scathach glanced at Shinji, her eyes signaling him. She didn't say the second half of her sentence - it's because of this that they are admirable, and it's because of this that I don't want to see that kind of ending.
"Knight, chivalry..." Shinji understood and sighed, taking Scathach's place. "Although I can understand to some extent, times have changed, Lancer. People nowadays don't speak of chivalry. That's the biggest difference between you and your master. His understanding of your loyalty is complete obedience to him, without question. And you, you hold your master to the standards of a knight. If you had made it clear from the beginning, perhaps it would have been better. No, that's not it either. With Lord El-Melloi's arrogant and stubborn personality, he wouldn't have listened to you, right, Mr. Kenneth?"
In the end, Shinji tilted his blade, cutting Kenneth's skin, and startled, Kenneth repeatedly said, "Yes, yes! That's what I think."
"Let me ask you, Mr. Kenneth, have you ever wondered why there are only three Command Seals? If, according to your thinking, why not use more Command Seals to erase the subjectivity of the Servants and turn them into complete puppets? I think many magi like you, proud and arrogant, have the same idea."
"This..." Kenneth had certainly thought about it but had no answer.
"Let me tell you. The so-called Heroic Spirits, regardless of whether they were good or evil in their lifetime, regardless of how they are judged in later generations, they were all heroes in their own right. Their caliber, their souls, are far superior to ordinary people. Such beings, even if they become Servants, cannot be molded and manipulated as you please. They are not puppets! They are comrades who fight alongside their Masters! In history, every Master who tried to treat Heroic Spirits as puppets had a bad ending. From the moment you treat them as tools, your failure is already predetermined."
Shinji's words made Kenneth's face pale. It was unclear whether he was truly moved or just frightened. But Shinji didn't care about Kenneth's reaction. He had come here tonight only to fulfill his promise with Scathach and give Diarmuid a relatively satisfactory conclusion.
"I might as well tell you that your fiancée, Sola, was abducted by my people from the top floor of the Central Building. Of course, it was after Caster's death. I do keep my promises. By the way, when Assassin saved you, he left a mark on you, so we know exactly what you've been up to these past few days. I can assure you that Lancer has no inappropriate thoughts about Miss Sola, whether you believe it or not."
"Assassin's Master, you..." Lancer hesitated, unsure whether to feel grateful or resentful.
"It's pointless to talk about it now. Kenneth, I'll give you two choices. Either I kill you right now and order my men to kill Miss Sola, ending this completely, or you use your Command Seals to order Lancer to fight my Assassin. If Lancer wins, I'll let them go. You have ten seconds to decide. After ten seconds with no answer, I'll assume you chose the first option—"
Before Shinji could start counting, Kenneth immediately gave his answer, with no room for hesitation.
"I... I choose, I choose the second option, but if you go back on your word—"
"Are you stupid?" Shinji looked at Kenneth with disdain. "This battle is destined to have only one survivor. If Assassin survives, you have no future. If Lancer survives, do you think I can defeat a Servant? Stop talking nonsense and give the order—"
Holding onto his last glimmer of hope, Kenneth sadly caressed the Command Seals he had just acquired, and as the Master of Lancer, he exerted his final authority.
"By the power of the Command Seals, Lancer, kill Assassin!"
"Yes, my Master!"
For the first time, summoned for the first time, Lancer wholeheartedly accepted this Command Seal with his own will.
The red and yellow twin spears cut through the night sky like lightning.
====
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"You useless fool! Nothing but a worthless braggart!"
Facing the harsh verbal assault, Lancer could only lower his head and silently endure.
"With such a limited amount of time, you couldn't even protect a single woman. Hmph! How dare you shamelessly speak of chivalry!"
Kenneth's furious words were accompanied by spit flying, but compared to Lancer, who felt ashamed of his failure, Kenneth's heart was filled with more anxiety and anger. He had been proud of obtaining new Command Spells, but reality once again plunged him into a cold abyss. Sola had disappeared, and only Lancer returned to his side with a gloomy expression.
"Although she was only a temporary replacement, Sola is still your Master! If you can't even protect your Master, what use are you as a Servant? And yet you dare to come back alone, with a thick-skinned face!"
"...I am truly ashamed."
Lancer weakly shook his head. His naturally beautiful face was distorted by grief, expressing his deep remorse for allowing the situation to turn into such regret.
"I apologize, my Lord... Sola and I do not have a formal contract, so we cannot sense each other's presence..."
"That's exactly why you should be more careful."
Kenneth ruthlessly shouted, cutting off the Servant's defense.
Under normal circumstances, a Master and Servant would be connected through a contract, and if one of them was in danger, the other would sense it through their magical connection.
But in this case, Lancer and Sola had not formed a formal contract according to the rules of contract magic and had directly engaged in battle. Lancer's unwavering loyalty to Kenneth had harmed him.
By the time Lancer finished the battle and returned to the Fuyuki City Center Building, Sola was already gone. The only thing he could confirm was that Sola was still alive, as her magical energy sustained Lancer's manifestation and activity, continuously flowing into his body.
If it were another Servant, they might be able to sense her general location through the supply of magical energy. Unfortunately, Lancer's contract was a special one that separated the contractor from the supplier of magical energy, resulting in a weak connection to the energy supplier. Even though he could speculate that Sola was still alive, Lancer had no idea where the magical energy was being supplied from. Searching for her in Fuyuki City without any clues would be futile, so in the end, he had to return alone.
"Ah, Sola... I shouldn't have entrusted her with the Command Spells... Magical combat is just too difficult for her..."
"I also bear some responsibility for not thoroughly advising her. However, the reason Sola made such a decision was because she hoped for your comeback, Lord Kenneth. In any case, please, no matter what, you must—"
Kenneth looked at Lancer with a murky gaze filled with jealousy.
"You still have the nerve to say such things. Don't play dumb, Lancer. You must have instigated Sola from the sidelines, right?"
"What... I would never do such a thing..."
"Truly living up to the legends, even seducing your lord's fiancee, unable to resist the temptation."
Lancer, kneeling with his head lowered, trembled violently.
"My Lord, please take back those words..."
"Hmph, did I hit the mark? Can't stand the anger, huh? So you're planning to show me your true vicious nature, huh?"
Kenneth continued to mock the restrained and agitated Heroic Spirit.
"You finally showed your true colors. You swear loyalty and selflessness, but in reality, you're just a beast driven by desire. What's the point of pretending to be proud of chivalry? Do you think you can deceive my eyes?"
"Lord Kenneth... Why, why don't you understand?"
Lancer's pleading voice was choked with emotion.
"I just... just wanted to defend my honor! I just wanted to fight a glorious war with you! My Lord, why can't you understand the heart of a knight!?"
"Don't act like it's true, Servant!"
Kenneth coldly rebuked Lancer, ignoring his plea. His suspicion and dissatisfaction with Lancer had finally reached the breaking point.
"Servant, know your place! You are nothing more than a shadow manifested through magic! Your so-called honor and dignity are nothing but the ramblings of a lost soul. How dare you lecture your master with such audacity!"
"!!!"
Lancer, humiliated and silent, hung his head. His slumped shoulders and vacant eyes staring at the ground no longer possessed the valor to wield twin spears and challenge numerous heroes.
As Kenneth reveled in his sadistic pleasure, Lancer's spirit crushed, and a sigh suddenly echoed in the empty factory.
"Ah, I can't bear to watch anymore. Lancer, if I were you, I would stab this guy with a single shot."
Kenneth's expression changed abruptly, and Lancer instinctively materialized his twin spears, ready to protect his Master. But before he could stand up, he noticed a purple blade appearing around his Master's neck.
The ruler of shadows, the Queen of the Underworld, stood next to Kenneth with the knife in her hand. Her Master was leisurely sitting on the windowsill, smiling at Lancer and Kenneth.
Lancer tightly gripped his twin spears but dared not make any rash moves. He only asked, "Assassin, what do you mean by this?"
"Nothing much, just a little regret. Regret that I saved your Master in the Einzbern Castle." Scathach's cold gaze sent shivers down Kenneth's spine. "If I had known what kind of person he is, I should have killed him with a single blow."
"It's my fault." Shinji sheepishly rubbed his nose and jumped down from the windowsill, slowly approaching. "I naively assumed that he still had the grace and conduct befitting a traditional noble. I didn't expect him to become such a waste after being struck by reality. Truly, appearances can be deceiving. Sensei, if I were to say such things to you, would you stab me with a single shot?"
"No, I won't. I'll just make sure you can't get out of bed for half a year."
Scathach's response put Shinji in the same state as Kenneth.
"Uh, then you might as well just stab me. Hey, Lancer, how about I settle this right here and help you find some relief?"
"No, please, Assassin's Master." Lancer lowered his spear and pleaded, "He is my Lord, the one I am loyal to in Diarmuid's name. No matter what happens, I will only serve him as my Lord in this lifetime. If you want to do this, I will consider you as my enemy."
"Don't be so rigid." Shinji measured his "God Spear Bow Blade" and rubbed the magical blade against Kenneth's face. "After experiencing what happened in your past life, you should have awakened, right? In China, there is an ancient saying, 'A good bird chooses its tree to perch on.' As someone like you, you should follow a wiser Lord. How about Saber? You are a noble knight, and she is a noble King of Knights. Wouldn't that be a good master-servant relationship?"
"Stop it, Assassin's Master. That is an insult to me!"
Lancer remained firm and unwavering.
"A master can be wrong, and a servant can advise and be saddened, but they will never betray their master."
"Even if Fionn plotted against you, you wouldn't regret it?"
"No regrets!"
"Even if your current master orders you to commit suicide?"
"This..." Lancer gritted his teeth and still uttered two words, "No regrets!"
"Foolish, utterly foolish."
Shinji felt a surge of frustration. He had even used his ultimate move, so why was it still like this? Did he have to sink to that level before he could feel regret?
"This is true knighthood, this is what it means to be a true knight." Scathach glanced at Shinji, her eyes signaling him. She didn't say the second half of her sentence - it's because of this that they are admirable, and it's because of this that I don't want to see that kind of ending.
"Knight, chivalry..." Shinji understood and sighed, taking Scathach's place. "Although I can understand to some extent, times have changed, Lancer. People nowadays don't speak of chivalry. That's the biggest difference between you and your master. His understanding of your loyalty is complete obedience to him, without question. And you, you hold your master to the standards of a knight. If you had made it clear from the beginning, perhaps it would have been better. No, that's not it either. With Lord El-Melloi's arrogant and stubborn personality, he wouldn't have listened to you, right, Mr. Kenneth?"
In the end, Shinji tilted his blade, cutting Kenneth's skin, and startled, Kenneth repeatedly said, "Yes, yes! That's what I think."
"Let me ask you, Mr. Kenneth, have you ever wondered why there are only three Command Seals? If, according to your thinking, why not use more Command Seals to erase the subjectivity of the Servants and turn them into complete puppets? I think many magi like you, proud and arrogant, have the same idea."
"This..." Kenneth had certainly thought about it but had no answer.
"Let me tell you. The so-called Heroic Spirits, regardless of whether they were good or evil in their lifetime, regardless of how they are judged in later generations, they were all heroes in their own right. Their caliber, their souls, are far superior to ordinary people. Such beings, even if they become Servants, cannot be molded and manipulated as you please. They are not puppets! They are comrades who fight alongside their Masters! In history, every Master who tried to treat Heroic Spirits as puppets had a bad ending. From the moment you treat them as tools, your failure is already predetermined."
Shinji's words made Kenneth's face pale. It was unclear whether he was truly moved or just frightened. But Shinji didn't care about Kenneth's reaction. He had come here tonight only to fulfill his promise with Scathach and give Diarmuid a relatively satisfactory conclusion.
"I might as well tell you that your fiancée, Sola, was abducted by my people from the top floor of the Central Building. Of course, it was after Caster's death. I do keep my promises. By the way, when Assassin saved you, he left a mark on you, so we know exactly what you've been up to these past few days. I can assure you that Lancer has no inappropriate thoughts about Miss Sola, whether you believe it or not."
"Assassin's Master, you..." Lancer hesitated, unsure whether to feel grateful or resentful.
"It's pointless to talk about it now. Kenneth, I'll give you two choices. Either I kill you right now and order my men to kill Miss Sola, ending this completely, or you use your Command Seals to order Lancer to fight my Assassin. If Lancer wins, I'll let them go. You have ten seconds to decide. After ten seconds with no answer, I'll assume you chose the first option—"
Before Shinji could start counting, Kenneth immediately gave his answer, with no room for hesitation.
"I... I choose, I choose the second option, but if you go back on your word—"
"Are you stupid?" Shinji looked at Kenneth with disdain. "This battle is destined to have only one survivor. If Assassin survives, you have no future. If Lancer survives, do you think I can defeat a Servant? Stop talking nonsense and give the order—"
Holding onto his last glimmer of hope, Kenneth sadly caressed the Command Seals he had just acquired, and as the Master of Lancer, he exerted his final authority.
"By the power of the Command Seals, Lancer, kill Assassin!"
"Yes, my Master!"
For the first time, summoned for the first time, Lancer wholeheartedly accepted this Command Seal with his own will.
The red and yellow twin spears cut through the night sky like lightning.
====
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