"[Waver (Lord El-Melloi II)]—what does that mean!?" ×2
The master and apprentice exclaimed in unison.
"It seems you and your teacher have a pretty close relationship, huh? In modern terms... is this what they call tsundere?" Iskandar leaned over Waver's shoulder, reading the card description alongside him.
"It's not like that at all!" Waver refuted decisively.
"[Debt Inheritance]? The person on this card is that brat Reines, isn't it? How could Archibald be in debt, unless..."
Kenneth's face darkened. He quickly deduced the reason—he would die in this Holy Grail War!
"[Diarmuid (Lancer)] [Bewitching Tear Stain] [Command Seal Seizure]... But these cards related to Sola... I can't believe it. There's something wrong with this Noble Phantasm, right?" The more Kenneth read, the more alarmed he became. The moment it involved his beloved fiancée, his composed demeanor as an elite mage crumbled. His voice trembled as he turned to Romulus for reassurance. "Lancer, Caster—there's something wrong with this Noble Phantasm, right? There's no way Sola would betray me, right!?"
"Master, you need not worry. The Servant you were meant to summon was not me. Since Rome has answered your call, the future has already changed. Rome shall protect you."
Romulus's words were incredibly reassuring. Under the overwhelming aura of "Rome(?)", Kenneth regained his composure.
"As the saying goes, 'All roads lead to Rome.' Master, if you still love your fiancée, then don't be bound by the pride of a magus. Husbands and wives aren't that rigid with one another—why not try dating her like an ordinary person?"
It was hard to imagine the mighty and imposing first king of Rome saying something so delicate.
"If even you say so, Lancer, I'll give it a try."
Kenneth always believed that summoning an exceptionally powerful Romulus was proof of his own capability. Romulus's steady personality suited him well, so his attitude toward his Servant was exceptionally favorable.
Clearing his deck of all the emotionally distressing cards, Kenneth declared, "I won't let these things happen again. Whether it's El-Melloi or Sola—I will hold them in my hands."
With his arrogance restored, Kenneth turned a scrutinizing gaze toward Waver.
"Waver Velvet, let me see if you're truly worthy of inheriting the name of El-Melloi! Prove yourself to me—go first!"
"A-Alright!"
Waver realized that Kenneth's attitude toward him had shifted.
"My turn! I summon [Waver (Lord El-Melloi II)]! Come forth—my future self!"
[Waver (Lord El-Melloi II)]★3 ATK: 500
A tall man with long hair, smoking a cigarette, appeared in the battle zone.
His once delicate face was now marked by exhaustion—he looked like someone on the verge of working himself to death.
"Professor Kenneth... looks like I fell asleep from overwork again."
Big Waver pinched his aching nose bridge. He hadn't rested properly in a long time. Sometimes, in a daze, he felt like he was still back in the Fourth Holy Grail War ten years ago, bickering and fighting alongside Iskandar.
"As expected, I see you again, King of Conquerors... I wonder if I've become a worthy retainer to you."
"My answer to you, ten years later, is this: Yes."
Iskandar gave a hearty thumbs-up. "You may be weak and indecisive, but you've always been my Master. The fact that you can summon me is proof of my recognition."
"I knew you'd say that... what a nice dream this is."
Big Waver closed his eyes contentedly—this was how he usually left his dreams.
"Well, time to wake up. I've still got work left to do. Gotta work overtime."
A sharp flick hit Big Waver's forehead. Even with his sturdier physique after ten years, he still fell flat on his backside.
"Awake now? Welcome to ten years ago, my little Master."
Iskandar laughed heartily.
"This is real!?"
Big Waver finally noticed his younger self. Holding his head, he began processing the new knowledge flooding his mind.
"Cross-temporal summoning, historical concept extraction, pseudo-Servant summoning... What an astonishing Noble Phantasm. This timeline's Fourth Holy Grail War must have an incredible Servant."
"Since this is real, let's start with Professor Kenneth. Your mana reactors haven't exploded yet, have they?"
"I don't recall being that familiar with you."
Kenneth turned slightly to avoid Big Waver's gaze.
"Naturally, there's no issue. The hotel is fortified with twenty-four layers of bounded fields. Even the sewers aren't overlooked. The corridors have been spatially altered, and dozens of wraiths and specters have been summoned in place of hunting hounds. It's an impenetrable fortress."
"That's good. That means the El-Melloi faction's debt can still be saved."
Big Waver sighed in relief, though there was a hint of jealousy as he looked at his younger self.
Under Waver's puzzled gaze, Big Waver simply stated, "Consider yourself lucky."
He continued Kenneth's thought:
"Professor, your magical defenses are impeccable. But what if the enemy simply blows up the entire hotel?"
Kenneth's face darkened. He had set up physical defenses, of course, but large-scale terrain destruction would nullify most magic. He couldn't cover the entire hotel in defenses without violating the secrecy of magecraft.
Seeing Kenneth's shifting expression, Big Waver knew he had gotten through to him.
"Move the mana reactors—while you still can."
"I was going to warn you about Kiritsugu Emiya. His Origin Bullet has the concept of severing links. That's why Professor Kenneth, you were unfortunate enough to be hit by it, destroying your magic circuits. But given the nature of this Noble Phantasm's effects, his advantage is nullified. As long as you stay vigilant—"
Big Waver paused, noticing the odd expressions on their faces.
"What's with your expressions?"
After they explained that this strange battle system was the result of Kiritsugu's own Servant, Caster's Noble Phantasm, Big Waver burst into laughter.
"Hah! So even Kiritsugu gets a taste of his own medicine!"
Waver had originally intended to warn Kenneth about Sola, but upon seeing Romulus, he was so shocked by the sheer scale of his Spirit Origin that he momentarily set it aside.
At least this wasn't the same Diarmuid from the previous timeline.
With a different Servant, the odds of Sola becoming a problem had significantly decreased.
He didn't yet realize what such a powerful Spirit Origin truly meant.
"Next, I have critical intel for all of you: Abandon your pursuit of the Holy Grail!"
"What!?"
"What do you mean?"
"Why?"
Aside from Romulus, the three reacted with shock.
Even though Waver and Kenneth had approached this as a magical competition, that didn't mean they would withdraw so easily.
And for Iskandar, obtaining the Grail for his grand ambition was the entire reason he was here.
"Because the Grail doesn't grant wishes."
Big Waver's eyes darkened.
"What it contains is—All the World's Evil!"