FATE: As Illya, I was summoned by Kotomine Kirei?!

Chapter 28: Battle at the Pier, Miss Illya has a suitor!

"Bluebeard, Bluebeard! Do you know what I encountered today? That child, ah, that child is truly remarkable. That kind of pure attraction with the wine is simply the most perfect work of art. It can be the finale of my artistic career~"

In the foul-smelling sewer, a young man with short orange hair and a blue jacket paced back and forth with an excited look on his face.

He held his head and recalled the little silver-haired, red-eyed girl he met during the day. His cheeks became rosy. The runes on the back of his hand revealed his identity—he was a Master who had never reported to the Cathedral Church. He didn't even know what the Holy Grail War was before summoning Heroic Spirits.

He is Ryuunosuke Uryuu, a bright and cheerful person who can perceive the subtleties of other people's moods without being fussy about details. He always maintains an optimistic and constructive mood, does not give up because of failure, has a strong curiosity and thirst for knowledge, and is an optimistic young man who seriously enjoys life.

His hobbies are torture, murder, and corpse abandonment. He enjoys the sensation of death through killing others, viewing it as an art form.

It wasn't that he suffered any trauma in his childhood that distorted his personality. His evil nature is like Kotomine Kirei's—an innate part of who he is.

However, unlike Kotomine Kirei, who remained conflicted by the moral teachings of the Holy Church, Ryuunosuke had no hesitation or scruples in fulfilling his desires. Before summoning his Heroic Spirit, he had killed 42 people, yet he never appeared on any suspect list. The police investigations all hit dead ends, and some of the deaths weren't even categorized as murders.

Although he was a chaotic killer with no plan, he excelled at concealing evidence and confusing searches. If he debuted as a professional killer, he might have become a legend.

It could even be said that if he had summoned a Heroic Spirit earlier than Kotomine Kirei, he might have summoned Miss Illyasviel and become her Master through sheer malice.

A natural villain who never saw himself as one—his affinity rivaled that of Kotomine Kirei.

"OH, Ryuunosuke, it seems you've also found a saint to obsess over."

The black-clad magi, fiddling with a crystal ball and spying on the docks with wide eyes like a mischievous spirit, smiled maliciously and glanced at the pacing, red-faced Ryuunosuke.

Though this magi was Ryuunosuke Uryuu's Servant, Ryuunosuke admired him greatly.

"Hey, Bluebeard, I don't really understand what a saint is. I just want to crush her and witness the art of her death. This feeling is completely different from before. The moment I saw her, it felt like my life up to now was meaningless—just preparation for this moment of killing her to elevate my artistic soul!"

Ryuunosuke Uryuu strode back and forth, shoulders spread wide, eyes glowing with fervor.

In Miss Illyasviel, he saw the Lord's salvation. Her purity and allure overwhelmed him. He even wanted to drag her into an alley, heedless of passersby, and tear her apart piece by piece.

People live for Illyasviel.

That sentiment fit Ryuunosuke's state perfectly.

His obsession seemed driven by Miss Illyasviel's aura—a beacon that attracted those attuned to the world's evil. Like the phenomenon where Stand users gravitate toward each other, Ryuunosuke, as a wicked man, was hopelessly drawn to her.

Though he never considered himself evil, he simply pursued the art of exploring true death.

"She is everything I've longed for all my life. She is the bridge to glimpse the beauty of death~"

"Ahhh, Bluebeard, I can't help myself. I must build a grand and magnificent palace to welcome her and savor the beauty of her death~"

This was also why he hadn't seized Miss Illyasviel on the street immediately. Under his Servant's influence, Ryuunosuke realized that significant targets required careful preparation—not the same casualness as with ordinary people.

He longed to kill Miss Illyasviel and indulge his desires, but first, he had to prepare a proper ceremonial venue.

Just as humans hold weddings in chapels, so too must death unfold ceremonially in its own sacred space.

Miss Illyasviel's mellow wine cannot be handled carelessly. He must purchase the best torture instruments in advance and prepare professional equipment such as cameras.

"Very good, Ryuunosuke, you've grown up. But don't let your saint be secretly taken away by those detestable servants of God~"

The black magi observed the image in the crystal ball and nodded approvingly at Ryuunosuke's plan.

Though he hadn't seen the little girl Ryuunosuke mentioned, his reaction showed he had found something he'd sought all his life. To disregard such a goal would be blasphemy against himself.

"Hehe, don't worry, Bluebeard. I've already planted the mark on her using the method you taught me. Once I've arranged the venue, I'll bring her to you, Bluebeard."

Ryuunosuke Uryuu scratched his head shyly, clearly proud of the praise. His training under Bluebeard had evidently paid off; if he were still immature, he might have lost control and dragged Miss Illyasviel into the alley for a public spectacle.

"Hahaha, Ryuunosuke, I can't wait to see what kind of saint has managed to charm you."

The black magi's laugh grew wild as the scene of Fuyuki City Pier appeared in the crystal ball. Ryuunosuke's fascination piqued the magi's curiosity, making him eager to glimpse the target that even Ryuunosuke revered.

Fuyuki City, Dock

The blonde girl and white-haired girl did not know who had issued the challenge, but it was undoubtedly a heroic spirit. The blonde could hardly refuse such a bold invitation, and the white-haired girl beside her agreed to face the challenger.

With determination, the blonde girl took the white-haired girl's hand and made their way to the coast of Fuyuki City. Their strategy involved frequent appearances to gather more information about rival factions.

Exiting the commercial street, they approached a newly built seaside park near the coast. This area bordered a tributary running through the city, with a warehouse serving as Fuyuki City's shipping hub. The perfect battlefield atmosphere, aided by mystic code effects repelling bystanders, emanated from here.

Evening set in, and the workers had long since gone home. The dim lighting cast over the warehouse created a desolate scene, setting a fitting backdrop for combat.

'Taking the initiative to engage? Based on Master profiles, Tohsaka Tokiomi is careful, Waver Velvet timid, and Ryuunosuke Uryuu low in magecraft reserves. Would the servants they summoned be weakened? What about those of Matou Kariya or Kenneth?'

Miss Illyasviel, having just been politely escorted from the police station, silently descended among the containers, a lollipop from a policewoman in her mouth.

She tilted her head curiously, eyeing the striking man at the dock. He was handsome, his sharp eyes complemented by a teardrop mole radiating charm. His leather armor and bandaged twin spears—one long, one short—gave him the aura of both a ferocious predator and a knight loyal to the King. His sheer presence was intimidating.

He's strong!

This was Miss Illyasviel's immediate impression, though strength seemed a common trait among serious heroic spirits.

"Charm magecraft? Even the Three Knight classes have this? Why do the servants in this Holy Grail War seem... peculiar?"

The Knight's allure made Illyasviel linger for a few moments. She quickly refocused, suppressing the spell's effects, yet acknowledged his compelling aura.

Heroic spirits summoned for the Holy Grail War hailed from myth and legend—mastering charm magecraft was uncommon even for the Three Knights. Could he belong to another class? Perhaps the Berserker class?

"Is that Einzbern magi with the servant here too? It seems several Masters and Servants have gathered. Let's scout for isolated ones."

Nearby, a certain blonde with absurdly styled hair clasped her white-haired companion's hand as they entered the battlefield. Miss Illyasviel vanished into the darkness, golden card in hand.

Under her gaze, the blonde's black dress transformed into a blue armored ensemble. Metal gauntlets enveloped her arms, signaling her readiness for combat.

Releasing her companion's hand, the blonde advanced towards the spearman like a true duelist.

The two Servants emanated intense fighting spirit, standing ten meters apart—close enough for seasoned warriors to acknowledge danger without initiating combat. Both were experienced knights who understood that advancing further would trigger an inevitable clash.

The twin-spear knight, muscles taut beneath his armor, locked eyes with the determined blonde warrior.

"With such fierce fighting spirit and mana, you must be Saber, one of the three knights? Oh, I didn't expect that a woman would be the first to respond to my challenge."

Glancing at Irisviel behind the other party, the man with two spears gave a kind reminder. Now that Assassin has not shown up, even his proud monarch is unwilling to walk out of the hotel that has been transformed into a magic workshop. It is rare for the other party to bring their Master out for a fight. Even if he has no intention of doing a despicable act of catching the other party's Master and beating them, the same may not be true for the Servant hiding in the dark.

The blonde girl frowned as she held the invisible sword.

"Are you dissatisfied with me?"

"No, no, no, how could a servant with three knight positions be dissatisfied? It's just that, haven't you heard? An alien appeared in this Holy Grail War. Not long ago, he sneaked into the Tohsaka family and took the initiative to fight Archer. He escaped unscathed with exquisite tactics. The collision of the Noble Phantasms launched by both sides even flattened an area."

The man with two spears laughed heartily and pointed the spears in his hands at the blonde girl.

Just as he said, he wouldn't mind fighting with a Servant with the same knight class, but the opponent was with his Master, so he might be cautious and be ambushed by other spies. Such an unfair battle was not what he wanted.

"The Servant summoned by the Tohsaka Family was Archer? then who fought Archer and escaped unscathed? Are you talking about Berserker or Rider?"

Hearing the spearman's words, the blonde girl also raised the invisible sword in her hand. It must be very difficult to dare to fight the three knights head-on and escape unscathed. The only two professions that can be considered to have such ability are Rider and berserker.

As for Assassin and Caster? They are just abandoned pawns in this version. A head-on battle is not about assassination and positional warfare. These two major classes use their heads to fight against the three knight classes.

The man with two spears smiled and shook his head.

"That was a Caster. Although my impression of it is vague, based on the traces left at the scene, it was undoubtedly a famous Caster from the Age of Gods. It was also very skilled in both ranged combat and hand-to-hand combat. My lord speculated that it had fought Archer for no less than a hundred rounds, and was almost evenly matched from long range to close range. It was also likely that it had magecraft similar to stealth and camouflage."

"Caster and Archer had a hand-to-hand combat?" The blonde girl was stunned, somewhat suspecting that the spearman was fooling her.

What do these two classes have to do with hand-to-hand combat? Archers are easier to deal with, after all, the stats of the three knights are there, and they can kill someone by just hitting them with a bow.

But how can a Caster be considered close combat? How can there be a real magi... Well, the blonde girl thought of her country where there was a magi with bad taste, the Sword Saint, who taught her swordsmanship, and who just drew his sword and chopped people because chanting was too troublesome. She suddenly felt that it was not unacceptable for a magi to be able to fight in close combat.

"It's mainly stealth and disguise. My Lord speculates that this may be a rare dual-class Servant, the first one to appear in the Holy Grail War. After all, the impression can be blurred, but some of the actions of the Master of the Tohsaka family cannot be concealed."

The man with two spears smiled faintly while carrying his rifles. He had done his best to give a reminder.

If the blonde girl still didn't understand his hints and insisted on leaving the white girl in the middle of the battlefield instead of trying to guard against Assassin and Caster's disguised sneak attacks, then there was nothing he could do.

"If he is such a unique hero, I would like to meet him." Powerful mana emanated from her inside out, and the blonde girl holding the invisible sword took a step forward.

She held the sword low with both hands, which made her look a bit like a golf killer whale.

The two seemed to have reached some tacit understanding. They both made gestures ready for battle and then stared at their opponents with high fighting spirit.

"Servant - Saber."

"Servant - Lancer."

......

It really is the Knights class.

'Fortunately, they didn't fight directly on the street and kill the Einzbern's ahoge Female Swordsman.'

'Otherwise, at that distance, that ahoge girl would be dead with just one blow from me.'

"Assassin, have you arrived at the scene? From your perspective, what do you see so far?"

Miss Illyasviel, hiding in the shadows, felt the fighting spirit emanating from the two people on the battlefield. The powerful heroic aura that could make people feel terrified even at a distance of nearly a hundred meters, and she was silent for a few seconds in response to Kotomine Kirei's question.

If she had to say what she saw, she saw that no matter whether it was the girl with golden ahoge or the handsome man with two spears, they could hang her up and beat her once they got close to her.

Maybe this is the beauty of numbers?

When will she have this supermodel-like beauty?

But this straightforward statement was too embarrassing, so Miss Illyasviel changed her wording:

"I want to see the sweat and hard work of the three knight classes."