NOVEL NEXT Chapter 17: Chapter 017: Unlucky for You (Part 1)
CLANG—!
The clash of metal against metal shattered the silence of the night.
An invisible sword and a crimson spear crossed paths at lightning speed.
Sparks flew as the weapons scraped against each other, generating intense steam in the cold night air.
Their speed exceeded the limits of human perception.
Using only raw physical ability, their movements had already broken the sound barrier.
This was no longer a battle fit for a modern city.
It was as if time itself had warped—
And a battle from the Age of Gods had been brought to life in the present day.
The petite king, wielding the sacred sword, felt the weight of her disadvantage in speed.
She made a decisive choice—
To shed her armor.
With her body unburdened, she rushed forward at even greater speed.
Her opponent, the lancer wielding the crimson spear, grinned.
He had been waiting for this moment.
Against his spear, her armor was meaningless.
But against his other Noble Phantasm—
It had been an obstacle.
And now—
That obstacle was gone.
"Excellent!"
With a single step, he kicked off the ground.
The motion sent his discarded short spear flying into the air—
And into his waiting hand.
His Noble Phantasms were designed for single combat.
They did not need a True Name Release.
The effects were already absolute.
A long spear—Gáe Dearg, the Crimson Rose of Exorcism.
A short spear—Gáe Buidhe, the Yellow Rose of Mortality.
Gáe Buidhe.
A spear whose wounds could never heal.
In an instant—
He launched his attack.
Even with Saber's Instinct skill, she was unable to fully evade it.
The spear pierced her hand, forcing her to momentarily retreat.
Diarmuid assumed his signature battle stance, his face filled with confidence and determination.
"It seems—"
Before he could finish—
A thunderous roar erupted in the distance.
A chariot, drawn by divine bulls, charged toward them.
Dust and smoke billowed as it came to a halt.
Atop the chariot, a towering man with fiery red hair grinned boldly, holding the reins with both hands.
"In the presence of the King…
THERE WILL BE NO QUARRELING!"
Meanwhile, back at the riverbank battlefield, more Servant presences emerged.
But Reiji paid them no mind.
He had deliberately allowed both Tamamo and Zhuge Liang to release their presence.
In fact—
He had expanded their combined bounded fields, directly enveloping the battlefield ahead.
"Master, I sense another Servant's presence."
Tamamo-no-Mae whispered as she walked beside Reiji.
Behind them—
Berserker's battle-lust grew stronger.
But Reiji wasn't focused on Berserker.
Instead, his gaze locked onto Zhuge Liang.
"Zhuge Liang… or should I call you El-Melloi II?"
"This isn't his time to exit the stage—
But no matter how you try to frame it, the outcome won't change."
Zhuge Liang looked momentarily stunned.
He seemed like he wanted to say something—
But before he could—
Reiji cut him off.
"He is a king. You walk his path, so naturally, he can see right through you."
"Think about it—when have you ever been able to perfectly predict his actions?"
"That's all I'll say. For now—just focus on playing your role to the fullest."
Reiji's words made Zhuge Liang pause for a moment, visibly startled.
Memories of that maddening king—dragging him around, making his life a chaotic mess—resurfaced.
And despite himself, Zhuge Liang couldn't help but smile.
Now that he existed as a Heroic Spirit—
With the intellect of Zhuge Liang and the memories of El-Melloi II—
He realized that, perhaps due to his own emotions, he had been overthinking things.
But now that Reiji had pointed it out, he understood immediately.
"Hmm… if it's that king, he would absolutely cause trouble for no reason, just because he could…"
After a moment of silence, Zhuge Liang looked up.
His gaze fell upon Reiji and his two Servants, waiting for him up ahead.
With a calm nod, he quickened his pace to catch up.
"Understood, Master."