[FDJ]Chapter 111: Calamity of Salvation
At around 2 p.m., taking advantage of Assassin's injuries and Berserker's exit, Suzuki decided to take a nap. He hadn't planned on resting initially, but he couldn't resist Rider Eleanor's persuasion. Unlike Jeanne d'Arc, Eleanor took care of everything for Suzuki, sparing him the need to ponder on what to do, and her recommendations were always the best choices at the time.
With allies unconscious and enemies injured, the adventurous strategy would be to launch an attack on the city of Tiberias during the day, while the conservative tactic would be to rest well. Considering the heavy defenses within the city of Tiberias, along with Rider Baldwin I and the unidentified Lancer guarding it, launching a daytime attack would prove too difficult for Eleanor.
Suzuki didn't sleep deeply and woke up after just over an hour. He noticed that the sunlight outside was still shining brightly, estimating that there was still a long time before sunset.
At this time, Eleanor should be patrolling near the valley, guarding against enemy Servants taking advantage of the absence of Aphaf and Alter Ego Don Quixote from the battle.
Suzuki raised the command seals in front of his eyes. The three red command seals had not been used yet, but he didn't know how to use them against a meticulous and passive-aggressive Servant like Eleanor. The training in Chaldea did not cover how to deal with Servants like Eleanor.
...
With a stern gaze, Richard's dignified eyes scanned outside the window. He didn't shy away from his exposed arms, wearing only an undershirt instead of his usual sturdy military attire. Compared to his muscular physique, the 15 remaining red command seals on his arms were even more eye-catching.
"Assassin, have you recovered?"
Immediately, a female Servant with bandages on her face and disheveled hair appeared outside the window. She seemed to be in a very bad mood, itching to tear a few people apart to relieve her killing intent.
"Master, I request permission to attack, this time... this time..."
"Don't worry, we'll take action soon. I know your capabilities. Unlike the previous night, I will also join you in the attack," Richard spoke without considering Assassin's feelings, but what he said was true. Compared to the several Kings of Jerusalem stationed in the city of Tiberias, the Nine-Day Queen, who became a Servant by fusing with an evil spirit legend, could be considered the weakest Servant this time.
"I can go and ambush the enemy Master. Please give me another chance..."
"Opportunities always come, but as you can see, I still have 15 command seals left. Don't give me any more trouble!" Richard casually threw the trident in his hand, deeply embedding it into the floor under the table. His strength seemed to surpass that of an ordinary person by a large margin.
"Please rest assured," Assassin replied tactfully and disappeared in spirit form.
After resting his eyes for a while, Richard turned his head to look at the only mirror in the room. The sunlight didn't directly shine on it, but there was an unnatural gleam shimmering on its surface.
"What brings you here again?" Richard's tone remained unfriendly.
The mirror revealed a bizarre clown-like male face. He wore an exaggerated smile on his face and spoke in an exaggerated tone that could further irritate people. "Respected Lionheart King, I heard that your strongest Servant, Berserker, has taken his own life. As the direct contact person providing you with the Holy Grail, customer satisfaction is always my top priority. Do you need me to introduce a few reliable Servants to you? Although they won't be able to match Berserker Godfrey, in terms of strength."
"He died because he misused his second Noble Phantasm. That's what caused his demise," Richard corrected the other's statement. Richard's complicated mood at the moment stemmed from this incident as well. The knight who devoutly claimed to be the guardian of the Holy Sepulcher used a one-time Noble Phantasm of "resurrection" against a heretical magus. Berserker had already depleted his mana while fighting Yog-Sothoth, so it could be considered a form of self-sacrifice in some sense. However, Richard felt displeased. In his view, any statement that made him feel displeased was simply wrong, and no one was allowed to have an opinion!
"You also find Berserker's actions..."
Before the sentence could be finished, Richard slammed his fist on the wooden table, and the creaking friction sound of the table legs interrupted the words of the "clown" in the mirror.
"I don't need more Servants. Right now, I only want to know one thing," Richard stood up, facing the mirror directly. "Why would a high-ranking existence that doesn't belong to this world manifest here?"
"That's precisely the reason why I urgently came to see you today. The truth is unknown, but it can be concluded that as the singularity is about to emerge, the restraining force of this world has chosen to intervene by means it deems appropriate. Although you sealed the possibility of summoning a Ruler-class Servant, it has instead inclined the restraining force towards destroying everything here. Whether it's the singularity or all the beings trapped within it, victims or perpetrators, the restraining force would prefer to cut them all off with a single stroke."
The "clown's" words also carried a terrifying implication that challenged inherent beliefs. Richard didn't fully trust the other, but based on the information he had obtained so far, it seemed to be true.
"It seems like you're speaking the truth, but you haven't mentioned who provided the specific method for summoning the deity to particular magus in this era. You can find information about the unconscious tendencies of the restraining force, but you can't find out who is manipulating Duke Raynard?"
"You don't want me to lie, do you?" The "clown" in the mirror abruptly halted his exaggerated smile, and his gaze gradually turned sinister. "I can only answer you this way: if you successfully create the singularity as agreed upon initially, everything will unfold according to your expectations. But if you fail... wouldn't it be better to destroy everything? What do you think?"
"Hmph, it's definitely you!" Richard became furious. If he didn't have more questions for the other party, he would have punched the ugly face of the "clown" in the mirror.
"Then answer me this: why haven't you launched an attack on the enemy with your numerous Servants? If you don't trust me, then why should I continue to invest all my chips in you? And I have been quite polite. As long as you fulfill the agreement, everything will unfold according to your expectations. Would you reward subordinates who hesitate with favorable outcomes?"
"Are you threatening me? I'm not falling for it! You better give me a truthful explanation. What exactly are your intentions?"
"Threatening? Lionheart King, you want to protect the continuity of human history while establishing a Christian kingdom surpassing your predecessors. It's quite troublesome for me. And I only informed some defected magus about the summoning method for the deity, which was originally ineffective. The restraining force voluntarily loosened its restrictions and allowed the deity to descend here. I'm merely a merchant providing empty guns, while someone else is loading the bullets onto them. Of course, you can also bring me to the defendant's seat along with them. Do you need me to help you hire a defense attorney to sue the restraining force?"
Laughter filled the dimly lit wooden house, but this time, it didn't intensify Richard's anger. Instead, his provocative behavior caused Richard to laugh as well.
"Hahaha, truly worthy of a clown who calls himself a jester! After this Holy Grail War, I will consider inviting you to be the court jester of the New Kingdom of Jerusalem."
Inside and outside the silver mirror, the laughter of the two seemed different, but they fundamentally aligned. Both held the idea of dragging everyone down with them if they couldn't succeed. Moral notions of good and evil never restrained them. To succeed, they would involve as many unrelated people as possible, heading towards the path of no return to increase the probability of success.
"How about it, Your Highness Lionheart King? Will you continue to cooperate with us or become the cornerstone of the foundation of human history? You have no other choice, please trust me."
"Because I believe what you said, I am even more unwilling to continue working with you. Of course, I don't want to cooperate with the magus sent by the Chaldea organization either! Everything must be decided by me, the king! The Holy Grail is already in my hands, and you and the people from the future are unnecessary! You do not exist in the Jerusalem region in the year 1187! I am the absolute protagonist of this branch of human history! The great Lionheart King Richard I. First defeated the Egyptian army, pursued victory, and established a divine kingdom spanning three continents of Asia, Europe, and Africa. The radiance of the Lord will shine forever, with the holy city of Jerusalem as the core, and human civilization will evolve under the guidance of religion."
Richard's emotions became intense, and he had never shown such drastic emotional changes, even when facing the Holy Grail.
"In that case, you should continue to work with us. We can-"
"No, you are now unnecessary! I and my army will play absolute justice and eliminate all opposing forces. You bunch of individuals attempting to subvert human history are also evil! Assisting me means assisting others, and sure enough, you found a magus who betrayed his faith and attempted to summon a wicked deity. You are too meddlesome! You defiled the sacred radiance of the holy city! Unforgivable sin!"
The "clown" quickly realized from Richard's sudden change in attitude and his prolonged inaction that he had already made contact with the servant of YHWH.
"Have you made contact with the servant of YHWH?"
The conversation ended there as Richard smashed the only mirror in the wooden house with his fist. He didn't answer, nor did he need to. He took out the Holy Grail from his own body and let its light illuminate the house.
Inside the Holy Grail, it not only absorbed the magical power generated by Berserker's return but also absorbed the magical power of the "Yog" doppelganger that had been attempting to descend. The effect seemed better than guiding the demise of a servant or absorbing the local leylines. Offering the Holy Grail filled with the heretical deity's power to the sacred existence would prove Richard's utmost loyalty as a knight devoted to the Lord.
The emergence of the Singularity was only the first step. Richard was well aware that merely relying on the Holy Grail was not enough to maintain a divine kingdom on Earth that contradicted human history. He needed to attract an existence that could truly counteract the restraining force. Only absolute power could guarantee absolute victory, and Berserker's actions further demonstrated this truth to Richard.
In the abnormal radiance of the Holy Grail, Richard seemed to have foreseen the arrival of the divine angelic army, acknowledging him as the sole representative of the Lord on Earth. The power of the angels would support a barrier strong enough to resist the restraining force, thoroughly separating this world into a parallel world.
Undoubtedly, if this plan succeeded, words like "saint" would be insufficient to capture Richard's great achievements. He would be on the verge of being hailed as the Savior.