Chapter 238 - 236: Huh?

A Master cannot confirm a Servant's Class.

In other words, as long as the Masters on the Mage's Association side chose to have a few Servants pose as a newly arrived third-party Master-and-Servant pair, the Masters of the Yggdmillennia clan really wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

Rather, such a seemingly effective method is, in reality, impossible to implement.

Because doing so is completely meaningless.

Unless the Masters of the Mage's Association had truly summoned another seven Servants. Otherwise, as time passed and the Holy Grail War grew more intense, their lie about having insufficient numbers would inevitably be exposed.

Furthermore, because a Servant is merely a facet of a Heroic Spirit, the Noble Phantasms they manifest upon entering the world are determined by the Class they possess when they answer the call.

Since Sabers carry swords, Lancers carry spears, and other Servant Classes possess such distinct weapon characteristics, whether it is a disguise or not—it can almost be identified at a glance as soon as a battle occurs.

"Moreover, in the Third Holy Grail War in Fuyuki City, the Edelfelt family participated with a pair of twin stars, and through their family's magecraft characteristics, they summoned two Sabers that possessed both light and dark aspects, respectively."

Darnic, who had participated in the Third Holy Grail War, voiced his thoughts: "I imagine the Mage's Association referenced the Edelfelt family's method and summoned an additional Servant in violation of the rules.

That is why the appearances of these two Servants look so similar.

Simply because, in essence, they are the same person.

It is a deception performed by the Mage's Association to create the illusion of a third-party participant, so that we would be enticed to win over this third party."

Darnic stated his bold theory: "King, what do you think of this speculation?"

"Brilliant, Darnic." Lancer clapped his hands in admiration.

Although Darnic had already voiced this speculation when they were observing the footage privately earlier, what Lancer valued was not just this theory.

It was Darnic's wisdom—his ability to remain calm and quickly see through the enemy's ruses amidst a crisis that would make anyone else feel panicked.

For Lancer, who in his former life was a King who ruled over the land of Romania, the most important thing besides the commander's own skill to achieve victory in war was the help of a wise advisor.

Without a doubt, in Lancer's eyes, Darnic was such a wise man.

"Then, since we have confirmed this is the Red faction's scheme, what we must do next is figure out how to utilize their own plot to counter them," Lancer said. "Darnic, you tell us your subsequent plan."

"As you command, my King."

When Darnic respectfully said this, he could not hide the excitement in his tone.

'Saber... how wonderful, Saber!'

Darnic, who had mistakenly assumed the situation with Shirou Emiya and his companions was an exception like that of the Edelfelt family, didn't think of taking the opportunity to feign an alliance while waiting for a chance to kill the isolated Shirou Emiya.

Instead, he thought of a way to tamper with the magical link between the Saber and Shirou Emiya—the link that belongs between a Servant and their Master.

As it happened, although the Black Caster they summoned was more proficient in golem manufacturing, his achievements in other fields of magecraft were similarly far beyond the majority of modern magi.

Replacing a Master was not a difficult task for him at all.

What they needed to do now was to record more of the enemy Servant's abilities and the Master's magecraft while the Masters of the Mage's Association were forced to fight for real to earn their trust, so that they could better execute the subsequent capture operation.

They needed to know how to snatch the Saber away with minimal casualties.

This would make up for the predicament where the Yggdmillennia clan, due to the apparent exception regarding the summoning of the Black Assassin, was inherently one... no, two Servants fewer than the Mage's Association side.

Consequently, he couldn't hide his excitement as he laid out his plan to "use the enemy's strategy against them," and especially after receiving confirmation from the Black Caster, Darnic was so excited that the corners of his mouth even began to curl upward.

And then, he—

As well as the other Yggdmillennia clan Masters who had been summoned by Darnic to view the footage together, along with their summoned Servants—all saw it.

In the image playing in the hall, Shirou Emiya merely extended his finger...

And a gaping hole was suddenly blasted into Kairi Shishigou's chest.

Furthermore, the entire scene of him being sent flying backward appeared...

"...Huh!?"

Is this script correct?

This script is wrong!

Shouldn't Shirou Emiya be locked in a grueling stalemate with Kairi Shishigou, then pretend to be defeated and establish contact with them?

And then, having seen through the Mage's Association's scheme, wouldn't they successfully turn the tables, capture the Saber, and convert her into a new combat force for the Yggdmillennia side?

How could Shirou Emiya instantly kill Kairi Shishigou!?

"......Th-this, is this some kind of illusion magecraft?"

Darnic looked with difficulty toward the others in the hall.

Could a mere blindfold trick deceive them? How could it possibly deceive a Servant? Especially Avicebron, who manifested as the Black Caster? Watch him debunk it immediately!

"...No, this is not illusion magecraft."

Having also been silent for a long time—or rather, the Black Caster, who also thought things would develop in the direction Darnic had confidently laid out—swallowed hard as he reacted, connecting to the golems he had created to check their status: "This is a real-time transmission of the image..."

Just before he could finish that sentence—

An incredible thing happened once more.

In the projected image, the gaping hole in the chest of Kairi Shishigou, who looked absolutely dead, suddenly began to disappear.

Not only that, but the clothes on Kairi Shishigou's body also recovered, becoming completely undamaged again!?

This, this, this, this...

"...Huh!?"

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