Chapter 45 The Whereabouts of Danik

“Eh? Professor Kenneth, do we really have to do this?”
Hoisted into the chariot with Kenneth, Waver voiced his anxiety.
“Of course. Next, you must watch carefully, and learn well.”
Seeing Kenneth’s arrogant posture, and remembering the consequences of contradicting him in the hotel earlier, Waver glanced at Rider’s broad back and swallowed his words.
Though it was only their first meeting, Waver instinctively sensed that Rider’s temperament was entirely different from Kenneth’s. Though both spoke of acting aboveboard, he suspected their definitions were not the same.
Sure enough, as the chariot raced to the harbor, Rider’s booming voice rang out alongside Kenneth’s furious shout.
“My name is Iskandar, King of Conquerors! I have descended as Rider in this Holy Grail War. Will you join my ranks, and share with me the joy of conquering the world?”
“Rider! You fool!”
“The only ones worthy of my loyalty, aside from my Master in this era, are my homeland, Britannia, and no other.”
Standing before the imposing presence of Iskandar, the silver-haired knight showed not the slightest fear. In the past, his mentor Merlin had told him that, chosen by that star-lit holy sword, he would become the world’s protector.
To Rider’s almost comical talk of negotiable terms, Saber remained unmoved. As the enemy Master stepped off the chariot, Saber flicked his wrist, leveling the divine sword before him. One boot stamped the ground, leaving a deep footprint, and a surge of immense magical energy burst forth, cracking the earth beneath him.
The unleashed mana coiled around him, stirring up a whirlwind. As Saber raised his hand, power radiated out in waves, amplified by the mana supplied by Irisviel. In this moment, Saber stood as one of the most exceptional among first-class heroes.
In but an instant, the invisible blade was aimed straight at Iskandar—a godlike speed beyond mortal perception. All that could be seen was a blurred afterimage, nothing more.
Even the confident Iskandar’s expression grew grave. In close combat, he was not especially skilled, especially against an opponent wielding an invisible sword whose movements he could not predict. His own brute-force fighting style was at a disadvantage.
Yet even now, Iskandar did not lose his composure.
He raised his longsword before him in feint, then gave a mighty shout.

“Ha—!”
At his cry, the divine bulls standing before the two chariots suddenly reared up, wrapped in a cloak of purple lightning, and charged. At the front of the chariot, Iskandar stood like an unyielding rock, surging forward with unstoppable momentum.
The Rider class was at its strongest when fighting from a chariot. Instantly, a deafening crash erupted. But Saber, as though anticipating this, darted aside at the crucial moment, dodging the blow that would have crushed an ordinary man to pieces. A torrent of magical energy shielded him from the flying debris and shockwave.
Yet, even in the face of Rider’s ferocious assault, Saber stood his ground. As the chariot passed, he swung the invisible holy sword sideways like a great hammer, striking the chariot’s body with tremendous force.
Blinding magic flared, outshining the stars in the night sky. The earth cracked again, and the twin explosions of air and ground rang out. In the maelstrom, the shadows of the chariot and Saber began to converge.
Relying solely on his own strength and magical output, Saber halted the advance of the Divine Bulls’ Chariot!
The divine bulls snorted furiously, their powerful hooves pounding the ground, but their progress remained painfully slow.
“You’re Saber, aren’t you? Are you sure you don’t have some sort of superhuman strength skill? If not, then your endurance is terrifying! King of Britannia, your might matches—and perhaps even surpasses—your legendary name.”
Even in this life-or-death clash, Iskandar could not help but exclaim in admiration.
But Saber hesitated not for an instant, pouring out his full magical power. For he sensed that more and more wild lightning, like chains, was wrapping around the chariot and even striking toward him.
In terms of attributes, Rider was no match for him. But when Rider infused the chariot with magical energy, it became as fierce as a wild beast—indeed, with Iskandar at the reins, it was the very image of a savage colossus.
Since that was so, he would treat it as a beast!
A star-like radiance shimmered in Saber’s hand, dimming all around them. As the outer disguise fell away, the true form of the holy sword was at last revealed to the world.
“Wind King’s Hammer!”
Driven by the full force of Saber’s magic, a roaring gale surged forth, swallowing the entire chariot in an instant, then hurled it aloft with a thunderous crash!
As the chariot was sent flying, Iskandar showed no fear at all. With a guttural roar, he planted his feet, his iron elbows gripping the reins hard, and wrestled the bewildered divine bulls back under control.

Amid the explosive shockwave, Rider tumbled through the air, but managed to regain the chariot’s balance after several rolls.
Within this brief first clash, the battle was already fraught with danger. Even as Irisviel and Waver suffered from the immense drain on their mana, they were deeply shaken by the spectacle before them—combat on a scale beyond their understanding. Even Kenneth’s expression had grown grave.
Standing atop the wind-swept rooftop, Roland watched the duel between the King of Conquerors and the wielder of the Holy Sword.
“In a straight swordfight, the King of Conquerors is absolutely no match for Saber. Is it the strength of his Master that’s made him so formidable? Or is this particular version of the Sword Saint just that special?”
Roland pondered as he watched, as though the speed and power that escaped human sight posed no barrier to him.
“It’s probably the bonus from Irisviel. Saber is already the strongest class—pair him with the right Master and this is what you get. Kenneth is excellent, but barring Servants like Achilles, Rider relies on his Noble Phantasms and isn’t suited to pure close combat.”
“But now that the chariot’s output has been revealed, if he doesn’t use a full-power charge or unleash his Noble Phantasm, then a Saber prepared to release that holy sword will likely chop Rider’s chariot to pieces.”
Though the match was evenly poised for now, Roland, with his unique perspective, could already glimpse the possible outcomes of such a high-level battle.
Though his own combat experience was far less than these heroes, as an outside observer, the residual wisdom of the Thousand could still let him predict the likely flow of events.
As Roland focused intently on the unfolding scene, the Caster standing quietly by his side suddenly spoke.
“Master, your servant has arrived.”
A shadow stretched out behind Roland, forming into a kneeling ninja who bowed his head, bringing news to his lord.
“Let’s go, Caster.”
Roland’s crimson eyes glinted sharply as he linked his vision to the Shadow Corps.
“They’ve found Darnic. He hasn’t shown himself since the start of the Holy Grail War. Let’s see what he’s been preparing for this contest.”