Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Free Flying

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Even though Waver yelled at the top of his lungs to slow down, it was as effective as shouting into the wind. Alexander, riding the lightning-fast Bucephalus, ascended to an altitude of thousands of meters in mere breaths. The speed of the climb was nothing short of terrifying.

If not for Waver's fragile human limits, the acceleration could have been even faster. As it was, Alexander had to moderate himself for the sake of his Master.

For Waver, a rookie magus with no prior experience with such extreme speeds, this ride was a nightmare. Even a seasoned pilot would have likely blacked out from the intense G-forces. As the horse's trajectory veered almost vertically upward, Waver's body was jolted so forcefully that he momentarily left the horse's back.

He nearly panicked, convinced he was about to plummet to his death. Luckily, Alexander's quick reflexes saved him just in time, pulling him back into place with a firm yank.

If Alexander hadn't acted swiftly, Waver would have undoubtedly ended up as a very flat "Waver pancake" splattered on the ground below.

Unlike other famous flights in history where no romance or adventure prevailed, Waver's situation was decidedly not poetic or grand. He was very much a Waver-in-distress.

"Hold on tight, Master!" Alexander shouted, securing Waver firmly behind him. Pulling the reins, he declared with enthusiasm, "I'm going to speed up!"

"No! Stop! Let me down! This is too fast—I'll die!" Waver screamed in terror, clutching Alexander for dear life. He stared down at the ground, the lights of Fuyuki shrinking rapidly beneath him. His voice cracked with raw fear as he desperately held on, terrified of slipping again. The earlier scare had already pushed his heart to its limit.

Fortunately, Waver wasn't much taller than Alexander—standing at a diminutive 157 cm compared to Alexander's 151 cm—which allowed Alexander to easily secure him like a small child clinging to their parent.

"By the way," Alexander called out, still flying at breakneck speed, "why isn't anyone fighting? Isn't this the Holy Grail War?" He glanced to his lower left, scanning for any signs of combat but finding none. His tone was tinged with disappointment, as though he'd been denied the spectacle he was expecting.

In Alexander's mind, the Holy Grail War was supposed to be a grand clash of swords and spears, with glorious battles to rival the Olympics.

"Of course, this is the Holy Grail War!" Waver shouted back, his voice hoarse from panic. "But who in their right mind would start fighting openly, especially on the first night? You're the only lunatic who thinks this is some kind of tournament!"

"The Holy Grail War is supposed to be a battle fought in secret! If regular people find out, it'll be a disaster!"

As Waver yelled, he noticed Alexander loosening his grip on the reins, clearly distracted. Alarm bells went off in his head, and he screamed, "Hey! Focus on riding! If you fall, we'll both die!"

"Don't worry!" Alexander laughed, his voice booming with confidence. "My Riding skill is ranked A+. I could steer perfectly with one hand, upside down, or even facing backward!"

To prove his point, Alexander let go of the reins completely and started preparing to stand up on Bucephalus's back. "Let me show you a demonstration of true mastery!"

"Are you insane?! Stop it! I'm begging you!" Waver shrieked, tears streaming down his face. His voice cracked with pure terror as he clung desperately to Alexander's waist.

He wasn't just scared—he was downright convinced he'd lose control of his bladder any second.

When Waver first summoned his Servant, he had been thrilled. Alexander the Great, one of the four great military commanders in history! The man who built an empire stretching from Greece to the Indus River, from Egypt to the Black Sea, all in just a decade.

Waver had expected stability, brilliance, and wisdom. A commander capable of leading him to victory in this war.

But after just one day of interacting with the man, Waver was utterly certain of one thing: Alexander was nothing more than an overgrown, mischievous child!

This kid is as mischievous as they come. To be honest, apart from the height, Waver could hardly see any resemblance between this child and the legendary Alexander the Great.

"Alright, we'll save the demonstration for later—" Alexander began, settling back onto Bucephalus, but suddenly his expression shifted. "Hmm? Master, there's a Servant's presence nearby!" His tone turned excited, and his eyes gleamed as if someone had just handed him a golden opportunity.

He straightened, scanning the area. The reaction wasn't just nearby—it was directed at him.

"Master, see? I told you, this is war! Someone's officially challenging us! And if they've invited us, there's no way we're turning them down!"

"They're not challenging us—they're just responding to your reckless antics!" Waver snapped, his frustration mounting.

"Doesn't matter! Charge!" Alexander roared, cutting off Waver's protests. With a mighty pull on Bucephalus' reins, he turned the horse toward the source of the Servant's reaction and surged forward.

The instant the horse began its charge, its speed increased exponentially. Lightning gathered around Bucephalus, growing denser with each passing second until the horse's entire body was enveloped in an electric, armor-like glow.

If Bucephalus, cruising through the sky earlier, had resembled a shadowy bat hidden in the night, it now transformed into a blazing meteor streaking across the heavens. While the glow wasn't obvious to the ordinary pedestrians below—drowned out by the city lights—it was impossible to miss for the participants of the Holy Grail War.

To any Servant observing, it was as unmistakable as the midday sun. If any Archer-class Servant had been lurking with ill intentions, Waver and Alexander would have been easy targets, vulnerable to a barrage of arrows.

Fortunately for them, no one attacked during the journey.

With the high mobility inherent to the Rider class, it took Alexander mere seconds to close the distance to the Servant's position. Riding Bucephalus at breakneck speed, he charged straight to the source of the reaction, the open space in front of Homurahara Academy's entrance.

The opposing Servant was already standing there, waiting for him. She was dressed in a striking scarlet battle suit, her presence exuding confidence.

"I see her!" Alexander announced eagerly, locking his gaze on his opponent. "We're about to land, Master!"

Lightning crackled as Bucephalus descended, slamming into the ground with thunderous force. The impact sent tremors through the earth, shattering the pavement and raising a massive cloud of dust. Even the school's nameplate, mounted dozens of meters away, shook loose and crashed to the ground.

To an uninformed bystander, it might have looked like a delinquent had decided to blow up the school gate to avoid going to class.

"Finally, you've arrived!" The female Servant in scarlet declared, her voice sharp and commanding as she stepped forward. Her crimson attire shimmered faintly under the moonlight. "What an arrogant entrance! But that arrogance will cost you—starting now, your downfall begins at the hands of my—"

She stopped mid-sentence.

The dust began to clear, revealing Alexander atop Bucephalus. Her fierce glare softened into wide-eyed shock. The words she'd prepared—the threats and declarations of superiority—froze on her tongue.

"You...you are..." Her voice faltered, disbelief written all over her face as she stared at the boy before her.