[FGO]: 45

The people present, especially the magi, all displayed shocked expressions.

Magi are no match for Servants; this is common knowledge for every magus.

Their clan leader, however, harbored the delusion of targeting a Servant—utter madness!

Mystery becomes ineffective in the face of higher-level Mystery; this is an ironclad rule in the Nasuverse.

Servants, embodying segments of human history, represent some of the highest levels of Mystery.

Modern magi attempting to defeat a Servant is as laughable as a baby trying to overcome an adult.

Anyone harboring such thoughts is either a fool or a lunatic.

If Ryou knew what they were thinking, he would retort: "Youngsters, you are so naive and inexperienced. In the Type-Moon world, if you can't challenge a Servant, how dare you call yourself a Master?"

"Darnic, is what he says true?"

The Grand Duke, who already looked quite grim, now appeared even more stern. His dark circles from prolonged cultivation, combined with the surrounding dark forest environment, made him look like a vampire without any need for makeup.

The Grand Duke couldn't help but doubt; he and Darnic were in a Master-Servant relationship, so the target of such secret techniques was self-evident.

"Grand Duke! Please don't listen to the slander of this scoundrel..."

Darnic was now sweating profusely.

Faced with the Grand Duke's pressing questions, he cursed internally thousands of times, but with a spear at his neck, he had no say in the matter.

Who knew, Ryou added fuel to the fire in his leisurely manner.

"I quite admire the clan leader. All by himself, he managed to toy with the mighty German army that once swept across Europe.

He won the last Holy Grail War and reclaimed the Grail. While others got nothing, he became the biggest winner—a paragon of cunning and strategy. I truly admire that!"

As Ryou spoke, he even clapped his hands in applause.

But the others looked at him with peculiar expressions.

His words seemed like praise but were malicious.

Darnic's illustrious history, when put nicely, was strategic foresight; when put bluntly, it was betrayal and ingratitude.

To self-centered magi, this wasn't a big deal, but for the heroic Servants present, it was a serious issue.

No one would want their Master to be a treacherous person, especially when he had manipulated a once-powerful nation—he was the epitome of a scoundrel.

This was especially true for the Grand Duke, who exemplified loyalty. If not for the Holy Relic, their compatibility would have been impossible.

"Oh yes, Grand Duke, you better be careful. If the situation turns unfavorable, Darnic might use a Command Spell to forcibly activate Shapeshift and then seize your body. After all, a vampire's body can grant immortality, providing him a backup plan and keeping the strongest trump card in his hands. If it were me, I would do the same..."

"Enough!"

A shout, filled with murderous intent, interrupted.

Even before Ryou finished speaking, the Grand Duke's face had darkened to the extreme.

Because of the legend being distorted, his spiritual foundation had been polluted, forcing him to become a vampire, a stain on his honor and that of his family.

For someone as noble, devout, loyal, and patriotic as the Grand Duke, this was worse than death.

He responded to the Holy Grail's call, hoping to sever the connection with vampirism and clear his name.

Becoming a vampire was his greatest taboo, and 'Shapeshift' was a Noble Phantasm he would never use unless forced by a Command Spell.

"Grand Duke! Please do not believe this scoundrel's slander. How could I ever do something that would tarnish your honor?"

Darnic anxiously explained, his earlier noble demeanor completely gone.

But the Grand Duke wasn't foolish, and Ryou's verbal assault was gradual and cumulative, making this speculative information have the maximum impact.

And the consequence...

Swish!

A flash of silver light streaked through, and in an instant, Darnic's hand, the one bearing the Command Spells, was severed by the Grand Duke.

"Ah!!!"

Blood gushed like a fountain. It wasn't until his hand hit the ground that Darnic felt the pain, and he couldn't help but scream.

"Uncle!"

Fiore, kind-hearted by nature, quickly maneuvered her wheelchair to Darnic's side and began casting healing magecraft on him.

"Darnic, in light of your past service, I will not kill you, but you are no longer fit to wield the Command Spells."

The Grand Duke, sitting high on his warhorse, looked down at Darnic on the ground and coldly declared.

Everything happened so suddenly that those around were left completely at a loss.

Even Astolfo shouted, "Huh! Aren't we on the same team? What happened!"

"As for you," the Grand Duke turned his icy gaze towards Ryou, his killing intent barely concealed, "You conspired with Ruler to take our Saber and sow discord among us. Such crimes are unforgivable!"

"You neglect the mistreatment of your subordinates, causing them to defect, and yet you blame me. As for sowing discord, if there were fewer sordid affairs on your side, would you be so easily manipulated?"

Ryou naturally absolved himself of any responsibility.

However, the Grand Duke, having once ruled a nation, could easily discern Ryou's attempts at sowing discord.

Now slightly calmer, the Grand Duke made a silent decision: this person must not be allowed to live!

And it was clear that some others shared the Grand Duke's sentiment.

"Splendid! Truly splendid! Your eloquence is akin to the reincarnation of Kuroda Kanbei, no wonder my intuition tells me that you are the greatest obstacle to my acquisition of the Holy Grail."

A tanned, white-haired young man dressed as a priest emerged from the forest, clapping as he walked.

Following him were a young man wielding a cross-shaped spear and clad in Greek-style armor, and a girl with cat ears and a bow, none other than Achilles and Atalanta.

"Amakusa Shirou? I see, it's 'Revelation', isn't it?"

Amakusa Shirou's sudden appearance slightly surprised him.

However, considering how much the storyline had already deviated, it wasn't too surprising.

With an 'A' rank skill in 'Revelation', equivalent to Jeanne d'Arc, Amakusa Shirou was practically using a future-sight cheat.

"You indeed know a lot of information," Amakusa Shirou said with a wry smile.

"It can't be helped. I don't have many other virtues, just a bit too much knowledge."

Ryou spread his hands, making a 'what can I do?' gesture.

"Don't you know that knowing too much can cost you your life?"

Amakusa Shirou still smiled, though a hint of coldness crept into his expression.

"I have confidence in my speed, and whether I die or not is uncertain. However, you seem to be in trouble," Ryou said, glancing nonchalantly at Achilles and Atalanta behind Amakusa Shirou.

Amakusa Shirou's heart skipped a beat, sensing something was wrong, but Ryou had already spoken.

"The Servants behind you are Achilles and Atalanta, right? You had Semiramis control their Masters with poison and then directly command them. It's a clever move, but aren't you afraid they'll discover the truth and stab you in the back on the battlefield? Who gave you such confidence, young man?"

Indeed, before Ryou's words were even finished, they came true.

"You bastard! No wonder our Masters haven't shown themselves and rely on you for commands. It's all you're doing! You impostor priest, how dare you!"

Achilles, already harboring suspicions, immediately grabbed Amakusa Shirou by the collar and lifted him upon hearing the confirmation from someone else.

"Calm down, Rider. We're in front of the enemy right now!"

Atalanta grabbed Achilles' hand. As a hunter by nature, she was calmer than Achilles.

"Tsk! I'll settle this with you later!"

Reluctantly, Achilles put Amakusa Shirou down.

It seemed the red faction had stopped their infighting, but even a fool could see that a rift had formed between them, making future cooperation difficult.

The black faction watched Ryou like he was a monster.

With just a few words, he had first isolated Avicebron, a core combatant of the black faction, then had Darnic, the black faction's leader, lost his hand to his Servant. Now, he'd nearly caused the red faction to fall into internal conflict.

Ryou looked at the scene, his expression neutral. This was all simply the result of asymmetric information.

Blackmail material is called such because once exposed, it cannot withstand the light of day.

Moreover, the timing of when such information is revealed can drastically change its impact.

Take Achilles and Atalanta, for example. In the original storyline, they only discovered their Masters were being controlled near the final battle.

Though they were angry, they were already at the final battle, and Amakusa Shirou's character had been verified, so they chose to endure it.

But things were different now. This was still the early phase of the Holy Grail War, and the Red faction hadn't even established basic trust. Under such circumstances, learning this explosive information could only lead to chaos.

Just as Amakusa Shirou had calmed Achilles and Atalanta, Ryou spoke again, this time directly targeting Amakusa Shirou and Semiramis.

"Father Amakusa's original plan was to have the Empress fly the 'Hanging Gardens of Babylon' over Yggdmillennia's castle and steal the Great Holy Grail, right?"

At these words, the black faction's members immediately looked at Amakusa Shirou with heightened vigilance. Such a surprise attack, if successful, would completely overturn Yggdmillennia's hard-earned advantage.

"Red faction, don't even think about taking the Holy Grail!"

Darnic reacted most violently, pushing Fiore, who was bandaging him, aside and shouting in agitation.

Just as vampires were the Grand Duke's taboo, the Holy Grail was Darnic's.

Sixty years of waiting and planning, even to the point of betraying the German military, were all to the Holy Grail War and using the Grail's power to reach the Root, thereby humiliating the Mage's Association that looked down on him.

Though Darnic's wish wasn't as grand as the saintly Amakusa Shirou's, his dedication was no less intense.

As for Amakusa Shirou, if it weren't for his excellent self-restraint, he would have already cursed out loud.

He'd been scavenging in the Middle East for sixty years. Was it easy for him? He was practically a model of hard work.

If Ryou knew what Amakusa Shirou was thinking, he would probably burst out laughing.

He was just that kind of person—neither good nor bad, but someone who followed his whims. When he saw something he liked, he would offer his blessings; when he saw something he hated, he would trample it mercilessly!

He originally had no ill feelings towards Amakusa until... Amakusa dared to cause Jeanne to self-destruct!?

In that case, sorry, but I, Nguyen Ryou, am a man of double standards.

If you offend my wife, I'll make sure you die, and die in the ugliest way possible!

The script Ryou meticulously crafted for Amakusa didn't just involve his death; it also aimed to tear apart his coupling with the Empress!

"Forgive my bluntness, but once the Great Holy Grail enters the Hanging Gardens, some things will be beyond your control.

In the Hanging Gardens, the Empress can even resist the power of Command Spells. At that point, monopolizing the Grail will be a piece of cake for her."

Ryou paused, his gaze growing deeper, making even the Far Eastern saint, whose will had been tempered through countless trials of blood and fire to be harder than steel, feel a chill in his heart.

"Do you have no hesitation? Can you trust her without reservation? Are you truly willing to entrust the dream you've pursued for sixty years to a... a woman who poisoned her husband?"

The three-pronged attack on Amakusa's heart was extremely effective.

Facing Ryou directly, Amakusa Shirou, who had always maintained a calm demeanor, showed clear signs of wavering.

Ryou wasn't surprised at all.

Handing over sixty years of hard work to someone else without any reservations is something only a fool would do.

This 'saint' Amakusa was highly overrated in Ryou's eyes. To him, Amakusa seemed to have fallen into an extreme form of chūnibyō (adolescent delusions) due to the trauma of his defeat in life.

Extreme obsession could lead him to success, but it also had an equal chance of dragging him into hell.

Just as Amakusa himself said, "No one can stop me from saving all of humanity," which naturally included the Empress.

Even a potential threat couldn't be tolerated. If left unspoken, it might be okay, but once exposed, under Amakusa Shirou's obsessive nature, this seed of doubt would grow into a towering tree.

Ryou eagerly anticipated that moment.

"Alright, I've said enough. It's getting late. Good night, everyone."

With that, he made a somewhat awkward gentleman's chest salutation.

Then he reached out and pulled Jeanne's hand, ready to leave.

Vlad III's face darkened. He wanted to stop Ryou from leaving, but as he glanced around his faction, his heart sank.

Morale had hit rock bottom; nearly everyone looked troubled and confused.

The red faction wasn't much better. Amakusa Shirou's expression was grim and uncertain.

Achilles had turned his face away, clearly indicating he didn't want to get involved.

Atalanta looked a Ryou with vigilance, but it was more like a small cat wary of a strong enemy.

"Um, what about him and me?"

Seeing Ryou leaving with Jeanne, Siegfried followed silently, prompting Astolfo to raise his hand and ask.

"Of course, you're coming with us. Since you rescued him, you naturally have to take responsibility. At the very least, ensure his safety before you return."

Ryou said openly, completely ignoring the odd looks from the black faction.

"But..."

Astolfo glanced cautiously at his Master. After all, his Master still held the Command Spells and could summon him back at any time.

Celenike was glaring at him with a fierce expression, clearly saying, "If you dare agree, you'll regret it."

"What's there to be afraid of? We have the Ruler on our side. If your Master isn't afraid of wasting Command Spells, let her do as she pleases."

Ryou calmly said.

"Well then... I'll be back soon."

With that, Astolfo helped the homunculus boy and followed Ryou and the others, leaving the black faction members with strange expressions on their faces.

Astolfo's Master, the silver-haired, mature woman Celenike, snapped her whip in anger, biting her lip so hard that a trickle of blood dripped down the corner of her mouth.

Thus, tonight's farce finally came to an end.

When the three factions meet, even if they don't cause an earth-shattering battle, at least they should exchange some heavy blows.

In the end, Ryou stole the show, using the anime canon information to expose a lot of blackmail material.

The internal chaos of the red and black factions immediately ensued, leaving them on the brink of collapse.

To put it another way: I haven't even exerted my strength, and you all are already falling apart.

Without another word, the group followed Ryou back to their camp in Trifas.

"I'll leave him to you."

Ryou patted Astolfo on the shoulder, then took out a tent, instructing Astolfo to place the homunculus boy inside.

"But I don't know any medical skills!"

Astolfo immediately shouted.

"Dumbass, a Servant's heart is a magical aggregate, similar to a spiritual core. Just press it against his chest, and it will naturally merge with his own heart."

After saying this, Ryou gave Astolfo a hard knock on the head.

"Don't hit me! It'll make me dumber!"

Astolfo's eyes filled with tears as he cried out in pain.

"No matter how dumb you are, you can't get any dumber. Maybe a knock will make you smarter."

"How can you say that!"

"Let me warn you, he's seriously injured. If you delay any longer, he might die from his wounds."

"That's unacceptable!"

With that, Astolfo rushed into the tent. The foolish Astolfo didn't notice the fleeting smile at the corner of Ryou's mouth.

You should thank me. To make sure Sieg falls into your arms, I've put in a lot of effort.

Rewinding to before their departure, Ryou took advantage of Jeanne's prayer session to hide away.

He learned from Medea how to inscribe a curse on Karna's heart using primordial runes.

Strictly speaking, this curse wasn't even much of a curse.

Its main effect was that whoever received Karna's heart would feel a significant increase in affection for the first person they saw.

This suggestion-like curse was mainly inspired by the imprinting behavior in chicks.

Initially, he wanted to inscribe a stronger curse, such as making the person fall in love with the first person they saw.

Unfortunately, his understanding of primordial runes wasn't deep enough for that, and he feared a significant backlash from the Counter Force if he overreached.

Medea initially refused.

Ryou's actions reminded her of some unpleasant memories.

In her memory, when she grew up, that bastard named Jason had similarly tricked her.

For Jason, the adult Medea had sacrificed everything, even her blood relatives, only to be met with cruel betrayal.

Though Medea only had memories of her adulthood and hadn't personally experienced it, the feeling of giving everything only to be betrayed was quite distressing.

Ryou tried to persuade her with sweet words and threats, but Medea still refused to agree.

In the end, Ryou had no choice but to tell the truth, and to his surprise, Medea agreed.

Curious, he asked her why.

The look in Medea's eyes, shining with excitement, was something he would never forget.

"Isn't the love between two cute boys wonderful?"

Ryou was sure that neither the current Medea (Lily) nor the future Medea was a fujoshi; at most, they had a slight yuri inclination.

Maybe it could be said that every girl has a hidden fujoshi heart.

With the help of Medea, a great magus from the Age of Gods, Ryou easily inscribed a rune with a suggestive effect into Karna's heart. Using the Uruz rune (which looks somewhat like a lowercase 'n') as the core, he embedded this rune into Karna's heart.

For this, Ryou silently mourned Karna in heaven for three seconds.

With everything ready, it was now up to him to guide the two cute boys down the path of no return.

This wasn't too difficult. Astolfo already had a good impression of Sieg, and the cross-dressing knight didn't care if their lover was male or female.

As for Sieg, it was even simpler. He was like a newborn baby, and with a little guidance, the goal could be easily achieved.

I'm sorry, Sieg. I'm doing this to appease the resentment of millions of anime fans towards you.

Ryou conveniently forgot that he had his motives regarding Jeanne.

Speaking of Jeanne, since returning to the camp, she hadn't spoken a word to him.

Ryou wasn't dense; he knew exactly where the problem lay.

In Jeanne's impression, Ryou should have been a righteous, passionate, and sincere young man.

But today, Ryou's manipulative words had turned the red and black factions upside down, exposing his cunning and deceitful side to Jeanne.

To Jeanne, Ryou's behavior was a complete change in character.

Jeanne felt exhausted and just wanted to be left alone.

But Ryou couldn't let Jeanne brood on her own.

If she did, the outcome could be positive or it could render all his previous efforts futile, possibly even turning them into enemies.

Such uncertainty was something Ryou absolutely could not allow.

Destiny must be in his hands.

"Siegfried, could you guard the tent entrance?"

Ryou first addressed the silent Siegfried.

Siegfried glanced at Jeanne. Seeing that she didn't object, he nodded silently, agreeing to the task.

Then, Ryou turned to Jeanne, who looked somewhat confused.

PS: 1 Power Stone = 1 Push up