Sola-Ui Nuada-Re Sophia-Ri.
She was the daughter of the prestigious Sophia-Ri family, which headed the Department of Spiritual Evocation, one of the Twelve Disciplines of the Clock Tower. Her father, Rufleus, had once been Kayneth's mentor.
But that was by no means a reason for Kayneth to tolerate her sharp tongue.
There was only one reason why this Lord of the Clock Tower stood there, face flushed red from humiliation, enduring Sola-Ui's relentless scorn without a word:
He loved his fiancée far too much.
From the very first moment he laid eyes on her, the prodigy of the Clock Tower had already become Sola-Ui's captive.
From then on, their relationship was no longer one of equals.
Under normal circumstances, Kayneth would have continued to endure it to the very end.
But yesterday, the pride of the Clock Tower had suffered his first defeat in life, and his pride had taken a heavy blow.
And in that state, instead of comforting him, Sola-Ui placed all the blame for Lancer's loss to Saber on him.
Even Kayneth, who usually indulged her every whim, finally snapped.
"Shut up!!!!!"
Sola-Ui's face first went pale with shock, then twisted into fury.
"Kayneth, how dare you speak to me like that? Who do you think has been planning everything for you all this time?
Hah, so after losing on the battlefield, you come back and take it out on a woman?
So this is your true face! You hypocrite!"
With a furious shout, Sola-Ui lunged at him.
But Kayneth simply raised a finger, and she fell into a deep, infant-like sleep.
After that, Kayneth ordered Lancer to take his fiancée to an empty room and keep her confined there until the Holy Grail War was over.
Once she had been settled, Kayneth headed to another room with Lancer.
As he walked, his steps felt strangely unsteady, almost weightless.
I've… I've really done it…!!
It may have been a moment of anger, but he had actually shouted at Sola-Ui… and even locked her up.
With her proud and unyielding personality, once we return home, she'll definitely follow through and break off our engagement… Guh!
Kayneth's shoulders trembled.
At this point, there was no turning back.
No matter what, he had to obtain the Holy Grail and make Sola-Ui see him in a new light.
No… that alone wasn't enough.
He would make her understand just how exceptional a Magus her husband was!
He would make sure she would never interrupt him again!
This time, he would settle once and for all who stood above whom!
For the first time since arriving in Japan, Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald felt a fierce determination ignite within him.
Even if it meant staking the honor of his family, he absolutely had to win this Holy Grail War.
With that resolve, he pushed open the door to the room.
...
...
"..."
Shirou watched Kayneth and Lancer enter the room without blinking, suppressing his presence as much as possible.
"My Lord… what is this?"
Lancer stared at the three Magical Energy Reactors arranged in the room, his face filled with astonishment.
Even if time were turned back to the Age of Gods in Celtic lands, such things would likely exist only in the most distant fantasies.
"This is the treasured heirloom passed down through generations of my Archibald family, once the supreme Mystic Code of the El-Melloi School, the Three-Pillar Magical Energy Reactor.
Hundreds of years ago, my ancestors took a top-tier fantasy unearthed from the 'Spiritual Tomb of Albion' and modified it. The result was this."
"Spiritual Tomb of Albion."
Shirou silently memorized the name, planning to ask Makiri about it later.
Kayneth continued, "It can continuously extract Mana for weeks, enough to transform an entire building into a separate realm. Through the interaction of the three components, it ultimately forms the ultimate version of an endless Magical Energy Reactor.
Its output alone is enough to overwhelm everything. Precisely because it embodies El-Melloi's pursuit of omnipotence, it reflects the ultimate expression of 'simple is best'…"
At that point, the man suddenly showed open disdain.
"…But it lacks aesthetic appeal."
"What?"
Lancer asked in surprise. Kayneth stared at the core of the Magical Energy Reactor, his expression dark and filled with contempt.
"Anything that consists of nothing but Mana lacks beauty. That is why I rejected its very existence and created a substitute.
That is 'Volumen Hydrargyrum,' the origin of the El-Melloi School's supreme Mystic Code."
From that point on, it had clearly turned into Kayneth praising himself.
Even so, anyone who heard this story would be struck by the genius of Lord El-Melloi.
As a Magus born in the modern era, where Mystery had already faded, Kayneth had, on nothing more than a whim to satisfy his personal sense of aesthetics, created a Mystic Code capable of rivaling the fantasies of the Age of Gods.
His intellect may well have surpassed the limits of the era he was born into.
"Lancer."
Kayneth spoke with a mocking tone.
"Do you have anything to say in your defense regarding last night's battle?"
"I have nothing to say. I was completely defeated by Saber."
Lancer lowered his head respectfully as he answered.
"I swear on my honor as a knight that I gave my all in last night's battle. Even so, the tip of my spear could not touch Saber in the slightest.
The King of Knights of Britannia… she is an opponent far more powerful and admirable than the legends suggest.
I feel deep shame from the bottom of my heart.
But that shame is not because I failed to defeat the King of Knights. It is because I was unable to secure the Holy Grail for my Lord."
"…Hmph!"
Kayneth let out a dismissive snort. Lancer showed no resentment or unwillingness whatsoever, and that was precisely what angered him the most.
Of course, Kayneth understood just how extraordinary King Arthur was as a Heroic Spirit.
If it had been Iskandar, whom he had once obtained, it would have been a different matter. But Lancer simply had no chance of contending with that King of Knights.
"Because you are a mediocre and incompetent Servant, I will be providing you with full support from now on.
If you still have even a trace of pride as a hero, then do your best to make up for your failure last night."
Lancer dropped to one knee and spoke solemnly.
"Yes, my Lord."
In the past, when Kayneth had asked him what his wish was, he had answered like this:
"I do not desire the Holy Grail."
Lancer required no reward.
The greatest warrior of the Knights of Fianna wished only to serve the lord who had summoned him and fulfill his honor as a knight.
This was his wish in this life, and the lingering regret of his previous one.
"I swear upon my honor as a knight, as long as it is within my power…
If it is to obtain the Holy Grail for you, I, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, will do anything."
"In that case…"
A cruel smile formed on Kayneth's lips as he looked down at him and raised his right hand, engraved with the Master's emblem.
A deep crimson, eerie light illuminated the room.
[I command with a Command Spell—
Lancer, abandon your chivalry.]
...
...
"..."
Shirou watched the shocking change in silence, his face expressionless.
"Ah… ahhhhhhh! Stop… my Lord!!!"
Lancer collapsed onto the ground, his body twisting as he roared. His handsome face contorted with pain and resistance.
Command Spells possessed overwhelming coercive power over Servants. However, that power had to be tied to a specific, clearly defined action.
If a Command Spell ordered "come to me," the Servant would instantly teleport to the Master's side.
But if it ordered something like "win the Holy Grail," its effect would be extremely weak, offering only a slight enhancement.
There was no doubt that "abandon chivalry" fell into the latter category. After all, the idea of "following knightly conduct in the Holy Grail War" was far too broad.
Yet unexpectedly, this absurd command proved extremely effective on Lancer.
For him, chivalry was no longer just a concept. It had become a tangible faith.
"Lancer, if your chivalry is truly as noble as you claim, then try resisting my Command Spell.
You cannot, can you?"
This was the answer Kayneth had arrived at after careful consideration, the only path to victory.
A Diarmuid who clung to knightly honor could never secure the Holy Grail for him.
What he needed was not a pretentious knight, but a weapon that would faithfully carry out orders and mercilessly slaughter his enemies.
Kayneth let out a cold laugh, then raised his right hand bearing the Command Spell once more.
[I command once again with a Command Spell—
Lancer, recall the bitter betrayal you once suffered.]