บท 445: Chapter 445: The Converging Storm in Sighişoara (Part 19 )
After the two left, a young man with freckles and black-framed glasses emerged from where Jeanne had last looked. He was wearing a white uniform similar to Fiore's and appeared somewhat timid.
"Sis, sister."
"Why are you only coming now, Caules?"
Fiore, still fuming, glared at her brother who had stepped out of the shadows. He was responsible for keeping watch for the possible appearance of the Black Lancer's Master.
"Well," Caules scratched his cheek and explained, "I've been here for a while, but the area was sealed off by Sisigou's toxic mist, so I couldn't see what was happening inside, so—"
Even though Caules was tasked with keeping watch, most of his attention was on his sister and Sisigou's battle. Like his Servant Chiron, Caules' greatest asset was his insight. In the Yggdmillennia clan, aside from the clan leader Darnic, his vision and judgment were the most precise. This might be why he summoned Chiron instead of Heracles.
From Caules' perspective, his sister Fiore and Sisigou were on roughly the same level. Sisigou had the advantage in experience, while Fiore had superior talent. The outcome would depend on who could respond more calmly to changes in the battle, and in this regard, Fiore was indeed inferior to Sisigou. This wasn't to say Fiore was not calm or adaptable, but compared to the battle-hardened Sisigou, she was still too inexperienced—Caules, having spent much time online, had seen many similar examples.
Therefore, when Sisigou broke through the low building and sealed the surroundings with toxic mist, Caules felt something was off. He recalled the animal spirits roaming the nearby streets and cautiously approached the battlefield, hoping to assist his sister at a critical moment.
This approach was undoubtedly correct, but due to the obstruction of the toxic mist, Caules couldn't find an opportunity to act. He could only force himself to stay calm despite his anxiety.
After a few minutes, Jack appeared, followed by Jeanne, who dispersed the toxic mist. The series of events was overwhelming, causing Caules' brain to freeze momentarily, so he didn't come out immediately.
Only after Sisigou fled did he release the animal spirits to intercept him. Unexpectedly, Jack was so ruthless that she devoured anything that approached, whether it was animal spirits or evil spirits.
Hearing his brother's explanation, Fiore's expression softened. "I wrongly accused you. I'm sorry. Your judgment was spot on; the fault lies with me."
"No, no, sister, I'm also at fault. If only I had come a bit earlier..." At this point, Caules shook his head, a bitter smile on his face. "Although, it might not have made a difference."
"Yes." Fiore, too, had figured it out by now. "They and that child must have been lurking nearby for a while, ensuring Sisigou's safety… and perhaps mine as well."
"What do you mean?"
Due to the toxic mist, Caules hadn't seen the final thrilling exchange between Fiore and Sishigou.
After listening to Fiore's description, Caules nodded thoughtfully.
"Indeed, their goal, at least that child's, was to ensure both parties' safety. Otherwise, there was no need to break through Sisigou's bounded field; they could have directly killed the evil spirits you released or cut off your hand. But why do this?"
"I don't know. The key probably lies with the 'daddy' that the child mentioned... Who could it be?"
Fiore crossed her arms, one hand supporting her chin as she pondered. At that moment, she felt a strange gaze.
"Caules, why are you looking at me like that?"
"I remember that child called you mama—" Caules' mouth twitched as if he wanted to laugh but didn't dare, "Sis, when did you get married and have a child? How come I, your brother, didn't know?"
Fiore was taken aback, then became embarrassed and angry. "Caules!!!"
"Don't be mad, sister, I was just joking to lighten the mood."
Caules quickly tried to appease her. He had been looking after Fiore since he was a child, so he knew very well if his sister had a love interest or not.
"But sister, why did that child call you mama? She's a Servant."
"How would I know—" Fiore, still vexed, suddenly paused, "—Wait, what did you say? That child is a Servant?"
"Yeah." Caules looked puzzled, "Didn't you notice, sister?"
"No." Fiore sighed. She had been thrown off by Jack's addressing her as Mama.
"Forget it. This is not the time to discuss this."
...
As soon as Sisigou retreated, he immediately contacted Mordred.
At that moment, Mordred had just used her "Flying Sword" (basically throwing her sword) to destroy Shinji's crossbow. She then launched a wild attack, resembling a hungry dog—er, cat—no, lion pouncing on its prey, showing no knightly decorum.
Shinji wasn't one for propriety either; he rolled away clumsily to avoid her.
If left undisturbed, these two maniacs would have probably rolled around on the ground for quite a while.
Unfortunately, Sisigou's retreat order interrupted Mordred's frenzy. She could only vent her frustration by punching the ground, forcing Shinji away, and then springing up reluctantly. She left with a parting shot: "We'll settle this next time," before vanishing into the night as a streak of red lightning.
Lying on the ground, Shinji crossed his legs and rested his hands behind his head, muttering to himself: "Missed this chance; probably won't get another to fight—hmm, Mordred's retreat means Fiore has driven off Sisigou. Not sure if Caules helped or if Jack showed up to 'cause trouble.' Well, either way, it was expected. Given that, Artoria should be wrapping things up, too."
Artoria, more composed and rational than Mordred, immediately ceased her advance upon receiving the order. She spoke to Chiron, who was on the rooftop: "Let's call it a night. I look forward to witnessing your archery skills another time."
Chiron, equally straightforward, lowered his bow and nodded in acknowledgment: "Let's consider this a draw. I look forward to our next encounter, Black Lancer."
After battling for some time, the two, who had developed a mutual respect, departed in opposite directions without any intent of a sneak attack. Firstly, such tactics were useless to those who had honed their skills to divine levels; secondly, their pride wouldn't allow it.
Thus, this chaotic battle, sparked by a mix of calculations and coincidences, finally came to an end.
P.S.: Caules indeed has a very keen eye. In a certain sense, he and Chiron share quite a few similarities, a point that is repeatedly demonstrated in "Fate/Apocrypha."
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