If the people of the Holy Church knew that their branch in Fuyuki City had been taken down, they would surely be furious.
Although they probably wouldn't directly confront him over this matter, given that he had the Jewel-Wielder's protection, they were absolutely capable of making trouble for him behind the scenes.
Therefore, it was best to just use Jizo Mitama and completely twist Risei Kotomine's will.
The young man, who before this had rarely used Jizo Mitama's most sinister side, now unleashed its Third Rated Power at full strength.
A black and red mist of erosion spread throughout the area, corroding the old priest's body and warping his will.
"It is an honor to meet you, Righteous Man."
Under the distortion of Jizo Mitama's power, the old priest looked at the young man who had struck down his son, his expression solemn and reverent, like a faithful believer facing a saint.
(Speaking of saints, I suddenly remembered that the Eastern Orthodox Church recognizes Stalin as a saint. Saint Stalin. The thought of a portrait of Stalin in a church gives me a strangely subtle feeling.)
"I am also honored to meet you, Lord Supervisor."
The young man, who had previously only used Jizo Mitama for minor mischief, chuckled and spoke.
"You should know what needs to be done next."
"It is my honor to be of assistance to you."
The old man, his will completely twisted, rolled up his sleeve. The mottled crests crisscrossed like a dog's teeth, a bloody crimson. These were the unused Command Spells from the previous three Holy Grail Wars, collected by the supervisor.
The corrupted supervisor placed his hand on the young man's arm and recited the holy verse from the Gospel of John, 4:24.
"I know that Messiah, called Christ, is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us."
It was the secret phrase used by generations of supervisors to hand over the Command Spells. Whenever the previous supervisor stepped down, they would pass the Command Spells stored from the Holy Grail Wars to their successor.
As the words fell, a total of eleven strokes were transferred to the young man's body.
It was a terrifyingly high number.
Adding the three strokes from Mapo Tofu, Li Zihan now possessed a total of fourteen Command Spells. A horrifying number, close to the total held by all the other Masters combined.
"In exchange, I'll give this to you."
The young man, having reaped a huge number of Command Spells, revealed a faint smile. In this one raid, he had not only replenished the Command Spells he used on Karna but had also gained a significant surplus.
He then returned Kirei's arm to the old priest, who was still under the corrosion of Jizo Mitama. On the back of the hand that once held three Command Spells, only three faint marks remained.
Long before the war began, Li Zihan had already obtained the Matou family's Magic Crest and transcribed the parts related to Command Spells. For him, seizing Command Spells was a very simple matter, as was creating a Book of the False Attendant.
Once the Book of the False Attendant was complete, he could use its power to unleash the Command Spells, either strengthening Berserker or weakening him.
Next, it was time to figure out how to control Assassin.
The young man, no longer bothering to care about the target practice war that would unfold at the Tohsaka residence, thought to himself.
Alice and Aoko were strong when united. Without using high-risk powers, it would be difficult to deal with them both at once. However, Li Zihan didn't want to hurt Miss Alice, nor did he want to gravely injure Aoko. Therefore, the best plan was to use a Reality Marble to separate them into two battlefields, then take the Little Sun to deal with Nursery Rhyme and Miyamoto Musashi one by one.
For that, he would need Brother Red A, who had been screwed over by the Counter Force and turned into a janitor, to give him a hand.
The young man, who had already prepared Jizo Mitama and Crest Worms, felt his mood gradually brighten.
"It seems Lady Victory is on my side."
The sound of applause echoed from the side.
The red in the young man's eyes grew even more vibrant as he tightened his grip on Jizo Mitama.
The martial arts master, Risei Kotomine, stood behind him, on guard.
"I am not your enemy."
A girl's clear and melodious voice, like the song of an oriole, rang out, reaching the ears of both Li Zihan and Risei.
Amidst their guarded watch, a very petite girl slowly walked over from the distance, appearing in Li Zihan's line of sight.
She was a girl with features as exquisite as a doll's, a head of beautiful golden hair that seemed to hold the sunlight, and skin as delicate as white porcelain.
Without a doubt, she was a beautiful girl. Such a girl would be the center of attention wherever she stood.
Li Zihan's gaze grew cold. In his memory, the current Reines was still a little girl.
She was clearly not the young daughter of the Archisorte family. If he wasn't mistaken, she must be the Rider of this Holy Grail War.
Seeing the boy's guarded posture, the girl who had descended as Rider revealed a smile of interest. She walked forward slowly, taking small, ladylike steps, until she stood before Li Zihan, sizing him up with her azure eyes.
Her gaze held not a trace of malice, but a subtle sense of intimacy, or perhaps... the affection one has for things associated with a loved one?
Li Zihan was slightly confused. Honestly, this development was so absurd it was making his head spin.
Li Zihan, who still needed to go and take care of Assassin, spoke to the girl who had likely descended as Sima Yi.
"Please stop. If you continue to advance, Miss, I will have no choice but to regard you as an enemy."
Regarded as an enemy?
That was a super dangerous thing to be.
Reines, who remembered that her husband had summoned Karna, one of the ceiling-tier Servants, in the past, stopped and took a step back. She was just a second-rate Servant. If she fought the Sun God, who had definitely been strengthened, she'd be lucky to survive for thirty seconds.
She had specifically transferred from Chaldea to this Singularity, and it wasn't to serve herself up as cannon fodder.
"If you have something to say, say it now."
Li Zihan, sensing that the girl before him seemed to have something she wanted to say, spoke up and asked. If Brother Red A's injuries were to heal too much in the meantime and his ability to resist improved, it would be very troublesome for him.
"Are you asking about public matters or private ones?"
The girl looked at the young man who seemed harmless on the surface but was in fact the biggest mastermind of this Holy Grail War, and she smiled sweetly.
What's this about private matters?
The young man, who had no memory of knowing anyone from the El-Melloi faction, felt his eyelid twitch. Recalling that bizarre gaze from before, that look of reflected affection, something felt very wrong.
"Just tell me the public business." Google seaʀᴄh 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩⁂𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢⁂𝔫𝔢𝔱
Li Zihan, who had a vague inkling of certain possibilities, spoke with an incredibly firm voice. He hadn't even resolved the matter with Miss Alice yet and really didn't want to deal with any more variables.
The girl, who did not love the boy before her now but deeply loved the man he would become, chuckled lightly, yet her tone was a hundred times more resolute than Li Zihan's refusal.
"For a young lady, love is far more important than any mission."