"Ilya-chan, tell Berserker to retreat and keep that woman with you while I deal with Lancer. Berserker had done enough to help, and I feel bad for him."
Kaito looked at Lancer who was also looking at him, "You don't have a problem with that, right?"
While Kaito was only immobilized for about a minute, he knew that Caster and Lancer had killed Berserker many times to protect him. Because of what they did, he was grateful to Ilya and Berserker for helping him and swore he would find a way to keep Berserker with Ilya after everything was over.
"Sure why not," Lancer answered, rexing his stance while waiting for Kaito ready to fight, "I want to fight you too, anyway!"
"Okay! Berserker! You hear big brother! Leave that man alone and protect me!" Ilya ordered with a serious tone.
"Grrrr..."
Even though Berserker is irrational, he still listens to his master's words and retreats to Ilya.
Not to mention he is also afraid of Kaito, and he also knows how bad his physical condition is after being ganged up on by 2 servants at the same time.
"Very good."
Seeing Berserker retreat and Kaito taking out his sword assuming ready to fight him, Lancer grinned and teased, "Boy. You are not gonna tell me to surrender, right?"
Kaito shook his head and answered, "Nope. I just going to defeat you real quick."
"Isn't that a bit too arrogant, oi?!" Lancer who was upset hearing his answer, spun his spear and pointed at Kaito, "Don't you dare underestimate me, boy!"
"No, I am serious. I don't have time to py, because my master might be in danger right now."
Kaito ignored his compint, with a determined look then answered in an apologetic tone, "This might be disrespectful to you, so I will say sorry in advance."
After saying that, Kaito opened the Gate of Babylon and took one of his prop trump cards, the golden watch, the props that allow him to stop time, into his left hand.
This is the prop he used to deal with Sakuya, and one of his most cheating props because it can only be countered by people who can sense time like Sakuya or strong enough like Yuu and Saitama.
Even though using time stop to fight Cu Chuinn was overkill, Kaito was worried about Rin and Shirou at Homurahara Academy more and he really needed to finish stuff here asap.
Kaito even hoped that Rin would at least use a command spell to summon him there, but the ck of any sign of activity meant that the situation was either not dangerous enough for Rin or Rin already knocked out before she was able to summon him!
Knowing his bad luck, he was 100% sure it was probably the tter. Still, Kaito was sure they were at least still alive since the system didn't warn him that he had failed his optional task.
"...A golden watch? Is that your noble phantasm?"
"You can say that. I usually only this prop to an enemy who is stronger than me but it's not normal circumstances."
"Heh, I see. Then, I am also going to be serious!"
...!!
Even though Kaito had belittled him many times by now, Lancer strangely did not feel irritated and even took his threat seriously. This was because he was already aware of how dangerous Kaito was, and his threat was more imminent when Kaito intimidated everyone using Imagine Breaker earlier.
So Lancer believed what Kaito said and immediately tried to unch his Noble Phantasm-- knowing he might not even have a chance to release it.
Well, he was right about that one-- because Kaito didn't even pn to let him finish one.
...
"Take this, boy! [Gae Bol---"
*Click*
Seeing Lancer brandishing his spear towards him, and trying to execute a noble phantasm (which had a causal effect), Kaito obviously wouldn't let that happen.
At the same time, Lancer unches his Noble Phantasm, Kaito stops time by activating the golden watch... drawing Est and stabbing it into Lancer's heart-- while allowing time to resume.
G-- Uooogh?!]"
...!!
The moment he had just finished his movement, Lancer suddenly felt a deep pain in his chest... and found Kaito's sword already stuck through his heart, with Kaito standing beside him.
He immediately fell to his knees, holding in pain, confused as to what had happened to him... because Lancer saw that Kaito had previously been at least 3 meters away from him.
Lancer had already thought that Kaito wasn't lying about his threat, but this? He didn't even finish his first attack and instantly lost to him!
"H-How?! W-What happen."
Lancer who still didn't know how he got stabbed, had become furious since the st fight he got even worse than Caster had, "B-Boy, answer me! What did you do?!"
...!!
"The answer is time."
Hearing Lancer, Kaito who was out of breath after using the golden watch, smiled and expined to respect him, "I stopped the time... and stabbed you with my sword during that time before you were even able to complete your noble phantasm."
"That's bullshit... Y-You are a cheating bastard..."
Naturally, after hearing his answer, Lancer felt extremely upset and disappointed-- but he couldn't do anything more about it. Stopping time? It's even more outrageous than his causality noble phantasm and no wonder he lost.
...
"That's why I apologize to you beforehand... Knowing how disrespectful it is, but you guys force me to do this, Lancer."
"Ugh... I hate you boy, damn it!"
One stab from Est who had anti-magic properties to the heroic spirit was fatal, and sure enough... Lancer immediately disappeared a second ter... making him the first servant to return to the holy grail despite the odds.
"Hah... this is rough..." (Kaito)
"Kaito-san!" (Ilya)
Even though Ilya didn't understand what was happening, Ilya could see that Kaito must have used an ability with high requirements to kill Lancer, because Kaito looked very pale and even his standing was unsteady.
Although Kaito only uses the golden watch for a few seconds for Lancer, the cost of using such props is still enormous to him to the point his current power is almost depleted. After all, he has been fighting from the morning, creating strengthened clones 2 times, and even teleporting for long distances since this morning.
"Don't worry... I have a method to recover myself from exhaustion."
"Really?"
"Yeah... you know those custom holy grails I showed you earlier? I can use that to recover my energy."
"Ah! That's true!"
Kaito could indeed recover his energy using it, but his mental + physical exhaustion and the residue pain he feels from holy miasma certainly won't recover using it. Even though he was extremely tired, Kaito knew that it was more important now to save Rin and Shirou-- because not only did he not want his optional mission to fail, he also didn't want his best friends to get killed.
Looking at Ilya who was finally convinced, Kaito just smiled at her and then suggested, "For now, grab Caster with you and we are going to teleport to Saber locat---"
...!!
However, Before Kaito was able to finish his word, his Haki immediately picked up someone multiple... no, dozen of holy items coming toward all of them from far away, clearly a surprise attack toward them.
"Watch out!" (Kaito)
*Blink*
...!!!
This made Kaito stop talking and immediately act to secure Ilya because those objects were also heading toward her and even Berserker behind her!
In a split second, he quickly teleported in front of Ilya and then pushed her away from the holy object that was heading towards her direction.
"What---" (Ilya)
*BOOM*
*BOOM*
*BOOM*
"Arrrrghhh!" (Berserker)
...!!!!!!
With pinpoint precision, the incoming holy objects came and hit many areas of the temple quickly, including the position where Ilya and Kaito had just stood. This impact also destroyed many parts of the temple instantly, making all the courtyards filled with rubble from the ruins of buildings. Berserker even lost a life in this strike, not because he couldn't escape but because Berserker was aware that he needed to protect Caster who y behind him.
"Crap... The situation is getting much worse..." (Kaito)
Seeing the "holy objects" embedded in the ground, building, and Berserker, Kaito then felt that those holy objects he felt were not just ordinary objects, but various types of extremely high holy attribute weapons... like a noble phantasm.
Almost instantly, Kaito felt cold sweat and anxiety... because there was only one person in this holy grail war who could do this.
"Big brother? What is happening?" (Ilya)
Realizing who was coming at them, Kaito immediately on high alert, prepared the Gate of Babylon and positioned himself to fight seriously again. This made Ilya who just getting saved confused about what was happening, but shortly after, her answer would reveal itself with a new person walking leisurely from the temple gate.
The new person is a young man in golden armor, with golden blond hair and red eyes arrogantly staring at Kaito with a wide and optimistic smile.
The true owner of the Gate of Babylon ability and the servant that Kaito admits is the most troublesome in this holy grail war, the hero king Gilgamesh.
...
"On top of predicting the future, sensing your surroundings, stopping time, spatial movement, and even owning the same Gate of Babylon as I do, I am curious what other abilities do you have, hero from another world?"
"Gilgamesh... why are you here?"
"I have been watching your fight performance for a while, and I admit you are fascinating to me. And since you already deal with that trash, it's time for me to stop you."
Gilgamesh grinned twistedly, and then he proceeded to open the Gate of Babylon wide. Shortly after, dozens of ripples appeared behind him and showed dozens of holy attribute weapons that were very deadly for devil existences like Kaito.
"I don't want to fight you..." Kaito confessed with a frown, knowing he didn't have time for this shit but Gilgamesh just snorted and threatened him instead.
"Don't try to escape, the hero from another world otherwise, I am gonna kill that disgusting purple-haired girl the moment you do."
....?!!??!
Hearing Gilgamesh's threat, saying Kaito was shocked was not an understatement.
Even though he had just resolved Caster and Lancer's problems, his situation seemed to have gotten worse instead, with Gilgamesh here to stop him from assisting Rin and Shirou.
On top of that, Gilgamesh also holding a hostage that he can't just ignore either (Sakura) and is certainly 100% already aware of all the abilities Kaito has shown since he watched the fight from far away... reducing the advantage of some of the abilities and props Kaito has on his arsenal.
Kaito admits that he's really cornered and fallen into a trap by the mastermind-- and realizes how dangerous this "very hard" task is compared to the situation in SAO which was only beled "hard."
The Mastermind behind this situation is anticipating every move he makes, which makes him think for the first time, Kaito starts to think pessimistically, maybe he will get killed in this task.
...
Renaxan
