Shinji Matou at Your Service-Chapter 1069: Chaos Unfolds

The off-road race remained intensely competitive, with the first group vying for the lead and the second group closely following. In the blink of an eye, a quarter of the race had already passed.

"Miss Mechanic, what's your take on the current situation?"

Perhaps feeling a bit tired from the commentary, Olga Marie handed the microphone to Irisviel, who had returned to the commentary booth, while taking the opportunity to sip some water and mutter softly to herself.

"I'm exhausted, absolutely exhausted."

Taking the microphone, Irisviel said: "This is a very normal development. Although the vehicles vary in form, their overall performance is roughly equivalent. The Get Money, Sunny 10,000 Miles, and Llamrei II are, without a doubt, some of my finest works in recent years, excelling in all aspects. As for the Macedonian Conqueror, Becasaurus, and Great King, though they don't look like conventional race cars, they are equipped with special systems. Not only can they run on magical energy, but they can also combine with the Servants' skills to create new racing styles. Oh wait, something's happening—is the Conqueror King the first to notice?"

"Lightning! Descend and fuel my charge!"

At Iskandar's command, a powerful bolt of lightning came crashing down from the sky, striking the roof of the Macedonian Conqueror, but it didn't harm the vehicle or its passengers. Instead, it transformed into pure energy, giving the heavy vehicle an unprecedented burst of speed.

Not only that, but the areas where the lightning had touched glowed, revealing an imposing thunder emblem on the car's previously dull surface. Witnessing this transformation, Iskandar laughed heartily and slapped Waver on the shoulder.

"Well done! Absolutely brilliant!"

"Decoding and deep analysis are my specialties," Waver said, continuing to push up his glasses with trembling hands. It wasn't that he wanted to keep up the act, but at such high speeds, it was the only thing he could do.

"Let's use this momentum to pull ahead! AAAALaLaLaLaLaie!!!"

"Not so fast!"

The sound of the engines changed.

What had initially been a deep, rumbling growl now rose to a piercing high-pitched roar, becoming even more ferocious and wild, tearing through the night sky. And the source of this change wasn't a massive four-wheeled car, but a two-wheeled motorcycle.

Artoria's modern steed—Llamrei II.

"My partner now is the time to show your true power."

At this moment, the hidden demonic nature of the iron beast awakened. The essence of engine mechanics—its wild design and V-jet system—came to life. When the bike reached high RPMs, the four-cylinder engine transitioned to a two-cylinder mode, drastically increasing the intake of air to achieve maximum acceleration.

This was the unique structure of the V-MAX, a design that wouldn't normally be paired with a twin-turbo setup.

Such a configuration went beyond the limits of what a motorcycle should be, even surpassing what a human could handle. It was challenging even for a Servant with Riding skills to control.

But Artoria didn't find this trial difficult at all. The more ferocious the steel beast became, the more exhilarated she felt. The sensation of being exposed to the air pressure, like water rushing against her body, was exactly what she wanted.

Yes, this was the feeling of riding a warhorse into battle.

Though she was driving a modern mechanical monster, her mind had returned to the battlefield—back to the days when she charged into enemy lines, lance raised high, embodying the spirit of a knight.

The sudden burst of acceleration turned both the bike and Artoria into a bullet, with the night scenery around them streaking past like shooting stars.

Seeing this, Illya cheered excitedly: "Well done, Saber! My knight is the best!"

"I can't just let that slide."

The explosive surges from Iskandar and Artoria also reignited Lorelei's competitive spirit. From her sleeve, she pulled out an exquisitely crafted short wand and began chanting in a low, rapid voice.

"Wind, grant me your strength."

In a race, airflow and wind resistance were crucial factors, and Lorelei, the foremost—no, the strongest—wind magus of the current age, had complete mastery over the air. After a brief period of analysis, she had already converted the airflow into her power, matching the thunder-fueled Iskandar and the fully unleashed Artoria.

At this point, Medusa, confident in her Riding abilities, began to stir.

"Master—"

"Not yet. Let's wait a little longer. My sister isn't the type to give up so easily—I can sense she's up to something."

Sakura's intuition wasn't wrong. When the gap between the three charging teams reached 50 meters, Olga Marie reclassified the race into three groups instead of two—

Luvia and Rin both smiled as if sharing the same thought.

"A temporary lead means nothing—"

"The one who lasts until the end is the one who deserves victory—"

They simultaneously turned to their Servants.

"—Archer, use that!"

Gilgamesh let out his trademark laugh: "Hmm, though I'd prefer to use something more extreme since you've come up with such an amusing idea, I'll graciously comply—Gate of Babylon."

Karna nodded without hesitation: "Understood, Master. Mana charging complete. Three seconds to release—3, 2, 1!"

"Ah~! We've got another unexpected situation! The road ahead—there's a sudden landslide on the course!"

"—No, this isn't an accident. This was intentional."

Fiore, who had been silently observing the race, corrected Olga Marie's misunderstanding.

"Intentional?"

"Yes. Just now, I detected unusual magical fluctuations from both the Get Money and Sunny 10,000 Miles. This landslide was caused by them."

Hearing this, Illya immediately began shouting, nearly thrown from her seat in frustration.

"Foul! Foul! Foul! It was clearly stated before the race that using Noble Phantasms was forbidden. Referee, disqualify them!"

"A foul? How ridiculous! I am the rules," Gilgamesh laughed as he sped past, completing an overtake in an instant.

"Stop saying things that could be easily misunderstood," Rin scolded her Servant with an annoyed look, then explained, "The rules forbid the use of offensive Noble Phantasms and magecraft. But Gilgamesh used a simple terrain-altering item. So there was no rule violation!"

"We didn't break the rules either," Luvia added, driving side by side with Rin.

"Karna used his skill, Mana Burst, and the high temperature that melted the ground was just a side effect of his power."

"Uh, Fiore, as the referee, what's your ruling?"

Olga Marie handed the microphone over once again.

Fiore sighed helplessly: "While their actions were aggressive, they technically didn't break the rules. It's my fault for not writing the rules more carefully. I can't disqualify them. But I do hope all contestants will minimize destructive behavior and avoid causing unnecessary trouble."

That last request was, of course, completely ignored. Gilgamesh and Karna's actions had opened Pandora's box, awakening the demons in everyone's hearts.

"In that case—" Iskandar's face twisted into a grin.

"We'll join in too—" Illya pouted.

"Let's get a little more aggressive—" Lorelei gave her wand a spin.

"—within the rules, of course."