Shinji Matou at Your Service-Chapter 870 - : The Darkness Before Dawn

While Fiore, mysterious as ever, escorted Ciel with the spider-shaped mobile platform carrying them smoothly along the way, Roa and Araya were not so fortunate. Araya, with his formidable physique, seemed to be on the path of something akin to indestructibility, making minor injuries negligible to him. Roa, however, was in a much worse state. Although he retreated in time, preserving most of his body, the purification of his abdomen—a soft area without skeletal protection and housing many vital organs—left him in severe pain.

Roa was uncertain whether the woman, who seemed to be a saint, would pursue them. So he ran at full speed, enduring the pain all the while. Only the most resilient Dead Apostles could sustain such a feat. A weaker being would have died on the run, even if they had escaped Fiore's purification.

After sprinting nearly ten kilometers, Roa found a secluded spot to stop. He collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily as he concentrated all his magic and life force on repairing his damaged body and organs.

Being a powerful Dead Apostle Ancestor, Roa's wounds quickly healed without any interference, and his missing organs slowly regenerated.

"I survived," he muttered, finally allowing himself to reflect on the battle.

"That cursed woman kept her powers hidden. If I had known, I would have let you handle her alone. My involvement only got in the way," Roa said, acknowledging the overwhelming advantage the saint-like qualities of the woman had over him. The mere touch of her power caused his body to start disintegrating. In contrast, Araya, a human, was unaffected despite having exchanged countless blows with Fiore. This was the best evidence of the difference.

Araya, who had gained the power of the Vajra Body from understanding his origin of stillness in the face of life and death, now possessed the strength to rival Fiore. Fiore's combat prowess mainly stemmed from her terrifyingly strong predictive abilities. Her magecraft and martial skills were not particularly outstanding, and even with the strange Mystic Code assisting her, Araya, focusing on close combat, might not lose.

Araya nodded in agreement with Roa's assessment but added, "That's true, but it's not the main reason."

"Oh?"

Roa responded with a hint of confusion, "What is the main reason, then?"

"Haven't you realized it yet?"

Araya sighed heavily. "That woman can nullify bounded field."

"Nullify bounded field? Could it be—"

Roa's face, which had been recovering, turned pale once again as he realized the worst possibility.

"It's exactly what you think. The bounded field I placed on you, meant to sever your connection to the world, was also destroyed. Although the automatic repair spell quickly drew on your magic to reconstruct the bounded field, your presence was already recorded by the world during that brief moment—it's highly likely that the princess has already sensed your revival."

"Not just likely—she certainly has," Roa corrected Araya.

"You don't understand how obsessed she is with me. Part of her mind is always focused on locating me. The moment my information was recorded by the world, even for an instant, she would have sensed it. We can't stay here; we need to leave immediately."

"Where to? Fuyuki City?"

"That was the original plan, but now that my presence has been exposed, we've lost our stealth advantage. We are too isolated, and our chances of success are low."

"So what's your plan?"

"To find an old friend."

"An old friend?"

Araya's eyes flashed with curiosity.

Roa was an extreme outcast in both the human and Dead Apostle worlds, rejected by both sides. Coupled with his twisted personality, Araya found it hard to believe that someone like Roa would have any friends.

"Don't be fooled by my appearance. I do have like-minded companions," Roa explained with a smile, reading Araya's thoughts.

"He grew into what he is today, partly thanks to me. He's now a member of the Dead Apostle Ancestors, one of the Twenty-Seven Ancestors."

"Who are you talking about?"

"The Tenth Ancestor, Nrvnqsr Chaos, a monster who, in some ways, has even greater immortality than the princess."

"I see. He is indeed a powerful ally. We should leave immediately."

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"Wait, your left hand—"

Roa said, noticing something.

Araya lifted his left hand and pulled back his sleeve. Three faint red marks, resembling but more intricate than the seals used by the Tendai sect, had appeared on his wrist. He could vaguely sense the magic flowing within them.

"This is...!"

"This is a Command Spell. No, to be precise, it's a Holy Stigmata, the precursor to the Command Spell—and it's not the fake Command Spell created by Heartless but a genuine one," Roa explained, a look of extreme delight spreading across his face. This was the first thing all night that had genuinely pleased him.

"It worked. My design was correct. Combining the characteristics of Imaginary Numbers, the distortion of the ley lines, Heartless' privileges, and the knowledge I accumulated in my reincarnations, I finally broke the limits of the Holy Grail War. This time, the war will summon not just seven Servants, but at least ten, maybe even more. It was expected that someone like you, who harbors a strong wish and is close to the ritual node, would be chosen, but I didn't expect the marks to appear so quickly—it seems that the Crimson Fruit's presence has enhanced the ritual's effects. Ha, that brainless idiot isn't completely useless after all. I wonder how many other magi on the train have been chosen. They're also close to the nodes, making them easy targets for the Greater Grail's summoning."

"You have a strong wish too. Were you not chosen?"

Araya asked.

"I..."

Roa pulled back his sleeves, revealing nothing but the same patterns carved into them as Ciel's.

"It seems I wasn't chosen. I knew it wouldn't work. Dead Apostles are beings that deny humanity, while Heroic Spirits are protectors of humanity. Their natures fundamentally clash. To alleviate this conflict and grant a Dead Apostle the ability to summon a Heroic Spirit, the current ritual is still too flimsy. I'll have to research it further in the future."

"So you're not planning to participate in the Holy Grail War?"

"I never said that. Not having a Command Spell or the ability to summon a Heroic Spirit doesn't mean I can't participate. The rules of the Holy Grail War don't prohibit stealing other people's Command Spells or Servants. With more than ten Master-Servant pairs, I'm sure there will be opportunities."

"Including me?"

Araya asked as he lowered his gaze and rolled down his sleeve.

"No, no, saying that would be too hurtful."

Roa got up from the ground and walked over to Araya.

"Aren't we allies? You've saved me multiple times. No matter what, I wouldn't lay a hand on you. Trust me."

Araya said nothing and started walking away.

"Don't walk so fast. Wait for me. I have a rather good suggestion regarding your summoned Servant."

The sky began to lighten with the first rays of dawn, but the fragile light failed to illuminate the two dark figures, who seemed to melt into the darkness before dawn.

Like specters.