I, Kenneth, am going to get to the root of the problem today.

Page 81

"What, you're not going to fight anymore? You've only used seven of the eighteen primordial runes. I'd really like to see the cosmic mysteries that Odin has comprehended."

Looking at Kenneth, who wasn't covered in dust, the dog, feeling deflated, said irritably:

"Your personality is just like your scent. You had no intention of making things difficult for these people, but instead you went and made fun of them. You're a complete bastard!"

Cú Chulainn's words startled Olga Marie, who jumped up from the ground. Looking at Kenneth, who maintained the same expression, Olga Marie looked at Cú Chulainn with great confusion.

"You are, and so am I. With this guy's strength, he couldn't have dragged this long if he wanted to make a move. He's been on the defensive the whole time, and there's not a trace of killing intent on him. This bastard is just toying with us. My nose doesn't lie to me."

After briefly explaining to Olga Marie, who didn't understand warrior intuition, Cú Chulainn then looked at Kenneth, who had lowered his hands as he finished speaking.

"Tell me, what are your intentions toward these people? If it's me, it should be the remaining Primal Runes!"

As expected of a warrior who has made his mark on the battlefield, Cú Chulainn's judgment of the situation far surpassed that of Romani and Olga Marie, who were both magicians. Seeing that Kenneth had withdrawn his momentum, Cú Chulainn became even more certain of his guess.

“Kuran’s fierce hound, your nose is really sharp. Since the game can’t continue, how about we skip this part? Olga Marie.”

Kenneth now looked exactly like Doctor Strange when he uttered that famous line about negotiating. Looking at Olga Marie, who was still reeling from the ups and downs, Kenneth patiently waited for her to speak. The young director was useless, so the hardworking doctor of Chaldea had to step up. Facing Cú Chulainn, who had already shown goodwill towards Chaldea, Romani felt it best to thank him first.

"Nice to meet you, Child of Light from Ireland, we are Chaldea..."

"Tch! We'll talk about my business later. You should deal with that guy first, you spineless coward!"

Completely disregarding the former Grand Order technique, the dog, who had a very bad first impression of Romani, turned to look at Morgan standing behind Kenneth. Scent doesn't lie; even if this woman wasn't Morrigan, she was definitely a troublesome one. Cú Chulainn wouldn't let his guard down against Morgan.

After being called a "softie" by the dog, Romani, sitting in the control room, fell into doubt about life. Fortunately, the doctor interrupted her, and Olga Marie, whose IQ returned to normal, looked at Kenneth very seriously. With the dog's reminder, Olga Marie also realized that Kenneth was there to negotiate. As long as there was still room for negotiation, Olga Marie was willing to continue negotiating.

"Magician from another world, what do you want?"

Eliminating all time, Olga Marie made it clear that she was willing to let Kenneth name his price: she would give anything to restore Chaldea's last hope! Kenneth, well aware of Animusphia's financial situation and Chaldea's current state, was puzzled by Olga Marie's apparent confidence, seeing her seemingly well-off demeanor.

"Since you've asked, Mary, I won't stand on ceremony. I need the complete set of design drawings, including the near-future observation lens, the autonomous observation-type existence proof system, and the imaginary observation machine. Ideally, I'd like to be able to analyze them on-site."

Upon hearing Kenneth's words, Olga Marie and Romani instinctively gasped. What Kenneth wanted far exceeded their imagination; it was essentially half a century's worth of Chaldea's scientific research success. Such a condition was absolutely unacceptable to any magical organization. Romani's lips twitched a few times but he remained silent. He sighed and turned his gaze to Olga Marie. Now, only Olga Marie had the authority to decide such a major matter.

Taking a few deep breaths, Olga Marie's gaze finally settled on Mash and Gudako. As the last remaining Master of Chaldea, Olga Marie couldn't bear to abandon them.

"I agree to your conditions, but Chaldea will give you what you want after this incident is over."

[What a girl who doesn't know how to negotiate! She just gave it away for nothing.]

Cú Chulainn made it very clear before that Kenneth had no ill intentions toward Chaldea, and Kenneth's own behavior also confirmed this. However, Olga Marie still chose to go all in after knowing Kenneth's thoughts. Mash and Gudako's situation was one reason, but the main reason was that Olga Marie simply did not have the brains to match her position as director.

"Is that all you're asking for? It seems you're really being pushed to the limit, Mary."

"Don't call me Little Mary! Don't be so arrogant. Do you think we're that close? Since there's no problem, just let them go."

Unsurprisingly, Olga Marie, slow to realize her mistake, also discovered that she had given herself away for nothing. After confirming that Kenneth wouldn't intervene, Olga Marie, who is usually very impatient, displayed the irritability typical of white-haired girls.

"Tsk, what a spineless little girl. I'm telling you, she's your director, isn't she? The future of your organization is bleak!"

After making a comment to Romeni's projection, the dog, whose magic power had been depleted, lay sprawled on the ground without any regard for its image. Cú Chulainn's teasing caught her ear, and Olga Marie, who inherited Rin Tohsaka's template, blushed and wanted to retort. The seriousness in the air disappeared, and after Kenneth gave Gudako and Mash a quick treatment, he left the two, who were still unconscious, to Olga Marie.

“If the conditions are met, I will help you through this crisis. As for the details of the transaction, let’s discuss them when I get to Chaldea. This is not the place to talk.”

Giving Olga Marie a little face, Kenneth, having regained his composure, casually sat down beside the Chaldea group. Kenneth absolutely needed to acquire Chaldea's facilities. Unlike theories of traversing parallel worlds, Chaldea constructed a spiritual transfer that allowed time travel within the same world, returning to the past to influence the future.

Although quantum recording fixed tapes exist, if Ayaka Sajou could reverse things with the help of beasts, Kenneth felt he could too. The budding of humanity requires a powerful force, and the awakening of the Black Alaya is too dangerous in this era suppressed by Alaya. To ensure everything goes smoothly, Kenneth felt it necessary to go to an era before humanity has even begun to emerge to prove his path and achieve a union with the Heavenly Heart Imprint.

Chapter 207 Heading to the Great Hollow

The tension dissipated as the agreement was reached. After conducting a remote medical examination on the unconscious Mash, Romani, relieved, turned her attention back to Kenneth, who was sitting on a bench by the street. Olga Marie had agreed to the deal, and for the safety of Chaldea, Romani had to determine if Kenneth had any ulterior motives.

"Sir, thank you for treating Mashu. Although it's a technique I've never seen before, it must be an Einzbern technique."

Chaldea is involved in countless experiments, and Mash's plan is just the tip of the iceberg. In the world of magic, any technology related to artificial life is inseparable from the Einzbern family. As Mash's attending physician, Romani also knows about the Einzbern family. Faced with Kenneth, whose origins are unknown, Romani carefully probes Kenneth.

"It is indeed Einzbern's technology. After all, treatment should start from the patient's perspective, shouldn't it?"

Kenneth's appearance was so deceptive that Romani immediately identified him as a magician from Einzbern. However, Kenneth's answers were vague, confirming his connection to Einzbern without revealing any useful information. This put Romani, who was determined to find out Kenneth's background, in a difficult position.

Kenneth was fully aware of Romani's ulterior motives, but he wouldn't explain anything. He had already revealed his identity; whether the other person believed him or not was their business. He was who he was, and there was no need for him to prove to others that he was who he was.

"You coward, you're so hesitant. Your name is Kenneth, right? Are you interested in becoming my Master? I can give you the rest of the Primal Runes."

After being choked by Cú Chulainn once again, Romani, sitting in the control room, felt a sharp pain in his heart. Unlike the doctor, who was preoccupied with his thoughts, Cú Chulainn, as a Heroic Spirit, seemed much more carefree. After noticing Kenneth's magical reserves, he immediately proposed to sign a contract.

The reason is simple: Cú Chulainn has seen plenty of guys even worse than Kenneth. The other party wants the Primal Rune, and he wants a Master with decent potential to have a red-blue battle with that pretentious jerk. There is no conflict of interest. Kenneth is also a capricious person, and Cú Chulainn, who urgently needs to replenish his magic power, immediately set his sights on Kenneth.

Seeing the dog approaching him so familiarly, Kenneth rejected Cú Chulainn's deal without a second thought. He, Kenneth, didn't need the dog to fight for him. If Kenneth had any ideas, he could put on a show of the fastest Fuyuki legend on the spot. The Primal Rune was just an extra. As a mage, Kenneth really didn't care about these dispensable things.

"Tch, so I got rejected after all. Oh well, how about that little girl over there? Interested in becoming my Master?"

Rejected by his first target, the well-prepared dog immediately turned his attention to Gudako. There were only three people with Master qualifications here. Morgan was passed over, Kenneth refused, and Cú Chulainn, whose body had become transparent, could only choose the honest Ritsuka to take over. Cú Chulainn still wanted to have a real man's battle with Archer to end the war, and Gudako had become Cú Chulainn's last savior.

"Huh? Me? Is that really possible? By the way, how do I become a Master?"

As a Muggle who was tricked and deceived by Chaldea, Gudako's demands on Cú Chulainn were particularly naive. In the end, Olga Marie couldn't stand it anymore and helped Gudako establish a contract. While Kenneth was still struggling with the recovered Romani, the Chaldea trio finally learned the whole story of the Holy Grail War from Cú Chulainn.

In short, a massive fire reduced humanity to ashes. The emotionless Saber Alter led the chaos, killing all Servants except Cú Chulainn and controlling them with her black mud. As the last survivor of the Holy Grail War, Cú Chulainn sought to end this war that had taken a turn for the worse. Before this, Cu Chulainn had already dealt with Rider, and Lancer and Assassin had just been eliminated. Aside from the still-mad Berserker, only Archer and Saber remained in the Great Hollow.

"Is that Berserker alright?"

Regarding Cú Chulainn's leniency, Romani, who analyzed the situation, offered his own insights. Romani did not expect the Berserker, who had lost his mind, to achieve a positive outcome through corruption; he only hoped that the other side would not indiscriminately slaughter everyone in sight.

"Don't worry, he'll stay in that castle. As long as we don't provoke him, he'll never leave."

With the composure of a local, Cú Chulainn, having reached a consensus with Chaldea, exudes confidence and leads Chaldea towards the Great Hollow. Deciding to directly confront the boss, Cú Chulainn fully embodies the role of a guide.

"Um, sir, your companion seems to know Mash's true name. Mash doesn't know how to unleash her Noble Phantasm. Could you tell us that Heroic Spirit's true name?"

Romani's voice rang out, and the Chaldea trio all turned their gazes to Kenneth. It was obvious to everyone that Morgan was on Kenneth's side, and after confirming that Kenneth had no ill intentions towards Chaldea, Romani also shamelessly made a request to Kenneth.

"Little girl, don't you know how to unleash your Noble Phantasm? Noble Phantasms are instincts; as long as you can awaken your instincts, they will naturally awaken."

Cú Chulainn stopped and pointed at Mash, who looked somewhat bewildered. Seeing her senior among the Heroic Spirits, Mash, taking the blame upon herself, instinctively apologized.

"I'm sorry, it's all because I'm not capable enough. If I had known the true name of the Noble Phantasm, things wouldn't have turned out so badly."

"This is not your responsibility alone. If the Master is good enough, they can analyze the Servant's power."

Olga Marie glanced at Gudako, who couldn't understand a word the group was saying, and then turned her attention to Kenneth with great annoyance.

There were excellent magi with Master-level aptitude present, but Kenneth was clearly not trusted by Chaldea, and Mash's Command Seals would certainly not be given to him. Moreover, Kenneth himself knew Mash's real name; the most important question was whether Kenneth was willing to answer.

"Your real name? I do know it, but borrowed power is ultimately just a castle in the air. What you need to do is to guide the borrowed power into your own."

Kenneth chose to become the Riddler. Compared to Mash, who had experienced the Singularity, Mash was still too naive, so naive that she doubted whether she could even lift her shield. As a shield of idealism, Mash's mindset determined its upper limit. Sacrificing future development for temporary power would be a real loss, and Kenneth, who had a good impression of his junior, wouldn't do such a thing.

"Noble Phantasms don't have a fixed incantation. Incantation is just a way to guide your power through self-suggestion. This shield once belonged to that Heroic Spirit, but now it belongs to you. So, little girl, with what kind of resolve did you take up this shield?"

Having said that, Kenneth's attitude was clear. After giving Mashu a slight hint, Kenneth shut up immediately.

"Is it really not possible? We, Chaldea, are willing to use..."

"No need, Director. What this gentleman said makes a lot of sense. I think I was mistaken."

After stopping Olga Marie from her extravagant spending, Mash, who found the bard Kenneth's words quite reasonable (though she didn't quite understand them), thanked Kenneth and then felt the power belonging to that Heroic Spirit.

"Hmm! Never mind, since Mash, you're okay with this, let's leave it at that. Chaldea will do everything in its power to help you analyze that Servant."

With her arms crossed and head turned to the side, Olga Marie, in a haughty manner, diligently maintained the dignity befitting a leader. Kenneth was right; this was why Olga Marie didn't retort. Whether a magician or a Heroic Spirit, chanting is merely a hint to guide power; generally speaking, the more complete and thorough the chant, the stronger the power drawn out.

But there are always exceptions. Putting aside the fact that Hashirama from the world of combustibles could summon whatever he shouted with his hands clasped together, Merlin from the world of the Moon dared to use "Artoria, it's time to eat" as an incantation. For beings of Kenneth's level, incantation is just a formality, and the power can be mobilized with a thought.

Furthermore, Mashu is not without power, but rather she doesn't know how to channel it. People are forced to act, and when the time is right, Mashu will naturally unleash her Noble Phantasm. The outcome is already predetermined, and Kenneth is too lazy to force things.

Cú Chulainn was leading the way, Olga Marie was being aloof, Gudako and Mash were lost at a crossroads in their lives, and even Romani had temporarily left the control room for Chaldea's work. Quietly, the group arrived at the Enzo Mountain area.

"We've arrived, this is..."

【coming. 】

Kenneth interrupted the dog's words. Before the group could understand the riddle man's meaning, a beast-like battle roar ripped through the night, and the forests of Yuanzang Mountain rose into the sky as if bulldozed.

Chapter 208 Berserker really likes Wang-chan

Just as Cú Chulainn confidently declared that Berserker wouldn't come, Berserker appeared before everyone, dragging a stone axe covered in crimson blood. His bulging muscles, steel-black skin, and the swirling black mist that pierced through his blood-red eyes, combined with his snorting that kicked up dust and unintelligible roars, allowed Berserker to immediately turn his head toward his good friend, Wang.

Roar--! !

[Ah, it's Wang-chan. Berserker really likes Wang-chan. Berserker seems to want to get closer to Wang-chan...]

With the narrator's commentary, the charging Berserker punched the asphalt road where Cú Chulainn was standing, creating a deep crater like a cannonball. Berserker's iron fist, with its A-rank strength and speed, left afterimages. The fireball magic shot by the dog rune landed on Heracles, leaving no trace except for blue smoke.

Even the Lancer-class Cu Chulainn struggled against Berserker, let alone the Caster-class Cu Chulainn. With his rather weak stats, the leaping Cu Chulainn was grabbed, spun, and thrown by the berserk Berserker, resulting in a spectacular spinning attack by the blue Lancer.

With a deafening roar, the shop on the street was struck by the spinning, accelerating dog. The modern reinforced concrete building collapsed under the impact of the Heroic Spirit, and the resulting gust of wind sent dust flying into the sky. The Chaldea trio, who had been caught off guard by Berserker's sudden attack, finally witnessed the destructive power of Heroic Spirits in battle.

"You're kidding me... If pure strength alone could achieve this, is this really an enemy we can defeat?"

It's no wonder Olga Marie wavered; Berserker's oppressive aura was simply too strong. His beast-like roar and devastating power meant that, as the gatekeeper of the ceiling, Berserker's impressive stats would absolutely crush most of the Servants if he didn't have a targeted attack.

Roar--!

"Director, quickly take Ritsuka and Mash and get out of there. I detected a Servant's reaction; the level of their Spirit Origin is beyond our current capabilities..."

Thanks to Romani's belated reminder, the roaring Berserker had already focused his attention on the Chaldea group. Faced with those scarlet eyes, Olga Marie, intimidated by Berserker's imposing aura, subconsciously took a step back.

The right arm, stitched together by black energy, was raised high, its twisted, hair-like crimson veins dragging the axe-sword-stained blade as it slashed through the air towards the stunned Olga Marie, her body shrouded in shadow. In a daze, Olga Marie caught a whiff of the thick, bloody scent honed on the battlefield.

"Am I going to die...? Someone, please save me!!"

With a deafening roar, the ground trembled violently under Hercules's strike, and the walls collapsed like dominoes. The wind and waves generated by the sword light accelerated the flying debris to a speed comparable to bullets. With sheer brute force, Hercules displayed the oppressive aura of a top-tier demigod to Chaldea.

The billowing dust was torn apart from the inside, and Mash, embracing Olga Marie, flew out at a speed far exceeding that of any reinforcements. With a beast-like battle roar, within minutes of her appearance, Heracles had wiped out all of Chaldea's fighting force. Before Mash even landed, a sword shot from the darkness had already locked onto her, leaving her with no way to dodge or avoid it. At this moment, Mash could only place all her hopes on the shield in her hand.

【Eihawz...】

Rune characters lit up, Red A's sneak attack was neutralized by Kuchu, who crawled out of the ruins, and the sword was burned by flames. Dog looked at the figure on the distant high-rise building.

"Archer!!"

The two lovers, seeing each other, were filled with intense rivalry. Cú Chulainn ripped off his tattered hood, revealing his muscular physique to everyone. He glanced at Kenneth, and the incredibly confident dog addressed Gudako, who was covering her face with her hands:

"Little Master, leave that guy to me. Today, I'm going to settle things with him. I'll follow up later."

With Kenneth as a backup, Cú Chulainn, who has a mysterious fascination with Archer, swings his arms and performs a "Run, Woof!" routine, weaving through a dense rain of swords. His wand flips and lands on Archer's projected twin swords. Holding a club-like weapon, Cú Chulainn, now a melee mage, gets into a brawl with a half-baked melee archer.

"Still guarding the door for Saber? You idiot."

"My job is to drive you away, I don't have time to mess around with you!"

With her usual cold expression, Red A, who had been squeezed into a dark female strength by 007, suddenly raised her arms and sent the dog flying as it was being struck down with its staff. With Gan Jiang on the left and Mo Xie on the right, she unleashed the Crane Wing Triple Strike in succession. Red A, who was able to suppress Cú Chulainn in close combat for the first time, swept away her past defeat and fiercely beat the dog with the matching colors. That's how confident she was, with D-level strength beating E-level strength.

"Pah, after all this talk, you're still just a doorman."

Even though he was being suppressed and looked quite disheveled, Cú Chulainn's sarcastic remarks were undeniably cool. Struggling to withstand Archer's relentless barrage of slashes, Cú Chulainn slashed through the air, sending several magic bullets grazing Archer's head before he could dodge. The magic bullets exploded at his face, and Archer, caught off guard, tried to create distance with a few leaps.

"You're much smarter than usual. It seems that job training can affect the brain!"

"Enough with the nonsense. Intelligence and interest are two different things. Let's fight like old times, real swords and spears!"

There was no chance for Archer to create distance and fly a kite. The space was filled with dark blue runes. Cú Chulainn, who had been planning for a long time, locked Archer in a cage. His wand struck the ground and burst into flames. Taking advantage of Archer's dodge, Cú Chulainn, holding his wand like a gun, thrust into the fireball.

The battle continued. After rescuing Olga Marie, Mash, her hand split open, stood opposite the roaring Hercules, raising her shield and letting out a mournful roar. With wide, sweeping swings, Hercules' axe and sword struck the shield amidst the sparks. The difference in their physiques resulted in an absolute disadvantage in strength. Like a piece of duckweed in a storm, Mash, holding the shield with both hands, was constantly pushed back by Hercules's slashes.

Roar--!

The berserker's roar reverberated in their ears. It was clear to everyone that, given Mashu's disadvantage in both martial arts and physical strength, her defeat was only a matter of time. Gudako, her fists clenched and recalling Cú Chulainn's look before he left, quickly approached Kenneth.

“Mr. Kenneth, Mash won’t last much longer. That Berserker is an obstacle for us to resolve this singularity. Please help Mash.”

Before Gudako could speak, Romani's anxious voice was already transmitted to Kenneth through his wristwatch. After glancing at Gudako and Olga Marie who were approaching, Kenneth focused his attention on Mash, who was struggling to defend herself. Seeing that Kenneth had no intention of making a move, the impatient Olga Marie stood directly in front of Kenneth.

"Are you just going to stand by and watch? If anything happens to Mashu, I will absolutely not hand over Chaldea's technology to you!"

Now that things had come to this, the naive Olga Marie was completely flustered. Glancing at the white-haired girl trying to jump up and attract her attention, Kenneth calmly explained:

"You want the little girl to awaken her Noble Phantasm, right? There's no more suitable opponent than Berserker. Let me tell you, the Heroic Spirit in front of you is just a unit of combat power. If you can't even face him, then you shouldn't go to the Great Hollow. King Arthur's sword is much more dangerous than this guy."

Kenneth knew Mash couldn't withstand Berserker, but as he said, the invincible Hercules had become a mere unit of combat power with each update. If they couldn't even handle Berserker, Chaldea might as well disband. Kenneth wouldn't force Mash to defeat Berserker; as long as Mash could draw out Galahad's power, he would clear the obstacles in front of Chaldea.

"Awakening your Noble Phantasm can happen anytime! Mash is much more important than Noble Phantasms."

However, no matter what Olga Marie said, Kenneth, who stood still, showed no intention of making a move. Gritting her teeth, Olga Marie, feeling that Kenneth was unreliable, began to chant the signature magic of the Department of Astronomy. The magic base appeared, and the burning night sky flickered with a bluish-green light.

"Don't disturb the little girl, she's already caught something."

With a tap on Olga Marie's forehead, the continuous magic instantly severed Olga Marie's chanting to communicate with the celestial bodies. Kenneth, with his rich experience dealing with tsundere girls, didn't give Olga Marie time to get angry before silencing her.

Sharpness can be blocked, but the invisible force surged solidly through the shield into Mash's arms. Blood seeped from between her fingers, and her hands, numb from the brute force, lost all feeling. Her back slammed into the cliff wall, and with nowhere to retreat, Mash was embedded in the rock by Hercules' sword. Cracks spread out, and the berserker's fists slammed into the shield, shaking down all the stalagmites on the cave ceiling.

"Little girl, what are you hesitating about? Are you worried you can't withstand that guy? Yes, if you fall, your director, your predecessors will be killed, slaughtered by the berserk warriors. Even beasts have mercy, but the guy in front of you doesn't..."

"What are you saying? Do you even know what you're talking about... Ughhhhh!!"

Olga Marie, having broken free of her silence, went offline again. Kenneth continued his attack on Mash's mind. Under Kenneth's manipulation of her soul, a vivid vision of Olga Marie and Gudako being slaughtered by Berserker appeared in Mash's eyes. There was the smell of blood, mutilated bodies, and the trembling of losing the two... Her body trembled uncontrollably. At this moment, Mash found a reason to raise this shield: to protect the safety of those behind her.