Caules spotted a young man emerging from the forest, radiating wildly chaotic magical power. If he were a Magus, he was hopelessly amateurish—so much so that Caules suspected the man's body would explode from the turbulent energy within him any second. But if he were a Servant, his modern attire seemed out of place; only the most arrogant Servants would maintain such casual dress on the battlefield.
"You—"
Before Caules could speak, Deimlet kicked him to the ground and then dove down himself.
"Idiot! This is clearly a trap. They're using him as a bomb with that level of magical power!"
Deimlet ordered Spartacus to charge at the young man. It wasn't out of altruism—he wasn't sacrificing his Servant to protect his teammates. Rather, he understood Spartacus's ability to accumulate damage and unleash it later. As long as Spartacus wasn't defeated in a single blow, he would only grow stronger. Spartacus was also renowned for his endurance; even their trump card, Karna, couldn't defeat him instantly.
"Holy shit!"
Jiang You saw a hulking giant several times his size charging toward him, swinging a massive iron club and bellowing incomprehensible words like "Love! Love!"
The aura of the Old Gods had already permeated Jiang You, albeit faintly. However, as a Berserker-class servant who had lost his mind but gained heightened intuition, Spartacus perceived Jiang You as the ultimate oppressor.
This was a true Berserker in the purest sense. While other EX-Rank Mad Enhancement servants could at least feign coherence, this one couldn't understand a single word. Jiang You might have been willing to exchange a few words with other servants, but this guy—despite having no quarrel with him—made Jiang You seriously consider just taking him down to be done with it.
Just as Jiang You was contemplating whether to Duel Spartacus to get rid of him before he exploded, Melusine stepped forward. Her petite frame stood in stark contrast to Spartacus's towering form—nearly three meters tall (base height 221 cm, but he could expand). Yet even with this immense size disparity, Melusine's strength allowed her to firmly block the iron club.
"!"
The overwhelming and shocking scene left Caules speechless, his jaw hanging open. He never imagined that this servant, who looked like a child, could actually match Berserker's raw strength.
"Tch," Deimlet clicked his tongue.
He now realized that the chaotic magical power was actually Jiang You's. Assuming Jiang You was a Master like themselves—since the Assassin Master hired by the Yggdmillennia Clan had never appeared—Deimlet naturally concluded that Jiang You had usurped the Assassin's position.
"So this magical power is a unique trait of your family," Deimlet said, slightly embarrassed by his earlier tumble to the ground. After a brief polite remark, he cut to the chase. "My name is Deimlet Pentel. May I ask which family you belong to? Such mastery over chaotic magical power suggests you are no ordinary Magus."
Whether friend or foe, most Magi held a deep sense of belonging to their families, their family's honor often valued above their own lives. Deimlet hoped to glean information about Jiang You through flattery, a tactic most Magi would find hard to resist.
But Jiang You had no such lineage to claim. His understanding of magical power remained rudimentary and self-taught; even Medea hadn't yet taught him how to cast the simplest Magic Bullet.
At that moment, Melusine exerted her strength, repelling Spartacus. Her small body shielded Jiang You.
"I can feel... oppression!"
Spartacus didn't even glance at Melusine, who had blocked his attack. As a symbol of rebellion, he possessed an acute intuition for anything related to slavery. He could even sense the master-servant contract binding Jiang You and Melusine, that absolute demand for obedience burning in his eyes more fiercely than any other sight. "Ooooh, oppressor! Let me embrace you!"
This so-called "embrace" was pure, unadulterated killing intent. Spartacus focused all his attention on Jiang You, his body visibly swelling with what seemed to be exhilaration. His massive thighs pounded the ground with each step, leaving deep imprints in the earth.
"Berserker!"
Deimlet tried to call back his servant. They hadn't even confirmed whether the enemy was truly an enemy. With such a formidable foe watching from the shadows, avoiding unnecessary conflict was the best course of action. Moreover, the Spirit Origin of that suspected Black Faction Assassin—a Loli girl—was overwhelmingly powerful. If a fight broke out, even two Berserkers might not stand a chance.
But Spartacus wouldn't listen, launching another attack at Jiang You.
"Suddenly, Minamoto no Raikou seems quite reasonable by comparison," Jiang You remarked.
Having confirmed that communication was impossible, Jiang You decided to eliminate the threat. He could only apologize to Spartacus inwardly, as he had hoped to spare all the servants if possible.
"Melusine, this guy has a Noble Phantasm that converts accumulated damage into energy. If we can't kill him in one strike, he'll become extremely dangerous. Are you up to it?"
"Insignificant lifeform," Melusine replied dismissively.
Now that Jiang You had given the order, Melusine wouldn't hold back her full power. "Ready to annihilate at any moment!"
To Melusine, Spartacus's strength was utterly unremarkable. Activating her Noble Phantasm would end the battle instantly.
"If that's the case!"
Deimlet, seeing his servant about to be killed, refused to stand by idly. He elbowed Caules beside him, signaling it was time to engage.
"..."
Caules felt his side was in the wrong. Deimlet's Berserker had provoked the conflict by attacking first, making it difficult for him to bring himself to strike.
"What are you standing there for?!"
Deimlet, already prepared with his Technique, glanced at his teammate and saw Caules still frozen in place. His frustration flared. Is this kid really cut out to be a Magus? he wondered. Are you trying to offer your head to someone else on a platter?!
"Uh! Uh!"
Fran, however, had a different idea. She grabbed Caules's hand, shaking her head vigorously and even tugging him slightly in the opposite direction, as if trying to escape.
"Hurry up! You Yggdmillennia Magi think you can establish an independent Mages' Association acting like this?"
Unfortunately, this taunt had no effect on Caules, who lacked such ambition. Pale-faced, he simply pointed to Deimlet's other side. There, a black longsword had pierced the gauntlet on Deimlet's spellcasting hand.
"One more move and I'll burn you to a crisp," a voice threatened. "Stay put!"