The Mion River, nearly twenty meters deep, had been completely transformed into a massive, living tank of water.
The creatures bred within this monstrous tank were the giant sea beasts summoned by Caster.
As they charged from the riverbank onto the water, the fog conjured by Morgan to obscure their sight gradually began to lift—clarifying their vision once again.
It was then that Artoria realized just how numerous the sea demons had become. She swung her sword with force, cleaving through tentacles as wide as two or three people standing shoulder to shoulder.
But the moment they were severed, the tentacles immediately began to regenerate. More limbs, drawn by the disturbance, surged toward her, forcing her to retreat each time she struck.
Unlike last night's battle in the forest, there was only one sea monster in the Mion River—but its countless tentacles were far more troublesome than dozens of the smaller creatures.
"Saber! Fall back!"
Shiomi's voice rang out. Artoria leapt from the water's surface, narrowly avoiding a tentacle that tried to ensnare her. With an agile flip midair, she landed beside Shiomi.
Without needing to ask, she saw Shiomi lightly tap the water's surface with the tip of his spear, and the river beneath them immediately began to freeze, forming an ice path that spread toward the sea monster.
The tentacles that had been wildly thrashing slowed down, and within moments, they were completely frozen.
"You froze its movement?!"
Iskandar's ox cart hovered in the air.
He hadn't just been watching. He had been charging into the swarm of tentacles over and over, but with limited means—whether by lightning or weapons, his attacks had only inflicted minor damage.
"This isn't the time to marvel, King of Conquerors!" Shiomi raised his hand, and a strong wind swept across the river.
The two Servants quickly understood what Shiomi was aiming for.
First, immobilize the sea monster with a high-level spell, then follow up with a coordinated strike to destroy it—and all its limbs—in one go.
"Then let me take the lead! You two, don't drag my chariot into this!"
With a loud laugh, Iskandar charged forward in his ox cart, tearing through the frozen river and the monster parts along the way.
But his assault only carved a single path. They still needed a much broader attack.
Beside him, Artoria was already preparing.
No words were needed—battle instinct kicked in, and she and Shiomi launched their attacks at the same time.
"Strike Air!"
"Vacuum Wave."
A howling gale, strong enough to tear through flesh, swept across the Mion River. As Iskandar's ox cart soared into the sky, the wind gathered up the frozen sea monsters and shattered them to pieces.
Yet despite the devastation, the thick fog over the river remained completely undisturbed—no signs of it lifting.
The tremendous magical force behind the attack sent shockwaves across both banks of the river.
On the shore, Waver and Irisviel, still observing the battle, instinctively braced themselves as they felt the wind pressure rushing in. Arms raised, eyes shut tight—they waited for impact.
But after several seconds, they realized the wind had only brushed past them, roaring by harmlessly on either side.
Opening their eyes, they saw that the violent gust had been diverted, split apart by Morgan's magic. And she hadn't even lifted a finger.
"This alone won't be enough," Morgan said coolly.
No sooner had the words left her lips than the tentacles submerged beneath the water, still frozen in ice, began to writhe—growing at an alarming rate. They surged upward, crashing through the surface in a frenzy, raising towering waves several meters high.
"That thing—is it immortal?!" Waver cried out, despair creeping into his voice as he clutched his head and stomped in frustration.
The scale of this battle had long surpassed what a novice Magus like him could handle.
Part of him couldn't help but envy Shiomi—for being able to fight side by side with legendary heroes.
"You're the one behind this fog, aren't you, Witch of Britannia?" came a smooth, elegant voice from the side.
A man in a dark crimson suit, holding a jewel-tipped wand, approached calmly.
"You're..." Irisviel recognized him immediately.
Morgan glanced sideways. "So, you're Tokiomi Tohsaka, Sakura's father—and Master of the King of Heroes?"
"I'm not really in a position to be called Sakura's father right now," Tokiomi replied with a faint smile. "Her real father is the one fighting on the Mion River."
"Can't you order your Servant to intervene?" Morgan asked, her tone flat.
Tokiomi gave a bitter smile. "The King of Heroes acts on his own terms."
He looked up. Through the dense fog, Waver and Irisviel could faintly make out a gleaming golden airship overhead, seemingly forged from gold and emerald—clearly a Noble Phantasm.
"I see." Morgan didn't dwell on it. She turned away, walking along the opposite riverbank. "The fog will soon spread over all of Fuyuki. Once it does, the Holy Church and the Mage's Association won't have to worry about hiding the truth anymore."
"As Fuyuki's overseer, I'm grateful," Tokiomi said with a polite bow. "Though... may I ask what Her Majesty the Witch plans to do next?"
Morgan stopped in her tracks.
"That third-rate Magus said it was his Master's will. But how would someone who doesn't even understand the Holy Grail War know how to use a Command Spell?"
Her implication was clear—someone was pulling strings from the shadows, using the chaos of the escalating war for their own gain.
"In that case, please allow me to accompany you," Tokiomi said quickly. "As the head of one of the three founding families of the Holy Grail War."
If Morgan ended up eliminating Caster's Master, credit for the victory would largely go to the Berserker camp. Tokiomi was trying to stake his claim in any way he could.
"There's no need," Morgan replied curtly. "Magus of this era, no matter how well-intentioned, would only get in my way."
Then she paused and glanced back. "Of course... if you believe you can match my husband's capabilities, that's a different matter."
With that, Morgan vanished into the fog.
It was only then that the three Masters realized just how thick the fog had become—visibility on both banks of the Mion River had dropped to near zero.
Even with their magical vision fully enhanced, they could only barely make out the silhouettes of Shiomi and the two Servants, still locked in fierce combat amid the endlessly regenerating sea monster.
"Sigh... This is exactly why I say those heroes of old..." Tokiomi murmured to himself.
Though Waver and Irisviel both remained cautiously alert, he showed no signs of hostility.
"Rest assured. The priority now is bringing down Caster's faction—the ones who've ignored the rules and cast aside secrecy. I'm not your enemy."
"Good to hear," Irisviel replied firmly. "We have no intention of turning this into a petty squabble either."
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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