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[FMMIKA] Chapter 194: The Mastermind
🕑 Added 2023-09-19 21:07:28 +0000 UTCThe Holy Lance Sisterhood was one of the three major organizations of Artoria Species, on par with the Order of Avalon and the Dark Rounds. Despite being the weakest of the three major organizations due to their lower harmony and internal disputes, they still had nearly a hundred Artorias!
'Who could have defeated all of them in such a short time, even I...'
As XX pondered, her pupils suddenly contracted as she considered a very grim possibility.
"It's... Mysterious Heroine..."
"..."
"???"
Mordred's expression was filled with confusion as if she didn't quite understand what Artorius and the others were talking about.
"Artoria Species, have countless subspecies." XX gave everyone a brief overview of the Sapphire Galaxy and some knowledge about Artoria Species.
"White, black, red, pink, blue, even Mordred and Morgan subspecies. Generally, there were conflicts among them, but nothing too major, no endless battles. At least not until Artorius appeared."
Artorius could not help but make a 'strange' expression as he heard XX's explanation.
"But, we're different. We—No, I thought it was just me at first, but it turns out the 'Heroine' had become a subspecies. It's quite irritating."
Morgan showed a subtle expression that convey—"What the fuck is this nonsense? How many rivals are there?"
As everyone had bewildered expressions, XX continued.
"My goal, or should I say 'Heroine' goal, is to eliminate all Sabers. So, when it comes to facing Sabers, we have a special approach. This is what you might call having a particular expertise or specialization in our line of work, I guess."
If you wanted to raise animals, you'd go to the animal experts; if you wanted to fall in love, you'd find the love experts. Similarly, if you wanted to defeat Sabers, you'd need to find the Anti-Saber experts.
When X faced various Sabers, mostly consisting of the Artoria Species from different organizations, she could handle them effortlessly. She often took on multiple opponents at once, and even when she lost, she could make a quick escape. This was all thanks to her specialization in countering Sabers, which left the Artoria Species frustrated.
As for X's true strength, it was actually quite exceptional, ranking among the top Servants, but not necessarily the strongest.
"X alone can pose a significant threat to a bunch of Sabers, let alone with more than twenty subspecies of Heroines..." XX said with a serious expression. "If Sabers were to team up, even with five times the manpower of Heroines, they would still be easily overwhelmed.
"..." Everyone except for X was speechless.
"Use your time ability to see that past. I need more information." Artorius said to XX, then looked at X. "Besides that, try to locate the Order of Avalon and the Dark Rounds as soon as possible and make contact with them promptly."
"I understand. Leave it to me." X said with enthusiasm, but before she could leave, Artorius grabbed her hand.
"Remember not to act rashly. When you get there, tell them I'm here, and I WANT to have a good talk with them. Understood?"
"..."
"...Got it."
Artorius's words left X feeling a bit annoyed, but she still nodded and agreed to his request. Of course, at the same time, she said in advance, "But, I won't hold back if those fellows cause trouble first."
"I know... and wait a sec, X."
As X was about to turn and leave again, Artorius called out to her once more and pulled the somewhat bewildered Artoria.
"Both of you act together."
"..."
"..."
Both X and Artoria were silent.
"C'mon, now's not the time to be sulking."
"I know..." X grumbled, reluctantly agreeing to his words, though still quite annoyed.
"Okay, I'll count on you."
Artorius smiled and nodded at her, then turned to Artoria. The latter nodded slightly, indicating that she understood his intention and would keep an eye on X.
He finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Although he managed to relax a bit, the thought of losing nearly a hundred soon-to-be subordinates of the Artoria Species was unsettling.
In the future, he couldn't afford such incidents again.
"Just a heads-up, I move pretty fast. Can you keep up with my speed?"
"..."
X asked Artoria as they walked together but Artoria remained silent.
"Hey, you gonna say something?"
"I'll try."
As everyone looked at Artoria's stoic expression, it was clear that she didn't want to deal with X.
"They won't start a fight, will they?" Mordred couldn't help but ask.
"Don't worry..." Artorius replied confidently. "They'll understand each other and cooperate during the mission, and in the end, they'll become good friends."
"Do you really think so, Brother?"
"Of course." Artorius's expression showed no doubt, surprising Mordred with his sincerity.
"Brother, you're really good to them..." Mordred couldn't help but feel a little jealous.
Artorius said nothing and started to give Mordred a head pat while wearing a pleasant smile.
"I know what had happened." XX finally spoke up as her expression grew more serious. "A few hours ago, this was indeed a gathering point for the Holy Lance Sisterhood. But then..."
At this point, XX clenched her teeth.
"The Heroines launched an attack on them."
Using her time ability, XX witnessed the entire process.
Even though these former sisters had once 'betrayed' her, XX couldn't help but feel anger building up as she watched her sisters one by one, charging at the enemy with meaningless attacks, falling under the swords of the Heroines.
"What do these Heroines want to achieve?! And what's Z's real purpose?!"
Being an experienced one and several years older than X, XX had interacted with Z before. They had drunk together, fought side by side, and naturally clashed at times. But for XX, Ultimate Heroine Z remained a mysterious figure.
Until now, even XX didn't know what this person was really up to. However, through time ability, XX discovered that Z was the mastermind behind YY's betrayal.
...
"Why?! We had a deal!"
YY shouted in anger as she launched an attack on Z. Around her were her fallen sisters and the ongoing battle between the two sides.
"Yes, we had a deal..." Z replied, unapologetic. "But you didn't fulfill my request! XX is still alive and well, even receiving favor from Artorius!"
...
After seeing the scene of the past, it was clear. While it was a betrayal, Z's words seemed justified to XX.
"But it was you who made YY betray me, you rascal..." XX muttered in anger.
While it made sense, XX still gritted her teeth. If Z were in front of her right now, she might just unleash her Noble Phantasm and put an end to this troublemaker.
"The worst-case scenario has happened... this time, I wonder if this planet can withstand it."
As Artorius muttered and mentioned 'planet', Gaia, as the will of the planet, couldn't help but shudder which triggered a magnitude seven earthquake and a twelve-meter tsunami in Southeast Asia.
