Ayanokouji POV
The wolf retreated into the forest as the Servant with a gargantuan build came back from the dead. Not only did the laceration on his neck close up, but so did the punctures from the wolf’s teeth that ran across his arms, and the slash that was on his chest was now nowhere to be found as if he never participated in a battle in the first place.
This Servant had already exhibited his monstrous strength. Now, he had showcased another ability that seemed troublesome. Judging from the amount of magical energy that surged from his body, it was most likely a Noble Phantasm.
However, it didn’t seem to me that it would be his only one. Achilles possessed multiple, it wouldn’t be unusual to conclude that Heracles would also have a few.
He never once had the intention of using the sword he carries on his back. It appeared finely crafted and ornamented. Moreover, it was currently the thing that caught Morgan’s attention.
I cut off the spell that connected our perception and opened my eyes. The pain in my head didn’t surface. It seems the culprit in that case was the wolf.
"Did you bring my glasses?"
I asked Morgan since I had left the pair in my dorm room and she had used her Transportation Magecraft several times this night.
"Here they are."
I immediately wore them once she handed them to me.
"You're a Master, correct?"
The lone Servant posed a question directed at me.
"What if I am?"
"Then I won't harm you. I would prefer to fight other Servants, but not right now."
There was no deception to be found in his words. It looks as though this particular person is one that enjoys a fair fight.
"So, what brings you here then?"
"I came across that beast already. I was just making sure it didn't get out of control. After all, one more Servant is yet to be summoned."
The other Servants looked appalled at his actions. He didn't want to have an advantage when it comes to fighting.
But a curious thought had entered my mind.
"What does your Master think of this? Does she agree with your approach?"
"No, they wholeheartedly opposed my philosophy. But, that won't stop me."
He said those as he started walking in the opposite direction and returned to his spirit form. This encounter provided me with essential information about the strong contenders. He was indeed an admirable hero. However, those traits may be the key to his defeat.
"How disappointing, I wanted to fight him already but he doesn't seem to be interested. Well, it can't be helped. On another note... this is your Servant, huh?"
Archer remarked, dejected by the notion that she couldn't fight the divine hero. On the other hand, she had her gaze cast upon Morgan. This was their first time meeting after all. Hopefully, she won't be too fired up.
"Regardless of the situation at hand, let's regroup with the others."
"Got it."
Immediately after responding she materialized a matchlock and fired it off in the distance. She then started walking towards the mansion.
We followed her and met up with the other two Masters after a few minutes.
"Couldn't you find a better way to signal that the coast was clear? You could have killed us!"
So that's what the stray shot she fired earlier was for. Euthemia seemed irked about this, but the older man just sighed in exasperation.
"I'm assuming you saw some parts of the encounter from a tower of sorts."
"You're right about that. And props to you for managing to outrun the wolf with such speed. You didn't even use either flight or make use of a vehicle."
"That was the adrenaline kicking in. My life was on the line. But enough of that, any clues of the identity of that thing?"
Switching topics to the True Name of the Servant, it certainly became quite the puzzle. Especially with some troubling characteristics.
"Not really, the most I can think of is it being Fenrir. But the invisibility thing threw me off."
"Don't forget it also has a person mounted on its back."
Its rider was an aspect that complicated things. Considering the overall strength of the Servant, it was definitely top-class. Their parameters were far too high for any regular Servant. It had to have been a famous account of a wolf worldwide or in this country. Japan held wolves as creatures that were mainly good. Not to mention, the last wolf species became extinct more than a century ago. It was a reasonable assumption that Fenrir would be the culprit.
"What if the rider was Loki, Fenrir's parent?"
"Impossible, Loki's a god in Norse mythology. The Holy Grail doesn't summon divine spirits like gods."
The old man suggested that Loki would be the rider. A trickster god that just might have the tools to make something invisible. It was a sound theory that failed to meet an important qualification of the Holy Grail.
"At this rate, we can only call it an abnormality in the system. The popularity along with its established traits make up a Servant's strength. I believe that 'thing' is an aberration, a mistake within the Grail's system. However, saying that does not narrow it down. The best solution to find its True Name is to leave the work for the overseers, the Church."
I gave my honest opinion. The Holy Church is tasked with supervising the Holy Grail War. The Mage's Association simply couldn't, as the conflict often involves magi, and impartiality and fairness would quickly become a problem.
The Church was entrusted with minimizing the damage done by mages as well as keeping things off the general public's radar, as well as dealing with the oddities that may arise.
"I've contacted the church about it. They said it belonged to an Extra Class, an Avenger."
That confirms that it is classified as an irregularity.
"Why are you pondering about the True Name so much? Isn't it dead?"
"It's likely, but it's not guaranteed, after all, Magecraft is involved. Impossible things for science are within reach. Not to mention, we just saw another Servant come back from the dead just a while ago."
"Fine. I'll try and see if I can negotiate something with the overseers. But... Who was that mysterious Servant?"
"Heracles."
Lancer interjected. Their faces started to turn sour as their thoughts overwhelmed them. It speaks of the legendary status the man acquired. Not only were his accomplishments grand, but his fame is nearly unrivaled. A commonly-used adjective and idiom were based on the romanization of his name.
There was no time to be disheartened.
"Listen, don't be down for the count yet. There are several actions to approach this. One solution is to take them on one by one. It's a tedious task, but it's impossible to win when fighting more than one of the other known Servants.
The second is a riskier plan but takes into account the valor and heroism implanted in the two Greek heroes. It's to make them come to blows on fair terms first."
I'm sure either hero would like a challenge to themselves. If one could kill the other while remaining weakened, we could reasonably kill the winner. If they were both to survive it would still be easier to assault both. However, if both of them or their Masters managed to figure out the scheme, then them targeting us first as well as them collaborating becomes a possibility.
"For the third, it's to make use of the I summoned Servant."
"Wait, what do you mean by 'make use'?"
"It's simple. We will be the ones to find the Master that summons the last Heroic Spirit. That or if we're too late, we recruit the last Master into our ranks. Although, the former would give us larger control of the situation and possibly the Heroic Spirit to be called for."
"... Good grief, this type of warfare isn't what I'm used to. Doing things without Magecraft really simplifies things."
Harold was up in arms about the entirety of the event.
"... About that third option... Won't we have our work cut out for us trying to find some other Magus that would ally themselves with us, be willing to risk their lives, not stab us in the back, or become a threat after the alliance has dissolved?"
Euthemia posed a question.
"In fact, I already have candidates in mind."