Whether it's Britain or Ireland, both are island nations, isolated overseas. Interestingly, though, these countries are more closely connected to their forests than to the sea. The Druids, who would later beco famous worldwide, are one of the most important legacies of Celtic culture, and their origins lie within the forests.
Even today, both countries maintain vast forested areas. In the case of Britain, for example, out of its 244,100 square kiloters of land (including inland waters), there are 15 national forest parks, and lush vegetation can be found everywhere.
The extensive greenery not only makes Britain's climate pleasant and its scenery beautiful, but it also provides natural hiding places for many things that thrive out of sight.
There is such a forest located on the line connecting the forest of Einnashe as the starting point and the Child of Einnashe as the endpoint, a forest that is dense and flourishing. Even in the late autumn to early winter season, it was still vibrant with greenery—no, it was vibrant with greenery until a few minutes ago. Now, all that green, along with the life of the earth, had vanished, leaving behind only dry and desolate shells.
In the center of this forest, which had suddenly withered from its peak, stood two n, both dressed in black robes, with tall and imposing figures. Surprisingly, despite their Western stature, both n had Eastern features.
The older one had shoulder-length hair and a twisted, hideous scar above his left eye. His face was solemn, his hands naturally hanging at his sides, exuding an overwhelming pressure that could suffocate anyone who rely glanced at him.
The younger man had short, sharp hair and a rugged build. One hand was behind his back, and the other rested on a large tree beside him. Unlike the older man, he didn't emit a single trace of his presence, and his expression was far less stern. However, the constantly flickering magical waves around him and the complex patterns that entwined him conveyed an aura no less imposing than his companion's.
After an unknown amount of ti passed, the younger man exhaled, tightening his grip on the tree before giving it a hard slap.
In the next instant, his hand sank into the tree trunk, completely embedding itself.
"It's done. The magic has been sent to Fuyuki. Now, we'll see if the Greater Grail changes as Dr. Heartless predicted."
"And what about Dr. Heartless?" the older man asked. His voice was so similar to the younger man's that if one weren't watching, one might think only one person was speaking.
"He's probably dead," the younger man replied, causing a trace of regret to appear on the older man's face.
"What a sha. Another one who had the potential to glimpse the abyss of the devil is gone, and the heart stolen by the fae couldn't save his life."
"He brought it on himself," the younger man said indifferently.
"I warned him when the princess appeared, and told him to leave as quickly as possible. But what did he do? He thought himself safe because he had a Servant and the unique nature of a changeling, and he ignored my warning."
"Before you say sothing like that, you should reflect on your actions," the older man's solemn face showed a hint of bitterness.
"If I were in his shoes, I wouldn't trust your words completely either, at least not entirely."
"Heh, well, that's truly unfortunate. The one ti I was telling the truth, and no one believed ."
The younger man smiled while curling his lips into a sinister smile.
The older man clearly understood his companion's terrible personality and didn't pursue the matter further, instead switching topics.
"Is the princess of the True Ancestors really that terrifying? Even the Servant and the changeling didn't have a chance to escape?"
"She's indeed that terrifying—no, she's even more terrifying than you realize. You've transcended the limits of lifespan and seen a lot, but you've never lived through an era dominated by vampires. You don't know how powerful the one who ended their reign truly is. Compared to her, Servants and changelings are as fragile as infants."
"So, that's why you want to obtain her power?"
"Absolutely right. That's why I want her power—to beco an eternal, immortal existence."
"Immortality, eternity—those concepts are aningless."
The younger man wasn't offended.
"That's just your perspective. Different people pursue different things. What you seek—the Root—holds no aning for . But precisely because our pursuits differ, we can work together. Otherwise, one of us would have to fall into slumber."
"That's true."
"Let's go. There's no need to stay here any longer. Dr. Heartlless is dead, and we didn't get the Servant. Half of the plan failed."
"But the crucial half succeeded. The Greater Grail has absorbed an excess of magic, and the rules of the Holy Grail War will inevitably change. This way, you might even qualify to summon a Servant."
Hearing this speculation, the younger man's smile grew even more cheerful.
"We really should thank Heartless. If not for his final sacrifice, the effects wouldn't have been this good."
"This was your deliberate manipulation, wasn't it? From the mont Heartless chose not to leave, you foresaw this outco. That's why you had use a bounded field to conceal the True Crimson Fruit's presence, and then you released it at the critical mont to draw everyone's attention, giving you enough ti to activate the technique that siphoned the leyline's magic."
"No, no, you're wrong this ti. No matter what, I couldn't have pulled that off. If I could, Heartless wouldn't have died. Whether as a magical assistant or considering his Servant's combat prowess, I didn't want him to die. But his death was inevitable, so we could only choose to make use of it. Don't forget, both of us have reasons we can't back down from—you for the Root, and I for the princess. For this, the power of the Greater Grail is essential!"
The younger man spoke with resolute determination, his tone so firm that the older man's expression returned to its solemn state.
"Let confirm one last ti. Are you sure that the Greater Grail can lead to the Root?"
"And I'll answer you one last ti. The father of this body was the overseer of this ritual and supervised it twice. The teacher of this body is a direct descendant of one of the ritual's creators. Compared to Heartless' investigation, I trust their words more. Even if it can't, having a Servant will make dealing with that woman much easier."
"You'd better not deceive , Michael Roa Valdamjong. Otherwise, even if your soul is immortal, I'll find a way to make you sleep forever."
"I believe you have that ability. The only reason the princess hasn't discovered since I awakened is because your bounded field has blocked the world's records—"
Before he could finish speaking, the short-haired man known as Roa suddenly dodged to the side.
Almost simultaneously, several sharp objects glinting with cold light brushed past him, embedding themselves in a nearby withered tree.
Imdiately afterward, the tree exploded as if it had been filled with explosives, shattering along with the cold light, leaving only the intact hilt as a foothold.
Through this hilt, Roa successfully identified the type of thrown weapon.
"Black Keys? Soone from the Church?"
The next second, a light ignited in the darkness, flas roaring to life.
The fire illuminated a figure hiding in the shadows—a girl in a black nun's habit, with short sky-blue hair and eyes. The hatred and loathing on her face burned hotter than the flas in her hand.
The girl bit down so hard that she drew blood, which seeped through clenched teeth as she spoke with a voice dripping with murderous intent.
"I've finally found you, Roa!!!"
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