Chapter 92: Stop Working Overtime, Teacher Kong!
When Waver's depressed face appeared on the screen, some viewers in the livestream immediately recognized him.
[Oh damn, isn't that Waver?]
[Wait, why is he here? Don't tell me he's dead too???]
[Did he ascend to Heroic Spirit status after the Case Files events?]
[Maybe it's his future self. Look at Emiya as an example.]
[What, is he an Ally of Justice too???]
[If Waver is here, then where's Gray-chan?]
Others, however, were confused.
[Who's this guy? What did he do? Why does he look so depressed?]
After some explanations in the comments that this was Waver Velvet from Fate/Zero, the former Master of Alexander the Great, everyone lamented the cruelty of time.
[What kind of life turns a bright young man into such a depressed old dude…]
[The Clock Tower really isn't a place for the living.]
[Did he study programming? Why did he age so fast?]
[Nah, can't be. If he were a programmer, he wouldn't have any hair left.]
[As a programmer, I feel personally attacked!! ..... But I can't refute it, sob.]
Hearing Ethan call him "Zhuge Kongming," the wrinkles between Waver's brows deepened.
"A Servant of the Ruler class?"
He carefully observed Mash, and a magical gleam flickered in his eyes.
"So, a Shielder? Truly a unique Spirit Origin."
"——————?!"
Mash immediately raised her shield, positioning herself in front of Ethan.
"Senpai, be careful! He seems to be an enemy."
"Stay on guard, he's an enemy Caster."
Dr. Romani's warning came through, but the moment he saw Waver's face clearly, he froze.
"You're… Lord El-Melloi? Could it be… a Pseudo-Servant?"
"It's Lord El-Melloi II!!!"
Waver corrected him with clear irritation.
"What a failure… I didn't expect my dual identity to be exposed so easily in this era."
"Well, even though we haven't met in person, it seems that Lord El-Melloi II's lectures are quite famous at the Clock Tower."
Even through the communication channel, Dr. Romani spoke with a tone of respect toward the Lord.
"But Doctor, the person you're talking about—he's our enemy right now!"
Mash emphasized.
"That's exactly why I want to ask—why has Lord El-Melloi II become our enemy?"
Dr. Romani's eyes were filled with doubt.
"In other words, why have you sided against the Human Order?"
"Haa…"
Waver let out a deep sigh.
"To be honest, I've ended up like this for a lot of reasons… Perhaps there's some selfishness in it as well."
He then gave Ethan and Mash a firm warning.
"I'm sorry, but you cannot advance any further into the battlefield ahead. If you insist, I'll have to stop you myself."
"El-Melloi II, you should understand our stance, shouldn't you?"
Dr. Romani's voice grew more serious.
"Our position is absolute. On our shoulders rests the fate of the entire world."
Seeing the unwavering determination in Ethan and Mash's eyes, Waver let out another helpless sigh.
"I figured as much… In that case, I'll have to give it my all!"
"Haa!!"
Before he could finish his sentence, Mash raised her shield high and leaped forward.
"He's a Caster—we can't give him a chance to chant his spells!!"
Ethan immediately commanded Mash to close in on the enemy.
Seeing Mash attempt close combat right away, Waver nodded.
"A wise decision… but the moment you stepped onto this battlefield, your defeat was already inevitable!"
Lord El-Melloi II elegantly snapped his fingers.
"Combat isn't just about brute force—Unreturning Formation: Stone Sentinel Maze!!"
His figure immediately vanished from sight, and Mash's attack struck empty air.
Not only that, but the sky suddenly darkened as if covered by a black curtain. Moments later, enormous stone pillars fell from above, completely sealing off Ethan and Mash's retreat.
"It's a Noble Phantasm! Senpai! Be careful!!"
Mash quickly shielded Ethan behind her. After a while, the surrounding space fell into silence, but a fierce wind kicked up, accompanied by the rumbling sound of rolling boulders.
"Senpai, could it be that we've been trapped inside a Noble Phantasm?"
Observing the strange phenomenon around them, Mash quickly came to a conclusion.
"Hmm… seems like it…"
This Kongming guy pulling out his ultimate move right at the start—what an unfair play!
"Doctor! Can you hear me?!"
The communication device was completely jammed, leaving only static noises.
"Senpai, we've lost contact with Chaldea too!"
Ethan calmly surveyed his surroundings and finally managed to grasp the layout of the Stone Sentinel Maze.
Inside, countless rolling boulders and towering rock formations were arranged in the eight positions of the Bagua. The raging winds and thunder constantly distorted the perception and awareness of those trapped within.
"Senpai, what should we do now?"
Mash sounded a bit anxious.
"It's fine, just follow me."
Waiting around would be pointless—they might as well try to find a way out.
Ethan took the lead.
He had read about the Stone Sentinel Maze in Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Theoretically, it was a formation based on Daoist Bagua principles, combined with astronomical and geographical elements.
Back in the day, Lu Xun had been trapped inside, only to be saved by Zhuge Liang's father-in-law.
As long as they found the Life Gate, they could easily break free!
Amidst the howling winds and rolling stones, under Mash's shield protection, Ethan carefully observed his surroundings, identified the directions, and headed straight for the gate marked "Gen."
The moment he stepped into the Life Gate, the raging winds instantly vanished without a trace, and even the sky became noticeably brighter.
"Senpai, did we… just break through his Noble Phantasm?"
Mash cheered in delight.
"Oh? I didn't expect anyone to actually escape from the Stone Sentinel Maze."
Lord El-Melloi II's astonished voice rang out from above, but he quickly regained his composure.
"But you can only stop here. This Noble Phantasm never had a Life Gate to begin with. You're simply trapped here until those two Servants outside eventually run out of mana and are eliminated."
With that, his voice disappeared once again.
"Senpai, let me try attacking from here!"
Mash immediately attempted to find a way. She swung her shield at anything visible.
But there was nothing—only an empty, barren land.
"There's no need. He might be telling the truth."
Ethan sighed.
Was Waver really willing to go this far just to assist Alexandros III?
His plan was truly flawless.
By trapping Ethan here, no matter how strong Jeanne Alter and Mordred were, they wouldn't be able to endure a prolonged battle of attrition.
As expected of Zhuge Liang—his intelligence was practically monstrous.
But no matter how well he calculated, he still overlooked one unpredictable variable—
And that variable was Ethan!
Ethan took a deep breath and silently chanted in his mind—
"Time to Gacha, System!"