Guinevere and Lancelot still underestimated Ren's tenacity. But reality soon showed them just how wrong they were.
The pursuit had lasted until midday. In what felt like an eternity, they had left England, crossed the Channel, and passed through several neighboring countries. Every time the Divine Horse accelerated, trying to leave Ren far behind, he always found a way to catch up. With the help of single-use teleportation items, Ren kept closing the distance.
What Guinevere and Lancelot didn't know was that Ren had fully utilized his Heavenly Eyes. The manifestation of a colossal ethereal eye floated in Earth's exosphere, surveilling all of Europe without obstruction. As long as the two women remained on the continent, there was nowhere to hide.
Backed by teleportation items provided by Alice and the minimal magical energy consumption of Meteoric Ascent, Ren persisted with seemingly limitless endurance. In contrast, the ones feeling the strain were Lancelot, who had been continuously relying on her Divine Horse.
However, the Divine Horse wasn't an actual living creature—it was a manifestation of her divine authority. Lancelot had to constantly supply it with her own magical energy to sustain its summoning.
Truthfully, Lancelot had attempted multiple times to engage Ren in direct combat. But Ren cleverly evaded each time, as if she were a deadly plague to be avoided at all costs. His focus remained unwavering: Guinevere. Every arrow he fired was aimed at the Divine Ancestor.
"You coward!" Lancelot growled, her fury peaking as her attempts to stop Ren repeatedly failed.
But the undeniable truth was—Ren's speed was extraordinary. Unless Lancelot used Divine Speed, which required thunder to recharge, she couldn't match the young man's pace.
"Ugh… How long is this going to last?"
Meanwhile, Guinevere was suffering the most. Though her physical resilience was formidable as a Divine Ancestor, it paled in comparison to beings like Campiones and Heretic Gods.
Every maneuver of the Divine Horse and every shockwave from Ren's arrows weakened her further. The dark circles under her eyes deepened, her once-radiant skin now looked pallid, and her hair was disheveled from the endless chase.
"Does that man have no limits?! A full day of chasing us nonstop, and he doesn't even look tired!" Guinevere rasped in frustration.
"..."
Lancelot realized their situation was growing dire. Her gaze softened as she looked at the weakened Guinevere on the Divine Horse. In her heart, an inevitable decision had been made.
'No, we can't keep this up. I'm the one running out of magical energy. Once that happens, I won't be able to protect Guinevere.'
Among the hundreds of Campiones she had faced in the past, she now added Rokuhara Ren to the list of the most troublesome and shameless Campiones in history.
"My beloved princess, let us grant that madman's request."
"What? Are you serious, Uncle?! The Holy Grail is the most crucial part of awakening our Master from his slumber!"
Guinevere never expected Lancelot to suggest something so absurd.
"It's just an act. Princess, have you forgotten? As the orthodox inheritor of the Holy Grail, even if it leaves your possession, you can recall it anytime. This is only temporary."
"Ah… So we 'lend' him the Holy Grail for now. Once we're sure he can't chase us anymore, I'll summon it back."
"Precisely. Better to end this chase now than exhaust ourselves completely. He wants the Holy Grail, not us."
Hearing the logic, Guinevere finally agreed. Truthfully, she desperately wanted this nightmare to end so she could rest.
"Fine, Uncle. Let's proceed with the plan."
With that, they swiftly put their plan into action.
The white horse suddenly halted mid-air, hovering gracefully. Guinevere took a deep breath and shouted at Ren in frustration.
"King Ren! We surrender! I'll lend you the Holy Grail temporarily!"
Still on the ground, Ren stopped firing arrows. His instincts told him there was something suspicious about this surrender.
"Good! That's a wise decision. But tell me, how can I be sure you're not lying?"
Guinevere gritted her teeth, suppressing her annoyance.
"What would I gain from lying to you?! I've even lost my voice from shouting! If you want to borrow it, take it now and let us go!"
But before Ren could respond, Lancelot interjected.
"Campione, how long do you actually need to borrow the Holy Grail?"
To ensure no loopholes, Lancelot added a time condition. After all, if a Campione made a pact with a god, the pact would force them to honor their word.
"One year. Lend me the Holy Grail for a year."
"Impossible! That's far too long. Three days is the most we can tolerate."
Lancelot resisted the urge to hurl her spear at the absurdly greedy Ren.
"Three days?! At least give me half a year."
"Half a year?! You're insane!"
"Fine, then how about three months? That's a reasonable compromise, no?"
"Three months is still too long. One month. That's my final offer. If you refuse, there's no deal."
"Tsk."
On the surface, Ren feigned dissatisfaction, but inwardly, he celebrated. He knew Lancelot had fallen for his simple bargaining trap.
In truth, Ren only needed the Holy Grail for a week. His strategy was straightforward: propose an outrageous demand, then negotiate down while gauging their patience. When Lancelot settled on one month, it far exceeded his expectations.
*BUZZ!*
With visible reluctance, Guinevere finally retrieved the Holy Grail from her storage magic. Her movements were slow before she finally tossed it toward Ren with clear irritation.
As a Divine Ancestor, Guinevere possessed eternal youth, immense magical prowess as a witch, and complete mastery over water. Yet, in the face of a Campione, her abilities seemed insignificant.
This fact was yet another reminder of how terrifying Campiones were beings that defied the laws of nature.
'So this is the Holy Grail in this world… Far more extravagant than the plain one in Type-Moon.'
Ren caught the Holy Grail effortlessly. He examined it carefully, verifying its authenticity.
Even in the original work, its appearance was never described.
The chalice glimmered under the sunlight, adorned with jewels and intricate engravings. The magical energy within it was immense—comparable to the combined power of several dozen Campiones.
"You've gotten what you wanted. Don't follow us anymore. I hope we never meet again, King Ren." Guinevere spat bitterly.
"..."
Lancelot gave him one last glance before turning away, uninterested in what he planned to do with the Holy Grail. Their priority was clear: leave Europe as quickly as possible before anything else unexpected happened.
"Don't worry, I have no interest in hunting you further. Until next time, Lady Knight… and your little princess." Ren waved as if bidding farewell to acquaintances.
"Hmph!"
Guinevere glared at him, her crimson eyes burning with restrained fury. But she held back any further words.
*WHOOSH!*
Their white horse accelerated at blinding speed, leaving Ren standing alone in the vast plains.
Shortly after they vanished from sight, Ren moved swiftly. He retrieved a magic item from his storage.
"Better safe than sorry."
The advantage of being a Reincarnator? Information!
Ren knew that even if the Holy Grail was in his hands, Guinevere could recall it anytime. Thus, he had prepared a countermeasure from the start. The item he held was a Dimensional Binding Seal, an ancient artifact capable of preventing an object from reconnecting with its original owner.
"I'm sure that petty woman, Guinevere, will be shocked when she fails to recall the Holy Grail."
With a satisfied smirk, Ren placed the seal on the Holy Grail. A golden light flickered briefly before fading—confirming the seal's activation.
Admittedly, the Witenagemot's collection of artifacts was extraordinary. When Ren 'requested' to borrow some magic items, its leaders had no choice but to comply with his selfish demands.
"Alright, that settles this matter. By the way… where am I now?"
He then began walking toward a distant footpath, hoping to find the nearest settlement.
As a Campione, Ren had the unique ability to learn any language in a short time even non-human ones. Combined with his photographic memory, mastering new languages was trivial. Just by observing road signs and local interactions, he quickly grasped the basics of the regional language.
"So, I'm in Germany? I really chased them too far…"
Ren mentally calculated the distance he had covered during the pursuit. From London to Germany, he had crossed multiple countries in just 12 hours without rest.
"No wonder I feel a bit exhausted."
He sighed, patting his own shoulder in admiration of his Campione physiology.
Ren pulled out his satellite phone—the only reliable communication device in this remote area—and immediately called Alice, his influential subordinate in Europe.
"Alice, I'm in Germany now. Send a helicopter to pick me up. I'll send the coordinates shortly."
On the other end, Alice could only let out a long sigh before responding, "Of course, King. You truly have a talent for creating massive trouble, just like the other Campiones."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
After sending his coordinates, Ren waited for about half an hour. Soon, the roar of helicopter blades echoed as the aircraft landed a few meters away. The pilot gestured for him to board, and without delay, Ren climbed in, heading to the nearest airport.
Upon arrival, a private jet was already prepared to take him back to London. Feeling slightly fatigued after the long hunt, Ren decided to eat and drink in the cabin before resting.
Once finished, he settled comfortably into his seat.
"A short nap sounds like a good idea." He murmured, closing his eyes.
A Campione's body could regenerate magical energy rapidly, and even a brief sleep was enough to restore their reserves to optimal levels.