At dawn, Suzuki's phone had long run out of battery, so he couldn't estimate the time. Although he didn't have any nightmares about fire, he didn't sleep comfortably. The tension of the impending battle weighed heavily on him. Can Saber Gilles de Rais defeat Brunhilda alone?

Suzuki stepped out of the temporary wooden house arranged for him by Aetius, and the Western Roman coalition was also in a state of preparation for battle. It was evident that their sleep conditions were not good. Anyone with common sense could see that the two large armies, who had been facing each other for several days, were about to engage in formal combat.

In this battle involving over 100,000 people, there would certainly be casualties, and the number would not be small. Suzuki, who came from the future, didn't remember the specific numbers, but he recalled the mention of this war in the information about Attila, describing it as an "extremely brutal battle."

Just like his newly contracted Servant, Gilles de Rais, who didn't refer to the historical outcome and made his on-site assessment based solely on military experience. The two armies deployed their formations on the plain, and the outcome would be decided within a day. History could potentially change due to the factors of the Holy Grail War, and Suzuki couldn't be certain if preventing the formal emergence of the Singularity would alter the outcome of the Battle of Chalons.

With a strange premonition for a moment, Suzuki felt that none of the soldiers he saw moving around would survive until tomorrow. Because he participated in the Holy Grail War, Suzuki could understand the various languages spoken within the Western Roman Empire. Many of them had no confidence in the upcoming decisive battle against the Huns, and neither their faith nor their sleep could offset their current poor mental state. Some individuals were even discussing the sudden darkness that fell yesterday evening when everyone felt a force pressing on their bodies, making it difficult to breathe.

Suzuki didn't join in their discussions. He wasn't foolish enough to ignore the differences in identity between himself and the people of this world. It was inappropriate for someone from one world to overly interfere with the people of another world. There was no need to argue with people who firmly believed since birth that the Earth was flat.

The Western Roman soldiers also noticed the differently dressed Suzuki, but they remembered the orders of their centurions and didn't approach him, pretending not to see him.

"Master, what are you thinking? You look serious," Gilles de Rais said, but in reality, he hadn't relaxed since witnessing Jeanne d'Arc being taken away. His expression remained tense, but his reasons were easily understood.

"I feel like they'll all die soon," Suzuki looked around, and more and more soldiers were leaving the camp. Some were tidying up their tents, while others were boiling water and eating dry rations. A few had hidden meat jerky and were enjoying it with alcohol. Not all the soldiers in the Western Roman Empire could afford to eat meat now.

"They might not all survive until tomorrow."

"They?" Gilles de Rais glanced roughly around, quickly understanding the reason. "The soldiers here are just ordinary infantry in simple formations. They are as ordinary as ordinary people can be, and of course, there won't be any exceptional treatment. People die in war. For us, it's about strategy, tactics, and deployment. For them, it's just a matter of luck."

"But... why don't they try to survive? Once they go into battle, it won't matter what they do." Humans would try anything to survive. Suzuki had always believed in this conclusion.

"Yes, they all want to survive. They will be as cautious as possible about enemy blades and arrows once the battle begins, and they will pray with utmost devotion to their gods, begging for luck and victory." Gilles de Rais spoke of the correct behavior, knowing that Suzuki wouldn't understand, but he didn't mind explaining.

"But it's useless." Suzuki, strictly speaking, had no belief in anything. In his heart, gods or the creators of mankind were almost irrelevant to the Holy Grail War. He believed that gods possessed incomparable power, capable of controlling the winds and bringing both salvation and disaster. Just as he respected the Heroic Spirits, he would also respect any potential gods. That was all.

"But it's useful for them." Gilles de Rais was familiar with the behavior of soldiers before battle. He had witnessed it many times in his lifetime, both before and after the appearance of the Maiden of Orleans, Jeanne d'Arc. They would never skip the pre-battle prayers. If he could give them the choice of wearing heavy armor or the choice to safely return home... such assumptions couldn't exist.

Gilles de Rais led Suzuki to Aetius's dwelling. The morning sun began to illuminate the earth. Before the crimson river washed over the plain, they could enjoy the scent of morning dew, sunlight, and the mingling of fragrant grass. The former was aware of the cruelty of the battlefield, and the latter knew the outcome of the future. Either way, both would shatter the tranquility of the present moment. They would be witnesses.

"You're here? Faster than I imagined," Aetius appeared suddenly at the door, skipping the need for Suzuki to knock. The 50-year-old magus' voice was slightly hoarse, and today, he was rare in wearing a suit of armor, completely different from his previous attire of robes. "As a magus, I also serve as the commander of this allied army. A Roman general."

Aetius didn't hide his pride. In this era, many Roman citizens could be proud of being Romans, but very few were truly qualified to be proud. Aetius had that qualification.

"Not made of iron?" Suzuki directly pointed out the fact. It appeared that Aetius was wearing heavy armor, but in reality, it was a set of magically treated metal "outerwear," similar in weight to two sets of robes.

"For me, there's not much difference between wearing robes and wearing battle armor. This lightweight armor, which is compatible with some magic, suits me better. Just like your clothes, it has a couple of minor magic functions for emergency use," Aetius had always wanted to dismantle Suzuki's future clothes to understand how future people solved the problem of materials that could hold magic power, and how they achieved the automatic use of Mystic Code. After this war was over, if he could come up with a suitable reason, he would consider doing so.

"I've come to return the bronze mirror you lent me. It played a significant role in defending against Dark Magic," Suzuki said as he handed over the palm-sized bronze mirror, but Aetius didn't take it.

"Keep it. Today, you're going to face Brunhilda, who has become a Caster. This bronze mirror can help you defend against Dark Magic but don't expect it to completely withstand the magecraft of that witch. If she casts her magecraft seriously, my Mystic Code alone won't be enough to stop it." Aetius didn't care about losing one or two pieces of Mystic Code. He had an abundant collection of high-level Mystic Code. A mere "Vulcab's Talisman" was of low value among all his possessions, at best useful against demonic sorcery, with no offensive capabilities in actual combat.

Suzuki followed the instructions and formally accepted the bronze mirror. There was no joy or similar delight. Suzuki rarely displayed intense emotional changes; he might not have been programmed with those functions.

"Thank you for your help."

"No need. We are allies now, mutually benefiting from each other. Today, I will lead my army to engage in a decisive battle against the Huns. You will go to the location I divined and intercept Brunhilda, taking advantage of her injuries. The Holy Grail War will continue, and we will soon gather the required number of Servants. We already have four, and adding two more, Attila and Brunhilda, to collaborate won't be difficult. If you fail, be sure to send a signal before everything is lost so that I can escape with those who can still run," Aetius said, handing Suzuki a black stone sphere that felt light when weighed.

Suzuki wanted to save his Servant, Jeanne d'Arc, who hadn't been killed yet. It wasn't just because Brunhilda intended to use Jeanne as the "anchor" to stabilize the Singularity. Over these past few days, Suzuki had received a lot of care from Jeanne, and he couldn't imagine how long he would survive after awakening if he hadn't summoned her.

"Understood."

"What if you are defeated by the Huns?" Gilles de Rais deliberately asked this question, as he simply couldn't tolerate Aetius treating Suzuki as a subordinate.

"Firstly, according to the history you know, I won this battle. Secondly, I already came up with a feasible method last night and have a good chance of stopping Attila. Lastly, please dispel this terrifying speculation, Knight. Even if you win against Brunhilda then if my army and I lose, you will face Attila with the Holy Grail's power fully unleashed. She always claimed to be the destroyer of civilizations. If she wins, it won't be merely a claim; she will truly be the destroyer of civilizations. Can you stop such Attila?"

Suzuki didn't need much thought to come up with an answer. He shook his head, agreeing with Aetius's statement. "Such a thing cannot happen. It's not much different from failing to stop Brunhilda, and the harm to human order cannot be estimated."

Aetius shrugged and smiled at Gilles de Rais's provocation. Multiple-choice options are only fair in tabletop games; in reality, there are often no symmetrical choices. "Very well, mutual understanding is better than suspicion."

Meanwhile, inside the Hun camp, numerous Hun soldiers and a small number of mercenaries began to gather. The standoff that lasted for over a week had finally come to an end today, and a great battle was about to erupt.

Alone, Attila sat on the throne, savoring sweetened goat's milk. She slowly took out the Holy Grail from within herself. Since last night, with the successive defeat of Archer Atalanta and Aetius's Caster Servant, the Holy Grail had stored the residual souls of four Servants. Attila could now see the flow of magical energy in the darkness with her eyes closed. She could unleash the power of the Holy Grail at any moment, radiating a regal brilliance she had never imagined before.

The rainbow-colored stone sword was also in her hands. She knew that the fastest way to minimize the casualties of her soldiers in this great battle was to find Aetius's location and go straight for his head. However, the same applied to Aetius. If he could kill Attila on the battlefield, the battle would be over in an instant. The Holy Grail and the rainbow-colored stone sword gave Attila ample confidence. She would not choose a passive strategy. After defeating Aetius, she would proceed to the current capital of the Western Roman Empire and declare the entire empire's submission to her, Attila.