Sakura's physical condition was gradually worsening.
It seemed she was being beaten by Shinji, and since Sakura didn't look well at home, I brought her to my house for now.
Worried about her health, but Sakura stubbornly said going to the hospital was useless. Having no choice, I let her recuperate at my house.
But then, an incident occurred at Ryuudou Temple. The teacher, Kuzuki, was killed, and all the people at the temple were found collapsed.
I went to visit Issei, who was grieving over Kuzuki's death.
Probably a Servant's doing. But, why? Could Kuzuki have been a Master?
"There must be something. If Kuzuki was the Master, what about his Servant? There was no trace of a Servant at the scene. Probably killed by Assassin. It couldn't have been Lancer, at least. If Kuzuki was a Master, the Servant was likely Caster."
"Then, Assassin killed Kuzuki and the temple people... Isn't this dangerous?"
"Right. Ryuudou Temple is a mountain where the terrain itself forms a boundary field, effectively a fortress too advantageous for Servants, so it was tacitly left unclaimed. Even for an Assassin, to break through Caster's workshop and kill... This isn't normal. Perhaps, besides Assassin... those guys might be involved."
Tohsaka seems to be talking about the Servant in my form she saw before. Lately, it's been appearing in Sakura's form...
Judging by that, maybe it's not Assassin but that mysterious Servant. Saber seems to react as if she knows something.
Is it because I drank last night because of Fuji-nee...? Due to having a wet dream, I skipped school, and Tohsaka also missed school from lack of sleep. Since I'm not going to school, should I search Fuyuki, but...
Because of nursing Sakura, I decide to do it at night when Sakura is asleep. To begin with, Servants and Masters won't likely come out during the day, and Tohsaka also agreed.
After nursing Sakura, I moved at night when she was asleep. It's still 10 PM.
While investigating the surroundings with Tohsaka...
"Shirou, step back."
"That person is..."
Then, we encountered Zouken in the park. And Caster, controlled like a corpse by worms, reveals herself.
Saber and Archer engage in battle with Caster, controlled like a puppet. With Caster's near-self-destructive explosive magecraft, the two prepare to protect us, when...
"This is the right place, right? Sakura."
""!!!""
Then, someone appeared.
"Dumpty? Why are you here..."
It's the student teacher Dumpty. More importantly, just now, Sakura...?
"Yes, it's certain."
Huh...? A girl peeking out from behind Dumpty. Like, Sakura from her childhood...?
"Truly, an old monster is just a monster of obsession after all. Resorting to using a corpse. Pathetic."
"Ugh, ugh... Uwaaaaaaah!"
And Caster moves, throwing a giant fireball that looks like the sun...
Fwang!
Right before reaching Dumpty, Caster's fireball disappears. What did he just do?
"Th, that man is...! Why hasn't he changed from ten years ago!"
"... Who knows? Why might that be? Saber."
Does Saber know Dumpty? Just who is that person? What is he hiding?
Then, something flashes where Dumpty is standing... Fuji-nee?
"Fujimura-sensei!?"
"Dumpty, you did something to Fuji-nee...!"
"Tsk tsk~ You let your guard down? Emiya-kun."
Dumpty smirks cowardly.
Saber quickly charges to rescue Fuji-nee, but...
Swoosh!
"!?"
It happened in an instant. Saber tried to quickly rescue only Fuji-nee. But, Fuji-nee's arm held by Dumpty swings and cuts Saber's arm.
"Taiga...?"
"Nyaa~"
Then Fuji-nee rises from Dumpty's embrace. Fuji-nee in a black suit, holding a long naginata, with animal ears on her head and an animal tail swishing.
"Step back, Rin..."
"Archer, what is this..."
"You, what did you do to Fuji-nee!"
"Sorry sorry~ Already, Taiga is my woman, you see?"
"Really~ Saying that is embarrassing~"
Fuji-nee scratches her head as if shy. What did that guy do...? Brainwashing? No, then that form?
What is it?
"First, I can't forgive you...!"
"Calm down! Saber!!!"
Saber excitedly charges roughly. What happened between her and Dumpty!? But, something's strange──
Stab...!
"Ugh!?"
"Really now... So full of openings, I ended up stabbing you."
Then, Illya who suddenly appeared stabs Saber from behind. What...
Sizzle!
"Kyaaak!"
The Command Spell... disappeared...? What is this...
"Illya, why is she doing that..."
"What, what's going on, Archer!"
"... Saber?"
Illya smirks and looks at me.
The Command Spell... was stolen? Is that even possible...?
Clang!!!
Saber is incapacitated by Illya, and Fuji-nee is pushing back Archer.
"Kkh!"
"Orya orya~! Is that all!? No different from the old days! Right? Shirou..."
"!"
"?"
Why did she suddenly call me? Archer seems impatient, hurrying the fight. What do I do... Saber was stolen, what should I do...?
"Impossible... Why, Sakura..."
"Sorry, but Matou Zouken. Time to exit."
Kwaaaaaa!!!
A subsequent giant blue flame surges and burns Zouken away. The situation is changing too rapidly. How can I keep up...?
Swoosh!!!
Then, Fuji-nee who was fighting Archer swings her naginata, bringing it down on Caster as a giant flaming hand appears from the naginata, erasing her... What on earth is going on...
Clang!!!
"Haa... haa..."
"My my~ So you think you can wound me? Hoo~"
Meanwhile, Fuji-nee even lights a cigarette, showing leisure. She's too strong...
"Seems this is enough. No need to defeat such an opponent. What do you think? Sakura."
"They seem weak."
"Right? Shall we stop playing around...? Then, see you later? Shirou, Rin."
"Wait! Saber!"
"....."
Saber lowers her head and disappears with them. What on earth is happening... Just in case, I quickly return home, but...
Sakura was truly gone. Sakura, Saber...
==================================
Tap... tap...
Dumpty walks through a dark alley returning home. To him, a dark shadow appears.
Slither...!
"{Zabaniya}(Delusional Heartbeat)...!"
Thump...!
A red demon's hand flying from the darkness touches his chest, then retreats into the darkness as a white skulled assassin reveals himself.
Saber wonders why the others aren't protecting Dumpty and are just watching, looking at Illya and Jaguar Warrior, but...
"... What?"
However, no heart appeared in his hand. His curse didn't work at all.
"Whoa... That was a bit surprising. Almost became a heart-throb."
"Saying that in front of me?"
"That's rude, isn't it?"
"That's true."
Dumpty casually engages in everyday conversation. Because of that, he conversely felt an unknown fear...
Then, a flashback passes before his eyes.
Swish... slither....
"Ah, ahh..."
[What have you grasped, even attaching a demon's arm? Your own foolishness?]
"..... I'm, sorry..."
His neck is cut, and his head rolls on the ground. The death knell rings, and the Angel of Death takes the foolish assassin's life.
"Ugh...."
Saber saw that spectacle. An unprecedented scene she had never witnessed in her life. It was a terror beyond facing Vortigern.
Death
Saber was now trembling, facing the death that appeared before her eyes. She, who never trembled before Vortigern or even the Continental Conqueror Lucius, faced true terror and became afraid.
"Couldn't see it... At this level, if it's not a kebab, aren't you a Grand Saber, old man? Not Tes, but the other Grand Assassin candidates said they absolutely couldn't do it because it was burdensome, right?"
"... Not now, O Contractor."
"Aah... That's right. This worldline is different, so you said your rank is back to normal now? Hmm hmm... When we return, want to have grilled pork belly together? What's it called, Assassins are Muslim but oddly eat pork, right?"
"... I shall not."
"Great~ When we return, it's a pork belly party~"
Saber thought while watching Dumpty talk in a light mood before the very embodiment of death.
To begin with, he was an opponent she could never hope to fight against.