---o---
[Light Screen Projection——
After the three kings and Elysia had all revealed their wishes for the Holy Grail, the Banquet of Kings was drawing to a close.
However, a certain high-spirited king seemed unwilling to let it end just yet.
"Hahaha~~"
On the light screen, Glitter-Gold suddenly burst into unbridled laughter. Saber and the King of Conquerors immediately turned to look at him, and Saber asked, "King of Heroes, what are you laughing at now?"
"I am merely feeling pleased——"
"Be it Elysia's ideal or your laughable way of the king, it is precisely because of these things that this otherwise dull war has become far more amusing——"
The tax-evading king expressed his satisfaction with the evening's banquet, especially with Saber's ridiculous philosophy of kingship. The King of Heroes' crimson eyes betrayed undisguised appreciation and aggression. "What a fascinating lioness! Saber, that unwavering resolve and the courage to draw your sword are so brilliant they have captivated even me."
"I adore that expression, like a virgin scattering flowers upon her bed."
"You..." Saber frowned, her eyes filled with unconcealed disgust, clearly repulsed by the King of Heroes' words.
But what made both of their expressions change in the next second was not the spark of an impending battle between them, but a magical presence that had been lurking in the shadows finally revealing itself.
A moment later, Irisviel and Waver also noticed the abnormality in the surrounding air. Though invisible, their skin could feel an incredibly dense killing intent.
Elysia downed the last few drops of wine, patting her full belly. She opened her eyes, a little hazy, and looked at the three kings who were on high alert, as well as the anxious Waver and Irisviel.
Alright, even she was a little tipsy. After all, it was divine wine, and she had drunk more of it than anyone else, so it was only natural she'd feel its effects.
To have drunk from beginning to end and only be slightly dazed, one had to admit that Elysia's tolerance for alcohol was truly remarkable.
But what the viewers of the light screen did not expect was her apparent lack of a sense of crisis. Whether it was the three kings sitting here or the various familiars hidden in the dark, not a single one could be considered safe.
And now, the enemy had already launched a silent assault——strange white figures emerged in the moonlit courtyard, one after another. Their pale visages appeared like blooming flowers, their pallor the color of cold, dry bones.
Skull masks and black robes. The empty courtyard was gradually surrounded by this bizarre group.
Assassin...
Seeing this, Waver let out the shriek of a damsel in distress, scrambling and crawling over to the King of Conquerors' side, trembling as he clutched onto him for a sense of security.
The three kings and Elysia saw this but made no move. The King of Heroes clicked his tongue in annoyance. "It seems some disgusting, blind insects have arrived, ruining this king's pleasant mood."
To mobilize so many Assassins, the order could not have come from Kirei Kotomine alone.
Because Tokiomi had shown Gilgamesh the proper courtesy of a subject, Gilgamesh had grudgingly acknowledged him as his Master. However, Tokiomi's actions were making Gilgamesh increasingly dissatisfied.
Although this banquet was initiated by Rider, the wine was provided by Archer. To send assassins to such a feast—what was Tokiomi thinking? This was tantamount to smearing mud on the King of Heroes' face.
"Hmm... it's gotten quite messy, hasn't it?"
As the enemies gradually closed in, Elysia remained completely unfazed. In her perception, although there were many of them, they were all small fry that could be dealt with easily. Still, to be able to approach this close without a sound, these Assassins' stealth abilities were quite impressive.
If she had such an ability, couldn't she sneak into Kalpas's room for a look around without him noticing, just like Pardo? Or maybe grab some fun things from Dr. Mobius's lab?
Elysia watched the enemy's movements while contemplating her own mischief.
This sent a shiver down Pardo's spine on the other side of the screen. She liked to steal things—ah, no—collect things that nobody wanted. But where would she get the nerve to go into Big Bro Kalpas's room or Big Sis Snake's lab? Wasn't that just asking for death? Besides, there was nothing worth stealing in their rooms anyway. She had already checked several times...
"What's going on?! Why are there so many Assassins... one after another?! Isn't there supposed to be only one Servant per class?!" Waver was on the verge of wetting his pants. After all, the appearance of so many Assassins blatantly violated the rule that the Holy Grail War only permitted one Servant for each class.
Seeing the sorry state of their prey, the Assassins chuckled sinisterly:
"——You are correct. We are a Servant who is a collective entity, and each individual is but a shadow of the whole."
The "Old Man of the Mountain"—among all those who have inherited the terrifying title of Hassan-i-Sabbah through the ages, only one possessed the ability to alter their physical form.
And the Assassin summoned by Kirei Kotomine this time was precisely the assassin known as the "Hundred-Faced."
It was just a shame. Had he been in any of the previous Holy Grail Wars, he might have been a high-quality Servant. But in this one, even the First Hassan might not be guaranteed a win, not with Solomon around.
After the Assassin finished his introduction, the scene fell into a deep silence. An awkward atmosphere enveloped the courtyard as no one chose to make the first move.]
---o---
[Light Screen Bullet Comments——
[Eriri Spencer Sawamura: "Place your bets, place your bets! Who do you think will take out Assassin? The three kings or Elysia? I'll bet a bag of spicy strips, it's definitely the King of Heroes——"]
[Utaha Kasumigaoka: "He introduced himself right away, just like the King of Conquerors. But that's fine if you have the skills to back it up. Isn't this just suicide? Sigh. My bet is on Elysia. That dark and grimy appearance is destined to be purified by a beautiful girl."]
[Pardofelis: "So that's how we're playing~ Then I'll take a guess too! My luck is always really good, so I'll guess it's the King of Conquerors!"]
[Mobius: "Pardo, could you please explain something for me? For a while now, things have been going missing from my laboratory. Tell me... could it have been a certain little lost kitty, perhaps~~?"]
[Pardofelis: "Huh? Were... were there? Th-then it was probably Can, when I wasn't looking! Don't worry, Big Sis Snake, I'll go teach her a good lesson right now——"]
[Mobius: "Do you really think I'd give you a chance to run away? Since you enjoy it so much, I'll let you have a wonderful, wonderful time on my experiment table."]
[Pardofelis: "Ahhhhh—— No, Big Sis Snake, please! I'll never do it again——"]
[Kalpas: "..."]
Poor Pardo was dragged off to the lab for research by Dr. Mobius before the bets could even be settled. But with her heaven-defying luck, she probably won't die... probably...