aircannonsinc Chapter 112 The Shadow's Encirclement and Alliance
Chapter 112 The Shadow's Encirclement and Alliance
Deep in the forest outside Einzbern Castle, it seemed as if a mini-apocalypse was unfolding.
"Boom!"
The deafening sounds of magical explosions came one after another.
The massive shockwave even caused the castle, several kilometers away, to tremble slightly.
Looking through the floor-to-ceiling windows on the second floor, one could see dust billowing dozens of meters high above the forest, and ancient trees as thick as a person's embrace flying about like weeds broken by a gale.
The golden aura of the Gate of Babylon and the dazzling dragon magic were like two opposing forces of a meat grinder, violently crushing and colliding in the forest.
Kiritsugu Emiya stood behind the window, an unlit cigarette between his fingers.
Despite the great distance between them, the gloom in his eyes vanished, replaced by an extremely cold yet excited light.
"This is wonderful..." Kiritsugu murmured to himself.
These two top fighters from the Tohsaka family actually started fighting!
Although it's highly unlikely that these two will actually kill each other...
However, this level of infighting means that the seemingly impenetrable wall of the Tohsaka camp has developed extremely serious cracks.
This is absolutely the best news Kiritsugu has received since the start of the Holy Grail War.
"Kiritsugu!"
The door was flung open, and Irisviel, escorted by Artoria, strode into the room, her beautiful face filled with anxiety.
"The barrier has been breached! And it's two completely different magical energy fluctuations, rapidly approaching the castle from the north and south!"
Kiritsugu's eyes narrowed, and he immediately switched to a cold, tactical stance: "Can you confirm who it is?"
"It's Lancer, who appeared at the docks before, and... Assassin!"
"Tsk, two Servants, huh..."
Kiritsugu crushed the cigarette in his hand, his brain starting to work frantically.
The presence of Lancer here implies that Kenneth, the extremely arrogant clock tower monarch, must also be somewhere in this forest.
The appearance of Assassin indicates that Kirei Kotomine has his eye on him.
"We cannot be separated," Kiritsugu immediately decided.
"Faced with a surprise attack from multiple Servants, anyone who leaves Saber's protection will be instantly killed. Everyone must immediately relocate and evacuate to the underground passage."
Just then, Hisayu Maiya, who was standing by the window, suddenly gasped.
"Kiritsugu, look outside!"
Kiritsugu suddenly turned his head to look out the window.
At the edge of the courtyard below the castle, which had been almost completely destroyed, a dense crowd of people had gathered.
Those were assassins wearing pale skull masks and tattered black robes.
Not just one, but dozens of figures of varying heights, weights, and builds, like vengeful spirits crawling out of hell, completely surrounded the castle's exit!
"What?!" Kiritsugu's stagnant mind was suddenly stirred by a violent ripple.
Are there really so many Assassins? Is it a high-level illusion? Or some kind of clone magic?
"Retreat! Immediately!"
Kiritsugu shouted sharply and yanked open the side door of the room.
The four immediately formed a tight tactical formation and sped down the dark corridor.
Artoria, gripping the invisible sword, charged ahead to clear a path, while Irisviel was protected in the safest center.
Kiritsugu, wielding a submachine gun, and Maiya, carrying an assault rifle, brought up the rear.
"Splash!!"
The glass windows in the corridor shattered with a crash!
With a jarring sound of shattered glass hitting the ground, several Assassins of varying builds swarmed in through the window like black spiders.
A dozen or so poisoned throwing knives flew through the air with a sharp whistling sound, heading straight for Irisviel, who was being protected in the middle!
"Don't even think about it!"
Artoria let out a cold shout, and the Wind King Barrier was instantly released.
The raging hurricane transformed into an indestructible, invisible blade, with only a few muffled "whoosh" sounds heard.
The three Assassins at the forefront didn't even have time to scream before they were cut in half by this unstoppable sword strike.
Finally, it turned into black spiritual particles and dissipated into the air.
"Bang bang bang bang...!"
Kiritsugu and Maiya in the rear also opened fire at the same time.
A dense barrage of bullets crisscrossed the narrow corridor, creating a fiery net that knocked down the throwing knives that were attempting to ambush the attackers.
They even riddled two physically weak Assassins with bullets.
Kiritsugu breathed a slight sigh of relief after a round of gunfire.
"As expected... the price of a large number is a precipitous drop in individual stats."
These clones are even less powerful than some top-tier modern magicians.
As long as Saber is in front to block the first wave of attacks, these assassins who are like grunts are not worth worrying about at all.
However, there are simply too many Assassins.
More shadowy figures spread along the ceiling and walls, attempting to wear them down with sheer numbers.
Just as Artoria was about to unleash even stronger wind pressure to clean the corridor...
"Whoosh!!"
A streak of extremely sharp crimson lightning roared in through the shattered window at the end of the corridor!
It was a long, red spear, but it did not attack Kiritsugu and his group.
Instead, it pierced the throat of an Assassin who was about to pounce on Irisviel from the ceiling with an extremely exquisite and domineering trajectory!
"Who goes there?!" Artoria's gaze sharpened, and she held her longsword protectively in front of her.
"Using numbers to bully the few is not only despicable, but also disgusting, like rats in a sewer! Does such scum even deserve to be a Heroic Spirit?!"
With a proud and angry shout, a handsome knight with a beauty mark at the corner of his eye and wielding two guns leaped in through the window.
Lancer, Diarmuid!
Lancer drew his crimson magic spear, swung it backhand, and the yellow spear drew a golden arc, instantly cutting the other two Assassins who tried to get closer into several pieces.
Faced with the combined attack of two regular-power Servants, the remaining Assassins in the corridor ceased their assault.
Their empty eyes beneath the skull masks met for a moment, as if they had received some kind of retreat order from their distant Master.
The next second, all the shadows, like ink receding from the tide, quickly merged into the shadows of the wall and disappeared without a trace.
The corridor fell silent again, with only the echoes of the battle between Asher and Gilgamesh reverberating in the distant forest.
Kiritsugu stood in the shadows, gun lowered, but his gaze was fixed on Lancer, his brain rapidly analyzing Kenneth's intentions.
"Are you alright, Saber?"
After confirming that Assassin had completely retreated, Lancer put away his dual pistols.
Then, the radiant knight planted his lance on the ground, passed over Artoria, and looked directly at Irisviel, who was surrounded by the crowd and exuded a noble air.
He naturally regarded this homunculus as Einzbern's Master.
Lancer performed a perfectly standard Celtic knightly salute, his clear voice echoing through the broken corridor:
"I apologize for the alarm, but I did not come here to fight."
Lancer raised her head, solemnly conveying her Master's instructions:
"The Tohsaka family's fighting strength has become a calamity beyond reason."
Therefore, my lord Kenneth El-Melloi Archibald proposed a temporary truce and alliance to Einzbern.
"What are your thoughts, Madam?"