Chapter 62

It was as if my body, which had been separated, was coming back together. After this brief period of illusion, my five senses returned to normal, and the first thing I noticed was heavy breathing.

"Cough, ugh...ugh...!"

Matou Shinji. Rider's former master.

He must have been intoxicated by the spatial transfer. This man, who was vomiting with both hands on the ground, was also my Master in the present tense.

After Shinji had emptied all the contents of his stomach, he punched the caster next to him.

"You... incompetent person! Couldn't you have come up with a better way to escape?"

Caster had used up all his strength and was limp, showing no signs of resistance. Not that I felt sorry for him, I called out to Shinji to stop him.

"Don't say that. In the first place, there are only a limited number of people who can use spatial teleportation without preparation. Even if we look back at history, this woman is probably the only person who can do it while carrying four pieces of luggage."

"That's true... He's not just a magician of the highest rank."

The girl in red agreed with me and compared to Shinji, she didn't seem to have been affected by the transfer. It must be because their training methods are different.

"Can you move, Rin?"

"Yes. Finally."

Rin said as she finally freed herself from Caster's binding hex and sat up.

Rin checked her body to make sure there were no remaining strange effects, then she opened her mouth to speak to me.

"Well, let's first confirm our location."

"It's probably somewhere in the forest on the outskirts. I don't think you can teleport that far away on the spur of the moment."

"Going from the center of town to the outskirts is already a violation of common sense. Even so, we left Emiya-kun and the others behind. I hope they are safe…"

"But the decision to retreat was not wrong. If that person is really the King of Heroes, then it would be reckless to fight without a plan."

"Well, Archer, answer me honestly. Do you think you can beat that thing?"

"...I wouldn't say it's impossible, but I wouldn't say the odds of winning are high."

"That's enough. Then we need to meet up with Emiya-kun and the others to increase our accuracy."

"That's true. That brat doesn't matter, but Saber's fighting power can't be ignored."

"Why do you hate Emiya-kun so much...?"

As we were about to take a step forward, exchanging light-hearted quips, a voice called out to us. It was Shinji.

"Wait, you guys!?"

As Shinji yells with his face red, Rin speaks as if she has only just realized something.

"What? You're still there?"

"D-Don't mess with me! Hey Archer! I'm your master! Don't listen to anything Tohsaka has to say!"

"You see, a Servant wouldn't give up on their Master that easily."

"Shut up! Servants are just slaves!"

"...If you're serious about that, then you really don't have the aptitude to be a Master. I'm just saying this to stop you from being a Master, so retire while you're still alive."

As Rin sighed, Shinji's eyes became bloodshot and he gritted his teeth. And then,

"Caster! Shut up Tohsaka!"

With a *crack, there was a sound like thin glass shattering, and Rin collapsed. I caught her before she hit the ground and checked her condition. She seemed to be just asleep. However, the curse was extremely strong. Only the person who cast it could break it.

"...Are you out of your mind? Wasting your command spells on something so trivial."

The words that slipped out of his mouth couldn't hide his disgust. Although there was a way to overturn the bindings of the Command Spells, this would make it difficult to renew the contract.

To begin with, Rin's words may have been harsh, but they were actually advice given out of concern for the other person's safety. To treat it like this and dismiss it like that is completely unacceptable to anyone with common sense.

However, Shinji seems to be in a state of near-delirium and doesn't even seem to understand that.

"Shut up! You're just a slave and you shouldn't interfere with what I do... gah... cough!?"

Enraged, Shinji started yelling at me and suddenly burst out coughing in the middle of it.

"Huh...? What is this...?"

Shinji muttered in shock at the sight of the blood smeared on the palm of his hand as he held his mouth. I sighed and spoke to him in a scolding voice.

"...You don't have Magic Circuits, do you? It's inevitable that something will go wrong if such a person tries to handle two extraordinary beings such as Servants."

"Wha... Ah?! Am I in the wrong?!"

"I'm not going to lie. Give up your Command Spells right now. You won't survive the Holy Grail War."

"Don't mess with me! You two useless guys can't even defeat a single enemy, so don't push the responsibility onto me! You're just eating up costs even though you're useless!"

With blood dripping from the corner of his mouth and eyes filled with insanity, Shinji glared at me, breathing heavily. Seeing his expression, I realized that there was no way to persuade him.

"How long are you going to sleep for? Wake up!"

Shinji yelled, kicking Caster, who was still lying on the ground and unable to move, in a fit of anger. It was only natural, considering he had already used up all his strength, and had further overworked him with the Command Spell.

As I watch Shinji, I search for distant memories.

Could this boy really have been so twisted?

I can't remember much about the past, it's like a haze, but I don't think it was ever this bad.

He should have been just a boy his age who, despite some issues, was reasonably friendly. How did he go wrong and become the person he is today?

Of course, this is probably a quality that the person has always possessed, but it should remain just that: a quality.

There are surely countless factors that have distorted his personality, and there is no way of knowing the details.

However, if there was one thing that could be said for sure, it was Emiya Shirou who put the finishing blow to the boy's heart.

Due to his personality, Matou Shinji has very few people he can call friends. Also, due to his special family background, he doesn't trust his own relatives.

In the extreme circumstances of the Holy Grail War, such a boy found only a few people, no, perhaps the only person he could trust. That person was Emiya Shirou.

I don't know if they resonated with each other because they were both warped, but there is no doubt that there was a friendship between these two.

But Emiya Shirou abandoned Matou Shinji. He abandoned a man who had no one to rely on but himself, and sided with another.

Whatever his intentions may have been, this fact remains.

"What are you doing spacing out? Let's go!"

Shinji's voice brought me back from my reminiscence.

Shinji turned towards me with only his upper body and shot me an irritated look. Caster had somehow recovered enough to move and was unsteadily carrying Rin on his back.

"Where are you going?"

"If you don't have any magical power, you can just get it from somewhere else. I think I have an idea."

Shinji answered my question succinctly.

"Sorry, Bazett. I can't let you get away."

"Is this Kotomine's instruction?"

"……ah"

Lancer confirmed Bazett-san's words with a bitter look on his face. ...His expression now seemed to be one of frustration, not at the fact that a fact had been pointed out, but at the position in which he had no choice but to do so.

"Wait!"

"ah?"

I interrupted the two of them.

He is clearly distressed, so perhaps he can be persuaded.

I continued speaking to Lancer, who looked at me with an annoyed look on his face.

"Lancer, Bazett is your master, right? Then..."

"Former Master."

"Does that need to be emphasized? It doesn't change the fact that she is your summoner. In that case, she should be the same as your Master."

"It's not the same. We have our own circumstances, so get out of here, brat."

Lancer clicked his tongue, glared at me, and spat out the words. But I couldn't just back down. My life was literally on the line.

"Is it something that requires prioritizing your convenience even if it means pointing a blade at your summoner, Bazette-san? I heard that you are a knight, but is it possible for a knight to betray his master so easily?"

"...Stab me where it hurts, you little brat...!"

Lancer bared his fangs in anger at my words.

I ended up speaking in a blaming tone, in response to the rude and careless treatment, but it seems the effect was greater than I had imagined. If Medea's hypnotic suggestion hadn't remained in my mind, I probably would have let it slip out of my anger at being hit.

However, even though Lancer was clearly angry, he still didn't attack.

If it was as Bazett had told him, Lancer's personality wasn't exactly rude, but it wasn't exactly what you'd call gentlemanly.

Although he was about ten steps away, that distance was nothing to him as he was a close combat type Servant. He should have been able to attack easily. Despite that, he didn't do anything, probably because he felt guilty.

In other words, if they continued their offensive, they might be able to force him to retreat. At the very least, they could slow him down.

Just as I was thinking that and trying to string together words, a hand grabbed my shoulder.

"I'm sorry Hayato. Can you please leave it at that?"

There was a quiet but strong anger in what Bazett-san said. Of course, it was directed at me.

Bazette-san made me step back and stepped forward again.

"I'm sorry, Lancer. There's no need for you to worry about us."

"You didn't have to stop me, did you? It's true that I betrayed you."

"You are acting according to your beliefs. It is because you are such a person that I called you here."

"... This is bad. I'd rather be insulted than this."

"Then let us have that as retribution."

Lancer embarrassedly scratched his head. Seeing him like that, Bazette-san chuckled.

Even though they are enemies, there seems to be a deep trust between these two. This makes it clear that a showdown here is inevitable.

"How long do you intend to keep talking, Lancer?"

One of the Assassins stepped in between the two.

He was still wearing the same tattered black outfit and white skull mask, but he was a size larger than the other assassins. He seemed to be the leader of the group.

Lancer responded to him with a look of genuine annoyance.

"Don't be so serious. It's fine, this much is fine."

"Even though you have some leeway, time is not infinite. Above all, our master does not trust you."

"Oh really? Tell Kotomine that I know that."

"Don't casually reveal your Master's name...!"

"It's too late now."

"That's not the issue! Listen, Master has asked us to keep an eye on you. If you're planning on leaking information about us with your pointless chatter then..."

The Assassin's words stopped there.

Before he knew it - and he had no idea when it happened, Lancer had the tip of his spear pointed at Assassin's throat.

"That's enough."

Lancer's face remained flat as he spoke in a matter-of-fact manner.

"No matter what the process, as long as I have the Command Spell, Kotomine is my Master. I will make my 'Master' win. I have sworn to do so as a knight. If you insult him, I will cut you down first."

The voice no longer had the same intensity as before, but I had the illusion that my spine had been replaced with an icicle.

This must be Lancer's true anger. Even I, who was only watching from the sidelines and whose emotions were supposed to be frozen with magic, could see this. I can't even imagine the pressure Assassin must be feeling as he is being hit directly by that rage.

In the end, Assassin was unable to move a muscle, and Lancer withdrew his spear, and the situation began to move again.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting."

"……home"

Bazett-san's voice as she answered was clearly heavy.

Lancer's spirit just now must have reminded him just how powerful the foe he was about to face was.

"Emiya."

I called out to Emiya, who was watching the situation unfold without being able to say anything. When I confirmed that Emiya was looking my way with just his eyes, I continued speaking.

"I'll have Bazett hold Lancer back. In the meantime, run over there."

As he said this, he pointed with his eyes to a certain spot, around the area under the streetlight where Hikigaya had originally been waiting for Emiya and the others.

Emiya nodded silently.

Two shadows intersect.

Sparks fly every time the spear and glove collide, momentarily lighting up the night.

Lancer was on the defensive, fighting back against Bazette-san. However, that doesn't mean that Bazette-san was pushing forward.

"Haaaah!"

Bazette-san launched an attack with a burst of energy. I couldn't even see the attack, it was so powerful it reached an inhuman level, but Lancer dealt with it effortlessly.

It's been like this for a while now.

No matter how many times he tried to attack, no matter how many feints he tried, Lancer deflected them all. And yet he never made a move himself.

Perhaps due to impatience, Bazette's expression became distorted and she was sweating. The same was true for Emiya and me.

Even though Lancer has time on his hands, he can't ignore Bazette. So now is the time to run away. However...

"Dammit...!"

Emiya groaned softly next to him. The Assassins' encirclement left no openings.

The Assassins simply surrounded us but did not attack us.

Lancer had probably told him beforehand not to lay hands on her until he'd settled things with Bazett-san, or something along those lines. I had no particular basis for this, but he seemed like the type of person who would say something like that.

Thanks to that, they were safe for the time being, but if they showed any signs of movement, things wouldn't be going smoothly.

The teleportation barrier was about 100 meters away. If I ran at full speed, it would take just eleven seconds.

That's all there is to it, but I can't imagine how I could outlast the Assassins in that time. Unless I could find an opening, it would be difficult to escape.

While we were gritting our teeth, the fight between Bazett and Lancer continued. After a few minutes, a small change came over the situation.

"Tsk... Is that all there is to it, Bazett?"

It was nothing, just a small click of the tongue. It was Lancer's.

Lancer released his stance and let out an exaggerated sigh. Bazette-san stopped his attack with a suspicious look on her face, so Lancer continued on in disappointment.

"Your movements are stiff. Your field of vision is narrow. Who is in front of you right now? Your servant? The hero you admired? No. He is simply an enemy that must be defeated."

Bazette-san was visibly shaken by Lancer's remark. Lancer spoke to her with a look of disdain.

"What's the point of being so intimidated when fighting an enemy? I thought you might be able to defeat me, but I guess there's no point in expecting that at this rate."

"!?"

It only lasted for a moment.

Lancer muttered softly, and then, as if he had teleported, he stepped right in front of Bazette-san, who was several meters away. Lancer spoke to Bazette-san with a cold look in his eyes, who was shocked and unable to even react.

"At least let me die by my hand. You should end it here."

"Damn it!"

Bazette leaned back and dodged the spear that was raised from close range. She lost her balance and made a spectacular leap back, while Lancer lazily watched her leave without pursuing her.

It's not that she went easy on him. She simply cut corners. Even I could tell that, and Bazett-san's expression twisted in humiliation.

This is bad... The difference in strength is too great.

I still have the effects of strengthening magic remaining on me, but that's no match for a Servant. In fact, Hikigaya lost a battle against a single Assassin.

Even Bazette, who was their last resort, was powerless against Lancer. At this rate, they really couldn't even retreat.

Lancer no longer even took a stance, but instead rested his spear on his shoulder and casually closed the distance. Even though it looked like he had plenty of openings, Bazette was unable to do anything, and instead retreated repeatedly until he finally came back to where we were.

"...I'm sorry. I couldn't make time."

"No... but it's a problem. Do you have any plans?"

"unfortunately"

Bazett-san replied with a wry smile. Indeed, there was nothing else to do but laugh.

What would Hikigaya have done? I wondered about it, but the only thing I could think of was to force my way through, prepared to face death. My eyes met with Bazett-san's and I confirmed that she was thinking the same thing.

Just as I was about to nod, Emiya, who had been silent up until then, opened his mouth.

"Hayama, anyway, will we be able to do something if we get that far?"

"? ah"

"Yes," Emiya replied in the affirmative, pointing to the area where the teleportation barrier was located.

"There's something I'd like to try. When I give the signal, just run."

I don't know what they're planning to do, but they don't have any plan. I'll try anything I can.

"Understood"

"Is the consultation over?"

At the same time that Bazette-san and I nodded in response to Emiya's words, Lancer's listless voice rang out.

Lancer seemed to have been waiting for me. However, this was different from the first time, probably because he was completely underestimating me. He was tapping his shoulder with his spear in a bored manner, stifling a yawn.

"Well, I'll finish this up now. You two better prepare yourself."

The Assassins' presence suddenly changes as Lancer speaks. It seems he has no intention of keeping the Assassins waiting any longer.

The atmosphere became tense. The situation remained still for a few seconds.

"Run!"

Time began to flow along with Emiya's scream.

We ran off as if we had been pushed back, and the Assassins rushed after us. Meanwhile, only Lancer continued to walk at a leisurely pace.

Bazette-san, who was running in the lead, came into contact with the Assassins. Just like at the mansion, she kicked them away, but this time there were more of them, and they showed no signs of retreating.

"Whoa!"

I tackled one of the assassins that was approaching Bazett-san from behind. I didn't have time to think about whether I was doing something unnecessary. Their poison is almost always a one-hit kill. Even a scratch is bad. Even Bazett-san would have no way of dealing with that many.

"Start ProjectionTrace On!"

Emiya's voice echoed from behind him.

I was so caught up in the chaos of fighting with the Assassins that I didn't have time to turn around in response to the voice, so it was just a coincidence that Emiya came into view.

Emiya held a bow in his left hand and a sword in his right.

The bow was created to support Tohsaka during our battle.

And the sword was created using the magic he displayed during his battle with the Golden Servant.

The sword had a twisted blade like a drill. Emiya attached it to his bow instead of an arrow.

"Space, twist and rage!"

In an instant, the sound disappeared. My hearing had been temporarily damaged by the explosion nearby.

A storm filled with heat waves blew in, and a flash of light accompanied by a shock hit my whole body. I lost my sense of balance and rolled on the ground, unable to defend myself.

I sat up, grimacing as the ringing in my ears still didn't subside, and saw a crater appear before my eyes.

...No, no, no, that's weird.

Considering the timing, it was clearly Emiya's doing, but no matter how you look at it, it was no human feat. It made Bazett-san's superhuman fighting strength pale in comparison.

"Now! Run!"

As he was stunned, Emiya's scolding reached him and he reflexively ran off. That's right, the most important thing right now is to get out of here. Think about the rest later.

Nearly half of the Assassins had been wiped out by the explosion. A vast empty space had appeared in front of them, with nothing blocking their path to the target. Now they could get there in one go...!

"I told you I wouldn't let you go."

Just when hope was in sight, the blue shadow stood in my way once again. Damn, I've come this far!

Lancer was now wearing a happy smile, a stark contrast to how he was earlier.

「So you had a hidden card like that? That was quite a surprise, boy.Uncle's SwordCaladbolgWhere on earth did you get that stuff?"

Without a moment's hesitation, Bazett once again charged at Lancer, who was in a good mood but laughing ferociously.

"Haa!"

"Ka-ka! Your movements have improved a lot, Bazette! However, that still won't be enough to take my life!"

Lancer, who was happily welcoming Bazette-san, let out a strange cry as he smacked down the dagger that came flying in an arc from the side.

"Woooohooo!"

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Emiya took the place of Bazette, who had retreated, and attacked Lancer with his large sword, which was as tall as he was. The sword came from almost directly above, but Lancer blocked it with his spear.

The sword Emiya held was huge, and was estimated to weigh at least 80 kilograms. He had to use gravity and his body weight to slam it down. It was a wonder the spear didn't break.

Lancer was bending his knees and hips and almost crouching down, and was holding on, but it would be impossible to turn the tables from this point.

--Normally.

"Haha! You've got some good instincts, boy! By the way, where did you hide that ridiculously big sword?"

The muscles in Lancer's legs swelled, and the giant sword rose into the air along with Emiya who was gripping it.

Lancer stood up, bearing all the calamity, violence, and injustice that had befallen him, just like a legendary hero.

Encouraged by the sight of them standing there, I picked up the dagger Lancer had knocked down earlier and started slashing. From the other side, Bazette attacked again - and Lancer swept all three of us away with a swing of his spear. That's just crazy! The three of us are helpless!

Among us, Bazette-san was the only one who managed to regain her balance in an instant and continued to attack Lancer. Meanwhile, I was no longer able to join in.

The battle with Lancer was intense, but it lasted only a short time. In that short time, the Assassins had formed their formation and completed their encirclement.

"Damn it...!"

The words escaped through gritted teeth, and resignation took hold of my heart.

I'm totally screwed. I don't have any more cards left.

I let go of the dagger I was clutching...

"Not yet!"

Hearing a roar from nearby, he regained the strength that had been fading away.

Looking closely, Emiya hadn't given up one bit. He produced a new sword in his hand and, ignoring Assassin, slashed at Lancer. Lancer was taking on both Bazett and Emiya at the same time, baring his fangs with genuine joy.

"Good spirit, boy! That's good! There's still time to give up, even if you're dead!"

Maybe it was because of Lancer's smile, but to me it looked like they were just playing innocently, even though they were supposed to be killing each other.

They were so dazzling that it made me feel incredibly small for being so easily tempted to give up based on such silly calculations.

I shook my head to shake off that delusion and quickly reconfirmed the situation.

The teleportation circle that was the escape point was just around the corner, but Lancer stood in front of them like a wall.

The Assassins just surrounded us and didn't seem to be attacking. I thought that Lancer had been putting a pin on them earlier, but it didn't seem like that was the only reason. It was probably due to the difference in ability between the Assassins and Lancer.

If we used throwing knives, we would have caught Lancer in the crossfire, and if we approached carelessly, we would be kicked away together. That's why Lancer was fighting aggressively, and was concentrating on not letting us escape while he had the upper hand. Of course, if push came to shove, he was planning to kill us along with Lancer.

Right now, the biggest obstacle is Lancer. There's no point in talking if we don't do something about him. But Lancer is simply strong. There's no prospect of doing anything about it. Even if we manage to push Lancer back, Assassin will fire a barrage of bullets at us. So we need to do something about Assassin first. But it's impossible to neutralize Assassin while fighting Lancer...

It's no good. The more I think about it, the more hopeless the situation becomes, and I can't find any positive aspects. Or rather, I've already reached a point where I have no choice but to keep struggling, but the words "useless struggling" keep crossing my mind, slowing me down. Damn, I was just hating myself for that a moment ago...!

Just as I thought before, there was nothing I could do with the cards in my hand. If there was anything I could do, it would be to postpone the time until I had to concede. To borrow Hikigaya's words, I could only hope for a card draw, but I was not even sure if I had any cards left in my deck. Even so,

"It's not too late to give up even after you're dead"

With the words that had just come out of his enemy's mouth in mind, he tightened his grip on his sword and raised his gaze.

At the same time, a pillar of light appeared.

"!?"

In front of them, the teleportation circle that was supposed to be hidden was glowing and spewing out countless bullets of light. The bullets flew into the sky like fireworks, drawing arcs and raining down on the Assassins.

"What?!"

"There's an opening!"

Bazette grabbed Lancer, who was naturally taken aback by the sudden situation. Lancer dealt with it without any trouble, but unlike before, Bazette pushed him away, creating some distance between them. Then...

"Whoooaa!?"

The same light bullets swarmed towards Lancer, and although they didn't seem to cause any damage, they pinned him to the spot.

"Hayato!"

That voice?!

A familiar voice echoes out of nowhere. When I turn towards its source, a glowing teleportation circle comes into view.

"Jump in!"

I shouted reflexively. This was the only way out.

Both Emiya and Bazette seemed to understand this, and ran towards the barrier without being told.

Almost at the same time, the three of them rolled and jumped into the barrier.

Without even taking the time to check my surroundings, I slammed my fist into the small, popsicle-like wooden board I had hidden in my sleeve - the activation key for the teleportation barrier.

As I felt the key break, the barrier began to glow brighter...

Crunch

Such a sound echoed, and the man in black - Assassin - collapsed.

"It seems that only one person caught up with us in that moment. We've completed their elimination. There was no way they would have had time to send any information."

Bazette-san calmly wiped the blood off her fist. Even though her whole body was covered in wounds and in a state of disrepair, she didn't seem out of breath. Or rather, she seemed to have acquired the technique of instantly catching her breath no matter how tired she was. I'll ask her to teach me next time.

In contrast to her, Emiya and I looked completely exhausted and were breathing heavily. Emiya finally managed to sit up and let out a mutter.

"...Where am I?"

That's a reasonable thing to say. There's no way Emiya would know about "this place". That being said, this is my first time here too.

This is the place Hikigaya had chosen, and Medea had set up as the teleportation destination. It was a safe zone that likely none of the enemy would have expected. ...Seriously, what kind of nerve does someone have to use someone else's house without permission?

Complaining to Hikigaya in his mind, he finally looked up.

The 3LDK is perhaps too spacious for one person to live in. From the living room window, a night view of the new capital spreads across the balcony.

The place is furnished simply and to the bare minimum, like a business hotel, as if they were not expecting any guests. It is a lonely scene, but somehow it feels warm, no doubt thanks to him and her.

A large TV was set up in front of the rather unusual cream-colored sofa, and on the deck below it were a lineup of Destiny works, including Pan-san's. ...I still love it, as always.

This was a luxury apartment building. It was the room Yukino-chan lived in. When Hikigaya said, "It's empty anyway, so I might as well use it," I was so shocked I got a headache.

I looked around the room, which should have been empty, searching for the person who shouldn't have been there. She wasn't even hiding, she was openly exposing herself.

Please forgive me.

That was my honest impression.

How much has happened in the last two days?

Yukino goes missing, Medea isn't human, Hikigaya is taking part in some strange battle, he is attacked by an assassin and saved by Bazett, Yukino brings a Servant, and Hikigaya is kidnapped.

I'm sick of it. I've had enough for a long time.

So why, of all people, did you have to show up here?

When I glared at her with almost resentment, she waved back, just as usual, with a bright smile that seemed to embody her name.

"Yay! Hey, Hikigaya-kun isn't here."