บท 83: Chapter 8. Backstabbed! All of You Are Backstabbing Me!
I Will Eventually Embark on the Path of No Return Called a Hero [Arc2] - 8. Backstabbed! All of You Are Backstabbing Me!
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"Now, this is an interesting development..."
Kotomine Shirou's expression was somewhat stiff.
"Well~ I'm not here to make things difficult for you. I just have a few questions about why your Red faction is attacking me," Cyd snapped his fingers.
"It was his instruction," Karna materialized and pointed his slender finger at Kotomine Shirou.
"He also instructed me," Achilles walked behind Cyd and pointed at Kotomine Shirou.
So, you guys are here just to make things hard for me!
Kotomine Shirou's smile began to falter. Now, all the Servants except the Assassin behind him were standing beside Cyd. Although Karna wasn't so overt, it was clear he had no intention of helping.
"This has certainly turned into an interesting situation. What should we do, my Master~" A despondent woman in heavy formal attire appeared behind Kotomine Shirou. The rich scent of alcohol clung to her as she pressed against his back, her fingers teasingly scratching it.
Well, no one is on my side…
"She's Assassin," Kotomine Shirou used a stiff tone to shift the subject.
"Mm," Cyd nodded and raised his hand as if to indicate that Shirou should continue.
"…" Kotomine Shirou's mouth moved, his stiff smile looking somewhat comical, which made the Assassin, who was observing him from his back, stifle a laugh.
Kotomine Shirou wanted to use the excuse of misleading Karna and the others to deceive Cyd, but his sixty years in this world had not been spent idly. He had been preparing for the next Holy Grail War all along. He was well aware of Cyd's myths and even admired him.
A commoner's hope, the Hero of Pure White who never killed anyone, bringing peace and abundance wherever he went, speaking to the gods for the suffering people—Kotomine Shirou admired Cyd. Cyd had achieved what Shirou wished to accomplish, ending conflicts and bringing beauty to the world. Thus, Shirou knew exactly how terrifying Cyd could be.
A blessing that makes it impossible to lie.
As soon as he speaks, a lie would be forcibly turned into the truth. While he couldn't be sure if this blessing would make him speak the truth, there was one method to avoid falling victim.
Kotomine smiled and shook his head.
Remaining silent would avoid the trap!
"Ah~ So you mean to say that the Masters of the Red faction have unanimously decided to attack me?" Cyd pointed at himself.
"Not me!" Sisigou raised his hand.
"My Master~" Atalanta's eyes twinkled with a mysterious smile. "If she knew, she'd probably have those people killed."
Kotomine Shirou's mouth twitched, but he still nodded.
"So, where are they?" Cyd tilted his head.
Karna's eyes narrowed.
Kotomine Shirou shook his head.
"You're really smart. Now, Assassin~ You haven't done anything to the Masters of the Red Lancer, Rider, Caster, or Berserker, have you?" Cyd directed his gaze at the Assassin behind Kotomine Shirou.
Kotomine Shirou stiffened. Although the Assassin liked to tease him, she was undoubtedly on his side. He had also informed her about Cyd's legend, but she always seemed disinterested, and given her personality...
She definitely wouldn't do something as disgraceful as shaking her head while keeping her mouth shut!
As expected, the Assassin was caught in the act.
"Of course, I poisoned them all," Assassin said nonchalantly.
The atmosphere in the church grew incredibly tense.
Karna promptly drew his spear, and Sisigou reached into his coat to grip his pistol.
At this moment, the Assassin also realized the situation and could no longer smile.
"Is it all over…?" Kotomine Shirou sighed, not expecting that his sixty years of preparation would end before it even began.
It seemed that any action they took might result in Karna stabbing them on the spot. Moreover, with Cyd, Atalanta, and Achilles—the fastest Greek heroes—so close, and given that Assassin lacked combat ability, even escaping would likely result in failure.
"Mm, I understand," Cyd nodded, showing no signs of movement.
"Is that it?" Kotomine Shirou was somewhat surprised.
"What else?" Cyd raised an eyebrow.
"Hey! Locking up the other Masters seems to violate the rules, doesn't it?" Sisigou's eyes widened.
"No," Cyd yawned. "It's perfectly fine for him to control other Masters by his own ability. This is the Holy Grail War; there's no such thing as comrades here. He's merely preparing as a Master for the aftermath of the 7 vs. 7. Even if he kills those Masters, it's not a problem. The Holy Grail War is not a game where you can walk away unscathed after losing. Without the right mindset, you will only end up dying. It's already fortunate that they've only been poisoned."
Kotomine Shirou's expression instantly brightened, while Karna and Sisigou grew more serious.
Achilles looked indifferent; after all, he had never met his Master, so it made no difference to him.
"You are very fair, which is greatly appreciated," Kotomine Shirou sincerely praised.
"Well~ Ultimately, there are no rules in the Holy Grail War except for not bringing things from the Reverse World to the Real World," Cyd shrugged. "I only oversee this. As for how you want to achieve your wishes, I don't care."
"I think it would be very pleasant to interact with you," Kotomine Shirou extended his hand towards Cyd with a smile. "If you don't mind, you can consider this place as a resting spot."
"Is that so?" Cyd raised an eyebrow and took Kotomine Shirou's hand. "Your companion behind you doesn't seem too happy about it?"
Now, the Assyrian Empress behind him had a face full of hatred, as if she wanted to poison him. Even if Kotomine Shirou turned to look at her, she showed no intention of holding back.
"Bang---"
The door was slammed open, and a man in medieval clothing, backlit by the sunlight, walked in with a hand pressed to his chest, taking unsteady steps.
"A horse! A horse! In exchange for my kingdom..." After mumbling a few meaningless words with a neurotic tone, even the unreliable man sensed the tense atmosphere in the church. "Did I come at the wrong time?"
"No, Caster, we're having a great conversation. This is one of the Rulers of this Holy Grail War, the legendary Hero of Pure White, Cyd," Kotomine Shirou said with a smile.
"Oh~ So this is the Ruler you ordered to be eliminated yesterday?" Caster's eyes widened as he spoke in an exaggerated tone.
So, you're here to stir up trouble too…
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