บท 123: Chapter 49
The sun was slowly setting, signaling the end of their carefree time together.
Karna, without a word, untied his apron, folding it neatly into a square before placing it on the stone they had used as a makeshift table. He then dematerialized, vanishing from sight.
Achilles, his usual smile fading, hefted his spear over his shoulder and sauntered back to his chariot. On his way, he grabbed Shakespeare and tossed him onto the chariot as well.
Mordred sat on a nearby rock, legs swinging idly. Unlike Karna and Achilles, she had no intention of returning to the Hanging Gardens. After all, she wasn't really part of their group.
"So, Master, what's our move?" Mordred asked in a tone that suggested she didn't care much either way.
"What do you think, Saber?" Kairi answered, leaning against a wall with a cigarette hanging from his lips.
"Honestly, I don't want to ally with that woman. She gives me a bad feeling," Mordred grumbled, scratching the back of her head in frustration. "You don't want to get stabbed in the back, right?"
"Yeah, I'm not too keen on that either," Kairi replied, exhaling a cloud of smoke.
After defeating the Black Faction, they would face the Red Faction's internal conflict. With Shirou Kotomine controlling four Servants, two of whom were exceptionally powerful, it was unlikely he would help them.
"But I'm also not eager to help the Black Faction," Mordred added, hopping off the rock.
"Because of the Saber and Archer of Black?" Kairi asked, tilting his head. It was true that Mordred had charged into battle twice, only to be defeated by those two, and not in a flattering way.
"Master, do I look like someone who can't handle losing?" Mordred asked irritably, kicking the wall beside Kairi. The stone cracked under her foot.
You sure do… Kairi wisely kept that thought to himself, knowing he was less durable than the wall.
"So, what's your plan?" Kairi shifted slightly to the side.
"I don't care," Mordred shrugged. "Let's crash the Hanging Gardens and play it by ear. The Black Faction wants the Grail, and the Red Faction wants to defend it. They'll probably ignore us."
"And we cause trouble while they're busy fighting?" Kairi stubbed out his cigarette. "Not exactly knightly behavior."
"Sorry, I'm just a third-rate knight," Mordred stuck out her tongue.
"Then let's be the troublemakers."
As the sun fully set, Vlad III stood at the forefront of the Black Faction's Servants, standing before the iron stakes.
"This will be our final battle," Vlad took a deep breath and stepped onto the stakes. "Lend me your strength, my allies!"
"Haha, wasn't that always the plan?" Astolfo grinned, scratching the back of his head.
"Indeed," Chiron smiled faintly.
"Rooaaar," Frankenstein waved her hammer in the air.
Siegfried nodded in agreement.
"Darnic," Vlad turned to Darnic behind him, "this is now a battle for Servants. You don't need to follow us."
"No, I want to witness the King's battle until the very end," Darnic gripped his staff tightly. "This is our war too."
"As a Master, I must be ready to support our Servants at any moment," Fiore waved her hand, showing the Command Seals.
"Considering the threat of the Black Assassin, it might be safer to stay with you," Caules adjusted his glasses, still worried about their missing Assassin, Jack the Ripper. If Jack took advantage of the chaos to strike, they'd be finished.
"Make sure you all get to the cars and drive far away," Gordes continued to instruct the homunculi who weren't injured, pointing to a few patched-up off-road vehicles they'd salvaged from the ruins.
Sieg wanted to join Gordes, but he knew he'd only slow him down. The best he could do was to let Gordes focus without worrying about him.
Celenike, whose personality had completely changed, was uncharacteristically calm. She even suggested that it might be safer to head up to the Gardens, rather than risk being attacked from below. This straightforward attitude left Astolfo, who had been constantly abused by her, feeling uneasy.
"The final battle is about to begin," Cyd, standing a bit away, smiled as he sensed the presence of Jack in the Hanging Gardens. Shriou must have successfully persuaded them, but that was fine. Now, all the Servants were gathered.
Atalanta yawned, clearly uninterested. To her, it didn't matter who won. Her wish would be fulfilled either way.
Jeanne watched Cyd with concern. She couldn't shake the feeling that he was hiding something and that his true intentions were about to be revealed.
In the Hanging Gardens…
"Master, everything is prepared," Semiramis flicked her fingers, and dozens of screens appeared around them, each displaying different parts of the Gardens' key pathways. However, thick fog filled every corridor, making it difficult to see.
"It's fine. We just need to confirm the Black Faction's location and their opponents," Shirou glanced at Reika Rikudou. "You don't need to engage the Black Servants directly. Just target their Masters when the opportunity arises."
Reika nodded. If possible, she preferred not to send Jack against those fearsome-looking Servants.
"Semiramis, try to separate the Black Faction as much as possible when they land. If you can, split the Servants from their Masters," Shirou patted the sword at his waist. "I might be a little occupied."
"Master, just focus on your own tasks," Semiramis waved him off. "I control the Hanging Gardens. It will be easy to kill them here."
"Thank you," Shirou smiled warmly. "I'm glad you're my Servant."
"Ahem, flattery won't help you now," Semiramis coughed, her face turning slightly red as she looked away.
"No, I've always wanted to say that," Shirou scratched his head. "I might not make it back this time, so I wanted to at least express my gratitude for all your help."
"Hmph, it's a Servant's duty to assist their Master. But don't forget your promise," Semiramis stepped closer, pressing the spike of her gauntlet against his chest. "You're not allowed to die."
"Don't worry, I won't die until my wish is fulfilled."
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