Chapter 36: The Twisted Lancer

After finishing his bath, Roy changed into comfortable clothes and donned a long black trench coat. He kept the rune-inscribed papers close to his body, fully prepared as he headed to the front yard, where he was supposed to meet up with Tohsaka Rin. Since Aizaka was staying at his place, they had agreed to meet at the Aozaki residence before heading outside the city to hunt down the corrupted Servants.

But then...

"Master!"

Suddenly, Okita Sōji materialized beside Roy, her expression deadly serious.

"There's a Servant approaching!"

"I can feel it."

"Could it be Lady Tohsaka's Servant?"

"Unlikely."

Roy shook his head, his gaze sharp.

"The magical energy is twisted and filled with resentment. That doesn't seem like the kind of Servant Tohsaka Rin would summon. Saber, go outside the estate and prepare for battle!"

"Understood!"

Okita Sōji disappeared in a flash.

Roy started walking toward the front gate.

The summoning had just been issued earlier today, so it wasn't surprising that his identity as a Master was now public knowledge. It was likely that all the magi in Fuyuki City already knew he was one of the Masters in this Holy Grail War.

But who would come for him at this particular moment? And for what reason? Was it Bazett?

Did she come to confirm if he was the one who had broken into the large cavern that day?

No, while Bazett wasn't exactly a saint, she was a straightforward person, and her Servant wouldn't be filled with such intense resentment.

This overwhelming malice didn't feel like a regular Heroic Spirit—it felt more like an Anti-Hero.

As these thoughts raced through his mind, Roy reached the front of the estate.

Okita Sōji stood vigil on the road, poised for battle.

Opposite her, a dark figure slowly approached from down the street.

The moment Roy stepped outside, that figure, as if sensing his presence, turned its gaze directly toward him.

For an instant, their eyes locked.

In that brief moment, both of their expressions changed.

"Ha! Hahaha! Hahahahahahahahaha—!"

Suddenly, the figure burst into hysterical laughter.

His voice was hoarse and ragged, filled with both rage and sorrow.

"It's you! I knew it was you! At the city hall, I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me, but no—you're here, after all—you traitor!"

The figure was wrapped head to toe in filthy bandages, like they hadn't been changed in years. His body was clad in tattered armor, and his voice was as hollow and ancient as the whisper of a skeleton in a grave.

The moment she saw him, Okita Sōji's eyes widened slightly.

She knew this man!

No, she didn't really know him.

She had seen him twice before—in the dreams of her Master.

That's right.

The way this man was dressed was identical to the old man who had confronted her Master in those dreams. No—it was him!

But in those dreams, she had seen her Master kill this man.

Her Master had killed him—and after that, had slaughtered every last one of the thirty-plus people on that mountain, regardless of whether they were men, women, or children, before finally leaving.

She had seen that scene clearly with her own eyes! Yet, somehow, this old man was still alive.

Was he a ghost?

No, he was clearly human. Even though he was wrapped in a strong aura of resentment, the breath and warmth of flesh and blood were unmistakable.

Could it be that he had faked his death and deceived her Master back then?

And now, had he come for revenge?

"So, you're still alive, you old bastard."

Roy's voice sounded from behind her, cold as ice.

Okita glanced back at him.

At some point, Roy had taken off his glasses.

And there, on his face, was a chilling, savage smile that sent shivers down her spine.

Up until now, her Master had always struck her as a bit odd, but overall, he seemed like a decent person.

But this smile—this expression was something she had never seen from him before. It was the kind of smile one might associate with a demon's cruelty.

The image of her Master in Okita Sōji's heart was completely shattered.

"Ah, I see now."

"I've always just been a heartless executioner. How could I expect a Master who summoned me based on compatibility to be a normal person?"

Okita thought silently to herself.

She remembered when she was first summoned in the large cavern underground, walking through that cursed mist. Okita Sōji had felt her very soul tremble.

But her Master had remained calm, as if the curse didn't faze him at all.

At that moment, she had made her assessment.

Either a genius or a madman.

And now, it was clear.

Roy was indeed a madman.

A madman who was simply very good at hiding it.

"Saber."

"Yes!"

"Kill him. Tear him apart, piece by piece."

"Understood!"

Without hesitation, Okita Sōji took a step forward, her blade aimed directly at the old man in the ragged armor standing dozens of steps away.

Who her Master truly was didn't matter to her.

Their bond was formed by compatibility, and they had promised to trust each other completely.

As long as that trust held, Okita Sōji would follow her Master's orders without question!

The girl's movements were swift, like a leopard on the hunt. In the blink of an eye, she had crossed the asphalt road and reached the old man, her blade flashing in a downward arc aimed at his legs.

The old man didn't react, as though frozen in fear.

The blade gleamed in the dim light, closing in on him in an instant.

But Okita's expression suddenly shifted. She twisted her foot, veering sharply to the side and leaping away from the old man.

Crack!

The ground beneath her erupted as if a volcano had burst open, asphalt cracking and stones scattering in all directions.

A wall of searing flames shot up from the ground, forming a barrier in front of the old man.

Okita landed a distance away, her gaze sharp.

Had she recklessly pressed forward, the old man might not have survived, but she would have been engulfed by the flames and burned to death.

And these flames weren't ordinary.

They were flames filled with resentment and curses.

Once touched by even a spark, escape would be nearly impossible.

"A Servant?"

Okita's expression grew more serious.

There was no mistaking it—these cursed flames belonged to the Servant she had sensed earlier.

Was that old man the Master of this Servant? Could he be one of the two remaining Masters who hadn't yet revealed themselves? "Come forth, Lancer!"

The old man's hunched figure raised his right hand.

Three bright red Command Spells, glowing like flames, were clearly visible.

With his command, the air around them fell into silence for a brief moment before a Servant's form materialized in front of them.

It was a twisted figure, shrouded in endless resentment, with black flames flickering around her like a living curse.

Through the flames, her silent face became visible.

She appeared to be around seventeen or eighteen years old, with short silver hair falling just to her shoulders, and eyes of dark gold that glimmered with cold indifference.

Her black nun's habit was armored, with fur-lined chains wrapped around her body. Between her black knee-high socks and the hem of her skirt, there was a faint glimpse of skin—an absolute zone of purity blurred by the cursed flames that swirled around her.

Seeing this figure, there was no way Roy wouldn't recognize her.

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