Chapter 62: The Ambush
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"Relax, I keep my promises. I won't harm you, especially after receiving such a generous gift."
Roy assured Bazett with a friendly smile, signaling his goodwill.
But in the next breath, he shifted his tone.
"That being said, your Servant is gone, and your Command Seals are no longer of any use to you, right? Mind giving them to me?"
"Don't you think you're being a bit thick-skinned?"
Bazett's eye twitched as she looked at him, almost in disbelief.
"You just killed my Servant and now you're asking me to hand over my Command Seals? What kind of nerve do you have to say something like that?"
Even though Bazett had lost, she held no hatred for Roy. Throughout their battle, Roy had fought honorably; she simply couldn't match his skill.
But asking for the Command Seals on the spot? It was like a widow being asked for her wedding ring right at the funeral—absolutely shameless!
"Haha, I admit I don't really have a good excuse."
Roy chuckled, flashing a bright, almost boyish smile.
Then, he activated his Mystic Eyes.
"But you know, I could just take them myself. Your call."
His gaze focused intently on Bazett's hand, tracing the line of Command Seals from the back of her hand up to her wrist—five in total.
If it had been just one or two, he wouldn't have bothered. But five Command Seals, sitting there for the taking? He couldn't pass that up.
After all, it wasn't like it would take much effort.
Command Seals, invented by Zouken Matou, were a form of mystic crest crystallized with magic, designed specifically to control Servants. They were powerful spells in their own right.
Seeing his Mystic Eyes activate, Bazett felt utterly speechless.
Really? Whipping out the Mystic Eyes just because of one disagreement?
"Fine, I'll do it myself!"
Bazett sighed in resignation.
If the outcome was going to be the same, she saw no point in resisting.
"Thank you for your understanding."
Roy smiled warmly at Bazett, nodding his thanks.
"If things don't work out for you at the Mage's Association, consider switching sides. On behalf of Rin Tohsaka, I'd be more than happy to welcome you. Besides, I doubt your family ties you that closely to the Association."
Bazett's loss likely meant facing punishment upon her return to the Mage's Association.
Though she hailed from a distinguished family with a history tracing back to the Age of Gods, Bazett had joined the Association to escape a life of quiet obscurity, defying her parents to carve her own path.
Come to think of it, that had been around the time of the Fourth Holy Grail War.
In the Association, her noble heritage brought only surface-level respect. In reality, she was little more than a pawn—summoned when needed, dismissed when convenient, constantly shunned by those in power.
The Mage's Association was a cesspool of political maneuvering and power plays, rotten to the core, repulsed by anyone who outshined them. Over her ten years there, Bazett had been treated as little more than a disposable tool.
She wasn't naïve; she was fully aware of her own situation.
"You'd really accept a transfer? What's the pay like? Could I negotiate a higher salary?"
Bazett's eyes lit up, genuinely considering the possibility.
"…Are you that short on cash?"
"To be honest, working for the Association barely covers my daily expenses and the cost of making mystic codes. For any mission, I have to file for full reimbursements just to make ends meet."
"Sounds tough."
Thinking of his own two money-eating monsters, Roy felt a pang of sympathy for Bazett. He couldn't help but look at her with a bit of pity.
Still, he was taking those Command Seals.
"If possible, I'd appreciate it if you could return my family's Mystic Crest. It's expensive and time-consuming to remake…"
Roy pretended not to hear.
The transfer matter could be discussed with Rin later.
He was certain Rin would be delighted to welcome a powerful and straightforward mage like Bazett to her ranks.
With this, both Illya and Bazett were out of the running.
Only a few Masters remained—himself, Rin, Kotomine Kirei, and the elusive Matou family Master. Although Heracles and Cu Chulainn were out of the picture, Dark Saber and Dark Berserker were still formidable foes.
Roy was deep in thought, planning his next move.
Just then—
"Boom—!"
A deafening explosion echoed from not far away.
A mushroom cloud rose in the distance, the shockwave rushing towards them, causing a gust that swept across the empty lot.
"A trap set by the Mage's Association?"
Roy snapped back to reality, his expression turning cold.
"Impossible! I chose this location personally, and I didn't let anyone touch my letters!"
Bazett was equally taken aback.
While she had wanted to win, she preferred a fair fight with Roy. She would never stoop to such underhanded tactics.
"That scale of explosion… It doesn't look like something a regular mage could manage. It might be a Servant."
"A Servant?"
Roy's gaze sharpened.
Come to think of it, wasn't Rin's home somewhere in that direction?
Could it be…?
---
In the villa district.
The usual tranquility had vanished, replaced by an atmosphere boiling like a pot on high heat.
A black shadow clashed furiously with a Servant in a red cloak, their every strike creating a mesmerizing spectacle.
Rin Tohsaka stood in her family's yard, protected by a magical barrier.
Across from her was a hunched old man in a traditional Japanese kimono.
Familiar.
Painfully familiar.
"The Matou family really has no one left but you, you decrepit fossil."
Rin glared at the old man, her gaze radiating pure, icy hatred.
"Did you come here to finally face the guilt of your countless sins? Ready to die at my hands for redemption?"
"Heh, brat, even if I had sins to atone for, you'd hardly be the one to judge."
The elderly man's voice was hoarse.
Dressed in a dark blue kimono, with shriveled limbs like a mummy, he clutched a cane. His face was gaunt, his skin stretched over his protruding bones, his whole being reeking of decay, like a walking corpse.
Despite looking as if he could keel over at any moment, his eyes sparkled with a sharp, calculating glint.
There was no mistaking it.
This old man was none other than Zouken Matou, the long-absent head of the Matou family.
"Figures."
Rin's gaze remained cold, her killing intent palpable.
"Still, to think you'd launch an attack on me with only the weakest Assassin. Have you gone senile in your old age?"
"Ha, mock me all you want, but tonight, you're as good as dead, Tohsaka brat!"
Zouken chuckled, his tone brimming with sinister confidence.
"This old corpse really thinks he can get the better of me?"
Rin's expression was filled with a seething hatred, but internally, she remained composed.
"His Servant is an Assassin, likely one of the Hassan lineage—hardly strong. That Assassin is clearly being overpowered by my Archer. Where does he get this confidence?"
Not far away, Red Archer launched an arrow that sent Assassin scrambling.
"I didn't crawl out of the shadows after all these years just to play a single card."
A twisted smile crept across Zouken's face.
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