C499

Inside the Fortress of Millennia‎‎...

Vlad III eyed the scene unfolding on the battlefield, as captured by his familiars, especially focusing on the newly arrived Shirou who had stopped the battle between Karna and Arjuna. He questioned, "Who's this, intervening in a battle between heroes?"

Astolfo pondered, rubbing his chin, "Well, both Karna and Arjuna seem to recognize him. Maybe another legendary figure from India? Like Rama?"

Vlad III mused, "It could be, but even if it were Rama, stepping into their battle doesn't seem appropriate."

Saber chimed in, "Given that the sun's already up, dragging the fight into daylight doesn't seem appropriate either."

"You're right, Saber. I was too caught up in the spectacle of the duel and missed that detail. It's clear why you're hailed as the ideal king, one who heeded the people's cries and turned Britain's darkest hours around. You see what I sometimes miss," Vlad III said, genuinely acknowledging his oversight and lauding Saber.

"I'm far from ideal," Saber responded, "I'm just a king who struggled to understand the hearts of the people."

Vlad III smiled warmly, "Saber, you're too humble."

Astolfo interjected, "Alright, you two kings, stop praising each other. Let's focus on whether or not Karna and Arjuna will actually stand down."

"It hinges on Arjuna's wishes. If he chooses to keep battling or to seek peace, I'll support his decision," declared Vlad III.

Saber gave Vlad a questioning look, "But wouldn't that put Romanian civilians at risk?"

Vlad III waved off the concern. "If needed, I can create a special arena for them. It'll be a bit of work, but if it lets us see the climax of these legendary heroes without affecting the public, it wouldn't be a bad thing."

Saber added, "However, everything depends on what Arjuna and Karna decide next. And... what this person will do."

Saber's eyes settled on the image of Shirou.

...

Shirou's smile was gentle as he took in the sight of both Karna and Arjuna.

Karna questioned, "Do you want to stop our fight, Eternal... no, I should call you by your class."

"It's 'Assassin',"

"Right, Assassin. So, you're here to interfere with our fight?"

Shirou chuckled, shaking his head. "Not at all. Interrupting your fight would be doing both of you a disservice. However, it's broad daylight. Perhaps we could abide by the Holy Grail's rules for once?"

Arjuna frowned at him. "Why concern yourself with such trivialities? Are you a Ruler?"

"Actually... um..." Jeanne meekly reminded them, "I'm the Ruler here."

Unfortunately, neither Arjuna nor Karna paid any attention to her; their focus was on Shirou.

Shirou glanced at Jeanne, his voice soft. "We know you're the Ruler, Jeanne."

Gratitude lit up Jeanne's eyes, touched by his gesture and realizing the depth of his kindness.

Shifting his attention back to Karna and Arjuna, he spoke up, "I might not be a Ruler, but I must insist – let's not drag the Romanian people into this."

Arjuna scoffed, "The only thing that'll make me back off now is killing Karna!"

Karna met his stare. "Wishful thinking!"

"This isn't going anywhere." He let out a sigh, then lifted his hand.

Activating [Leader of Mortal], a surge of energy enveloped Karna, bestowing him with the [God Slayer] skill.

Arjuna frowned. "What are you doing?"

Karna wasn't any happier. "Are you trying to cause trouble, Assassin?"

Shirou laughed it off. "Didn't you two mention wanting a power boost once? We've fought side by side. As fellow warriors, I see no harm in granting such wishes."

He continued, a playful glint in his eyes, "Let's start with Karna. And Arjuna? If it looks like you're in a tight spot, I'll give you a buff too. When you both unleash your Noble Phantasms, I'll be there to enhance both of your powers. Now, whether the result of this enhancement leads to a fair or unfair fight, well, I won't be responsible for that. Remember, you both wanted a fair fight. It's just that... well, I'm not perfect. If I unintentionally boost one more than the other, creating an unfair battle, then what can I do? that's just how the dice roll."

Shirou displayed a troubled expression and said, "After crossing through worlds and time to be here, and all you're doing is playing out the final act of an old tale. It's kind of a shame, don't you think?"

He then smiled, "Right, will the winner be criticized again? Accused of winning through despicable means or relying on outside help?"

Arjuna glared at him and stammered, "You... you...!"

Karna paused, weighing his options, then looked up to meet his gaze. "Just this once, Assassin."

"Don't worry, I won't interfere if it's nighttime," Shirou replied with a smile.

Karna's gaze traveled from Arjuna to Jeanne, then settled back on Shirou. "For an Assassin, you sure act more like a Ruler than the real one."

Jeanne: confusion intensifies

She glanced between Karna and Shirou, then pointed to herself with a blank look on her face.

Karna turned and left.

Arjuna glared at Shirou in embarrassment, then turned to Gordes and said, "Let's go, Master!"

"W-Wait, Archer!" Gordes called out to Arjuna, then turned to Shirou and said, "If this person is Assassin, then he should be..."

Shirou simply smiled, "Indeed, I'm the Assassin of Black."

"Oh, that's great! Let's head to the Yggdmillennia Clan then," Gordes said with an inviting gesture.

"I'd be happy to, but will Archer be willing to let me come along?"

All eyes, especially Shirou's, landed on Arjuna.

With Karna gone, Arjuna quickly regained his composure, returning to his usual calm self.

He spoke with measured calm. "Assassin, don't step into my battles with him again. That's all I ask."

Shirou replied with a reassuring smile, "I've made it clear, haven't I? I promised to stay out of the daylight skirmishes. I won't interfere."

Arjuna's eyes flicked between him and Jeanne, finally raising a hand to point at her, "You seem more like a Ruler than she does."

Jeanne: "..."

She was completely baffled. Why did everyone keep making fun of her?

Shirou turned to Jeanne. "I'll take my leave here, Ruler. It was nice traveling with you."

"Wait, wait! I also need to visit the Black Faction's camp," Jeanne said. "I won't provide specific reasons, but please trust me. I am a Ruler and won't do anything unnecessary, let alone interfere in this Holy Grail War."

"Have you noticed something unusual about this Holy Grail War?" Shirou asked.

Jeanne stared at him, taken aback. "How... how did you know?"

He blinked, "It's common knowledge. Regular Servants don't go around using humans as vessels. You don't need to use your brain to know this."

Jeanne: "..."

She stared blankly.

But speaking of oddities... Shirou glanced upwards. That eerily dark ring loomed in the sky, reminding him of a Sword of Damocles, ever-threatening.

It felt odd to him, to say the least.

"By the way," He turned back to Jeanne. "Why haven't you used Command Spells on Karna?"

"Huh?" Jeanne blinked. "Why would I do that?"

He smiled. "You have some strong morals, Ruler. If I were in your shoes, I'd be using Command Spells left and right, sending anyone I met to their death."

She shivered. "Could you not... say such scary things with a smile on your face?" she said, a sheen of sweat on her forehead.

Gordes contacted the head of the Yggdmillennia Clan, Darnic, and after receiving his approval, he led Shirou and Jeanne to the territory of the Yggdmillennia.

...

Over in the Graveyard...

Sisigou threw up his hands in exasperation, "Well, so much for the element of surprise. Assassin just waltzed in and botched the whole ambush."

He turned to give Galahad a piece of his mind, only to find the petite knight seated, arms wrapped around her knees, deep in a pout.

Though the helmet obscured the knight's facial expressions, it wasn't hard to guess her feelings.

Was she really sulking over the foiled plan?

But then...

"Is it him? Is it really him? But it doesn't add up... How could he be an Assassin? Given his legendary deeds and the wisdom he's known for, he'd be a Ruler, or maybe a Caster. An Assassin just doesn't fit. But that face... It definitely looks like him," the short knight murmured, lost in her thoughts.

...

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