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Vlad had divvied up the routes for everyone to follow.

Saber and Astolfo were assigned to the same mission in Brad City.

"Okay, I'm heading out, Saber," Astolfo announced, perched atop a griffon that hovered in the sky.

Saber scowled and yelled, "If you run into Assassin, don't tip him off!"

"Got it," Astolfo nodded before taking off.

Saber watched him fly away, his expression as laid-back as ever. Would he actually tip off Assassin the moment he saw him? Even she, not the most skilled at reading people, could see right through Astolfo. Vlad had to know this too, so why would he assign Astolfo to her?

"Is it because he doesn't trust me either, so he paired me up with Rider on purpose?"

Saber's brows furrowed in thought.

If that was the case, then Vlad had seriously miscalculated.

At this moment, she had to see Assassin no matter what.

It wasn't due to past betrayals but her need to understand how he had changed history, saving the people of Britain.

That had been her driving desire for a long time, one she was willing to fulfill even if it meant embracing the cruel miracle of the Holy Grail.

Saber sprinted toward her designated city. Though she couldn't match Astolfo's speed atop his griffon, she was incredibly fast in her own right—true to her Agility A rank.

As she raced forward, her mind was consumed by the anticipation of the plan she hoped to learn from Shirou, one that could potentially save her countrymen. With the Holy Grail, she imagined she could resurrect Camelot and ensure the survival of the British people.

Even if the kingdom had ultimately crumbled, its people would have survived!

How wonderful would that be?

Just then—

Danger! The word flashed across Saber's mind like a neon sign.

Her instincts alerted her to a deadly threat, and she skidded to a halt.

A moment later, a deafening "boom" echoed around her as the ground split apart. A torrent of searing magical energy shot up from the ground, soaring skyward like a pillar of flame.

Had it not been for Saber's [Instinct A] activating, allowing her to sidestep the deadly attack, she would have been either vaporized or gravely wounded.

"Who's behind this?" Saber clenched her invisible sword, her eyes narrowing as they locked onto the origin of the energy beam.

From the blasted, smoldering ground where the beam had struck, a young girl with a dark-red sword emerged.

And when Saber caught sight of that familiar-yet-unfamiliar face, her expression turned grave.

"It's you..." Saber's teeth ground together.

The young girl wore pale silver armor and wielded a dark-red sword. Her face was almost a mirror image of Saber's.

It was as if they were works of art carved from the same mold.

Looking at the visibly tense Saber, the girl chuckled. "Of course it's me, Mordred!"

"Don't mess with me. The Mordred I know is older than you!"

"Really? Considering your decade-long rule and the time you spent vanquishing the pretender Vortigern, I'd wager the Mordred you knew might actually be younger than me..."

Pausing, she added, "You may not understand what I mean, but trust me, I'm also Mordred."

"I have no interest in discussing this with you, nor do I intend to cross swords with you at this moment. Step aside!" Saber shouted.

"That's not gonna happen. You might not be interested in me, but—" the girl's grin widened, "I'm quite interested in you."

...

Over at the Church...

Kotomine couldn't contain his excitement as a reply from the Yggdmillennia clan came through his familiar.

Semiramis lounged on her throne, goblet in hand.

Casting an intrigued glance at the visibly thrilled Kotomine, she remarked, "So the Black Faction has finally agreed to prioritize eliminating Eternal King."

Kotomine nodded, "Yes, they've given their consent."

"Hmm."

With a faint scoff, she leisurely swirled the goblet, making the deep red liquid within rippling like blood. "So the Heroic Spirits of the Black Faction are just that," she said with a tinge of arrogance. "I thought they would refuse, show off their pride, and perhaps mock their Master while they're at it."

Kotomine smiled. "Well, if that's what you were hoping for, you're bound to be disappointed. Just from the Lancer of Black's demeanor, you can tell he's a 'kingly' sort of Heroic Spirit. Those types won't be swayed by their emotions so easily."

"That's true," she admitted with a laugh.

Just then, the Red Faction's Lancer, Karna, spear in hand, began moving toward the entrance.

"Lancer, where do you think you're going?" Atalanta called out.

Kotomine turned his eyes to Karna, equally intrigued. To his knowledge, Karna wasn't the type to make a move without a good reason.

Karna glanced over at them and responded in a measured tone, "You'll probably tell me to cooperate with the Black Faction soon. But with you two casually chatting away, it won't be long until daybreak. I find it foolish and an utter waste of time."

Kotomine: "..."

Karna spoke with eerie calmness, but his words dripped with contempt.

Did he think he was above them?

Semiramis shot him a death glare. "Go ahead, keep mocking me! Once Rider's out of the picture and this faction war ends, you'll be the first one I poison!"

"Your constant threats of poisoning aren't impressing anyone," Karna retorted, unfazed. "It actually makes you look weak. And for the record, your poison won't work on me."

Semiramis glared at him as if she could kill him with her eyes alone. But Karna's face remained impassive.

"Alright, alright, let's not fight each other," Kotomine interjected, trying to defuse the situation. He then turned to Karna. "Lancer, we've received word from the Black Faction. Eternal King has fled along with our Berserker. They are most likely heading toward the nearby cities."

"Why not use a Command Spell to order Berserker to capture Eternal King?" Atalanta suggested.

Kotomine forced a wry smile. "I've already burned through two Command Spells to control Berserker once. Controlling him again would take another two, and I only have one left."

"I see," she nodded.

Semiramis scoffed. "Master, just because the Black Faction has agreed doesn't mean we should let our guard down. Who's to say they won't double-cross us and join forces with Eternal King?"

"Don't let your need to make a scene get in the way of sound judgment, Assassin," Karna spoke calmly.

"What did you just say?" Semiramis glared, her eyes wide with anger.

Karna didn't waver. "Right now, we only have two options: either we trust the Black Faction and work together to take down Eternal King, or we wait for him to regain his strength and be defeated by him. Those are our only two options. If you're ignoring this reality just to flex your leadership muscles, you're not doing anyone any favors."

While Karna's tone remained calm, Semiramis's hand clenched into a fist. Her breathing grew ragged, as if she were teetering on the edge of lashing out.

Kotomine didn't know what to say. He was somewhat afraid that Semiramis and Karna would start fighting right then and there.

Biting back her rage, Semiramis clenched her fists and spat out, "Then get out there and do your damn job!"

"Exactly my point. This conversation is a total waste of time," Karna responded.

That was it. She couldn't take it anymore!

Never in her life had she felt such an overpowering urge to kill someone!

But no.

Murder wasn't enough!

She wanted to dance on this man's corpse and kick his ass into the next world!

Semiramis gritted her teeth, her hands clenched so tight it was clear to anyone she'd reached the end of her rope.

Yet, with an undisturbed expression, Karna simply turned and left the room.

...

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