C534

Right now, Kotomine only had three Servants at his disposal: Karna, Atalanta, and Semiramis.

To minimize risks, he'd kept Atalanta hidden in the church. He had also declined the proposal of launching Semiramis's Hanging Garden, choosing instead to send Karna to what seemed like the most likely location.

This had clearly upset Atalanta.

She couldn't shake the feeling that she was being underestimated.

However, she had to admit that it was a realistic assessment. Even against a weakened Eternal King, she wouldn't stand a chance.

Karna, however, could engage the not-yet-fully-recovered Eternal King and still have the option of a tactical retreat if things went south.

This was Kotomine's strategy.

"Black Faction has also made their move. If Arjuna joins forces with Karna, even an incomplete Eternal King probably won't stand a chance," Kotomine said, a slight smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

In Indian mythology, Karna and Arjuna were bitter rivals. But together, they'd be a force to be reckoned with, likely unparalleled among Heroic Spirits. In his weakened state, even Eternal King would find it difficult to face them down.

Making his way quickly over the mountain, Karna entered Zam city. Maybe it was fate, but he ran into Arjuna.

The moment Arjuna laid eyes on Karna, any trace of calm vanished and manic grin stretched across his face. "Karna, time for our decisive battle!"

"Regrettably, I can't fight with you now. My Master has given me explicit orders to cooperate with you in eliminating Eternal King. If you attack, I won't fight back."

"You...!!!"

Arjuna glared at him, his eyes blazing with fury.

What he wanted was a fair battle with Karna, a fight to settle the score once and for all. If Karna wouldn't retaliate, the duel they were meant to have would be utterly meaningless.

"Hmph," Arjuna snorted. "Fine, we'll put our fight on hold until Eternal King is dealt with. But make no mistake, I'll be the one to finish him off!"

"Say what you will, I don't care. It makes no difference to me," Karna replied, maintaining his calm demeanor. However, he did quicken his pace slightly.

Arjuna let out a wild laugh. "And you say you don't care!"

"Don't read into my actions based on your own emotions. You're just projecting, and it doesn't mean anything," Karna said flatly, yet his pace quickened even more.

Both warriors, locked in a wordless rivalry, sped across the mountain and dashed toward Zam City at breakneck speed.

Whether it's Karna or Arjuna, both are in a league of their own, far surpassing typical Heroic Spirits.

In a one-on-one fight, an incomplete Eternal King would likely have the advantage. But in a two-against-one situation, even an incomplete Eternal King would probably meet his downfall, wouldn't he?

On this point, everyone agreed.

Vlad thought so, and so did Kotomine.

Facing the combined might of India's two legendary warriors, even Eternal King wouldn't stand a chance.

No one doubted this.

...

Shirou stood at the base of the mountain, gazing up at the stars that dotted the night sky.

Behind him, a group of homunculi huddled around a bonfire near Spartacus, firing off questions like there was no tomorrow. Their eyes, innocent and untarnished as blank canvases, glimmered with hope for the future.

"Here you go, Mr. Assassin."

A-11072 approached Shirou and handed him a grilled fish, freshly caught from a river they'd crossed earlier.

"Oh, thanks."

Shirou smiled, accepting the fish and taking a bite.

Nervously, A-11072 watched him and asked, "How is it, Mr. Assassin?"

"Did you cook this?"

"Mm-hmm," A-11072 nodded.

"It's pretty good." He said with a smile.

At that, A-11072's face lit up. "If you like it, I'll keep making it for you."

"Really? Now that's an offer I might not be able to refuse," he chuckled.

A-11072 hesitated briefly before asking, "So, Mr. Assassin, are the masters—I mean, no, Spartacus says there are no masters and slaves, we're all equals. Right. Are they actually headed for Zam and Brad City instead of this place?"

"Those cities are just over the mountain, aren't they?"

"Mr. Assassin... you really are something else."

"The one who's really something is Spartacus. I'm just good at thinking on my feet."

After shaking off Saber, Shirou didn't head for Zam City over the mountain. Instead, he pulled a fast one and ended up near a city adjacent to Trifas. Surrounded by hills and mountain ranges, with Romania's southern mountains as a backdrop, it was an ideal spot for a temporary hideout.

It's doubtful that the Black Faction ever suspected that he would be so audacious as to hide in their own backyard.

If they're chasing them toward Zam and Brad Cities, they'd be going in the completely wrong direction!

In fact, Shirou had already calculated this.

The Red Faction had attacked him on night one, no doubt because his identity had been exposed. They tried to take him out before his 'Mortal Awakening' was complete, to nip him in the bud.

But their plan fell through. Naturally, they would have to make up for it, because once he awakens, they won't be able to stop him.

However, if he hides in the Black Faction's territory, the Achilles-less Red Faction won't be able to kill him. In that case, they would surely expose his identity to the Black Faction.

With Vlad's personality, he could've easily put up with Shirou. But now that Shirou has betrayed the Black Faction, there's no way Vlad would tolerate him anymore.

Plus, Vlad is a wise and competent leader. He wouldn't just stand by and let an enemy gain the upper hand. He'd no doubt team up with the Red Faction to take Assassin down first.

Shirou wasn't afraid of the others, but a team-up between Arjuna, Karna, and Vlad would be bad news. So he changed course, taking a mountain trail to get behind enemy lines.

His plan was to quietly build up his 'awakening karma' deep within enemy territory.

And who would see that coming?

Who would think that someone on the run would hide out behind enemy lines to build up his power?

This would send anyone chasing him on a wild goose chase in entirely the wrong direction.

...

After finishing the grilled fish that A-11072 had cooked, Shirou smiled and said, "That was some delicious grilled fish, thank you."

"No, no, no... it's not a big deal. Please, don't thank me, Mr. Assassin. You've done so much for me and the others, I don't even know how to begin to thank you or repay you," A-11072 stammered.

"You don't have to see it like that. As long as you go on to help someone who needs help, just as I did for you, that will be enough."

He smiled, and A-11072 looked into his eyes.

Those bright eyes, as if there were flames burning within them.

They're so beautiful.

The thought flashed through A-11072's mind.

...

Romania is a developing nation. Having gone through a revolution in 1989 that toppled its government, as well as weathering various international financial crises, it remains somewhat underdeveloped.

Vâlcea, a small city in Romania, had a development level similar to that of Trifas City. What set it apart were its surrounding agricultural estates, giving the city more of a rustic, medieval vibe than a modern-day feel.

This environment made it a prime location for homunculi to settle in.

The less developed a city was, the more disorganized and chaotic it tended to be. This chaos, in turn, created loopholes for illegal residents to find a way to legitimize their status.

Shirou, Spartacus, and the homunculi set up camp on the outskirts of the city, in a sprawling area of hills and plains, framed by a mountain range in the distance.

He led the homunculi in constructing houses in the area.

These beings were engineered by the Yggdmillennia clan as tools against the Mage's Association. Whether it was raw labor or efficiency, they outclassed regular humans. And they were programmed with a basic understanding of teamwork from the moment they were created, making their collaborative skills exceptionally strong.

Under the watchful eyes of both Shirou and Spartacus, the homunculi began to work, felling trees in the nearby forest to construct their new homes.