No one knew how Sakatsuki managed it, but he had found a bouquet of white lilies in the forest.
The petals were like feathers, the stamens pure as jade. The lily's meaning was purity and elegance—so fitting for the "unstained bride" before him.
Yet the young man's expression and tone easily evoked the image of flowers placed before a gravestone, symbolizing mourning.
And white lilies were indeed one of the flowers used for memorials.
"Ugh..." Frankenstein was unaware of these details. Though she loved flowers, that didn't hinder her judgment of the newcomer's identity.
Confirmed class: Assassin.
No mark of the Black faction.
Therefore, an enemy!
Upon realizing this, Fran immediately flew into a frenzy. Her white-gloved hands tightened around her Noble Phantasm, "Bridal Chest," and with a crackle of electricity, branching lightning erupted forth, reducing the flowers in the young man's hands to charred remains.
"My, how frightening." Sakatsuki swiftly withdrew his hand, snapped his fingers, and "projected" a new bouquet of white flowers. Facing the snarling Black Berserker, he inhaled the fragrance with a sigh of regret.
"It seems battle is unavoidable. In that case—"
The white lilies were tossed into the air, a gust of wind scattering the petals like falling snow.
BOOM!!!
A deafening explosion and the sound of shattering echoed across the battlefield, audible even from afar. Whether it was Artoria clashing with Achilles, Siegfried pursuing Atalanta, or even Vlad III and the others rushing to the scene—all witnessed the towering plume of dust and the brief, flickering lightning that flashed before dissipating.
"Ugh..."
All strength drained from her body in an instant. The Black Berserker stared wide-eyed in disbelief at the young man before her.
How could such a tall, slender frame unleash such overwhelming power in a single moment?
Her gaze dropped. Her abdomen had been utterly destroyed, tangled conduits and wires protruding from the wound, yet none could stop that merciless, bony fist.
—Just one punch had shattered her defenses, pierced through her torso, and left her on the brink of death.
How terrifying. How incomprehensible!
Even if the Assassin class weakened Sakatsuki's abilities, ordinary second or third-rate Servants would still be instantly annihilated by his Bajiquan!
"Oh? There's no magical reactor?" As the young man spoke, his arm moved restlessly, probing deeper into the Berserker's body, exploring and analyzing the intricate magical circuits and mechanical components.
"Now that I think about it, Mr. Victor's design truly is exquisite. By converting ambient atmospheric energy, he achieved the equivalent of a 'perpetual motion machine of the second kind'... While the Black faction hasn't reacted yet, let me take my time studying you."
For Sakatsuki, who had already mastered the path of magecraft, researching different schools of magical theory was far more important than killing the Black Berserker and forcing her retreat right now.
The magus concept entity known as Frankenstein, which interprets life activities through the existence of electricity in flesh by combining galvanism and alchemy, clearly stirred Sakatsuki's soul as a magus.
Thus, Sakatsuki became utterly engrossed in his academic exploration, while the heavily injured Berserker, unable to move, was forced to endure the sickening sensation of her internal tissues being tampered with. Her gaze gradually shifted from fury to panic, then from panic to helplessness, until she finally let out low whimpers, like a pitiful little beast cornered and powerless to resist.
"Berserker!" At last, Caules, still shaken by the Assassin's brutal strike, snapped back to reality. Fear and horror gripped his heart, nearly robbing him of his voice.
Just hours ago, he had been conversing with Berserker in the garden, admiring the beauty of fluttering petals together.
But now, the Servant (and friend) he had only recently met was on the verge of being lost to him forever!
He had to save her!
"By... by the power of my Command Spell!"
Without hesitation, Caules raised his arm, invoking the absolute authority of a Master.
"Return to my side, Berser—"
Caules couldn't finish his command, as someone in a wheelchair approached from behind and grasped his trembling arm.
"Don't worry, Caules."
"Sister..."
Caules turned around. Though the girl in the wheelchair appeared even more fragile, Fiore Forvedge Yggdmillennia offered a reassuring smile as she comforted her younger brother in a soft voice:
"Chiron has already locked onto the enemy."
On the city walls under the night sky, the towering black Archer stood firm, like a magnificent sculpture from ancient Greece.
Silently, the sage drew his bow—a posture as flawless and beautiful as the stars hanging in the heavens.
The black Archer, Chiron. A man as steady as a calm sea, the most renowned archer in the world, the very prototype of Sagittarius.
The released arrow streaked forth like a shooting star—suddenly and swiftly.
The moment the arrow was loosed, the black-robed youth sharply raised his head, sensing the ominous wind swirling through the forest.
"They're here."
As a prescient traveler from another world, he could never overlook Chiron's arrows. Even if one were unaware of the centaur's unparalleled archery, the original story made it clear—Chiron effortlessly intercepted the shots of the red Archer, Atalanta, proving which archer truly reigned supreme.
Sakatsuki lacked the indestructible bodies of Siegfried or Karna. If struck in a vital spot—there was no doubt, he would die.
In that split second, Sakatsuki flung the near-death black Berserker aside, freed his arm, planted his feet firmly like roots, and stood immovable as a mountain amidst the forest, awaiting the impending assault.
The [Bajiquan · Mastery] he had obtained from Kotomine had already merged into the Assassin's inherent skill [Combat Arts · Death's Herald]. As Sakatsuki focused his mind, the "qi"-based perception of his surroundings—the "Circle Realm"—expanded, covering a radius of over a hundred meters around him.
Circle Realm was a technique that allowed one to perceive their surroundings with the mind while simultaneously erasing their own presence. At its peak, one could merge with heaven and earth, their form even naturally turning transparent.
This was the signature move of Li Shuwen, known as the 'Unrivaled Striker'. Though Sakatsuki couldn't push it to its limits, he could still transform it into a field to perceive his surroundings.
In an instant, the 'qi' was disrupted, and within the constructed field, a rapidly moving foreign object appeared.
So fast!
With only enough time for such an exclamation, Sakatsuki had already acted on instinct. His feet gripped the ground as all his strength converged into a single line. He threw a punch toward the direction where his 'Circle' had been disturbed!
Boom!
A milky-white stream of qi gathered in his palm, giving this punch the majestic momentum of a tiger descending a mountain. However, Chiron's arrow was also packed with full force, combined with techniques that reached the realm of the gods, making its power even more formidable.
Facing a weapon with bare flesh was inherently disadvantageous. Even though Sakatsuki had anticipated and prepared in advance, the arrow's impact still scattered his stance, forcing him to stagger back several steps, his fingers dripping with blood.
But before Sakatsuki could recover, Chiron's arrows came again!
Two consecutive magical arrows, aimed precisely at Sakatsuki's forehead and heart. Clearly, Chiron had seized the moment, determined to kill Sakatsuki here and now!
Yet Chiron's plan was doomed to fail. Amidst the noise of imaginary-number magecraft, the young man's body became intangible. The two arrows passed through his form, embedding themselves into the ground and kicking up dust.
The wounds on his fingers healed at an astonishing speed. Feeling his rapidly depleting magical energy, Sakatsuki snorted coldly. His black robes billowed as he leaped onto a treetop, a large Qin war bow with a bronze sheen appearing in his hands.
"Oh?" From the distant battlements, the teacher—Chiron—smiled at the sight. "I didn't expect the enemy's Assassin to also be skilled in archery."
Since Sakatsuki's attention had shifted away from the Berserker, and given the uncertainty of how he had dodged the arrows, Chiron decided to halt his attacks, waiting for Sakatsuki's 'return gift.'
In his era, when barbaric yet valiant centaurs were provoked by their kin, they would often settle the matter with archery—galloping across the grasslands, dodging enemy arrows while returning fire, until one of them lost the ability to fight or even died.
Sakatsuki's actions reminded Chiron of those bygone days, which was why he stopped his assault, eagerly anticipating his opponent's counterattack.
"Very well, let me see your archery skills."
And Sakatsuki did not disappoint. He drew the bow with flawless fluidity and loosed an arrow toward the Fortress of Millennia. The arrow streaked through the air like a beam of light before landing—embedding itself into the wall at Chiron's feet, missing by at least a meter.
Such a lackluster performance made Chiron shake his head in disappointment.
"Truly underwhelming. Even for a Servant, that accuracy is far too poor."
But before Chiron could finish his thoughts, Fiore's urgent voice reached him through telepathy.
"Archer, be careful—that arrow is about to explode!"
"What?!"
Boom!
A fiery red explosion erupted. The spiral sword, saturated with magical energy, unleashed itself with abandon, shaking the fortress protected by layers of magical barriers. Amidst the flying debris, Chiron barely escaped the blast radius. Gazing at the young man's satisfied figure as he leaped down from the treetops, his expression was less one of anger and more of resignation.
"That little rascal..."
Chiron belatedly realized that Sakatsuki, who had manifested as an Assassin, did not possess Clairvoyance. Relying purely on instinct to loose that arrow, he wouldn't have cared about accuracy in the slightest.
The young man darted through the forest, racing toward the next battlefield.
Did anyone truly believe he'd be arrogant enough to challenge the incarnation of Sagittarius using an Assassin's template?
My arrows might miss, but the AOE of high-explosive rounds (Caladbolg) never will.
Fergus would definitely approve.
Soon, Sakatsuki traced the magical energy and arrived at what could truly be called the main battlefield—
The moment he arrived, an emerald-green figure came flying backward, crashing squarely into him. Caught off guard, Sakatsuki staggered back several steps to disperse the impact. Though he instinctively braced himself, the human projectile nearly knocked the wind out of him.
Suppressing the blood rising in his throat, Sakatsuki finally steadied himself and caught the unidentified object that had flung itself into his arms. His vision swam, and he felt something soft—a pair of furry ears—lightly brushing against his chin, tickling him.
Looking down, he saw the beautiful yet expressionless face of a girl. Her cold eyes scrutinized the handsome young man, as if assessing whether he was friend or foe.
"...Atalanta?"
"Thou—release me!"