The Round Table Fortress had only one main gate, used to deploy the army of Enforcement Knights. But that didn't mean breaching the front gate was the only way in.
Agravain had judged correctly—Scáthach's large-scale assault was just a feint. Taking advantage of the late-night darkness, Caren led Bedivere and Hassan of the Eastern Village, scaling the fortress walls from the mountainside using grappling hooks.
Bedivere had initially objected to Caren accompanying them on the infiltration mission, but watching her nimbly and swiftly scale the more-than-ten-meter-tall wall, he could only smile in surprise and praise her.
"What impressive agility, my lady."
"My father always said that any Magus should have proper physical strength," Caren said, crouching near the edge of the wall to observe the inside. "I used to rock climb a lot back in school... though I'm still not as good as Gray."
"I see..." Bedivere found himself growing more curious about her father.
Once they arrived at the Eastern Village, the trio moved with speed and efficiency far beyond appearances. Morgan quickly unified the mountain villagers and incoming refugees with her unique leadership, selecting those capable of fighting and forming them into a small, trained unit.
Scáthach helped pinpoint the exact location of the Leylines and assisted in transforming the village into a fortress through Territory Creation, strengthening soldiers' arms and armor with Rune Magecraft.
Caren, using her medical skills, treated the sick among the villagers and refugees, further earning their trust.
In just a few days, they had formulated a plan: the main force would launch a feigned assault on the front gate while a small elite unit would infiltrate from behind and rescue Hassan of the West Village, who was being held captive. Just who was the person capable of leading such a team?
"What's the situation, Cursed Arm Hassan?" Caren checked the state of her Mystic Code and asked the accompanying Assassin in a low voice.
To be honest, she hadn't trusted this Assassin at first—after all, the one who appeared in the Fifth Holy Grail War had nearly killed Sakura. But after watching him these past few days, she had come to understand: this Hassan was a loyal and dutiful man, a perfect tool simply executing his Master's will during the war. As long as they remained allies, she could trust him.
"The main force of the Enforcement Knights has been drawn to the front. Lady Scáthach's attack is working well," replied Cursed Arm Hassan.
Caren nodded and turned to the other two.
"Then we need to find the prison holding Hassan of the West Village—"
Just as Bedivere was listening to her explain the next steps, he suddenly felt a chilling bloodlust that made his hair stand on end. Acting on instinct, he drew the slender sword at his waist and slashed toward the faint sound of a taut string, cleaving through the air.
An invisible arrow was knocked out of the sky by Bedivere's blade.
"It really is you, Sir Bedivere." Tristan emerged from the watchtower along the city wall, speaking in a low voice. "When Sir Gawain said you'd shown up and disrupted the 'Holy Selection,' I could hardly believe it. To meet again under these circumstances... it saddens me deeply."
"Sir Tristan... your eyes..."
Even in the dark of night, Bedivere could clearly see Tristan's tightly shut eyes. He responded with surprise to the cold greeting.
"Yes, I closed them so I wouldn't see the sorrow that's about to spread," Tristan said.
"Sorrow? Have you abandoned the glory of the Knights of the Round Table?" Bedivere stepped forward, questioning him.
"This is the loyalty I offer to the Lion King," Tristan answered without a trace of deceit.
Bedivere realized the feint had likely been exposed. There was no time to waste. He raised his sword and positioned himself between Tristan and Caren.
"You two, leave this to me. Please rescue our imprisoned comrade as quickly as you can."
Without another word, Caren turned and rushed off with Cursed Arm Hassan toward the other side of the fortress.
The fortress's structure was simple. Without the need for logistical support like barracks, it was easy to spot where the prison was located.
Even so, they were still a step too late.
"So you've come for the Hassan-i-Sabbah imprisoned here?" Agravain blocked their path with a squad of Enforcement Knights.
Caren frowned slightly. "The foremost administrator among the Knights of the Round Table truly lives up to his reputation, to have seen through mother's plan."
"Mother..." Agravain muttered. "So you're the daughter of that poisonous woman. Chaldea, claiming to save humanity, has truly sunk to new lows."
"Sorry, I'm in a hurry. I don't have time to chat." Caren raised both hand crossbows and pulled the triggers without hesitation.
Arrows infused with guaranteed-hit Magecraft shot out one after another. Even though the Enforcement Knights tried to block them, some still found their mark, piercing through the gaps in their helmets and striking them in the head.
"Master of Chaldea, leave this to me. Please find a way into the dungeon," Cursed Arm Hassan said, drawing a black dagger from beneath his cloak.
That said, Hassan-i-Sabbah was an assassin by trade, skilled in covert kills and ambush tactics—particularly one-on-one or one-against-many situations. Facing a dozen or more Enforcement Knights plus a Knight of the Round Table inside a fortress was nothing short of suicidal.
"My king has ordered the annihilation of the Eastern Village. I'll start with you, Assassin," Agravain declared, raising his hand as chains of Magecraft entwined the Enforcement Knights behind him.
Their originally silver-white armor turned blood red in an instant, and a sinister, frenzied aura spread out from them.
"Mad Enhancement..." Caren immediately understood what Agravain had done.
Just like the Class Skill bestowed upon a Berserker during the Holy Grail War, Agravain had used Magecraft to grant Mad Enhancement, temporarily boosting their abilities and turning them into unrelenting killing machines.
As one of Morgan's rumored descendants, his Magecraft had clearly been honed to a specialized and terrifying degree.
Whether it was Caren's arrows or Cursed Arm Hassan's throwing knives, even direct hits to vital points couldn't stop the opponents. In the blink of an eye, the Mad Enhancement Enforcement Knights had surrounded them.
Thankfully, Cursed Arm Hassan remained steadfast, blocking multiple attacks for Caren. But he was now covered in wounds and rapidly reaching his limit.
This wasn't a battle meant to be fought head-on, especially while being intercepted by two Knights of the Round Table. Caren could only keep firing her crossbows faster.
Backed into a corner, a bolt of crimson lightning suddenly fell from the sky. A silver-armored knight descended like a red meteor into the fortress, scattering the Mad Enhancement Knights.