Aftermath of the Battle

Somewhere, sometime.

"Hmm... so you're saying the Magus from the Clock Tower isn't in that crystal castle?"

In the dim room, the rich scent of tulips filled the space like an ocean. A little fragrance might be refreshing, but too much only becomes unpleasant. Just as a little water is delightful, too much can drown you. Amidst the dangerously potent, ocean-like aroma, a girl's troubled voice rang out.

The cloying sweetness, thick enough to be nauseating, mingled with warm, damp steam, making the air stagnant and heavy. Even the girl's cute, cooing voice couldn't bring a spark of life to the solidified atmosphere.

Hattori Hanzo, clad in his pitch-black ninja attire, knelt before his Master. The light was already insufficient, and the Master had employed some sort of magecraft. Even with a Servant's vision, he could only see his Master's fair toes and the violet nail polish on them.

While he found the scent overwhelmingly strong, he offered no counsel regarding his Master's excessive "girlish interests."

A ninja is a tool, meant only to kill as their liege's blade. As for their liege's hobbies and interests, that is for samurai and elders to advise. What, has anyone ever heard a sword lecture its wielder?

After speaking, the female Master sighed dramatically, flinging her limbs about like an actress, but murmuring in a low voice, "Honestly, he's such an old man, yet he's playing with a crystal castle. Does he really think he's a young lady? Should he wear crystal high heels? Ugh, what a perverted taste. Wouldn't it be better if he just turned to ashes after midnight? — Mmm, but thanks to this disgusting sissy, our plan was a complete success!"

The first half of her statement was filled with heavy complaints about Abner, but the last sentence turned into a voice filled with joy and delight. The speed of her emotional shift was truly breathtaking.

"Yes. I am quite certain that at least three groups noticed my weak combat capabilities."

The pitch-black ninja maintained his kneeling posture, bowing his head deeply.

Although he used the word "weak," a term that was clearly not a boast for him, he showed no hint of guilt, as if it were only natural. His words were clear and resonant, his tone full of conviction.

As a ninja, they were born as special forces for infiltration and assassination. There was no room for honor.

However, if one thought about it carefully, would a Heroic Spirit skilled in infiltration really fail so frequently?

The first time he attempted to assassinate Karl and Tsukahara Meiji, it was because his killing intent diluted the effect of the Presence Concealment skill. There was nothing that could be done about that.

But the second time, when assassinating Abner, why was he seen by the Archer? Why was he noticed by the Archer?

Even if the two possessed similar skills, there was no reason for the Archer to see through the Assassin's A+ ranked Presence Concealment.

Otherwise, the Assassin class would be far too awkward.

Combining these two points, one could arrive at a conclusion.

The conclusion was simple...

Because...

The second assassination was a deliberate failure, staged for others to see.

The Assassin's possessed skill, Mind's Eye (False), or rather, his sixth sense, was a perception of danger honed through years of infiltration and assassination work. At Hattori Hanzo's level, he could sense not only the danger of being attacked but also the danger of his concealment being seen through.

For such a person to ignore the Archer's observation was strange in itself.

It could only be said that he intentionally allowed himself to be noticed, and then made others feel that the Assassin was a very weak individual.

"Eh—only three groups! That's a bit few... I thought that old man would attract su—su—super many Masters! Hateful! Wicked! Idiot! So stupid! Honestly! Doesn't that mean my great performance was all for nothing? No audience? Art is solitary? Ya—da!!"

Although it was too dark to see clearly, and Hattori Hanzo kept his head down, obscuring his Master from view, just listening to her words confirmed that his Master was undoubtedly making exaggerated gestures, expressing her nearly obsessive thoughts.

Just as Abner wished to display Lancer's strength to draw the enemy's attention to himself, the Assassin also wished to highlight his own "weakness" by battling Lancer.

The goal, naturally, was

To make others underestimate him, leading them to make incorrect judgments in future battles.

In other words, it was the art of feigning weakness to lure the enemy, like a tiger playing the role of a pig.

To achieve this, the Assassin's mission tonight was to fail the assassination: battle the Lancer, and then spread the feeling that the Assassin was insignificant. Because Abner's actions would surely attract a large number of Masters' surveillance, whether through familiars or their personal presence, those who witnessed the Assassin's inability to fight, once they perceived the Assassin as a weak existence and attempted to force him into a direct confrontation... that would be the moment for the Assassin to counterattack.

Ninja Hattori Hanzo was skilled in assassination and inclined towards assassination, but there was no information suggesting he was poor at frontal combat. In fact, the name Hattori Hanzo was passed down through generations, and the second Hattori Hanzo—Hattori Hanzo Masanari—was a warrior who galloped across battlefields in the guise of a samurai, renowned as one of the Sixteen Divine Generals of Tokugawa. A person hailed as a "Divine General," even if the title had some exaggeration, would surely not be too far off the mark.

Reflecting on this, his Assassin's combat power today was indeed somewhat strange. Not only was his frontal combat ability insufficient, but he hadn't even used his signature ninjutsu. He hadn't even fully utilized the agility that the Assassin class prided itself on the most.

It was almost as if he was holding back.

Moreover... today's battle had a special "purpose." Today's battle would become the Assassin's "trump card."

"But where exactly is that old man's stronghold? I wonder where the transfer magic inside leads... Speaking of transfer magic, can it really be done? Well, whatever! Assassin~"

The girl casually bypassed the question, and joy once again dominated her thought process. Accompanied by the dense perfume, she cheerfully called out to her Servant.

"Yes, Master."

"Hey, next time, just casually bring me someone's head. I heard Oda Nobunaga used to make wine cups out of skulls. Hey, hey, don't you think making wine cups out of human heads would be even better? Ah! Am I a genius? If he's the Demon King of the Sixth Heaven, then I'm... hmm... the Seventh Day Witch?! Eek—Hahaha~"

Listening to his Master's nearly deranged words, Hattori Hanzo nodded, closed his mouth, and listened quietly. The floral scent in the air, almost like decay, was like poison. Even if he sealed his sense of smell, it would seep through his skin, making him uncomfortable all over.

Even the God of Ninjas was serving a Master with such a personality for the first time.

But...

(A ninja's duty is singular. That is obedience.)

"Yes. Next time, I will surely give it my all. Whether it's Lancer, Rider, or even Berserker and Saber, I will definitely take their heads!"

"Hehe! Alright, I'm looking forward to it! Oh, and right! Remember, make the throat cut beautiful! Make sure to leave the trachea long!"

His Master had once again fallen into her own mentally disturbed thoughts, rambling bloody sentences in her frenzied state. It seemed like it would be a while before she finished. Hattori Hanzo mused inwardly.

Since these were all meaningless conversations, Hattori Hanzo selectively shifted his thoughts to consider another matter, a very important one.

(Why... did I fail the first assassination of two Masters?)

(Admittedly, at the moment of attack, the exposed killing intent would dilute the effect of Presence Concealment, but even so, Presence Concealment should have considerable deceptive power for a Master.)

(Most importantly, thinking about it now, that blond Magus clearly started preparing to counter my attacks before I even made my move...)

(It was as if... he had sensed my position beforehand...)

(The first time, I didn't receive any order to hold back... those two...)

Hattori Hanzo quietly glanced at his Master, a beautiful girl with a purple ponytail, who was gesturing animatedly as if expressing her feelings like an extraordinary dancer.

(It seems Master hasn't realized it yet... Compared to the other Masters... that blond Magus is the one that should be most guarded against...)

(Never mind, Master is in high spirits right now, I should investigate first. At least, I should find their stronghold and Servant information.)

With that thought, the black Servant lowered his head again, quietly waiting for his Master's complaining to end.