Chapter 83: The Ritual Begins? (cont.)

She had nearly used her mortal body, reinforced with a Command Spell, to barely wield those Noble Phantasms.

"You're really cautious." Achilles looked at Sieg and shook his head with a bitter smile. "My Spirit Core is shattered, and you're still wary of me? Fine, did you see through my disguise too?"

"Disguise?" Sieg looked at Achilles, utterly confused. "What disguise?"

"The disguise of having no strength left and being about to die." Achilles, who had been lying on the ground, rose to his feet. Though his body swayed, he still had a little strength left.

"Huh?" Sieg froze. She had not thought that far ahead at all. She had merely believed that, until her opponent was completely dead—until he had fully stopped breathing and vanished—she had to remain vigilant. So there had been so much more to it?

"Hmph, he probably thought you'd taunt him before he died, so he deliberately pretended to be on the verge of death. Am I wrong, Rider?" Heracles sneered. "But she didn't think that much. Her thought process is simple and blunt."

"You saw through me, Archer... Heracles?" Achilles frowned, but soon relaxed and sighed. "How did you know?"

"It's your style, and what most heroes would do. But you didn't count on this—Assassin's Master isn't that kind of hero."

Heracles walked over to Sieg and smiled. "I was right, wasn't I?"

Sieg nodded.

Of course she was not a hero. She was merely a homunculus. Assassin had happened to pick her up, had happened to consider her compatible, and had made a contract with her, making her his Master. That was all.

"I thought you'd be smug, believing yourself to be the chosen one. After all, you're a homunculus who contracted with a powerful Servant like Assassin, gained Saber's heart, and can