The fighting on the main battlefield is not yet over.
The shockwaves from the clash between Heracles and Karna would travel far away every few seconds, like distant thunder.
But something else is happening inside the Millennia Fortress.
fog.
I don't know when it started, but a thin layer of pale gray mist began to rise quietly from the outskirts of the fortified village.
It moved very slowly, as if seeping from the ground, spreading inward along the cracks in the stone wall and the roots of the grass.
The patrolling androids stopped in their tracks.
Then he started coughing.
The android clutched its chest, its knees buckled, and it collapsed to its knees.
The second android tried to call for help, but the burning sensation in his throat prevented him from uttering a single syllable.
The two androids collapsed into the fog and never rose again.
The fog continued to spread inward, like an invisible behemoth, devouring the entire Millennia Fortress from the outside in.
Darnic stood in the central hall and looked through the window at the increasingly thick layer of grayish-white fog outside.
His expression turned icy cold in an instant.
"This is..."
His brain raced for two seconds.
Dense fog, poisonous fog, fog capable of killing androids.
The Assassin who went missing from the Black Faction.
The Servant summoned by Sagara Hyouma has been missing since his death.
Previous intelligence indicated that they had likely fought with Red Faction Servant in a nearby town before disappearing completely.
Now it has appeared. And it has come at a time when the Black Faction's main fighting force has been sent to the front lines, leaving the fortress defenses at their weakest.
Darnic turned around.
"Archer!"
Mukuro Hoshimiya was sitting on the sofa in the corner of the hall, her legs curled up, holding a cup of black tea in her hands.
"Yes, I saw it."
Her gaze had already fallen on the rapidly spreading fog outside the window.
"Poisonous fog, and not just ordinary poison gas, but Noble Phantasm- level. It must be our missing Assassin."
Darnic quickly walked to Mukuro Hoshimiya's side and lowered his voice.
"The timing is too perfect. The other side clearly planned this, waiting until we had sent Heracles and Siegfried out before making their move."
"Um."
Mukuro Hoshimiya placed the teacup on the armrest and stood up from the sofa.
"It's alright, I'll clear the fog first."
Mukuro Hoshimiya summoned the Michael.
A white light flashed at the tip of the staff.
"Close".
The spread of the dense fog stopped for a split second.
Immediately afterwards, the grayish-white mist that had spread into the fortress began to dissipate rapidly, as if wiped away from the air by an invisible hand, disappearing completely within three seconds.
The Mist has been conceptually shut down.
"Next, we just need to find the right people."
Mukuro Hoshimiya extended his perception range to the entire fortress.
But the search results made her frown slightly.
Cannot find it.
The opponent has Presence Concealment skill, and it's at a very high level.
Even Mukuro Hoshimiya couldn't pinpoint the exact location without the other party actively revealing themselves.
"It was well hidden."
Mukuro Hoshimiya muttered something under her breath, but she wasn't in a hurry.
The fog has been cleared, and the enemy's most powerful weapon has been neutralized. In this situation, there's very little the Assassin can do.
If the other side makes another move, their location will definitely be revealed.
On the other side of the hall.
While Darnic was talking to Mukuro Hoshimiya, two people quietly left.
Avicebron.
And his Master, Roche.
Caster's figure disappeared silently around the corner of the corridor.
No one noticed his departure, or rather, even if they did, they wouldn't have cared.
In Black Faction's team composition, Caster Avicebron has always been a dispensable character.
His main value lies in creating artificial humans and maintaining the Magecraft barrier of the stronghold; his combat power is almost negligible.
Moreover, everyone's attention is currently drawn to Assassin's intrusion.
Who cares where a Caster went?
Avicebron strode quickly along the corridors inside the fortress, his face hidden by a golden mask, revealing no expression.
Roche jogged after him, a hint of confusion on his young face.
"Teacher, where are we going?"
Go and fetch something.
The two arrived at a locked room deep inside the walled city.
This is the room Heracles used to house the android.
Avicebron raised his hand, and a simple unlocking spell made the lock pop open silently.
The door opened.
The room was dimly lit. On a simple bed, the android lay quietly.
His breathing was weak and regular, indicating he was in a light sleep.
Avicebron walked to the bedside and looked down at the android.
How many times has Darnic rejected him?
Three times, four times. Each time, it was the same reason: that special android cannot be used as the core, as it would affect the overall interests of the Black Faction.
Overall interests? Hmph, what does that have to do with me?
He had only one wish.
Complete the Kether of Wisdom.
That was the dream he couldn't fulfill in his lifetime, an obsession that remained unrealized even after it was transformed into Noble Phantasm.
The android in front of us is the perfect core.
Avicebron's hand reached towards Sieg's chest.
Then it stopped.
His fingers touched a layer of soft but unusually tough fur.
Fur coat.
Sieg had somehow been draped in a fur coat. It was dark gold in color and rough in texture, yet it exuded a primal sense of majesty.
Avicebron's fingers lingered on the fur for a second.
He recognized what it was.
Nemean Lion's Pelt.
The spoils of the first of the God Hand of Heracles.
The pelt of the invincible Nemean Lion was used to make this mythical beast's fur coat.
We reject all attacks from the Human History.
Avicebron withdrew his hand.
He can't do it.
All his methods fall within the realm of Human History. Whether it's Magecraft, puppetry, or direct physical contact, everything will be kept out by this fur coat.
Heracles left his Noble Phantasm here.
Even when the great hero was away at war, he did not forget to protect this android who only had two or three years left to live.
"..."
Avicebron remained silent for a long time.
Then he turned and left the room.
Roche was still waiting outside the door.
"Teacher?"
"Walk."
Avicebron's voice was a little lower than before.
"Use the alternative plan."
Inside the fortified village.
Mukuro Hoshimiya maintained the range of the Michael's perception and waited patiently.
Assassin must still be in the stronghold. Although the fog has been lifted, the enemy won't give up so quickly. That means they'll make another move.
really.
In a corridor on the east wing of the walled city, an android is patrolling alone.
A small shadow emerged from the darkness.
He was very short, probably only a little over 1.3 meters tall. He had short, silver-white hair, green eyes, wore a tattered black cloak, and held two small scalpels in his hands.
Jack the Ripper.
Her movements were extremely swift; the scalpel drew an arc in the air, its blade heading straight for the android's throat.
The moment the blade touched the skin.
The entire corridor suddenly changed.
The ceiling, the floor, the walls, the air—everything froze in an instant.
An invisible barrier closed simultaneously from all sides, completely sealing off the small space where Jack was located.
The outside world disappeared.
Jack stood in an enclosed space with no visible boundaries, surrounded by a uniform, pale white void.
This small space has become a box completely isolated from the outside world.
No one will know what's inside until the box is opened.
Jack's green pupils darted around rapidly, and his body instinctively curled up like a wild cat locked in a cage.
"What's going on? We can't get out."
A portal opened at the edge of the enclosed space.
Mukuro Hoshimiya walked in through the portal.
Jack's body reacted the instant he saw Mukuro Hoshimiya.
The moment the threat is sensed, unleash the strongest attack with all your might.
" Maria the Ripper!"
Several scalpels flew out simultaneously.
However, the essence of the Maria the Ripper is not a physical attack, but a curse. The blade is merely a ritual medium; the true destructive power comes from the resentment of tens of thousands of dead souls.
Three triggering conditions.
It is nighttime.
The target audience is women.
The environment is foggy.
The fog has been turned off. Only two of the three conditions are met; the strongest effect cannot be triggered.
Even so, the Maria the Ripper still possesses considerable power when both conditions are met.
The power of the curse was released from the scalpel, like invisible claws pouncing on Mukuro Hoshimiya's body.
The curse touched the surface of the Astral Dress.