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IBHJ Chapter 539
🕑 Added 2023-10-25 02:32:40 +0000 UTCNo wonder the owner kept cursing under his breath; it felt like forced brainwashing!
The bearded priest's tone turned grave. "My dear friends, two weeks have passed since we last came together. Throughout this time, we've all been eager to reconvene, but a spiteful witch has persistently disrupted our gatherings. She's a blight on our beautiful world!"
"Despicable!"
"Despicable!"
The crowd followed along, screaming at the top of their lungs, laden with thick malice and hatred.
A-11072 was somewhat scared, subconsciously moving closer to Shirou.
Shirou remained calm amid the frenzied crowd.
The bearded priest surveyed the gathering and nodded approvingly. "Finally, just yesterday, our noble deputy leader apprehended this vile witch! Now, my friends, it's time for us to pass judgment!"
Two police officers brought a young girl onto the stage.
Shirou was indifferent to the bearded priest's words, but when he saw this young girl, he couldn't help but be startled.
She looked about sixteen, with short pink hair that partly obscured her violet eyes. She wore black-framed glasses, a short white jacket, and a matching black skirt. Her legs, long and slender, were clad in black tights, and she wore brown leather shoes.
No way.
Could it be...?
Shirou couldn't believe his eyes.
The priest bellowed, "Our honorable deputy leader has discovered the truth! This witch goes by the name of 'Mashu Kyrielight,' and she's from an evil organization known as 'Chaldea.' Her aim is to destroy our beautiful world!"
The crowd erupted into a cacophony of whispers and exclamations, resembling the din of a bustling marketplace.
Shirou, however, furrowed his brows.
He and Spartacus had led the homunculi in a ruse, fooling both the black and red factions to make it to Vâlcea City, just across from Trifas City.
He hadn't anticipated the bizarre turn of events unfolding here, let alone running into a Mash Kyrielight of all people!
And then there was the mention of Chaldea...
Shirou's brow furrowed, but he remained patient and continued to watch.
Meanwhile, A-11072 was visibly surprised as he looked at Mash Kyrielight, who was restrained by the police. For some inexplicable reason, he felt as if he were looking at a kindred spirit. It was utterly perplexing.
The bearded priest slowly approached Mash and barked, "What brings you to this place?"
Mash's normally vibrant violet eyes looked dull as she monotonously replied, "To repair the connection point."
"And why did you set foot in our city?" the priest pressed.
"To wait for someone," Mash answered, her voice devoid of emotion.
"So, did you or did you not disrupt our gathering?" the priest demanded, raising his voice.
"Yes," Mash said, her eyes still vacant, showing no sign of emotion.
The bearded priest spun around to address the crowd. "My brothers and sisters, did you hear her? This outsider has confessed. What should be done?"
A murmur rippled through the assembly, resembling the buzz of a hive. Mash, with her wrists restrained by the police, stared blankly, her face devoid of emotion.
Suddenly, a voice rang out: "Burn her at the stake!"
The crowd erupted, as if a fuse had been lit. Voices clamored, one louder than the next.
Hatred swelled like a rising tide.
Yet, Mash remained calm on the stage, seemingly deaf to the uproar.
A-11072 found this disconcerting and quietly turned to Shirou. "Mr. Assassin, why isn't she reacting?"
"Her mind is probably being controlled by someone," Shirou replied, squinting.
The cry rose again from the crowd.
"Burn her!"
"Burn her!"
The crowd's loud cries filled the air, just like people during the medieval witch hunts.
"Then let it be decreed—" the bearded priest bellowed, "the punishment is death by burning!"
Officers brought a stake onto the platform and led Mash, her eyes vacant, to stand beside it.
People hastily assembled a towering pyre of firewood at her feet.
The bearded priest lifted a torch, its flickering flame casting an eerie glow on his face in the dawn light—a face that looked as compassionate and righteous as those of the priests who presided over witch burnings in bygone days.
"May the heavens be forever righteous. Bless this beautiful world," the priest prayed before tossing the torch onto the pyre.
The people also prayed, "May the heavens be forever righteous."
With tranquil, pious expressions, they watched as flames enveloped Mash.
And at that moment, amidst the crowd, Shirou turned to A-11072 and said, "Time to run."
"Huh?" A-11072 was taken aback.
Shirou wasted no time. He reached out, grabbing the collar of A-11072's shirt, and in an instant, black wings unfurled from his back. With a powerful whoosh, they soared into the sky.
The sight sent a shockwave through the crowd below.
They craned their necks, gasps and cries erupted at the sight of his black wings.
"He's a demon!"
"He's from Hell!"
"Is he in league with the witch?"
Fear and hysteria surged among the worshippers.
Indeed, the black wings gave Shirou a fearsome, almost demonic appearance.
Ignoring the panicked crowds, he gestured with his hand, causing black mud to surge and form a massive arm that reached for Mash.
"The demon is after the witch!" the bearded priest shouted. "Stop him, now!"
The soldiers and policemen present at the scene pulled out their firearms and started shooting at Shirou.
However, the bullets, products of modern technology, disintegrated upon contact with the black mud that surrounded Shirou.
Realizing their firearms were useless against him, some officers shifted their aim, targeting Mash instead.
But the colossal black arm was faster, plunging into the inferno to snatch Mash away.
"Everybody run!"
"It's an actual demon!"
"A demon, we're dealing with a demon!"
"The witch has a demonic ally!"
"This demon's here to destroy our world!"
The square went into complete chaos. Shrieks and wails filled the air, creating pandemonium.
Ignoring them, Shirou summoned another massive arm of black mud. One arm cradled Mash, while the other clutched A-11072, and together they flew off into the distance.
"The deputy leader will hunt you down! You won't escape, demon!" the bearded priest bellowed, but his cries fell on deaf ears.
With A-11072 and a dazed Mash in tow, Shirou headed for their base.
A-11072 managed to free his head from the grip of the massive hand, looked up at him, and said, "Mr. Assassin, we left behind all the supplies we just bought!"
"Don't worry about it," Shirou said, smiling as he detoured to the store they'd visited earlier. Their prepaid supplies waited by the entrance. Another quick sweep of his black arm, and the supplies were also in tow as they bolted out of the city.
Suddenly—
With a whoosh, he stopped in mid-air.
"What's going on, Mr. Assassin?" A-11072 asked, craning his neck to get a better look at him.
"It's nothing," Shirou shook his head and resumed flying, but something nagged at him.
A moment ago, his black mud seemed to have absorbed something.
It was eerily similar to an incident ten years ago when he had absorbed fragments from Crimson Moon, who had been masquerading as Roa.
Could it be...?
Had something just tried to infiltrate his body?
While flying, Shirou furrowed his brow as he thought about this.
...
In a different part of Vâlcea City, inside a dimly lit room, a figure fiddled with a crystal ball and frowned.
"A control failure? No, it's like a fragment of my spiritual body was consumed. This must be the work of another Servant chasing the Holy Grail. Isn't the battlefield supposed to be in Trifas, though? What are they doing here? If this caught Ruler's attention, that's gonna be a mess. The last thing I need is a run-in with Jeanne."
The figure sighed, muttering, "And my Master is another headache. With Chaldea already making their move, she decides to run off to Trifas. She really does whatever she pleases. Better give her a heads-up."
With the crystal ball still in hand, the figure reached out to the Master.
"What's going on, Caster?" the woman on the other end asked.
"When are you planning to come back, Master?"
"There are so many souls here in need of salvation. Ah, bless this beautiful world."
Exasperated, the figure retorted, "The Chaldea agents have been taken away."
"Chaldea? What's that?"
The figure responded incredulously, "Aren't they the infiltrators you told me to eliminate earlier?"
"Ah... I see. I apologize; I had forgotten. Such matters are trivial compared to the grand task I wish to accomplish."
"What an unreliable Master," the figure sighed.
"When are you coming over, Caster? Aren't you supposed to be the Red Caster?"
"I can't risk encountering Jeanne," the figure said. "Let the Red and Black factions battle it out. After all, neither of us is really after this world's Holy Grail, right?"
"Indeed. Hehehe..."
The woman's laugh was soft, a gentle tone to her voice.
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