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IBHJ Chapter 335
🕑 Added 2023-06-24 23:01:39 +0000 UTCInside the Castle of Separation, there was still an abundance of food supplies, so there was no immediate need to worry about running out of food.
Shirou and Waver sat in the room, having breakfast and discussing the clues they had gathered.
Most of the time, it was Waver who did the talking while Shirou focused on eating.
In Shirou's own words, he simply wanted to know the results, leaving the process and deductions to Waver.
This made Waver's stomach churn with acidity, feeling a bitter sensation in his heart. Were all these higher-ups cut from the same cloth?
His teacher, Kenneth, had been like this, and now the Eternal King seemed to be no different.
At that moment, Waver deeply yearned for his Conqueror King.
However, one thing troubled Waver.
Why was there an invitation letter addressed to Tohsaka Tokiomi?
The Tohsaka family's Magical Crest had been destroyed by an Origin bullet nine years ago. The remaining intact portion accounted for no more than ten percent. Since then, they had been spending a significant amount of money searching for a magus capable of repairing the Magical Crest.
Furthermore, the Tohsaka family resided in Japan, which, in the eyes of the Clock Tower magi, was considered a rural area with no significant value for invitation.
But the truth was, if it hadn't been for Luvia hijacking the invitation and coming here, it would have been Tohsaka Rin who would have used the invitation letter.
In addition, his worry extended to the clues given by Solomon.
Just then...
"Boom!!"
A thunderous rumble echoed from outside, accompanied by the explosive sound of something bursting.
What could have happened this time?
Frowning, Shirou swiftly made his way towards the origin of the explosion, with Waver by his side.
Luvia, Lorelei, and the rest followed suit, joining them on the way.
The explosion had taken place in the backyard.
As they hurried to investigate, they discovered Gray clutching a scythe tightly, keeping a vigilant watch on her surroundings.
She bore bruises all over her body and faint traces of blood, but there was no sight of the assailant.
Trees lay uprooted, sculptures lay shattered.
The entire area was in utter chaos.
A loud crash erupted from the wreckage, and from within emerged Arcueid, covered in blood and appearing disheveled.
Wearing an irritated expression, she exclaimed, "Who dares to attack me?"
"What happened?" Shirou asked, his voice filled with concern.
Arcueid slowly got up, wearing a pained expression, "Someone attacked me! They hit my head really hard, and it's throbbing with pain! I could really use some comfort, Shirou."
"Who could have attacked you?"
She shook her head in response. "I have no idea. I didn't see anyone."
His mind raced, trying to comprehend the situation. Was there someone here capable of overpowering Arcueid to the point of injuring her? Even if it were a surprise attack, Shirou doubted that he, even at full power, could have caused such damage.
Suddenly, there was a sharp "crack," and Gray's right arm was slashed open, blood gushing out.
Reacting swiftly, Gray swung the scythe she held in her hand, despite there being no visible target, but it produced a resounding clang, the unmistakable sound of metal resonating.
Shirou's gaze narrowed as he surveyed the scene, his voice taking on a deep tone. "The attack is originating from another dimension! Waver, establish a connection to that space!"
Waver grasped the urgency of the situation and wasted no time. He bit his finger, preparing to draw the necessary magic circle.
As he was about to prepare the spell, Lorelei had already constructed the magic formula, effortlessly simulating Imaginary Number in mid-air.
What's more, Lorelei's troops, numbering in the dozens, also aided in accelerating their lord spell, making the simulation of Imaginary Number even swifter.
Waver paused, his hand frozen in mid-air, and muttered with a tinge of envy, "How lucky... Just because of their talent, they can effortlessly reach great heights, soaring freely in the sky that I can only dream of..."
His hand clenched tightly, a mix of emotions swirling within him. Even though he had come to terms with this reality nine years ago, witnessing the glaring disparity once again couldn't help but evoke a sense of frustration.
A barrage of spells erupted, shaking the very fabric of space and filling the air with a crackling sound reminiscent of shattering mirrors. In the blink of an eye, numerous shadowy figures materialized in the field.
Shirou arched an eyebrow as he caught sight of them.
Meanwhile, Waver, visibly taken aback, exclaimed, "Assassin?"
The figures that emerged from the other space were none other than the Servant they had encountered during the Fourth Holy Grail War—Assassin, known as Hassan of the Hundred Faces!
"A Heroic Spirit? Is this the same kind of entity that took the life of my magus?" Lorelei's expression hardened, her features growing cold. She swiftly began chanting an incantation, the words tumbling out of her mouth, and unleashed a relentless onslaught of precisely aimed magical projectiles from the multitude of spells surrounding her, all directed at the Hassan of the Hundred Faces.
"Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom—"
Each and every one of the Hassan figures was bombarded into oblivion, reduced to dismembered remains that dissolved into spiritual particles, ultimately converging into a card.
Lorelei extended her hand, and with a swift motion, she seized the Card of Hassan of the Hundred Faces. In a sudden burst, the Card ignited without a trace of fire, self-destructing in a manner akin to Diarmuid Ua Duibhne's Class Card.
She furrowed her brow, displaying a perplexed expression.
Shirou said, "The Heroic Spirit we killed in the basement workshop also ended up like this."
"What on earth is going on, Eternal King?" she asked.
"It's hard to say. This king's eyes haven't seen through this matter yet."
Shirou couldn't help but find the situation extremely odd.
According to Arcueid's account, she was ambushed and left with a bloody head.
But here, there was only Hassan of the Hundred Faces.
Considering Hassan's skills and abilities, could he truly overpower Arcueid to the extent of leaving her bloodied in a surprise attack?
It seemed absurd, almost like a joke!
Even if Arcueid was unable to tap into her full power and had been abandoned by Gaia, how could she, as a True Ancestor, end up with a bloody head from a mere Hassan of the Hundred Faces in a surprise attack?
Could it be possible that Altrouge was involved somehow?
But since he was here, she wouldn't dare to launch an ambush on Arcueid, right?
After pondering for a moment, he posed the question, "Arcueid, were you just ambushed by those masked weirdos?"
"I don't think so. Their aura didn't feel threatening, so I don't think it was them."
The whole situation was perplexing, especially considering that only Hassan of the Hundred Faces existed in the Mirror World.
In fact, the mere presence of Hassan of the Hundred Faces was already highly unusual, not to mention the Class Card that self-destructed as soon as it materialized.
Just then, Gray suddenly collapsed onto the ground.
He hurriedly rushed over and caught her before she hit the floor.
"Tha...thank you, Fujimaru-sama," Gray mumbled, her consciousness fading.
Her mind grew cloudy, her breaths quick and shallow, while the injured wound took on a purplish-black hue.
Could it be a case of poisoning?
Shirou's brow furrowed as he swiftly lifted Gray into his arms, carrying her back to her room.
He applied the "Wisdom of Dun Scaith" to himself, granting him the ability to detoxify and purge the toxins from Gray using its powers.
Lorelei asked, "Eternal King, how many of these types of Heroic Spirits are present here?"
"It's hard to say at the moment. I'll investigate and let you know, Lord Barthomeloi."
He entrusted Arcueid with the task of looking after Gray while he and Waver made their way back to his room.
Shirou stated, "I'll leave the task of uncovering the truth to you, Waver. I'll start by investigating the number of Heroic Spirits in this castle."
"But it's not safe here in Adra Castle," Waver sighed.
A surge of black mud gushed from Shirou's palm, landing on Waver. He assured, "My 'Evil' will protect you. Feel free to investigate without worry."
As Waver observed the ceaselessly flowing black mud on himself, beads of cold sweat formed on his face.
Although El-Melloi had a substance similar to this fluid, the black mud appeared repulsive no matter how you looked at it...
It was like being splattered with putrid water from a sewer...
Just as Waver entertained such a thought, a fist formed from the "Evil" burst out of the black mud that had landed on him, delivering a powerful blow to his stomach.
"Ugh...!" Waver groaned, wincing in pain as he crumpled to the ground, his hand pressed against his aching stomach.
Shirou cast a quick glance at him and sneered, "Don't badmouth it."
Struggling to catch his breath, Waver managed to ask through the pain, "Does this... thing have its own personality and consciousness?"
"No, it doesn't. It's the pure malevolence of countless individuals, and its behavior is influenced by my thought patterns during the Fourth Holy Grail War. So, as long as you refrain from speaking ill of it, it's actually quite gentle."
"Gentle..." Waver muttered, his gaze fixed on the black fist parading in front of him, his annoyance evident on his furrowed forehead.
"By the way, don't badmouth it in your thoughts either. It can sense it."
Letting out a weary sigh, Waver responded, "I understand."
With that, he turned and left the room.
Shirou settled himself on the bed, crossing his legs, and closed his eyes.
Using his "Clairvoyance EX" and his second Noble Phantasm to perceive all things, he observed the inner workings of Adra Castle. His eyebrows immediately knit together in concern.
He couldn't see anything beyond the Adra Castle, but inside, his eyes covered every inch of it, nothing could escape his sight.
Apart from Lancer-Diarmuid Ua Duibhne and Assassin-Hassan of the Hundred Faces, there were five additional anomalies!
That meant there were still five more Heroic Spirits lurking within the castle!
He furrowed his brow in confusion, wondering why there were a total of seven Heroic Spirits present in the Adra Castle.
By that point, two Class Cards had made their way to Fuyuki City.
Furthermore, these Class Cards within the castle had a peculiar characteristic—they would spontaneously combust and self-destruct once retrieved.
But who was the mastermind behind this incident?
Could it be Geryon Ashborn, the owner of the Adra Castle?
Could a mere modern magus possess such extraordinary abilities?
Well, it was possible if he truly possessed the Holy Grail.
After all, the Holy Grail was a divine artifact, an otherworldly object that far surpassed anything created by earthly civilization. It naturally held unimaginable power.
However, Solomon's statement about the absence of divine power here cast doubts on the existence of the Holy Grail.
Furthermore, Adra Castle was brimming with Age of Gods particles, including the True Ether.
To make matters worse, there was an unidentified presence capable of viciously ambushing and injuring Arcueid.
Shirou sighed and rubbed his temples. Delving into detailed deductions wasn't his strong suit.
His expertise lay in strategic planning and devising broader plans, whereas deduction was better left to someone like Waver, who had a knack for it.
Waking up from his dream, he gathered the formidable individuals, such as Lorelei, Altrouge, and Merem Solomon, and led them to eliminate the Heroic Spirits scattered throughout the castle.
Comments
JeanMartin Freites
Does mystery still has a few questions left in it.
