"Player No. 10 has been slandering me as a werewolf from the very start of the game, yet sheâs failed to provide any evidence. That in itself is highly suspicious."
Artoria had learned much over the past few days. She didnât lose her temper over false accusations but calmly wove her logic, defending herself point by point:
"Even if Player No. 10 claims to be the Dreamcatcher, she hasnât offered any valuable informationâjust repeated her past choices. Her words lack any basis and could be interpreted in countless ways."
"Player No. 10 claims she protected Player No. 14 last night. Then Iâd like to ask Player No. 14: How did the Master, Player No. 7, die? Does that mean Sakatsukiâs deduction was completely wrong? And if so, why didnât you refute it at the time?"
"Donât you realize that whether in warfare or teamwork, uncorrected misinformation is always the deadliest problem?"
Instead of proving her own innocence, Artoria went straight to the root, casting doubt on Mordredâs so-called "Dreamcatcher" identity.
As long as she could prove Mordred wasnât the Dreamcatcher, all of Mordredâs accusations against her would collapse.
"Moreover, I think it goes without saying that Sakatsuki is on the side of the good. His insights have been crucial for us, even temporarily replacing the Seerâs role in helping the good faction understand the situation. No one would doubt the Sheriffâs stance."
"Given that, what exactly is Mordredâs deal as the Dreamcatcher? Is she truly the Dreamcatcher, or is this another ploy by the werewolves? Iâll leave that for you all to decide."
Artoriaâs speech concluded, and in terms of content alone, it utterly crushed Mordredâs incoherent ramblings.
So there was a reason why the âStickâ didnât let you become king back then...
Thinking this, Sakatsuki knew that even if Mordred wasnât a werewolf, she was doomed to be voted out. But he didnât relax. Instead, he turned his gaze to Diarmuid, who met his eyes in return.
Their silent exchange said everything.
After Mashâs speech, Diarmuid stood up and smiled naturally.
"It seems everyoneâs eager to know who the real Dreamcatcher is. Fine, Iâll tell you. My role is the Dreamcatcher. The past two nights, I targeted Player No. 7âdirectly causing the Masterâs death. Player No. 14 has nothing to do with me; they were killed by the werewolves."
Hearing Diarmuidâs declaration, Sakatsuki inwardly praised it as a brilliant move. Now he could finally rest easy.
After the Masterâs death, Sakatsuki had approached Diarmuid under the pretense of treatment, revealing his identity and asking for his help.
The reason for choosing Diarmuid was simpleâthe last werewolf had already been identified by Draco the previous night.
Though the little red dragon left no last words and acted as if she couldnât be bothered with the game, she was secretly holding a grudge. After learning of her death, she relentlessly spammed @Sakatsuki in the imaginary space, even if it broke the rules, swearing to make him avenge her.
Thanks to Her Majesty, Sakatsuki found it impossible to pretend ignorance. He decided to go along with Dracoâs wishes and wrap up the game as soon as possible to avoid the incessant pop-up harassment.
Amidst the uproar, Diarmuid continued speaking, drawing the fire:
"I didnât want to reveal my role, but given the situation, I have no choice. The waters have been completely muddied. Contestant No. 10, this is on you. If youâre not the Dreamcatcher, you shouldnât have claimed to be. It only makes it easier for the werewolves to exploit the chaos."
"Grr..." Mordred was left speechless, clearly hit where it hurt.
Seeing this, Sakatsuki gave a meaningful glance, and Diarmuid seized the opportunity to press his advantage:
"Now that Iâve revealed myself, I might as well share my actions tonight. Last night, I chose not to protect the Seer. The reason is simple: we, the good side, are at least two rounds ahead of the werewolves. Rather than protecting the good, eliminating a werewolf is the more cost-effective choice."
As Diarmuid pointed, everyoneâs gaze turned toward the unprepared Kuro.
"So, my choice last night was Contestant No. 13. My apologies."
"Wait, why..."
"Why Kuro?!" Illya blurted out first. "But Mr. Diarmuid doesnât seem like the type to lie... Ugh, is there some reasoning behind this?"
"The reason is simple," Diarmuid recalled Sakatsukiâs words and affirmed. "Because Miyu only apologized to you, Illya."
"Moreover, Chole once said, didnât she? That the Witch should step forward, citing her use of potions... But hereâs the thing: at that time, how could Chloe be so certain the Witch would use a potion?"
"Only the werewolves know who they killed was revived, and only the werewolves know that Sakaâthat I didnât protect anyone but instead chose to eliminate the Master!"
Diarmuid spoke with absolute conviction, though inwardly he couldnât help but marvel at someoneâs sharpness.
When he learned that Sakatsuki was the hidden Dreamcatcher all along, he was genuinely shocked.
Damn, heâd been racking his brain over who the bold Dreamcatcher was, using two nights to kill a werewolfâonly to find out it was Sakatsuki, the Sheriff.
The most dangerous place is the safest, or perhaps Sakatsukiâs performance so far had been too deceptive... Diarmuid had always assumed he was a villager!
"Tonight, Iâll continue to target Contestant No. 13. That means four werewolves will be dead, leaving the last one for you all to find. With the good side so far ahead, I trust youâll identify the final werewolf."
After Diarmuidâs speech, even Sakatsuki, who usually summarized, said little. He wrapped things up succinctly and moved straight to voting.
The vote was a foregone conclusion. Aside from Mordred herself, everyone else voted against her.
Even if the werewolves killed the Dreamcatcher, Kuro was doomed tonight. So, the obvious choice for todayâs elimination was Mordred, who might as well be the sixth werewolf.
[Contestant No. 10 has been eliminated. Please wait for players to activate skills.]
As soon as the system announcement appeared, everyoneâexcept Sakatsuki, who rubbed his temples in resignationâstared at Mordred in disbelief.
"Youâre the Wolf King?"
"Iâm the Hunter, damn it!" Mordred shouted in frustration. "Why wonât you guys believe me?"
Well, give us a reason to believe you then!
The expressions of the others clearly conveyed this sentiment. After venting, Mordred once again, as expected, turned her gaze toward her father-king.
"Damn it, if thatâs how it is, then Iâll justâ"
"What are you planning?" Sensing something ominous in Mordredâs eyes, Artoria panicked and slowly backed away.
However, the King of Knightsâ weakness only fueled Mordredâs sadistic tendencies. The girl, who bore a striking resemblance to Artoria, smirked coldly as she advanced step by step:
"Well, what do you think Iâm going to do, King of Knights? Since I canât vote you out in the game, at least let me... Hey! You dare run away?! Donât you run, you damn Arthur!"
And so, a comical chase unfolded around the Round Table.
Though no one knew why Artoria was running, Mordred, now fully embracing her nature, wouldnât let her go. Seeing the King of Knights show weakness only spurred Mordred on, who howled as she pounced.
"Stop running! Is the mighty King of Knights only good at fleeing?"
"Sir Mordred... I think you should focus on winning the game. Youâre part of the good faction. Do you really want to waste your bullet on a teammate? Iâm the Witch!"
"Ha! Who cares about that... Oh, so thatâs why you were so resistant earlier. That old hag Morgan, really... Ugh, whatever! Stand still! Today, Iâm dragging you down with me no matter what!"
"D-Damn it! I donât recall any of my knights being this disobedient!"
"Whatâs the point of saying that now? Didnât I already destroy the Round Table? Now stop running and let me take you down!"
"Ugh, sheâs not listening at all... Master! Master! Why are you just standing there? Help me!"
Artoria kept running, and Mordred kept chasing, oblivious to the fact that their tension wasnât shared by the others. Sakatsuki had already pulled out snacks and drinks, thoroughly enjoying the spectacle.
"Share some with me," Ritsuka boldly took half, leaning against the soft and fragrant Mash, sighing. "When will these two idiot knights realize that Hunters donât need physical contact to use their skill?"
"Who knows?" Sakatsuki chuckled. "But in a way, watching these two love-hate rivals is pretty entertaining, isnât it?"
"Well, I suppose so..."
Ritsuka and Sakatsuki exchanged glances and let out matching evil giggles.
"These two suddenly seem terrifying..." The trio behind them huddled together, tremblingâespecially Kuro, who was once again reminded of the fear Sakatsuki instilled in her.
"Thou didst say these two have good compatibility, didst thou not?" Draco sat with her chin propped on her hand, clearly displeased. Mash beside her nodded vigorously.
In the end, the Holy Grail system intervened, delivering judgment.
[Player 10 has chosen to eliminate Player 7.]
[Player 7, please deliver your last words.]
"Iâm innocent! Why did you have to chase me, Sir Mordred!"
"Then come and hit me if you dare, nya nya nya..."
"I just donât want to be punished, especially for such a ridiculous reason. You asked for this, Mordred!"
"Whaâwait, what are you doing, King of Knights? The Master is still here... hey!"
"Exâcalibur!"
With another explosion and Mordredâs scream, night finally descended upon the land.
[Itâs nightfall. Please close your eyes.]
***
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