Chapter 396: [396] Assassin Sakatsuki Visits the Church

With the final addition of Black Assassin, Artoria Pendragon, the identities of the Black faction’s Servants had become clear.

But what of the opposing Red faction’s Servants? Were there truly heroes among them capable of standing against Vlad III, Romania’s greatest hero; Siegfried, the indomitable warrior whom no attack could harm; or King Arthur herself, the radiant figure of legend?

To answer "no" would be to underestimate the Mage’s Association—a mistake worthy of condemnation. They were an organization that had inherited and preserved the arcane mysteries passed down since ancient times. The catalysts they possessed to summon Heroic Spirits were as numerous as the stars.

Among the magi hired by the Mage’s Association, Kairi Sisigou had summoned the rebellious knight Mordred—a Servant whose strength was more than worthy of the title Red Saber.

Now, Kairi was making his way to the mountain church in Sighișoara with her in spirit form. Sighișoara was a city founded in the 12th century by Saxon settlers. Even in Europe, few cities retained such a profoundly medieval appearance.

But for the rebellious knight Mordred, such medieval architecture must have been all too familiar—and utterly boring.

Her curiosity about the modern world quickly extinguished, Mordred chose to remain in spirit form and vanish entirely, leaving Kairi to climb the covered staircase alone, brooding over how to communicate with his capricious Saber.

Unexpectedly, however, the spirit-formed Saber was the one who spoke first.

"...Master, I have a request."

"Oh? What is it?"

"Buy me some clothes."

The sheer unexpectedness of the request left Kairi momentarily speechless.

"...Why?"

"Spirit form feels itchy. I don’t like not having my feet on the ground. And like this, I can’t go shopping during the day."

She had a point. Her current attire—full-body armor—was impossible to conceal in public. But was that really why she chose spirit form...?

"Please, Master. I trust you’re not the kind of miser who’d refuse to spend money on clothes."

What a handful, Kairi sighed. But it was only nine in the morning—no clothing stores would be open at this hour. They agreed that once this meeting was over, they would go shopping.

At the top of the stairs stood a rocket-shaped church. Kairi pushed open the heavy doors and stepped inside. Before the altar stood a young man who showed no surprise at Kairi’s arrival—likely the one who had summoned him here.

"Welcome."

Kairi raised a hand in greeting, a faint smile on his face.

"So this is the meeting place, and you’re the one who called me here, correct?"

"Indeed."

Nodding in understanding, Kairi walked down the nave while communicating with his spirit-formed Saber through their shared bond:

’...Saber, any other Servants here?’

’No... I can’t sense anything. But I have a bad feeling. Be careful, Master.’

Unable to perceive yet having a premonition—such an answer from his Servant made Kairi question inwardly. This was because he hadn’t yet realized that as a clone of King Arthur, Mordred possessed the exact same skill set as her father, including—of course—the inherited Instinct.

Though slightly weakened (A→B), it still allowed her to accurately sense danger.

Trusting his Saber, Kairi also heightened his vigilance. He sat down on a bench ahead, observing the young man before him at close range.

This was a peculiar youth. Dressed in black form-fitting attire and a red robe embroidered with church insignia, he seemed unremarkable at first glance. Yet beneath his naturally gentle demeanor, his white-tipped hair and slightly tanned skin gave the priest an air of premature maturity.

Even more striking were his golden eyes. Though they held a friendly smile, it was hollow—not directed at any specific person but toward some broader, more abstract entity. Precisely because this gaze was so detached, it lent its owner an aura of sorrowful nobility.

Noticing Kairi’s stare, the young man smiled, the golden cross on his chest glinting in the sunlight.

"Pleased to meet you. I am Shirou Kotomine, the overseer for this Holy Grail War."

"...Kairi Sisigou. I’ll skip the introduction—you’ve already investigated me, haven’t you?"

"Indeed, as you say."

What a suspicious smile, Kairi thought. The expression on this young priest’s face was one of enlightened acceptance—not the kind of smile someone under twenty should possess.

Just then, Kairi’s hair stood on end. The danger sense honed through his mercenary career made him roll off the bench, using its back as cover as he drew a sawed-off shotgun from his leather jacket. The dark muzzle swung, locking onto a spot within the church—

"...Who are you?"

When he saw the source of his unease, Kairi’s expression twisted in surprise. Not just him—even the priest who called himself ’Shirou Kotomine’ looked startled as he examined the third person who had appeared in the church.

White-tipped hair, golden eyes, black robes... Apart from slightly paler skin and a more chilling aura, his features were nearly identical to the young priest’s.

But what alarmed Shirou and Kairi more than his appearance was the weapon in the mysterious man’s hands.

Beneath the black gun barrel, a pale crescent blade extended, its muzzle aimed at the smiling young priest. The black gunblade was etched with crimson patterns, its edge so sharp it seemed to pierce Kairi’s forehead.

One man, two guns—both simultaneously trained on the other two in the church!

[Let me materialize now, Master!]

Hearing this, Kairi immediately established the connection. In an instant, golden spirit particles burst forth as Red Saber—Mordred—appeared. Wary, she surveyed the scene, gripping her crimson sword as she positioned herself protectively before Kairi.

At the same time, a beautiful woman clad in heavy black formal attire appeared beside Father Shirou. While the decadent atmosphere of lounging on a throne to enjoy her authority might suit her better, when her Master was threatened, this Servant had no choice but to cast aside her languid demeanor and bare her fangs at the intruders.

"Oh, this is..." Even with the unknown threat before him, Kairi’s attention couldn’t help but shift to Father Shirou’s Servant, somewhat surprised.

"Tch, Assassins... and two of them at that." Mordred glared at the black-clad empress and the young man in dark robes before averting her gaze and moving closer to Kairi.

When Assassins manifest, they gain the special class ability "Presence Concealment." If Presence Concealment is activated while in spiritual form, they remain undetectable unless they enter an attacking stance.

Clearly, both of these individuals possessed this skill, which was why neither Kairi nor Mordred had noticed their presence until now.

Speaking of Assassins, the ones summoned in the Holy Grail War of Fuyuki had always been Hassan-i-Sabbah—the Order of the Old Man of the Mountain. So, were she and they also among them?

Amidst the tense atmosphere, Kairi intuitively dismissed this notion. Hassans were pure assassins who eliminated targets through honed physical and mental techniques, but the two before him were different.

The imperial beauty in the black dress didn’t seem skilled in martial prowess. What suited her wasn’t assassination, but murder—where a single word or glance could effortlessly erase a target.

As for the young man who appeared last, the difference was even more pronounced. Whether it was his overly sharp gaze or his self-assured, domineering demeanor, none of it fit an assassin. Instead, he seemed more like a warrior who fought openly and honorably.

Finally, Mordred muttered under her breath, voicing Kairi’s thoughts.

"...What a bunch of unpleasant people."

As if hearing the Saber’s whisper, the black-clad beauty curled her lips in displeasure, but Father Shirou spoke first, addressing the black-robed young man who had raised his guns:

"I recognize you. Could you please lower your weapons?"

Hearing this, the black-robed young man shifted his gaze from Mordred and lowered his twin guns, but his eyes bore an intimidating pressure beyond that of ordinary people, piercing straight at Father Shirou.

"Oh? But I doubt Mr. Kairi knows who I am."

Unlike Reika, who needed leverage to gain the Black faction’s recognition, Sakatsuki was power itself—he was authority.

He knew his own value and importance, which was why he dared to brazenly invade the church and present Kairi and Shirou Kotomine with such a grand greeting.

After all—

"You’re the one who defeated Vlad III in direct combat, inflicted heavy injuries upon him, and kicked off the Holy Grail War."

Explaining this calmly to Kairi, Father Shirou took a step forward and bowed respectfully.

"An honor to finally meet you, Lord Sakatsuki."

***

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