The two combatants moved swiftly, their every strike showcasing the pinnacle of swordsmanship and spearmanship.
Damien's figure appeared atop a vantage point, his gaze sweeping the area, quickly pinpointing everyone present.
On the distant bridge stood the Rider Master and Servant, while an Assassin lurked high above, observing the scene. Irisviel watched anxiously from afar, and Kayneth hid somewhere nearby.
Of course, Damien didn't miss Maiya and Kiritsugu, positioned with sniper rifles, ready to take out a Master at the first opportunity.
"How's it looking?" Damien asked.
"In terms of martial skill alone, they've reached the peak of human capability." The Snow Empress replied, noticing the figures concealed in the shadows. "Those rats... should we deal with them?"
"No, tonight we're just here to observe."
Damien let his legs dangle, sitting casually on a container.
His targets weren't these two, but the yet-to-engage King of Conqueror and Goldie.
Suddenly, Kiritsugu's heart skipped a beat. He shifted his sniper rifle. "That's…?!"
Through the scope, Kiritsugu caught sight of Damien.
"White hair, heterochromatic eyes, about sixteen or seventeen, dressed in modern casual clothing, and a beauty that seems almost inhuman."
It wasn't just Kiritsugu. Through Assassin's eyes, Kirei Kotomine also saw Damien and relayed his appearance to Tokiomi Tohsaka.
Tokiomi was utterly baffled.
Kirei had already described a similar appearance earlier... that of Irisviel.
Tokiomi's judgment was that she was an Einzbern homunculus.
But what was Damien's deal?
No further guesses were needed.
As if sensing the prying eyes, Damien slowly raised his right hand, revealing the blood-red Command Seals etched on its back.
That was everyone's first thought, but they were soon shocked by Damien's audacity.
As a Master, he didn't hide but instead exposed himself openly.
Kayneth was concealed in the shadows, Irisviel was a decoy thrown out by Kiritsugu, and Kirei and Tokiomi were observing remotely.
Only Damien appeared without reservation in their line of sight.
"Is he a fool, or does he have some kind of backing?"
"To so brazenly reveal his position like that."
"Should we take him out?"
Maiya had already aimed at Damien, ready to shoot him in the head. "At this distance…"
"Yes, at this distance!"
Suddenly, Maiya's hand froze mid-motion.
A gleaming blade hovered at her throat, ready to slit it at any moment. Nᴇw ɴovel chaptᴇrs are published on NoveI★Fire.net
A bead of cold sweat slid down Maiya's forehead as she felt the killing intent from behind.
The specter of death had never been so clear.
Having fought alongside Maiya for years, Kiritsugu immediately sensed the change in her tone.
Something had happened to Maiya!
And if she was compromised, so was he.
"Shall I kill her, my lord?"
A low, weathered voice came through the earpiece, and Kiritsugu realized he, too, had been exposed.
"Behind me? Since when?!"
Startled by the sound of footsteps, Kiritsugu moved to react.
But a hand landed on his shoulder faster.
In that moment, Kiritsugu felt as if an invisible force had pinned him in place.
A single hand, exerting little effort, held him immobile, unable to rise.
"Do you think I should kill her?" Damien's figure vanished from everyone's sight. He lightly patted Kiritsugu's shoulder. "Saber's true Master, Kiritsugu Emiya?"
As he spoke, Damien casually sat beside Kiritsugu, continuing to watch the battle below.
As for Kiritsugu, completely restrained, he couldn't counterattack, let alone use a Command Seal to recall Saber.
He's definitely not a magus!
No magus could wield such methods.
It wasn't just Kiritsugu.
At that moment, Kirei Kotomine and Tokiomi Tohsaka were also searching for Damien's figure.
"Yes." Kirei said. "Like an illusion. Assassin blinked, and he lost track of him."
"How is that possible?"
It might be understandable if they lost sight of Damien.
But this was Assassin.
The Servant most adept at assassination and concealment!
To evade his eyes and vanish without a trace... no magus, not even a Heroic Spirit in the Holy Grail War, should be capable of that.
Yet Damien was indeed gone!
"An invisibility spell, or an illusion?"
There was another possibility: spatial magecraft.
But that was too terrifying to consider.
If a magus of that caliber was participating in this Holy Grail War, Tokiomi could imagine the immense pressure it would bring.
"Perhaps we've misjudged." Tokiomi said, his expression grim. "That white-haired youth…"
Of the remaining unconfirmed classes, only three were left: Rider, Caster, and Berserker.
Someone with such composure couldn't be a Berserker.
Kiritsugu reached a similar conclusion.
The man exhaled deeply, his mind racing as he forced himself to stay calm. "So, what does the great Caster want with me?"
Damien was mildly surprised that Kiritsugu could still converse calmly. He released his hold on him.
"You speak as if we're the ones with intentions." Damien said. "Hiding in the shadows, aiming dangerous weapons for a sneak attack."
"Pretty underhanded, Mr. Kiritsugu."
Damien calmly outlined their conflict. "Give me an explanation, or that woman will pay the price for her actions."
Though Maiya hadn't actually fired, aiming a sniper rifle was something Damien could tolerate... but his vassals could not.
Had Damien not intervened, the Ice Empress would have already unleashed an Ice Burst.
If that happened, all eyes would have turned to Damien.
100 Power Stones = 1 BC
300 Power Stones = 2 BC
500 Power Stones = 3 BC
700 Power Stones = 4 BC
1000 Power Stones = 5 BC
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