The mountain was not particularly far from the Sacred City.
If one were riding a monstrous motorcycle like the Motored Cuirassier—colloquially known as a 'Holy Cycle'—it would take roughly two to three hours. Even at a normal walking pace, one could arrive within a day or two of steady trekking. In essence, it was close enough to be considered within striking distance.
While the Lion King’s 'Divine Punishment' or a heavy bombardment from high-tier Archer-class Servants might not achieve a direct hit, they could certainly strike the surrounding area.
‘The terrain itself is ideal.’
As one can observe from any magus's workshop or Temple, even a disadvantaged force can usually secure a significant advantage when fighting on their home ground. Furthermore, this particular mountain was the stronghold of the Assassins’ Order, with the knights of the Sacred City standing firm at their rear. It was for this reason that the 'Old Men of the Mountain' had managed to hold their ground without being overrun.
"...Is that a support squad?"
"No, they appear to be a scouting party. It would be troublesome to leave them alive, so let us eliminate them all before moving on."
"Shall we?"
—Enemy attack! Gack...!
During the journey toward the mountain, it was only natural to encounter units forming a perimeter or squads sent out for reconnaissance.
Though they claimed to be an army of a million, such a terrifying force cannot move as a single, unified mass. Consequently, there were many gaps between their respective encampments. Well, it was a convenience for us.
Tristan plucked a string, and about ten soldiers were instantly sliced into pieces. The remaining troops were ground down by machine-gun fire, naturally clearing the path leading to the mountain.
"Still... it’s a bit strange."
"Is something bothering you?"
"The soldiers. Don't you think they're a bit too weak?"
"They are merely common infantry who do not stand on the front lines. The siege troops who periodically rotate to assault the Sacred City possess a ferocity on a completely different level."
"Hmm... I suppose so. If units like the Enforcement Knights were roaming around as common scouts, we wouldn't be able to conduct reconnaissance or guerrilla warfare at all."
"We have been maintaining periodic exchanges with the mountain. Originally, the Archer cooperating with the Assassin Order would fire a signal flare for help, or we would release our defensive posture and launch an attack whenever a signal was sent. However, communication from that Archer has ceased recently, so we are also going to investigate."
"The Archer of the Mountain... that would be Arash. Has any Noble Phantasm with anti-fortress level destructive power... well, I’m not sure how to describe it. To put it simply, has anything like the Lion King’s Divine Punishment been unleashed against the Crusaders recently?"
Tristan shook his head.
"Had a Noble Phantasm or magical bombardment of that magnitude been activated, it is impossible that the King’s vision would have missed it. Furthermore, even if the King chose to remain silent, Sir Agravain, who shares the King’s vision, would never have hidden such a fact through his own judgment."
"Then that Archer must still be alive."
"Pardon?"
While the distance between the Sacred City and the mountain wasn't vast, there were very few Archers capable of precision fire—sending a message via an arrow rather than simply bombarding the area with a Noble Phantasm. And among the Archers appearing in this Sixth Singularity... only one is capable of such a feat.
An Archer capable of a 'Magecraft' known as 'Arash Flight,' which involves tying a rope to an arrow to enable high-speed travel... Stella...
"No, I mean Arash."
"Arash... He must be one of the 'collaborators' mentioned by Sir Agravain."
"As long as the opponent is a Heroic Spirit, a Servant, it's not difficult to heal them as long as they're breathing. Just like you or other spirits, he would surely drive a Noble Phantasm into the Crusaders before dying, right? Therefore, the fact that Stella hasn't been used means Arash is still alive."
Stella was, literally, a suicidal Noble Phantasm—a suicide technique that fires a single arrow by burning out one's entire Saint Graph.
"Of course, there's the possibility he was caught in an ambush and desummoned without a chance..."
"If that had happened, Sir Agravain would have informed us. He is a man who never rests, using the King's vision to scour every corner of the mountain and the Sacred City, even if he cannot monitor the entire battlefield."
"Exactly."
The foothills of the mountain were covered in lush green vegetation, a stark contrast to the plains that resembled a wasteland.
There were traces of human activity from soldiers attempting to enter, and a path had been worn down, but as expected of an entrance leading to the Assassin Order, an eerie chill was unavoidable.
Tristan ordered the Enforcement Knights to stand by, then slowly raised his bow and plucked the string.
—Tring!
The clear, transparent melody of the harp echoed purely, and Tristan began to play.
"Are we waiting?"
"This lies within the territory of the Assassination Order. Even as allies, one cannot simply barge in unless one is being pursued."
Of course, had the situation been urgent, I would have entered immediately, Tristan added.
And indeed, an assassin clad in a black cloak revealed himself.
A black cloak over a muscular yet gaunt frame—an emaciated left arm that seemed out of place with the rest of his body, and a right arm wrapped in mysterious bandages.
"Old Man of the Mountain, one who announces the end of man by striking the evening bell, we thank you for your hospitality."
"Say no more. To be lacking in greeting those who face the pagan horde head-on would be no different from violating the precepts of the Old Men of the Mountain."
In that moment... the seemingly normal bushes shook violently, and a well-maintained path revealed itself.
I couldn't hide my astonishment at the mountain path, which was impassable for a carriage but perfectly fine for a horseman.
"Master?"
"...Impressive. They didn't use prana."
Had it been a bounded field powered by prana, my Rinnegan, which can perceive the flow of energy, would never have missed it. This meant the visual deception created by the surrounding greenery was entirely handcrafted.
Though somewhat inefficient, it was undoubtedly the best policy in this situation. The Crusaders were certainly operating magecraft divisions, after all.
"In any case, let us ascend. O Old Man of the Mountain, we come by the King's command to learn the state and trends of your Order. Will you show us the hospitality of allowing us into your stronghold?"
"For a Knight of the Round Table who has stood with us until now, you are more than welcome as a guest. However..."
Hassan of the Cursed Arm pointed his tightly wrapped right arm—the Noble Phantasm 'Zabaniya: Delusional Heartbeat' created by transplanting the evil spirit Shaytan—at me and issued a warning.
"Master of Chaldea, you shall not set a single foot upon this mountain. Your existence has been designated as an arch-enemy that our Assassin Order can never walk beside... Should you attempt to enter, I, Hassan of the Cursed Arm, swear that I will take your heart, even if it means meeting my own death."
*
Naturally, Tristan was incensed and ready to explode in a rage.
But as I nodded and stepped back, Tristan also retreated while huffing in frustration, ascending the mountain for the time being. Meanwhile, I returned to the position where the Enforcement Knights were stationed.
"...Just what is going on here..."
Needless to say, I had zero understanding of the current situation.
King Hassan, who had separated Ritsuka and me, and now Hassan of the Cursed Arm, who had issued a death threat out of nowhere. Given that he spoke as if I were the enemy of all Hassans, it was likely the other Hassans felt the same way.
"And yet, they didn't kill me immediately."
To be honest, the Assassin class was likely my worst match-up.
A Servant hidden through Presence Concealment would be difficult to find unless I utilized the Rinnegan at full capacity. If I were hit by a sudden ambush, I could die before I could even deploy Preta Path's Seal Absorption.
Conversely, Assassins were also the Servants I found easiest to deal with. Since they were incredibly weak in a direct confrontation, I could simply bind them with Shinra Tensei or Bansho Ten’in and obliterate them with sheer firepower.
In other words, the Assassin class and I shared a 'kill or be killed' compatibility... especially when it came to Hassan-i-Sabbah.
Leaving aside the fact that they didn't ambush me while I was accompanied by the upgraded Tristan, if they had intended to kill me, they could have simply lured me to the heart of the Assassin Order and lynched me there. If Assassins like Serenity, Hundred Faces, and Cursed Arm launched a total assault while concealed, it would be difficult for me to handle without resorting to a mutual destruction tactic like a meteor drop.
Yet, Cursed Arm chose not to take such an 'efficient' route and settled for merely leaving me a death warning. The same went for King Hassan... honestly, if that man decided to kill me, I would simply have to die.
He was a Divine Spirit class in his own right, but a Grand Servant... especially of the Assassin class? I had absolutely no way to counter him.
My thoughts continued to circle back on themselves.
Until the moment Tristan descended the mountain with a flushed face.
"You look terrible. Did you hear something bad?"
"Yes... No, for myself and the Sacred City, it was nothing but good news."
"Well, that’s a relief then."
"It is NOT a relief!"
Tristan shouted.
"...Is it about me?"
"Yes. I demanded an explanation. I asked why they forbade the Master from entering the mountain. Do you know what those people said?"
"Let me guess... their leader told them to block me?"
"I would rather understand if it were the one the King spoke of, the 'Old Man of the Mountain,' who had appeared and said so. They claimed that the Master has committed acts that most severely violate the precepts of their Assassins—twice over. And because the Master still maintains one of those violations, committing a great sin equivalent to the Incineration of the Human Order, they can never cooperate."
"Me?!"
I asked back in genuine shock, but Tristan's account did not waver.
"However, their supreme leader, the Grand Chief of the Hassans, came forward and said that from the standpoint of the Restoration of the Human Order, cooperation is necessary, so they will refrain from taking your head. In exchange, they demanded that you never set foot within their domain."
"No... what on earth does that even mean?"
I spoke, swallowing my sense of injustice.
Just when did I ever commit such a 'great sin'?!
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