We had to take a detour, avoiding combat as much as possible.
Unlike before, when I had run rampant to cause chaos within the enemy formations, it was just Tristan and me now—no Enforcement Knights to back us up.
With enemies scattered everywhere, revealing ourselves recklessly would surely lead to being surrounded by crossfire and forced into a war of attrition.
Consequently, unlike when the others could easily return to the Sacred City via the Arash Flight, Tristan and I had to slip through the gaps in the enemy lines—exploiting weaknesses discovered through the forced reconnaissance missions Camelot had conducted until now.
“I suppose the one silver lining is that they haven’t noticed our presence yet… right?”
"That will not last long. It is only because of their overwhelming numbers that they are slow to mobilize, but we have already ground down one Servant and several units."
"I suppose… since there’s no way to keep a 'Corrupted' Servant quiet… It would be nice if I could just summon a monstrous bird or a Nue and fly out of here."
"We would be caught in their surveillance net and shot down immediately. It would be wise to refrain from such suicidal attempts."
"I know that..."
At the very least, it was fortunate that the Twenty-Seven Dead Apostle Ancestors were wreaking havoc so flamboyantly. Their lack of self-preservation kept the enemy occupied, preventing them from searching for Tristan and me while we kept our presence hidden.
"The real issue is not the path to the Sacred City. It is entering it."
"Why? Ah, right… the Sacred City is currently surrounded by several layers of siege lines. You and Mordred were quite reckless, heading out for forced reconnaissance in a situation like this."
"There are many things even Sir Agravain cannot see perfectly, even with the borrowed King's Sight. If Sir Mordred and I identify the enemy's positions and key supply depots, then coordinate that information with the mountain folk before returning, the King may then deliver her Divine Punishment."
"...Ah, you mean Rhongomyniad."
"So you knew of it?"
"There's no way I wouldn't."
Indeed. A Divine Punishment possessing power beyond that of strategic bombardment… something that wouldn't be an exaggeration to call a quasi-nuclear weapon.
If the reconnaissance was for the sake of firing that, then such a risky move was justified. After all, it was a bombardment comparable even to 'Stella' itself.
"So… has the Divine Punishment been effective so far?"
"The first strike vaporized three enemy Servants and a logistics depot, but it seemed to have little lasting effect. Provisions can simply be summoned with the Grail, and as for the enemy Servants we expected to be dismissed, Sir Mordred’s reconnaissance confirmed they have all 'Corrupted'."
"Who are these Servants?"
"Sir Mordred could not identify two of them, but fortunately, we succeeded in clearly observing one. The King informed us—it was the Heroic Spirit known as Gilles de Rais."
"...Wait, Gilles de Rais?"
"Indeed."
"Something is strange here..."
Gilles de Rais had an inverted aspect, but 'Corruption' in this sense... He shouldn't have an aptitude for the Foreigner class.
Unless 'Corruption' didn't mean becoming a Foreigner-aptitude entity after all?
If the system of Corruption wasn't something Goetia created… then I didn't know. It was unlikely that all of this was happening by mere coincidence.
"Are you sure it was Gilles de Rais?"
"Yes, it is certain. The Horrors of the Ninth-Rank Holy Book warned of by the King joined the siege. Since those Demonic Beasts began growing larger by devouring the Crusader soldiers, Sir Gawain had to step out personally to burn them away."
"...Just how strong were they?"
"Three individual Horrors devoured an entire squad of Enforcement Knights. The armor of the swallowed knights turned into offspring of the Horrors, forcing Sir Gawain to melt them down entirely with his flames."
"That’s quite grotesque… Certainly, only someone like Gilles de Rais would possess a Noble Phantasm with such horrific taste."
However… this left the true nature of this 'Corruption' weighing on my mind.
For one thing, there shouldn't be this many individuals capable of approaching the rare class of 'Foreigner.'
"You said you’ve killed them several times already, and yet they keep returning as Corrupted… Did King Arthur not tell you what Corruption actually is?"
"She did not."
"...Troublesome. I can’t go around killing Servants carelessly if we aren't even sure about that."
"Perhaps the Holy Grail is being used to forcibly alter their Class?"
"That’s impossible. Using the Holy Grail to alter a Class is limited to the standard Seven Classes—for example, forcibly applying a Berserker aptitude, or modifying a Heroic Spirit's traits to grant them characteristics they shouldn't possess. It can't turn someone into a 'Foreigner,' an existence that is fundamentally irrational and logically impossible to exist within our world."
"But did not an impossible case arise in the First Singularity, where a Holy Maiden sought vengeance?"
"That’s exactly why it’s impossible. The Holy Grail isn't some magic lamp that can instantly whip up something beyond its own knowledge or limits. It’s an omnipotent device, yet it isn't truly 'omnipotent'… Furthermore, a Foreigner is something even the King of Demon Gods cannot control. They are beings linked to Outer Gods. Damn it, the more I think about it, the weirder it gets. How can a 'Corrupted' individual manifest as a Foreigner?"
"Perhaps only Heroic Spirits who actually fell into corruption in reality are changed in such a way?"
"That might be it. But while that explains Gilles de Rais, it makes Jacques de Molay hard to account for. Jacques de Molay's Saint Graph was defined by his fictional aspects and the 'Innocent Monster' status from being wrongly accused and executed; in reality, he wasn't an evil man. It’s a case similar to Asterios."
"It is indeed complicated..."
I looked at Tristan and asked.
"First, tell me the list of 'Corrupted' Servants your side has identified."
"Hm… Very well. Excluding the Grand Master of the Temple and Bluebeard, we have identified five Corrupted Servants directly. Those who haven't been identified are estimated to be between 10 and 15 in number."
"...Estimated? You haven't confirmed them?"
"Many of them wear masks or hoods, so we couldn't get a proper look. For that… I feel it is regrettable."
"It can't be helped."
"The first individual we identified was a certain nun observed through the King's Sight. Unusually, she was not participating in the war, but was focused solely on chanting Baptism Rites, healing, and aiding the people within the Holy Church. Because of her unique, powerful aura… we might not have recognized her if the King hadn't commanded us to observe her directly."
...Wait, hold on.
"Her name is Kiara Sessyoin. Apart from her 'Corruption,' her estimated Class is Caster… Hm? Master, why do you look like that?"
"No… No, it's fine. Go on... Who’s next?"
"Yes… At least since we had the records of the Enforcement Knights who saw her, we were able to prove that they return to life even after death in a Corrupted state. The next individual we witnessed was none other than another Roman Emperor. An ally whom Master encountered in the Second Singularity has appeared as an enemy."
Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.
"And the third identified individual was one who encountered and dueled Sir Lancelot during the siege. After a fierce bloodbath that lasted three days, Sir Lancelot managed to slice through the enemy's hood and part of their arm. Taking advantage of that opening, Sir Agravain succeeded in confirming the enemy's identity through 'Observation.'"
"And the enemy's identity is...?"
"A great hero of India, whom Master knows well."
"...Karna?"
"Yes. However, it seems more accurate to view him as being in a somewhat inverted state rather than being whole. I suppose it is only natural for them to show movements we cannot predict, given that the nature of Corruption remains undefined."
"This is a mess… You should have told me this from the start!"
"...I do not know the reason why we delayed. However, in my judgment, I did not think they would pose a major threat."
"Tristan... the first two you mentioned are more dangerous than that mud that wrecked Fuyuki. They have the potential to be Beasts!"
"Yes, I have an inkling of that as well… but if they were truly dangerous entities, the King would have stepped forward to handle them herself."
I suppose it was natural for Tristan to think that way.
But regardless of what Artoria Pendragon… no, what Goddess Rhongomyniad thought, they were far too dangerous. No matter how the King's Sight judged them, those things possessed the potential of an Evil of Humanity, entities whose very existence brought harm to mankind.
"...And there’s something else I don’t understand. Kiara Sessyoin... If Corruption is something similar to an Inversion that flips one’s alignment and traits, Kiara shouldn't be acting this docile..."
"The King shared no further information regarding them."
"Right… In the end, it means I have to meet the Lion King myself."
If Chaldea were intact, I could have somehow established communication with the Lion King and squeezed information out of her, so it was quite a pity. The only remaining way… was to go back and ask her in person.
"Let's pick up the pace. Now that I've heard this, I can’t just wait around quietly."
"Understood, Master."
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