"Big Brother, are you leaving?"
After escorting Matou Sakura back to her room at the Hyatt Hotel, Zuke prepared to take his leave.
But Sakura, still reluctant to let him go, tugged at his sleeve, as though she didn't want him to leave so soon.
Especially since learning that Zuke was Rin Tohsaka's Servant, Sakura felt a twinge of resentment toward Rin. Though she once adored her older sister, being abandoned by the Tohsaka family had dulled her affection for them. Her attachment to Zuke now far surpassed her old feelings for her family, and this stirred natural resentment toward Rin.
However, thinking about the "Holy Relic" Zuke had personally gifted her, Sakura felt slightly better.
With that relic, she could summon Zuke herself in the next Holy Grail War.
"Yes, I am a Servant, after all. I can't stay in this world forever."
Zuke patted Sakura's head. Although she was indeed adorable, she was still too young for anything more than that.
He wasn't sure if the next main quest in this world would involve the Fifth Holy Grail War, but that didn't prevent him from planting seeds for the future.
Perhaps next time he returned, he would see a grown-up Sakura.
"Once you reach the Clock Tower, study well."
"Mm."
Sakura, knowing she couldn't stop him, could only nod.
But a new ambition was slowly forming in her heart—she wanted to find a way to keep a Servant in the physical world indefinitely. She didn't know if it was even possible, but she was determined to try.
Though Zuke had no idea what Sakura was contemplating, he likely wouldn't stop her even if he did.
Having a goal was good; it meant Sakura would be more motivated to study.
…
After leaving the Hyatt Hotel, Zuke stepped into the street.
His night had stretched late—almost until dawn. Originally, he'd planned to eliminate Lancer, Berserker, and Rider tonight, but for Sakura's sake, he spared Rider.
"So, I only took care of Lancer and Berserker… A bit slow. Next time, I'll need to pick up the pace."
Standing on the empty street, Zuke murmured to himself, looking back over his shoulder.
Unknowingly, he had come near a small forest. He gazed toward a patch of shadow, seemingly empty to the eye.
But his ability to sense "Ki" remained intact, and he could clearly detect a presence lurking in the shadows.
In fact, he'd sensed someone tailing him since entering the Hyatt Hotel. This figure had followed him from afar, watching from locations like the Tohsaka estate and a bookstore.
Perhaps the person thought they were hidden, but Zuke had been tracking them through "Ki" all along.
Had the figure attempted to flee, Zuke would have acted immediately to capture him.
To his surprise, however, the individual had been quite patient, trailing him for hours without losing pace.
But with Zuke about to leave this world, he couldn't ignore this any longer.
He knew who was following him.
"Come out, Assassin. Or should I say, one of your clones?"
Zuke smirked at the spot where Assassin was hiding. His opponent's stealth was impressive, making them hard to detect under normal circumstances.
Yet under his "Ki" perception, the figure was as obvious as if standing in daylight.
This Holy Grail War's Assassin was "Hassan of the Hundred Faces," as the name suggested, possessing a hundred different faces and the ability to create clones.
They could produce up to eighty clones, each with a unique appearance, body type, and even gender.
But these clones came at the cost of the original's strength, leaving each clone significantly weaker—likely easy prey even for some magi.
These clones were separate entities, with no telepathic link to share intel in real-time. Thus, while this clone had gathered extensive information on Zuke, it hadn't had a chance to relay it to the others.
If Zuke killed it here, any information it had gathered would be lost.
That's why Zuke hadn't acted until now—since the figure hadn't attempted to escape, he saw no need to interfere.
But now that he was leaving, it was time to deal with this nuisance.
"…"
The Assassin hidden in the shadows shivered, a bead of cold sweat forming on his brow.
He wasn't sure if Zuke genuinely knew where he was or was bluffing, so he cautiously stayed silent.
Having trailed Zuke, he understood Zuke's strength all too well.
One of the three knight classes, Lancer, had been crushed as effortlessly as cracking a nut. With his frail body, he stood no chance.
He could only hope that Zuke was bluffing and hadn't pinpointed his location.
"If you're smart, ending it yourself might be less painful."
The next moment, Assassin regretted his decision—Zuke's figure vanished and instantly reappeared directly before him.
In the blink of an eye, Zuke had relocated—an ability beyond Assassin's comprehension.
Realizing this wasn't a bluff, Assassin felt a hand grip his head, the same hand that had crushed Lancer's skull so easily.
"Honestly, I don't enjoy squeezing people's heads; it's rather messy."
Zuke gazed at Assassin's masked face. Though the mask hid any expression, he could feel Assassin's fear.
"But holding someone's head stops them from resisting, saving me the trouble."
With his head being crushed, Assassin's brain felt like it was being squeezed, making it impossible to respond—a testament to Zuke's point.
"I wonder if devouring a clone will give me Assassin's powers? Let's find out."
Zuke knew he held one of the clones created by Hassan's Noble Phantasm, Delusional Illusion.
He recalled that each of Hassan's clones was equivalent, so… perhaps by consuming this one, he could acquire the Concealment ability?
As Zuke willed it, a black bird's form materialized at his side, extending its dark hands toward Assassin…
To be continued…
Hoi Ningen, the FBI is after you after going through your search history. Hand over your Power Stones to me so I can bribe them for you winks.
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