Just how twisted did someone have to be to turn the corpses of their fellow human beings into furniture and musical instruments?
For the first time in his life, Waver witnessed a depth of human depravity that far exceeded anything he had ever imagined.
"Urgh—BLEGH!!"
"I told you not to look, kid," Iskandar said with a helpless sigh. Given everything he had seen in his lifetime, Caster and his Master ranked among the vilest monsters he had ever encountered.
It was hard to believe people like them were participating in the same Holy Grail War as he was.
It was nothing less than a stain on his life's honor.
"Shut up!"
Waver shouted back indignantly, only to collapse against one of the chariot's massive wheels and burst into tears.
"Damn it... How dare you look down on me... Damn it..."
"This isn't the time to force yourself to act tough, idiot."
Iskandar stepped down from the Gordius Wheel and walked over to Waver. Taking off his crimson cloak, he gently wiped the blackened bloodstains from the boy's face.
"It's better this way," he said reassuringly. "If someone could witness all this without even frowning, I'd be the first to knock some sense into them."
"Oh, shut up, you idiot..." Waver cried even harder. Only by sobbing could he vent the fear and anguish building inside him. "You're talking big, but aren't you perfectly calm yourself?"
"Because I've seen scenes like this far too many times."
Iskandar's answer was calm and matter-of-fact.
"W-Whatever..."
Still sniffling, Waver tried to stop him.
"You're just trying to act profound again. Your cloak's getting dirty, idiot!"
"It doesn't matter."
Iskandar waved dismissively and continued wiping away the blood.
"My cloak was red to begin with!"
"Hahaha!"
His hearty laughter seemed to carry an inexplicable warmth. Little by little, the terror gripping Waver's heart began to fade. His cheeks flushed slightly as he muttered under his breath,
"Idiot..."
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
At that moment—
The sharp whistle of blades slicing through the air rang out.
Iskandar's expression hardened instantly.
The Sword of Cypriot flashed into his hand, sweeping in a wide arc and knocking every incoming dagger aside.
Seeing this, Waver broke out in a cold sweat. The fear of death surged through him so violently that it even eclipsed the horror of the gruesome surroundings.
In the darkness, more than a dozen figures wearing skull masks silently emerged, surrounding Iskandar and Waver from every direction. They never stopped moving, darting through the shadows at astonishing speed.
"So..."
"You really played everyone for fools."
Iskandar stooped to pick up one of the fallen daggers and hurled it into the darkness with terrifying force.
A Hassan who had quietly crept to within eight meters of Waver was struck clean through. The dagger carried enough momentum to pin him against a stone pillar before he finally went limp.
"Assassin?!"
After getting a clear look at the fallen Servant, Waver cried out in disbelief.
"How is this possible? Assassin was supposed to be dead! Archer killed him with his own hands!"
He had witnessed that battle personally through his crow familiar.
There was no way he could have been mistaken.
"Now isn't the time to worry about that, kid."
As Iskandar spoke, the remaining Assassins closed in.
No longer bothering to hide in the shadows, they intended to overwhelm Iskandar and Waver through sheer numbers.
"There's more than one Assassin?! What's going on here?!"
Looking around in alarm, Waver realized the surrounding Hassans varied in height, build, gender, and appearance.
Instinctively, he backed up until his back touched Iskandar's.
Only then did he feel even the slightest sense of security.
"How it happened doesn't matter anymore."
Holding the Sword of Cypriot at the ready, Iskandar calmly surveyed the encirclement.
"The only thing we know for certain is that everyone who believed Assassin was dead has been thoroughly deceived."
"Cunning bastards."
"You want to settle this with numbers?"
A fierce grin spread across Iskandar's face.
"My mana reserves are overflowing today, you bastards!"
He raised his sword horizontally.
A phantom sea of golden sand spread beneath his feet.
An instant later, dozens of disciplined soldiers materialized in perfect formation, surrounding Iskandar and Waver in a protective ring.
In the blink of an eye, the Assassins found themselves surrounded instead.
The moment they lost their numerical advantage, the dozen or so Hassans immediately abandoned the assault.
Their black-clad figures melted back into the darkness and vanished without a trace.
"Tch."
"They're quick to run."
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