Part 267: VS Caster

Saber is already armed.

""
""
We're both straining our nerves in preparation for an enemy attack.
The steps are long, and the wind is warm even though we're near the mountaintop.

According to Saber, this mountain has a boundary field that repels Servants.
Servants will lose most of their power and magical energy if they enter the mountain from anywhere other than the front gate.
Therefore, the only way we can enter is through the front gate, but…

"…I thought they would be setting up an ambush. Do you sense a Servant around here, Saber?"


"No.
There are no other Servants around"
Saber suddenly stops and looks down.

"Saber…? Did you see something?"


"…No, it must be my imagination. I thought I saw a katana, but I cannot find it anywhere.
The mountain gate is not guarded. Let us go inside the temple."

Saber starts running again.
"…?"
I tilt my head in wonder, but hurry to keep up with her.

Music: Footsteps of Destruction



The wind is strong.
All around is thick darkness.
Despite the moon overhead, the terrible darkness remains.



The moon is there, of course.
Its rays shine down on the compound.
But the area is still shrouded in darkness.




"Yes, something is wrong. No one would let us come this far without offering resistance. Andthis place is too quiet."
"…Let's go inside. The Ryudou Temple has close to fifty people living in it.
It can't be this quiet."

We head for the temple.
There's no one around.
After confirming that the compound is empty, we go inside.



This just briefly flashes on screen.



Of course, my classmate is among them.
Ryudou Issei is sleeping peacefully as well.

""
We quickly move across the wooden hallway.
…It's because Saber felt a presence.
Saber pointed toward the main temple building.
The Master responsible for this disaster is there.





The first thing we see is the red blood spreading on the floor.

"…!?"
A red flower blooms in the center of the temple.
There is a man lying there as well.
His chest must be pierced, as the man is dyeing the floor red.

The wound is fatal, and the man has lost enough blood to die.
He's already a corpse.
I know this man, and it seems he was Master to the one standing beside his body.



The Servant is looking down at her Master with a mysterious dagger in hand.

"……!"
Pain lances through my head, accompanied by a sense of apprehension.
It's not that I'm scared of this scene.

That



That dagger is ominous.
It seems Saber does not feel anything, but I can tell that the dagger has dreadful power.





The Servant in a purple robe, Caster, does not answer.
I don't know if Saber took it as an opening or as an insult…



But she tries to charge



"No, just don't go near that dagger…! That thing can break contracts. It might even cut the bond between a Servant and a Master."





"ThenCaster killed her own Master?"

"……"
I don't know if she did.
But I'm sure the dagger she's holding has unearthly power.



With her vigor gone, she looks more like a ghost than a heroic spirit.









These two images really just show up as the one below, but I thought the effect of the two separate was also neat.





I see. You must have come to finish me off. I don't know whose plot this is, but he is quite thorough."


"Silence. I do not want anything from a person who betrayed her master. Regret your actions and take your punishment."


"HahI killed my Master? I killed Souichirou-sama?
Fuhhaha, ahahahahaha! That is funny! Perhaps I should have done so, if it was going to turn out like this…!"

She starts laughing maniacally.
The black-robed magus puts her dagger away and points at Saber.




""
Saber does not even need to answer.
She raises her sword without hesitation.







Music: Stop



Caster's magic was supreme, but it did no good against Saber, who has high magic resistance.
Saber nullified every magic Caster used and killed her in one blow.



"Eh? O-Oh. …Well, we can't do anything here. Let's contact the hospital… no, Kotomine first. We should be able to save the people here that way."

…But we can't save the corpse in front of us.
Caster has disappeared, leaving only her Master's corpse at our feet.
…His death will likely be kept a secret.
Nobody will know what happened to him, and he will disappear from everyone's memory.


"Shirou."
"…I know. There are still four more Masters. We have no time to waste."
"That is a wise decision. I understand your feelings, but this is not the time for sentiment."

Saber turns and starts to walk.
""
Engraving the sight of the corpse into my mind, I follow.



"Huh?"
Wait…
What was that…?


"Shirou? Why did you stop?"
"Eh… um. I felt someone's gaze on me, like we're being watched. Didn't you feel it?"




"No, I did not feel anything. We have already determined that there is nobody here. Is it not your imagination?"
"Uh… maybe. If you put it that way, I guess that's right. Yeah, it must be just me."


"Then let us hurry. The people should wake up now that Caster is dead. It would be troublesome if somebody saw us here."

…She's right.
Tonight will leave a bad taste in my mouth, but it should put an end to the mysterious coma incidents.
That should be good enough for tonight.

"All right. Let's get out of here and contact Kotomine, then go home and rest."



Saber nods in satisfaction and leaves the temple.







Golden Fleece: EX
Very valuable. It is said that it can summon dragons, but since Caster does not have the ability to summon phantom beasts, it cannot be used.