Mercenary Tao’s New Master (3K)

Bai Cangshu frowned and descended from the air. He tried to track down Root Shiki, but after only a few turns, the woman had vanished without a trace.

Because he was in Fuyuki City, Bai Cangshu’s Mantra could not be unleashed while restricted by his class, leaving him with no way to continue the pursuit for the moment.

Still, this confirmed that the holder of the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception who had appeared in Fuyuki City really was Root Shiki.

And the scene she had shown him during his attack was most likely the reason Root Shiki had come to Fuyuki City.

White Face was preparing to launch the Human Instrumentality Project in Fuyuki City and use it to reach the Root directly. But such a plan could not remain completely hidden in this world, and the Restraining Force had reacted.

That was why Root Shiki had appeared.

And since she had neither fought him nor called him an "evil Savior," it seemed that, from the Restraining Force’s perspective, he had been judged as someone they could cooperate with.

Or rather, even the Despair Salvation ability of his Villain Savior had been taken into consideration by the Restraining Force.

If every other method failed and the Human Instrumentality Project was successfully carried out, plunging humanity into a state bordering on extinction, then his Despair Savior Mode would probably become another "hero" appointed by the Restraining Force.

Bai Cangshu gained a new understanding of the Type-Moon World’s Restraining Force. Such precise calculations and proper arrangements really did seem as though they originated from the cause of all things—the Swirl of the Root.

Warning, Assassin051: insufficient mana. Negative effect acquired: Weakness.

Bai Cangshu was about to leave when a new prompt appeared before his eyes. He immediately felt his body grow much heavier.

This heaviness was unlike turning up the high-gravity environment at the Cultivation Institute. It was more like a dual exhaustion of mind and body.

Fatigue rarely appeared in Bai Cangshu, and he found the sensation extremely uncomfortable.

It was as if shackles had been forcibly placed on him. He tested it and found that exerting strength and moving were both affected.

Hmph. If you’ve already arranged for me to be a "Savior candidate," then even if I’m an evil Savior, you shouldn’t be treating me like this…

Bai Cangshu grumbled inwardly, but he did not panic.

Ever since his first attempt to kill his Master upon entering had failed, he had already planned to let his Master die at an appropriate moment in the coming battles.

Bai Cangshu had no need for a Master who could neither provide mana nor strategic intelligence. Besides, that man’s temperament was highly unstable, and allowing him to hold Command Spells capable of controlling Bai Cangshu was hardly pleasant.

Therefore, when Gilgamesh’s three swords fell, Bai Cangshu had not resisted with all his strength. Instead, he had gone with the flow and allowed "Golden Flash" to kill his Master, successfully freeing himself from those restrictions.

Feeling the abnormality in his body, Bai Cangshu pondered for a moment before leaping onto a nearby treetop. Without the convenience of Mantra, he could only search for people through other means.

Presence Concealment!

Among the abilities enhanced by his Assassin class, this ability to conceal his presence had the highest rank. It was probably compensation for his inability to use Mantra.

Bai Cangshu seemed to vanish from the world in an instant.

He leaped openly from treetop to treetop, yet no one could detect him.

A Servant who had lost their Master was both a valuable fighting force and, without question, the most useful sacrificial offering during the Holy Grail War.

Bai Cangshu had to make use of his identity as an Assassin to find himself a new Master as quickly as possible, so he could continue participating in the Holy Grail War and complete the Main Mission.

Main Mission of Evil—Survive until the end of the Holy Grail War as an Assassin.

Put another way, this Main Mission required Bai Cangshu to win the Holy Grail War as an Assassin.

After all, the Masters and Servants who entered the Holy Grail War in order to "grant their wishes" generally participated with the intention of killing every other Servant.

Bai Cangshu had not come away empty-handed tonight. At the very least, he had confirmed that the current timeline was likely during the Fifth Holy Grail War, and that the Holy Grail War had only just begun.

Saber had already been summoned.

Furthermore, one difference from the original work was now clear: the Assassin class had changed because of Bai Cangshu’s appearance. Theoretically, Matou Zouken, who had originally summoned Assassin-i Sabbah in this Holy Grail War, had lost his chance to summon an Assassin-class Heroic Spirit.

As Bai Cangshu searched for the Matou Family’s location, he organized the information he had gathered so far.

The Fifth Holy Grail War was rather special. Depending on how events unfolded, the original work had produced three different timelines.

But the basic Heroic Spirits and Masters were all fixed. Bai Cangshu was now preparing to throw in his lot with Matou Zouken, who had twisted everything in pursuit of immortality.

That man was one of the founders of the Holy Grail War, and his character had now become vile. Bai Cangshu’s Villain Savior would probably work very well on him.

At the same time, Matou Zouken could provide Bai Cangshu with some support.

Tap, tap, tap…

Panicked footsteps hurried along. Bai Cangshu’s figure flashed, swiftly crossing several thousand meters from treetops to rooftops like a ninja.

He soon saw a petite girl running about in panic.

"Berserker?!"

Clear Command Spells marked the back of the girl’s hand, but their glow flashed and immediately faded.

This was…

Bai Cangshu narrowed his eyes. Standing atop a building, he recognized her as a Master from the Fifth Holy Grail War, as well as the living Lesser Grail—Illyasviel von Einzbern.

As mentioned before, the Einzbern, Tohsaka, and Matou families did not seek to grant wishes through the Holy Grail War. That was merely an excuse. Each had their own goal, but without exception, they all sought to reach the Root through the Holy Grail War.

The method was to temporarily contain dead Heroic Spirits within the Lesser Grail. Then, when those Heroic Spirits returned to the Throne of Heroes, they would pierce a hole through time and space. Using the Greater Grail’s mana to stabilize that hole, they could enter the Root.

This white-haired girl was the living Lesser Grail created to contain dead Heroic Spirits.

Whoosh.

A figure went from blurry to solid less than fifty meters behind Illya.

It was a man dressed in black nightwear, holding a gleaming katana in one hand with its blade pointed downward. As he walked, the tip never touched the ground, yet some sharp force carved clear trails across the earth.

"Let me make this clear in advance: unlike those guys, I don’t enjoy killing children, but…"

The man spoke words Illya could not understand at all, but he had already raised his sword. Then he swung, and a brilliant white arc of sword light shot forth in an instant.

Flying Slash. A Reincarnator with swordsmanship specialization at the level of a swordmaster.

Bai Cangshu’s eyes lit up, while Illya stumbled backward in panic.

Buzz!

Another figure appeared atop a streetlamp. This person wore a white robe, his eyelids lowered as he spoke indifferently.

"Make it quick. No one knows how long that item can keep Heracles effective."

"Kill her, and the plot will most likely head toward the Heaven’s Feel Route. Only that route comes closest to the Root opening."

"This world’s difficulty is a little abnormal. Some reckless Reincarnator probably entered it. Don’t create unnecessary complications."

The katana at the man’s waist gave a soft ring.

The man in nightwear said nothing and stopped toying with her. His body appeared behind Illya like a phantom, and his sword came down.

Illya’s pupils contracted. Only then did she realize that the enemy had reached her back. Her silver-white hair instantly transformed into swords and familiars.

But after the previous battle, she already knew very well that the enemy was too fast. Her Golden Needle Magecraft would struggle to resist him.

The silver-white sword light instantly sliced through the newly formed familiar and continued without pause toward the girl’s neck.

But in the next instant, a hand seemed to appear out of thin air.

Clang!

The gleaming katana landed in that hand with the sound of metal striking metal.

In Illya’s eyes, a figure appeared before her. With nothing but his bare hand, he had caught the long sword she had found so difficult to contend with.

And when that person met her gaze, an incomparably greedy smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

Phantom Dragon did not try to pull his sword free after it was gripped. He knew very well that anyone confident enough to catch his sword barehanded had to possess extreme confidence in their strength.

The next moment, he focused his mind. Pitch-black Demonic Qi erupted from his hand, and in an instant, it wrapped around the blade like a black python.

Bai Cangshu was slightly surprised. He released the sword and simultaneously grabbed the living Lesser Grail by the collar with one hand, drifting backward seven or eight meters.

"You actually have this kind of strength?"

The strength of these two exceeded Bai Cangshu’s expectations, forcing him to reassess the difficulty of this mission.

After encountering that Reincarnator who had summoned a Guardian Spirit earlier, he had assumed that all Reincarnators who entered were only at that level. He had not expected this man not only to possess swordsmanship specialization above Lv7, but also a special bloodline and energy.

That Demonic Qi was purer than the kind Li Qingzi had enhanced, and it seemed better suited for releasing energy.

Phantom Dragon held the demonic sword wrapped in black Demonic Qi and slowly lowered his body. He sheathed the sword, his gaze turning incomparably dangerous.

"Mercenary Tao…"

Whoosh.

The other man flashed over like a phantom and instantly arrived beside Phantom Dragon. He placed a hand on his waist.

"Mercenary Tao, is that you?!"

Neither of the two fled immediately. Clearly, by their own judgment, they did not believe Mercenary Tao possessed strength overwhelmingly greater than both of them.

Bai Cangshu ignored them. He merely set Illya down and said,

"Assassin Tao is currently in need of a Master. Miss Illya should have enough mana to command another new Servant, shouldn’t you…?"

Bai Cangshu had not expected such an unexpected windfall while on his way to find Matou Zouken. As a living Lesser Grail, Illya’s aptitude as a Magus was nearly unmatched in the Fifth Holy Grail War.

Because she had undergone numerous modifications while still an infant in her mother’s womb, Magic Circuits covered her entire body, granting her mana far beyond that of an ordinary magus. Furthermore, Command Spells were carved all over her body. Standing on Fuyuki’s land, she could even resonate with the Greater Grail from afar, giving her nearly inexhaustible mana.

As a Master, she was far more suitable than Matou Zouken, who toyed with insect-based magecraft.

And besides… she was the Lesser Grail, a key factor capable of determining the course of the Holy Grail War to come.

Your actions have earned Illya's appreciation. Your reputation with Illya has increased. Current: Friendly (14/100)

Friendly…

Bai Cangshu looked at the silver-haired girl before him, whose expression was innocent. He felt neither joy nor sorrow. Due to the passive effect of Villain Savior, he should theoretically gain innate reputation with good and evil people of the order-aligned side, but his reputation with Illya had started accumulating from the baseline.

That meant that, by the Space’s judgment, Illya did not belong to the order-aligned side…