Fate: Question And Answer System of Traversing Heroic Spirits

The clones of Hassan of the Hundred Faces avoided direct confrontation with Avicebron. Instead, they exploited Assassin's strengths, engaging him with evasive, hit-and-run tactics.

Because of this, Avicebron was forced to shield Roche while enduring the constant onslaught, retreating as best he could while sending messages to Darnic and the others for assistance.

The commotion alerted some of Yggdmillennia's guards within the castle, but any who attempted to intervene were swiftly dispatched by Hassan's clones.

"Puff!"

"Ah!"

Finally, one of Hassan's clones seized an opportunity and threw a dagger, striking Roche in the thigh. Immobilized by the wound, Roche could no longer flee.

Seeing this, Avicebron had no choice but to cast a protective spell over Roche.

He couldn't abandon Roche. If Roche died, Avicebron's own contract would end, and he'd be eliminated from the war.

The clones of Hassan coordinated their assault perfectly, with some focusing on tying Avicebron down while others aimed directly for Roche.

"Bang!"

At the most critical moment, Fionn mac Cumhaill broke through a nearby window and entered the fray.

With the legendary leader of the Fianna Knights joining the fight, the clones of Hassan of the Hundred Faces stood no chance. Within moments, they were completely annihilated.

The threat to Roche's life was neutralized, though it was clear how close he had come to death.

"So close…" Roche muttered, still pale from the ordeal.

Avicebron, on the other hand, remained silent, his thoughts a mystery to those around him.

---

"The homunculus is gone!"

Darnic frowned upon receiving Avicebron's report. "Have you searched the entire castle?"

"We've already combed every room, but there's no sign of him," Avicebron replied, his tone heavy. "I suspect he may have already escaped Yggdmillennia Castle."

"Impossible," Darnic said, shaking his head. "With his physical condition, he couldn't have left the castle on his own."

Muttering to himself, Darnic considered the possibilities. "Was it Rider? Or Saber? No, that's unlikely. They haven't made any suspicious moves recently."

---

Meanwhile, on the grasslands a short distance from Yggdmillennia Castle...

"This should be far enough," said a girl with blonde pigtails as she stopped, glancing back at the panting Sieg. Her eyes shifted toward the ongoing battle between the factions, a frown forming on her face.

The girl was none other than Jeanne d'Arc, the Ruler.

"...Thank you," Sieg said after taking a moment to catch his breath. He looked at her curiously. "But why did you save me? We don't even know each other."

Jeanne gave him a soft smile. "I just had a sudden feeling that you shouldn't die there."

She wasn't lying. Her decision to save Sieg had been entirely impulsive, made while she observed the chaos of the battlefield.

Though Sieg had been under the protection of three Servants—Siegfried, Astolfo, and Chiron—his survival in Yggdmillennia Castle had always been precarious. Jeanne felt that someone like Sieg, a homunculus who longed for life, deserved a chance at freedom.

"I don't really understand," Sieg admitted, "but thank you."

Having spent time with Siegfried and the others, Sieg had already learned some basic manners and social customs.

"Rest for now," Jeanne said, her gaze returning to the battlefield. "How will this battle end…?"

---

Back at the battlefield, Iskandar and his two companions had regrouped with Chihiro.

Seeing the towering Light Messenger, Iskandar's eyes lit up with excitement.

"This is incredible! What is it?"

Having spent so much time in the modern world, Iskandar was familiar with the concept of mechas.

Chihiro turned to the group. "I'll stay behind and cover the retreat. You all go first."

Artoria frowned. "As a Servant, how can I let my Master cover for me during a retreat?"

"Because I have the means to retreat safely, and you don't. Understand?" Chihiro said firmly.

Artoria fell silent, reluctantly conceding to his logic.

"Hahaha! If that's the case, we'll leave it to you," Iskandar said with a grin. "But when you get back, don't forget to let me take a closer look at your mecha!"

"We'll see," Chihiro replied, waving them off.

With that, Iskandar drove the Gordius Wheel away, taking Artoria and the others with him.

---

Chihiro then opened communications with Qin Shi Huang.

"How's your situation?"

"Hmph," Qin Shi Huang replied. "Those two are quite persistent. Despite being surrounded by my troops, they're still resisting."

"Let them go for now. We need to prepare to retreat," Chihiro said.

"Retreat? Is this how you plan to leave things?" the First Emperor asked, his tone sharp.

"We have the Holy Grail," Chihiro explained. "Right now, we're everyone's target. If we delay any longer, it'll only put us at a disadvantage."

"Hmph. As long as you've achieved your goal. If you returned empty-handed, it would've been disgraceful," Qin Shi Huang said.

With that, the First Emperor deactivated his Reality Marble.

Astolfo, upon realizing they were free, let out a sigh of relief.

Siegfried, however, remained wary, keeping a close eye on Qin Shi Huang.

But the First Emperor simply ignored them, dissolving into spirit form as he retreated.

---

At the same time, the immense movement caused by the Light Messenger finally drew their attention.

Astolfo's eyes widened. "What's going on? How has the battlefield changed so much since we left?"

"It seems the Master and his Servants are in trouble," Siegfried said. "Let's head back to help."

"I can't," Astolfo admitted, his injuries leaving him weak and unable to fight.

Siegfried nodded, picking Astolfo up under his arm as he rushed back toward Yggdmillennia Castle.

---

"Meteor Shower!"

Chihiro commanded the Light Messenger, sending a barrage of meteors crashing into the Hanging Garden of Babylon.

After enduring continuous attacks, the Hanging Garden of Babylon began to shake, its structure struggling to remain stable.

"Damn it!" Semiramis growled, her frustration evident. "The Hanging Garden of Babylon can't take much more of this. If this keeps up, we'll fall!"

"...Retreat," Kotomine Shirou said after a moment of thought. "We can still seize the Holy Grail later. The Hanging Garden of Babylon is our trump card and must not be destroyed here."

Semiramis sighed. "Understood. Preparing to retreat now."

Kotomine Shirou sent an urgent message to Achilles, ordering him to cover the Hanging Garden of Babylon's retreat.

"Ugh, so today's plan failed again, huh?" Achilles grumbled as he moved to follow orders. "Our opponents are way too stubborn."

"Looks like we'll have to call it a day."

Chihiro also noticed the retreat of the Hanging Garden of Babylon, which was exactly what he wanted.

"Hah, what are you talking about? I haven't had enough fun yet!" Achilles grinned.

"But I don't plan to play with you anymore."

As he spoke, the Light Messenger manipulated the earth and rocks to raise a massive cloud of dust.

"Fire Veil!"

Taking advantage of the distraction, the Light Messenger waved its hand, and red light immediately enveloped the machine.

In an instant, the entire body of the Light Messenger disappeared.

"Invisibility?!"

Achilles rushed forward to investigate but couldn't find any trace of the Light Messenger.

To put it simply, Fire Veil was an advanced invisibility technique, part of the arsenal of Ars Ignis.

Normally, making a massive mecha like the Light Messenger invisible would be impossible without the immense magical energy provided by the Holy Grail.

Of course, this technique had its flaws, its duration was short, lasting a maximum of three minutes at a time.

So, after making the Light Messenger invisible, Chihiro immediately deactivated it and stored it away.

After all, the Light Messenger's size made it difficult to hide completely. Even invisible, it would still generate noise.

As for his own escape, Chihiro had no concerns.

Don't forget, Chihiro still had the Cloak of Invisibility he had won from Gilgamesh.

Using the cloak for cover, he managed to cast a puppet spell on one of Avicebron's golems, further disrupting the Black Faction's defenses.

With these preparations in place, Chihiro quickly left the battlefield. Achilles, unable to locate him, had no choice but to retreat reluctantly.

---

"Let's go as well," Jeanne said to Sieg as the battle subsided.

Sieg: "Where are we going next?"

Jeanne: "To the city. I'll help you find a place to stay. What happens after that is up to you."

Sieg: "Really? Thank you for your help."

---

Elsewhere, Mordred was preparing to leave with Sisigou.

After failing to kill the Sea Demon earlier, Mordred had been unable to contribute much once Chihiro summoned the Light Messenger. Left with no other choice, she returned to Sisigou.

Watching the impressive displays of power from Chihiro and Kotomine Shirou, Sisigou couldn't help but reflect.

"This Holy Grail War will probably come down to a contest between those two," he muttered.

The idea made him reconsider Chihiro's earlier recruitment offer.

---

At Yggdmillennia Castle, the Black Faction could only grit their teeth as they watched Chihiro and the Red Faction retreat without a care in the world.

The power displayed by both sides during the night's battle left them hesitant to provoke either faction further.

Tonight's confrontation ultimately became a contest between Chihiro and the Red Faction, but it was the Black Faction that suffered the heaviest losses.

Not only had they lost Bluebeard and Frankenstein, but the Holy Grail had also been taken.

The only silver lining was the summoning of Fionn mac Cumhaill, which helped to offset some of their losses.

When Astolfo learned that Sieg was missing, he immediately wanted to search for him. However, Chiron managed to calm him down.

"Now isn't the time to act rashly," Chiron said.

Moreover, upon inspecting Sieg's room, Chiron found no signs of a struggle, indicating that Sieg hadn't been taken by force.

"All we can do now is hope he's safe," Chiron added solemnly.