Melusine, Become my Noble Phantasm!

"Master Hassan, it looks like another Heroic Spirit has arrived to oppose the Lion King. I'll go make contact. Hopefully, this one isn't like the black-clad witch we tried to speak with last time."

Hassan, wearing a white skull mask, gave a slow nod. The memory of the witch still lingered in his mind. Though usually composed, even he had broken into a cold sweat during that encounter. The witch didn't seem like a Servant—her magic was far older than anything from their time. Could she be a relic of the Age of Gods?

He shook his head. It wasn't worth dwelling on. At least the witch clearly opposed the Lion King. She might not be their ally, but she wasn't an enemy—not yet.

"Very well. Then the mission to contact this new Servant falls to you and the Great Hero of Persia. I only hope our Serenity and Shadow-Peeling will manage to eliminate a Knight of the Round Table or two. Best case, they kill the Lion King before his power returns."

Hassan of the Cursed Arm gazed toward the Holy City. According to their intelligence, not all the Knights of the Round Table were stationed in Camelot. This was their chance. Hassan of Serenity and Hassan of Shadow-Peeling would lay an ambush and strike a returning knight—maybe even infiltrate Camelot itself.

The outskirts of New Camelot were surrounded by crumbling ruins. Anyone wishing to enter had to wait there and undergo a "divine selection." Beyond these ruins lay desolate lands—wind-swept and barren. And even further, in the outskirts of this decaying circle, a few small towns still stood.

Though weathered by time and war, these towns remained habitable. Many resistance forces used them as temporary bases. Despite his power still being incomplete, the Lion King continued to issue warnings to any would-be rebels. For this purpose, the Knights of the Round Table were deployed—and one knight in particular was sent out often.

In one such town, the two Hassans lowered their gazes from the sky where the golden light pillars had clashed. Beneath their masks, they both smiled faintly. More heroes had arrived to fight the King. Even if they failed, at least others would remain to carry the cause.

They knew their role well. They were not first-class Heroic Spirits. Against the legendary Knights of the Round Table—especially those empowered by strange blessings—even two of them might not be enough.

"He should be arriving soon," said Serenity. "He's killed many of our comrades. Supposedly, this Knight of the Round Table once betrayed the king. Why is he loyal now?"

Shadow-Peeling shook his head. "Who knows what drives these knights? None of them seem sane anymore. Doesn't matter—they're our enemies now. Are the civilians evacuated?"

"Mostly. A few refused to leave, so I knocked them out with smoke and had the kids carried to the hills. Drastic times, drastic measures."

Assassins acted by their own rules—they weren't knights.

Many still clung to hope. The Lion King had yet to reveal his cruelty, and divine punishment had not yet rained from the heavens. People were reluctant to abandon their homes.

By the time Chaldea arrived in the original timeline, only those from remote regions had survived. The rest—those closer to Camelot and aware of the truth—had perished.

"And the mountain children?"

"Gone. They couldn't stop these armored soldiers anyway. It's just the two of us here. Enough to cause some chaos."

Serenity exhaled a long breath of smoke.

"It's coming! Zabaniya!!"

Thick fog unfurled across the ruined city, slowly blanketing the streets. Inhaling it was a slow death, and visibility dropped to near zero—ideal conditions for assassins.

A returning Knight of the Round Table entered the ruined city. As he felt the creeping fog, he frowned and let out a cold snort. The armor on his shoulders reassembled into a bull-headed helmet.

"Tch. Assassins again? Good. I needed something to kill. One comes, I kill one. Two come? I'll cut them both down!"

---

-End Chapter-

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