The establishment of the Time Travelers Alliance began in the first year of Conan

Chapter 345 Assassin! I caught one! The Jeweler decided to catch a Chaos first.
Hassan al-Sabah, also known as Hassan the Hundred-Faced, the nineteenth leader of the Assassination Cult—

These are the illustrious titles I, Hassan al-Sabah, have acquired as a Heroic Spirit.

My diverse skills, abundant knowledge, unpredictable spirit, and the extremely difficult-to-detect [Aura Concealment] make me the most terrifying of these seven [Heroic Spirits].

Just like right now, I'm about to kill my Master's mentor, that guy who thinks he has everything under control.

whee--

The assassin felt a pang of regret for such a fragile alliance.

Although he didn't know why his Master suddenly changed his mind, Hassan was not surprised at all.

Yes, if that cup could truly fulfill the last winner's wish, then who would be willing to share it with outsiders?
"No need to be overly cautious. Even if we face Archer, there's nothing to be afraid of. Quickly kill Tokiomi Tohsaka."

Assassin recalled the instructions Kirei had given him not long ago, and couldn't help but let out a cruel smirk.

After all, although Assassin is the weakest of all Servants in terms of combat power, it is true that he can still easily assassinate his Master.

"But they actually said that Archer has nothing to be afraid of."

The heroic spirit lurking in the darkness hesitated for a moment.

Presumably, that guy named Tokiomi summoned a really terrible Heroic Spirit.

A myriad of thoughts flashed through Assassin's mind as he stopped in front of the barrier.

We have arrived at the Tohsaka mansion.

……

In fact, the positions of the Matou and Tohsaka families, two of the three founding families, are common knowledge.

But just like the [Gemstone Elder] at this moment, based on the information that Hisa Maiya had just "leaked," he deduced that the [Alliance] was likely from a technologically advanced "inter-[universe] civilization."

This kind of blatant display can sometimes bring benefits.

Besides misleading the enemy, walls and fortresses that can reveal positions serve purposes beyond simply increasing one's own advantage in defense.

More importantly, it was to declare to the enemy that they were determined to turn this place into a "meat grinder" where human lives were treated as numbers.

Inform the enemy that if they want to take this "position", they will inevitably face terrible losses.

Therefore, although four familiars were watching, no one actually took any action.

Surely no one really thinks that the Tohsaka Mansion, located at the second largest ley line node in Fuyuki City, can be entered so easily?

Tokiomi Tohsaka is not Rin Tohsaka. At this moment, this magical family has not yet declined like the ancestral family.

The Tohsaka family is still very wealthy!

Therefore, anyone who sees the dozen or twenty layers of various detection and defense barriers set up in that courtyard must think twice before acting.

Even if you manage to breach this fortress, you might still leave something behind in the end.

In any case, Servants are ultimately "aggregates" with enormous magical power, and their abilities mostly depend on Noble Phantasms that consume magical power.

Just like during the Fifth World War, by consuming gems that had accumulated precious magical power, Rin Tohsaka was even able to barely contend with Medea, the magician of the Age of Gods, for a certain period of time.

Gemstones are the crystallization of the earth's veins.

【Gem Magic】This is a magic system that extracts all the magic power from a gem in one go to perform a spell.

Aside from being extremely expensive, it is actually quite powerful.

In a sense, the war between magicians is a war of magical power.

In short, whether it's a physical body or a spirit, as long as it possesses magic, it can achieve a breakthrough without anyone noticing—

Nani!

Assassin, he got over it!

This is the charm of the A+ level [Aura Concealment].

Although it doesn't possess outstanding combat abilities, it can truly operate by reducing its magic fluctuations to almost zero.

Moreover, they had entered the mansion yesterday to give a report and even guarded the weak points of the barrier several times.

At this moment, Assassin regarded these barriers as nothing at all!
He could even move forward in those frequently sweeping techniques in a "calisthenics" manner, like a well-trained gymnast.

Then, halfway into the courtyard, Assassin stopped in front of the barrier.

Now, he was truly close to the interior of the courtyard.

As I said before, the battle between grim reapers—I mean, the battle between magicians, the battle between magical powers.

Unlike the spells outside that use gems as power sources or nodes, the warning spell in front of us relies on the second ley line in Fuyuki City.

In other words, these techniques do not have any "flaws".

Even the closest possible magical fluctuations to zero are not nonexistent.

Assassin knew that only a Servant with an EX-level [Presence Concealment] could achieve that.

That is the terrifying ability to hone the skill of "concealment" to the point that one can briefly move to other phases, making oneself non-existent in the eyes of the "world," or to completely merge oneself with the "world."

An assassin drew a dagger hidden in his sleeve, its blade flashing coldly in the moonlight.

Fortunately, Kirei had told her the location of the gem nodes buried in the courtyard to regulate the flow of magic.

Hassan of a Hundred Faces concealed himself in the shadow of a bush in the courtyard and then dispelled his spirit form.

He could only dismantle the barriers one by one using physical methods.

The slender figure beneath the white skull mask then extended a dagger to pry open the first barrier—

"bass--!"

A sound like a sharp blade being drawn rang out in the silent night sky.

The next second, a sharp spear, gleaming with some kind of divine light, descended from the sky like lightning.

……

In fact, aside from Assassin who was focusing his attention on the barrier device in front of him.

Everyone saw the source of the attack.

After all, the figure standing on the roof of the villa, shimmering with gold and seemingly fond of heights, was quite eye-catching.

Of course, unlike those guys who spy from afar using familiars.

Hassan, who was right there at the scene, saw everything even more clearly thanks to the assassin's excellent vision.

That is--

Snake-like crimson eyes.

He looked at me with an ever-condescending, mocking, and delighted gaze, as if I were a jester.

But what surprised Gilgamesh even more was...

The disdain in his expression faded for a moment, as if he had seen something interesting.

"Oh? So you actually managed to withstand one of my attacks?"

The words of the Hero King elicited an expression of disbelief from Hassan of the Hundred Faces as well.

Wait, did I manage to block such a fierce attack?!
He subconsciously lowered his head and looked at the divine weapon that had been shifted to within an inch of his face because of the dagger being thrust out.

He didn't make a move just now!

"I never imagined that a rat hiding in a ditch could possess such martial arts skills."

Although all of this happened in the blink of an eye, the King of Heroes still saw it clearly.

This Assassin, like a remnant of a ghost, seemed to have foreseen the moment he fired his spear, skillfully deflecting the incoming gun barrel with the tip of his dagger.

Her tall, slender figure was as graceful as a long snake, and she dodged by "circling" the spearhead just as her arm was about to be pierced.

Gilgamesh's words made Hassan the Hundred Faces feel that he could no longer distinguish between reality and illusion.

Martial arts? Is that what I'm good at?

Could it be that I've developed another version of myself with exceptional martial arts skills?

But before the shock and uncertainty in his heart could subside...

What happened next made Hassan of a Hundred Faces raise his head in despair.

It was as if someone had decided to paint the night sky with golden light.

One piece, ten pieces, hundreds of pieces... countless dazzling golden ripples bloomed, covering the entire rooftop skyline.

At the center of each ripple, the tip of a treasure slowly emerged.
Knife, spear, sword, halberd, axe, hook...

Each piece possesses immense magical power, symbolizing ancient historical origins.

At this moment, all the weapons were pointed at Assassin.

Hassan of the Hundred Faces is now unable to utter a single word.

Aside from his anger at Kirei for sending him to his death, he now felt only the fear of death.

Hey, can we reconcile?
"A torn soul...how disgusting."

A voice filled with undisguised disgust drifted down from the rooftop.

“A bastard who crawls on the ground should act like a bastard.”

Death arrived as expected.

The sharp whistling of those weapons cutting through the air seemed to replace all the air in the courtyard, becoming the only thing that existed in the world.

Countless treasures rained down in a dazzling downpour, their brilliance relentless.

This power is enough to flatten the earth and evaporate any concealment or trickery in the face of absolute strength.

Assassin's proud assassination skills, and even the martial arts that just inexplicably appeared.

It's meaningless in the face of such a comprehensive saturation attack.

Because under this dazzling light, there wasn't even a shadow to hide in!
……

But Shoyu Sano and Raymond stood there, right there under the "rain of arrows" shrouded in death.

Just like their name suggests, these "executioners" from "heaven" seem to be in another dimension at this moment.

An almost absurd calm, ignoring the destructive process unfolding before them, enveloped them at that moment.

This is not a form of defense, but rather a disregard for the offensive that is currently underway.

They stood in Fuyuki City for three seconds.

At this moment, unless some force can instantly distort the "consensus" of everyone in Fuyuki City.

Otherwise, the "cause" of their attack would not hold true.

Just moments before the golden storm descended, the alliance's plan was already complete.

Led by Sano Shoyu, the six people formed a six-pointed star formation and tightly surrounded the real Hundred-Faced Hassan in the center.

Just as Hassan was surprised by his sudden improvement in martial arts skills.

The [Vision Probe] that connected to the dagger in his hand was now glowing with a purple imaginary light, completely shutting out the deafening roar of destruction from the outside world.

My body felt heavy and sluggish, as if frozen in place, and I couldn't even breathe.

Assassin could only hear the solemn and synchronized chanting of the six paths.

The enigmatic incantation, carrying an irresistible force, sought to "erasure" him entirely.

"The Principle of the Stars (Astral Nomos)"
The Principles of the Universe (Cosmos Ananke)
All phenomena ultimately return to the eternal cycle of time (Rota Fortunae)!
Spiritual projection, soul resonance! (Spiritron PhantasiaSoul Sonority)

At this moment, with the completion of the incantation—

The consensus representing the "present" and the ley lines representing "history" will be covered by the correct version modified by the alliance.

"What a terrible storm..."

Looking at the dark clouds that had replaced the moon, and the raging storm that had replaced the night, Assassin could only utter this one sentence.

Then, he disappeared at that very moment.

The moment the Assassin disappeared, the RSI value unsurprisingly began to rise.

Then, like a roller coaster, it swayed back and forth between 102 and 105.

But more importantly, it's the pressure Raymond is under right now.

It's fortunate that he hasn't accepted the [attribute panel] like Meastia has.

Otherwise, his rapidly rising RSI value would raise it to over 100, causing the [Heroic Spirit] that shouldn't exist to immediately vanish into thin air.

The grimoire in his hand moved without wind, and the Möbius ring, which resembled an ornament, dissected this small space like a ritual array.

As [RSI Masking Mimicry] unfolds, a loop lasting only three seconds appears.

Then, much like 3D printing, the "threads" that were finally able to reveal their full form began to be "woven" in Hassan's original position.

A "doll" identical to Hassan, even perfectly replicating his expression of fear and despair, precisely replaced Hassan's original position along with a meticulously constructed pseudo-spiritual foundation.

It appears a runtime error has been detected.

In the next instant, the world was corrected, like a raging storm.

In the end, however, they returned empty-handed.

The historical inertia of the Fourth Holy Grail War makes this replacement very clear.

But it doesn't have many options.

This may be the tragedy of everything called "inertia".

It can only react when someone tries to change the course of fate.

This lag is a characteristic of historical inertia that does not exist in the form of a timeline.

Therefore, this historical inertia has to be accepted now, albeit reluctantly.

It then completed the final step of the Alliance's cover-up that would never be discovered—in order to improve the RSI environmental index of this universe, it "admitted" that [Hassan al-Sabah] was real.

Anyway, he's going to die in the next moment.

……

The real Hassan with a hundred faces only felt his consciousness being abruptly pulled away for a moment.

Immediately afterwards, the surrounding scenery was restored to its original state, like a shattered mirror.

In those brief three seconds, he seemed to be traveling along some undercurrent in the river of time.

That was definitely myself—that self, right before my eyes, was mercilessly annihilated by those divine weapons.

Limbs were severed and torso was torn apart.

The ensuing wind pressure, driven by the various properties inherent in those magical artifacts, took on a destructive quality.

The destructive storm was so close, the chill of death almost froze his soul.

Assassin saw himself become those spirit particles dissipating in the air.

But he himself was equally unharmed.

No one understands the subtlety of death better than an assassin.

This even reminded the nineteenth Hassan of a legend called "The Old Man of the Mountain".

Legend has it that when the cult falls into corruption, an old man from the mountains will take Hassan's head, and he is known as "Hassan the Slayer".

Because this old man spent his days walking in the realm of the secluded valley, and because those who dwell in the secluded valley have long been accustomed to death, he eventually assimilated with death.

but--

Which is more difficult to achieve: "assimilation by death" or the miracle I am facing right now?

"This must be my own situation right now," Hassan of a Hundred Faces couldn't help but think to himself.

Death... has been replaced.

One's own existence is forcibly stripped from the fate of death in the "present" by some astonishing magic and thrown into this brief gap in the "future".

Therefore, I am now witnessing my own end, which has been performed by others.

Hassan, who was not put to sleep by the "anesthesia needle" due to his good cooperation, was even able to witness it firsthand—

At that moment, the stars in the sky were vying for brilliance with the storm that was trying to overshadow it.

No explanation needed, no statement required...

Hassan could feel a primal tremor at just one glance—

That is a kind of normalcy that can be called "inertia," which is destroying itself because of "abnormality."

"Bang!"

A dull thud, like a coffin lid closing, rang out.

The car door that separated time and space was closed, and Assassin sat quietly in a shadowy corner of the carriage.

Now, he felt like a puppet, being pushed forward, unable to respond—the lingering fear of survival and the overwhelming sense of absurdity gripped his soul.

It was only when the wheels seemed to start running again, accompanied by the roar of the engine, that he regained his senses.

Looking at this group of mysterious people who had appeared out of nowhere and had saved him for some unknown reason, the assassin just tried to speak:
"that--"

At this moment, this assassin, who had killed countless people in the past, was like a docile sheep, trying to understand the current situation.

Anyway, resistance is impossible.

It was as if receiving his orders was the only thing that mattered, and no one paid any attention to him at that moment.

"Retreat immediately! I've already sent you the real-time location of Hisayu Maiya's vehicle!"

The magician in charge of the evacuation had a hoarse voice, revealing an unusual tension, or even panic.

He yelled at Raymond and the others almost the instant Hassan was thrown into the carriage.

"Spellcasting team! Immediately activate [Imaginary Multiple Position - Time-Interrupted Stealth], we need to teleport there!"

"Damn it! [Historical inertia] is still chasing us! Hurry!"

The league's backup plan was indeed put into use.

Unlike the others who were completely "isolated" in the back of the vehicle, Whittaker, who was in charge of driving, even gave up on collecting the monitoring equipment immediately.

Anyway, we've already got the data.

At this moment, the poor magician, sitting in the driver's seat, was sweating profusely.

Through the violently shaking windshield, what I saw outside was not the familiar Fuyuki night view at all—

The entire world outside is flashing wildly.

The streets, buildings, night sky, and even the light itself are all changing in a way that conveys the idea that "this is the right way."

The scene spread outwards from the location where Assassin died.

Having acknowledged Assassin's death, the environmental RSI index, which has "jumped" to 103, is now attempting to return everything to its original state, guided by the "historical inertia" of this Holy Grail War.

Of course, this "loser" is certainly not capable of doing that.

This time, Conan didn't even have a chance to make a move, because—

[Gemstone Elder] has made his move.

……

In fact, at the very moment that historical inertia was preparing for the entire "big event".

Gemstone, or rather, Zelrich, is trying to figure out where the [League] came from.

At this moment, Merlin has crashed in the United States.

He is trying to replace Shishikage Kairi as Hasegawa Tsuki's "teacher".

But so far, this guy's only gain is—

Hasegawa Tsuki seems to have realized that she is not the real "Hasegawa Tsuki".

"A substance known as the CYZ effect..."

Zelrich muttered something.

It was only after discovering that the child didn't have the item that he began to verify whether he was a member of the "Alliance".

"Yes, there are also very standardized monitoring procedures and equipment—it seems that force is already quite proficient in this situation."

This is clearly both a good thing and a bad thing.

The advantage is that this means they will have ample room for intelligence exchange after they re-establish contact with the Alliance.

They might even be able to exchange some of that substance called the "CYZ effect".

And that's precisely the downside.

Zelrich was well aware that there were quite a few beings in this universe who shared the same thoughts as Merlin.

In fact, these guys who only think about "running away" can be considered quite... kind in a sense.

After all, while the "branch war" has ended, it can also be said that it is not over at all.

The Chaldea that has mastered the Root is invincible.

But after its victory, it adopted a "whatever" attitude.

Just thinking about this gives [Gemstone Elder] a headache.

Now, those active individuals are all said to possess extraordinary wisdom and power, and based on this, they promote their ideas and determine the future they desire throughout this infinite parallel universe.

If those guys found out, Zelrich dares to say the universe would be in complete chaos the next moment.

Moreover, what exactly is that substance called the "CYZ effect"?
This substance couldn't have just appeared out of thin air, could it?
As a former member of the Control Room, Zelrich had some understanding of the nature of the universe.

Apart from……

The old man's expression dimmed for a moment.

In short, according to Ritsuka, there shouldn't be a way to "get out".

After much thought, considering that the child named Hisayuu Maiya, although on the surface he was using "magic", in reality it was more like he was using "technology".

Yes, as the second mage and Solomon's disciple, [Gemstone Elder] saw it very clearly.

Of all the techniques involving the manipulation of gravity, mass, and other such things, the only one that can be associated with "mystery" is probably the [imaginary number magic] used to indicate "identity".

Especially those "mass points" that appear in the air.

As an observer who has decided to fully "spy" on this Holy Grail War, this old man with a penchant for magical girl themes is no stranger to "neutron stars".

And this is the technology for manipulating "celestial bodies".

Apart from Chaldea, or rather, those guys who know "celestial magic".

Only that "cross-universe" guy is really good at it.

[Gemstone] has decided to go and "talk" to that machine called [Chaos] later.

He realized to himself that he had indeed overlooked this point.

Without considering magic, technology is sometimes more convenient and even offers more possibilities than magic.

If we rely solely on "magic" or even "magic," it can never compare to the ultimate force that controls everything, or Chaldea that controls the "Root."

Especially considering that the universe where the celestial sphere-shaped spacetime fortress called Chaos is located is on the verge of destruction and filled with nothingness.

"I want to try to leave this universe with Artoria."

— Merlin's words from not long ago echoed in my ears.

Could it be that the two have some similarities?

The old man thought this way.

After all, that "alternate universe" was indeed very strange.

Although it comes from the "root," it's as if it's not closely related to it, strangely difficult to interfere with.

In short, let's see if we can catch a [Chaos] and analyze it.

Thinking of this, a bitter smile appeared on Zelrich's face.

As an "observer" rather than an "intervener," setting aside the now largely ineffective "Second Law"—

His current strength is actually far inferior to that of the soldiers on the Resistance Front.

After all, the Infinite Magic Cannon is barely adequate for the intensity of war today.

As for making myself stronger...

I recalled the information that Ritsuka had told me back then.

Zelrich sighed. "It's all to maintain my 'uniqueness'."

It would be a disaster if too many "gemstone old men" were created.

Zelrich didn't think Chaldea would remain indifferent at that time; perhaps Leonardo da Vinci would be so angry that he would only keep one main branch.

That would mean the end for everyone.

"Hmm, I need to find a parallel universe where the 'Void Hole' still exists, then I need to get [Chaos] to successfully land on Earth, and then find someone to capture it."

Zelrich quickly made up his mind.

Just look for [Gao Wen].

This guy has now truly become a "Sun Knight".

As long as you choose a universe that has not been altered by any other existence.

He, a mere stellar being, should be able to handle things easily, given how he constantly fills his "territory" with suns.

Just as Zelrich was about to contact Gawain—

"What?! Another one?"

Looking at the universe that seemed about to generate fluctuations and give birth to a "branch," the Gem Elder felt completely unwell.

Because, whether from the perspective of concealment or to avoid causing more accidents, Zelrich must respond.

Thus, in the case of mistakenly taking this "overwriting" as "branching",

[Gemstone Elder] immediately and secretly used part of [Second Method] to capture that moment.

"call--"

Wiping away non-existent cold sweat from his forehead, Zelrich picked up the phone that was floating in mid-air.

"Gawain, do you still remember me helping you cover it up..."

……

In a sense, there was a reason why [Jewel Elder] was able to become the Magic Marshal of the [Resistance Front].

Maintaining its "uniqueness" and ensuring that its "historical inertia" remains unchanged is not without its advantages.

Unlike the unfortunate users of the Fifth Law, who, due to the influence of Goetia and others, had a copy of the spell for using "time" almost every powerful individual possessed it.

Once this "uniqueness" is ensured, anyone who needs to use the "Second Method" will have to go through him.

This is like a legendary healer in the martial arts world; although he may lack martial prowess, he is—

Many people owe him favors.

Furthermore, the Metropolitan Government held a certain degree of goodwill towards him, considering that he might be useful in the future.

(End of this chapter)