The Infinite Dragon God Cannot Find Silence

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"How about it?"

"No, I can't find it at all."

Hearing Ritsuka's reply through the magic, El-Melloi's brows furrowed even deeper.

"It seems they've discovered our tracking and are determined to hide?"

The reason Caster was easy to find before was because he didn't care how much chaos he caused and the turmoil he created, and he just happened to be by the river. But if he decides to hide and only take the life he needs to maintain his magic power, then it will be really difficult to catch him.

The Master and Lancer split up and searched all night, but they couldn't find any clues.

Still no news?

Next to El-Melloi, Saber also frowned slightly.

The shift from the light to the shadows is merely a slight restraint; it doesn't mean the demon has truly stopped. Even as time is delayed, children will continue to be harmed.

This can't go on forever.

There's no news from Kiritsugu's side either.

Irisviel also chimed in.

Unlike the Servants, Kiritsugu Emiya was tasked with searching for Caster's Master, a person who was more adept at killing than Caster, and whose methods were not as bizarre as Caster's, so he should be easier to find.

But so far, no trace of it has been found.

"I understand."

Elmero nodded.

They now have the support of Lancer and the alliance of the Saber group. Although the Berserker group had previously reached an alliance agreement, the Matou family has been suddenly destroyed, Sakura is missing and in grave danger, and it is unknown how Matou Kariya will react.

We also need to persuade Rider.

"...Mr. Second Generation".

Just as El-Melloi was pondering this, Ritsuka's communication suddenly came through again.

"So, have you found your target?"

"No, the target was not found... However, the King of Heroes was discovered."

"what?!"

Ritsuka looked at the girl standing in front of him with her back to the moonlight, her eyes smiling as she looked at him, and the corner of her mouth twitched slightly.

"Actually... saying that the other party discovered us would be more accurate?"

"Oh no..."

Elmero also discovered the problem.

Ritsuka had previously mentioned encountering an attack by Assassins, but El-Melloi didn't take it too seriously. With Mash's abilities and Lily's help, even if all the Assassins attacked at once, they could protect Ritsuka until reinforcements arrived.

However, by focusing too much on Caster's problems and how to deal with Rider afterward, El-Melloi inadvertently overlooked the alliance between Assassin and Archer!

"Hold on, we'll be there soon!"

El-Melloi quickly ended the communication and stood up.

"Although it was sudden, I ask for your assistance. This crisis was caused by my oversight, but it may also be an opportunity. Perhaps we can take this opportunity to eliminate Archer, our greatest threat. I'm counting on you all!"

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Meanwhile, Ophis was still observing Ritsuka and the others with interest.

That's what they say, but at this moment, Orpheus couldn't see Ritsuka with the naked eye. Just half a beat after Orpheus's sudden appearance, Mash and Lily had already stood in front of Ritsuka, firmly protecting their Master.

Orpheus was here because he received a notification from Assassin.

Without El-Melloi's cover, it would be easy for Assassin to find Ritsuka. However, after discovering that Mash's defenses were difficult to break through, Tokiomi made a decisive move this time. He revealed to Orpheus that he had formed an alliance with Assassin and asked Assassin to bring him here to deal with Ritsuka.

Orpheus wasn't really stupid enough not to see the connection between Kirei Kotomine and Assassin; he just couldn't be bothered to care. Now that Tokiomi had been unusually honest with him, there was no harm in making a trip.

"Long time no see."

Orpheus smiled gently and nodded to Ritsuka.

"Uh, ah..."

At this moment, Ritsuka clearly did not yet possess the aura she would later have, and she was somewhat at a loss when Orpheus greeted her with what seemed to be his ulterior motives.

Whoosh—Pfft—

But in the next moment, the sound of air being torn apart and the sound of a sharp blade entering a body rang out almost simultaneously.

Ritsuka and the others looked back in surprise and saw an Assassin who had just tried to ambush them lying to the side, pierced by a spear.

"Ooh!"

Bang—clang!

Before Ritsuka could even react to why Orpheus had saved her, Mash's cry of alarm suddenly rang out, followed by a tremendous crash and the clang of weapons clashing.

Ritsuka quickly turned around and saw that Mash had been sent flying at some point, while Lily was fighting Orpheus.

"You are too focused on the enemy in front of you and neglect the threat behind you. You are also careless because of distraction. You are really immature now."

Casually deflecting Lily's continuous attacks, Orpheus even had the leisure to comment on Mash and Lily's mistakes.

"Waaah..."

Lily gritted her teeth, knowing that what the other party said was absolutely right; it was entirely their carelessness that had happened.

But mistakes cannot be undone; we can only do our best to make amends.

As Lily rallied, the strikes of the Sword of Kings became increasingly fierce, causing Orpheus to glance at her sideways.

Lily's growth rate is undoubtedly astonishing. Having memories of the future, she transforms knowledge into experience with every battle.

Even so, there was still a significant gap between her and Orpheus. No matter how hard Lily tried, she was unable to break through Orpheus's defense.

Just then, a yellow pistol slashed through the air and shot straight toward Orpheus!

Chapter 147 The Goddess's Thoughts

"Teacher, is it really okay to tell Archer about Assassin? What if she becomes wary of Assassin because of this...?"

"Don't worry, Kirei."

Tokiomi sat elegantly beside the phonograph used for communications, swirling his wine glass as he answered his disciple's questions.

"With the Holy Grail War progressing to this point, it's becoming increasingly difficult for us to keep Assassin hidden from the King of Heroes. In that case, we might as well reveal Assassin's existence directly, and frankly state our alliance and that if the war continues to the end, Assassin will commit suicide..."

"I see. In that case, the proud king will lower his guard to the minimum against Assassin, whom he no longer sees as a threat."

"Yes, as long as the war continues until the very last moment... I'll leave the timing to you, Kirei."

"Leave it to me with confidence, my master."

After cutting off the communication, Tokiomi got up to leave, but was stopped by a familiar, clear voice.

"Father."

"cold?!"

Tokiomi's usually calm face finally showed a hint of surprise. He turned around and looked towards the source of the sound, where he saw his eldest daughter holding his youngest daughter, who had been standing there at some point.

You must understand that this is the very core of the Tohsaka family's magic territory. Even the daughter of the territory's owner would not be able to easily step into it, let alone break in without Tokiomi noticing.

"Rin, didn't I tell you to stay with Aoi? Why are you here? And what's with Sakura?"

Having been a magician for many years, Tokiomi quickly calmed down in the face of this unusual situation. He put one hand in his pocket, gripped the jewel, and secretly became wary. He raised his voice slightly and reprimanded the two girls.

As long as it wasn't a critical moment, Tokiomi's mind remained clear. In his opinion, the two girls in front of him were likely a trick or illusion set up by someone, and they couldn't be trusted easily.

Because he had focused all his attention on the King's Banquet and the outsiders who had seized the magic territory, Tokiomi had not yet received news that the Matou family had been reduced to ruins. Otherwise, his reaction would probably have been more than just vigilance.

However, Rin seemed to ignore Tokiomi Tomoto's reprimand and instead appeared flustered.

"Father, come and see Sakura!"

Tokiomi frowned, not rushing to a conclusion about what he thought was likely a trap, but instead turning his gaze to the unconscious Sakura.

Then, his eyes widened.

Modifying magic circuits is not something that can be done casually, let alone requiring bloodline fusion in the process. Orpheus, an Archer-class hero, simply cannot complete such a complex procedure. Therefore, the only option is to implant a snake into Sakura's body to replace the Crest Worms and prolong her life. The snake, combined with the Omniscient Star, will have performance far exceeding that of the Crest Worms, allowing Sakura to wait for that time without any pain.

Actually, we could have used a Noble Phantasm to completely heal Sakura first and then slowly reformed her, but according to Ishtar, ... dividing it into so many steps is too painful, so it's better to solve it all at once.

Although Orpheus sensed that Ishtar had ulterior motives, he didn't care and let her do as she pleased.

In other words, Sakura's appearance and magic circuits are still the result of the modifications made by the Matou family.

Tokiomi Tohsaka's talent in magic is not outstanding, but after years of studying magic, he is enough to be ranked among the top magicians. He may not be able to see Sakura's problem at a glance, but he can at least see that there is something wrong with her.

After hesitating for a moment, Tokiomi picked up his cane and cautiously approached the two girls.

Then, he placed the gem at the tip of his cane onto Sakura's body and began his probe.

"this……!"

A few seconds later, Tokiomi's expression changed drastically. He took Sakura directly from Rin's hands and ran away without even saying a word.

"Tch, why do we have to call him father? No matter how you look at it, that guy can't possibly be compared to Father God Annu..."

As Rin watched Tokiomi leave, the panic on her face vanished completely in half a second, replaced by a slightly disdainful expression.

"However, it's alright. Although you made mistakes in the past, you haven't completely lost even the most basic family affection, so I won't punish you."

Tokiomi Tohsaka was undoubtedly guilty of giving Sakura away to the Matou family. He had not fully investigated the Matou family's background... Even if he had, he might not have been able to defeat the 500-year-old insect. However, the fact that he failed to find anything amiss was entirely his fault.

However, if we look at it from the perspective of abandoning his daughter, Tokiomi didn't have many options when it came to his daughter. Giving her up for adoption, with the possibility of her becoming the head of another magic family in the future, was actually the most humane option among them.

From a rational perspective, you really can't blame him for this.

"Considering you're still a human being, I'll stop here..."

Ishtar shook her head.

Tokiomi Tohsaka wanted to kill his Servant.

A normal Holy Grail only requires the magical power of five Servants to function as a wish-granting machine, but Tokiomi's goal is to pursue the Root Vortex.