I, Wang Ha, the Three Red Unparalleled Assassin

Wang Hassan reacted extremely quickly, shifting his feet slightly and rotating his body slightly, using his heavy shield to narrowly protect his vitals.

"Although the situation is not very optimistic, it is still a good start."

As he spoke, El-Melloi II waved his feather fan, unleashing his Noble Phantasm and trapping the nameless Hassans in place.

"With the old man in charge of keeping the main opponents occupied, we can focus on clearing out the smaller fry. As long as we can hold out until the allotted time is up, we will win."

Merlin, who had just liberated Avalon and buffed his teammates, said this with a relaxed expression, and casually raised his hand to cast Heroic Creation on King Hassan, who was in the middle of battle.

Black afterimages flashed frequently in the arena, accompanied by faint, low murmurs. The atmosphere in the arena gradually became oppressive and suffocating, causing everyone to involuntarily hold their breath.

Both King Hassan and the First Hassan were fighting head-on with their Assassin Spirit Origins, and the damage and commotion they caused even surpassed the spectacle of the two Berserker-class Hercules fighting each other last year.

After a brief exchange of assassination skills, the two were unable to determine who was superior.

As expected, just as King Hassan himself said, even if he gave up his crown rank, his honed assassination skills would not fade in the slightest.

"Boom—! Boom—! Boom—!"

The sound of the evening bell grew clearer and louder, as if urging the battle to continue, causing the two peerless assassins who were locked in combat to simultaneously unleash their Noble Phantasms.

"Can you hear it? The sound of this bell!"

"This is the end of your destiny. Obey it, and your soul will be freed..."

With an indomitable spirit, King Hassan, who was the first to enter stealth mode, appeared in front of the first Hassan and unleashed a sword strike with lightning speed.

"This feather, a sign of impending death, has been severed from its head!!"

The first Hassan calmly raised his greatsword to meet the attack. The reverberation of the clashing swords caused ringing in the ears of everyone inside and outside the arena, and the burst of death energy swept across the entire area.

When the attack failed, King Hassan immediately and decisively retreated, while Joan of Arc, who was in the back row, seized the opportunity to unleash her Noble Phantasm to provide protection for her companions.

Golden light shone upon King Hassan, adding a dazzling brilliance to his black armor, making him appear like a true god descended to earth.

Before King Hassan could retreat and readjust his attack, the First Hassan raised his greatsword and caught up, aiming at the neck under the skull mask and raising his sword at a 45-degree angle from the inside out.

"What did you gain by giving up your crown rank? The powerlessness to kill with a single blow? Hand over your head!!"

The first Hassan's sword of death struck the protective barrier erected by Joan of Arc without causing any harm to King Hassan, but another force passed through the glittering golden defense without any hindrance.

Sensing the deathly power that exceeded his instant-death tolerance, King Hassan's eyes, which had been glowing red, returned to a deep blue. Listening to the chimes beside him, he murmured to himself:

"My fate is to end here."

As the evening bells faded and snowflakes drifted out from nowhere, King Hassan vanished from his spot in an instant, without even the usual process of a Servant turning into golden light and disappearing when leaving the stage.

"The old man? He's... dead?!"

Merlin stood frozen in place, his eyes wide open, while the other four remaining Servants were also caught in a mysterious silence.

Joan of Arc gripped the flagpole tightly, once again feeling the helplessness and frustration of being unable to protect her comrades. Her super-strong defense, converted from EX-level magic resistance, was as fragile as paper under the sword of the first Hassan.

"Hey."

El-Melloi II sighed softly, stood still, and waved the feather fan in his hand, preparing to witness the repetition of history's ending.

Gudako, watching from the sidelines, slumped weakly into her seat, while Gawain, who had once faced the first Hassan head-on, took a deep breath, seemingly relieved.

The first Hassan sheathed his greatsword, leaned on the ground, snorted coldly, and looked at Merlin, Joan of Arc, and the others, whose faces were filled with shock and confusion.

"As expected of an old man who still holds a Grand rank..."

Merlin's face remained expressionless, his lips twitching uncontrollably. He was trying to come up with something to say, but the First Hassan had no intention of letting Merlin stall for time.

The eerie blue flames seemed to permeate the entire arena, and boundless death energy filled the air. Death, wearing a skull mask, took a steady step.

In a daze, the first Hassan appeared in front of Merlin, his eyes flashing with crimson light, and he raised his familiar jet-black greatsword high, bringing it down on Merlin's head.

"You will all lie here dead one by one!!"

★ Chaldea's New Year ★

Chaldea's New Year's Day Free

At midnight on February 4, 2019, in Chaldea.

After finishing a day of research, Da Vinci picked up the calendar on the table and noticed that the date had been circled in red. He couldn't help but turn his head to look at his Master, who was already fast asleep on the table.

Da Vinci: Was it marked by the Master? Could there be some special purpose behind it? Birthday?

Mashu, who was still awake, picked up the glasses next to her, put them on, and sat up to look at Leonardo da Vinci.

Mashu: I'm sorry, Ms. Da Vinci, your birthday is xx month xx day. Although I saw you marked this date a long time ago, I've never understood its meaning.

Holmes, pipe in hand, emerged from the shadows, his eagle-like eyes fixed on the calendar in Leonardo da Vinci's hand.

Holmes: I think I've got a clue. Do you need my help?

Mash and Da Vinci nodded and put their index fingers to their lips to signal them to lower their voices. At that moment, a soundproof barrier was cast over the Master, and Merlin appeared shortly afterward.

Merlin: If you're worried about waking up your Master, why don't you just do it this way? Alright, I've noticed you seem to be discussing something interesting, so let's begin.

Holmes: No one in Chaldea has a birthday on February 4th, right? Besides, I don't recall any scheduled events today, so…

Before Holmes could finish his deduction, another voice rang out in the Master's room. The newcomer was none other than the elderly Li Shuwen, dressed in a Zhongshan suit.

Li Shuwen: It's a festival! Today is the start of the Spring Festival.

Da Vinci: Yes, today seems to be New Year's Eve. From the perspective of the Master's country, it's a very important holiday.

Holmes: Really? Although I don’t know much about it, I have heard that it’s a lively and festive holiday, comparable to Christmas in the West.

Mashu: Is it a holiday from your country? I've seen the same marking on the calendar before, but I never expected it to be like this.

Merlin: It seems that Master has also been enduring the loneliness of being far from home. Although this suggestion seems a bit late, why don't we get everyone together to celebrate the Spring Festival?

Those present pondered for a moment and then nodded in agreement with Merlin's suggestion, as the Servants also needed a grand banquet to relax.

Da Vinci: Then please tell us about the customs of Chinese New Year, Mr. Li, so that we can give Master a big surprise!

Nightingale's deep cleaning

In the early morning, I stretched and walked along the corridors of Chaldea.

Me: It's another new day. I was so busy last night that I fell asleep at my desk. My back and waist are aching. I'll have to go ask Grandpa Li for a massage later.

As I passed by the rooms of the special class Servants, I heard a commotion and stopped to look over out of curiosity.

Inside the room, Nightingale, hands on her hips, was giving a long lecture to a table, while my gaze moved down a little further before I noticed the Cave King hiding under the table.

Nightingale: King of the Cave, today I'm going to strip you of those clothes you've been wearing for who knows how long and wash them. You'd better come out and take them off yourself, otherwise...

The usually dashing Cave King was completely overwhelmed by Nightingale's Asura-like aura, and helplessly cast a pleading look at me from under the table.

King of the Cave: Help me!

Although I understood what the Cave King meant, after looking at Nightingale's back, which resembled a red-clad demon, I gave the Cave King a helpless, bitter smile.

Me: Take good care of yourself.

Nightingale: Even so, it still won't come out? Then there's no other way but to thoroughly disinfect this room! I will eradicate all poisons, all harmful substances—

Hearing Nightingale's rousing voice from afar, I couldn't help but shudder, recalling the memory of almost having my leg amputated and the humiliation of being tied to a hospital bed to recover.

They hadn't walked along the corridor for long when suddenly the wolf king Rob and Tarasque darted out from around the corner ahead, followed by Martha and the headless knight Hessen.

Martha: Hey! Tarask, you stop right there!

Hessen: Ugh! Ugh! Ugh!

Martha: Hey, you wolfhound over there, Hessen's telling you to stop right now!

As I watched the two groups of people rushing past ahead, I noticed the brushes and cleaning agents in Hessen and Martha's hands.

Me: Are we going to give Rob and Tarasque a bath? That makes sense, the animals in Chaldea haven't had a proper large-scale cleaning in a while.

As I passed through the area where the Assassin-class Servants lived, I encountered Miss Nightingale again, carrying a familiar gray-blue outfit.

She was standing in front of a room, knocking on the door, with Karna standing beside her, holding a spear.

Nightingale: Princess Osaka, you're in there, aren't you?! Open the door quickly, or I'll call the Chaldea demolition team over!

Inside the room, Princess Gyobu, huddled in the corner, saw the door being pounded on and burst into tears, burying her face in her hands.

Princess Gyoubu: No punishment! Absolutely no punishment! Don't think I don't know what you evil spirit are here for. I will absolutely not leave this room!!

No sooner had she finished speaking than Nightingale, in her berserk state, kicked the door open and went inside, grabbing Gyobuhime by the back of her collar and forcibly dragging her out.

Nightingale: Karna, I'll leave the disinfection of this room to you. We still have to go to Blackbeard's room later. Once you're done here, head over there.

Karna's palm was now ablaze with the flames of the sun, yet his face remained calm and composed.

Karna: I understand. I will handle everything.

Me: Is today Chaldea's Great Cleaning Day? The intensity and attitude of this cleaning... well, Miss Nightingale is certainly the best person to handle this kind of thing.

Kongming is working overtime again today.

Continuing onward, after leaving the area where the Assassin-class Servants lived, I arrived at the area where the Lancer-class Servants lived.

Li Shuwen, a robust man dressed in Tang suit, spread Xuan paper on the table, then turned around and went back into the room to fetch the Four Treasures of the Study, while Qin Liangyu, dressed in a white bodysuit, began to grind ink.

Beside the table, Nursery Rhyme, Jack, and Young Jane, several children from Chaldea, stood on tiptoe, curiously peering at the tabletop.

Youzhen: Sister Qin Liangyu, what are you doing? Are you preparing to practice calligraphy?

Jack: Huh? Are you preparing things for studying? This is kind of boring.

As Qin Liangyu ground the thick, black ink, she turned her head to look at the little ones, a beaming smile on her face.

Qin Liangyu: I'm just doing some preparatory work for others. The person who actually writes the calligraphy is here, isn't he?

Following the direction Qin Liangyu indicated, they saw Mr. Kongming, dressed in a black suit, slowly walking from the end of the corridor, a lit cigarette dangling from his mouth.

Kongming: Honestly, I finally had a little time to rest today, and you guys still made me write the character "福" (fortune) and couplets.

Li Shuwen: There's nothing I can do. Qin Liangyu and I are both warriors, and our skills in calligraphy are certainly no match for yours. Or perhaps you're hoping to have Xiang Yu or Lü Bu write for you?

Upon hearing this, Kongming fell silent, extinguished his cigarette, picked up the brush from the brush holder, dipped it in ink, and began to write with great skill on the rice paper.