Trees flew by as Arion rushed forward. She galloped full speed ahead, heading for Trifas with Jeanne and me on her back. But I didn't have the time to enjoy the scenery, even the rather pleasant feeling on my back caused by Jeanne's peculiar armor wasn't on my mind. All my attention was focused on the Stormhawks already flying over Trifas, looking for any traces of Sakura.
-"Any leads?"-Jeanne asked, her breath tingling my ear as she leaned her head over my shoulder.
-"No. I found Saber of Red and Archer of Black in the city, but Sakura and Assassin of Black are nowhere to be seen. There are a few strange magical traces, and I'm already trying to trace them."-I answered her, turning my head slightly, our faces almost touching.
-"Will she be all right?"
-"I left insurance, and by the fact that it wasn't triggered, her life is safe. To be honest, I would prefer if she were in danger, as then I would be able to locate her more easily."
-"It's good that she is all right."-Jeanne relaxed after hearing my assurance, leaning more weight on me.
-"All right is too much."-I rolled my eyes.-"I suspect that she encountered Assassin, but due to her Hollow Nature, rather than being attacked, she attracted it."
Jeanne looked at me, not understanding what I was talking about.
-"Just know that she should be safe. There is even a possibility that she will become a master."-I decided not to waste time on explanations.-"By the way, why not use your revelation to assist the search?"
-"It can't be used that way."-This time, it was her time to roll her eyes.-"At best, I can find if Assassin acted illegally."
-"Did they?"
-"No."
-"Then it's useless."
Hearing that, Jeanne pouted.
Noticing that, I couldn't help but poke her bulging cheek with my finger, earning me a glare.
-"We are about to arrive."-I spoke, stifling a chuckle.-"Focus on the matter at hand, don't get sidetracked by the Saber or Archer."
-"I will."-She nodded, still trying to glare at me, but she couldn't hide a slight smile on her face.
Moments later, we entered the city.
We quickly searched the places I had marked before, finding a few possible leads but nothing concrete. In the end, I decided to meet up with the girls and both the Saber and Archer parties. Luvia picked a nice restaurant as the meeting spot and played host, so everyone agreed to meet there. Jeanne and I were the last to arrive, so when we walked in, everyone else was already in the middle of eating.
-"Eno."-Luvia noticed us first.
-"So you are the Ruler."-Saber looked up from her meal, but her eyes instantly focused on me.-"You... Have we met?"
-"I believe not, but I'm acquainted with your 'mother'."
-"What? How can you know that witch, wait... How do you know who I am! Ruler, did you..."-Saber jumped from her seat.
-"No. I can't see your true name."-Jeanne shook her head.-"You possess something that prevents me from doing so."
-"Than how...."
-"You look too much like King, but your aura is closer to Agravain and Gawain. You shouldn't speak about Princess like that, even if you are also one."
-"I'm no princess!"-She reacted like a cat whose tail was stepped on.-"Who the hell are you!"
-"It's not important right now. What matters is finding Assassin."
-"Tsk. Whatever."
-"Miss Luvia already told us some details, and we agreed to cooperate, but do you have any method to find the Assassin?"-Saber's Master spoke up.
-"I'm still looking for them. I should be able to locate them before sundown."
-"That's too late."-Archer's Master shook her head.-"We have orders to return before then."
-"Come on, can't you or Ruler just make Assassin come here?"-Saber suggested.
-"Impossible."-I shook my head.
-"Is there any magic in your repertoire that can help us?"-Rin asked me, her eyes red from worry for her sister.
-"Assassin has powerful concealment. If I were to try, I need a direct connection, some object Assassin used, or blood, at least a mana recording."
-"Then maybe this can help."-Archer took out a white package and placed it on the table.
I looked at it carefully, and it was a folded napkin with something concealed inside. Jeanne unfolded it, revealing a black throwing dagger. I carefully picked it up and examined it.
-"This might work. Let's hope that Assassins' Information Erasure and Presence Concealment are not too powerful."-I spoke after a moment.
-"Do you need some more assistance?"-Archer asked after communicating telepathically with his master.
-"Your cooperation would be appreciated. Four of us would have an easier time capturing the Assassin."
-"You don't expect us to work for free, do you?"-Saber scoffed.
-"I can agree that if your assistance leads to Assassin's capture or elimination, I can reward you with one command spell."-Jeanne spoke after receiving a slight nod from me.
-"Only one?"-Saber pressed for more.
-"We can just order you to act if you wish."-I gave her a side eye.
-"Tsk."
-"So when do we start?"-Archer pushed the conversation forward.
-"Take this."-I waved my left hand and created crystal armbands for the people present.-"This will help us keep in contact. I'll return to my tower and locate the Assassin; you will act to apprehend them."
-"Sure."-Saber stood up from her seat.-"Let's get this over with."
I nodded and once again waved my left hand to cast a spell. This time, a blue magic circle appeared around me, soon expanding further and surrounding me in blue magical power. Before anyone else could comprehend the mystery included in the runes that appeared, the magic circle disappeared along with me.
When my vision returned, I was already back in my tower, having finished one of the most useful spells of this magic school: teleportation. Due to strict requirements for the destination, I hadn't had a chance to use it before, but when I was building my tower, I included runes to allow me a quick return. I quickly gathered my bearings, making small mental notes on how to improve the teleportation in the future while moving toward another part of the tower.
There, I placed the Assassin's knife on a small pedestal and started to focus my magic power, casting a powerful and precise tracing spell. I quickly encountered resistance from the other end, but this time, no amount of concealing could stop me. In ten minutes, I had identified and located our target. I relayed this through the crystal bracelets and, at the same time, summoned an experimental mix of Ashes and spirit wolves summoned with druidism to assist with the chase.
With the wolves taking the lead, not even half an hour later, the Assassin had been cornered into a small park at the edge of the town. I watched through the wolf's eyes how Saber and Archer engaged in combat while Jeanne focused on locating Sakura and Assassin's Master. As the Assassin was occupied, they couldn't spare any time to cover for their Master, leading to Jeanne finding Sakura shortly after.
-"Stop!"-She pointed her flag at the woman dragging Sakura.-"Release her."
-" Why would I do so? So that you can kill me? You people are all the same."-The woman scoffed and pulled Sakura closer, showing a dagger in her hand by placing it to Sakura's throat.-"It's you who should stop."
Seeing the situation entering into a stalemate, I quietly moved behind the woman, waiting for a chance to strike.
-"Why would you commit such atrocities? Killing over twenty mages in a few days?"-Jeanne asked, not backing down.
-"Heh, they all deserved it. If not for Jackie, I would be discarded and killed by that bastard, so I'm just paying them back."
-"So why did you take Sakura?"
-"Because that girl reminds me of me."-The Assassin's Master showed a smile devoid of any warmth.-"I wanted to see if she would make the same desperate choice as me."
-"You should stop it."-Sakura finally spoke.-"You'll only drive yourself into a dead end if you continue."
-"Still having time to lecture me? You should worry about your delicate neck."
Sakura glanced at the side where my wolf was hiding and smiled slightly.
-"I'll be alright."-She spoke as if to reassure herself before jerking forward.
Surprised by her sudden action, Assassin's Master moved her knife across Sakura's throat, leaving a shallow cut before the necklace I gave Sakura before activated, preventing any further injury. Jeanne instantly leaped forward to secure Sakura, while my wolf jumped and bit the Master's neck, snapping it before she could react. With that, the first Master of this war has been eliminated.
Sakura quickly touched her neck, checking if she was ok, sighing slightly at the shallow wound. Jeanne hadn't taken her eyes from the Assassin's Master, but after seeing her death, she fully focused on Sakura, quickly healing her with a miracle.
-"Are you alright?"-She asked worriedly.
-"Little shaken, but alive. Thank you for coming, Jeanne, Eno."
-"No, it's us who are sorry for dragging you into such danger."-Jeanne shook her head and apologized instead.
As the wolf couldn't speak, I simply had it shake its head. At the same time, I informed Jeanne that the battle with the Assassin was ending.
-"Let's return to everyone else."-Jeanne started to rush back while I had the wolf escort Sakura back.
-"Eno, am I always bringing trouble to everyone?"-She spoke after a while.
My wolf looked at her, unable to respond.
-"Back then, my father sold me out."-She continued, knowing that I would speak back.-"But before I could inherit Matou's magic, they met with tragedy, leaving only one other person alive. Later encountered a rogue dead ancestor and even some demonic beings."
Sakura lowered her head, hair covering her face.
-"I'm truly a disaster, aren't I?"
The wolf simply continued forward.
Silence stretched for a moment before Sakura reached and ran her hand through the wolf's fur.
-"Everyone told me I had a rare talent, but I never wanted it, especially as it endangers those around me. I wanted to distance myself from Rin long ago, but she never let me leave her arm's reach after we reunited in school. To be honest, I even thought about ending myself to spare my sister from suffering, but I was too afraid in the end."
She continued to pet the wolf as she spoke.
-"Later, when I started to learn Magecraft, I thought I would finally stop being so powerless, but the more mystery I encountered, the more dangerous being I attracted. And now, a literal legendary being came to me. Eno, can I ever stop being afraid of the life ahead of me?"
As before, there was no answer to her question.
-"You know, when we met back then in Clock Tower, I thought that you were another monster that came for me, but at the same time, something deep inside made me feel that you were different, almost holy. As we got to know each other a little better, I began to understand what that feeling was, and especially after meeting Jeanne, I confirmed what it was."
She explained something while always keeping the last word hidden.
-"Eno, I will face my weakness once again."-She spoke with some conviction.-"I know that after the end of this was you'll leave, but I wanted to ask you for one thing. If fate allows us to reunite in the future, please allow me to follow you."
Her wish surprised me, making the wolf look at her.
-"Right now, I don't deserve it, so allow me to work to get the right to stand by your side. To also be part of that holy feeling."-She finally raised her head, showing a serious expression that hid a strange light in her eyes, almost like a budding obsession.
This ended our one-sided dialogue. Sakura simply continued to follow my wolf with a small smile, making me feel baffled.
While all this was happening, the battle against the Assassin happened not far away. Saber and Archer didn't waste time and started to pressure Assassin directly. Saber took the front, making sure Assassin was never further than a few meters from her. Archer, on the other side, focused on restricting Assassin's escape routes, ensuring they can't slip away.
My wolves also surrounded the whole space, not only acting as the last barrier keeping the Assassin inside, but also allowing me to influence the battle from afar. I mainly ensured that the Assassin couldn't use any concealment to try to run away. Without that ability, Assassin was as good as dead; be it Saber or Archer, she wouldn't be able to defeat them one-on-one, let alone two at the same time.
With every exchange of attacks, she suffered more and more injuries, and now, as her Master was also out of the picture, even her magic power was quickly depleting. Moments later, Jeanne also joined the fray, tightening the proverbial noose around her neck. But even then, she never stopped trying to escape.
-"Stop running!"-Saber was nearing the end of her patience.-"Let me blast her with my sword!"
-"Stop it."-Her Master spoke from behind my wolves.-"It's still daytime, so don't do anything that would be hard to cover up later."
-"I know! You Mage Bastard! Do something!"
I decided to ignore her.
-"To think that Assassin would be such troublesome. I guess she deserves the name Jack the Ripper."-Archer Master gave her opinion.
-"Her reputation is well deserved; if not for Master, she might be able to slip away."-Archer agreed with her.
But that was impossible in the current situation, as such, a minute or so later, Saber was finally able to deliver a crippling strike, sending Assassin into a nearby tree. Moving closer to still lying Assassin, Saber was about to deliver a killing strike when Sakura appeared there and called out.
-"Wait a second."
-"What is it?!"-Saber glared at her, but she stopped her hand.
-"I wanted to speak with Assassin one last time."-Sakura approached Jack.-"Jacky, would you mind making a contract with me?"
-"What!? What are you trying to do?!"-Saber shouted and tried to block Sakura.
-"Don't worry, I don't plan to take part in this war. I just want to make a connection with her."-Sakura looked at the Masters standing by.
Both of them nodded after thinking for a moment.
And so Sakura made the contract, but even despite that, Jack started to disappear. She just looked at the Sakura, who was kneeling near her, closing her eyes shortly after. When Jack was about to vanish, she used her last remaining strength to leave a small dagger similar to one I had used to trace her, handing it to Sakura.
With that last gesture, Assassin of Black was officially gone, the dagger before me scattering into motes of light proved it beyond any doubt, only remaining traces of her existence aside the bodies left in her wake, was that small dagger in Sakura's hands.