"By the way, why didn't you dodge that move of mine just now?"
Perhaps because Caster had been taken care of and the wound on Jeanne's body had been healed, he couldn't help but ask a strange question. But faced with Lancer question, Jeanne did not answer directly. Instead, she propped herself up with her Holy Flag and stood up, and then asked Lancer a question in return.
"Then why did you stab my side and not my chest just now?"
This question seemed very complicated, but the answer was actually very simple——————
"Uh, I don't know either. I just felt that something was not right. Although it was possible that you were Caster in disguise, there was also a real possibility that you were the real one. So in the end, I decided to first make you lose your ability to resist before deciding what to do. Alright, it's your turn to answer my question. Why didn't you dodge?"
Faced with Lancer question, Jeanne just smiled.
"Nothing. It was just my intuition telling me that you wouldn't harm an innocent person, so I chose to trust you."
Looking at the indifferent smile on the other party's face, Lancer didn't know what to say for a moment.
Ever since, Lancer had been enduring a pressure that was unimaginable to countless people, and this pressure came from his knowledge of the 'plot'.
Perhaps to others, these were just groundless fears, but in Lancer eyes, they were a foregone reality. If he did not intervene, they would inevitably come to pass. And in order to change those futures he hated, he chose to actively jump into the 'vortices' of one world after another without hesitation.
Even if he was covered in wounds and misunderstood by others, he was still proud of it, but every time when it was late at night and he was all alone, he would often feel a hint of emotion.
Was Lancer strength bad?
That depended on who he was compared to, but he didn't care, because his strength was growing every day with his efforts. So he didn't care too much about it, because he had to work hard no matter what.
Then what was he lacking?
It was very simple: a sense of belonging and trust.
It was precisely because of this that he treasured every person who trusted him, and for them, Lancer would repay them a thousandfold.
And after experiencing that 'scar' that he had gradually hidden in his heart just now, he also became particularly 'fragile', and at this time, that simple 'trust' made him not know what to say for a moment.
But at this moment————
"Cough, cough~"
A light cough made Lancer, who had a slightly emotional expression, become nervous again. But thankfully, the person he saw was not an enemy, but Siegfried, who was holding 'Balmung' in his hand.
"Just now..."
"I was here the whole time."
The short exchange made the atmosphere on the scene extremely awkward for a while...
But thankfully, there were always people in this world who liked 'excitement' to break the awkwardness.
"Slap~!"
The strange noise from above made the somewhat awkward Lancer and the expressionless Siegfried look up together. Then, Lancer pupils involuntarily widened, because he saw a person who should not have been here.
"Caster?!"
That's right, it was Shakespeare!
His green robe, the brown cloak on his shoulder, and the mad expression on his face while standing on the wall with one foot undoubtedly showed his existence to everyone.
"That's right! It is me~ I am very grateful to the two of you for presenting us with such an interesting script~"
Faced with Lancer gasp, the other party even gave a flamboyant bow. And what made Lancer even more unhappy was that the gratitude he showed when he said those words did not seem to be fake, but he did not attack the other party, because the two previous failures had already shown one thing——————the other party did not seem to be the real body every time he appeared.
Although this was not inside the other party's Noble Phantasm, the other party would probably not take a risk. But just because Lancer could hold back from attacking did not mean that others could.
Without a single word of nonsense, as soon as the other party began his 'clumsy' performance, he drew his sword and leaped into mid-air.
When Siegfried and Lancer went to the 'Hanging Gardens' together, he had received an order from Gordes, one of which was——————if possible, to first take care of the Red Faction's Caster.
And now that Shakespeare had appeared without any disguise, he would definitely not be polite. However, this time, the other party was not killed again. Instead, a black figure suddenly leaped down from the sky.
"Clang~!"
The sound of sword blades clashing was incredibly crisp, and only then did everyone see who it was that had stopped Siegfried's attack.
His pale hair was neatly combed, he was wearing a black priest's robe, and the cross on his chest was incredibly eye-catching, but what was even more eye-catching was the katana he was holding in his hand.
"Red Faction's Assassin?"
Lancer guess was not unfounded. After all, the only one of the Red Faction who had not shown himself until now was Assassin.
"Assassin?! NO~ NO~ This is my Master~"
Shakespeare's words made Lancer expression become subtle. Although the man who was proficient in the 'Hundred Arts of the Serpent' could even temporarily suppress the King of Knights who had not used her Noble Phantasm by relying on Caster's enhancement, this smiling man in front of him did not look like someone who was highly skilled in any way.
And Shirou Kotomine also couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief after he blocked Siegfried's attack. After all, he was far inferior to this 'Dragon-slaying Hero' in terms of both physical attributes and combat experience, and the reason why the other party did not pursue was simply because he also seemed to be waiting for something.
"Everyone, I am Caster's Master. I should have had a good chat with everyone, but I have an important matter to attend to this time. I will say my goodbyes here for now..."
After saying that, the other party also slightly bowed to everyone and then turned to leave without hesitation. And Shakespeare, who was originally standing on the railing with one foot, shrugged at everyone with a face full of disappointment and then turned to leave, but before he left, he did not forget to provoke the others one more time.
"I look forward to your visit again."
'This guy...'
Lancer had to admit that the Red Faction's Caster was simply too unpredictable. He couldn't even guess what the other party would do next.
But at this moment, Siegfried once again leaped up, and in order to prevent the Caster's Master's attack, he specifically held his sword hilt with both hands, but when he came to the top of the building, he found that there was no one in front of him. In fact, just as he was trying to find the two of them——————
"Boom!!"
Amidst the huge roar, Siegfried looked a bit disheveled. It was clear that Caster and his Master had not only retreated but had also used their home-field advantage to leave a few 'small gifts' for everyone. But just as Siegfried was about to try and find them again to catch up, a gust of wind suddenly came from the sky...
"Hey!!"
Along with a shout, a Rider in a dark red jacket flew in...
Class Card · Shakespeare
Shakespeare
Class: Caster
Parameters
Strength: E
Endurance: E
Agility: D
Mana: C++
Luck: B
Noble Phantasm: C+
Class Skills
Territory Creation: C
As a magus, he can create a territory that is beneficial to himself. However, what he creates is not a workshop, but a 'study' where stories are born.
Item Creation: -
The Item Creation skill is lost due to the 'Enchant' skill.
Personal Skills
Enchant: A
He can grant concepts. He can add powerful functions to others and their important belongings. It is basically used to strengthen the Master and give them the ability to fight. He himself, as a spectator, watches the battle and inquires about the Master's state of mind, which makes the Master furious.
It is said that as long as a writer has a good reputation, there is a high chance of having this skill, regardless of the skill or Noble Phantasm.
If it is the extremely famous Shakespeare, he can even create C~E rank Noble Phantasms. For an E-rank Noble Phantasm, he can use a random stone picked up from the side of the road; for a D-rank, he has a chance to turn industrial products like modern weapons into Noble Phantasms; for a C-rank Noble Phantasm, it must have a corresponding spiritual rank and be a weapon that can match the description of a literary giant.
Self-Preservation: B
He himself has no combat ability. On the contrary, as long as his Master is safe, he can escape almost all dangers. In other words, he himself does not fight at all. However, he is fond of high-risk, high-reward tactics.
Noble Phantasms
The Globe
Rank: C
Type: Anti-Unit Noble Phantasm
Range: 10
Maximum Target: 1 person
Description: Shakespeare's theater troupe, which was supported by King James I. The actors who appear will freely change their appearance and plot against the target. Although they can also impersonate a person known to the target, a person with magical knowledge may be able to resist.
First Folio
Rank: B+
Type: Anti-Unit Noble Phantasm
Range: 1
Maximum Target: 1~3 people
He can unfold his own theater based on the script he has set, and the people who are caught will be turned into his puppets. It can be resisted, and when this Noble Phantasm is unfolded, it is equivalent to a Reality Marble.
He can also create a scene from the target's memories based on the target's memories, but this is equivalent to giving the control to someone else, so he cannot freely control it. However, he does have the right to directly release it.
In a sense, it repeatedly shows Shakespeare's 'obsession' and 'twisted sense of humor'.