Tristan walked leisurely along the mountain path.
Well, calling it a mountain path is a stretch; it's really just where the jagged edges of the bedrock are slightly smoother compared to the surroundings.
After all, no one maintains this godforsaken path, and few people walk it, so it never gets worn smooth.
The footsteps of the Purification Knights had faded to the point where he couldn't hear them anymore.
But Tristan still felt a sense of trepidation.
He kept feeling as if a pair of cold, sinister eyes were staring at his back from the shadows.
But that shouldn't be possible.
The Assassin had been lured away and wasn't here, so who would be foolish enough to come and try to assassinate him?
Even if there were, are you even a Servant?
Then, he was proven wrong.
Looking at the lance that had burst through his chest, Tristan couldn't even manage the action of turning his head; his feet were lifted off the ground, he was hoisted up facing the sky, and his bow was snatched away by someone.
How could he have imagined that some underhanded, sneaky bastard would take off their shoes, walk on the jagged rocks behind him, and then, from less than two meters away, manifest their spirit core to summon a lance and stab him in the back without giving him any time to react?
What was most critical was that this sneaky bastard seemed worried that the thin armor on his body would hinder the attack, so he actually went and used his Noble Phantasm!
Although the lack of distance meant it couldn't accelerate, reducing the power of the Noble Phantasm significantly, the force was still enough to pierce him through completely.
"Damn it!" With a roar of resentment, Tristan helplessly accepted reality, and his body began to turn into spirit particles and dissipate.
"If I were to die, the class I'd adapt to would definitely be Assassin." Daniel finally let out a sigh of relief, panting heavily, and then slowly sat down on the ground.
The soles of his feet were already dripping with blood.
In order to get behind Tristan without being detected, Daniel had walked barefoot, holding his breath, stepping one by one onto the jagged rocks to inch his way over.
"I don't know if there are any herbs in the mountain village, otherwise this might get infected." Looking at his bloodied soles, Daniel muttered with teary eyes.
As for medical personnel... if he remembered correctly, Da Vinci, that all-capable genius, seemed to have some knowledge in that area, although her specialty appeared to be anatomy.
With Arash firing cold arrows and Bedivere and Sanzang drawing aggro at the front, Daniel felt he didn't need to worry about the safety of those three anymore.
However, he still needed to alleviate the pressure on them.
So, he used the lance in his hand to take a shot at a cliff not far in front of him, creating quite a commotion.
Surely they would notice Tristan was missing and send some Purification Knights back to investigate the situation.
Unless they really didn't care about Tristan.
In fact, it wouldn't have mattered even if Daniel hadn't gone through all this trouble.
As soon as Arash fired a cold arrow, if Agravain discovered that Tristan wasn't blocking them, he would inevitably get suspicious and send troops back to check the situation.
Although it probably wouldn't be to rescue him, but rather to kill the traitor Tristan.
Taking a look at the bloodstains under his feet, Daniel shook his head, choosing to abandon the idea of hiding and continuing to assassinate reinforcements.
After all, with such a massive giveaway, there was simply no way to hide.
Fine, he'd acted on impulse without thinking of the consequences; he was disqualified as an Assassin, so he might as well continue to honestly act as a Lancer.
Not long after, the figures of four Purification Knights appeared within Daniel's line of sight.
When meeting on a narrow path, the brave win.
Without waiting for them to react, Daniel treated the lance in his hand as a disposable item and hurled it at them.
Fighting the Knights of the Round Table meant they were bullying him, but fighting the Purification Knights, heh, the tables have turned! He who strikes first wins!
How could mere mass-produced Purification Knights withstand Gareth's lance?
Thus, the lead Purification Knight had his head blown off in a daze.
The lance instantly turned into spirit particles and dissipated.
The other three Purification Knights reacted and prepared to charge while the enemy had no weapon, but as soon as they looked up, they found that the lance which had just dissipated had actually re-manifested in his hand.
Hmm, being able to freely switch between human and Servant forms has its perks.
Weapons can automatically re-manifest along with the Servant transformation.
The second lance was thrown out.
The Purification Knights finally realized they couldn't just stand there like idiots, so they scattered and advanced independently to attack Daniel.
But Gareth's lance wasn't something they could dodge just because they wanted to.
Consequently, the second Purification Knight had half his body pierced through.
"It's truly cruel, persecuting the poor Purification Knights again." Daniel shook his head and re-manifested the lance once more.
However, this time he didn't have the chance to throw it a third time.
Because the distance between him and the remaining two Purification Knights was no longer enough for him to throw it, hit one of them, and re-manifest it before the other Purification Knight's sword could hack into his head.
So, he stumbled forward and lunged straight at the Purification Knight in one direction.
Who would try to fight two-on-one in this situation!
As long as I focus on one of them, then I am still in a one-on-one fight!
He wasn't Gareth; he wouldn't truly adhere to any knightly code.
So, a pestering, relentless fighting style similar to Mordred's emerged.
The Purification Knights indicated they had never seen such a clingy fighting style before.
They even had to worry about cutting themselves or striking their comrades, leaving them feeling constrained.
How could Lady Gareth's spirit core choose such a person!
As this thought popped up, the last Purification Knight also turned into spirit particles and dissipated.
"...Have I gotten stronger again?" Watching the two Purification Knights get taken down by him like chopping vegetables, Daniel couldn't help but frown. "Or is the correct way to fuse with Gareth's spirit core to have more life-or-death battles?"
To be honest, Daniel considered himself a pacifist and shouldn't be a melee Lancer.
After all, he wasn't some weirdo who chased thrills; he was just an ordinary lecher.
Actually, if he could, he would have preferred the spirit core to be Professor Moriarty or Napoleon.
With those big guns and cannons, firing them would definitely be satisfying.
Perhaps the spirit core sensed its host had divided loyalties, because it actively deactivated the spirit core state without Daniel initiating it.
"Uh, I'm sorry! It's my fault! Gareth is the best!" Panicking, Daniel immediately threw away the messy thoughts in his mind and began to apologize sincerely.
Meanwhile, ahead, Agravain's expression grew darker.
Quite a while had passed, and he still hadn't waited for Tristan's interception shot against Arash; what on earth was that guy doing?
Did he actually betray us?
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