Chapter 1216: Weng Faluos 3.3 (257)

Yeah, a 'Knowledge Envoy' that was never mentioned before in the think tank looks suspicious no matter how you look at it. It came alone to Weng Faluos to serve as a 'Divine Rite Spectator'—I don't believe for a second that it has no other motive. Wealth, fame, status, research resources… whatever it wants, it can easily get. Isn't that more than what it could obtain on Weng Faluos?

Josuke took a deep breath and said, word by word: 'Unless…… he is conducting some unknown research, and this research can only be carried out inside this absolutely sealed planet Weng Faluos, to ensure no one disturbs.'

——

"…No no no, we can't let the atmosphere get this heavy! Now's not the time to feel sad—come on, let's—together with everyone—open our eyes and perk up!"

Mimi looked around and said: "By the way, Miss Saifeier called us here, but where is she herself…?"

Suddenly, a strange sound came from within Stikokisia.

"…Huh?"

"Is anyone here?"

"I don't know, but this aura… feels a bit familiar…" Mimi narrowed her eyes toward the distance: "…Xing, let's go check it out together, but please be careful… I… have a bad feeling."

They slowly walked to the city gate and discovered a familiar piece of black cloth on the ground.

"Huh? A piece of black cloth?"

Mimi quickly pulled out her little notebook and started flipping forward: "This looks really familiar—have I seen it somewhere before…?"

A bead of cold sweat slid down Xing's forehead: "Fire-stealer…"

"How… how could this be? How could it be here…?"

The sound drew ever closer; Mimi whipped her head around and, in an instant, even her native tongue fled her lips: "…Mi, Mimi!!"

"——Xing, be careful!"

The Fire-stealer silently sized up the person and beast before it; oddly, it launched no attack, merely staring at them in silence.

"The pink little dog is your target!"

"How hurtful! Don't joke around now—" Mimi darted behind Xing, then, right in front of the Fire-stealer, she whispered loudly: "Anyway, let's first do our best to stall it! Once we catch an opening, we'll activate the authority of 'Ages' and hide into the past."

"……"

The Fire-stealer remained motionless, and after a long silence, it painfully uttered a few words:

"Underworld River…"

"It hides big fish… few bones, lots of flesh."

Mimi went blank in an instant: "…Ah?"

"Fire Pursuit Journey… stop…"

The Fire-stealer hoarsely voiced, then suddenly made a strange sound:

"Meow… meow."

——

Fate/Emiya Family's Meal.

Tohsaka Rin: "?"

Archer: "?"

Gilgamesh: "？"

""Ah… what does this mean? Meow?" Shirou Emiya was completely bewildered, utterly unable to grasp what the Fire-stealer was doing—"It hides big fish… few bones, lots of flesh? Could this be some hint? A metaphor?"

"Shirou, 'It hides big fish, few bones, lots of flesh,' I think it's just the literal meaning." Saber "swish" snatched a piece of perfectly hot fish meat from the hot pot and placed it in her own dipping sauce dish.

"Huh? What does that mean?"

Saber took a bite of the tender fish meat, her face full of satisfaction: "It just means it's delicious."

"……"

"The Fire-stealer… wants to eat fish? Or is it imitating a cat's meow?" Tohsaka Rin furrowed her brows: "No matter how I think about it, this is really weird—such a contrast to its earlier image of killing without blinking. Is something wrong with its mind?"

"It's just that its mind is messed up." Archer crossed his arms and said flatly: "The Fire-stealer's mental state has always been strange; it seems to lack ordinary human communication skills. If its thinking is now off…… it might be a good chance to take it down."

"I actually think this is a chance to make contact." Lancer interjected: "This Fire-stealer clearly knows a lot of secrets about Weng Faluos; it's related to the Heichi, and it's also gathering fire seeds. Aren't you curious what it intends to do with those fire seeds?"

"If the Heichi of Weng Faluos is related to the Great Sovereign of Annihilation, maybe it's the one carrying out that envoy's will." Archer said: "The Great Sovereign of Annihilation is sealed inside Weng Faluos; perhaps the way to break the seal is for the Fire-stealer to collect twelve fire seeds."

——

Xing stared at him warily: "This guy's mind is messed up."

"This… this has long been common knowledge, right? But now it's a life‑or‑death emergency——

Before Mimi's words even finished, the Fire-stealer suddenly let out a chilling low laugh.

"He… hehe…"

"…Hahaha!" Laughing halfway through, it seemed it could no longer hold back, and that deep voice gradually turned into Saifeier's clear, bell‑like laughter.

A puff of white smoke cleared, and the Fire-stealer indeed turned into Saifeier, who clutched her stomach, laughing so hard she couldn't straighten her waist: "Hahaha… sorry, seeing you two standing there completely defenseless, I just couldn't resist scaring you!"

"This is also fake—run——

"Whoa, don't run, don't run—I'm really Saifeier, no joke!" Saifeier gradually wiped the smile from her face: "Don't be mad; I just pulled this stunt to give you a heads‑up—Weng Faluos isn't safe at all, it's full of drifting threats, including that black‑clothed swordsman… no matter where you are, stay vigilant!"

Xing put her hands on her hips and insisted stubbornly: "I'm terrifyingly strong—I don't need any help."

Saifeier drew out an "oh~" and, intrigued, sized her up from head to toe: "But I saw you just now—you were clearly scared, your fur all standing on end."

Mimi: "So, that 'Fire-stealer' is Miss Saifeier's disguise? A trick? It looked so real… this must be the power of 'Deceit'?"

"Disguise? No no no, it's not that kind of trick for fooling kids—let me think how to explain…" Saifeier lowered her head in thought: "For example, just now, when you recognized that scrap of cloth as belonging to the Fire-stealer, what did you think?"

"Hmm… 'Could the Fire-stealer be nearby?'"

"Exactly. Then you heard the footsteps——I made them on purpose——at that moment, what were you thinking?"

"Oh no… it must be the Fire-stealer coming?"

Saifeier snapped her fingers: "Exactly, that's it—what I did was merely, through various guidings and suggestions, make you believe in something that doesn't actually exist……

"'Lie'—that's Zagrales's trademark: as long as everyone believes it, the illusion can become reality!"