Chapter 568

Frieren's funeral.

Oh? Could the genius be an elegant lady?

Seeing the beautiful hem flash across the sky, Zan Yin couldn't help but think of the elegant, intellectual type like Ruan Mei and Ms. Jizi... Surely she must also be a gentle genius?

But could anything happen to that lady appearing in such a dangerous library? Filien looked at the group of fierce-looking mechanical soldiers, obviously somewhat worried.

How could that be? According to Lady Black Tower's reasoning, working backward from the result, this lady is the one who ended the Emperor's war, so her ability must surely not be inferior to Rupert's, but for now...

Frieren's words brought everyone's thoughts back from the sky to reality; the four of them were hiding in a thicket, silently watching two battle-type automatons about ten meters tall in the distant forest.

These are automatons left behind by First-Class Mage Larein to guard the surrounding villages; originally they only reacted to demons, but because of the 'anti-organic equation'... this again left the four of them without confidence.

Lady Frieren, why not try attacking it directly?

Frieren shook her head: 'No, what if it isn't affected by the anti-organic equation? If we break it, we'd have to contact Larein... I don't want to go to the Continental Magic Association.'

The automaton's composition consists of a magic core plus rock and earth; surely that equation couldn't possibly affect stone as well?

That makes sense... Then, Haltark, you go check it out?

Ah... me?

The red-haired warrior stood straight, tiptoeing toward the automaton, just as Zan Yin had imagined—the automaton did not attack Haltark.

Phew—looks like the anti-organic equation doesn't affect magically driven matter; that's also a bit of good news, right? Frieren let out a long sigh, "After all, magic is still safer..."

——

When Star opened her eyes again, she found herself tied to a chair—that lady was right in front of her, but strangely—almost everything above her lips was covered up... blurred and indistinct; even though she was so close to Star, she still couldn't make out her full appearance.

She held a scalpel in one hand, and with the other she pressed her fingers to her lips, her mouth slightly open, as if saying something.

Star read her coded words—'Your death is also a necessary part... because this place needs... 【Chaos】.'

After saying that, she leaned in, kissed Star's forehead, and then... precisely slipped the blade into Star's neck.

"Black Tower, I'm feeling a bit dizzy..."

Blood surged up her throat, and Star coughed violently. She could no longer remember how many times she had died in this simulated universe.

"It's fine, dying a lot is like this... take a deep breath, Star, dizziness is normal." Black Tower patted her back comfortingly, "The one who killed you is named Polka Kakamu, seat #4 of the Genius Club; she once destroyed her own paintings and sculptures across the universe, so even in the simulated universe her appearance cannot be simulated."

"So, what's her connection to Rupert?"

"Don't rush, you'll find out soon. Just through this incident, the Candle Ink School discovered that the delirium of the 【End】 had already been written in the Blood-Colored Library: knowledge will become the prelude to death; blood will dye every page red."

The scene shifted instantly; the next second Polka Kakamu appeared before Star again. This time they were at the edge of a battlefield, and Polka Kakamu didn't make a move, merely staring at Star with a blank expression.

She tidied her hair, her earrings swaying in the gunfire. Without a word, she beckoned Star with her hand, signaling her to come over.

"Can I not follow? I don't want her to kill me again..." Star felt a little uneasy.

"Don't be afraid, I'll have Stephen adjust a few data points to make it painless."

In the end, Star still followed her candy-colored skirt through the flames, and finally they arrived beneath a clock tower.

"The calculations of the All-Knowing One cannot be defied." She said coldly, "When that 【moment】 arrives, everyone will die."

"I have to kill it—Rupert." She ran her finger over the blade's tip, speaking calmly, "Its time to entertain guests has passed; its time to die has come."

——

Fate/Meals at the Emiya Household.

Huh? So Black Tower's 'solution' is actually this method?!

Laner gaped in astonishment, as if about to turn to stone: 'I thought she'd pull out some high-tech achievement; after all this fuss, is she an Assassin? Her research couldn't possibly be about using 'physical' means to eliminate enemies, could it?'

"Isn't that great? Lancer." Zuosong Xiaoxiaolang, who rarely gets to visit the Emiya household, picked up his teacup, "Compared to those flashy technologies, I still prefer pure and simple combat; rather than spending years in academia deriving a technique to halt the anti-organic equation, it's better to give Rupert a swift end."

"This…… the difficulty might be a bit too high?."

Although Bolka Kakamu is also a genius, Saber doubts whether she can actually make it to Rupert's side, after all, as a mechanical emperor, he surely has many guards; with a mortal flesh body…… it would be hard to pull off, right?

"Who knows." Acher crossed his arms, leaning with great interest against the kitchen doorframe, watching Shirou busily washing dishes, "Her weapon seems to be a scalpel…… you don't want to see how a scalpel could assassinate a mechanical emperor whose form is like a mountain range?. "

——

"Bolka Kakamu's manner of conduct is not cruel, but quite decisive. Just like now."

As the perspective shifted, the star became an onlooker, quietly watching an "execution" together with the Black Tower.

But this time, the one tied to the chair was no longer the star, but a mechanical lord; its body was no longer mountain-like, but a dilapidated intelligent machine that had been pulled out. The woman gently kissed its forehead, then drove the blade into the lord's chest core.

"I have seen many pitiable and hateful living beings." The woman wiped the blade's tip, saying, "But you are neither pitiable nor hateful. Just an ordinary… aging machine."

"Machines do not age." The mechanical lord closed his eyes, 'My name is Rudaya Petheus.'

"Do you know Rupert?" the woman asked nonchalantly.

"My king 【Emperor】." Rudaya Petheus, the mechanical lord who followed Rupert the First, said proudly, 'The verification of organic life is full of errors and riddled with loopholes. My king will ultimately exterminate all organic life.'

The machinery rumbled, then fell silent. It had not yet been able to voice a question——who stood behind her?