Chapter 260: Abstraction

On the dock's open space

Rider, loudly expressing regret over Saber and Lancer declining his invitation, suddenly—

Whoosh!

A sharp sound tore through the air!

A crystal‑clear blue streak shot out from the shadow of a container above to the side, moving as fast as lightning, straight toward the back of Lancer who was adjusting his stance!

"Hm?!"

Lancer's instinct as a top spearman snapped him to alertness!

Lancer didn't even turn around; his long spear "Red Rose that Breaks Demons" seemed to have a life of its own as it flicked back!

Ding—!

The Ice Arrow was precisely struck by the spear tip, instantly exploding into a sky of icy crystal powder, refracting tiny colored lights under the lamp.

The cold air spread, causing the temperature of the surrounding air to drop a few degrees.

"Who?!"

"A hidden arrow wounds?!"

Saber, Lancer, and Rider almost simultaneously shouted sharply, their sharp gazes sweeping toward the direction from which the Ice Arrow came.

Ailisi Feier also nervously clenched her hand.

Weber was even more frightened, shrinking his neck in fear.

Rider furrowed his thick eyebrows, his loud voice filled with anger: "Where did that coward come from?! Since you're taking part in this war for glory, why not stand out openly! Hiding in the shadows to launch a cold arrow, what kind of hero is that!"

Answering him was another silent Ice Arrow, this time its target shockingly being Rider himself!

"Hmph!"

Rider neither dodged nor evaded, and didn't even use his Divine Car Wheel; he simply drew a lavishly decorated short sword from his waist and swiped it away as casually as swatting a fly!

Snap!

The Ice Arrow was shattered by the short sword, ice shards scattering everywhere.

"A hide‑and‑seek fellow!" Rider's anger grew even more.

Just as everyone's attention was drawn to the attacker in the shadows, nervously searching for the enemy's trace—

Clang! Whoosh—!

A clear sound of a metal container being kicked over came abruptly from behind a container in another direction.

Everyone's gaze was instantly drawn there.

They saw a large green metal trash can, toppled messily on the ground, its contents—empty cans, bundles of waste paper, Bubble Noodles containers, and other trash—scattered everywhere.

Then, they saw that the fallen trash can, as if being dragged by something, was slowly and stealthily inching back toward the space behind the container.

Next, another muffled sound, as if someone had collided with something.

Immediately, a clearly irritated female voice rang out, crisp in tone but decidedly displeased:

"Flip flip flip, what are you flipping! You've flipped twelve trash cans along the way! I really admire you! Is this a garbage recycling station that deserves your such focus?!"

As the words fell, a gray figure covering its head darted out from behind the container with a "whoosh", moving as fast as a startled rabbit, instantly hiding in the shadow of another container, only peeking half its head toward a certain direction.

It was A Xing.

Everyone: "???"

"What's the situation?"

Immediately after, a tall figure leisurely walked out from behind the container where A Xing had just darted out.

It was a woman with extremely delicate features and an aristocratically proud aura.

She wore an elaborate, ornate purple‑black Lolita Dress, her head crowned with an exaggerated Witch Hat, brown hair flowing behind her, her purple‑black eyes like the deepest night sky, now bearing obvious displeasure as she coldly glared at A Xing hiding in the distance.

It was Black Tower (limited‑power version).

Black Tower ignored the onlookers' wary, stunned, or curious gazes, and first, speaking in her cool yet impatient tone toward A Xing's direction, said:

"Come over. Why hide so far? Are you the Master or am I the Master?"

A Xing sluggishly shuffled out of the shadows, moving three steps at a time, and stood about five meters away from Black Tower—a subtly balanced distance, neither too close nor too far.

Black Tower, looking at A Xing's audacious yet self‑righteous demeanor, couldn't help raising a hand to rub his forehead, sighing, muttering softly, the voice not loud, yet all Servants with keen hearing could hear clearly:

"... You are even more abstract than that Star Core kid."

A Xing: "..."

(Silently averts gaze.)

Rider blinked his large, bell‑like eyes, first breaking the odd silence.

He surveyed Black Tower from head to toe, speaking with interest; his tone held no hostility, more curiosity:

"Oh? Another new face! Such a beautiful and exceptionally graceful lady, are you also a participant in this war? May I ask your full name and rank?"

Only then did Black Tower withdraw her gaze from A Xing, casting a glance over everyone present.

Her eyes lingered for a fleeting instant on Saber's holy sword, Lancer's dual spears, and Rider's Divine Car Wheel, as if rapidly analyzing something.

Then, she crossed her arms, and in her genius‑like arrogant tone, answered clearly:

"Black Tower. Rank?... Probably Caster."

After speaking, she glanced again at the A Xing beside her trying to lower his presence, adding a sentence that seemed both explanatory and complaining:

"As for her—my Master. A troublesome fellow with an extraordinary enthusiasm for the 'local specialty waste treatment facility'..."

A Xing: "..."

(Focuses on a small stone on the ground, the tip of the ear twitching slightly.)

The atmosphere at the dock grew even more subtle due to the unexpected appearance of these two obviously off‑style "Master‑Servant" pair.

In the shadows, atop the container.

San Yue Qi opened her mouth wide, looked at the gray‑haired girl below who looked exactly like the "Star" she knows, then looked at the Black Tower, and her mind couldn't quite wrap around it.

"Star…? And the Black Tower Lady…? How could they also…?"

Chang Ye Yue's crimson eyes stared down, especially at the Black Tower; deep in her gaze flickered a complex emotion of "now it's even more lively."

She gently pressed San Yue Qi's shoulder and whispered:

"The situation has changed. Observe quietly."

System Space

Heimu stood in the center of a pure white space, with two massive light screens floating before her.

The left screen showed the increasingly chaotic "Heroic Spirit Tea Party" in the port warehouse district of Dongmu City, with more participants joining, while the right displayed the beach simulated by the Golden Descendant's ConfinementSpace — or rather, at this moment it had become a boiling, bizarre sea.

Her gaze lingered more on the right screen; her violet‑black eyes never blinked, and her fingers unconsciously tapped lightly on her arm.

The scene in the image was indeed… beyond expectations.

A Ge Lai Ya still sat gracefully in her seemingly ordinary wheelchair, but the chair now adhered to the dark, steaming sea surface—where high heat had raised massive white mist—in a way that completely defied physics, moving like the lightest skateboard, performing a near‑dance‑like "Z"‑shaped maneuver between waves and steam.

Behind her was a Thousand Tribulation that resembled a humanoid Heavenly Disaster, half of its body covered in crimson crystals, each step causing the sea water to evaporate and magma to splash.

This 【Annihilation】 Heroic Scourge at the moment looked like a mad demon, dark‑red Flame struggling to burn on the damp sea surface, constantly extinguished by the huge waves and steam, emitting a "sizzle" wail.

They roared, pursued, and the ferocious fist wind carved deep ravines in the sea, raising more mist, yet could never close the distance to the ghostly wheelchair ahead.

"Stop! Don't run! If you have guts, don't run! Face me head‑on!!!"