Chapter 267: Huan Long

Tohsaka Residence

Inside the elegant room, the atmosphere was colder than the winter night outside.

Yuanban Shichen covered his reddened, swollen half of his cheek, scrambled to his feet in a disheveled hurry, his meticulously groomed hair now a bit messy, and a trace of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.

Yuanban Shichen lowered his head, forcing down the swelling humiliation, rage, and deep sense of helplessness toward the Servant who ignored orders.

Being treated so by his own Servant in front of his disciple Yan Feng Qili was, to him, the greatest blemish on his elegant life.

Yan Feng Qili stood like a lifeless puppet, quietly in the shadow of the room's corner, his black priest robe almost merging with the darkness.

His face showed no expression, as if indifferent to everything unfolding before him, yet within the depths of his hollow eyes a subtle ripple seemed to stir.

On the other side of the room, on a comfortable single sofa, a woman leaned elegantly.

She bore Tingyun's appearance, with fluffy Fox Ears and a plump tail as striking features; her face was delicately charming, her foxlike eyes half‑smiling, half‑not, exuding allure with every glance.

Dressed in a lavish, modern‑styled kimono, she held a petite, exquisite folding fan, gently waving it as if enjoying an amusing drama.

She was precisely the Extinction Great Lord·Huan Long, summoned by Yan Feng Qili as an Assassin through some unknown method by Aha, also sealed of most of her power.

When Yuanban Shichen examined the summoning result, he was misled by Huan Long's Fox People appearance; cross‑referencing the Holy Grail War records, he reached a 'reasonable' inference—that she must be the legendary great demon, the nine‑tailed fox Tamamo‑no‑Mae!

Although the class being Assassin was odd, the legend does say Tamamo‑no‑Mae excels at disguise and beguilement, so it was passably plausible.

Huan Long found the misunderstanding amusing and went along with it, without causing a major uproar.

She happened to need time to clarify her own condition and the rules of this world.

Moreover, covertly manipulating the mentally flawed Yan Feng Qili, watching a legitimate Magus struggle, and seeing that arrogant, golden‑shining Heroic Spirit get humbled was also pleasant entertainment for her.

Just now, she had silently swayed Gilgamesh's raging, near‑uncontrollable emotions, so that when he received the Command Spell, his will to resist was not absolute, allowing Yuanban Shichen to succeed by luck.

Otherwise, given the Hero King's resistance to Command Spells, his fury might have first shot Shi Chen dead.

"How embarrassing, Mr. Shi Chen,"

Huan Long half‑covered her lips with the folding fan, her voice delicate and melodious, with a barely perceptible teasing, "Having such a powerful Servant yet unable to control it, only to be back‑fired… that does not fit the Tohsaka family's 'elegant' tradition, you know."

Yuanban Shichen's body stiffened, he did not turn, and responded in a low voice, "... I have made a fool of you, Caster (he still believes Huan Long is the Caster‑class Tamamo‑no‑Mae, after all there is still BaiMaoHasan). The Archer's temperament was too proud; my preparation was insufficient."

"Proud?"

Huan Long let out a light laugh, the fan fluttering, "Indeed. Yet to be so embarrassed by a tiny Ice Arrow… hehe, shall we call it innocence? Or perhaps that unknown ambusher's technique was overly exquisite?"

Her words were like fine needles, stabbing Shi Chen's cheek with a burning pain.

It was not only mocking the Archer, but also ridiculing his Master's incompetence.

Gilgamesh's figure materialized as a spirit in the center of the room, his complexion still so gloomy it seemed it could drip water.

He didn't even glance at Shi Chen on the floor; his crimson eyes scraped over Huan Long like a blade.

"Hmph, you nonsensical fox spirit. You have no right to speak here."

Gilgamesh's tone was icy, "If not for the few uses you still have, The King would have torn your false husk apart long ago."

He felt no goodwill toward this woman, whose whole being exuded an aura that instinctively displeased him, and who Shi Chen had mistaken for some Tamamo‑no‑Mae.

Huan Long was unfazed, even smiling more coquettishly, "Oh dear, Hero King Your Majesty is truly severe. I am merely speaking the truth, little lady."

She suddenly seemed to sense something; her Fox Ears twitched slightly, her gaze shifting toward the direction outside the Tohsaka Residence, her smile deepening with a knowing "so it is".

"It seems… we have been discovered,"

"Hm?" Gilgamesh furrowed his brows, his powerful perception instantly radiating outward.

Yuanban Shichen instantly became alert, "Intruders? The barrier shows no response…"

Yan Feng Qili remained silent, only his fingertips trembling imperceptibly.

Gilgamesh let out a cold snort, a flash of malice crossing his face, "Ignorant Miscellaneous Cultivation… daring to chase here!"

He instantly locked onto that magic aura that made him hate to the bone, as well as another comparatively weaker but equally irritating aura.

Without hesitation, his figure once again materialized as a spirit and vanished, evidently to go "welcome" the uninvited guest.

New and old grudges, perfect for settling together!

Yuanban Shichen hurriedly struggled to stand upright, also preparing to activate the residence's defensive formation and checking the situation.

Outside Tohsaka Residence – Courtyard

Black Tower and A Xing stood outside the courtyard.

Black Tower surveyed the surroundings, a flash of light passing through his violet‑black eyes.

"Spatial structure stable, barrier weak, Magic traces aged… typical indigenous mysterious side residence."

She murmured her assessment, then fixed her gaze toward the main house, "The source of the anomaly is inside, and also… hmm, that golden‑shining angry‑embarrassed aura as well."

As the words fell, the air ahead warped, Gilgamesh's figure stepping out of rippling water, hovering half a meter above the ground, looking down on the two from above.

He had now changed into a more casual yet still splendid golden attire, but the anger and murderous intent on his face remained unchanged.

"Ignorant woman who knows not heaven nor earth! And you, the unlucky one!"

Gilgamesh's crimson eyes fixed on Black Tower, his voice like poisoned ice, "How dare you chase to The King's place, as if you think you shouldn't die quickly enough?!"

Black Tower crossed his arms, looked up at him, his face showing no fear, instead replying in that dead‑pan tone that could drive one mad:

"Oh? No longer hiding at home to treat your backside? So quickly you can come out to meet people?"

"You—!!!!!"

Gilgamesh instantly lost composure, the shameful rage he had barely suppressed surging again to his head, his face flushing red (the girl's blushed face surpassing all), and the air behind him began to ripple with golden waves.

However, before he could act, shadows around the courtyard silently gave rise to seven or eight figures clad in black bodysuits, wearing White Skull Masks—clones of BaiMaoHasan, Assassin.

They, like trained hunters, instantly spread, encircling Black Tower and A Xing in the center, their hands brandishing various short blades, daggers, and shuriken that glinted coldly.

Black Tower glanced at those Assassins, a disdainful sneer curling his mouth:

"Just these stinking fish and rotten shrimp? Not even qualified to let me act."

Seemingly to confirm her words, the seven or eight Assassin clones moved simultaneously!

They surged from every sharp angle, like black lightning striking at the two in the center!

The speed was extremely fast, the coordination seamless, sealing off every chance to dodge!

Black Tower still stood where he was, even leisurely readjusting the brim of his Mo Nu Mao, too lazy to summon the violet light mirrors that usually surround him.

A Xing moved.