Fate/Magus Path

180 The Untrustworthy One

A razor-sharp killing intent sliced through the air, unrestrained, as a chilling aura radiated from Roy in waves.

Whoosh!!

Black flames roared to life beneath his feet, scorching the earth and forming a blazing barrier that cut off the approaching figure.

"Who are you?" Roy demanded, stepping forward to shield Ritsuka. His face was a mask of grim resolve as he confronted the green-haired stranger.

The flames in his hand flickered menacingly, his stance poised for attack, forcing the figure to halt mid-stride.

"Oh my, please don't regard me with such hostility," The white-robed figure said, their voice tinged with a hint of distress.

Despite the tension, they maintained a serene smile... a deliberate facade. Tiamat's offspring, the puppeteer of this Singularity, Kingu gazed at Roy with calm eyes. "I'm not your enemy. Might I have a simple chat with your Master? Don't worry... I'll keep a safe distance."

The words were measured, a perfect blend of diplomacy and deference, staking a claim to neutrality while upholding impeccable courtesy.

Kingu clung to the persona of this vessel... Enkidu... hoping to weave a web of trust around Chaldea with honeyed words.

"..."

Roy dipped his head, feigning a moment of contemplation before turning to Ritsuka at his side. "Is that alright, Master?"

"Huh? Me?" Ritsuka blinked, caught off guard by the sudden address.

She didn't know how Roy had morphed into the Count of Monte Cristo, nor could she grasp his full intent. But catching the weight in his eyes... recalling the hushed words he'd whispered earlier... she nodded with practiced ease.

"Yes, it's fine. Let this lovely... gentleman? Lady? Please, go ahead."

"Thank you for your trust," Kingu replied, their smile softening with a gentle warmth.

Then, like an actor stepping into a well-rehearsed role, they launched into their scripted spiel.

"Greetings, Master of Chaldea, guardian of humanity's history, and this formidable Servant. I presume you've come to mend this Singularity. My name is Enkidu, bosom friend of the Hero King, Gilgamesh. I apologize for not greeting you the moment you arrived... it's my failing."

"As you can see, Mesopotamia is overrun with countless magical beasts. This Singularity languishes under the Three Goddess Alliance's reign, plunging the land into untold suffering. Its people have endured too long. But fortunately, the saviors from Chaldea... you... have arrived."

To sell the act, Kingu lowered their stance, heaping praise on Ritsuka and Roy alike.

Then came the half-truths about Mesopotamia's plight, spun deftly for Ritsuka's ears.

The truth: this was indeed Enkidu's body, and Mesopotamia was besieged by beasts, courtesy of the goddesses' alliance.

The lie: they weren't the true Chain of Heaven, merely a usurper in borrowed flesh. The beasts plaguing the plains? Their own doing. The so-called Three Goddess Alliance was a fractured sham... Kingu alone sought this Singularity's ruin.

Their rhetoric was masterful... flattery laced with partial truths, the kind that easily swayed the unsuspecting.

Especially a teenage girl like Ritsuka, armed only with first impressions and no knowledge of the deeper game.

Without Roy... someone who knew the full story... by her side, Kingu's masquerade as a timely ally, paired with this charm offensive, might've swept Ritsuka off her feet.