Following Gilgamesh through the streets, there were still quite a few vehicles and pedestrians.
Fuyuki City was more prosperous than imagined, otherwise the streets wouldn't be so lively at this hour.
Gilgamesh asked, "When will we arrive?"
Bai Ye pointed to a towering hotel in the distance and said, "How about that one?"
Gilgamesh nodded, "Not bad, let's go faster."
Bai Ye replied, "Probably not that fast, I have some business to attend to first."
Gilgamesh looked at Bai Ye curiously.
Bai Ye explained, "I need to do some robbing first. Did you think staying in such a luxurious hotel is free? You also want fine wine and exquisite food, did you think I could conjure them?"
As Bai Ye spoke, he grabbed a man in a suit carrying a briefcase.
"Hey, stop! This is a robbery!" Bai Ye materialized his blade, Bloodthirst, and held it to the man's neck. "iC, ip, iQ card, tell me all the passwords."
Seeing the gleaming blade, the man frantically fumbled through his bag, producing cash, bank cards, and credit cards. Trembling, he stammered, "G-G-Great One, what is an iQ card?"
"Intelligence quotient, you idiot," Bai Ye replied, taking the items. "And the password?"
Before the man could answer, Gilgamesh snatched the items away and then shoved them back into the man's hand.
Gilgamesh said to the man, "Go on, he was just joking with you."
The man, looking unsure at the blade in Bai Ye's hand, cautiously took a few steps back. Seeing that Bai Ye made no move to pursue, he quickly turned and sprinted away.
Bai Ye looked at Gilgamesh, "What do you mean by that?"
"My greatest pleasure is to explore the world's treasures," Gilgamesh said with his hands behind his back. "However, a King should possess the bearing of a King, thus, I never plunder the wealth of commoners."
"He's not your subject," Bai Ye countered, spreading his hands. "And this isn't your kingdom either."
Gilgamesh replied, "Before the King of this country even became King, I was already King. Therefore, I should exhibit my magnanimity even more."
"Fine, you're noble, you're amazing," Bai Ye said, rubbing his fingers together in a motion for counting money. "Since you have such great bearing, you probably wouldn't feel right about getting freebies at the hotel or freeloading meals, and without money, none of that is possible."
Gilgamesh cast a disdainful glance at Bai Ye, then casually reached out. His arm pierced through the void, and he produced a gold ingot weighing at least three catties, tossing it to Bai Ye.
"Never have I seen such impoverished individuals," Gilgamesh remarked. "How could someone like you summon me?"
Bai Ye wanted to retort, but looking at the gold ingot in his hand...
Damn it, he really couldn't find anything to say.
With gold, everything became manageable. This was a universally accepted hard currency, and as long as one was willing to accept a discount, it could be exchanged for money anywhere.
Soon, the gold in Bai Ye's hand was transformed into an entire case of banknotes.
Gilgamesh said with satisfaction, "This is why I love gold. At any time, as long as one holds dazzling gold, there is nothing that cannot be bought."
Bai Ye quipped, "Since you like gold so much, why not change your name to 'King of Heroes'?"
"Insolent! My name..."
Before Gilgamesh could finish speaking, he suddenly looked up at the sky.
Bai Ye also felt something and quickly put some distance between them. "They're here!"
At that very moment...
From the shadows behind Bai Ye, a figure suddenly appeared. The dim streetlights illuminated their silhouette.
Bai Ye's heart leaped. Not from above, but from behind him?
The next instant, a short sword materialized in the figure's hand, and it swept towards Bai Ye's throat.
Just as the short sword was about to strike Bai Ye...
Suddenly, Bai Ye's figure vanished without a trace.
Teleportation!
When Bai Ye reappeared, he was behind the attacker and immediately swept his leg towards them.
However, the attacker was more agile than Bai Ye had anticipated. They seemed to sense Bai Ye's presence behind them and lunged forward.
Upon landing, they used one hand to brace the ground, then performed a series of somersaults, creating distance.
Bai Ye looked at the attacker. "Ninja?"
The figure was clearly dressed in a Japanese ninja outfit, bent slightly, and holding a short sword in a reverse grip.
The attacker slowly straightened up and looked at Bai Ye. "Servant, Assassin, Fuma Kotaro. Though I am but a humble servant, I request your guidance!"
As Fuma Kotaro spoke, he glanced in Gilgamesh's direction.
Gilgamesh suddenly chuckled and casually leaned against a lamppost, arms crossed.
"Hey, what's the meaning of this?" Bai Ye exclaimed. "Someone's trying to kill your Master!"
Gilgamesh shrugged, looking as if he were about to enjoy a show.
Master and servant discord?
Fuma Kotaro intended to retreat. As an Assassin-class Servant, direct confrontation was not Fuma Kotaro's forte. Therefore, the best course of action after a failed assassination was to withdraw and wait for another opportunity.
But if there was discord...
Perhaps this was an opportunity!
Fuma Kotaro suddenly began to run rapidly, circling Bai Ye at high speed.
Strangely, as he ran, Fuma Kotaro's figure completely merged with the surrounding shadows.
Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump...
Only the crisp sound of footsteps echoed around Bai Ye.
Bai Ye cursed under his breath.
With Gilgamesh slacking off, Bai Ye had no choice but to handle it himself.
Suddenly, the sound of a strong gust of wind arose.
Bai Ye looked to the side, and three shuriken were flying directly towards him.
Bai Ye quickly retreated, intending to manifest his sword, but found that the Steel Slime was unresponsive.
"Damn it!"
He had forgotten that the Seven-Colored Rainbow had been completely destroyed while fighting the Ancient Mechanical Giant.
Fortunately, Bai Ye's reaction was quick. Remembering this, he immediately drew his blade, Bloodthirst, and swept it forward forcefully, deflecting the three shuriken.
Clang, clang, clang...
The three shuriken were deflected by Bai Ye, but the moment they bounced away...
Another sound erupted from behind Bai Ye.
As he turned his head, three more shuriken flew towards him.
He sharply turned his head, and the three shuriken whizzed past his cheeks.
A faint scent of blood!
Bai Ye reached out and touched his cheek, his fingertip coming away with a trace of blood.
Fuma Kotaro retreated rapidly, quickly vanishing back into the shadows, his presence undetectable. Following this, the sound of footsteps resumed around Bai Ye.
Swift, rapid, with strange rhythmic variations, making it difficult to pinpoint his location by sound alone.
Suddenly...
Another gust of wind!
...