Though Remilia provided covering fire and expert escorts were present, the Copies were not entirely without awareness. By roughly deducing their escape route based on their thought patterns, other Copies immediately moved in from all directions, and that perfectly woven net of encirclement completely severed their path of retreat.

Fortunately, the group had the mobile cheat of Hakurei Reimu; the complexity and vastness of the Hidden Channel were such that even Hachiyashiki Eirin, without absolute concentration, couldn't fully map it out. But Reimu was more familiar with it than anyone—it was like her own backyard. Under her guidance, the group took detours, twisting and turning, yet ultimately managed to evade the main force of the Copies, arriving back at the hotel where Lin Luo was located over two hours later.

While the Real Channel would never be entirely empty of people even at night, in the Hidden Channel, there was nothing but the buildings apart from themselves. Thus, when they rushed into the hotel, seeing the front desk empty in the pitch-black lobby caused no surprise; feeling the aura of their pursuers had vanished behind them brought a collective sigh of relief.

However, before they could even catch their breath leaning against a pillar, Tono Akiha suddenly had a premonition. She instinctively glanced at the back of her hand, only to find that the distinct Command Seal that had been there was now gone.

Smack!

Someone fumbled in the darkness and turned on the lobby chandelier. The dark hall was instantly flooded with light, and at that moment, everyone saw Tono Akiha’s petrified expression. A realization dawned on them, and looking at the back of her hand, they understood what had happened.

In the end... she couldn't make it back.

Although everyone had anticipated this outcome—relying on one person's strength to defeat so many Copies was sheer fantasy—and while the Heroic Spirit body wouldn't truly perish upon death, a lingering bitterness still settled in their hearts.

If it were merely death in a Holy Grail War, they wouldn't have reacted strongly. It was like when Marisa blasted Reisen to death; the girls of Gensokyo barely thought twice about it because, fundamentally, it was just their own roughhousing. Even in the old Gensokyo, similar battles were common, especially between Kaguya and Mokou, who often fought until their body parts were scattered one by one. Afterward, they would sit together, boiling their detached parts for hotpot; everyone was long accustomed to that atmosphere. But having one of their own killed by an external enemy, even if it was just a Heroic Spirit body... especially since they felt no immediate aura of Remilia's "revival," unlike the instant information received when Reisen's main body descended after her death.

Komeiji Satori said, "It's true, isn't it? Once killed, there's a chance you might not return?"

Because of Remilia's death, everyone fell silent, unsure of what to say.

"Is... she still there?" However, just then, Tono Akiha pressed the back of her hand, asking with her head bowed, "You mentioned a True Body and False Body before. What did that mean?"

Before their retreat, Remilia had said that even if her False Body died, her True Body would descend immediately. Regarding this statement, not only Tono Akiha but also others like Aozaki Aoko, who were unaware of the full details, found it strange, as Heroic Spirits shouldn't possess the concept of a True Body versus a False Body. It was only due to time constraints then that they held back their questions.

At this moment, except for Tono Akiha, whose face remained hidden as her head was lowered, everyone else harboring doubts turned toward Sanae and the others, their faces full of inquiry and seriousness.

"Uh, well, this..." Sanae, being scrutinized by so many gazes, became momentarily flustered, unsure whether to speak, and stammered nervously.

"I will answer that question," Komeiji Satori stepped forward, patted Sanae's shoulder, and then addressed the group. "I believe you are all aware of the strangeness surrounding this Holy Grail War. The truth is, we are not from this world; we are from another..."

"Hey, hey, is it okay to reveal all this?" Marisa interrupted before she could finish.

"It's fine," Komeiji Satori smiled and shook her head. She had spent the most time interacting with Lin Luo recently and understood his way of thinking better than the others. Things had progressed to this point; hiding it now served no purpose, and not everyone was Cirno.

"Due to certain special reasons, we came to this world, but not in our original forms, but as Heroic Spirits. Simultaneously, someone selected new Masters from places outside Fuyuki City... that's you. We became your Servants, and thus, the Holy Grail War, drastically different from what you imagined, began... Originally, everything would have proceeded smoothly, but for some unknown reason, this Holy Grail War, or perhaps this world, has been invaded by another enemy..."

Komeiji Satori's explanation, though not exhaustive, revealed the general course of events. As for the finer details, Aozaki Aoko and the others would automatically fill in the gaps mentally. Essentially, after listening, everyone had a good grasp of the situation.

"Then, who exactly are you people?" Aozaki Touko then asked.

"We are not human; we are Yokai," Komeiji Satori replied.

"Yokai?" Everyone immediately gasped in shock, instinctively picturing the forms of Yokai in their minds and comparing them to the group of girls before them... a jarring discrepancy.

There could not possibly be such cute Yokai in this world!

"Hey, wait a minute, I'm not a Yokai, I'm a pure-blooded human!" Seeing the strange looks, Marisa quickly clarified.

"I'm human too," of course, Sanae was not far behind.

"Um... I should probably be human too, right?" Reinen pointed at herself with a bewildered smile, unsure if she was doubting her own identity or simply didn't know how to properly present herself.

Hachiyashiki Eirin patted her shoulder and said sympathetically, "No, you are drifting further and further away from humanity."

After observing each other for a moment, Aozaki Aoko decisively waved her hand and said, "Forget it, whether you are Yokai or human is not our concern. But based on what you said, when your Heroic Spirit bodies were killed, you didn't return to your world, but instead reappeared in your original bodies—is that correct?"

"Yes."

Hearing this confirmation, everyone's eyes lit up. "Then..."

"What about Remi?"

"And Reisen?"

Almost simultaneously, Tono Akiha and Kurogiri Shiki asked the question.

"Um... Reisen is here, currently unable to leave due to some work. As for Remi..." At this point, the expressions of Komeiji Satori and the others became somewhat hesitant. "We have not received any information about Remi's True Body descending, so we cannot tell you."

"How could that be..."

Kurogiri Shiki let out a breath of relief upon hearing a similar phrase, but Tono Akiha's face was filled with disappointment. Although Remilia was arrogant, willful, and sometimes treated her Master as if she were the Servant, the days spent together had been happy, and now the other party's fate was unknown, making it impossible for her to feel joy.

Faced with her current expression, even Kurogiri Shiki, who usually clashed with her, felt an urge to comfort her.

If Tono Akiha felt this way, the feelings of Flandre and Patchouli, Remilia's sister and close friend, needed no elaboration. However, being unrestrained by conventional norms, they didn't let these emotions show on their faces.

Subsequently, Hachiyashiki Eirin stated, "Thinking here does us no good. To confirm whether Remilia is alive or dead, it would be better to ask that person."

"That person?" Tono Akiha was instantly startled.

"The one controlling this Holy Grail War," Hachiyashiki Eirin extended her hand and pointed upward.

Everyone instinctively looked up, seeing only a ceiling.

Of course, they all knew Hachiyashiki Eirin wasn't pointing at the ceiling, but at someone residing on the upper floor of the hotel... the puppet master who brought them to Fuyuki City and initiated their involvement in this Holy Grail War!

And was the true identity of that person finally about to be revealed...? "What's the situation?" Meanwhile, in another part of Fuyuki City, Ayaka Sajyou crouched in a dark corner, cautiously inquiring.

As the words fell, a fair-haired young man clad in silver-white armor and wielding a golden longsword appeared beside her, his expression grave. "It's extremely bad. There are ten Copies within a hundred meters of us. Three of them are stronger than me, and the others are not opponents I can instantly eliminate. If a fight breaks out, they can provide backup at any moment. Forcibly breaking out is basically impossible."

"Is... is that so?" Ayaka Sajyou couldn't hide her disappointment.

Among the participants in this Holy Grail War, two groups had not joined the alliance. One group was represented by Caren, as she belonged to the Church, and the other was Ayaka Sajyou, because she wasn't adept at socializing... Yet now, she regretted her lack of talent in that area, otherwise, their current predicament might not be so dire... "I never realized you had such advanced stealth abilities; you could easily be an Assassin," Ayaka Sajyou suddenly remarked.

"It's nothing much, just skills cultivated through repeatedly infiltrating the Church during my lifetime," Saber stated nonchalantly.

Infiltrating the Church?

Ayaka Sajyou felt a bit confused; she didn't recall any legends of King Arthur infiltrating the Church. But she didn't want to dwell on it now. After a moment of hesitation, she finally spoke, "Hey, Saber, if it were just you, you should be able to break out quite easily, right...?" Saber glanced down at her, and realizing the implication behind her words, tapped her on the head. "This gloomy demeanor doesn't suit you; just stick to being a lovable idiot."

"What! I clearly..."

"Don't worry."

"Huh?"

"I will definitely get you out of here!"

At least... I'll get you somewhere safe.