The Broken Ring

Tsukahara Meiji held the golden ring with both hands. Under the enhancement of magic in the mystical realm, it emitted a soft and delicate luster, just like the genuine article protected by the ancient dragon Fafnir in the age of myths.

As the Japanese Magus called out, the magic flowing within his body surged and cleansed his heart, stirring his blood. The pain of the magic coursing through him made it difficult to breathe, and the battle, which had deviated so far from the original plan, made it difficult to think. He was merely relying on his willpower to forcibly complete this task.

A Servant of the Saber class is characterized by powerful direct combat capabilities. If the Ring of the Nibelungen were used as a Catalyst, the most likely summoned Heroic Spirit would be the dragon-slayer Siegfried, or the treasure-guarding dragon Fafnir.

The dragon-slaying hero who wields the sword Balmung would undoubtedly appear in the Saber class, possessing excellent magic resistance and combat prowess. Even if Tsukahara Meiji wasn't a particularly skilled Master, there was no reason for Saber to lose to an Assassin in a direct confrontation.

If Fafnir were summoned—with its notorious reputation as a fierce beast, it would be unsuitable for any class except Berserker... If Berserker were to lose to an Assassin in a direct fight, then the Holy Grail War would be pointless; they might as well just hand over the Holy Grail to the Assassin.

Tsukahara Meiji firmly believed that as long as he could complete the Heroic Spirit summoning, everything would change.

Even he was surprised. Facing life and death, he didn't feel much fear. Indeed, his body trembled uncontrollably, and his voice carried a panicked tremor, but his mind was still working, diligently analyzing the odds of winning.

Similarly, he didn't feel an endless surge of passion and unyielding conviction like the male protagonists in Japanese manga.

At this moment, in his heart, there was only peace.

Karl stood behind Tsukahara Meiji, using his body as a shield. The young Magus felt no worry that his friend would abandon him.

A true friend dies for a cause they believe in.

Without Karl, Tsukahara Meiji would still be a struggling Magus performing on the streets of Japan.

For this kindness, he wouldn't mind even paying with his life.

Facing the Assassin's fireball, Karl focused. The azure radiance on his silver bracer instantly transformed into an indigo hue, and he met the fireball with a swift punch!

Fist met fire... no, it wasn't a fist, but a sharp axe. Outside Karl's fist, there seemed to be an invisible cone-shaped shield, repelling the Assassin's immature flame.

This was a special Noble Phantasm for "Anti-Magic." Karl had used it to tear apart the magic of many Magus. To push the reinforcement magic inherited from the Winsted Family to its limit, it naturally had to be combined with combat techniques and "Magic Resistance."

Although the Assassin was a Heroic Spirit, unfortunately, it was not skilled in the magical arts.

The rolling flames, though fierce, could not break through the anti-magic barrier created by the focused Magus. As the flames dissipated, before Karl could even confirm the Assassin's position, a piercing pain shot through his left rib! This wasn't a metaphor; it was a truly bone-piercing agony!

The dark ninja had appeared behind Karl at some unknown time. A short katana—a weapon known as a ninjatō—thrust out from under his ribs! The silver blade was like the venomous fang of a viper, targeting a momentary opening in the enemy and launching a fatal strike!

Karl knew he was in trouble. Enduring the pain, he kicked backward with his left foot. The Assassin, uncharacteristically, didn't evade. It drove its knee forward, and Karl felt as if his foot had landed on a hard steel plate, with no sensation of flesh and blood. With a surge of strength, the Assassin directly repelled Karl's counter-kick!

Taking advantage of the momentum, Karl spun with small, quick steps and threw another punch with his backhand! However, halfway through his elbow's return, all his strength suddenly vanished as if poured into the sea!

What he didn't notice was that corrosive green blood was flowing from the gleaming ninjatō.

Human blood is red. As it should be.

The only situation where it could be green was poisoning.

And poison was precisely the most commonly used "weapon" by ninjas during assassination missions.

The instant-acting paralytic poison, upon the ninja's summoning as a Heroic Spirit, had been elevated to a part of its abilities. The swift and deadly toxin had almost instantly sealed Karl's body.

His wound had stopped bleeding.

This was because the rapid spread of the snake venom had caused his blood to coagulate.

He probably wouldn't be far off to say that within twenty minutes, his blood would have completely solidified into a pudding-like substance.

Humans rely on blood to transport oxygen to all parts of their body. If the blood solidifies, death would come swiftly.

He didn't know if he should feel fortunate that this poison had its best effect when ingested orally. Because it was injected into his body through the blade, Karl hadn't died instantly.

But because of this, he had lost his ability to resist and was now lingering, awaiting the arrival of death...

"One eliminated," the dark ninja uttered coldly, like a killing machine.

Its steel-like body quickly turned towards Tsukahara Meiji.

"Activate! Royal Flush!"

Tsukahara Meiji's words were faster than the ninja.

He interrupted the Heroic Spirit summoning incantation midway and shouted a poker term.

At some point, on the lawn beside Tsukahara Meiji, semi-transparent crystal poker cards erupted with a brilliant radiance like a gunpowder explosion!

Scorching heat surged out, instantly transforming into a blazing sea of fire. Blinding white light illuminated the sky and the earth. The green grass instantly had its moisture evaporated by the heat, turning withered and yellow, emitting an unpleasant odor... The flowing flames, like a spear of flame erupting from the depths of the earth, instantly intercepted between the Assassin and Tsukahara Meiji!

Although the range was small, this was a magic comparable to a C+ ranked Noble Phantasm attack.

The price was one-tenth of Tsukahara Meiji's trump card: five crystal poker cards.

Facing an Assassin known for its agility, and much to Karl's regret, Tsukahara Meiji didn't believe he could intercept the Assassin...

The pride of a Heroic Spirit would lead it to attack without hesitation. That would be to bypass Karl and attack him from behind—the most advantageous tactic. Once he summoned a Heroic Spirit, the tide of battle would instantly turn.

Therefore, while preparing to chant, Tsukahara Meiji had laid a trap.

If one knew the enemy's target, it would be easy to determine its landing spot. He firmly believed that the Assassin's agility would allow it to bypass Karl's defenses and attack him from behind.

Royal Flush refers to the five poker cards from the 10 to the Ace of Hearts, the highest hand in gambling. It was also the strongest offensive magic Tsukahara Meiji could muster. Individually, none of these poker cards had the power to turn the tables. However, when combined to form a "hand," the weak poker cards would condense into the strongest card combination within the rules.

Trump cards were meant to be used when necessary!

Based on fire magic, reinforcement magic amplified the power of the flames, gale magic spread the flames, water manipulation magic transformed the terrain into one suitable for fire attacks, and finally, the initial fire magic was used as a trigger to unleash another explosive surge of mana... Five different magics from five cards were activated simultaneously, layered one by one, ultimately combining for an effect greater than the sum of its parts.

What's more, Karl's mana was now flowing within Tsukahara Meiji's body, making it almost as if two people were combining their efforts to unleash this trump card. Its power was naturally even greater.

This was Tsukahara Meiji's unique fighting style, which he himself called a "Hand." It was a core tenet that Lord El-Melloi II had once advocated: a Magus's worth should be judged by their skillful application of magic, not their lineage. Incidentally, Lord El-Melloi II hadn't mentioned this viewpoint since the end of the Fourth Holy Grail War.

The weak have their own ways of fighting.

Facing this vast and complex surge of mana, even the Assassin instinctively sensed danger. Without any magic resistance skills, its stamina was already low. Taking this blow head-on would likely leave it severely injured, if not dead… While dodging it would be easy… it would also mean wasting a golden opportunity…

As expected of a ninja Servant, he made a decisive move. He stomped his left foot on the ground and lightly leaped backward, twisting his body as he did so. With a spinning kick from his right leg, his body simultaneously possessed the dual properties of "leaning forward" and "rapid retreat backward!" He managed to launch an attack right before the magic could fully activate!

The target was Tsukahara Meiji's neck! The most vulnerable part of the human spine!

Tsukahara Meiji flinched in surprise, instinctively retracting his neck and dodging to the side. In his panic, his shoulder was exposed and caught the Assassin's kick right on the mark!

Tsukahara Meiji felt as if his shoulder bones had been shattered by the kick. No, that wasn't just a feeling. He didn't have as much reinforcement magic as Karl; his bones were pulverized instantly! Blood and flesh splattered everywhere, bone fragments flying out like shrapnel. The hand holding the ring instantly lost its grip, and the intense pain forced him to let go involuntarily! The golden ring traced a slow, elegant curve through the air…

Clink!

A shuriken flew from the retreating ninja's hand, landing precisely in the center of the ring and pinning it to the tree. The shuriken was wrapped in the Servant's powerful mana, making it equivalent to an E-rank Noble Phantasm. Naturally, it performed far better than ordinary alchemical products.

With a crisp sound, the golden ring snapped in two. Two golden semicircles lost their luster in mid-air.

It was like the fall of hope.