"Were my eyes playing tricks on me? That woman Sakura Matou brought... actually attacked the old man of time!"
"A dream. This had to be a dream."
The Magi naturally found this scene impossible to understand or accept.
After all, who was Zelretch? He stood at the true pinnacle of Magi.
Even those legendary Divine Era Magi did not measure up to the Old Man in their eyes.
And now someone actually dared to attack him first. Who did that woman think she was? Crimson Moon?
Though Sakura was somewhat surprised by Luo Hao's sudden action, she was the only one present who could stop Luo Hao, yet she chose not to.
In a sense, Zelretch truly stood at the pinnacle of all Magi.
After all, he might have been the strongest magus in Type-Moon history.
If Aoko Aozaki, also a magus, had an overall strength of one hundred, then Zelretch at his peak probably had an overall strength of more than ten thousand.
After all, at his peak, Zelretch had been able to shatter Crimson Moon's full-powered Moonfall head-on—the Moon's Ultimate One.
However, after that battle left him mutually wounded with Crimson Moon and even turned him into a Dead Apostle, Zelretch was no longer the Zelretch whose endless aether cannons could destroy the world with a single wave of his hand.
Whether the current Zelretch even retained half of his peak strength was hard to say.
Though that strength was theoretically still above Luo Hao's.
But... Luo Hao was a God Slayer. God Slayers simply did not play by the rules. Their bodies were incomparably tough, their bones harder than steel, and even more absurdly, God Slayers possessed almost terrifying resistance to things like "Mystery." Whether benevolent or malicious, it could barely affect a God Slayer.
Thus, although Luo Hao attacking Zelretch had taken Sakura by surprise, Sakura had no intention of stopping her. She even intended to let Luo Hao display part of her power and properly flex the Matou Family's muscles...
When Zelretch had tried to stop the duel earlier, he had seemingly harmed Sakura. That was what had drawn Luo Hao's attack.
Yet now, after unleashing an entire set of Twelve Divine Phoenix Palms in actual combat without harming Zelretch in the slightest, Luo Hao could not help furrowing her delicate brows. She hesitated over whether to continue attacking him.
If someone could withstand her entire set of Twelve Divine Phoenix Palms in her world, Luo Hao would certainly praise Zelretch without reservation as a hero of the age—then use her full strength to take the hero's head.
But this was not Luo Hao's world, and she was no longer, in essence, the Cult Leader who dominated the martial world south of the Yangtze.
Though Luo Hao was exceedingly narcissistic and self-centered, caring about almost nothing but herself, Sakura alone was the exception.
For Sakura, self-centered Luo Hao could endure Kurumi's mockery. For Sakura, narcissistic Luo Hao was willing to follow arrangements... and that was precisely why she hesitated.
Just as Luo Hao frowned and considered whether continuing the attack might adversely affect Sakura or ruin Sakura's plans—
Sakura, who had risen from the ground and dusted herself off, fearlessly called out to Luo Hao.
"Cult Leader Sister, show them what you can do! Open their eyes!"
A confident smile appeared. Upon hearing Sakura's words, the incomparably self-centered Cult Leader of the Five Prisons Holy Cult, Luo Hao, emerged.
"Since Sakura has said so... then, barbarian who interrupted my Sakura's duel, you and I shall finish this unfinished duel."
Zelretch widened his eyes and shot Sakura a glance.
Why was this disciple-descendant from this Timeline so vicious!?
How difficult Luo Hao was to deal with had become perfectly clear to Zelretch after that set of Twelve Divine Phoenix Palms.
He had no desire to keep fighting Luo Hao.
"Wait... Tohsaka Sakura, I am at least—"
Just as Zelretch intended to stop Sakura from having Luo Hao continue the fight by invoking his status as Sakura's elder and as the teacher of her ancestor, Nagato Tohsaka—
Before he could finish speaking, Luo Hao had already attacked.
"Fighting south of the city, dying north of the walls; those who die in the fields go unburied for crows to feed upon. I say to the crows: spare the brave guest.
Those who die in the fields lie unburied; how could rotting flesh let you escape, my child? Waters roar and rush, reeds and rushes grow dim; charger and rider die in battle, while the weary horse wanders and neighs.
—Great Vajra Godly Skill!"
Accompanied by Luo Hao's archaic chant, a golden Buddha immediately appeared behind her.
Then, as Luo Hao gracefully performed exquisite martial arts, the golden Buddha possessed her like armor, causing her to gleam with brilliant golden Buddhist light.
This was the Authority Luo Hao had usurped after defeating the pair of Buddhist Benevolent Kings, "Mishaku Kongō" and "Nārāyaṇa the Firm King."
By housing the power of a Vajra Warrior within her body, she gained unparalleled brute strength. After activating this Authority and using the Great Vajra Godly Skill, Luo Hao could also release golden particles known as the Essence of Vajra Strength, transforming them into gigantic golden palms or wrapping them around herself like armor for protection.
If Luo Hao's earlier attacks with the Twelve Divine Phoenix Palms had been enough to blast mountains apart—
Then Luo Hao, now empowered by the Vajra Warrior, possessed the strength to lift Mount Tai.
Every punch and every kick contained the purest force.
At this moment, even the slightest leak of Luo Hao's power would have been enough to cause a small earthquake across half of London.
Yet under the control of Luo Hao's incomparably exquisite martial arts, not even a trace of power leaked out.
That terrifying force capable of moving Mount Tai was entirely confined between Luo Hao's fists and feet.
Wanting to cough up blood.
That was Zelretch's current feeling.
He continuously activated the Second Magic, creating countless rifts leading to parallel spaces. Yet even though those passages to parallel worlds could help Zelretch divert ninety-nine percent of Luo Hao's force—
That remaining fraction was still driven into his body by a technique Luo Hao called "Penetrating Force," a method akin to striking through a mountain to hit a cow.
A bitter smile remained on his face. Faced with force that surged endlessly like ocean waves, Zelretch could only tirelessly use magical energy to shift, wave after wave, the force pouring into his body.
Not only that, Zelretch also had to keep Luo Hao's explosive attacks from accidentally wiping out all the Clock Tower's upper echelons. Thus, unwilling to fight for no reason and innately countered by a cheat-like existence such as a God Slayer, he could only keep smiling bitterly.
Stepping with exquisite footwork and twisting her graceful body as though she floated like an immortal—
Luo Hao continuously evaded Zelretch's returning aether cannons while repeatedly punching and kicking him in a "beating."
She was now growing more "courageous" with every battle.
Though Zelretch did not count as a qualified opponent in Luo Hao's eyes, since he was a caster-type character—
He was still enough to let Luo Hao freely and thoroughly enjoy displaying her power.
Moreover, Luo Hao was essentially a "shut-in girl." She was extremely unaccustomed to being watched and exposed in public, yet she could not, as she once had, gouge out the eyes of the spectators.
This undoubtedly made Luo Hao even more violent, eager to end this battle faster.
"Heavenly Way Seimei, Earthly Way Tranquility, Human Way Void Tranquility.
Radiant and blazing, lightning scorches in splendor; spirits of Heaven, spirits of Earth, Supreme Lord Lao, swiftly obey this decree.
—Dragon Roar Tiger Howl Great Law!"
This was another ability Luo Hao had developed to its utmost limit by fusing countless Authorities into it.
Unable to bring down Zelretch after attacking for so long, the man who was even tougher than a turtle, Luo Hao was clearly becoming impatient.
The Dragon Roar Tiger Howl Great Law was an ability Luo Hao had developed by combining martial arts with the Authority she usurped after defeating Gayatri, the goddess of sacred hymns from Indian mythology.
By adding certain sound-related martial arts techniques to the Authority, Luo Hao could use sound and breath to exhale winds of ultrasonic waves, creating shockwaves of varying power.
Normally, Luo Hao preferred to release this Authority by chanting poetry. The power varied drastically according to the length of the chant.
From a cold snort carrying an impact equivalent to flooring the accelerator of a dump truck, to a full chant unleashing force comparable to Earth's greatest storm, this move could serve as combat support or a nation-destroying ultimate attack. How it was used depended entirely on Luo Hao's mood.
And that was not all. Besides being activated actively, the Dragon Roar Tiger Howl Great Law could actually produce passive effects alongside Luo Hao's breathing. Even a gentle exhale that made almost no sound could create an impact comparable to a punch, perfectly complementing Luo Hao's martial arts in close combat.
Furthermore, this Authority could cut off every sound except Luo Hao's own voice and the soft murmurs of wind.
If activating the Great Vajra Godly Skill earlier had still left everyone unable to gauge Luo Hao's exact power—
Then with the activation of the Dragon Roar Tiger Howl Great Law—
The Magi present could not help but feel their livers and gallbladders split in terror.
These Magi, who usually looked down on the world with their noses in the air, had always believed themselves to be the world's true masters, the rulers born by fate itself.
Yet... on this day, they learned of their own insignificance... they saw a "god"!
If the gods of the Divine Era were to awaken, they would probably be at Luo Hao's level, right?
With such thoughts, after Luo Hao displayed power as mighty as a deity's, most of the Magi present looked at Sakura with fawning, fearful, and fervent gazes.
Sakura paid those Magi's gazes no attention.
Protected by Kurumi, Sakura had no concern that someone might lose their mind and try to ambush her.
Perhaps she felt the heat was sufficient, or perhaps she did not truly wish to anger Zelretch, the Old Man. After Luo Hao further displayed her power—
Amid the complicated gazes of the Magi, Sakura directly called Luo Hao back.
"Cult Leader Sister, let's leave it at that for today."
Luo Hao nodded at Zelretch. Having developed at least some appreciation for the barbarian Zelretch through this battle, she then returned to Sakura's side.
Watching a woman who seemed like a deity—or rather, who simply was a deity—be so casually commanded by Sakura, a young girl—
The Magi's gazes grew even more fervent, while their expressions became increasingly humble.
Of course, not every magus was like that. The Clock Tower's Lords and department heads, the upper echelon, wore expressions that were more concerned.
The Hash-style Magecraft Sakura had used at the beginning of the duel appeared to them to be merely a distinctive but otherwise unremarkable modern variant of Magecraft.
Of course, given Sakura's current age, being able to use such Magecraft to that extent was indeed remarkable.
But the Daoist Arts, martial arts, and Qi Sakura subsequently displayed were not so pleasant.
Daoist Arts, martial arts, Qi... in these people's eyes, Sakura's mastery had reached an utterly monstrous level...
In other words, in the eyes of the Clock Tower's upper echelon, Sakura was a genius of Magecraft and a monster at using Qi.
And Qi, in the Type-Moon world, was a unique system used on that ancient continent.
It belonged to organizations outside the Mage's Association—the Spiral Manor and the Mountain Court.
That is to say, to those Lords, Sakura, who had come from the Far East, was likely a mage born from the Spiral Manor or the Mountain Court... and these upper echelons knew that the Mountain Court still had at least a dozen immortals. They naturally identified Luo Hao, who had displayed godlike power, as an immortal from the Mountain Court.
An Eastern magus of monstrous caliber had come to London, where the Clock Tower stood, accompanied by an immortal who obeyed her every word.
What that implied needed no explanation.
The more these Lords and department heads used the knowledge in their misguided minds to speculate, the more worried and frightened they became.
What were Sakura's objectives? Exchange, or... war?
If the Eastern factions truly intended to strike out and compete for world "hegemony," did every immortal possess combat power like Luo Hao's?
However, not everyone shared those concerns. Kischur Zelretch and Marisbury did not, because they knew part of the truth.
And so, the grand duel, which ended with something of an anticlimax, came to an end.
Although Sakura and Lorelei had not determined a winner.
But... perhaps they had yielded to the strength displayed by the Matou Family represented by Sakura, or perhaps they simply wanted to play it safe with Sakura, whom they viewed as an Eastern visitor. In any case, after the battle, the Bartholomello family approached Sakura and informed her that their family acknowledged the promise made upon defeat.
"You're asking me what I want?"
"Yes... although some unforeseen events led to neither the family head nor you winning, Miss Sakura Matou, our Bartholomello family still intends to fulfill the promise made upon defeat..."
"Is that so? But I haven't thought of the terms yet. How about this? In a few days, I'll have Lord Kischur Zelretch convey them on my behalf..."
PS: Back to four updates...
A Grand Council Resolution Convened Because of Speculation and "Stupidity"
It was chaos. Chaos, utter chaos.
As the Mage's Association's upper echelon speculated based on an already wrong answer, how could the Mage's Association, led by these people, not fall into disorder?
Over the past few days, the Clock Tower had undergone a complete upheaval in secret.
Every family began stockpiling all sorts of supplies in preparation for war. Much Magecraft that had previously been unavailable was also distributed on a large scale, while batch after batch of intelligence operatives were dispatched to the East.
And none of this was concealed. It could even be said that they did it with great fanfare.
The actions of those great families and the Clock Tower's upper echelon naturally affected the ordinary Magi under the Clock Tower.
Before you continue