<Blade's Song, Cherry Blossoms Scattered>

Blood spilled from Aozaki Touko's mouth. Though she had experienced it several times already, death still felt utterly unpleasant.

"Does winning with someone else's help even count as winning?"

"Why wouldn't it? Then shall we say you won last time?"

Aozaki Touko sneered. If some fool hadn't interfered last time, she would have defeated her younger sister long ago. Why would she have had to wait until today?

"You really are..."

After thinking it over, Aozaki Aoko found herself unable to refute her. She had indeed received a friend's help last time too, so this time...

"You won, Sister."

After saying that, Aozaki Aoko gradually stopped breathing. Having received that answer, Aozaki Touko pondered for a while before ultimately giving a helpless, bitter smile.

"You damn little sister. One to one is only a draw."

Aozaki Touko seemed to have let something go, but her body had also reached its limit. As Fujimaru Kyoya pulled out the Holy Sword, blood poured uncontrollably from both of them, gradually leaving behind two cold corpses.

"Is it over?"

Holding the Holy Sword, Fujimaru Kyoya leaned against the wall to rest. This battle had been different from a simulation. Once he died, everything would truly be over.

Still, in the midst of misfortune, he had survived. Even after killing someone, he had still struggled to stay alive.

Fujimaru Kyoya breathed hard, savoring the feeling of being alive. He did not know how long that moment lasted, but it seemed that everything was over.

But... was it really over just like that?

Even without using Magic, could a Magus really die so easily?

"There's no way it could be that simple."

A woman's voice echoed through the silent Underground Great Cavern, startling Fujimaru Kyoya. The source of that voice was naturally Aozaki Aoko's "corpse."

"What?"

"There's nothing strange about it, is there? I merely threw my 'death' into a more distant future. Sounds very much like Magic, doesn't it?"

Aozaki Aoko spoke with a calm expression. The place where she should have had a gaping wound was completely unmarked; even her clothes were undamaged. It was as if the fierce battle from before had never happened.

No, it had happened. At the very least, Aozaki Touko's corpse on the ground proved that everything had truly occurred.

Had they failed?

"No, you won. I truly didn't expect Touko to be so reckless. I was too careless."

Aozaki Aoko readily accepted her defeat and showed no intention of pursuing Fujimaru Kyoya further as an "enemy."

"Touko, how long are you going to keep hiding? Since it was our final battle, you couldn't have placed the body for your resurrection too far away."

"I really can't hide anything from you."

Aozaki Touko's voice emerged, and soon a figure walked out from the darkness. She had exactly the same face as the corpse on the ground.

"Surprised?"

Aozaki Touko looked at Fujimaru Kyoya's astonished expression. This kind of "raising the dead" scene truly was startling.

Shirou had said something about how people died when they were killed. Looking at things now, that was complete bullshit.

Fujimaru Kyoya silently mocked it in his heart.

"Sorry. It was only after I finished fighting her that I could calm down and determine that you weren't up to anything. You were merely dragged into this, so... shall we call it even?"

"Indeed. Though the two of us wanted to kill you, you genuinely killed us once. No matter how you look at it, we should call it even."

Only at times like this did the Aozaki Sisters become strangely united.

"Then we'll call it even."

Fujimaru Kyoya let out a long breath. Dealing with Aozaki Touko alone had already been difficult enough, let alone adding a Magus to the mix.

It was fortunate amid misfortune that it ended with no one actually hurt.

"Don't look so miserable. You helped me beat Aoko, so naturally I won't let you help for nothing. You seemed quite comfortable using that sword, so why not let me give it to you?"

Aozaki Touko naturally understood that the boy before her was far from ordinary.

That combat experience, and an Easterner knowing so much about the Blade of Vortigern... there had to be many secrets behind it.

However, she was a professional magecraft user. Unless necessary, she would not pry into someone else's secrets. That was an unspoken rule among magecraft users.

Though this Holy Sword was valuable, and the traces of the Age of Gods left upon it had some research value, that was all there was to it.

There were specialists in every field.

Those things were not within Aozaki Touko's research scope. Even if she kept it, she would make no further progress. Since that was the case, she might as well do him a favor.

"Give it to me?"

Fujimaru Kyoya was somewhat surprised. Even if it was not some Holy Sword, this sword was still an antique passed down for over a thousand years. Could this... be the legendary rich older woman?

Considering the woman's temperament earlier, she really did seem like the sort of rich older woman who liked to "train" men with steel wool.

"You brat, aren't you thinking something extremely rude? If you don't want it, give it back."

"Of course I want it."

Was she kidding? How could Fujimaru Kyoya possibly hand over a Holy Sword once it had reached his hands? Even if she did not give it to him, he could simply pay for it.

After all, he had just done this woman a huge favor. She presumably would not demand an outrageous price.

"Then next is the matter of you calling me 'Red of Crafter.'"

Aozaki Touko's gaze turned cold. She had once sworn that anyone who addressed her by that nickname would absolutely be killed.

Even Aozaki Aoko raised an eyebrow. She had not expected this boy to be so bold.

What followed would be quite the show.

As her younger sister, Aozaki Aoko naturally knew that her sister was not heartless. She would never kill someone who had just helped her, but would that favor truly be enough to make her break her oath?

"Grrr~"

An ill-timed sound rang out among the three of them. Fujimaru Kyoya and Aozaki Aoko looked toward its source.

Had she not eaten?

"I'm hungry. I'll kill you next time."

Next time? But when exactly would next time be?

This was simply an excuse not to kill him.

"You broke your oath for some boy?"

"It doesn't count as breaking it. I only said that I would definitely kill anyone who called me by that nickname. I never specified when I would kill them."

Aozaki Touko glared at her younger sister irritably. Last time, she had treated Aoko to a meal. This time, it was Aoko's turn to treat her.

Just then, moonlight shone through the fractured surface and into the underground.

It was finally... over.

The Aozaki Sisters both let out a long breath. The misunderstanding from years ago had finally been resolved today. All grievances were settled, and everything could begin anew.

Chapter 84: Blade's Cry, Cherry Blossom Scatter 13/28

"Detected that you have eased the relationship between the Aozaki Sisters. You have produced an impact of sufficient weight upon this world. The Hero Simulator is beginning a simulation... Please select three innate talents."

The simulator's voice sounded. This did not surprise Fujimaru Kyoya; after all, this incident involved a Magus, so the simulator would naturally react.

Darkness descended, and ten orbs of light returned to Fujimaru Kyoya's side. Without giving him time to rest, it made him choose three talents.

"Demonic Sword Companion: Your life will be inextricably connected to a demonic sword. When you come into contact with it, your life will undergo enormous changes."

"Man-slayer: An expert at killing people. Though human yourself, you slaughter humans. You gain special effectiveness against humanoid enemies, which increases with the number of people you kill."

"Limitless Zen: Restrain all murderous intent and empty your mind until you reach the realm of gods and Buddhas, then unleash it all at once. Even ordinary attacks will have their power greatly multiplied after this process."

"Non-form: Your mind is indestructible. You will not lose yourself in any illusion, and you will always remember who you are."

Just as expected.

Fujimaru Kyoya looked at his talents. It said three, but Non-form had still carried over. It was an extremely special talent.

"Clearly defining the 'self'?"

Fujimaru Kyoya muttered the name Non-form. It did not seem particularly useful, but in truth, its effects were incredibly powerful.

Before obtaining this talent, Fujimaru Kyoya had already lived through two lives. Fortunately, he had experienced transmigration once already. Otherwise, after those two long lives, the question of who he truly was would have become a genuine problem.

But with this talent, I would forever be myself. I no longer needed to worry about becoming too immersed in all future simulations.

Demonic Sword Companion was probably similar to the Blessing of the Holy Sword from his first simulation, likely a talent of the same type.

Man-slayer was a talent with special effectiveness against "humanoids." In other words, in the next simulation, Fujimaru Kyoya would have an advantage against humanoid enemies.

As for Limitless Zen, he could not quite make sense of it.

"Talent selection confirmed. Beginning scenario import: Blade's Cry, Cherry Blossom Scatter."

[You were born.]

[The moment you were born, your parents abandoned you in a barren mountain. The current era seemed to be difficult, and it appeared that your family could not afford to raise you.]

[Alone in the barren mountain, you would presumably die soon. Yet heaven never seals off all paths. An old monk passing by picked you up and brought you to a temple in the mountains, where he raised you.]

[The old monk bestowed upon you the Dharma Name Liaochen, hoping that you would sever your worldly ties and not resent your parents. You were also willing to heed the old monk's teachings.]

[Under the old monk's guidance, you began Buddhist cultivation. Because you possessed an adult's mind, your progress was extremely fast. You were even regarded as the reincarnation of a High Monk.]

[You spent peaceful days in the monastery. Although none of your talents had awakened, you felt that you increasingly understood the principles within the Buddhist Sutras. Whenever you meditated, you could quickly enter Meditative Absorption.]

Within a small mountain temple shrouded in moonlight, Fujimaru Kyoya sat alone in the main hall. Facing the Buddha statue, he easily entered the state of Meditative Absorption that countless monks dreamed of attaining.

At that moment, his spirit seemed to be with the gods and Buddhas, while his entire being merged with nature, like a tree or a mountain rock.

More than ten years had passed, yet not a single one of Fujimaru Kyoya's talents had awakened. This was the first time he had encountered such a situation.

However, as he remained in Meditative Absorption longer and longer, he gradually gained a new understanding of those talents.

Since Demonic Sword Companion existed, it had effectively already awakened. Somewhere in this world, a demonic sword must be waiting for his arrival.

Based on its description of growing stronger the more people he killed, Man-slayer presumably required him to kill with his own hands before it would awaken.

As for Limitless Zen...

"This is the state of Limitless Zen."

Fujimaru Kyoya "looked" at his own body. The sensation was like a first-person game suddenly becoming a third-person game.

His spirit was no longer bound by flesh, freely observing everything around him.

Then how far could he see?

Fujimaru Kyoya gathered his focus and continuously drew his "viewpoint" farther away. Gradually, he saw distant mountains, the sea farther beyond them, and soldiers fighting upon the earth...

If he wanted to see, then he could see any corner of this world.

That thought rose in Fujimaru Kyoya's heart.

[Your realm continuously approached that of gods and Buddhas. You gradually comprehended the teachings within the Buddhist Sutras, and you felt that this state somewhat resembled the Heavenly Eye mentioned in Buddhist texts.]

[Talent Heavenly Eye awakened: You can perceive the appearances of life, death, suffering, and joy among sentient beings in the Three Realms and Six Paths, and perceive all forms and colors in the world without obstruction.]

Heavenly Eye? Was this the Clairvoyance of Buddhism?

Fujimaru Kyoya withdrew from Meditative Absorption. He recalled the occult studies lesson Tohsaka Rin had once taught him. In ancient times, some powerful archers often possessed Clairvoyance to help them aim.

As the level of Clairvoyance rose, one could not only see distant targets, but even accomplish things similar to x-ray vision.

But at an even higher level of Clairvoyance, one could peer into the past and future. Usually, only wise kings or learned Sages could possess such an ability.

By that standard, Fujimaru Kyoya's Heavenly Eye seemed very close to the latter.

Name: Liaochen

Gender: Male

Strength: B

Endurance: B