Heavenly Fire! Draw! / A Sigh...

The reason he had clashed head-on with Mikaela was because he wanted to hold this position and let the Lord analyze the golden barrier through his eyes.

"..." Mikaela's attacks grew faster and faster, and her fighting style was becoming increasingly frenzied. When Diarmuid began relying on speed to evade her attacks, she sensed something. Rather than continuing to launch golden spears, she directly had Judas unleash its full firepower!

Countless golden chains, like venomous snakes, attacked Diarmuid from every possible angle.

"Although I'd like to explain in detail how I figured it out, your stamina has already reached its limit. You should get back here quickly." Seemingly realizing Diarmuid's dangerous situation as well, Kayneth hurriedly said, "Those golden spears weren't formed by Saber herself. Saber used that golden barrier to form them. Whenever Saber intended to attack you with a golden spear, one corner of the barrier would 'dim.'"

"So if you want to leave this barrier, you must attack the 'dimmed' corner. That gap won't be able to recover for at least two seconds. I believe that will be enough time for you to get out and get back in."

"There's something seriously wrong with this world!"

Synopsis: Chu Mo, an ordinary high school senior, suddenly discovered one day that his world was not as simple as it appeared.

There were vicious, bloodthirsty monsters skilled at disguising themselves; demons adept at beguiling people and drawing out the darkness in their hearts; angels who looked holy yet were actually cold and heartless; innocent fairies, powerful and arrogant dragons, and eerie, terrifying ghosts.

There really was something seriously wrong with this world.

But it didn't matter. He had superpowers.

Storms swept the heavens, blazing flames boiled the seas, crimson lightning and divine thunder, immovable as a mountain... All the elements of the world lay under his control. This was the Lord of Elements.

Heavenly Fire! Unsheathed!

"Boom—!!"

Oath of Judas smashed violently into the ground once more. Diarmuid did not take it head-on. He retreated several steps, seemingly intending to keep some distance from Mikaela. Even when facing the golden chains flying toward him, he merely dodged instead of wasting more "stamina" to cut them apart.

Indeed, with Agility A, Diarmuid could effortlessly evade the interwoven golden chains. Even when they attacked him from different directions, all he needed to do was move his hands, knock aside several chains, and escape through the gaps.

"What's wrong, Saber? Your rhythm has become disordered."

Diarmuid was much more at ease now. Although his situation had not changed much, and his minor wounds would sooner or later become serious injuries if this continued, he had previously seen no hope of escaping. He could only risk everything in a desperate struggle.

But things were different now. The Lord had shown him a path out. The pressure on him was no longer so great, so he could adjust his mindset and wait for an opportunity to escape smoothly.

"No, quite the opposite. Your movements have become somewhat sluggish." Though she knew her own rhythm had become disordered, Mikaela would never admit it. Looking at Diarmuid, she retorted, "You've been locked in a stalemate with me for around two minutes already. The King of Conquerors and his Master still haven't come down to help you. How much longer can you hold on?"

Even now, Mikaela was still sowing discord, trying to make Diarmuid see the King of Conquerors' ugly side.

You went to help him, yet he refused to help you. An ally like that might as well be killed already!!

"Their not coming down is the best help they can give me." Diarmuid merely smiled at Mikaela's provocation. Naturally, he understood why the King of Conquerors had not come down.

Just as Diarmuid was holding Mikaela back, the King of Conquerors was also restraining Mikaela's greatest trump card.

If the two of them came down to deal with Saber together, Saber would likely decisively release the barrier she had used against the Sea Demon. At that point, both Diarmuid and the King of Conquerors would be forced out of the battle.

"Hmph." Mikaela flicked her hand, and dozens of thick golden spears appeared in the sky, hurtling toward Diarmuid.

"..."

Diarmuid's gaze sharpened like an eagle's. Looking at the golden barrier around him, he paid no attention to the golden spears and Saber charging toward him. Instead, he focused all his attention on the barrier surrounding him.

"Just as I thought!!!"

The next second, Diarmuid shot into the sky, a confident smile appearing on his face.

He saw it. Just as the Lord had said, whenever Saber drew upon the barrier's power to form golden spears, a gap in the barrier would take on a "dimmed" appearance. That was the barrier's weak point!!!

"!!!!!" Seeing Diarmuid suddenly take flight and rush toward the sky, shock flashed through Mikaela's eyes. She clearly had not expected him to find the weak point of Judas's barrier so quickly.

"Don't think you can run!!!"

Mikaela knew that if Diarmuid escaped, then all her efforts tonight would have gone down the drain.

Mikaela used both hands to control the golden chains. Controlling them manually was twice as fast as automatic tracking!!

"Hahahaha, Saber, my apologies, but I must take my leave today." Diarmuid tightly gripped Red Rose of Purgatory and drove its spear blade into the rather dim section of the golden shield.

"Crack—!!"

A sound like shattering glass rang out. Diarmuid revealed an excited smile. Since the barrier had been broken, Saber had no ability to keep him here.

In terms of speed, Saber could not compare to him at all.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—!!!"

"Clang, clang, clang—!!"

Even though the golden chains had doubled in speed, they still could not do anything to Diarmuid. His eyesight and spear technique had already reached an extremely formidable level.

The golden chains were severed, just as they had been in their first battle. The moment they approached Diarmuid, they were cut apart.

At the same time, Diarmuid leaped out of the barrier. Mikaela seemingly had no means left to deal with him.

Everything seemed to be heading toward a happy ending. Tonight, Waver, the Master of the King of Conquerors, had obtained extremely valuable information from Mikaela.

The King of Conquerors in the sky had also successfully won Diarmuid over and saved both himself and Waver.

Diarmuid had successfully held Mikaela back and allowed the Lord to see through the barrier's weak point, letting him use Red Rose of Purgatory to break through one corner of the barrier.

"I said... you must die today!"

Mikaela's voice trembled. She knew full well that anger would not accomplish anything. Though anger in JOJO could raise one's fighting spirit somewhat, her anger right now would look like nothing more than impotent rage to others.

But... was it really impotent rage?!

The golden barrier vanished, as did the golden cross planted in the ground, Oath of Judas.

"Lancer—!!!" The King of Conquerors seemed to see something and roared at Diarmuid, "Watch out!!!"

In truth, Diarmuid sensed the enormous threat without the King of Conquerors needing to say anything. He raised the twin spears in his hands and turned around in disbelief, staring at Mikaela's icy expression and the flaming greatsword in her hand.

Just before Oath of Judas vanished, Mikaela had used the chains to rush upward, a crimson greatsword in her hand.

Oath of Judas was extremely versatile. Whether in combat or anything else, it was an all-purpose existence.

If it had any weakness at all, it was probably its destructive power, which was rather hard to comment on.

But... the thing in Mikaela's hand was different. It was called Heavenly Fire Holy Judgment, a Divine Key forged from the Herrscher Core of the Seventh Herrscher, the Herrscher of Flame. In its twin-pistol form, Heavenly Fire Holy Judgment governed the power of "flame" and possessed the greatest destructive power.

But only members of the Kaslana Family could use Heavenly Fire Holy Judgment.

Though Theresa was the head of the Apocalypse family, Kaslana blood still flowed through her veins. In other words, she could use the power of Heavenly Fire Holy Judgment too.

Likewise, the summoning of Heavenly Fire Holy Judgment proved that point.

"Heavenly Fire, unsheathed—!!!"

Mikaela swung the flaming greatsword in her hand as if she had gone mad. The scorching flames surged toward Diarmuid like an ocean.

"Boom—!!"

Though he had no time to evade completely, Diarmuid still relied on his years of combat experience to avoid most of the flames. But even brushing against a portion of them made him cry out in pain. Then he directly transformed into spirit form and vanished from the spot.

"Cough, cough!" At the same time, raging flames ignited across Mikaela's body, making him seem like a man of fire. Though Irisviel's face was pale, she still used healing magecraft, allowing Mikaela's injuries to recover considerably at once.

At the same time, Mikaela decisively canceled Theresa and Heavenly Fire Holy Judgment's transformed state. The flames clinging to him dissipated, but his face remained pale.

The backlash of Heavenly Fire Holy Judgment was simply too terrifying. If Irisviel had not treated him in time, he would probably be seriously injured right now as well.

My wife!.jpg

Sigh

"A second Noble Phantasm..."

The King of Conquerors drove his ox cart into the distance. Recalling what he had just seen, his eyes were filled with solemnity. Was that Saber's second Noble Phantasm?

That flame... it was like a power wielded by the gods. Though he had only watched it, the King of Conquerors could still feel a powerful "threat," a threat that came from death itself.

If he took one hit, death would be his only outcome!

But was that Noble Phantasm Saber's true trump card? If it was, then the chances of victory in this Holy Grail War would be far too slim without finding allies.

The King of Conquerors thought gravely.

On the other side, Mikaela left with Emiya Kiritsugu, Irisviel, and the others. He had recovered by now, but Irisviel's face was still pale.

She finally understood why Mikaela had been unwilling to use such a powerful force before. Her entire body was limp in Emiya Kiritsugu's arms, and she felt as though all the magical energy in her body had been drained away.

If she had not already formed some connection with the Greater Holy Grail, with its magical energy continuously flowing into her, she would have nearly reached her limit the moment Mikaela brought out Heavenly Fire Holy Judgment.

"You held back." Emiya Kiritsugu held Irisviel in his arms and looked toward Mikaela in the passenger seat. He had now witnessed the power of his own Servant.

When Mikaela first appeared, he had claimed to be nothing more than an ordinary person capable only of carrying out assassinations and similar activities.

Thinking back on it now, Emiya Kiritsugu was speechless. What ordinary person possessed such terrifying power?! He had faced Lancer, one of the Three Knight classes, head-on and had even won!

That was right. The final attack had clearly inflicted serious injuries on Lancer. Otherwise, he would not have immediately entered spirit form and fled the scene.

Moreover, Emiya Kiritsugu could tell that Mikaela had clearly held back with that final strike.

"If I hadn't held back, I'd be dead." Mikaela sighed and looked at Emiya Kiritsugu calmly. "This weapon is a double-edged sword. I can use Theresa's state, but I don't know where my limits are. You saw what happened just now. If I went all out, forget Diarmuid—even if the King of Conquerors were in the sky, he would still die without question."

That was right. Heavenly Fire Holy Judgment being ranked first in attack power among the Divine Keys was not just empty talk.

If it were used at full power, forget Diarmuid—he could blow Gilgamesh apart too!

Not only would Gilgamesh be blown apart, but destroying several cities in the process would be effortless. Yet Mikaela could not do that. If he did, there would be only one result: death.

If I unleash Heavenly Fire Holy Judgment at full power, I don't know whether you'll die, but I definitely won't even have ashes left.

"Then how much of that weapon's power did you use?" Emiya Kiritsugu wanted to know how much power Mikaela had used from that weapon just now.

"Not even half a percent."

"Not even half a percent? That truly is terrifying." Emiya Kiritsugu sighed. If Mikaela had not come through tonight, they would probably have been wiped out.

Mikaela looked at the scenery outside the car window. The car was heading toward the Einzbern castle. They were all exhausted, especially Irisviel. She had done nothing today except act as a rechargeable battery and had nearly been drained dry.

Emiya Kiritsugu was equally exhausted. He had not expected his own mistake to let the enemy eavesdrop on their information. Hopefully, the other party had not been in the next room from the start. Otherwise, their most important intelligence would have been exposed.

Maiya Hisau drove the car, sighing inwardly. As an assistant, she had failed to notice the abnormality immediately. It was simply disgraceful.

"Lord, I'm sorry."

After returning to the hotel, Diarmuid was practically wrapped up like a mummy. The bandages around him emitted an emerald green glow.

"How terrifying. A single strike reduced you to this state." Kayneth drank coffee. One of the Command Seals on his hand had silently disappeared, leaving only two where there had originally been three. He had used the power of a Command Seal to transfer Diarmuid back.

Even after transferring him back, the flames on Diarmuid's body had been like inextinguishable fire. Kayneth could not put them out with ordinary water magecraft. In the end, he had no choice but to use the power of the Magic Workshop to barely extinguish them.

After the flames were put out, Diarmuid actually fell unconscious. A warrior like him had experienced countless terrifying battles, so being injured was naturally unavoidable.

But what kind of pain could make Diarmuid fall unconscious?

"I still underestimated Saber. So that was her true offensive method." Diarmuid smiled bitterly. At the end, he had clearly seen the greatsword wrapped in flames.

Of course, there had to be a special reason for her class being Saber. She had simply hidden her sword.

Was this what it meant to remain silent until one made a stunning debut? It truly was terrifying.

"No, that should have been her final offensive method. She was obviously enraged to the point of losing her senses and actually exposed her second Noble Phantasm. Fortunately, Saber did not damage your spiritual core. Otherwise, even I could not save a Servant who had already dissipated."

Kayneth set down his coffee and placed one hand on Diarmuid's body, sensing it briefly. Finally, he frowned slightly and said calmly, "It seems that your injuries will only be half recovered by tomorrow morning. At that time, we'll summon back that disappointing student of mine and have him tell us what information he heard from Saber."

This showed just how severe Diarmuid's injuries were. Normally, as long as Servants did not suffer fatal injuries or curse damage, they could return to battle full of energy the next day as long as their Master had enough magical energy.

But now, even with healing magecraft and his own powerful recovery ability, Diarmuid could only recover around half by the next day.

"Then rest well tonight. I need to examine the intelligence on the previous Holy Grail Wars." Seeing that Diarmuid was alright, Kayneth continued reading the Holy Grail War information his family members had collected for him.

Though he seemed rather sharp-tongued and harsh, he was actually quite good at treating people.

"Yes, Lord!!!" Diarmuid's heart was full of emotion. He sighed deeply inside. At such a critical time, he had actually become a burden to his Lord. He was simply unworthy of being called a knight.

I must recover quickly! My body.

PS: "By the way, does everyone want me to speed up the plot? = = I'm better at slow-burn writing, slowly laying the groundwork before everything erupts step by step. If you want it faster, I can indeed speed things up."

So Much Pressure

That evening, Kayneth, who never stayed up late and had always cultivated the habit of going to bed early, looked like a cat with its fur standing on end as he stared at the information in his hands, trembling slightly. If he had not been so arrogant and self-confident, he would probably have already packed his luggage and prepared to leave this troublesome place.

That was right. Through his enormous network of influence, Kayneth had successfully found information related to the First, Second, and Third Holy Grail Wars.

The Holy Church officially intervened in the Holy Grail War during the Third Holy Grail War. The priest with close ties to the previous head of the Tohsaka family, who was also the current overseer, was Risei Kotomine.

The reason for intervening in the Holy Grail War was quite simple. It was roughly in line with their usual methods: preventing large amounts of mystery from being exposed while also cleaning up the traces left behind by mystery.