Ababa

As one of the strongest Noble Phantasms known to the Magecraft World, Add's power was beyond doubt.

He had awakened alongside Gray and remained by her side ever since. He was Gray's best friend.

Gray had originally been just an ordinary girl. But more than a decade ago, during the Fourth Holy Grail War, when the legendary King Arthur was summoned, some power within her awakened. Her appearance changed overnight, and Add, who had previously possessed no consciousness, began to awaken as well.

From then on, their fates changed.

Add possessed an immense ability to absorb magical energy and spiritual entities. He could even interrupt another person's spellcasting by absorbing their magical energy, making him an exceptionally powerful nemesis to mages.

He could locate targets through spiritual energy. The other party was a Heroic Spirit, which also counted as a type of spiritual entity. Even if the enemy severed every trace of their presence to conceal themselves, their spiritual energy still remained.

"Be careful. A very powerful spirit is approaching. Strange... it feels very strange."

Add spoke. Within his perception, that powerful spirit did not seem pure. Other forces were mixed within it.

"This is the final battle. Don't let your guard down just because he's an Assassin. That guy took five of our cards! Illya, get the Class Card ready!"

Tohsaka Rin gave rapid orders, and Illya took out their only remaining Class Card and prepared herself.

Meanwhile, Miyu hesitated.

"Actually, I don't think that person is bad. Unlike the other Heroic Spirits, he didn't attack us the moment we met. If he wanted to hurt us, none of us would have escaped last time."

Miyu recalled when Mo Shuying had taken their Class Cards. If he had wanted to kill them, it would have been effortless.

"Hmph, who knows what kind of rotten scheme he's plotting! Assassins are all sinister, deceitful people. Maybe he's just waiting for us to find the last Class Card before coming to find him."

Tohsaka Rin said angrily. To be fair, she had guessed correctly.

That was exactly Mo Shuying's plan. It was inconvenient for him to go out and search for the other Class Cards himself, and even if he found them, fighting for them would be troublesome. He might as well sit back and reap the rewards. Those girls would come looking for him eventually anyway.

And hadn't they come already?

"He's here!"

Gray and Add were connected in heart and mind. The instant Add sensed Mo Shuying's arrival, Gray charged out and brought down her enormous scythe!

Having absorbed a vast amount of magical energy, Gray's strength now far surpassed that of an ordinary mage!

However, her opponent was the even stronger Mo Shuying.

"Hm? You can actually detect me."

Mo Shuying raised his hand and threw a punch. At level 22, he was no longer the helpless boy he had once been.

"Bang!"

The defenses of Rock Armor and Scale Armor were enough to block her attack. His fist collided directly with the scythe. Though it was merely flesh and blood, Gray felt as though she had struck an iron hammer. Her hands trembled violently as she rapidly retreated!

"Don't be in such a hurry, girls. Since I chose to meet you, it means we can sit down and talk. All this fighting and killing is boring."

Mo Shuying emerged from concealment. Ever more abundant magical energy formed blue-white mist around him, setting off his powerful physique and leaving the girls staring in stunned disbelief!

"This is an Assassin?! What kind of Assassin is built like a bull?!"

Compared to last time, Mo Shuying's body had grown even stronger. Among the Heroic Spirits who had appeared this time, only Berserker surpassed him in raw physical build.

"You said we could sit down and have a proper talk? Fine! Return the Class Cards you took from us, and then we'll sit down and have a proper talk."

Luvia stepped forward, flicking her golden hair as she spoke.

Mo Shuying smiled at that.

"Looks like our goals overlap. I also want the last Class Card in your hands. If you're willing to part with it, I have several decent Mystic Codes that I can trade with you."

To show his sincerity, Mo Shuying took out Scorpion Sting. The black blade alone was enough to send chills down their spines.

"Poison? Are you threatening us?"

Tohsaka Rin took up a fighting stance. She did not believe an Assassin would trade away the weapon he used. In her eyes, that obviously high-quality dagger was Mo Shuying's weapon.

"Huh? No, I don't use that thing. It's too small for me."

Mo Shuying explained, but Tohsaka Rin and Luvia clearly did not believe him. Since they did not believe him, there was no point dragging this out any longer!

"Illya!"

"Miyu!"

"Yes!" x2

The two little girls shot into the sky! Trailing beautiful streams of light behind them, they aimed their spatial wands at Mo Shuying.

"Cannon!"

"Snipe!"

"Boom! Boom!"

One red and one blue beam of light intertwined as they blasted toward him! Their power already surpassed that of most mages.

"Really... violent."

Mo Shuying did not move as he watched the two beams rushing toward him. There was now a second card within his body, and the power of that card filled him with confidence.

"Whoosh!"

Golden magical energy like flames swept over Mo Shuying. White-and-blue armor formed over his entire body within the flames, while an azure cape billowed behind his shoulders!

"Disperse."

Mo Shuying spoke softly. Dense golden magical energy formed a shield that blocked the beams! In an instant, red, blue, and gold flashed together, illuminating the entire area.

"What?!"

Everyone who saw this was shocked. Tohsaka Rin gritted her teeth. She understood what Mo Shuying had done. He had blocked Illya and Miyu's attack using nothing but incredibly condensed and powerful magical energy! This... this was simply unimaginable!

Meanwhile, Gray's eyes widened. She clutched her chest as her tiny heart pounded harder and harder, as though a furnace burned within her! She looked at Mo Shuying, and at that moment, an overwhelming sense of familiarity arose within her!

"Can you see the gap between us now? Will you hand over the Class Card yourselves, or do I need to beat you until you can't resist and search for it myself?"

The smile gradually faded from Mo Shuying's face. He knew that this was the time to be serious.

"If you can do it! Don't think you're invincible just because you transformed! Gray, hurry and get ready! We'll hold him off!"

Tohsaka Rin gave Gray a meaningful look. She meant that Gray could draw the holy lance now. Otherwise, they truly had no way to deal with Mo Shuying.

"Huh?"

But Gray was somewhat dazed. Before she could react, Tohsaka Rin and Luvia had already charged out. Illya and Miyu in the air also launched attacks, buying her time.

But...

"I... I..."

Gray could not say it. She could not bring herself to say that, faced with Mo Shuying as he was now, she could not attack.

Yet Gray knew that if she did not act, Tohsaka Rin and the others would definitely lose. So she warned herself in her heart!

He's just an impostor! Don't let him fool you! Come on! Prepare to pull the anchor!

After finally steeling herself, Gray gripped Add and shouted!

"Add! Prepare to release the restrictions!!"

Add: "... Ababa ababa."

Gray: "..."