Clash and Ravaging

"Do you think I'd believe you?"

Artoria held the Invisible Holy Sword pointed at Gilles de Rais, not believing a word that Bastard said.

"Wait, Saber. If Caster isn't here to cause trouble for us, then don't fight him."

Emiya Kiritsugu stood at a high point, able to see the full extent of the Sea Demon Army. They densely occupied an entire street; there had to be seventy or eighty of them, if not over a hundred.

With Saber's left hand injured, fighting them would be unwise. Thus, after hearing Caster's declaration, the man decided to avoid battle.

Through their magical connection, he conveyed his thoughts to the Servant below.

"Master, do you actually believe that guy?"

Artoria immediately frowned and questioned him.

"I don't believe him, but if he's willing to let us withdraw, there's no need to fight him."

The Bounty Command Spell on Caster was certainly tempting, but he was no ordinary opponent. They had experienced firsthand yesterday just how troublesome the Familiars he controlled were.

If Lancer had not interfered and supported Saber through the Code of Chivalry to strike down this Evil Path that slaughtered children, then Artoria, whose left-hand fingers had been wounded by the Cursed Spear, might really have fallen last night.

"But Caster clearly looks like he's going to slaughter other people."

"Only Servants can fight Servants. Likewise, whoever killed the Master behind him must also be a Master. A crazed Servant wants to seek revenge on the person who killed his Master. We have no reason to shield an unknown Master."

While Emiya Kiritsugu and his Servant disagreed and argued, Gilles de Rais's revenge magecraft— that drop of heart's blood—had already passed Saber and slipped into the grounds outside the Fujimura Residence behind her under Artoria's wary gaze.

"Found you! The enemy who killed my Master is there!"

Gilles de Rais saw it as well. Magic power surged around him as he openly revealed his killing intent toward the person inside that residence.

"Master, do you think there might be another Master beside the base you chose?"

Emiya Kiritsugu said nothing. There could not possibly be so many coincidences in the world. Caster's target for revenge was right beside their new base.

Watching the Sea Demon Army surge forward, he placed his finger on the trigger and sounded the horn of battle with his Sniper Rifle.

Naturally, the bullet did no harm to the Heroic Spirit. Before it could enter Gilles de Rais's head, it was corroded and corrupted by the black magic power churning around him.

"Since you insist on standing in the way of my Path of Revenge, then I, Gilles de Rais, shall crush you beneath my feet.

Bloom with all your brilliance. When your life withers like a flower, I, Gilles de Rais, shall embrace your corpse and bind your soul beneath my curse.

At that time, not even God will be able to Take Away you from my side."

"Wind King Hammer!"

Faced with Caster's operatic recitation, Artoria directly cleaved out a violent path of hurricane winds. Like last night, she intended to charge straight through the Sea Demon Army, capture the king before the bandits, and take the enemy commander's head.

"The same move will not work against me, Gilles de Rais."

Caster chanted an incantation as he retreated into the Sea Demon Army. The two nearest Sea Demons wrapped around his body, then melted beneath the spell into a black Protective Armor covered in Spikes. The unsealed Invisible Holy Sword struck it and was directly deflected, while the Spikes counterattacked their assailant like spears.

Artoria raised her arm in time, blocking the Spike thrust at her face with her gauntlet. But the next moment, Gilles de Rais kicked her hard in the abdomen, sending her flying backward.

"Are you really Caster?"

Protected by her armor, Artoria was not injured, but the kick had been powerful enough to make her question the man's current class.

"Holy Maiden, I never expected you to have forgotten even this. But it doesn't matter. I can tell you again. As your Adjutant, I, Gilles de Rais, was also a qualified Noble Swordsman."

"Evil Path, I told you that you have the wrong person. None of my adjutants were evil bastards like you!"

The Invisible Holy Sword slashed down, splitting the Sea Demons surging at her in two. Yet with Gilles de Rais continuously supplying magic power, the divided Sea Demon bodies quickly fused back together and returned to normal.

"Damn it!"

As the Sea Demons poured in by the masses, Artoria fell into a bitter struggle.

"What was that sound?"

"M-Monsters?!"

The nighttime gunfire woke many people, and some members of the Fujimura Group got up.

Hearing the commotion outside, they opened the doors and went out to investigate.

They had no idea until they looked. Damn it, seafood Octopuses had invaded the land world.

"Hey, don't just stand there! Come help!"

Standing on the roof, Emiya Kiritsugu had switched to an assault rifle and was providing fire support for his Servant. When he saw more and more people emerging from the Fujimura Residence, he could not help shouting at these ordinary people.

"Mr. Emiya, what exactly is this?"

Fujimura Raiga came out wearing a robe and asked Emiya Kiritsugu on the neighboring rooftop.

"Just as your men said, they're monsters. Monsters from another world. If you don't want to die, pick up weapons and fight them with me."

Fujimura Raiga pondered for only a moment. Seeing Sea Demons break into homes on the next street, followed by human screams from within, he quickly made his decision.

"Grab whatever you can. Don't let those monsters get over here. Mr. Emiya, we don't have enough firearms. Can you spare some?"

"The weapons are all in the Warehouse. Go get them yourselves."

Emiya Kiritsugu emptied a magazine and replaced it with a fresh one, answering without even turning around.

Before long, a group of armed Yakuza climbed onto the roof.

Occupying the high ground, and with their boss Fujimura Raiga agreeing to let Emiya Kiritsugu command them, they provided stronger fire support to Saber, who was fighting desperately over there.

Although the Sea Demons were difficult to kill with bullets, the intense barrage temporarily halted their advance.

Healing the Familiars' injuries required magic power. If Caster's Master had truly said bye-bye to this world, then Caster himself had to be short on magic power.

He might even be struggling just to maintain his own existence. Right now, he was merely sustaining the Familiar army by slaughtering living beings to obtain some magic power.

That was Emiya Kiritsugu's judgment, and the fact that some Sea Demons failed to regenerate after their bodies were blown apart proved that he was correct.

"Damn you buzzing flies, getting in the way of my revenge!"

Saber had originally been his main focus, but after being pelted by the bullet storm, Gilles de Rais shifted his attention to the humans farther behind her.

"Go around them and kill them!"

He directed some Sea Demons to circle around through the neighboring houses. Artoria tried to stop them, but the Sea Demons around her kept her entangled.

"The monsters are coming, and we're almost out of bullets! What do we do?"

Someone panicked.

"Damn it."

Emiya Kiritsugu gritted his teeth, hating that he had not bought several heavy machine guns for defense.

"Maiya, prepare to take Irisviel and retreat."

Emiya Kiritsugu spoke as he jumped down from the roof. The situation had already surpassed what he could handle.

At this point, they could only withdraw first, then use a Command Spell to move Saber out of the battlefield.

"Mr. Emiya, where are you planning to go?"

"Save yourselves. The monsters coming this way are no longer something we can deal with."

Emiya Kiritsugu did not hide it. Though he would stop at nothing, he believed the Fujimura Family had been dragged into this because of him. He made the situation clear now so that as many ordinary people as possible could escape. As for lying to keep them behind as rearguard, he was not that despicable.

"Grandfather, what exactly are those things?"

Fujimura Taiga had also been awakened by the crackling gunfire. When she came out and saw a swarm of Sea Demons rushing over, she was terrified and asked her grandfather.

"There are many things in this world that ordinary people don't know about. Because I'm involved with the Yakuza, I've vaguely learned some hidden information. Those creatures should be monsters from the unknown side of the world. Mr. Emiya, you're from that world too, aren't you?"

"Yes."

Emiya Kiritsugu nodded.

"This may have started because of you. Our Fujimura Family was dragged into it because I agreed to trade with you. I accept that risk. But my Granddaughter is only staying with us temporarily, and I don't want anything to happen to her. Can you take her away and bring her somewhere safe?"

"Following me will only be more dangerous."

"Given the current situation, I have no other choice, do I? If you agree, this Old Man will lead my people and hold those monsters back for you."

"Fine."

Fujimura Raiga and Emiya Kiritsugu quickly reached an agreement and prepared to put his granddaughter into the Emiya Family's Humvee.

"Huh?"

Fujimura Taiga still had not figured out what was happening, but she knew there was still a child in the house.

"Grandfather, Broly is still in his room!"

She shouted.

At such a critical moment, his granddaughter was worried about a child. Fujimura Raiga nearly could not hold it together, but adults should not compete with children.

"Then go wake him up and bring him with you."

Fujimura Raiga waved his hand.

"There's not much time. Hurry."

Emiya Kiritsugu said this as he used his remaining ammunition to continue firing at the Sea Demons circling toward them.

Fujimura Taiga ran into the residence and rushed directly toward the Guest Room. Broly had been sleeping very well these past two days. The crackling gunfire outside had not woken him, and even when the young girl Broke Into the room and shook his body, he continued sleeping soundly.

"Stop sleeping! There's meat to eat!"

"There's meat?"

Only when Fujimura Taiga said there was meat did Broly suddenly open his eyes and wake up.

"Fujimura-oneesan, where's the meat?"

Blinking his bleary eyes, Broly tried to search the room for meat.

"There's no meat. I only wanted to wake you up. Something happened outside. Monsters are attacking, and we have to Escaped."

Broly: "???"

Fujimura Taiga took his hand. Without even having time to put on Shoes, she led the boy outside.

"Grandfather, we're leaving. What about you?"

Only after stuffing the boy into the vehicle did Fujimura Taiga remember her grandfather and the other Fujimura Group members.

"Don't worry about us. This is the Fujimura Group, our home. We'll crush every enemy that attacks us."

The gunfire had gradually stopped. Every member of the Fujimura Group had taken out cold weapons, while the women and children living in the residence had also boarded the family vehicles. They would leave together with the Emiya Family's vehicle shortly.

"Grandfather, let me stay too."

"What nonsense are you talking about?!"

"Young Lady, this is a matter for us and the old man's Fujimura Group. If you don't intend to inherit the Fujimura Group, then this has nothing to do with you. Go take refuge with the others. I guarantee I'll protect the old man."

Scarface promised, and the atmosphere turned solemn and tragic.

"What's going on?"

Broly still had not figured out the situation. Leaning against the car window and looking outside, he felt a hand reach toward him from behind.

"It's all right, child. You'll be fine."

Irisviel spoke softly. She felt deeply sorry that the Holy Grail War had dragged innocent ordinary people into it, but all she could do now was comfort the child of the victimized family.

Broly turned his head, and the Crystal Palace in his mind provided information:

Capture Target discovered: Irisviel von Einzbern. Current Happiness Value: 0.

Alert: Fujimura Taiga's Happiness Value is decreasing!

Broly: "Huh?!"

The alert about the dropping Happiness Value instantly cleared the lingering drowsiness from Broly's little head.

Just then, a Sea Demon leaped over the roof of the Fujimura Residence in front and landed before the group. It let out a piercing howl and swung its tentacles, sending several Fujimura Group members flying.

Fujimura Taiga's Happiness Value also plummeted, allowing Broly to immediately find the culprit responsible for its decline.

"Block the monster!"

Fujimura Raiga shouted.

Bang!

A car door flew through the crowd from behind and smashed into the Sea Demon that was preparing to swing its tentacles again.

The car door carried terrifying force. After striking the Sea Demon, it sent the creature flying.

With a splat, the Sea Demon was embedded in the Utility Pole at the side. In an instant, it became a lump of minced flesh.

"Hiss—"

Everyone sucked in a breath and turned to look. The little boy who had jumped out through the shattered car door behind them had an angry expression written all over his little face.

As everyone stared in dumbfounded shock, he stepped forward and kicked each Sea Demon leaping down from the rooftops into scraps of flesh, one kick at a time.

He did it as effortlessly as if he were not kicking Sea Demons with tough bodies, but creatures made from tender tofu.

Having suffered terrifying injuries, the Sea Demons used their regenerative ability to demand enormous amounts of magic power from the person who had summoned them. This demand drew Gilles de Rais's attention again.

Caster found it strange. Logically speaking, even if the Sea Demons he had sent to deal with ordinary people were injured, they should not have demanded so much magic power from him. It was nearly enough to summon an entire new group of Sea Demons.

But when Gilles de Rais looked up into the distance, he saw a child using his feet to ravage the Sea Demons he had summoned.

Before that child, his Sea Demons were like building-block toys, casually trampled and kicked into fragments without any ability to resist.