The Crisis of Araya Souren

After trying a few times, Touko Aozaki frowned slightly, clearly indicating that the situation was not very optimistic.

"This is a bit troublesome... Okay, hold on tight."

Seeing Touko Aozaki's expression, Wang Xiaoming nodded without saying much, and simply bent down to hug her. Perhaps considering Touko Aozaki's injuries, he didn't use any force throughout the process.

As for Touko Aozaki, although she subconsciously struggled a little while being picked up, the pain in her chest forced her to resign herself to her fate.

"Araya, is it resolved?"

Nestled in Wang Xiaoming's arms, Touko Aozaki asked about her old classmate.

"Look there, see for yourself--"

Touko Aozaki, peeking out from Wang Xiaoming's arms, followed his gaze and looked in that direction.

The smooth floor surface of the apartment was long gone, leaving only a huge pit from which smoke was still intermittently billowing out.

"I bet Araya isn't even left with ashes..."

After seeing the scene clearly, even Touko Aozaki, who was used to seeing big things, couldn't help but marvel.

"Alright, stop looking, it's time to go back."

And so, Wang Xiaoming, carrying Touko Aozaki, and Shirou, following behind, the three of them—two adults and one child—swaggered out of the main entrance of Ogawa Apartments.

However, the moment the apartment's automatic doors closed, Araya's tall, black figure reappeared in the uneven lobby.

Watching the three figures depart through the clear glass, Araya's troubled expression seemed to be tinged with anger and helplessness.

"You've fallen, Aozaki!"

"Araya is definitely not dead yet."

Outside the apartment, the person Araya described as "degenerate" reminded the man holding her in his arms.

"Yes, I know."

Wang Xiaoming nodded, clearly already aware of the matter. After all, someone who could escape from the [Mystic Eyes of Petrification] wouldn't die so easily.

"So what's next?"

"What's next?"

Looking at the Touko Aozaki in his arms, Wang Xiaoming blinked and gave an innocent look.

"Oh--"

Touko Aozaki's lips curled into a playful smile. Knowing this man as she did, she didn't believe that Wang Xiaoming would recklessly barge in without knowing anything.

However, just as Touko Aozaki was about to say something sarcastic,...

"It's my fault, okay? Just shut up."

Perhaps because talking aggravated his wound, Wang Xiaoming looked at Touko Aozaki, who was grimacing in pain, with a wry smile.

"I've already arranged for people to go to Liangyi's side, so don't worry about this. Just focus on recovering from your injury."

The moment Wang Xiaoming finished speaking, a voice from the side caught Touko Aozaki's attention.

"Master, Mr. Ming, are you alright?"

Touko Aozaki, having identified the owner of the voice from it, turned her gaze in the direction from which the sound came.

Sure enough, Fujino Asagami walked over from the roadside with a worried expression.

Not only her, Mikiya Kokutou, Kirie, Lily, and even a young man who looked very much like Shirou, all gathered around after seeing Wang Xiaoming carrying the Touko Aozaki.

"Lily, take a look at her wound first."

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Wang Xiaoming gently placed the Touko Aozaki on a public bench by the roadside and said to Lily was waiting nearby.

"Mr. Ming..."

Mikiya Kokutou and the young man who looked very much like Shirou came over as soon as Wang Xiaoming put down the Touko Aozaki.

"Hmm, don't rush."

Seeing the anxious looks on the two people in front of him, Wang Xiaoming took out a mobile phone from his pocket while speaking.

After a brief busy signal, Wang Xiaoming spoke into the phone that had been connected—

"I've taken care of this, now I'll leave the other part to you."

"Clear."

The call was abruptly ended after a brief reply from the other end.

Not long after, the once peaceful upper floors of the Ogawa Apartments...

Boom!!!

The dazzling sparks that bloomed in mid-air and the roar that filled the night sky also awakened the sleeping city.

PS2: By the way, it seems like an event has started. Should we offer a bounty while we're at it?

(Think)

Chapter 308. Souren Araya's Crisis

Souren Araya, reappearing in the lobby, stared motionlessly at the departing figure outside the apartment. Like a statue, Araya fondly recalled his time studying in London—

In the academy, only he and she did not belong to the group. He pursued the archetype of the soul, while she pursued the archetype of the body. He was once convinced that she would be the first to arrive, and he even had the idea of competing with her to see who would reach the [Root] first. At that time, he was very fond of her as she was.

However, she gave up. Not only did she give up her goal, but she also gave up her identity as Magecraft, and gave up her life that she had dedicated to learning, gaining power, saving lives, and fulfilling a purpose.

Whenever he thought about this, his heart was filled with anger.

Although Araya was furious, he was helpless. As for the reason...

Because he couldn't beat the man standing next to Touko Aozaki.

"The path to [the Root] is right before you, Aozaki, don't regret it!"

After letting out a cold snort, Araya turned around and prepared to leave. Although she didn't know why the man named Wang Xiaoming had let her go, she couldn't rule out the possibility that he had been careless.

But now that the other party has left, the most urgent task is to continue with one's [plan].

However--

Boom!!!

The so-called "Magecraft Workshop" is actually a Magecraft fortress built using Magecraft such as barriers. However, no matter how wondrous or powerful the "Magecraft Workshop" or the "Temple" above it may be, they all must abide by one law—

Their existence must be supported by physical objects.

This anchor can be a building, a natural environment such as a cave or a forest, or even just a worldly marker, but it cannot be completely detached from the world.

Therefore, the best way to deal with fortresses like workshops and temples is to directly destroy their anchors. Without the anchor, no matter how powerful the workshop or temple is, it cannot function.

In the Fourth Holy Grail War a few years ago, Emiya Kiritsugu, who participated in the war as Master, was clearly the best practitioner of this approach.

It's unclear whether the Holy Church at the time concealed this matter too well or Araya was too engrossed in pursuing the Root, and thus was completely unaware of it.

He turns a deaf ear to anything other than his goal, and this obsession with using any means necessary to achieve it has made Souren Araya is by no means weak, into the person he is today...

But at the most crucial moment, it became the last straw that broke the camel's back.

The moment the explosion roared, Araya sensed something was wrong—

"They planted explosives without me noticing..."

The shrine "Sixty-Four-Layer Offering Hall," built on the foundation of Ogawa Apartments, can be considered another body of Souren Araya. Destroying the shrine would be equivalent to directly destroying Souren Araya's physical body.

And now--

It's not just the rooftop, but also the middle floors, the ground floor, and even the underground parking garage...

The series of explosions that occurred throughout the apartment building left Araya covered in blood, but Araya had no time to care about that.

"Damn it, Shiki Ryougi!"

After immediately severing his connection with the temple, Araya keenly sensed the presence of other rats in the apartment.

"..."

In the sweltering corridor of the apartment building, a middle-aged man with dark hair stopped in his tracks, looked up at the locked room in front of him, and silently raised the weapon in his hand.

--Emiya Kiritsugu, a former Magus Killer, came to this apartment building after being asked by a friend.

He was the one who caused that series of explosions.

The intention was simply to damage the facilities to attract the attention of the apartment owner, thereby preserving the entire building's structure for their own convenience.

Judging from the current results, his professional skills have not become rusty at all during the years since he returned to his old profession.

After forcibly opening the tightly closed door, Kiritsugu saw Ryougi Shiki lying unconscious in the Shiki Ryougi of the room, who was also the target of his mission.

Araya previously used the entire apartment building as a barrier, transforming the area within the barrier into another world to completely isolate Shiki Ryougi from the outside world and prevent others (the Counter Force) from discovering her.

Now that Kiritsugu has unexpectedly blown up the entire apartment building, the completely collapsed barrier can no longer isolate Shiki Ryougi.

Kiritsugu strode into the room and quickly removed the cloak covering himself, wrapping it entirely around Shiki Ryougi.

That was a Magecraft artifact made by Lily to conceal her presence. The fact that she was able to plant explosives throughout the entire apartment building without Araya noticing was entirely thanks to that cloak.

Kiritsugu, who had just picked up the unconscious Shiki Ryougi and was about to leave the room, turned around and found Araya standing at the door.

After taking in the scene in the room, Araya realized what had happened and was filled with shock and anger.

No wonder that guy left so decisively; he had a backup plan!

Upon discovering Wang Xiaoming's intentions, Araya angrily raised his right hand—

"I am not afraid!"

The moment the sound rang out, ribbon-like lines appeared around Araya, and at the same time, the air in the room changed.

"King Kong!"

Araya pointed a finger at Kiritsugu in the room and shouted loudly.

"Viper!"

Three circular patterns extend from Araya's feet.

Staring at the lines that appeared on the floor, Kiritsugu could clearly feel the atmosphere in the room gradually solidifying.

Araya and Kiritsugu,

At this point, the distance between the two was less than three meters.

For the two sides locked in a standoff in the narrow room, there was no way to escape.

And this is exactly the scenario Araya hoped to see.

"Leave the person here!"

With a furious rebuke, several ribbon-like lines emerged from the triple rings beneath Araya's feet. These were lines that Araya had woven with magical power according to Buddhist secrets.

Although it lacks offensive power, it is an excellent tool for restraining opponents.

The magical lines, like soft whips, swept towards Kiritsugu after blocking all possible escape routes.

"[Time alterdoubleaccel(Time Alter: Double Accel)]"

"Um?!"

It was Araya who exclaimed in surprise.

Just as the whip was about to strike its target, Kiritsugu dodged the attack with almost unbelievable speed and leaped swiftly behind Araya.

Kiritsugu's speed was so fast that even the eyes couldn't see his movements clearly. No matter how you looked at it, this was not a physical skill that an ordinary person could display. Although Araya had been a little careless earlier, he wasn't too surprised by the sudden change before him. After all, this was an extraordinary battle between Magecraft. Even a little rat mixed in with them possessing extraordinary abilities was not surprising.