Boom!
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Thirty-two Noble Phantasms swept toward Li Shuwen with overwhelming force.
Each Noble Phantasm shot out like a cannonball, covered in magical energy the instant it was launched and transformed into a golden streak of light.
At a glance, it seemed as though thirty-two sharp golden streaks had swept toward Li Shuwen in the blink of an eye, targeting every vulnerable spot on his body.
Faced with such a terrifying attack, Li Shuwen didn't so much as change his expression. He planted his feet firmly on the ground, settled into a stance as solid as stone, and struck.
Boom, boom, boom~~~
Thirty-two impacts rang out in the next instant, raising billowing clouds of dust. Even the ground trembled as cracks spread across it, directly collapsing the warehouse and containers nearby. A rumbling crash followed.
Under the force of the impact, Iskandar, King of Conquerors, had already driven his chariot clear. Saber had retreated with Irisviel, while Lancer had returned to his Master, Kayneth, and stood guard. They all left the battlefield to the two combatants.
Amid the turmoil, those who couldn't see what was happening couldn't help but worry about Li Shuwen. That single volley had been like a bombardment. Could he withstand it?
But the Servants all wore expressions of amazement or admiration, because they had seen what happened in that brief instant.
"Just as you'd expect from someone who has brought 'martial arts' to its utmost limits. He's truly impressive. I'd love to invite him into my service, but judging by how much he values the honor of his country, he'd surely refuse! Ha, what a shame."
The King of Conquerors sounded deeply regretful.
Huddled in the chariot and trembling, Waver asked, "R-Rider, what are you talking about? Is that... Is Li Shuwen all right?"
"Mm. He's fine. More than fine—he took the Hero King's attack without a scratch. Look, Goldie's not happy at all. If anything, he looks even more annoyed."
"G-Goldie?" Waver's face twitched. He peeked at Gilgamesh and saw that the latter's expression was cold, displeasure showing in his eyes.
At the same time, the scene replayed in slow motion from Gilgamesh's point of view, allowing people in the real world to see what had happened through what seemed like a recollection from Gilgamesh's own memory.
In that instant, faced with the onslaught of thirty-two Noble Phantasms, Li Shuwen used both hands and his right foot to deflect the attacks, knocking three Noble Phantasms aside in a flash.
Then, he seized the fourth Noble Phantasm—a splendid spear—and immediately took it for his own, turning it around in his hand and seamlessly incorporating it into his peerless martial skill.
Li Shuwen was already skilled with the spear. In the next instant, he wielded the Baji Spear with the domineering techniques of Baji Quan: lifting, sweeping upward, thrusting, sweeping, and hooking. His movements were minuscule in scale, yet perfectly evaded the Noble Phantasms' attacks. He either knocked aside or dodged the rain of weapons, deftly dealing with every strike while emerging completely unharmed.
The entire process took less than three seconds. From the moment the first Noble Phantasm struck the ground, sand and stones had been flying everywhere, so no one could make out what was happening.
Now that they'd seen it clearly, countless people felt their scalps go numb, their blood rush, and goosebumps rise all over their bodies.
Those who practiced martial arts were especially stirred, their blood surging and their minds shaken.
The pinnacle of martial arts!
This was the true pinnacle of martial arts!
It wasn't the flashy, empty moves on television, nor was it some showy performance routine. This was the genuine height of martial arts, attained through relentless refinement.
Flawless, with heaven and man as one!
There was no greater goal for a martial artist to pursue.
After the Light Screen finished showing the memory from Gilgamesh's perspective, Gilgamesh said coldly, "You dared to lay your hands on this king's Noble Phantasms without permission! Li Shuwen, are you that eager to die?"
As he spoke, the Light Screen behind him expanded further. This time, the number of Noble Phantasms doubled from thirty-two to sixty-four, and their ranks had also increased.
The audience didn't know this detail, so the narrator's voice promptly rang out.
[Gilgamesh could no longer contain his fury, but he also understood that Li Shuwen was a truly powerful martial artist. So this time, he had increased not only the number of Noble Phantasms he released, but also their rank, raising them from Rank D to Rank C.]
[An increase in rank meant that even if they were simply launched like cannonballs, the power of each strike would at least double.]
This gave people in the real world a deeper understanding of Noble Phantasms, and they found it quite reasonable that they had different ranks.
After all, the Light Screen had already shown many different kinds of ranking systems. It wasn't surprising that Noble Phantasms had ranks too.
Instead, many fans of the setting were satisfied to see their knowledge filled out.
Just then, the smoke cleared, and Goldie prepared to launch another deadly attack on Li Shuwen.
But when the smoke dispersed, Goldie couldn't help but pause. He didn't attack, because Li Shuwen was nowhere to be seen among the ruins. The only thing there was the spear Noble Phantasm Li Shuwen had taken and used as a weapon earlier, planted in the shattered ground like a proud hero standing tall.
Then where was Li Shuwen?
No one could find him. His presence and figure had vanished without a trace, as if he'd turned invisible.
Goldie immediately searched all around, and in that instant, he suddenly sensed something.
But by the time he turned around, it was already too late.
The proud Hero King saw Li Shuwen appear as if emerging from invisibility, then suddenly step forward through the air.
Boom!
With that single step, the streetlight beneath Gilgamesh's feet exploded. A shockwave spread out, lifting him helplessly into the air and leaving him suspended there.
Then, in the next instant, Li Shuwen, his expression cold, launched his own attack.
Like a pouncing tiger, he struck with a claw aimed straight at the back of Gilgamesh's head. If this blow landed, even the Hero King would be done for on the spot.
This was Li Shuwen's Fierce Tiger Hard Mountain Climb, a technique refined to the point where it could be elevated to the level of a Noble Phantasm. It was one of the techniques of Baji Quan.
During the war, many people had died to this move.
Though it was only one of Baji Quan's techniques, Li Shuwen's legend had elevated it into a Noble Phantasm belonging exclusively to him!
It had no rank, because it was an Anti-Unit Noble Phantasm, and its power matched Li Shuwen's own strength. The stronger he was, the more powerful the attack.
Though Li Shuwen now had an old man's body, his strength, agility, and stamina were all on par with his peak thanks to the legend of fighting on his homeland. If his blow landed cleanly, the Hero King would be killed in one hit. It was the very definition of a one-hit kill on first encounter.
This was another distinctive trait of Li Shuwen as an Assassin: he killed with one strike and never dragged things out. He either didn't attack at all, or struck with the greatest possible speed to kill his enemy.
The whole attack happened incredibly fast. It seemed to take only a blink for Li Shuwen to deliver his lethal blow; only the Servants could see what had happened.
When everyone saw this, they thought Goldie was doomed. No matter how powerful the Hero King was, he'd already lost the moment he'd been caught off guard.
But just before he could kill the Hero King, Li Shuwen's hand stopped. The powerful force of his palm strike merely ruffled the Hero King's hair, blowing apart his stiff, upward-pointing hairstyle.
Then the two landed one after the other and stood firm.
Li Shuwen withdrew his striking hand. After a brief silence, Gilgamesh turned back to him with a twisted expression. "Are you showing this king pity? Mongrel!!!"
In his fury, Gilgamesh's hair had all fallen loose, leaving it naturally tousled. His Gate of Babylon also turned around, aiming once more at Li Shuwen below. And it wasn't only the sixty-four weapons—more Noble Phantasms appeared, their numbers rising above a hundred. Everyone who saw them felt their scalps go numb and their mouths go dry.
Gilgamesh was absurdly extravagant. That many Noble Phantasms were practically cheating.
Yet faced with such terrifying pressure, Li Shuwen only said calmly, "Pity? No. King of Uruk, this is the virtue of our Chinese martial arts, and one of the things represented by the word 'courtesy.' It means knowing when to stop. It is also the true meaning of the word 'martial': to stop warfare!"
For a moment, the scene fell silent. Even Gilgamesh, burning with rage, suddenly fell quiet. The Servants all seemed thoughtful, while everyone else was left confused.
The situation in the real world was much the same as on the Light Screen. Some people understood what Li Shuwen meant and watched him with admiration, while those who didn't understand complained that Old Master Li should've just sent Goldie to the afterlife with that claw.
Others who did understand merely scoffed, thinking that Li Shuwen was truly stubborn and that Flame Kingdom's martial artists were so pretentious.
After a moment of silence, Gilgamesh, the person involved, gave a cold snort and raised his hand. All the Noble Phantasms withdrew into the golden Light Screen. In a calm voice, he said, "This king recognizes your country. It is a land worthy of this king's respect!"
It wasn't praise or approval, but for the proud Hero King, treating a country as an equal was already the highest respect he could offer.
Li Shuwen smiled at his words and nodded. "That is the right way. Mutual respect—that is what courtesy means."
At last, those in the real world who hadn't understood voiced their questions. Illya, for example, asked Emiya Kiritsugu in confusion, "Dad, what's going on? Why did that old man suddenly stop? Why did that Goldie guy suddenly change his attitude?"
Before Emiya Kiritsugu could answer, Emiya Shirou said thoughtfully, "I think... Grandpa Li was telling that ancient Hero King, in his own way, that the courtesy of Flame Kingdom since ancient times has gone hand in hand with strength. Knowing when to stop is martial virtue, but it's also a form of courtesy. It represents the dignity of a great nation and the long, rich history of Flame Kingdom's civilization, right?"
"Mm... I'm not sure if I've got it right. Is that what he meant? In Grandpa Li's heart, making the Hero King acknowledge and accept the greatness of Flame Kingdom's civilization was more important than killing him, right? Mm... After all, they're on the same side. It wouldn't be good to kill each other..."
Hearing this, Illya looked at Emiya Kiritsugu. "Dad, is that right?"
Emiya Kiritsugu patted Illya's head. "More or less. There may be a deeper meaning, so Illya will have to read and interpret it for herself."
Illya's face immediately fell. "What? Why is it like when our teacher asks us to interpret Zhou Shuren's writing? Honestly, that's so... Hm? What's that?"
Suddenly, the style of the Light Screen changed!
A dark-red, raging torrent suddenly surged out from the other side of the warehouse, sweeping toward Li Shuwen and Gilgamesh—or, more accurately, toward Gilgamesh. Li Shuwen was only caught in the collateral damage.
Since everyone seemed unable to accept the version of Li Shuwen based on Zhang Zhiwei—or perhaps I failed to write him well—I've changed Li Shuwen's characterization. He's now the version who persuades through reason, a martial arts master whose understanding of the martial way has reached perfection.
Also, today's update went over my word count again, reaching 6,800 characters... Starting tomorrow, I'll have to cut back on the update length.
Before you continue