Everyone's attention was instantly drawn to him, wondering what he had appeared here to do at this moment.
Golden Flash was immediately enraged and aimed Gate of Babylon at him. "Who allowed you to look at me, mongrel? Let your death amuse me."
Boom!
Several Noble Phantasms behind Golden Flash shot toward Lancelot at once. The massive explosion and thick smoke concealed Lancelot's figure, leaving it unknown whether he was alive or dead.
When the smoke cleared, Lancelot was completely unharmed, holding a sword that Golden Flash had just fired.
With the Noble Phantasm Knight Does Not Die Empty-Handed, Lancelot could grant the weapons in his hand the properties of Noble Phantasms and wield them.
In that instant, he had caught the incoming sword first, then used it to knock away all the weapons behind it.
Infinite Martial Arts Training. Lancelot possessed peerless martial refinement, and even after Mad Enhancement, his skills remained exceptional.
Mash asked, "Senpai, why is Lord Lancelot attacking Mr. Golden?"
"It isn't Lancelot attacking Golden Flash. Kariya Matou is targeting Tokiomi Tohsaka," Yuxian explained. "What a pitiful man."
"Lord Lancelot is no match for Mr. Golden. At this rate, he'll be in danger." Mash was extremely anxious. She had a natural fondness for Lancelot and did not want to see him defeated like this.
"They won't fight for long. Tokiomi Tohsaka will call Golden Flash back soon enough." Yuxian greatly despised Tokiomi Tohsaka's caution. He had been dealt a perfect hand and played it terribly.
Then he changed the subject and said to Mash, "After a while, the ground will be covered with Noble Phantasms Golden Flash tossed around. Should we pick some up and take them home? It would count as doing our part for Fuyuki City's environmental protection."
"Absolutely not!" Mash refused sternly.
The battle continued. After Lancelot cut through the standing streetlamp, Golden Flash landed on the ground, consumed by rage. He opened Gate of Babylon to its fullest, preparing to kill his opponent in one stroke.
Seeing this, Tokiomi Tohsaka finally could not bear it any longer and used a Command Spell to summon Golden Flash back. Golden Flash was intensely dissatisfied with his actions and felt deeply insulted.
After Golden Flash left, Lancelot turned his gaze toward Artoria. This time, he had truly gone berserk, and the black mist around him visibly thickened.
"Mash, stop him!"
"Yes, Senpai."
Holding her shield, Mash rushed forward and stood in front of Lancelot, protecting Artoria behind her.
Lancelot had already lost his reason. He did not stop moving, and his eyes saw only Artoria behind Mash.
Yuxian did not want Mash to withstand Lancelot's attack head-on. Knowing Kariya was nearby, he raised his voice and said, "That's about enough for tonight. Everybody go home and find your moms. We'll fight again tomorrow night."
Kariya's only target was Tokiomi. Hearing Yuxian's words, he used a Command Spell to recall Lancelot.
Seeing there was nothing to gain, Kayneth sensibly slipped away as well.
"Let's go, Mash." Yuxian called Mash over, and the two slowly walked away. He raised a hand and waved at the people behind him in farewell.
"Oh, what an interesting boy." Watching Yuxian's retreating back, the King of Conquerors burst into laughter. Yuxian's behavior had caught his interest.
Artoria, meanwhile, stared blankly at Mash. The sight of Mash standing before her just now reminded her of Galahad.
Her resolve to obtain the Holy Grail and change history only became firmer.
Halfway there, Yuxian called Mr. Emiya and asked him to monitor Artoria's route home. Gilles de Rais could appear at any time, and it would be best if he could locate his lair.
"Senpai, will Gilles de Rais really appear?" After Yuxian put down the phone, Mash asked him worriedly.
Yuxian gestured for Mash to relax and explained, "Gilles de Rais has some problems with his eyesight. He'll mistake Artoria for Jeanne d'Arc. Once he finds Jeanne d'Arc, there's no reason for him not to appear, right?"
Mash was surprised. "Huh? His eyes look pretty big to me."
"Big eyes don't necessarily mean good vision. Your eyes are big too, yet you wear glasses all day."
Mash took off her glasses and handed them to Yuxian. "These aren't prescription glasses. Look for yourself if you don't believe me, Senpai."
Yuxian examined them carefully. Sure enough, they were glasses without any prescription. Confused, he asked, "If they have no prescription, why do you wear glasses?"
"When I used to read a lot, I thought glasses made me feel more scholarly. Before I knew it, I got used to wearing them."
So this was the kind of junior she was.
Chapter 8: Rin Tohsaka Is Mine, Draw Your Sword!
After returning to the Matou Family, Yuxian sat on the sofa in the living room and quietly waited for news from Mr. Emiya.
Mash sat beside him, nodding off. Yuxian urged her to rest first, but she insisted on waiting with him.
Rumble!
A series of explosions sounded in the distance. Even from the Matou Family residence, they could hear them clearly.
They said the Holy Grail War was supposed to be conducted in secret, but every one of them is acting like a terrorist attack. Yuxian could not help complaining inwardly.
Kiritsugu Emiya still had some restraint. He had set a fire beforehand to drive away the civilians before blowing up the hotel building where Kayneth was staying.
"What happened?!" Mash woke with a start, opening her bleary eyes and looking around. Her adorable appearance made Yuxian both amused and sympathetic.
"It's nothing. Go back to sleep for a while."
Mash shook her head. She had unknowingly fallen asleep while sitting there and felt a little embarrassed. By now, she was no longer sleepy.
She was only a Demi-Servant, and her body was still human. Staying up these past two nights had become a little too much for her.
Yuxian was tired too, but he was a veteran night owl and was much better at staying up late than Mash.
After a long time, Mr. Emiya finally returned. His expression was terrible. He dropped onto the sofa opposite Yuxian, lowered his head, and remained silent.
Mash asked with concern, "What's wrong, Mr. Emiya?"
"You didn't encounter Gilles de Rais?" Yuxian frowned. If events had changed because of his appearance, things would become troublesome.
Mr. Emiya shook his head and began recounting what had happened in a low voice.
"I encountered Gilles de Rais on the way, blocking Artoria's path. I ambushed him with Imaginary Numbers Collapse from the shadows, but I couldn't kill him. He escaped after being injured. I followed him and found his base. Inside..."
Mr. Emiya paused, unable to bear describing the scene. "I already sent those children to the hospital, but the psychological trauma left by their torment will probably..."
Yuxian stood, walked over to Mr. Emiya, and patted his shoulder. "Don't blame yourself, Emiya. You are merely an ally of justice, not justice itself. You should understand that many things cannot be changed by your strength alone.
How about this? Work a little harder tonight and patrol Fuyuki City to prevent more victims. They won't dare act so recklessly during the day.
Tomorrow night, Gilles de Rais will definitely go to Einzbern Castle to find Artoria again. Go kill him then.
Mash and I will find his Master, Ryunosuke Uryu. Without a Master, even if he is a Caster and can supply his own mana, he still cannot remain in the present world for long."
"Alright, I'll go now." Mr. Emiya immediately set off after hearing that.
"Ah! If I ever meet Miss Jeanne d'Arc, I'll definitely tell her about this!" Mash was furious. She rarely felt such righteous indignation, and Gilles de Rais's actions had clearly truly angered her.
Yuxian was furious as well. If even a Heroic Spirit like Mr. Emiya, who had endured cruel experiences, could not bear the sight, then what kind of horrifying scene must it have been? He did not dare imagine it.
"Go get some rest. We'll settle the score with him tomorrow night."
The next evening, after eating dinner early, Yuxian and Mash set out to look for Ryunosuke, while Mr. Emiya went to the Demon Forest as planned to ambush Gilles de Rais.
"Senpai, can we really find Caster's Master by wandering around without any direction?" Mash had begun to doubt Yuxian's method of looking for people by chance.
"Probably." Yuxian scratched his head. In truth, he did not know what else to do and could only keep wandering around.
"Look, isn't that a clue?" Yuxian's eyes suddenly lit up as he pointed at a little girl in the distance.
"That is?"
"Rin Tohsaka, Tokiomi Tohsaka's daughter and Sakura's older sister. A certain goddess from Chaldea who always drops the ball at critical moments possesses her."
"Senpai, that makes Miss Ishtar sound so pitiful." Mash could not help defending Ishtar.
Yuxian countered, "Isn't that a perfectly fair assessment?"
"Uh... that's true." Mash was at a loss for words. What Yuxian said was indeed true.
Rin Tohsaka had come to find her good friend Kotone. By following behind her, Yuxian easily found Ryunosuke.
Because of Mr. Emiya's patrol the previous night, Ryunosuke had become more cautious and was no longer as reckless as before.
Yuxian and Mash trailed far behind him until they arrived at a hidden room. Before Yuxian could say anything, Mash swung her shield and smashed it viciously into Ryunosuke Uryu's face.
Mash's furious strike startled Rin Tohsaka. She hurriedly shrank into a corner of the room, warily guarding herself.
"Mash, take the children outside. I'll deal with this guy." Yuxian saw Ryunosuke Uryu lying on the ground and twitching nonstop. Mash's blow had been truly heavy, and he definitely would not be getting up anytime soon.
"Senpai..." Mash hesitantly looked at Yuxian.
Yuxian urged her, "Go quickly. Hand the children over to the patrol car outside. They'll safely take the children home."
The children in the room gradually woke up, and Mash led them out in an orderly manner.
Yuxian found a bloodstained dagger in the room. His hands trembled slightly.
"You're not leaving?" He noticed that Rin Tohsaka was still hiding in the corner and had not followed Mash out, which surprised him.
Rin Tohsaka looked at Yuxian, then at Ryunosuke Uryu on the ground, but said nothing.
If Yuxian remembered correctly, Rin Tohsaka was only seven years old now. For a seven-year-old girl to be so brave, daring to come out alone in the middle of the night to look for her good friend, it had to be said that Tokiomi Tohsaka had his merits after all.
"Close your eyes. As a reward for your bravery, I'll bring Sakura to play with you after a while."
Once Rin Tohsaka closed her eyes, Yuxian crouched down and aimed the dagger at Ryunosuke's heart.
Yuxian's hand trembled badly, making it impossible for him to aim. He gripped the dagger with his other hand as well, and only then did it become slightly steadier.
Taking a deep breath, Yuxian closed his eyes, gritted his teeth, and drove the dagger down hard.
Squelch.
The expected spray of blood did not happen. Dark red blood slowly seeped out around the dagger, and Ryunosuke fell completely silent.
"Let's go, Rin."
Yuxian led Rin Tohsaka out of the room. Mash had already sent all the children away.
Seeing Rin beside Yuxian, she asked, "What about Rin?"
"Let's wait at the park. Her mother will come looking for her soon."
The three went to a park in Fuyuki City, sat down, and waited quietly.
By then, Rin Tohsaka had recovered from what had happened earlier. She looked at Yuxian with wide eyes. "You said you'd bring Sakura to play with me. Is that true?"
"Of course."
Upon receiving a positive answer, Rin Tohsaka immediately became happy. She asked again, "Has Sakura been doing well lately? I haven't seen her in a long time."
"In a few days, you can ask her yourself." Yuxian did not answer directly. He had only been in Fuyuki City for a few days and did not know whether Sakura was truly doing well, though with Mr. Emiya looking after her, she presumably was not doing too badly.
"Rin!"
"Mom!"
Makiri Sakura finally found her here. She tightly embraced the Rin who ran toward her, her face filled with worry.
Only after seeing that her daughter was safe did she let out a sigh of relief and thank the two of them.
Yuxian said goodbye to them and prepared to leave.
Before he had gone far, Rin Tohsaka's voice called out behind him. "Make sure you remember to come see me!"
Yuxian raised his right hand and made an OK gesture. He and Mash disappeared from Rin Tohsaka's view.
Yuxian was very quiet on the way back, while Mash silently followed beside him.
"Senpai..."
"What is it?" Yuxian stopped and turned to look at Mash.
Mash looked straight at Yuxian and said firmly, "Senpai doesn't need to do it himself. Leave it to Mash."
Yuxian stepped forward and rubbed the top of her head. "I'm the Master, and I'm your senior. How can I let my cute junior handle everything?"
"Senpai..." A shy flush spread across Mash's face, but beneath the dim streetlights, Yuxian did not notice.
Chapter 9: The Old One Has Arrived, Prepare the Ship!
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