Divine Beast's Fur did not work!
That demonic spear was not a Noble Phantasm from humanity's original canon. It carried an astonishing stench of blood and ferocity, perhaps forged from the bones of some beast—perhaps even a magical beast.
The Lion Skin used to create Divine Beast's Fur could not grant immunity against a spear made from magical beast bones.
Ritsuka took a deep breath, immediately swung the greatbow in a wide arc, and smashed it viciously at her opponent, colliding with the demonic spear.
They separated at the first exchange. She directly recalled the Hydra Bow. The man's eyes narrowed as his body was forced backward, and in the next instant, Ritsuka strode forward and drove her clenched left fist at him—
"Trace On!"
A longsword manifested in her hand, briefly forcing Lancer back as Ritsuka chose to press her assault.
Blade and spear flashed against one another, sparks flying from every collision. Divine energy surged from her belt and poured into the blade, greatly increasing the strength of the projected weapon.
The longsword came down in a vertical slash, only to be blocked by the demonic spear held across his body. The two pressed forward, wrestling for dominance. Then Ritsuka raised her foot and kicked the blond lemon-head squarely in the knee, the tremendous force throwing Lancer off balance.
She drew her right arm back, twisted her body, and swung it around, lunging forward repeatedly as the longsword in her hand unleashed nine strikes of Divine Speed in an instant.
Splat—!!
Blood splashed. The sudden burst exceeded all expectations, and Kirei's left arm was severed. Holding his spear one-handed, he planted its tip against the ground and used the leverage to leap backward, avoiding the follow-up pursuit.
Mercury covered the wound, filling in the missing section. After opening the distance, Kirei watched Emiya Ritsuka warily.
"Cough, cough, cough... How strange, Emiya... That form of yours is far too strange."
Though at a disadvantage, the lemon-headed man suddenly smiled, as though he had seen through something.
His gaze carried a hint of scrutiny as it swept over Ritsuka's attire. His vast knowledge proved crucial at this moment, and delight began to rise in his eyes.
"The Holy Shroud? From what I can see, that appearance is your future self? But that sword technique just now... and the appearance of the ancient Greek Demigod, Heracles."
"One person cannot use two Class Cards at once. Could it be that you used some method to reach your own future?"
Being stared at like an experimental subject made Ritsuka slightly uncomfortable.
She did not answer. She merely tightened her grip on her weapon, leaned her body slightly forward, and widened her stance.
The Spear That Pierces Death Thorns
Thin smoke drifted across the docks. One red and one blue streak of light intertwined continuously, their collisions kicking up blinding sparks.
Ritsuka held a Demonic Blade, blue magical energy coating its surface.
She leaned back to evade the sweeping demonic spear, slid to the side, and slashed upward with her right hand, cutting through the mercury Kirei used to protect himself. A strange sizzling sound came from the point of contact.
As they passed one another, Ritsuka quickly steadied herself, turned to block the thrusting spear, and retreated using the force of the impact.
Rainwater seeped from the blade, washing the bloodstains away from within. After opening a small distance again, Ritsuka briefly slowed her offensive tempo.
"God Realm-level..."
Ritsuka murmured.
Her opponent was strong. Though his actual combat experience was not outstanding, after using the Class Card, his reaction speed and everything else were quite impressive.
As a Lancer, he was undoubtedly qualified as well, possessing highly refined God Realm-level skill.
It could also be called martial arts that reached the divine!
The fierce, sharp spear was filled with killing intent. Every thrust drove relentlessly forward, and its beastlike aggression was chilling. Though she also possessed God Realm-level martial arts, Ritsuka could not help but be impressed.
The Heroic Spirit on his Class Card was surely among the very best within the Lancer class.
Emiya Ritsuka likewise possessed the qualifications of the God Realm, but only her archery had reached divinity. Her other abilities were not weak, but compared to the foremost elites in every field, they could probably only be described as fairly good.
Perhaps her other skills could also reach the God Realm, but Ritsuka's control was still insufficient to show it.
She relied entirely on the divine technique of the Hundred-Beast Slayer style to raise her upper limit.
After all, even with her inner self replaced, she still was not Alcides...
The key was that, without being able to open up too great a distance, even if she could draw her bow at super-high speed, she had no way to deal with this opponent.
Her opponent seemed to possess some skill specifically meant to counter the Archer class. As long as he could clearly see the long-range attack itself, he could successfully evade it... Even supersonic arrows posed no threat.
"Not continuing?"
Kirei rested the demonic spear on his shoulder and spoke mockingly.
Even though he was at a slight disadvantage in battle, he would not lose in spirit. Besides, he still had trump cards he had yet to use. Until the very end, no one could say who would win or lose.
Ritsuka could not be bothered to respond. Kirei did not get angry and instead chose to attack first—
"Boil, my blood! Fervor, mei Sanguis!"
"—Scalp!"
The mercury enveloping half of Kirei's body condensed into a blade and struck directly.
The sharp mercury blade cut only empty air. Ritsuka, who had taken a few slight steps back, projected another black dagger—one of Gan Jiang Mo Ye. With a long blade and a short blade in hand, she launched a counterattack with dual swords.
The longsword in her right hand served as the main offense, while the short blade in her left supported her defense. Their exchanges grew increasingly fierce.
Though slightly shorter than Kirei, Ritsuka unleashed far more terrifying strength. Every stomp left behind a crater several meters wide, while her swinging longsword carried such crushing power that even the crimson Vermilion Spear seemed like it might be forcibly severed.
Magical energy gathered along the blade, while divine energy coiled around it to enhance the projected armament's toughness. The storm raised by her magical energy sent Ritsuka's long hair fluttering.
He leaped back and reset his stance. Kirei's lips curled upward as a gleam called excitement flashed through his eyes.
"Ha ha ha ha..."
A burst of laughter spilled from him uncontrollably. Kirei swung his demonic spear, and crimson spear shadows swept forth like a gale. When he went all out, his assault became a raging storm.
In less than a tenth of a second, the demonic spear collided with the twin blades, rebounded, and collided again.
If their battle before had still been somewhat restrained, barely within the bounds of humanity, then now the two crashed together like deranged fighting machines, battling with the resolve to kill one another.
The streetlamps, trees, and signboards lining both sides of the street... were destroyed and torn apart by the aftermath of their clash as easily as fragile sheets of paper.
Light and shadow danced. Their speeds were close, but Ritsuka held the advantage in strength, leaving them locked in an intense deadlock.
Spear shadows tore open flesh, while blade light pierced muscle. The scales of battle began to tilt.
There was a difference between the two in stamina and defense!
His body was being destroyed by the attacks. Kirei, the first to show signs of being unable to hold on, let out a roar: "Aahhh... Taste my trump card!"
As his voice fell, a thornlike sense of revulsion enveloped Ritsuka's body.
The air froze, swallowed by a tangible, violent killing intent.
All magical energy filling the atmosphere froze. Here, it seemed only one person was permitted to breathe, as the crimson Vermilion Spear revealed the edge that belonged to a demonic spear.
Space twisted. A vortex of magical energy appeared around the Vermilion Spear as Kirei stepped forward.
"Gáe Bolg!!"
The longsword stood before her, but the spear shaft bent and easily curved around her defense. That should have been impossible—space had been distorted.
At the critical moment, Ritsuka seized the opening with Mind's Eye. Her short blade met the spearhead and shattered, black fragments scattering through the air.
Splat—!!
Ritsuka leaped to the side, but the demonic spear brutally pierced through her shoulder blade. The strike destined to hit her heart missed.
She grabbed the shaft with her free left hand, then closed in beneath Kirei's suddenly widened gaze. Enduring the demonic spear that had pierced her body, she drove the longsword into Kirei's chest.
The battle was over.
"Urgh—!"
Kirei spat out mouthful after mouthful of blood. His body, gradually losing strength, leaned against Ritsuka.
The demonic spear dissipated. Crimson energy flared around Ritsuka, completely restoring her wound. She pulled out the Demonic Blade and shoved Kirei away.
Lying on the ground, Kirei stared straight at the seemingly uninjured Emiya Ritsuka. "A beautiful decision... How did you evade that strike?"
"I saw it."
Ritsuka had not evaded it. She had merely followed her instincts, coupled with a little luck and sharp eyesight, and thus avoided being struck in a vital spot.
Maybe it had been a matter of luck?
Besides, this demonic spear Noble Phantasm had a major weakness. Against beings that could continue moving even with their hearts destroyed, it was not much of a threat.
For example—Heracles.
"Cough, cough, cough... Greece's Demigod, and Projection Magic capable of replicating Noble Phantasms... Interesting."
All the viscous liquid vanished. The blond lemon-head became a puppet identical to the hooded man, just as Ritsuka had expected.
She picked up the Class Card from the ground and glanced around at the battlefield. It had already been reduced to an unrecognizable mess during the fight...
"Lancer, Archer, Rider, Caster, Assassin, Berserker."
There were still two possible enemies who had not appeared in the Holy Grail War: the true Archer and Saber. Both were absolutely troublesome characters.
She stored the six cards in the Crystal Dice, dismissed the armaments on her body, and slowly left the docks.
Taking out a pack of Pocky, Ritsuka casually held one between her lips. She pulled up her hood, cast Suggestion Magic on herself, and hid once again among ordinary people.
PS: There are only a few chapters left before this volume ends. Progress on the next volume is currently slow. It is tentatively planned to be "Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?"—a decision I made after much deliberation.
After all, once she has risked her life, Ritsuka definitely needs to enter a period of "sage mode."
Of course, if everyone has better suggestions, you can also bring them up in the comments. I will take them into consideration.
The Failed Magus
On the third night after the Holy Grail War began, only one hunting target remained. Ritsuka suddenly no longer felt so urgent.
Because after the spells concealing the ruins of Ryuudou Temple, Fuyuki Park, and the docks from ordinary people ended, a massive wave of protests was directed at the gas company.
People also began to worry. What if a gas leak happened near their homes one day, causing an explosion or poisoning? They might die without even realizing it. That was a very unpleasant thought.
Thus, the protests were rather loud.
"Girl, you caused such a huge mess. Though no innocent people were hurt, isn't it bad to simply ignore it?"
At the entrance of the Emiya Residence, beside the repaired gate, the old man she had met that morning smiled as he teased her.
Ritsuka glanced sideways at him. "They're looking for a gas explosion. What does that have to do with me?"
The implication was clear: it was not her gas.
Taking out her key, Ritsuka opened the gate and returned to her own courtyard. The old man at the entrance followed her in directly.
Ritsuka's steps paused slightly, and she turned to look at the old man whose purpose was unknown.
"Old man, what do you want?"
What should she do when an unfamiliar old man, so strong she could not handle him, wanted to force his way into her home?
Waiting online. Urgent.
Kishiya · **** · *****, she had not remembered his full name, but he was certainly extremely strong—absurdly strong. She could not move at all now.
A strange power bound everything around her, as though all things had been brought to a standstill. The entire space of the Emiya Residence had become completely sealed, and Ritsuka was firmly locked in place.
This was a monster!
"This old man has no major business. I merely came to take a look. After all, the appearance of a soul from another world here cannot help but arouse one's interest."
Kishiya laughed heartily, but a bead of cold sweat silently slid down Ritsuka's face.
This old man had effortlessly seen through her, through the soul within this body that came from another world. The intense sense of danger left her back drenched in sweat.
Her right hand clenched tightly into a fist, with faint strands of light seeping from between her fingers.
"Enough of that."
Kishiya clapped his hands, releasing the frozen space. Ritsuka nearly dropped to her knees from exerting too much force as her body regained control.
"I began watching you a long time ago. But since the Counter Force did nothing, I chose to wait and see." Kishiya's gaze was meaningful. "I came this time because I sensed the changes in you. Now that I see it..."
Burned away utterly, both body and soul destroyed.
Though he had the feeling that this girl would not die so easily, from the surface, she truly did not have many days left.
Before you continue