I, Ritsuka, Siscon Grand Hero

The Divine Beast's Fur had no effect!

That demonic spear wasn't a Noble Phantasm from human legend. It carried an astonishing aura of bloodlust and ferocity, likely crafted from the bones of a beast, and not just any beast, but a magical one.

The lion skin used to make the Divine Beast's Fur couldn't grant immunity to a spear made from the bones of a magical beast.

Ritsuka took a deep breath and swung the great bow she held like a club, smashing it down hard on her opponent. It collided with the demonic spear.

They separated instantly. The Hydra Bow was retracted by her. The man, forced to lean back, narrowed his eyes. The next moment, Ritsuka strode forward, clenching her left fist and hammering it towards him—

"Trace On!"

A long saber materialized in her hand, briefly forcing Lancer back. Ritsuka chose to press her attack.

Blade and spear clashed, sparks flying with each impact. The divine energy surging from her belt was poured into the blade, and the projected weapon's strength began to increase dramatically.

The long saber slashed down from above, blocked by the demonic spear held horizontally in front of him. The two pressed forward, locked in a struggle of strength. Ritsuka then lifted her foot and kicked the golden-haired lemon's knee. The immense force caused Lancer to lose his balance.

Pulling her right hand back, Ritsuka twisted and swung, charging forward relentlessly. The long saber in her hand unleashed a nine-hit combo at divine speed in an instant.

Ssssh—!!

Blood splattered. The sudden burst of power was beyond expectation. Kirei's left arm was severed. Holding his spear with one hand, he pointed the tip at the ground, using it as leverage to leap backward and evade further pursuit.

Mercury covered the wound, filling the missing section. After creating distance, Kirei eyed Emiya Ritsuka warily.

"Cough, cough, cough... How strange, Emiya... Your current state is too peculiar."

Though at a disadvantage, the lemon-headed man suddenly laughed, as if he had seen through something.

His gaze held a hint of inquiry as he scanned Ritsuka's attire. His vast knowledge proved crucial at this moment, and his eyes began to gleam with amusement.

"The Holy Shroud? From what I can see, your appearance is that of your future self? But that sword skill just now... and the appearance of the ancient Greek Demigod, Heracles."

"A single person cannot use two Class Cards simultaneously. Did you employ some method to reach your future?"

Being stared at like a specimen made Ritsuka slightly uncomfortable.

She offered no response, merely tightening her grip on the weapon in her hand, leaning forward slightly with her stance widened.

Chapter 40: The Spear of the Sunken Death

Wisps of smoke drifted over the dock, where two streaks of light, one red and one blue, continuously intertwined, colliding and creating dazzling sparks.

Ritsuka held the Demonic Blade, with blue magical energy covering it.

She leaned back, dodging the sweeping horizontal strike of the demonic spear, then slid sideways to evade, and swept her right hand up, slicing through Kirei's protective mercury. A strange sizzling sound emanated from the point of contact.

Passing each other, Ritsuka quickly regained her footing, turned, and blocked a thrusting spear attack, using the force to retreat.

Rainwater seeped into the blade, washing away the bloodstains from the inside out. Creating a small distance again, Ritsuka briefly paused her offensive rhythm.

"Divine Domain level..."

Ritsuka murmured.

Her opponent was strong. While his practical combat experience wasn't outstanding, his reaction speed and other abilities were excellent after using the Class Card.

As a Lancer, he was undoubtedly qualified, possessing very mature Divine Domain level techniques.

It could also be called divine martial arts!

The fierce and sharp spear was filled with killing intent. Every thrust was direct and forward, its beast-like aggression chilling. Although she also possessed Divine Domain level martial arts, she couldn't help but sigh.

The Heroic Spirit on her opponent's Class Card must be one of the top-tier Lancers.

Emiya Ritsuka also qualified for the Divine Domain level, but it was only in archery. While her other skills weren't weak, compared to the absolute peak performers in each field, she could only be considered decent.

Perhaps she could reach the Divine Domain level in other areas too, but Ritsuka's control wasn't sufficient to fully manifest it.

It was entirely thanks to the divine skill of the 'Hundred-Beast Slayer' style that her upper limit was raised.

After all, even with an altered inner self, she wasn't Alcides yet...

The key was that when she couldn't create significant distance, even her super-high-speed archery was ineffective against this opponent.

It was as if he possessed a skill specifically designed to counter the Archer class. As long as he could see the long-range attack itself, he could successfully dodge it... Even supersonic arrows posed no threat.

"Not continuing?"

Kirei shouldered his demonic spear and spoke mockingly.

Even though he was at a slight disadvantage in the fight, he wouldn't lose face. Besides, he still had trump cards he hadn't used. It was too early to determine the winner.

Ritsuka couldn't be bothered to reply. Kirei wasn't angered; instead, he chose to attack first—

"Boil, my blood! (Fervor, mei Sanguis)!"

"—Scalp!"

The mercury enveloping half of Kirei's body solidified into a blade and struck directly.

The sharp mercury blade landed in empty space. Ritsuka, who had retreated a few steps, projected another black short sword, one of Gan Jiang Mo Ye. She launched a counterattack with a dual-wielding style of one long and one short blade.

The long saber in her right hand was used for the main offense, while the short sword in her left assisted with defense. The two exchanged blows, their offensive momentum becoming increasingly fierce.

Though Ritsuka was slightly shorter, she unleashed a far more terrifying power than Kirei. A single stomp created a crater at least several meters in diameter. The long saber she wielded was also incredibly powerful, giving the crimson spear an illusion of possibly being forcibly cut in half.

Magical energy condensed on the blade, and divine energy wrapped around it, enhancing the projected weapon's resilience. The storm of magical energy caused Ritsuka's long hair to flutter.

Rerouting and resetting his stance, Kirei's lips curled upwards, a spark of excitement flashing in his eyes.

"Hahahaha…"

A laugh escaped him involuntarily. Kirei brandished his magic spear, its crimson shadow sweeping in like a gale, unleashing a torrent of attacks with his full power.

In less than a tenth of a second, the magic spear and twin blades clashed, recoiled, and then collided again.

If their previous fight had been restrained, barely within the bounds of human combat, then now, the two of them were like berserk combat machines, crashing into each other with the resolve to kill.

The streetlights, trees, and signs on either side of the street were torn apart like fragile paper by the aftershocks of their battle.

Light and shadow danced, their speeds nearly equal. In terms of power, Ritsuka held the advantage, and for a time, the battle was a fierce stalemate.

Spear shadows tore at flesh, blade lights pierced muscle, and the scales of battle began to tip.

There was a gap in their stamina and defense!

His body being ravaged by attacks, Kirei, the first to falter, roared, "Aaaaah… Taste my trump card!"

As his voice fell, a thorny, malevolent sensation enveloped Ritsuka.

The air froze, swallowed by tangible, savage killing intent.

All the mana in the atmosphere solidified. Here, only breathing was permitted, and it seemed only one person remained. The crimson spear began to reveal its true nature as a demonic blade.

Space warped, a vortex of mana appeared around the crimson spear, and Kirei stepped forward.

"Gáe Bolg!!"

His long blade blocked in front of him, the spear shaft bent, easily bypassing the defense. This should have been impossible; space had been distorted.

At the critical moment, Ritsuka seized the opportunity with Clairvoyance, his short blade meeting the spear tip and shattering it, black fragments scattering in the air.

Puchi—!!

Leaping to the side, Ritsuka's shoulder blade was pierced by the magic spear. The fatal thrust aimed at his heart missed.

He grabbed the spear shaft with his free left hand, then, under Kirei's suddenly widened gaze, moved closer. Bracing against the magic spear that was impaling him, he drove his long blade into Kirei's chest.

The battle was over.

"Oof—!"

Kirei coughed up large amounts of blood, his weakening body leaning against Ritsuka.

The magic spear dissipated, and a crimson aura rose around Ritsuka, his wounds completely healed. As he withdrew his demonic blade, he pushed Kirei away.

Lying on the ground, Kirei stared intently at Emiya Ritsuka, who appeared unharmed. "A beautiful decision… That spear, how did you dodge it?"

"I saw it."

Ritsuka hadn't dodged. He had acted on instinct, with a bit of luck and keen eyesight, which prevented him from being hit in a vital spot.

It was probably a matter of luck.

Besides, this magic spear Noble Phantasm had a significant weakness. It wasn't much of a threat to an existence that could continue functioning even with its heart destroyed.

Like… Heracles.

"Cough, cough… The Greek Demigod, Projection Magic that can copy Noble Phantasms… Interesting."

The viscous liquid disappeared completely, and the blonde lemon-head turned into a puppet, just like the hooded man, as Ritsuka had expected.

Picking up the Class Card from the ground, she glanced around the area, which had been rendered unrecognizable by the battle…

"Lancer, Archer, Rider, Caster, Assassin, Berserker."

In the Holy Grail War, two potential enemies had yet to appear: the true Archer and Saber. Both were absolutely difficult opponents.

She stored the six cards into the Crystal Dice, Ritsuka deactivated her equipment and slowly left the pier.

Taking out a pack of Pocky, she casually stuck a stick in her mouth, pulled up her hood, and cast a suggestion magecraft on herself, once again blending in with ordinary people.

PS: Only a few chapters remain until the end of this volume. The next volume is progressing slowly. It is tentatively titled 'Is It Wrong to Seek a Harem in a Dungeon?', a decision I've made after careful consideration.

After all, after fighting for their lives, Ritsuka would definitely need a period of 'sage mode'.

Of course, if you have any better suggestions, feel free to post them in the comments. I will take them into consideration.

Section 41: Chapter 40: The Fallen Magus

On the third night after the Holy Grail War began, with only one target left to hunt, Ritsuka suddenly felt less urgency.

Because after the magecraft that concealed the ruins of Ryuudou Temple, Fuyuki Park, and the pier wore off, a wave of protests flooded the gas company.

People also began to worry that if a gas leak happened near their homes one day, causing an explosion or poisoning, they could die without even realizing it, which was quite unpleasant.

Therefore, the protests were quite loud.

"Girl, you've caused such a huge mess. Even though no innocent people were harmed, it's not right to just ignore it, is it?"

At the entrance of the Emiya Residence, the repaired gate stood, and the old man she had seen that morning teased her with a smile.

Ritsuka glanced at him sideways. "They're looking for a gas explosion, what does that have to do with me?"

The implication was that she wasn't the one who set off the gas.

Taking the key from her pocket, Ritsuka opened the gate and returned to her own yard. The old man at the gate followed her in directly.

Ritsuka's steps faltered slightly as she turned to look at the old man with no apparent purpose.

"Sir, is there something you need?"

What do I do if a stranger, so strong I can't possibly contend with him, tries to force his way into my home?

Waiting online, it's urgent.

Kishiya... the rest of his name she didn't quite catch, but he was definitely an incredibly, outrageously strong being. She was completely unable to move right now.

A strange power bound everything around her, as if all things had been frozen in time. The entire space of the Emiya Residence had become completely sealed off, and Ritsuka was locked in place.

This is a monster!

"I don't have any major business, old man. I just came to take a look. After all, a soul from another world appearing here can't help but pique one's interest."

Kishiya laughed heartily, but a bead of cold sweat trickled down Ritsuka's face.

This old man had seen right through her, seen the soul from another world within this body. A fierce sense of danger made her back slick with cold sweat.

She clenched her right hand into a tight fist, and strands of light seeped from within.

"Let's not talk about that anymore."

Kishiya clapped his hands together, releasing the spatial stasis. Ritsuka nearly collapsed to the ground from the sudden release, her body unable to control itself.

"I've been paying attention to you for a long time. But since the Counter Force did nothing, I chose to wait and see," Kishiya said with a meaningful look in his eyes. "I came here because I sensed a change in you, and now it seems..."

Burning oneself out, body and soul destroyed.

Although he had a hunch this girl wouldn't die that easily, on the surface, she didn't have many days left to live.