Great Word Spirit: Nine Infants

Chapter 10: Great Word Spirit: Nine Infants!

Shirou Emiya felt incredibly lucky. He'd thought he couldn't dodge the sneak attack from a Death Servant's blind spot behind him, but at the critical moment, a flash of inspiration hit him—he'd simply shifted his body a little, and the thing just happened to lunge and slash right into the bundle of Alchemy Swords and quiver of arrows strapped to his back.

So the blow that should have pierced through his body turned into a blunt impact. After feeling his organs rattle from the shock, he was sent flying out of the encirclement entirely, then used the momentum to roll and tumble across the ground for five or six circuits before the force dissipated.

Clearly, his performance had been too eye-catching, drawing the attention of these Death Servants and making them try to eliminate the threat by surrounding him... meaning these Death Servants, having lost their human rationality, still possessed some kind of tactical intelligence... or was it more like the hunting instinct of a wild beast?

Pair after pair of greedy yet wary Golden Eyes stared back at him in the darkness, their bodies restless and poised, as if warming up for a pounce.

Shirou Emiya stared back without blinking.

Suddenly, he turned and ran, bolting so fast that in the blink of an eye he was quicker than a sprinting cheetah. The Death Servants, still locked in their standoff and a beat slower, were caught off guard.

Emiya certainly didn't plan to fight a whole group of Death Servants alone. The matter with that ordinary girl (Su Xiaoqiang) had reminded him—he needed to check on the other two companions in the battle.

Unexpectedly, Old Tang, who in his impression had the weakest frontline combat ability, was completely fine. That veteran Hunter was still holed up in a corner, sneakily taking potshots, and not a single Death Servant had come looking for a "friendly duel" with him.

"No way, Old Tang, your luck is this insane!"

"Haha, not at all, not at all—Brother Emiya, you're the one who's unmatched in bravery... wait, no, go check on Brother Zhou! He's in a bad spot, looks like he's surrounded! That direction!"

Though the battlefield had scattered more and more, Old Tang was still qualified as support. Zhou Yuxuan had managed to keep fighting and kiting until now, thanks in no small part to Old Tang's covering fire. So Emiya cut into the fray at top speed.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—

Three Alchemy Arrows flew into the darkness, each one hitting a Death Servant square in the face without a miss, making it howl in pain and collapse. But Emiya's expression remained grim. Three, four, five... over here, there were no fewer Death Servants than in the encirclement he'd just escaped. Conservatively estimating the ones still left in the transport truck, the total remaining number might be no less than twenty.

Zhou Yuxuan seemed to have taken out the two unknown men who'd driven the transport truck, but facing the siege, his luck wasn't nearly as good as Shirou Emiya's—

His Alchemy Gun had completely broken down from frequent overheating and the external force of the Death Servants' overload. Aside from the heavy Dragon Severing Platform, he could only use his Word of Spirit to control several steel bars and scattered iron sand to fight. But these attacks, except for those that pierced eyes or mouths, were easily blocked or shaken off by the Death Servants' claws and tail swipes...

Clearly, these were just ordinary iron, far inferior in strength to Emiya's Alchemy blades. His Word of Spirit: Iron Flow couldn't control metal to the point of instantly completing the alchemical process—"killing metal, granting new life, creating Regenerated Metal."

As for getting close to the Death Servants to control the metal elements inside their bodies, that would be like a lamb walking into a tiger's den, asking for death... The high-pressure battle had pushed his stamina to its limit. Worse, he was badly wounded; the blood flowing from him spread a bloody scent through the air, making the bloodthirsty Death Servants' eyes grow even more excited.

In Zhou Yuxuan's eyes, this had become a slow death trap... unless he used that "Dragon Severing Platform."

He gently stroked the bronze Ring-Pommel Greatsword in its pitch-black scabbard. A Dragon's Roar echoed in his ears—this was a treasure passed down from the Zhou family since ancient times, a weapon that sealed a "Living Spirit."

As everyone knew, Alchemical Weapons, due to their "Regenerated Metal" material, surpassed ordinary blades in toughness, hardness, sharpness, and all other metrics. But Regenerated Metal had another property: it could hold more spiritual essence.

Sealing a "Living Spirit"—the soul of a living being—as a sacrifice into the weapon during forging would make the weapon itself more miraculous. The Zhou family believed that the twin swords Ganzhiang and Moxie, possibly located in the Tomb of the Three Kings, were high-grade Alchemical Weapons infused with living human souls.

As for the Zhou family's Dragon Severing Platform, it sealed a dragon-type Living Spirit. The power it could unleash would be even more incredible... but the cost was enormous. Countless people in Zhou family history had had their souls devoured after drawing the Dragon Severing Platform. Among the surviving Zhou family members, only Wa Lord had passed the Dragon Severing Platform's trial and lived.

Rustle, rustle. The Sky Curtain was thick as ink, and the driving rain fell like a painting.

Zhou Yuxuan wiped the blood trickling from his forehead. His body, constantly drained by the frequent use of his Word of Spirit, was as exhausted as an old engine about to stall. He sighed inwardly. Now it was his turn.

In talent and strength, he was far inferior to Wa Lord, so he didn't think he'd be the lucky one to survive.

"Brother Zhou!"

Zhou Yuxuan spotted Shirou Emiya charging into the battle group like a raging tide, his twin blades spinning like the wind, slicing black blood from the Death Servants and forcing them back step by step.

"Lord Emiya, I'm sorry—please hold them off for a moment. I need to undergo the Dragon Severing Platform's trial and pay the price to unleash the sword!"

"How can that be? Leave the activation of the treasure to me!"

Emiya saw Zhou Yuxuan's condition. How could he activate a treasure in that state?

He snatched the Dragon Severing Platform. An invisible domain spread out. His Magic Circuit had the talent for analysis—back in his student days, Emiya could repair electronics thanks to this ability. The same applied to activating a treasure.

"Brother Zhou, tell me about the treasure... the origin of this bronze sword!" Emiya held the sword, facing off against the Death Servants.

Understanding the treasure's history was also a necessary part of the analysis. It would likewise help him perfect his projection technique.

Maybe someday he could project this thing himself.

"Cough... The Wushan County Records say: 'Legend has it that when King Yu guided the waters here, a dragon strayed from its course, so he slew it. Hence the gorge was named "Stray Course," and the platform was named "Dragon Slaying."' The Dragon Severing Platform, which sealed the dragon's soul, was made by King Yu after slaying the dragon on the Dragon Slaying Platform, and forged by Goddess Yao Ji."

Honestly, Zhou Yuxuan didn't intend to let Emiya activate the Dragon Severing Platform.

Shirou Emiya was now someone valued by Wa Lord and recognized by the Zhou family. He felt that even if he had to sacrifice his own life, he should ensure Emiya's safety. But his condition was too poor—even drawing the Dragon Severing Platform might not earn the Living Spirit's recognition...

Pat, pat. The rain curtain surged in a mad flow.

Zhou Yuxuan prepared to charge into the Death Servant horde, a faint thought flashing through his mind.

...In comparison, Emiya's talent in alchemy put him to shame. In terms of natural ability, he might even surpass Wa Lord. It would be better if, while Emiya underwent the Dragon Severing Platform's trial, he risked his life to hold off the Death Servants.

"Huum—!"

What? Zhou Yuxuan's eyes went wide. He saw Emiya touch the scabbard for just two seconds, then draw the heavy ancient sword from it.

A low, resonant sound echoed endlessly, like a Dragon's Roar. Zhou Yuxuan could actually read a hint of joy in the sound, which resembled Dragon Language!

Under his nearly dumbfounded gaze, Shirou Emiya raised the Dragon Severing Platform and swung out a sword wind dozens of meters long. The heavy rain surged upward, converging into nine dragon-shaped water pillars!

That was... the Great Word Spirit (Super Word of Spirit): Nine Infants!