"Diatrekhōn Astēr Lonkhē!"
The instant Mash activated the Noble Phantasm, the person controlling that massive shield revealed himself...
It was Achilles...
"!!..!!"
Kazamachi froze in shock. Because of the shield's size—and because the one behind it hadn't shown a single part of his body—she hadn't been able to identify Achilles...
(A trap!)
She yelled inside her head, trying to flee, but it was already too late. The light of the Noble Phantasm had her. No wonder that Demi-Servant was so strong and agile—it hadn't been Mash at all...
But it didn't matter anymore. The world around her shifted, and everyone else vanished, leaving only Achilles and Kazamachi behind.
At the same time, Kazamachi felt rules clamp down on her power and her Angel, forcing them under something like a Domain.
"It worked. What a mistake..."
Achilles scratched his head. He'd never thought it would actually work. Da Vinci had been right—so long as the rules were met, it was possible to alter and activate the Noble Phantasm...
Achilles didn't know what to think. He'd been reluctant to use this Noble Phantasm on Kazamachi because she was a woman, but he also understood she was part of The Monster, and mercy wasn't something he could afford. Humanity depended on this fight...
He raised his guard and grinned. This was a bare-knuckle duel.
"Let's continue our fight! Noble warrior!"
"...."
At the hotel, while Rin Tohsaka and Luviagelita Edelfelt argued about their next move, Nia Honjou's voice echoed inside Rin Tohsaka's mind.
[Hm? Yuzurun and Kaguyan got caught?]
"Eh?"
Rin Tohsaka's mouth fell open. The fact that Archer—the rebellious one—had been attacked left her stunned.
"Hey! What's going on?! What do you mean they got caught?!"
[Hyaa~ Rinrin-chan, Yuzurun and Kaguyan underestimated their opponent and now they're trapped. Nothing to worry about.]
"Nothing to worry about?! What are you talking about?! We have to help them!"
Rin Tohsaka felt like she was losing her mind. Now she was starting to suspect these Servants weren't very close, and that Nia Honjou was trying to get rid of them. Among Heroes of the past, it was common for a Harem to have hierarchy—and competition. Still, Rin Tohsaka couldn't allow it. No matter what, the Yamai Twins were still her Servants and a vital combat force. Having them attacked—or worse, eliminated—was bad...
[How do I put it... our husband is handling it right now, and he loves beating anyone who cheats...]
"...."
Rin Tohsaka swallowed and started trembling. If it was Avenger, then the only thing she felt right now was pity...
Whoever that poor Servant was, facing Avenger's wrath, Rin Tohsaka could only pray for their miserable soul. You couldn't reason with a Berserker...
"What's wrong, Tohsaka Rin?"
Luviagelita Edelfelt frowned. Rin Tohsaka had suddenly stood up, shaken and confused, and as the seconds passed her expression shifted from disbelief to fear.
"Master is awake...."
Rin Tohsaka didn't have time to answer. Est spoke instead—this small Loli, who'd been silent until now, stood and walked to the window.
She stared at the horizon and pointed.
"!!..!!?"
Luviagelita Edelfelt jolted, just like Rin Tohsaka. They turned—and a shockwave of monstrous magical power slammed into the city, kicking up a furious wind.
"Master, it isn't safe here. We need to retreat..."
"What?"
The pressure was so intense Scathach materialized. As a warrior, Scathach was excited to fight, but because of her contract with Luviagelita Edelfelt—and because the Holy Grail World War hadn't begun yet—she prioritized her Master's safety...
[Hyaa~ he's mad. Our hubby's mad, hahaha...]
"This isn't funny, Caster! If he keeps going, the city will be destroyed! You have to stop him...!"
With shockwaves that powerful, that close to the city, it was obvious Trifas wouldn't withstand a battle on that scale...
Everyone in this city would be caught in those shockwaves and die from the aftermath...
Rin Tohsaka didn't want those deaths on her conscience. As a Magus she stood above ordinary people, and many magi didn't care about civilians, but Rin Tohsaka wasn't that kind of person...
Not knowing what else to do, Rin Tohsaka scratched her head and glanced at the Command Spell on her hand, hesitating. Instead, she pinned her hopes on Nia Honjou—if she was his wife, she should calm her man down...
[Don't worry, Rinrin-chan. Nobody will die. A great young lady offered to protect them, hehe.]
"What?!"
Before Rin Tohsaka could process what Nia Honjou meant, a portal opened in front of her, and demonic black miasma spilled out of it...
"!!..!!"
Rin Tohsaka recoiled in panic. Scathach immediately formed her spear and stepped in front of Luviagelita Edelfelt to protect her.
"What's going on, Tohsaka Rin?!"
"I want to know too!"
Footsteps echoed, and from the miasma portal, a beauty beyond human limits emerged.
"Hmph. Pathetic humans—rejoice that this Queen is willingly protecting your humble lives..."
With her chest puffed out and her hands on her hips, Eggy declared arrogantly.
Her angelic face and mature figure, paired with pale skin and a dress of black feathers, left even Scathach, the Queen of Shadows, momentarily speechless at the girl's beauty...
"Hmph! As expected of mortals. This Queen's beauty is a sin, and merely staring at me like that is a crime."
And of course Eggy loved it. She narrowed her eyes, sensing another shockwave racing toward the city. She snapped her fingers, and an exalted barrier etched with dragon markings expanded around the city, shielding every citizen—and naturally, Rin Tohsaka and Luviagelita Edelfelt, who barely had time to react...
"But this Queen is merciful and willing to forgive you... Now kneel before your Queen!"
"..."
"Contempt: Human, do you really think that barrier will stop the Queen of Storms?"
Even trapped inside what looked like an Inherent Barrier, Kazamachi showed no fear. If anything, she crossed her arms and proclaimed loudly.
"Underestimating me is a huge mistake..."
With her parameters suppressed, Kazamachi even taunted her opponent.
"I'll give those words right back to you!"
Bam
Achilles didn't wait another second. He lunged.
"Eh?"
Kazamachi moved too, slipping aside with ease. Her fist snapped out in return—and Achilles didn't have the same luck. Kazamachi's speed was too high, and he took the impact head-on.
"Guh!"
Achilles grunted, but didn't step back. He attacked again, but Kazamachi evaded again, and another punch smashed into his cheek. Even if Achilles had plenty of battle experience, it meant nothing against Kazamachi's 'EX' agility. He couldn't catch her, making his martial skill useless.
Bam, Bam, Bam....
For several minutes, it was completely one-sided—Kazamachi dodged, and Achilles took hit after hit.
Thanks to Kazamachi's raw strength, bruises quickly bloomed across Achilles's face. His immortality was worthless against someone like Kazamachi, who held the authority of God to kill immortals...
Even so, Achilles refused to fall. He kept attacking like a beast. He knew dodging was pointless against Kazamachi's speed, so he bet everything on his Skills.
'Battle Continuation' and 'Bravery'...
Both were rank 'A', 'A+', granting a massive boost in close combat...
They reduced the lethality of injuries, kept him from giving up, increased his resistance to damage, and raised his hand-to-hand output, and more...
That was why Achilles could still fight and endure hits with parameters of 'B++'...
"Surprised: Why won't you give up? Are you a masochist? Do you enjoy getting beaten by me?"
Kazamachi was genuinely taken aback. She'd just knocked him down again. It wasn't normal for him to still be standing—especially when he'd basically become a punching bag.
She even started suspecting Achilles was some kind of pervert with weird fetishes and was into her. She stumbled back in panic and disgust...
"Eh?"...
But she couldn't retreat far before hitting a wall—or rather, the boundary of the barrier.
Kazamachi's eyes widened. She could feel the barrier pushing her forward.
"Give up? I'm Achilles! For a world-class Hero like me, surrender was never an option..."
He rose again, eyes blazing with fighting spirit, and wiped the blood from his lips.
He grinned at Kazamachi, pinned against the barrier, and clenched his fist once more.
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