This was also for the Minister's safety. Otherwise, Shirō and the others—already at a disadvantage—would have been forced to split their attention, protecting the Minister while fighting. That kind of distraction could spell disaster, especially since their primary mission was to keep the Minister alive.
By leaving the Minister in safer hands, the pressure on the squad lessened considerably. The Minister himself wasn't foolish; he cooperated smoothly with Shirō's arrangements, trusting their judgment.
To further ensure the Minister's safety, Gray Snake remained in the city at his side instead of accompanying Shirō and the others. Though Gray Snake lacked much in the way of combat ability, he possessed one powerful card: the Reverse Summoning Technique.
This jutsu was their ace-in-the-hole. If the Minister was ever in danger, Gray Snake could summon Shirō instantly to his side. At that point, Shirō could unleash the reserves stored in his Magic Crest. The difference between a Shirō running low on chakra and one with his crest fully charged was night and day.
Simply put, a fully empowered Shirō was like a low-spec version of Gilgamesh—Noble Phantasms flying everywhere, a force on par with a seasoned Jōnin. Against that kind of firepower, even an Elite Jōnin might fall.
Of course, that was only as a last resort. At present, the stored energy within his crest wasn't sufficient to sustain the overwhelming output he desired. It was a trump card, not something to be wasted lightly.
Once they retrieved the Minister, their real journey back began.
The road home was calmer than expected. Shirō didn't know the specifics of the Minister's diplomatic talks, but judging from the lack of pursuit, it probably wasn't something crucial enough to draw major enemies. If it had been, the mission wouldn't have been entrusted to their small team.
Still, vigilance was maintained throughout. Caution ensured survival.
Within the Land of Rivers, they remained tense. But once they crossed into the Land of Fire, everyone relaxed. Trouble was rare here—few dared stir chaos in the Fire Daimyō's domain.
The reason was simple: the borders of the Land of Fire were constantly patrolled by shinobi, with Chūnin as the baseline. Among them were many "understated" veterans, like Kosuke Maruboshi, who despite holding the nominal rank of Genin, possessed Jōnin-level ability. Though Kosuke was a special case—famously the "Eternal Genin"—many other "ordinary" Chūnin stationed at the borders also fought at levels well beyond their rank.
With such protection, the Land of Fire was relatively peaceful. At most, small bands of mountain thieves or petty bandits appeared, while rogue-nin had long since been rooted out.
Thus, most of the journey became an exercise in patience and training. The Minister's pace was painfully slow; what Shirō's team could have covered in a week stretched into a full month.
Along the way, they encountered bandits more than once. Some they ignored; others they treated as live training dummies. Shirō didn't hesitate to kill, but he refused to use them as sacrifices for Manda. Whether saintly or hypocritical, he preferred to strike them down cleanly rather than feed them to a serpent.
Prisoners of war were a different matter. They had blood on their hands, like him, and sending them to Manda felt more justified. Bandits, though guilty, did not sit the same way on his conscience.
Even with the extra time, Shirō's personal progress was limited. Magecraft wasn't something one mastered overnight—it required accumulation. He could lean on Medea's vast knowledge to accelerate learning, but even that was hitting limits.
Medea was a Magus of the Age of Gods, her magecraft deep and unmatched. But the modern systems Shirō was trying to study simply weren't the same as hers. Medea herself could have adapted seamlessly, but Shirō was no true magus of her caliber—he was, at best, a counterfeit.
The auxiliary effect of Ruler Breaker, her Noble Phantasm, was also diminishing. As Shirō delved further into modern magecraft, its compatibility with Medea's divine-era systems weakened. Eventually, its usefulness would fade.
He knew there were better paths. Heroic Spirits came not only from the past but also from the future; some must have mastered modern magecraft. But Shirō never sought those Noble Phantasms. Once he unlocked Mana Burst through the projection of the King's Sword, his focus narrowed—his goal became Medea's High-Speed Divine Words.
That was why he continued to project Ruler Breaker. He wanted not just to wield Medea's techniques, but to learn the lost magic of the Age of Gods.
Modern magi had not abandoned divine-era magecraft out of ignorance. They knew its power. But without High-Speed Divine Words, the casting was painfully slow—too slow for the modern battlefield. Against enemies who could unleash multiple spells or jutsu in an instant, even a world-shattering ritual was useless if it couldn't be completed.
Yet here, in the shinobi world, things were different. The Counter Force held no sway. Divine magecraft could exist without interference. That possibility fueled Shirō's ambition.
Even so, aptitude mattered. For now, it was easier to advance with modern magecraft, and most of Shirō's own combat relied on Projection and Reinforcement, both of which were instantaneous. High-Speed Divine Words would be useless until he had magecraft requiring lengthy incantations.
Still, his long-term ambition remained. One day, mastering it would help him greatly—especially when activating his Reality Marble in the future.
For now, though, he could only cling to Ruler Breaker, hoping its residual effect would carry him until he constructed a proper workshop.
On the other hand, Tai Yi's progress was far greater.
He had nearly mastered Lightning Release's nature transformation. Already, he stood on the edge of full control. Just a little more practice, and he'd wield it with confidence.
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