After a period of fighting, Lancer finally decided to take a gamble; he didn't want to wait for Archer's Master to react and come charging over with Archer.
The crimson glow of the Noble Phantasm made Saber focus her attention completely.
"I'll be taking your heart!"
The crimson glow grew even more dazzling, and the magical energy around Lancer reached an incredible height, then... "Gae (Pierce)"—"Bolg (Thorn of Death)"!
Gae Bolg (Piercing Death Thorn), a causality-altering Noble Phantasm, was originally meant to be a certain kill, but he encountered Saber, who possessed Instinct.
Akatsuki already knew the upcoming plot: Saber would be wounded, Lancer would leave the battlefield, and then Archer and Tohsaka Rin would rush over.
"There's no longer any need to stay here..."
Just as Akatsuki was planning to leave, she accidentally bumped into a rock by her feet. In the next instant, a powerful sword qi tore through the wall she was leaning against, and a rift was carved into the path before her by the sword qi, as if warning Akatsuki not to act rashly.
However, in the next moment, a heavy slash forced Akatsuki back to the other side of the street.
"Tsk."
The power was completely different from Archer's, and the strength of the Holy Sword of the Star truly took Akatsuki by surprise.
"But then again, I suppose I'm somewhat related to that holy sword, and the specifications are about the same... It's a good time to see which is stronger."
At the thought of being able to exchange blows with the legendary King Arthur wielding the holy sword, a desire for victory unconsciously ignited in Akatsuki's heart—how should she put it? It was like the inexplicable competitive spirit between elementary school students.
"Vampire... Are you also a Master in the Holy Grail War? Where is your Servant?"
Shaking off those strange thoughts, Akatsuki realized she hadn't even eaten lunch or dinner, and she had just been slashed by Saber. Although it wasn't deep, it hurt!
Akatsuki's gaze turned cold, revealing sharp fangs. "Saber, you truly live up to your title as the head of the Three Knight Classes, but you've picked the wrong opponent!"
"Clang!"
Akatsuki pressed down with all her strength in both hands, directly parrying the Invisible Sword in Saber's hands, then followed up with a punch to Saber's abdomen as fast as lightning.
However, Saber, with her Instinct, instinctively tried to dodge Akatsuki's attack, but Akatsuki was simply too fast—so fast that even Saber, who was close at hand, could hear the sonic boom from the fist.
"Gah!"
Saber spat out a mouthful of blood, her body flying backward and crashing through several walls of the Emiya Residence before getting stuck in a crack in a wall.
Shirou Emiya and the newly arrived Tohsaka Rin watched this scene in stunned silence; they never imagined that the seemingly frail Akatsuki would possess such terrifying strength.
"Wait a minute, why are you here, Akatsuki?!" "Hey, are you okay?!"
Tohsaka Rin and Shirou Emiya's voices overlapped. Akatsuki's crimson eyes looked at Tohsaka Rin with a gaze full of hunger.
"W-wait, why are you looking at me like that!"
Akatsuki licked her lips and walked toward Tohsaka Rin step by step.
"You... don't come any closer!"
Tohsaka Rin kept backing away, while Archer stood before Akatsuki with twin blades in hand. However, none of this was enough to stop Akatsuki, who had just fought Saber.
"It's only natural to have dessert after exercising."
With a flash of movement, Akatsuki appeared behind Tohsaka Rin, grabbed her hands, and bit down again on the marks left from the previous night... An hour later, a somewhat weakened Tohsaka Rin lay in Akatsuki's arms, while Archer was outside repairing the damaged Emiya Residence.
Saber had sustained significant injuries; in front of Akatsuki, she couldn't even hold her sword steady.
Through Tohsaka Rin's mediation, the misunderstanding was cleared up. Saber looked at Akatsuki with a hint of apology, while Shirou Emiya stared at Tohsaka Rin in total confusion.
"To put it simply, Classmate Emiya, you've been caught up in a grand ritual called the Holy Grail War. It's a ritual where seven Masters kill each other to compete for the Holy Grail. The proof is the Saber beside you and the Stigmata that appeared on a part of your body."
"Stigmata?"
"It's the command spells, Shirou."
Saber, sitting formally nearby, reminded him.
"Ah, this must be it."
Saying this, Shirou Emiya showed the three complete command spells on the back of his hand.
"Correct. As long as they exist, the Servant will obey you. They grant absolute command authority, regardless of the Servant's own thoughts. By using a command spell, they will execute an order even if it goes against their will. However, you only have three absolute commands, so never waste them on meaningless things."
"Heh, you've got a lot of nerve saying that, considering someone clearly wasted a command spell and is now warning others not to use them recklessly."
Hearing Akatsuki's teasing, Tohsaka Rin defended herself: "That was an accident! It's Archer's fault for being so arrogant!"
"Yes, yes, yes."
"By the way, can you stop messing with my hair!"
The hand playing with Tohsaka Rin's twin tails paused. Akatsuki chuckled and continued to fiddle with Tohsaka Rin's hair. "I just wanted to see how twin tails are structured."
"Let go of me!"
Tohsaka Rin struggled, but having lost quite a bit of blood to Akatsuki, she was far too weak. This powerless struggling only further stimulated Akatsuki's sadistic tendencies.
"What can you do if I don't let go?" Akatsuki's hand wandered along Tohsaka Rin's neck. "Given Archer and Saber's current condition, do you think they're any match for me?"
"Tohsaka Rin, you wouldn't want Classmate Emiya, Saber, and Archer to lose their lives just because of your resistance, would you?"
"Ugh... do as you please! Eek! What are you touching?!"
Huh? Why does the atmosphere feel a bit off... Shirou Emiya turned his head away awkwardly, while Tohsaka Rin seemed to be enduring something. For a moment, the atmosphere grew tense.
"Oh, this feels pretty good too!"
The wound Akatsuki had just bitten was still quite sensitive for the weakened Tohsaka Rin, yet Akatsuki's fingers kept wandering around it, giving Tohsaka Rin a strange sensation.
"Just what do you want to..."
"Well, I recall when I made a contract with you yesterday, you were to provide me with lodging and three meals a day, and I would give you the corresponding money. For that, I even prepaid with three gold bars."
"Ah, that is indeed how it went, mostly..."
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