This is the city of gas explosions—Fuyuki... Ahem, sorry, wrong script.
Fuyuki City, a newly developed coastal city located in Japan's Kanto region, is seen by many older residents as a city plagued by misfortune.
Roughly every sixty years, the city experiences a series of unusual events: gas explosions, robberies and murders, child abductions, cult rituals, or mysterious mass fainting incidents in schools....
Among these, the most devastating was the unexplained great fire that occurred ten years ago. That fire claimed many lives and razed half of the downtown area, including Fuyuki Station.
As a result, the local energy company and government authorities were relentlessly criticized and blamed.
However, misfortune sometimes brings opportunity.
Thanks to the "Great Fire of 1994," Fuyuki City Hall faced no resistance in tearing down old buildings and overcoming relocation disputes. In the aftermath, they were able to rebuild from scratch.
Within just ten years, skyscrapers rose from the ashes of the old Fuyuki Station, renamed Shinto Station, and the city experienced rapid economic growth, becoming a highly modernized metropolis.
A clear boundary is formed by the Mion River, separating the old town (Miyama Town) from the new (Shinto). One side is a forest of steel and glass; the other, with its sloped streets and traditional architecture, feels like stepping into the last century.
Under the night sky, office workers finally free from the day's burdens gather at izakayas to vent their pent-up stress.
As they drink, their conversations drift toward recent urban legends and rumors: inhuman howls heard in the forests, strange lights seen at Ryuudou Temple, oddly dressed individuals spotted near the Fuyuki Church....
Meanwhile, in the wooded section of Fuyuki Central Park:
Boom!
"Rockbreaker!"
A burst of purple light erupted as a figure still materializing in spirit form shot out of the summoning circle, deflecting Lancer's thrown crimson spear.
Lancer showed no surprise at the intercepted strike. Casually catching the returning Gae Bolg, his beast-like combat instincts were already on high alert, and it thrilled him!
"Oh ho, if I'm not mistaken, all seven Servants should already be summoned. That means, Magus, your summoning is against the rul—"
Boom!
A shockwave from a powerful stomp sent dust flying forward. Lancer grinned, instantly switching from spear-throw to a sweeping strike!
"Perfect! This is exactly how it should be."
"I love open and honest combat like this."
Clang!
Lancer spun the crimson Gae Bolg and swung it through the air before him. A moment later, a sharp echo rang through the park.
Dust billowed outward.
From the collision point, the atmosphere surged like a tide. The very air seemed to thicken, forming tangible shockwaves that rippled across the ground.
The earth cracked beneath the pressure, black fissures spreading like a spiderweb, stirring a violent tempest.
So heavy!
Feeling the tremendous torque through his spear, Lancer grinned inwardly. Compared to that annoying dark-skinned Archer and the half-baked Saber he met at the school, this was so much more exhilarating.
Master, you're the one who told me to go out and patrol for a bit of relaxation, so I won't be holding back!
True to his beliefs, he was a warrior who lived for the thrill of battle.
But the reconnaissance mission given by his current Master, Kirei Kotomine—to engage all enemies but retreat afterward—was extremely unsatisfying.
Still, he hadn't expected to make another new discovery after skirmishing with Archer and Saber and being sent out to patrol the streets.
Sigh, the Master's command was merely to avoid excessive entanglement with the seven traditional Servants of the Holy Grail War. Illegally summoned ones weren't part of that deal.
Lancer didn't pause. Using the tremendous force transmitted through the shaft of his cursed spear, he twisted his body and brought his wind-slicing leg sweeping toward the opponent's head. It was then that Lancer finally saw flowing gray hair and radiant emerald eyes.
A woman?
Not something to be underestimated!
From Lancer's era, women who took up arms were either weaklings or terrifyingly powerful. And this one clearly belonged to the latter. From her, he even sensed a hint of that same presence as a certain purple-haired old lady who loved calling him "mutt" and putting him through grueling drills.
Whoosh—!
The heavy leg strike stirred a gust of wind.
Then, that seemingly devastating kick was deflected with a sharp sidestep and a block from the gray-haired woman's arm. The next instant, a fist charged with air pressure blotted out Lancer's view as it rocketed toward his airborne head.
Nice!
Lancer twisted his spear, swinging his arm horizontally to divert the punch's momentum. Then, seizing the moment, he advanced.
Thud! Clang! Boom!
With each exchange of fists and spear, the ground beneath them cracked and collapsed.
As they accelerated, their movements blurred into afterimages. Their duel had already surpassed the limit of human perception.
Clang! Bang! Boom!
Their speed surged to the max. Shockwaves blasted out with every clash between armored gauntlets and spear edges. Their technique and power were immense, sending explosive pulses through the surroundings.
Boom~ Boom~!
The two raced wildly across the forest park. Blades clashed and auras collided. All one could see were flashes of light crashing again and again.
Back and forth, it was like a demolition crew tearing through the park—trees fell, concrete shattered wherever they passed.
As the fight dragged on, Lancer's expression grew increasingly serious. He could sense it—his opponent was getting visibly stronger, their power continually surging!
It was as if they were growing from unfamiliarity to complete control... adjusting to their body.
Damn. She's using me for practice!
Despite the realization, Lancer grinned, the smile slowly contorting into a ferocious sneer.
Who'd have thought I'd be a training dummy one day!
The cursed spear in his hand gleamed red in the darkness, exuding an aura of impending death.
With a flicker, Lancer transformed into a gust of wind, nimbly avoiding his opponent's fist and foot techniques.
In the blink of an eye, he was at her face.
His spear swept forward, releasing a powerful vortex.
In response, the gray-haired woman formed a palm with one hand. A red glow lit up the gem on her black-and-gold armored gauntlet. She struck downward with a single palm.
A sharp hum filled the air. The ground shattered like tofu, black cracks spidering out like a web.
The two instantly separated.
Bang!
Lancer instinctively sidestepped, his muscles tightening in an instant. His toe lightly tapped the ground, causing it to crack, and using the momentum, the blue lancer slid back a step, narrowly avoiding the oncoming punch.
But then, he saw the gray-haired, green-eyed woman instantly recover, rotating her waist slightly to redirect force, switching from a punch to an elbow strike. Her lower arm whipped down with a boom, as if launching a shell.
"Inch Force: Mountain Collapse!"
Boom!
At the moment of impact, Lancer's far more muscular frame was sent flying like a cannonball. His body became a blur as it tore through the park, the ground shattering visibly beneath him.
With repeated muffled bangs, Lancer even crashed through several decorative trees before slamming into the ground. Unable to withstand the impact, the earth cracked in web-like patterns.
"Gah—!"
That muscle strength value is monstrous.
Groaning in pain, Lancer knelt on one knee, clutching his spear—the Gáe Buidhe—between gritted teeth, swallowing the blood in his mouth. His face was filled with wariness. Was this flat-chested woman some kind of magical gorilla?
Could she be of the Berserker class?
If he hadn't used the Gáe Buidhe to parry and absorb some of the force, that blow might've cut him in half!
At the moment, Lancer was in bad shape. His right shoulder pauldron had fallen off, his forehead bore a clear scrape, and his once-flowing blue hair had been partially torn off by the wind pressure.
His chest and abdomen were a bloody mess, his tight suit torn away by the rebounding spear, exposing wounds deep enough to see bone—and even hints of shattered organs from the inch-force strike.
"Master Fu Hua, who is this guy? Why did he just start attacking us out of nowhere?"
More people?
Hearing the innocent, soft-spoken question of a young girl suddenly interrupt the grim atmosphere, Lancer reflexively turned toward the voice.
And then—holy shit!
Looking at the group of figures emerging from the glowing red hexagram summoning circle, Lancer's red eyes went wide.
"No way?! This is a serious violation! Reinstated summoning?!"
Right now, Doggo had only one thought: Someone's cheating!
"Ooh, your eyes are so pretty!"
The delicate girl suddenly appeared next to the gray-haired woman. Whoosh! Lancer immediately blurred into motion, rapidly widening the distance, adopting a defensive stance.
Resting her chin on her hand, Li Sushang's curious eyes observed the man in the tight blue suit, his long ponytail tied down to his waist, with blue hair and red eyes—plus jade green earrings.
"Hehe, pretty handsome, this guy...."
"Thank you for the compliment, beautiful lady."
Just then, Lancer's figure flickered. He sensed his Master activating a Command Seal to summon him back. Lowering his spear, he responded with a hearty smile.
Then his gaze passed over Li Sushang to the figure still standing at the summoning circle—Lev, who, oddly enough, hadn't moved or opened his eyes.
"Didn't expect such a large-scale illegal summoning this time. Master's gonna have a tough time, huh."
Honestly, Lancer held little respect for Kirei Kotomine. All talk of righteousness on the surface, but the filth he did behind the scenes was disgusting.
The Holy Church—neutral?
Neutral, my ass. Playing both sides while pretending to be noble.
As far as giving Kirei Kotomine extra work and sabotaging his plans, Lancer was more than happy to oblige.
After all, his wish for participating in the Holy Grail War was to challenge powerful opponents. Though he never held back in combat, when it came to Lev's unconventional summoning, he only had one thing to say—good job!
If someone at the level of his master, or even a deity descended as a Servant, then all the better!
"You're a worthy opponent. Can I ask for your na—" Lancer paused and patted his forehead. "Ah, sorry. Forgot I was ordered not to reveal my True Name. My bad."
"No worries," the woman replied, hand resting at her waist. "Shenzhou, School of Taixuan. Fu Hua."
"Lancer, you are also a formidable warrior. I gained much from our battle."
At her words, Lancer chuckled wryly. "Too bad my Master's a coward. Fu Hua, right? Next time, let's settle the score properly..."
And just before he vanished, Lancer Cu Chulainn broke Kotomine's orders.
"Cu Chulainn."
"A bold and forthright warrior," Raiden Mei remarked as she turned toward Kiana. "From his words, it seems he has quite the opinion of his Master."
By the rules instilled by the Grail system upon summoning, all Servants were informed of the basic concepts of the war—including the traditional seven-class structure.
"Seven Servants in conflict... Won't our presence be considered cheating in their eyes?" Kiana flexed her arm, testing her strength. "Would they gang up to eliminate us?"
"I hope they do. Easier to wipe them all out in one go."
After speaking, Durandal turned to Lev, who had just finished a hand seal. Her voice was calm.
"Master, what is our next step?"
"Summon the Grail."
Opening his eyes, Lev gripped the double-headed eagle relic tightly and grinned.
"I've made a pact with Her Majesty. Once the Grail descends, it will serve as a vessel to summon Her."
Looking around, Lev continued.
"We'll head to Ryuudou Temple. It's a key spiritual node in the leylines. Chaldea's forces should be arriving soon... Once all Servants in this war are accounted for, we move."
...
"Tohsaka, what happened here..."
Not long after Lev departed, a pair—a boy and a girl—finally arrived at the scene, panting.
But all they found was a forest park ravaged like it had been hit by demolition crews. Not a soul in sight.
"That's... a summoning circle? Is that... human blood? And it's fresh—wait!"
"Emiya, wasn't your summoned Saber supposed to be the seventh and final Servant?!"
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