Miyama Town, Ryuudou Temple.
As Caster's established base, the area surrounding Ryuudou Temple was filled with magical barriers. Anyone who entered would immediately notice the air itself becoming heavier.
Deep in the densely wooded mountain, there should have been swarms of flies and mosquitoes, yet not a single one could be seen—an eerie stillness.
Inside a quiet room, a gloomy man wearing a black suit and transparent-framed glasses knelt on the tatami floor, staring at his rough hands. The etched circuits of reinforcement magecraft glowed faintly in the dark.
Hanging on the walls were two calligraphy scrolls. Directly across from the entrance sat a floor cushion, a low tea table, and neatly folded bedding. The room contained nothing else—minimalism to the extreme.
"Master Souichirou, my deepest apologies. This Holy Grail War has encountered unforeseen complications."
With a rustle, her figure materialized like a swarm of violet butterflies through a spatial transfer spell. Caster appeared before the gloomy man.
A stark contrast.
Clad in a hooded robe of deep indigo and violet, her body fully concealed except for her lips—painted a sultry dark purple, sensuous as a poisonous poppy—this eerie witch-like woman addressed the gloomy man in an overly sweet, almost cloying tone.
"Unforeseen complications?" The man referred to as Souichirou raised his head and spoke briefly, bluntly.
"Another Servant summoned by a Servant?"
Recalling how Caster had exploited a loophole in the Holy Grail War system using her magecraft—far surpassing that of modern magi—to summon Assassin illegally at the temple gate, he posed the question.
"No, it's even worse."
Caster shook her head and leaned back slightly. She removed her hood, revealing long pointed ears that set her apart from ordinary humans, a refined and beautiful face, and flowing blue hair draped over her shoulders, with a playful braid tucked near her left ear.
"Master Souichirou, aside from the proper seven Servants, a new magus has entered the war and is openly violating the rules of the Grail system, forcefully summoning multiple Servants."
"Lancer engaged one of them and lost the battle... If Lancer's Master hadn't used a Command Spell to recall him, Lancer would likely be out of the war by now."
Caster paused briefly at the mention of Lancer. Her tone wavered slightly, and a flicker of apprehension passed through her blue eyes.
As much as she hated to admit it, Caster truly feared Lancer—Cu Chulainn. After all, he had nearly eliminated her once.
At the same time, in a certain sense, it was also thanks to Lancer that she was discovered at the base of Mount Enzou by Kuzuki Souichirou, brought into Ryuudou Temple, and contracted as a Servant.
"Master Souichirou, I believe under these circumstances, we should consider forming an allian—"
Caster suddenly looked up mid-sentence. Just after kneeling, she sprang to her feet. "Servant magical signatures?! They're already on the steps—one, two, three... damn it! It's them!"
"Are they targeting me? Or the leyline node beneath Ryuudou Temple?" Caster's expression turned instantly grim.
Then—BOOM!
A thunderous explosion echoed from the Ryuudou Temple gate, causing the building to tremble.
"Let's hope that guy Assassin can hold out a bit longer."
With that thought, Caster materialized her staff. "Master Souichirou, please stay safe. If anything happens, leave immediately." With those words, her body turned into spirit form and vanished.
Temple Gate.
Crack!
Before Assassin could finish his sentence, a long blade crackling with lightning came slashing toward him. The Servant before him wore white fabric interwoven with red and black armor; her winged skirt armor reflected an ominous purple light. It was clear she had no intention of speaking.
Reflexively, Assassin drew his blade and crossed it in front of him to block.
Clang!
Sparks flew high as the blades collided. Assassin's body bent slightly, his expression shifting. No good—he couldn't match her strength head-on.
The moment their blades met, he instantly realized it. This thunder-wielding Servant had much higher Strength stats than he did!
With a rush of air, another metallic clash rang out. Gritting his teeth, Assassin deflected Raiden Mei's blade and twisted his wrist, turning his thrust into a sweeping strike aimed at her neck. Every blow targeted a vital spot.
But Mei was not intimidated by his tricky angles. With her superior Strength and bursts of surging mana, she repeatedly disrupted Assassin's rhythm. Her sword danced, lightning flashing, leaving countless gashes on the stone-paved ground.
Clang clang clang clang!!
Within seconds, their blades clashed dozens of times. The sheer force generated repeated sonic booms in the air, and each shockwave left visible dents in the stone steps.
The overwhelming strength leaking from their clashes caused cracks to spread across the solid flagstones.
Splurt!
Blood sprayed from Assassin's arms and cheeks. Compared to Mei, who remained in peak condition, Assassin was already showing signs of fatigue. Blood oozed from the split skin of his palm where he gripped his blade.
Clang!
With one decisive strike, Mei forced Assassin to retreat. She shook her head. "As expected of an Assassin... you're not qualified."
Seeing Mei halt her assault, Assassin used the opportunity to leap back a dozen meters. He spun his blade in a flourish to relieve the trembling in his arms and the stinging pain in his hands, lowering his stance.
"A bit too weak."
Raiden Mei said, her purple-red eyes glowing with lightning, tinged with dissatisfaction.
Ever since being summoned by Lev, and having knowledge of the Servant system instilled in her, Mei understood that Heroic Spirits were supposed to be people of legendary renown.
She had assumed this gatekeeper was powerful. She even drew her Noble Phantasm, Sky Judgment Field, and activated her Mana Burst (Lightning)!
But upon clashing—Huh? Turns out you're all flash and no substance.
Indeed, this Servant in traditional Japanese attire was a famed ancient swordsman of Japan, known for peerless swordsmanship.
Mei was self-aware—her inherited Hokushin Ittō-ryū sword style had not yet reached the level of Heroic Spirits who had devoted their entire lives to the art of killing. But...
His Strength and Endurance were too low, and he lacked Mana Burst.
Having faced Kiana in her Herrscher of the Void rampage during the rebellion against Schicksal, and later during the recovery operation, and even experiencing a crushing defeat against General Budo, Raiden Mei had come to understand a core truth:
Hokushin Ittō-ryū had its limits. Its effectiveness was fundamentally based on physical stats. Only after becoming a Herrscher did the power of Honkai energy matter most.
Technique could only enhance what was already there. It could never be the foundation.
Just like Assassin. Agility A+? Sure, that's high. But your Strength is only C, and your Endurance and Mana are both E!
With those base stats, even if you possess skills like Rank A|Mind's Eye (False), Rank B+|Presence Concealment, Rank B to B++|Knowledge of Sōjutsu... these are categorized as technique-based innate skills.
Are they strong?
Yes, very strong.
When not facing high-damage, wide-area Noble Phantasms or Mana Burst users, and against enemies with equal or non-overwhelming base stats, Assassin is indeed a formidable opponent.
Are they weak?
Yes, also very weak!
With a feeble Noble Phantasm, low base stats, and lacking mana, Assassin becomes extremely fragile when facing Servants with Mana Burst and devastating attacks.
Even a moderately powerful Heroic Spirit with a targeted plan could pull off a swift kill.
And unfortunately, Raiden Mei just happened to be exactly the kind of opponent Assassin least wanted to face.
BOOM!
Raiden Mei stomped the ground fiercely, her immense strength cracking the earth beneath her like a spiderweb. Crimson lightning surged violently in front of her.
"Lightning Flash!"
The thunderous roar surged with explosive smoke. Assassin's Mind's Eye (False), that sixth-sense-like intuition, screamed wildly.
He wanted to dodge, but staring at the massive lightning pillar consuming the entire temple gate, Assassin knew clearly that his vaunted swordsmanship would be useless here.
Even with A+ Agility, his movement was restricted to the area around Ryuudou Temple's gate. He wanted to escape, but he couldn't...
BOOM!
With a brilliant burst of sparks, Assassin's arm twisted, his palm ruptured, crack!
A deafening crash—the entire temple gate, including the torii, exploded into debris.
In the swirling dust and obscured vision, Assassin's charred, blurred figure was sent flying, leaving a deep gouge in the ground like a plow.
He slammed into the main shrine of Ryuudou Temple, crashing through the central beam, bringing the entire structure down like a domino chain in a thunderous collapse.
Whoosh!
Crackling lightning danced around her as Raiden Mei emerged from the dust raised by their clash. With a swift motion, she swung her Sky Judgment Field, blowing everything around her away.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
"As expected of the God's retainer. Eliminating a Servant in under thirty seconds—please accept my sincere praise. I can hardly imagine how dazzling Her Majesty must be. I can't wait to witness it myself."
With a theatrical bow, Lev removed his green top hat and bent forward, seemingly filled with sincere admiration.
"Master, your praise is too generous," Raiden Mei replied with poised humility.
"Well then, one down, five to go. Let the resurgence of the Age of Gods begin here!" With arms spread wide in exhilaration, Lev let out an excited roar as he stepped fully into Ryuudou Temple.
As Lev led Durandal, Kiana, Raiden Mei, and the others openly into the barrier Caster had set up, a female voice echoed from the temple's residential quarters.
"That gatekeeper Assassin couldn't even last half a minute."
Caster, wrapped completely in her robes, floated mid-air as though freed from Earth's gravity. The peak of divine era magecraft shone in a blinding violet hue, surging outward in powerful waves of magical energy.
"Illegal summoning, and you even trouble yourself to send a Servant of that caliber just to deal with little ol' me. I'm truly honored beyond words!"
"Not a bother at all. After all, you are the infamous 'Witch of Betrayal' — Medea. It's only proper to treat you with the utmost seriousness."
Lev, clearly a master of sarcasm, deliberately called out her True Name, repeatedly labeling her a witch. At once, surges of magical power trembled across Caster Medea's body.
Beneath her hood, her lips were clenched tight, half her face twisted in visible anger. It was clear that this title—"witch"—truly enraged her.
Forcing herself to remain composed, Caster Medea's voice emerged from the depths of her throat. "Nameless magus, you can take Assassin. In fact, I'm even willing to form a contract. I have no desire for the Holy Grail..."
"Heh. Witch of Betrayal, that's your title. Who would believe a word you say?"
Hands behind her head, chewing a grass stalk of uncertain origin, Senti sneered and twisted the knife. "Cut the nonsense. Capture her. Read her memories, control her mind—whatever. Her workshop can still be used."
"You..."
Durandal seemed to catch something others had missed. Caster looked too defensive. "She's afraid. Her gaze shifted four times just now toward that house over there."
"Caster, the enemy is there, isn't it?" A man in a black suit stepped through the door, his expression gloomy.
At that, like a mother hen shielding her chick, Caster Medea moved with speed defying her class limits, positioning herself in front of the man.
"Master Souichirou, I warned you. If enemies invade, do not take risks. Leave immediately to safety."
Despite the enemies surrounding them, Caster Medea's voice overflowed with unhidden care and gentleness when addressing her Master.
"No. I won't choose to run." The man removed his glasses and assumed a fighting stance.
"Yoho~ That looks... like a snake fist stance?"
Watching the seemingly ordinary man slowly approach, Senti let out a villainous chuckle, rubbing her chin as she read the badge still pinned to the man's chest. "Private Homurahara Academy. Kuzuki Souichirou."
"A teacher?"
After a few amused laughs, Senti's expression turned sharp. A surge of overwhelming magical power erupted from her, visibly compressing the air and forcing a muffled groan from Kuzuki Souichirou.
"Let this immortal see how much bite your snake fist really has!"
Thud!
"Master Souichirou, be careful!"
Caster tried to intervene, but it was too late—Fu Hua and Raiden Mei had already closed in.
Not far off, the golden-haired Valkyrie in silver-white armor locked onto her with unwavering focus.
Caster Medea felt despair wash over her.
"No! Don't!"
"I surrender! Please don't hurt Master Souichirou!"
"If you let him live, I'm willing to give up everything!"
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