"It's our first meeting, Mr. Emiya Kiritsugu!" Ryougi Raku smiled as if greeting an old acquaintance. But his hand moved swiftly, tracing a mysterious arc as he slashed toward Emiya Kiritsugu's shoulder. While he had no intention of killing him, he couldn't guarantee the man wouldn't lose an arm or leg.
However, to Ryougi Raku's surprise, at the critical moment, Emiya Kiritsugu dodged with an unnatural posture, his speed far surpassing that of an ordinary person!
"Huh?" He let out a soft exclamation, but Ryougi Raku's left hand suddenly moved, swiftly drawing a dagger and still managing to slash across Emiya Kiritsugu's arm.
A flash of red light appeared, and a wound opened on Emiya Kiritsugu's arm. Yet the cut was not deep. To Emiya Kiritsugu, this level of injury was trivial; his expression didn't even flicker. He quickly drew his gun and fired several shots at Ryougi Raku.
Ryougi Raku merely shifted his body slightly, completely evading the incoming bullets. The bullets were incredibly fast and would still injure him if they hit. Even if the wounds would heal instantly, he had no desire to be harmed by Emiya Kiritsugu's hands.
You don't need to be faster than the bullet—just faster than the person pulling the trigger...
Emiya Kiritsugu never believed a few shots could kill Ryougi Raku. While firing, he grabbed something with his left hand and hurled it over. The object exploded mid-air—clearly, he had come prepared.
Then he fled at a speed no ordinary person could match...
Ryougi Raku stood there, pondering. It seemed to be some form of magecraft, right? He couldn't recall the specifics, only that Emiya Kiritsugu indeed knew some kind of time-altering magecraft...
Ryougi Raku continued the pursuit, but various explosives in the castle corridors obstructed his path. It was evident that Emiya Kiritsugu had long prepared for combat within the castle.
Emiya Kiritsugu's thinking was meticulous. The escape routes he chose were all lined with explosives. Though they couldn't harm Ryougi Raku, they indeed slowed his pursuit.
The corridors were full of twists and turns, and Ryougi Raku's instantaneous movement hadn't been practiced to the point of freely switching between extreme stillness and motion. Chasing someone in such an environment prevented him from fully utilizing his skills.
Whenever he caught a glimpse of Emiya Kiritsugu, the latter would fire a few shots to harass Ryougi Raku.
'What a nuisance!' Ryougi Raku was deeply dissatisfied that he couldn't handle a mere Emiya Kiritsugu. Even though his opponent had perfectly utilized the terrain, Ryougi Raku was far stronger.
"...I can't hold on any longer. My body can't sustain continuous use of Time Alter!" Emiya Kiritsugu finally realized what had allowed him to evade Ryougi Raku's pursuit: the immense strain on his body!
Using the explosives as cover had bought him enough time to escape, but the blast range was too wide, and he wasn't far enough away, occasionally suffering residual injuries. Though the wounds weren't deep, they were numerous...
Emiya Kiritsugu panted heavily, feeling his heart pound violently as if it would leap from his chest the next second. His vision began to blur. He knew that if this continued, he would be exhausted to death without the enemy needing to lift a finger!
'...After chasing for so long, he must be growing impatient!' Emiya Kiritsugu ejected the empty magazine and loaded special bullets. 'Seeing me here, after such a long chase, he should be eager to finish me off and let his guard down. Then, I still have a chance...' If they were evenly matched, they would never lower their guard. But Emiya Kiritsugu knew the gap between him and Ryougi Raku was vast; they were simply not on the same level!
The Origin Bullet—the Origin Emiya Kiritsugu possessed: "Severing" and "Binding." That was his innate nature!
After the concepts of severing and rebinding, the target's existence would deteriorate—a fatal blow to any magus. The affected part could never fully heal, damaging the Magic Circuits and rendering the magus utterly incapable of using magecraft.
There were only 66 Origin Bullets in total, crafted by Emiya Kiritsugu from his own ribs. So far, he had never failed; each Origin Bullet had claimed a magus's life...
Every time he used one, he was supremely confident. But this time, for some reason, he felt profoundly uneasy...
Ryougi Raku didn't know what Emiya Kiritsugu was planning. If he had, he would have laughed in scorn. He was no so-called magus and had no need for Magic Circuits. Moreover, his own immortality allowed perfect regeneration. The so-called severing and binding were utterly futile against him...
As they rounded a corner, Ryougi Raku spotted Emiya Kiritsugu, panting heavily. Ryougi Raku hadn't even exerted himself, yet his opponent was in such a state...
But after such a long chase, Ryougi Raku had long grown weary. In truth, he hadn't come here urgently seeking Emiya Kiritsugu's death but for another purpose...
"Let's see how long you can hold out before summoning your Servant? Hmph!" Ryougi Raku continued advancing toward Emiya Kiritsugu at a leisurely pace,施加 immense psychological pressure.
"The enemy is too fast. I don't need to block the bullets—I need to dodge them. I only have one chance, just one..." He touched his chest, watching Ryougi Raku approach. Secretly, he rejoiced, "Closer, closer..."
"...Emiya," Before Kiritsugu could finish speaking, Emiya Kiritsugu seized the moment Ryougi Raku spoke to roll from his seated position, as if his earlier weakness had been an illusion!
Time Alter—Double Accel!
Dragging his battered body, Emiya Kiritsugu gambled his life, using the maximum speed he could endure!
The distance was so close, and in that moment, he was utterly calm. He raised his gun and fired in one fluid motion—the bullet striking center mass!
But what followed completely defied Emiya Kiritsugu's expectations...
At such close range, coupled with Emiya Kiritsugu's Time Alter speed, Ryougi Raku moved like lightning, clamping the bullet between two fingers!
Unbeknownst to Emiya Kiritsugu, Ryougi Raku's eyes had transformed into demonic pupils, his powerful dynamic vision and superhuman physique easily halting the bullet. Ryougi Raku never let his guard down against anyone; even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit. He knew well that even the weakest opponent might possess deadly tricks, and complacency could precede defeat. Moreover, since he had decided to play cat and mouse with Emiya Kiritsugu, how could he not be wary?
For a moment, Emiya Kiritsugu was bewildered. Though he had traveled the world, he had mostly faced magi. While these magi had certain powers, their abilities didn't transcend technology, and their bodies remained ordinary. As for an inhuman existence like Ryougi Raku, Emiya Kiritsugu had only heard rumors—this was his first direct encounter!
"...The Origin?" Ryougi Raku remarked, sensing the bullet's peculiar nature.
"Fine craftsmanship! Mr. Emiya, you don't have many of these, do you?" But by then, Emiya Kiritsugu lacked the strength to respond. After that momentary burst, he felt completely drained, barely able to stand.
'It's over!' This was Emiya Kiritsugu's only thought now!
Lifting his foot, Ryougi Raku kicked Kiritsugu in the stomach. The force wasn't as strong as expected, still within Kiritsugu's tolerance, but the blow to his abdomen forced him to his knees, retching.
"You run quite fast, Mr. Emiya. You must have learned all this on the battlefield!" He hauled him up from the ground, tossed him lightly, and kicked him in the chest again. The sound of cracking ribs was unmistakable.
By now, Emiya Kiritsugu could only lie on the ground, playing dead. Blood trickled from his mouth, yet he stubbornly pressed his hands against the floor, struggling to support himself.
"By the way, I received the 'gift' you prepared near my residence!" Emiya Kiritsugu couldn't respond. His body was already exhausted from using Time Alter, and after two blows from Ryougi Raku, he had no strength left...
Emiya Kiritsugu had intended a final stand, but he never expected this outcome.
"Are you an idiot? Isn't there only one thing you can do now? Why haven't you done it?" Helpless, Ryougi Raku strode over. This time, he delivered a ruthless kick to Emiya Kiritsugu's lower body!!!
Hiss. Agh! Even devoid of strength, this made Emiya Kiritsugu's eyes roll back, foam at the mouth, and his body convulse uncontrollably, writhing like a fish out of water, hunched over like a seizure patient...
Fortunately, the man didn't lose consciousness—otherwise, Ryougi Raku wouldn't have known what to do. He might have had no choice but to finish him with a blade.
"You already have an heir, so it doesn't matter if you die without one... But, magecraft should be able to heal this, right?" Ryougi Raku thought maliciously. Now, Emiya Kiritsugu was truly in agony.
Ryougi Raku suddenly felt like a villain. It was absurd—he hadn't killed his opponent but tortured him in various ways, waiting for a reversal. If this were a story, he'd be the archetypal villain awaiting his comeuppance...
Of course, Ryougi Raku knew Emiya Kiritsugu was no protagonist!
The excruciating pain triggered a visceral reaction in Emiya Kiritsugu—tears and mucus streamed down his face. The numbness in his lower body made him wonder if he had lost control of his bowels or bladder. Yet, despite the initial dizziness, his mind had cleared. He stared at the Command Seals on his hand, knowing this was his only salvation. If the other party summoned Lancer as well, he would still be doomed. Since death was inevitable either way, he had to fight!
Though reluctant to rely on the King of Knights, he had no other choice now. For the sake of his dream, he could not die here!
Seeing Emiya Kiritsugu finally notice the Command Seals on his hand, Ryougi Raku breathed a sigh of relief. The man finally understood what he needed to do!
Ryougi Raku quickly shed his playful demeanor in chasing Emiya Kiritsugu and grew serious, a faint excitement stirring within.
"Come, Saber! Let me verify everything about you!"
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On the battlefield where Saber and Lancer stood, countless monsters were slain, yet countless more were summoned.
The filthy creatures made the air nauseating, and their evil blood splattered across the ground, turning the area into a death trap for ordinary humans. Anyone stepping into the blood would dissolve; breathing the air would mean death...
"We can't continue like this." Lancer smiled wryly. Though both were immensely powerful and had slaughtered innumerable monsters, compared to this endless horde, it was a drop in the ocean!
"This violates the agreement with my lord!" Yes, assisting Saber and defeating Caster was his promise, yet it remained unfulfilled.
After a moment of silence, Saber smiled faintly, "...Lancer, would you care to make a wager?"
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(TL : More Chapters @patreon.com/c/Gooberilla)