"You know, Saber, in the swordsmanship of this island nation, the so-called sword techniques consist of only nine basic strikes: downward slash, diagonal slash, reverse diagonal slash, left horizontal strike, right horizontal strike, left rising diagonal slash, right rising diagonal slash, reverse wind, and thrust." He brandished his katana, explaining the fundamentals of this sword style.
Saber didn't understand why Ryougi Raku was discussing such basics, but she didn't dare let her guard down for even a moment.
"...Therefore, no matter how profound a sword technique may be, it only ever utilizes these nine strikes; the only difference lies in their application."
"Are you familiar with the phenomenon of multi-dimensional refraction?"
Saber was taken aback by the term. Ryougi Raku ignored her reaction and continued.
"Don't worry, the extent I can achieve is only three or four swords at most, nothing more." Seeing Saber's expression, Ryougi Raku chuckled.
But Saber didn't dare relax. She was naturally aware of the multi-dimensional refraction phenomenon. If someone could trigger such a phenomenon purely through sword skill, without relying on any other magecraft, that would likely be the "realm of the gods"!
Ryougi Raku drew upon memories from his past life, recalling a technique from Rurouni Kenshin—the Kuzuryūsen (Nine-Headed Dragon Flash)!
However, in the low-magic world of Rurouni Kenshin, it relied solely on drawing speed to attack nine different points simultaneously. But no matter how fast the draw, there was still a time interval between each strike!
The nine basic strikes Ryougi Raku mentioned earlier were essentially slashes from different directions. Thinking of Sasaki Kojirō's Tsubame Gaeshi (Swallow Reversal), he had been pondering this technique during his free time.
Moreover, the ultimate secret technique of the Kamizumi-ryū, the Niten Ichi-ryū, naturally involved spatial application. Thus, by leveraging the spatial comprehension from the Kamizumi-ryū's secret techniques, Ryougi Raku already had a basic conceptual prototype for his own Kuzuryūsen. All that remained was mastery.
Tsubame Gaeshi was essentially the simultaneous execution of Kesagiri - Gyakukesagiri - Kesagiri without any time difference, creating a multi-dimensional refraction phenomenon. What he needed to do now was execute all nine strikes simultaneously!
The long sword in his hand slowly rotated, as if carrying endless phantoms, dizzying to behold. But Saber didn't dare relax in the slightest.
"Watch closely, Saber. I call this—Kuzuryūsen!" With a final low roar, Ryougi Raku's katana slashed out. In that instant, space seemed to turn into a mirror. In Saber's perception, Ryougi Raku hadn't swung one sword, but nine!
Before her eyes, everything changed. It was as if the long sword had torn through space, using mirror-like refraction to make the blade appear in different positions simultaneously! But Saber keenly sensed that the nine swords weren't all simultaneous; only four were swung at the same time, while the remaining five, though fast, still had slight time intervals!
In that moment, Saber's intuition proved true. She knew clearly that she could only attempt to block and evade the first four strikes. Thus, her body moved swiftly, dodging the most threatening thrust. Her holy sword blocked one slash, but the other two were impossible to parry, as these four strikes arrived simultaneously, leaving no time for even a moment's thought!
Two attacks landed on Saber's body, but her armor, being composed of magical energy, naturally possessed considerable defense. Ryougi Raku hadn't imbued his sword with anti-magic or cursed flames; otherwise, these two slashes wouldn't have been mere shallow wounds but would have truly injured Saber!
Of course, Ryougi Raku's curse wasn't as potent as Lancer's Noble Phantasm. Though his curse could temporarily prevent wounds from healing, given time, it could naturally be expelled.
Saber had no energy to tend to her wounds, for the danger wasn't over. Five more swords slashed from different directions, but thankfully, these five only had speed advantage and no longer exhibited multi-dimensional refraction!
Saber swung her sword at her fastest speed. Three clangs flashed—she had blocked three slashes, but she could no longer parry the remaining two due to the earlier speed disparity. So, she decisively traded blows, leaving herself open, and slashed at Ryougi Raku with a single strike!
A sharp pain in his abdomen told Ryougi Raku he'd been hit. Blood slowly seeped out, but fortunately, the wound wasn't deep. Saber had clearly held back. Though he'd instinctively twisted his waist, if Saber had struck with lethal intent, Ryougi Raku's injury wouldn't have been so light.
Of course, Ryougi Raku was the same. Neither side held back, both using their full strength, yet both refrained from fatal blows. Otherwise, if Ryougi Raku had truly employed all his hidden techniques, Saber, even if she didn't die, would likely have little combat power left!
The remaining slashes all landed on Saber's body, adding several more streaks of blood to her sacred form, but these bloodstains only enhanced her resemblance to a Valkyrie on the battlefield!
"Lord Raku's swordsmanship is truly formidable; I am no match. And Raku is so young, yet has achieved so much!" Saber praised sincerely. The moves had been executed, and both tacitly agreed not to continue. Regarding his swordsmanship achievements, Saber frankly admitted her inferiority.
"Haha, Saber, you're not bad either. To react so correctly in that situation, achieving the best outcome at the lowest cost—Saber, your combat perception is truly powerful. Moreover, a Heroic Spirit's greatest strength is their Noble Phantasm, right? If you used yours, I'd probably be defeated quickly!" Ryougi Raku chuckled. However, he was also somewhat displeased with his age; being so young, there were many things he couldn't do! Though his power was strong, he had no control over his natural growth… But he didn't voice all this. Even if Saber used Excalibur, Ryougi Raku wasn't confident he could block such a wide-area attack. However, Saber would soon discover that Ryougi Raku, even if reduced to dust, would instantly revive at full health and status. Against such a cheater, a Servant probably couldn't afford the cost… In less than a moment, the wounds Saber inflicted on Ryougi Raku healed, and even his torn clothes restored. No one present thought of immortality; they all assumed it was magecraft. The wounds weren't deep to begin with, and for a decent magus, recovery was simple… After encountering magecraft, Ryougi Raku had carefully studied matter restoration, precisely for such situations. If his clothes tore in battle and couldn't be restored, he'd likely end up naked soon… The Dragon Ball scenario where pants never fall off no matter how much you fight wouldn't happen in reality!
"Lord Ryougi's sword technique is truly astonishing—to achieve such a phenomenon purely through skill is almost like a Heroic Spirit's Noble Phantasm!" Lancer admired his Master's brilliant strike. If Ryougi Raku weren't his Master, he might even have felt the urge to spar.
"You flatter me, Lancer. What just happened was an extraordinary performance. Normally, I can only manage three simultaneous slashes at most. I'm still far from the realm of nine simultaneous strikes!" Ryougi Raku replied with a slight smile, not arrogant in the least. His body also felt somewhat tired; that attack had consumed too much mental energy. It showed he still had a long way to go. Perhaps only when he could effortlessly unleash nine simultaneous slashes would he truly be complete!
Emiya Kiritsugu had nothing to say. He finally understood Ryougi Raku directly. In that instant, he even doubted whether he could obtain the Holy Grail, but the next moment, he cast that doubt aside. Since the other hadn't killed him now, he believed he would definitely find a way to win!
"Saber, though your wounds aren't deep, it's best to treat them quickly!" Ryougi Raku reminded her.
"Thank you for your concern, Raku. Wounds like these will heal quickly with a Heroic Spirit's self-regeneration! But is it really alright to be so concerned about your opponent?" Saber smiled, her dignified sanctity vanishing momentarily, replaced by a hint of the girl next door.
Ryougi Raku was momentarily stunned by Saber's sudden change, then let out a wry chuckle. The atmosphere was harmonious, not at all like a war… "By the way, where's Caster?" Ryougi Raku asked, as if just remembering.
"I apologize, Master. He escaped. Concerned for your safety, I failed the task you entrusted me!" Lancer knelt on one knee, bowing his head, filled with shame. Failing a task assigned by his Master was a mark of an unqualified knight… Saber heard Ryougi Raku mention Caster and recalled the children' tragic deaths. As the King of Knights, she should have fulfilled her duty but failed, saving not a single child. Her face contorted with anger, and her sacred figure declared indignantly, "It was my mistake that Caster escaped. Who knows how many more children will be sacrificed! The next time I encounter him, I will surely cut down this defiler of the Holy Grail War!" By the end, she clenched her fist even tighter. Though it wasn't her fault, she resolutely took the blame.
However, deep down, Saber still harbored some resentment toward Emiya Kiritsugu. If not for him, Caster would be dead, and who knows how many lives would have been saved then… Ryougi Raku shook his head, indicating he didn't blame Lancer, merely comforting him, "Since he's escaped, we'll find a way to track him. A guy like that is a major problem as long as he exists!"
"Yes!" Lancer responded. Saber also nodded.
Emiya Kiritsugu, seeing Lancer's attitude toward Ryougi Raku, sighed repeatedly. To have a Servant so firmly under control was exactly what he wished for, but with a Servant of Saber's nature, he could never achieve that. He also deeply doubted; Ryougi Raku didn't seem the compassionate type, yet his actions were perplexing… "Let's stop here for today. After killing Caster, we'll have our decisive battle with Lancer, Saber!" Ryougi Raku suddenly sensed something in the forest that piqued his interest, so he prepared to leave.
Saber smiled and nodded in agreement. She raised her sword and bowed respectfully. Ryougi Raku wasn't averse to such courtesy; on the contrary, he quite liked it. He and Lancer returned the bow simultaneously. With a glance, he signaled Lancer to spiritualize. Ryougi Raku then moved swiftly, disappearing from the castle, leaving only the word "Farewell" hanging in the air… Saber quietly watched Ryougi Raku depart, as if only then remembering Emiya Kiritsugu. She turned to assist him. Regardless, Emiya Kiritsugu had a strong vitality; he looked miserable, but with healing magecraft, recovery wasn't particularly difficult… Ryougi Raku sped forward, the howling wind unable to slow him in the slightest… It should be… Kotomine Kirei, right? I'd better hurry; it wouldn't do to let him escape… With a hint of interest, Ryougi Raku moved like the wind.
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When they decided to intercept Kotomine Kirei, Hisau Maiya and Irisviel were already prepared.
Kotomine Kirei had Assassin spiritualize and scout the forest. He witnessed the great battle between Saber, Lancer, and Caster and believed this was a good opportunity to approach Emiya Kiritsugu. However, Ryougi Raku's absence worried him greatly, but he still advanced resolutely.
Upon entering the forest, Kotomine Kirei was already prepared for battle at any moment, so Hisau Maiya's ambush was completely ineffective!
Gunshots rang out, and Kotomine Kirei narrowly dodged them. Though he was an Executor of the Church, he was still human, and a gunshot wound could easily kill him.
The Black Keys in his hand shot out, attempting to sense the enemy, but in Kotomine Kirei's perception, the enemy was rapidly moving and changing positions while simultaneously firing. Kotomine Kirei didn't believe the enemy's speed was that fast.
"...An illusion?" he thought. He quickly devised a countermeasure… Boom! A muffled sniper shot, and Kotomine Kirei fell to the ground.
"Hit!" Hisau Maiya was excited by the result. Without a second thought, she stepped out to check her target.
"Maiya-san, no!" Irisviel suddenly cried out, but it was too late!
Kotomine Kirei swiftly rolled over, catching Hisau Maiya completely off guard. He shot a Black Key, striking her leg. This single blow partially incapacitated her. Seeing Kotomine Kirei lunging at her, the battle-hardened veteran made the best judgment—she opened fire!
At such close range, Kotomine Kirei couldn't dodge, but he merely raised his sleeve to shield his most vulnerable head. The bullets sparked briefly upon impact. The bulletproof material of his vestments, combined with the Holy Church's blessings, made the garment highly resistant to bullets!
Seeing the bullets were useless, she discarded the now-useless gun, drew a dagger, and prepared to engage Kotomine Kirei in close combat!
However, though she was a mercenary who had fought in countless battles, she was still greatly outmatched by an Executor of the Holy Church. Moreover, Kotomine Kirei wasn't limited to just Black Keys!
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(TL : More Chapters @patreon.com/c/Gooberilla)