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Scáthach engaged in a decisive battle with Saber at the mountain gate.
Kariya stood in the middle of the mountain, blocking Tokiomi's path.
Justeaze resided in the Ryuudou Temple, overseeing the ritual.
Emiya Kiritsugu, who infiltrated from the back mountain, was entrusted to Irisviel and Maiya for persuasion.
Now, the question arises: where is the puppeteer behind the scenes, the one who manipulates everything and cheats the script, Matou Shinji? And what is he up to?
The answer is simple: he is up in the sky, watching the spectacle unfold.
Before the dust settles, no one can guarantee that they will have the last laugh. Therefore, it is necessary to have a "firefighter" who oversees the overall situation and is prepared for any eventuality. Shinji has designed himself to play this role.
The battle at the mountain gate reached a stalemate. At this rate, even after another half hour, it would be impossible to determine the winner.
Inside the Ryuudou Temple, Emiya Kiritsugu had already grasped the situation. He was now making a final confirmation—he cupped the black mud flowing from the altar in his hands, personally experiencing the essence of the Holy Grail.
He was a man so obsessed that he had almost gone mad. If he didn't see the truth with his own eyes, his obsession would not shatter.
Shinji also believed that even the curse formed by the aggregation of "humanity's evil" could not corrupt this man's spirit, for he was a "hero of justice"!
Lastly, at the mountain slope, the situation was the most dangerous and also the place where Shinji paid the most attention.
Compared to the duel between Scáthach and Saber, the battle between Kariya and Tokiomi had nothing to do with bravery or excitement. It couldn't even be considered decent.
At the beginning of the fight, they both displayed the appearance of magus, using magecraft for offense and defense, and showcasing their impressive Mystic Code. However, when Kariya brought out his spear, Ishtar's weapon, and "smashed the floor," the battle took a strange turn.
Not only did the art style change, but the scene went from being unattractive to downright ugly.
The backdrop—tilted and twisted trees—was unsightly.
The characters—Tokiomi with a swollen face, and Kariya with a crooked eye and twisted mouth—were also unsightly.
Even more unsightly was their fighting style. It was a brawl, each one giving a punch and receiving a kick, grappling with each other, like two low-level street thugs fighting.
This kind of rough and graceless melee combat was certainly not what Tokiomi desired, but he had no choice. Kariya was like a mad dog, completely abandoning defense and only wanting to "bite" him.
No matter how much Tokiomi punched and kicked, how he employed his Bajiquan, Kariya paid no attention. As long as he could land a hit on Tokiomi, he could endure five or ten times from Tokiomi attacks without any problem.
Normally, in such a fight, even if Tokiomi's skill in Bajiquan was not high, Kariya wouldn't be able to hold on for more than a few minutes.
But the reality was different.
Kariya's resilience far exceeded Tokiomi's expectations. Despite enduring dozens of heavy punches and kicks, he did not fall and continued grappling with him.
Gradually, Tokiomi began to sense something amiss.
After so many heavy blows, even a tiger should be beaten to death. How could Kariya, an untrained street thug, continue fighting without showing any signs of stopping?
This couldn't be explained solely by willpower. Willpower can endure, but the body should have reached its limit long ago.
Why was this happening?
As Tokiomi's attention wavered for a moment, he received another punch to the face. His swollen cheek, already under considerable strain, couldn't bear the burden anymore. Dark blood oozed from broken capillaries, staining half of Tokiomi's face.
However, it was this punch, which landed very close to his eye, that gave Tokiomi the answer.
Faint blue light emanated from the inner side of Kariya's arm, concealed by his sportswear, accompanied by subtle magical fluctuations.
Tokiomi initially thought that Kariya, like him, had hidden pockets in his clothes to store magical props, and the magical fluctuations were leaking from them.
But now he was certain. The fluctuations of magical energy did not come from any magical props; they originated from within Kariya's body. It was this magical energy that enhanced Kariya's physical abilities, allowing him to confront Tokiomi for such a long time. It was a form of body enhancement magecraft!
"No, it can't be! Why can you still use magecraft?"
It was no wonder Tokiomi was so astonished. In this situation, even a seasoned magus like him had no opportunity to chant spells or use gems. So why could someone like Kariya, a half-hearted amateur, do it?
Tokiomi's sudden roar caused Kariya's movements to pause for a moment, and then he rolled up his sleeves and launched himself more recklessly.
"Let this half-hearted amateur teach you a lesson. Rune magic doesn't require chanting. As long as the runes are inscribed in advance and infused with magical energy at the moment of use, they will take effect immediately."
On the inner side of Kariya's arm, the exclusive magic crest of the Matou family sparkled with a watery blue light. Surrounding the crest was a circle of special runic symbols. This was the capital that allowed Kariya to confront Tokiomi with his ordinary human body.
The magic attribute of the Matou family was "Water," and its magical characteristic was "Absorption and Conversion." These two elements together formed the core of the Matou family's magecraft, deeply engraved in the magic crest, passed down through generations.
Using the magic crest as a medium and his own body as a vessel, Kariya utilized alchemy taught by Justeaze to connect the runes bestowed by Scáthach with the magic crest, evolving a unique form of magecraft.
No chanting was necessary, and no preparation was required. As long as he provided magical energy to the magic crest, his physical abilities would be enhanced. This was the sole achievement of Kariya's one-year magical career.
Kariya's words and the radiance of the runes brought even greater shock to Tokiomi.
He never expected that Kariya would use the lost art of rune magic, nor did he anticipate the power of the rune magic in its partially ruined state. What shocked him even more was that Kariya was willing to burn his own life to defeat him.
Yes, Kariya was burning his life.
Although Tokiomi didn't know the specific composition of the magecraft, he could tell that the fusion of the magic crest and the runes absorbed not only magical energy but also Kariya's vitality. With every passing second, Kariya's life would diminish a little.
"Have you gone mad? Kariya, you're walking a path of self-destruction," Tokiomi shouted angrily as he defended against Kariya's fierce attacks.
"Yes, I have gone mad. I've been crazy since that day."
Since the day Aoi married you, since the day you brought Sakura home, I swore that I would beat you up mercilessly!
"Come on, Tokiomi. Let's see who falls first, you or me draining my life away."
The blue light emitted from the magic crest covered Kariya's entire body. It was all of his magical power, the radiance of his life.
"Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh!"
Kariya let out a hysterical roar. After snatching Tokiomi's staff, he once again unleashed tremendous power. The once defeated dog transformed into a ravenous beast, clinging onto Tokiomi's body, overpowering him with Bajiquan and pinning him down to the ground.
Tokiomi struggled fiercely, kneeing and elbowing, continuously inflicting injuries on Kariya, but Kariya wouldn't release his grip.
Not only did he not let go, but he also intentionally endured the congestion in his lungs, nausea in his stomach, spitting saliva, and clotted blood all over Tokiomi's face.
The outpouring of vomit stripped away Tokiomi's last vestiges of elegance and composure, sparking his masculine instinct. He grabbed Kariya's upper garment, and the two of them tumbled down the hillside together.
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