"What's wrong? What's wrong? All you can do is buzz around like a fly?"
The Dragon Witch continued hurling fireballs at Ryou while spewing venomous, sarcastic words, full of spite and sharpness.
Ryou, however, remained unfazed, flying around in the sky, trying to find an opening in the Dragon Witch's defenses.
But he couldn't find a good solution.
When facing a turret-type mage like the Dragon Witch, the best tactic would be to rush her and engage in close combat.
The problem was that her flames of resentment were far too terrifying.
Medea had cast various defensive spells, but the flames of resentment completely ignored them, passing right through.
Out of curiosity, Ryou had even let the flames brush past his fingertips to test their power.
Unexpectedly, the flames clung to him like a festering wound. He tried every method at his disposal, including the highest-level anti-curse potions and even invoking Primordial Runes, but nothing extinguished the flames of resentment clinging to his fingers.
Worse still, the area burned by the flames lost its ability to regenerate, turning into charred remains. The flames didn't die out; instead, they began spreading up his arm, threatening to engulf his entire body.
This was only the physical damage. The moment he was touched by the flames, he felt a terrifying wave of resentment attacking his soul.
Fortunately, he had a strong will, and there wasn't much resentment in that particular flame.
The Dragon Witch was indeed Jeanne's opposite, not only in personality but even in how their Noble Phantasms interacted.
If Jeanne's Noble Phantasm was a shield of faith, unbreakable in its defensive power, then the Dragon Witch's Noble Phantasm was fueled by hatred, summoning flames that burned the soul itself.
Ryou, left with no choice, grimly sliced off the finger that had been touched by the flames of resentment.
Thanks to his strong regenerative abilities, his finger quickly grew back.
Now that he had personally experienced the devastating power of the flames of resentment, he was not eager to rush in recklessly again.
Ryou wasn't completely out of options.
The invincibility effect of [Bite the Dust] ability or the time-stopping power of the Time Stone would both be excellent counters to the Dragon Witch.
However, the Holy Grail War had only just begun, and Ryou didn't want to reveal his trump cards too early.
He had noticed several familiars lurking nearby, clearly observing the commotion. It was obvious that their battle had already attracted attention.
Revealing his trump cards now would be unwise.
So, Ryou quickly made a strategic decision to retreat.
'Medea-chan, we're pulling out!'
Leaving this message through their mental link, Ryou flew behind a building, using its blind spot to quickly distance himself from the battlefield.
Medea followed suit, escaping the battle in the same manner.
By the time the Dragon Witch realized something was wrong, Ryou and Medea had already vanished.
"Damn you, Nguyen Ryou! Remember this! The next time I see you, I'll burn you to ashes!"
The Dragon Witch stomped the ground in rage.
...
Meanwhile, Ryou and Medea landed in a residential area after flying some distance away.
At that moment, his sharp senses detected a strong scent of blood.
'Master!?'
Medea looked over in surprise.
Ryou frowned and spoke through their mental link.
'There's no magical energy reaction. It's either a normal person or an Assassin. I'll go check it out. Be careful.'
'Okay, Master. Please stay safe!'
Ryou nodded and headed in the direction of the blood scent.
It led him to an ordinary two-story house that looked no different from the surrounding homes.
The iron gate in front was closed, and the windows were dark as if no one was home.
However, he noticed fresh tire marks outside the garage, and the garage door was down, indicating that someone had already returned home.
Thud!
At that moment, he heard a faint crashing sound, like someone falling down the stairs.
The sound was so weak, likely muffled by the walls, but his sharp ears picked it up.
So, someone was inside. But was it a Servant or...?
Ryou looked around to make sure no one was nearby. It was 1994, so there were no security cameras on the streets. With a swift movement, he climbed over the wall, as agile as a cat, and stealthily entered the house. His movements were silent and graceful.
Leaping through a window, he was immediately hit by the overwhelming stench of blood. A young man in purple clothing with short orange hair looked over at him in confusion.
"Huh~? A guest?"
If you only looked at his appearance, the young man had a handsome face full of youthful energy, even smiling cheerfully.
That is, if you ignored the blood on his face and body, and the bloody intestine he was holding in his hand.
"Ryuunosuke Uryuu," Ryou said coldly.
A flash of confusion passed through Ryuunosuke's eyes.
"Huh? You know me? Oh well, doesn't matter. Since you're here, why don't you join the party?"
He spread his arms wide as if welcoming him.
One had to admit that Ryuunosuke's good looks and sunny disposition could be quite deceptive.
If he were to start a cult, he'd unquestionably be the leader.
Unfortunately, Ryou had already seen through his nature — a young man with severe psychological issues.
Ryou's body tensed, and then there was a sharp crack as the wooden floor beneath him splintered. In an instant, he shot forward like a spear, closing the distance to Ryuunosuke.
Ryuunosuke was skilled in serial killing, but that was more due to his cunning and criminal instincts. Physically, he was just an ordinary young man.
On the other hand, after experiencing countless worlds, Ryou had long since transcended human limits.
Before Ryuunosuke could react, he was already upon him.
Without hesitation, Ryou punched Ryuunosuke in the stomach.
Thud!
With a muffled sound, a fist-shaped imprint appeared on Ryuunosuke's back.
"Gah!"
He immediately dropped to his knees in front of Ryou, vomiting blood, bits of organs, and the remains of his last meal all over the floor.
"Hmph."
Ryou snorted coldly, then started examining the room.
His face darkened as he took in the hellish scene before him.
This was the living room. There were still warm dishes on the dining table, and he could almost imagine a family of three sitting together, chatting and enjoying dinner in a cozy atmosphere.
But all of that had been destroyed by the monster standing before him, wearing a human skin.
Blood spattered the walls, floor, and furniture. In what seemed like an attempt to showcase his artistic talents, Ryuunosuke had sewn together the bodies of a man and a woman in such a grotesque way that their original forms were barely recognizable.
Ryou looked at Ryuunosuke, still kneeling and unable to get up, and a cold, cruel smile spread across his face.
The night was still young.
Ryou was not a good person, but he had his limits.
And right now, in front of him was a beast without any limits.
Since it was a beast, naturally, he would use methods reserved for dealing with beasts...
Outside the villa, Medea, who was on guard duty, suddenly heard a muffled scream filled with agony. It was as if someone had hit the mute button, as the scream abruptly stopped.
Immediately after, Medea sensed a faint magical fluctuation as a soundproof bounded field enveloped the entire house.
Curious, Medea began walking toward the house.
'Medea, stay outside and don't come in.'
Ryou's voice suddenly echoed in her mind.
Medea hesitated for a moment but ultimately decided against investigating. As long as she confirmed her Master was safe, that was all that mattered.
'Understood, Master.'
After that, the mental link went silent.
...
Two hours later, Ryou looked down at Ryuunosuke Uryuu, who was lying on the ground, his face smeared with snot and tears.
Ryou nudged Ryuunosuke with his foot.
"Stop pretending to be dead and answer me. What's a thousand minus seven?"
Ryuunosuke's vacant eyes showed no response.
"Tch! I thought you were tougher, but it turns out you're just all talk."
For two hours, Ryou tortured him using various cruel methods, then used healing potions and runes with restorative effects to keep him alive.
Ryou had expected Ryuunosuke, who enjoyed using bizarre methods to murder others, to have a strong will. But after less than half an hour, Ryuunosuke had already broken down.
This guy had all sorts of twisted methods for torturing others and even called himself an artist.
But when it came to enduring pain himself, he crumbled. What a cowardly weakling.
Ryou found it all rather boring now. He stomped down, crushing Ryuunosuke's skull, and then turned toward the front door of the house.
As he opened the door to leave, he suddenly looked back, his gaze sweeping over a closet inside the house, a meaningful smile playing on his lips. Then he stepped outside.
Bang!
The door closed with a soft sound as if cutting off everything inside the house from the outside world.
All that remained were three mutilated corpses and the dripping sound of blood hitting the floor as if recounting the tragedy that had just unfolded.
At that moment, the closet door gently creaked open, and a small red-haired boy crawled out.
...
Barely three minutes after Ryou and Medea had left, a figure landed in front of the villa where the dramatic events had just unfolded.
Long silver hair flowed down to her ankles, and she wore pitch-black armor that exuded an aura of malice and authority.
There was no mistaking it — the figure was none other than the Dragon Witch, Jeanne Alter.
As soon as she touched the ground, she activated her detection abilities, but quickly realized the people she was searching for had already disappeared.
"Damn it! I'm too late!"
The Dragon Witch stomped her foot in frustration, the concrete beneath her cracking under the force.
One hour earlier...
The Dragon Witch had angrily returned to her base.
It was an abandoned factory.
The rusty iron gate was only half intact, and the towering chimneys were weathered by years of wind and rain. Most of the factory windows had been shattered, and stubborn weeds were pushing up through cracks in the ground.
The wide factory hall seemed to tell of a once-glorious past, but now it was covered in moss, making it a playground for rats and cockroaches.
"Damn it, I'm so pissed off! That bastard! If I ever see him again, I'll burn him to ashes!"
The Dragon Witch stomped, her long boots making loud thudding sounds on the ground, sending clouds of dust into the air, and causing her to cough.
"Damn you, Nguen Ryou! It's all your fault!"
But the Dragon Witch seemed to fear kicking up more dust, so she stopped halfway and lowered her foot.
She crossed her arms over her chest, grinding her teeth in frustration.
Her agitated movements caused her ample chest to press together and jiggle, as if about to burst out of her clothing at any moment.
Just as the Dragon Witch was fuming...
A strange man wearing a purple-blue robe, with bulging frog-like eyes and holding a book made of human skin, suddenly emerged from the shadows.
Anyone familiar with the Fate anime series, or who had played a certain gacha mobile game, would instantly recognize him as the infamous Bluebeard, formerly the French marshal Gilles de Rais, and the number one Jeanne fanatic.
"Ah, my holy maiden! You've returned."
Gilles de Rais immediately shouted in a bizarre chant-like tone.
But the Dragon Witch was still furious.
"Don't call me a holy maiden!"
In a flash, she jabbed her two fingers straight into Gilles de Rais' bulging frog eyes.
Splat!
With a soft squelch, Gilles de Rais clutched his face and howled in pain.
Hearing what he had said, the Dragon Witch suddenly felt the urge to turn him into a roasted frog.
"Ahhhh! This is the most precious gift from my beloved Jeanne!"
Even the Dragon Witch couldn't bear to watch any longer. She kicked his side in disgust.
"Idiot! Stop messing around!"
After this brief farce, the two finally began to converse normally.
"I ran into that bastard Nguyen Ryou!"
Even though she had calmed down, the Dragon Witch still gritted her teeth whenever she mentioned his name.
However, Gilles de Rais became even more riled up than the Dragon Witch.
"Nguen Ryou!? That vile blasphemer of the holy maiden! That traitor who deserves to burn at the stake! I must offer his soul to the evil gods of the otherworld!"
Gilles de Rais shouted as he tugged at his hair in a frenzy.
"Hey! You idiot! Stop saying things that will cause misunderstandings! And stop calling me a holy maiden!"
The Dragon Witch's face turned red, and she kicked Gilles de Rais in the knee without hesitation.
But Gilles de Rais merely looked like he was enjoying it.
Faced with such a pervert, even the Dragon Witch was at a loss.
"Enough nonsense! We can afford to lose this Holy Grail War, but Nguyen Ryou must die!"
Gilles de Rais' expression became deadly serious.
"As you command."
But his next words were like a dagger to the Dragon Witch's heart.
"However, if I remember correctly, the holy maiden does possess a skill that allows her to detect the location of Servants..."
The Dragon Witch's face instantly turned awkward as she remembered that, in addition to her Avenger class, she also held the Ruler class.
But in her rage... she had completely forgotten.
"Argh!!! It's all Nguyen Ryou's fault!"
The empty factory echoed with the Dragon Witch's anguished wails.