The Fifth Day of the Holy Grail War
At the stroke of midnight, three figures appeared at the gates of Ryuudou Temple.
One was Matou Sakura, dressed in a dark evening gown, resembling the queen of the night.
Another was Salter, clad in pitch-black armor etched with blood-red patterns, resembling the queen's knightly guard.
The third figure, however, was crawling on the ground.
The contrast between her black leather outfit and her pale skin was striking. Silver-white hair adorned with a black cat-ear headband flowed down her back. Her delicate face was partially obscured by a black eye mask that covered nearly half of it.
Around her tender neck was a black collar attached to a slender iron chain, which was currently held in Matou Sakura's hand. Behind her trailed a lifelike black cat tail, the base of which made it clear that it was inserted somewhere intimate.
This figure, a perfect embodiment of BDSM aesthetics, caught between the appearance of a young maiden and a loli, was none other than Caren Hortensia, who had been defeated and captured by Matou Sakura.
As this strange trio ascended the long staircase, Ryou and Medea were already waiting in the plaza.
Sakura and Salter did not attempt to conceal their presence. Long before they had entered the vicinity of Mount Enzou, Salter had unleashed a terrifying killing intent, openly declaring their arrival at Ryuudou Temple without any hint of subterfuge.
Sensing this murderous intent, Ryou knew that the time for the final battle had come. However, when he saw the approaching figures, he couldn't help but freeze for a moment.
A blackened Artoria and a silver-haired Sakura—weren't these their iconic forms from the Heaven's Feel route of the Fate series?
Even though I've already taken the core of the Great Holy Grail, leaving it an empty shell, they still managed to become corrupted... Could this be the fabled convergence of worldlines?
And who's that silver-haired girl on the ground, looking more like a professional BDSM enthusiast?
A flood of terms that any seasoned veteran would recognize—exposure, outdoor play, uniforms, BDSM—flashed through his mind. He glanced at the chain in Sakura's hand.
Ryou couldn't help but sigh.
It seems we have a connoisseur here. She knows how to play.
Although his mind was filled with questions, after testing the silver Root Gem's abilities, he had come up with a rather bold idea...
At that moment, Sakura spoke.
Her voice was soft and gentle, but it was filled with bloody killing intent and undisguised malice—completely different from the sweet and tender image of the soft-spoken girl that ha had in mind.
"Mr. Ryou, we meet again. I've been thinking about you constantly... thinking about how to take your life~"
With that, Matou Sakura performed a graceful curtsy.
At the same time, the blackened Artoria spoke, her voice so cold it could freeze the air.
"Nguyen Ryou, ten years ago, you used the most despicable means to assassinate Irisviel. From that moment, I swore upon my name as the King of Knights that, even if I were to fall into the depths of hell, I would kill you. Are you ready?"
Great, two more people who have a grudge against me.
But by now, Ryou's heart was as calm as still water.
Why? Simple.
The first enemy shocked him. The second left him baffled. The third filled him with questions...
But now, these were the fourth and fifth people to appear with a vendetta against him.
Ryou had completely gotten used to it. He even found himself wondering just how many people in this messed-up Fifth Holy Grail War bore a grudge against him.
When Sakura and Salter called out his name, the silver-haired catgirl, who was the embodiment of BDSM, suddenly raised her head, as if trying to get a clearer look at him.
Yep, this one's probably holding a grudge against me too.
"So much pointless talk. You want to fight, right? Bring it on."
Ryou casually beckoned with his hand, looking completely unfazed.
Sakura's smile remained unchanged, but the killing intent in her eyes grew even stronger.
Salter took a few steps forward, positioning herself between Ryou and Sakura.
Boom!
With almost no warning, both Ryou and Salter simultaneously pushed off the ground, creating deep craters in the supposedly EX-ranked, Noble-Phantasm-resistant stone tiles of Ryuudou Temple.
Two black silhouettes shot toward each other like arrows loosed from a bowstring.
As soon as Ryou made his move, Medea leaped backward, taking to the sky. She began casting a series of support and enhancement spells, which rained down on him, instantly boosting his speed by a significant margin.
Bang!
A powerful fist clashed with Salter's pitch-black magical sword in midair, producing a booming sound like the tolling of a cathedral bell. Sparks flew as the shockwave compressed the air, forming a ripple of force that swept outward.
The stone lanterns lining the distant road, each weighing hundreds of kilograms, were caught in the blast and toppled over. The umbrella-like tops shattered into pieces as they hit the ground.
Sakura didn't even flinch. Without any visible effort, a black ice wall rose, shielding her from the shockwave.
The powerful gust that had knocked over the stone lanterns couldn't even budge the ice wall. Sakura's hair didn't stir, and her face remained calm and composed.
After their initial exchange, the two combatants separated. This time, Ryou had been pushed back, retreating five or six steps, while Salter stood her ground without moving an inch.
"You've grown weaker," Salter remarked, a brief flicker of surprise flashing in her eyes. Though it disappeared quickly, Ryou noticed it, and it confirmed his earlier suspicions.
Sensing something off about him, Salter intensified her assault, as if determined to exploit his weakness and finish him off.
Her magical sword slashed at him in the simplest, most efficient manner possible—a killing technique honed by the King of Knights through countless battles.
It wasn't the most powerful swordsmanship, but it was the one that suited her best. In her hands, it was flawless.
Moreover, her already A-ranked strength was amplified by her A-ranked [Mana Burst], giving her attacks the power to cleave mountains and shatter cliffs.
Each time Ryou blocked one of her strikes, he could feel his bones creaking, as if they might snap at any moment.
It wasn't just his imagination. He could feel the [power of revenge] rapidly accumulating inside him. It was obvious that under Salter's relentless assault, his body was suffering internal damage.
Fortunately, the recovery effects of [Reversal God of War] had been significantly enhanced. Combined with his Mystic Code and Medea's continuous healing spells from the rear, his recovery speed barely kept up with the damage Salter was dealing.
As soon as the power of Revenge reached its peak, it would be time for himto strike back!
Planning to counterattack with Noble Phantasm?
As Salter continued her attack, she smirked inwardly. Having fought him before, how could she not know his tricks?
Though she wasn't entirely sure of the exact effects of his Noble Phantasm, as a seasoned knight of countless battlefields, she could make an educated guess.
It's probably something like Spartacus' skill—gathering energy from taking damage and then releasing it all in one go.
There's no way I'm letting you have your way!
Ryou immediately sensed something was wrong. The blackened Artoria's aura spiked dramatically. Before he could react, she poured even more mana into her attacks. Tremendous amounts of energy were drawn from her heart and her Master, surging into her limbs.
She raised her sword high and brought it down in a vertical slash aimed at his head. Ryou barely managed to block the attack, but Salter used the recoil to spin her wrist, turning the vertical slash into a horizontal one aimed directly at his waist. If this strike connected, Ryou would be cut in half.
In that critical moment, he had no choice but to unleash his mana to its maximum, using the flexibility of his arms to intercept the slash just before it could sever him. The wind generated by the sword's swing carved thin, long wounds into his body, but he couldn't afford to worry about these minor injuries.
This time, Salter didn't withdraw her sword; instead, she pressed down with all her strength, forcing him into a disadvantageous struggle for power. Sparks flew constantly where his fists met her sword. With her calculated moves and overwhelming power, Salter completely suppressed him. The edge of the sword slowly but steadily advanced toward his side.
Unable to hold on any longer, Ryou was eventually sent flying by Salter's blow. However, her assault wasn't over yet.
A pitch-black light erupted from her sword as the star-forged weapon bared its fangs like never before.
"Sink into the mountain of corpses. Collapse...Excalibur Morgan!!!"
With a furious shout, Salter raised her sword high and swung it down with all her might. A torrent of black-purple light rushed toward Ryou, who was still airborne. He barely managed to raise his arms in front of him, but in the next second, he was engulfed by the flood of darkness.
The beam of dark light didn't stop after swallowing him; it continued forward, slicing through the Temple behind him. In an instant, the hall was split in two and collapsed with a thunderous crash. Even then, the black torrent didn't cease—it kept advancing, cutting through all of Ryuudou Temple, before finally shooting into the sky from the peak of Mount Enzou.
From a distance, it looked like a massive black laser beam piercing the heavens from the mountain's summit. Thankfully, it was nighttime, and the beam was black, so ordinary people wouldn't notice it.
From a bird's-eye view, the entire Ryuudou Temple looked as if a giant had cleaved it in two with a single sword strike.
"Master!"
Medea cried out in alarm. Instinctively, she raised her staff, ready to use her Noble Phantasm to heal him.
"Oh no, no~! I can't let you do that, dear Medea~," Sakura said, her smile sweet yet sinister.
"Assassin, do it!"
At Sakura's command, a purple-haired figure riding a white Pegasus shot down from the sky, aiming straight for Medea.
Bang!
Caught off guard, Medea was slammed into the rubble.
Sakura, hands clasped behind her back, made no move to intervene. However, the shadows behind her seemed to come to life, writhing and twisting as they snaked into the ground through a tiny crack.
Boom!
Suddenly, Ryou, his body glowing with golden light, burst forth from the ruins. But in that brief moment, he noticed something odd—Salter's expression hadn't changed at all, as if she had known all along that her black light cannon wouldn't kill him.
Just as I suspected...
Salter's reaction only further confirmed his theory. Instead of feeling relieved, it made him even more frustrated.
In the past, he had always used his foreknowledge to exploit his enemies' weaknesses. Now, the tables were completely turned, and this fight was becoming more and more suffocating. It felt like he had outwitted himself.
Ryou quickly pushed these distracting thoughts aside. The enhanced effects of [Reversal War God] had a time limit, and his opponent wasn't some weakling that would go down easily.
With a powerful kick, Ryou shot forward, parallel to the ground, like a bolt of lightning toward Salter. With his stats doubled, he quickly gained the upper hand.
His fists rained down on her like a storm. Thanks to her high-ranked [Instinct], Salter wielded her two-handed sword with such precision that it formed an impenetrable defense. The occasional punch that slipped through landed on her black armor, producing only dull thuds without causing any real damage.
Suddenly, Ryou threw a right hook aimed at Salter's temple. With a flick of her wrist, her sword traced a graceful arc, ready to intercept his punch. If he continued, his elbow joint would be impaled by her sword before his fist even got close.
But it seemed as though Ryoug had anticipated this outcome. Without hesitation, he slammed his left hand down hard on the flat of her blade. With his overwhelming strength, coupled with foresight, Salter's sword was immediately knocked aside. His right hook met no resistance as it smashed into her cheek.
She was sent flying, her delicate face swelling instantly, a thin trickle of blood escaping her lips.
Though he had sent Salter flying, Ryou wasn't done yet. With another powerful leap, he caught up to her mid-air. His fist pulled back to his waist, his stance setting up for a finishing blow.
"Machine Gun Blow!"
Gentlemanly conduct? Showing mercy?
Sorry, those words don't exist in his dictionary when it comes to dealing with enemies.
It didn't matter how much he had liked Salter before being transported to this world, nor how popular she was. As long as she stood in front of him as an enemy, nothing else mattered!
Now positioned behind Salter, Ryou's fist was aimed squarely at the vital spot on her back, poised to strike like a venomous serpent. However, he didn't notice the smile creeping across her face, even as she faced away from him.
In her left hand, she clutched a glowing, rainbow-colored orb.
Blood-red energy surged out of Ryou's body, enveloping him like armor. Most of that energy flowed into his right fist, which he was about to unleash.
"Machine Gun Blow!"