It's normal for an evil god to raise an Abyss.

Suddenly, Kirei felt the murderous intent coming from the other side, and his body subconsciously dodged to the side. The next moment, several magic bullets had hit the place where Kirei had been standing before.

"Ah la la, everything is blooming, it's so lively, but Agent, if you have the ability, go and fight Saber or Lancer. What's the point of bullying two women with little fighting power here~"

With a somewhat light tone, Xueyue floated down to the battlefield, hovering in the air about ten centimeters above the ground, looking at Irisviel and Maiya lying on the ground.

"Caster, that man is very dangerous!" Irisviel warned loudly.

And Yunfeng Kirei was faster than words. He had already rushed in front of Xueyue and delivered a clean and neat elbow.

Xueyue's body flew backwards, and several trees were affected. They staggered and fell down, raising a lot of smoke and dust.

“…” Seeing that Caster was defeated so quickly and was still no match for the man in front of him, Irisviel and Maiya both felt a little complicated.

"..." Having successfully repelled Caster, Kirei felt that the feel of his hand was slightly different at that moment, as if he had hit a ball of cotton.

Putting aside such insignificant details, Kirei did not plan to stay for long. Regardless of how Caster managed to avoid Assassin's detection and come here, Caster's arrival would make the situation more complicated. This time, he could only cancel the plan to go find Kiritsugu. As a Servant, even if Caster's attack was not fatal, as a job with a shortcoming in physical ability, he would not be able to catch up for a while. Now was the best time to evacuate.

Thinking of this, Qi Li immediately turned around and prepared to return the same way.

An object flew out from the smoke and dust, heading straight for the back of Kirei's neck. Kirei turned around and blocked the object with the Black Key.

It was an item that was beyond Kirei's expectations. It was not made of a particularly rare material. On the contrary, it was something that could be found everywhere in this forest. But precisely because of this, it was very different from a traditional weapon—it was just a leaf that could be found everywhere in the forest.

A figure emerged from the gradually dissipating smoke and dust. It was Xueyue who had been defeated before.

There were no scars on Xueyue's body. She just discarded her pretentious staff and black robe, looking more capable.

"A little trick of [Picking Leaves and Flying Flowers], just as an appetizer~" Noticing Kirei's slight confusion about the means of attack, Xueyue "enthusiastically" answered.

"We have an old saying: 'An tooth for a tooth', and I see that you know a little bit of boxing, so it shouldn't be a problem for me to 'fight back a fist', right~"

Xueyue made a gesture of asking for help, which was both a provocation and an invitation to fight.

Chapter 22 Baji vs Baji

Xueyue leaned forward and launched the first attack. Kotomine Kirei was not to be outdone and bent his elbow to directly collide with the incoming fist.

Irisviel and Maiya, who were standing by, were a little stunned when they saw the fierce attack and defense between the two. Even though they were not familiar with martial arts, they could see that the close combat between Caster and Kotomine Kirei had briefly reached a balance.

A mage is evenly matched with the Agent in close combat. Is she really Caster?

It is not difficult to understand why Irisviel and Maiya have this doubt. After all, it is a stereotype that Caster is not good at close combat, not to mention that Xueyue is not Caster.

Kotomine Kirei, who was on the warring side, was also not feeling well at this time. If he continued to drag out the fight, he would be in a disadvantageous position. Kotomine Kirei had thought about ending the fight quickly. The Bajiquan he had learned, after his own improvement, was one of the most efficient killing techniques. However, in the confrontation with Caster in front of him, the opponent was like a loach, turning all of Kirei's killing moves into nothingness. What was even more annoying was that, judging from a warrior's intuition, the opponent was more of a playful attitude. This entanglement made Kirei's heart more and more irritated.

In fact, Kotomine Kirei's intuition was correct. Xueyue was indeed "playing around". In the small country of Neon, there were also people who learned Chinese boxing. Xueyue really came to fight with a playful mentality. Therefore, she simply used a variety of boxing skills without using magic to enhance her strength. She used "four ounces" of strength to push Kirei's enhanced "thousand pounds". Although Kirei's defense could not be broken without magic enhancement, it was enough to entangle him here.

Once again, Kirei's hammering force was dissipated. Xueyue used a blocking punch to directly hit Kirei's forearms, which only forced him back a step. Xueyue took advantage of the situation and attacked Kirei's face with a high-position change of direction kick with her right leg. Kirei used his left elbow to push in the direction of Xueyue's calf, took a step forward with his right foot, clenched his right fist, and rushed to Xueyue's abdomen with a step forward punch.

In close combat and defense, "keep your legs below the knees" is a key point, because a kick from a high position can easily become a flaw, and Xueyue's current situation is exactly like this. Kirei has also accurately grasped this flaw, and this forward hammer attack is unavoidable... right?

Xueyue seemed to have anticipated Kirei's response. The left foot that supported her body had already slipped, allowing her body to fall down. The change-of-line kick that was originally used as a means of attack was out of the question. As her body shifted, Xueyue wrapped her hands around Kirei's right arm like a snake, negating the blow that was sure to be successful. Then, relying on inertia and physical strength, she turned her entire body upside down with a move that ordinary people could not do, and kicked Kirei's jaw directly with her left leg.

This was undoubtedly a killing move of exchanging injury for injury. In this strange change of moves, Kirei could of course choose to raise his leg and kick Xueyue's head, but he would also be hit directly on the chin by Xueyue's attack, and the action of raising his leg would also cause him to lose balance for a moment, and he would most likely lose the initiative in the next round.

At this moment, Kotomine Kirei no longer had the mentality to fight to the death here, and naturally would not adopt this kind of fighting style of exchanging injuries for injuries. He just tilted his head back to avoid the attack and responded with a conservative defensive posture.

This was naturally within Xueyue's expectations, but soon she felt something was being grabbed at the ankle of her left foot.

"Eh?"

Kirei's reaction speed was beyond Xueyue's expectations, and his left foot, which had missed the attack, was actually caught by Kirei. However, Xueyue quickly thought of a countermeasure, and with the potential energy created by her hands, she bent her left knee and pushed forward, forcing Kirei, who was still holding on, to let go.

Xueyue landed on the ground, pushed herself up with her hands and leaped backwards, stopping about three meters away from Kotomine Kirei.

"It was a little exercise, and I had a lot of fun. Now it's time to get serious."

Irisviel and Maiya, who were watching the show from the sidelines, were shocked once again. Was the dazzling attack and defense just now just a "warm-up" stage? Then what level is Caster's real strength?

The next moment, Xueyue's suddenly rising momentum seemed to have answered this question.

As the opponent, Kotomine Kirei felt this more clearly, with sweat oozing from his forehead. The girl in front of him gave him the feeling that she was like a sword that had been sealed for many years and was now just about to be unsheathed. The situation had reached the point where Assassin had to appear to help him escape.

"[Taiji brings peace to the world in literature, Baji brings order to the universe in martial arts] is a variation of a fighting method, but it also illustrates the power of Bajiquan. Your Bajiquan method is indeed good, but it has form but no meaning."

Xueyue's meaning was naturally not that Kirei's Bajiquan was not "authentic". Bajiquan has always been extremely strong and fierce, emphasizing the need to defeat the enemy in the shortest possible round of fighting. It is an out-and-out killing skill, which is why it has the reputation of "Steel Fist". What Xueyue meant by "tangible but unintentional" was more about Kirei himself. Compared with his own emptiness, the boxing technique that only has a form is secondary.

"It's so empty. Your heart is so empty."

A person's martial arts and mind are also very important. It doesn't matter what you want to protect or defeat, it doesn't matter whether it's good or evil, you must have a will. Kirei is like a steel pipe. Maybe it looks strong on the outside, but if it encounters a solid steel pipe, its fragility will be exposed.

"You want to save something, but you have no joy in your heart; you want to destroy something, but your morality is binding you; in the final analysis, you are nothing more than a "half-baked" person."

"Caster, you seem to know a lot, so can you answer my questions?" Kotomine Kirei's face was buried in the shadows and could not be seen clearly.

"Yes, but I don't want to. I'm not interested in being a psychological counselor. Why not ask your heart? However, I don't have much time left. You should taste my fist first."

Xueyue exerted force with her legs and was launched out like a cannonball, creating a gust of wind.

"?!" Kotomine Kirei's defense was easily torn apart, and his left arm was held by Xueyue, while Xueyue's right fist was ready to hammer. Contrary to what many people think, the real killer move of Bajiquan is not to repel the enemy with the elbow, but to entangle the opponent and continuously attack the inner gate.

As Xue Yue was about to launch a killing move, a cold light suddenly flashed in the woods. Although it failed to completely stop Xue Yue's attack, it reduced most of the power of her attack. After being hit by Xue Yue's punch, Erfeng Qili broke free from the entanglement and retreated backwards.

Xueyue ignored the blade stuck in the ground because the real enemy was lurking behind her.

Chapter 23 Origin Bomb

Assassin, wearing a skull mask, raised his sharp blade and stabbed towards Xueyue's back. Xueyue simply tilted her body to avoid the attack, and at the same time hooked Assassin's head with her legs and threw him directly to the ground.

Assassin was probably already filled with surprise beneath his mask, as Caster's reaction speed and agility far exceeded his expectations.

Different from the previous playfulness, this time Xueyue didn't waste too much time. After throwing Assassin to the ground, she stomped hard on his chest. The excess force formed a big hole on the ground. Then she formed a sharp blade with her right hand and directly beheaded Assassin, who was still spitting blood.

When I looked up again and tried to find Kotomine Kirei's figure, he had already disappeared into the forest.

That fatal hammer blow would probably not cause too much damage to Kotomine Kirei due to Assassin's interference, but Xueyue didn't come with the intention of killing him. Instead, Assassin's sudden appearance made Xueyue feel a little bad, so she killed the clone cleanly.

Xueyue casually threw the blade into the shadow and looked at Irisviel and Maiya who were doing OMO nearby.

"I guess I don't need to introduce myself. I guess you guys haven't forgotten me yet." Xueyue said in a relaxed tone.

“Yes, thank you Miss Caster for your help.” Irisviel thanked her with proper aristocratic etiquette. Although she still didn’t know the other party’s purpose of forming an alliance, it was a fact that Caster had defeated Kotomine Kirei. And with the strength that Caster had shown so far, let alone the fact that Maiya was seriously injured, even if the two of them were in good condition, they would not dare to make enemies with Caster.

“It looks like Saber and Lancer are still fighting, so I have to join in the fun… Oh, by the way, here’s a contact address. If you need help, just take this token and go here.” Without waiting for Irisviel and Maiya to say anything more, Xueyue had already jumped up, broke through the cover of the leaves, and merged into the night sky.

With the faint moonlight, Maiya caught a glimpse of the address above, but her pupils shrank slightly.

“What’s wrong?” Irisviel noticed something a little unusual in Maiya’s expression.

"This address is too close... It should be a deserted area!"

-------------------------------------

Inside Einzbern Castle.

Emiya Kiritsugu was leaning against the end of the corridor on the third floor, breathing heavily.

Kenneth's Moon Spirit Marrow Fluid is indeed a tricky gift. It is impeccable from both the attack and defense perspectives. Emiya Kiritsugu relied on Kenneth's carelessness and left a scar on his shoulder with a single large-caliber bullet, but there will never be a second chance like this.

Just like a cat-and-mouse game, Kiritsugu Emiya relied on a magic called "inherent time control" - a magic that speeds up the time in his body, to narrowly avoid Kenneth's attacks. However, the side effects of this magic were obvious, and it put a huge strain on the body.

No matter how big the castle is, it has an end. At the end of the corridor on the third floor, it is already a "dead end", and Kenneth's footsteps are getting closer and closer. No matter from which angle you consider it, this is the end of this battle.

"You rat in the gutter, you finally have nowhere to escape. Don't worry, I won't kill you so easily. I will treat your lungs and heart, making you beg for death but unable to do so. Then I will take care of you bit by bit from every fingertip of yours."

Kenneth made a sinister announcement of the execution. No matter what, he would not let this clown who had no magician's demeanor go. Such an ugly guy actually hurt him, which made Kenneth even more angry.

"Die in regret, pain, and despair, and curse your employer's cowardice, the Master who insulted the Holy Grail War."

Until now, Kenneth still believes that Kiritsugu is an artificial being of Einzbern and the real Master, which also shows that Kiritsugu's Master replacement plan is very successful.

At this moment, the distance between the two was only fifteen meters, which was the distance for the final action. Kiritsugu did not hesitate and pulled out the Calico to fire a rain of 9mm bullets. Of course, this level of attack was completely unable to break through the defense of the Moon Spirit Marrow Fluid. This was just a feint.

The real trump card that can win this duel is the special bullet loaded into the competitor in the right hand - the origin bullet.

The Origin Bullet is a special bullet made from Kiritsugu's own ribs ground into powder as the core, and its specialness comes from Kiritsugu's innate magical attributes, which include both "cutting off" and "regeneration". The Origin Bullet will materialize Kiritsugu's "origin" on the target it hits, and there will be no wound at the site of the hit, but it will be like an old necrotic wound, looking like it has been healed, but the nerves and blood vessels have lost their original functions.

The effect of the Origin Bullet is even more deadly to magicians. If the magician who is driving the magic circuit is compared to a high-voltage current circuit, then the Origin Bullet is like a drop of water. The tragic consequences it causes are naturally self-evident - the circuit will short-circuit, and the rampant current will directly destroy the circuit itself, causing serious damage.

Before this, the bullet fired by the same competitor penetrated the automatic defense of the Moon Spirit Marrow Fluid and injured Kenneth's shoulder. Now, Kiritsugu raised the gun to shoot again, and Kenneth would not let him succeed. He focused all his attention and manipulated his magic power to turn the mercury into a rotating sword mountain, which was many times stronger than the membrane defense of the self-defense. Kenneth was very confident that this attack would never be broken.

This situation of gathering magical defense was exactly what Kiritsugu wanted.

Kenneth perhaps understood what had happened only at the last moment. At the moment when severe pain spread throughout his body, all the organs and nerve networks in his body had been torn into pieces. He vomited blood from his throat before he let out a wail. His muscles continued to spasm due to the collapse of his nervous system. The elegant figure who had been wearing a suit and tie seemed to be dancing some kind of funny dance, and then he fell into the large pool of mercury that had lost its magic supply and was spilled all over the floor.

Kenneth, the once invincible monarch, is now just a dying fellow. Not to mention the power of a magician, it is still questionable whether he has any normal human functions left.

Such a person would die even if he was left alone, but according to Kiritsugu's principles, he would definitely give the final blow himself and end his life. With the bullet still in his hand, Calico walked towards Kenneth, who was like a living dead. Kiritsugu was ready to shoot him in the head at a very close distance. In this way, another group was eliminated from the Holy Grail War.

Chapter 24 General Moye

Ouch~.jpg

In a clearing in the forest, Saber and Lancer were fighting fiercely. No, to be more precise, this place was originally part of the forest, but it was the battle between these two Servants that turned this place into a clearing with ravines and gullies.

The two Servants, who already knew each other's real names, fought each other even more ruthlessly. However, facing Diarmuid who was using both red and yellow spears, Saber, who had not received the order to release her Noble Phantasm, was not confident enough to kill Lancer even if she was evenly matched with him.

But on the other hand, although the Sword of Promised Victory is powerful, it still takes time to prepare before it is released. In this fierce hand-to-hand combat, it is difficult to find the right time to release it.

When the sword and the spear collided again, an undisguised wave of magical power came from the sky.

Needless to say, it must be the arrival of another Servant. Saber and Lancer separated and leaped back tacitly.

The next moment, a light golden light hit the center of the venue directly.

"It's quite lively here, count me in~" a cheerful voice came from it.

"Caster, this is the second time you've interfered with our duel. I hope you can give an explanation!" Saber was a little dissatisfied when she saw Caster coming uninvited.

"Explanation? Isn't this quite obvious? There was a fight here, so I came here. Are you satisfied with this explanation?" Xueyue answered as a matter of course.

"Ms. Caster, it is not a good behavior to interrupt others' duels again and again. If you don't step down, the two of us will eliminate you first." Diarmuid put the gun on his shoulder and reminded in a warning tone.

"Okay, you can come along too, I don't mind."

Xueyue's indifferent tone caused surprise in Saber and Lancer. Caster, who was not good at close combat, challenged Saber and Lancer, two of the top three riders, at the same time. Was Caster crazy, or had the Holy Grail War changed?

“But…” Xueyue dragged out her tone, “Saber, Irisviel was attacked over there, are you sure you still want to play a Servant Duel here?”

“You!” Saber mistakenly thought that it was Caster who injured Irisviel, and her anger grew.

"Don't get me wrong, it was Kirei and Assassin who hurt her. As an ally, I saved her life. But if you don't go over there, Assassin might attack her again~" Xueyue said lightly.

"..." Although Saber's face was still full of disbelief, her expression had eased a little. She raised her sword and took a few steps back. After confirming that Xue Yue would not suddenly launch a sneak attack, she turned around and jumped up, heading in the direction Xue Yue had just pointed.

Watching Saber disappear into the jungle, Xueyue turned her gaze back to Lancer: "Fiona's warriors shouldn't mind such a trivial matter as temporarily changing their opponents~"

"Of course not. Rather, as a Caster-class player, you have the courage to confront me head-on. That's commendable." Lancer put on a charming smile.

"Hehe, your tear mole has no effect on me. If you expect me to show mercy, forget it. Besides, are you so sure that I can't beat you?" Xueyue shook her hands, and two straight swords were already in her hands.

The two straight swords, one black and the other pale, both had Tai Chi engraved on their hilts. These were Gan Jiang and Mo Ye, one male and one female, the swords of Lianli. Unlike a certain Archer's imaginary projection, the images of these two swords were closer to the real appearance of the swords, and their performance was naturally closer to the strength of the originals.

"Double swords?... I didn't expect you to be a qualified fighter." When Diarmuid saw Xueyue getting ready, he immediately looked up to her. You know, it's hard to use dual guns, and it's also hard to use dual swords. Anyone who can use dual swords must not be an ordinary person.

On one side were two flying black and white swords, and on the other side were two dancing red and yellow guns. The four weapons collided violently, and the shock wave spread out in all directions.

After dozens of rounds of fighting within just a few seconds, Xueyue seemed to be at a disadvantage and was picked up by Diarmuid's yellow pistol, leaving a huge cut from her right forearm to her palm.

Xueyue took a few steps back. Blood was already flowing from her right arm, which hung down limply. It seemed that her tendons were injured. For a short period of time, she would not be able to fight with her right arm.

After repelling Xue Yue, Diarmuid did not continue to pursue. Instead, he looked up in the direction of the Einzbern Castle with a serious expression.

Because of the binding of the Command Spell, if one of the Master and the Servant is in a life-threatening situation, the other will sense the disorder of the other's breath. And now, Diarmuid clearly feels that his Master, Kenneth, is in danger.

"Caster, we'll fight another day." Diarmuid said this and prepared to leave to support Kayneth.

"Wait, you just ran away like that? Oh, yes, your Master is probably dying now. But I won't let you leave."

Xueyue covered her right arm and forced a smile.

"Is that so? In that case, I must kill you here too."

Diarmuid's yellow pistol - the Yellow Rose of Destruction can cause irreparable wounds. In his opinion, Caster, whose right arm was already injured, can no longer fight him in hand-to-hand combat. Cater has an inherent disadvantage against Lancer, and Diarmuid is confident that he can kill Caster before he uses magic. Now that Caster has to stop him, it won't take long to kill him.

Thinking of this, Diarmuid's eyes became even more fierce.

However, Xueyue seemed to have completely ignored Diarmuid's attitude. She just held the staff in her left hand and made a reckless charge.