He Tore Through The Holy Grail War, And You Still Call Him A Dragon?

The scene froze, as if someone had pressed the pause button.

The moment the elevator doors slid open, Emiya was greeted by a dazzling sight—bright flames blazed in the distance, blades flashed in chaotic arcs, and the sounds of steel clashing mixed with curses filled the air.

Closer still, a man charged forward on horseback—it was none other than "long-lost" Odin. And in his grasp was a boy who looked oddly familiar… strikingly similar to Yuan Zhisheng.

Since Kazama Ruri had scrubbed off his makeup, Emiya didn't recognize him at first glance. He could only guess rashly that this must be Yuan Zhisheng's younger brother. After all, hadn't Uesugi Yue once said something along the lines of "Yuan Zhisheng's swordsmanship isn't even as good as his brother's"?

The main issue was that the one Emiya knew was "the made-up Kazama Ruri," not Yuan Zhinu. The little crossdresser's makeup skills were so flawless that telling them apart was nearly impossible. Coupled with the massive difference in their temperament, it made facial recognition nearly impossible.

Not to mention—almost all of Emiya's attention was pulled to Odin.

As the saying went, when enemies meet, their eyes blaze with hatred.

"Projection—complete."

Emiya lifted his twin blades in both hands.

In such a narrow, enclosed space, the most suitable Noble Phantasm was naturally Okita Souji's anti-human, anti-demon sword.

"You again?! Damn ghost that won't stay dead!" Odin couldn't ignore this mortal enemy, and from behind his dark iron mask came a low, furious growl. The spear in his hand rose, gathering terrifying momentum.

He spurred his horse forward without pause, though in the back of his mind, paranoia flickered.

Could there really be such a coincidence?

This brat… don't tell me he's brought another pack of siblings to ambush me again?

The first time they clashed, Odin had written him off as a reckless youth—only to be betrayed when the boy quietly rallied two sly old bastards to corner him, costing Odin dearly.

The second time, his subordinates reported that Leviathan had been slain… seemingly with the involvement of multiple first-generation hybrids.

And now, this was apparently the third direct clash with the Medical Society's forces. Odin, barely back from his coffin, was starting to develop PTSD. Was this brat another trap laid by those heartless kin of his?

Buzz—

A field of ancient, profound sorcery spread outward from Odin as its center. The flow of time warped drastically, though the eight-legged horse beneath him still charged at full speed.

Yet, to Odin's eyes, the world had slowed to a crawl. Movements stretched like molasses, each motion reduced to the sluggish crawl of a snail.

Time Zero! Odin had entered his divine-speed domain!

He had decided—no matter what, he would use this chance to strike down the mortal who had so many times opposed the Medical Society!

—Of course, if another Dragon King happened to be hiding in this brat's shadow, Odin would retreat at once… call it a strategic relocation!

These thoughts flashed through his mind, only to be pushed aside. His full attention locked on the coming clash, his alchemic spear thrusting forward like lightning!

Under the dim yellow light, every speck of dust seemed frozen in midair, every flicker of firelight, every glint of Emiya's blade suspended in the gel-like air of this slowed-down world—like a video being played back at a crawl.

Odin's heart leapt. The Words of Power had not been canceled. There was no ambush!

This brat's "Heaven and Earth as a Furnace" wasn't time-based magic. Hahaha, this kill was his!

Clang!

In the very next instant, the sharp ring of clashing steel shattered the stillness.

To his astonishment, Odin saw Emiya move within his slowed-down world, his blade flashing up to meet the thrust of his spear.

Both weapons drove toward each other's hearts—their trajectories overlapping perfectly.

This wasn't just speed. It was supreme martial technique combined with lightning-fast movement! For a moment, Odin thought he was seeing his youngest sibling—Jormungandr, the one who had mastered the martial arts.

No—this Emiya also wielded alchemy. He was like a fusion of Jormungandr and Norton!

Odin's eyes locked on the katana in Emiya's hand. It gleamed with alchemic craftsmanship far beyond what he had faced before.

Damn it. Had a new equation been born? He never thought he'd say this—but this one human was worth two Dragon Kings…

Emiya himself was just as shocked. Wielding "Kashuu Kiyomitsu," he had used "Shukuchi" to launch a sudden thrust—only to be blocked with perfect precision.

From their first clash, Odin hadn't been this fast. Emiya had grown stronger—but it seemed so had his foe.

Either way, his Shukuchi's advantage was nullified. Even the "Mumyo Sandanzuki" could no longer guarantee a fatal strike. He needed to create an opportunity where Odin had no room to dodge—and no hostage to hide behind.

Whoosh! Emiya's figure vanished from sight.

His movement was faster than sound, yet eerily silent, the usual thunderclap of a sonic boom erased by the impossibly refined step of Shukuchi.

Odin's divine-speed domain was no less relentless. With a pull on his reins, his eight-legged steed thundered across the warped river of time, weaving bizarre trajectories with blinding speed.

In the narrow corridor, the two clashed again and again, spear and blade sparking in blurs too fast for the naked eye, leaving only the piercing ring of steel echoing through the prison block.

———

Uesugi Yue and Yuan Zhisheng finally broke free from the brutal clash between Watanabe no Tsuna and Ibaraki-dōji.

The two rushed back to the control room to switch weapons, tossing aside modern firearms in favor of ancient blades enhanced with alchemy. Yuan Zhisheng managed to dig up some alchemized ninja swords left behind by the Fūma clan. They were a bit short, not quite to his liking, but given the dire circumstances, they'd have to do.

"Where did they take Zhinu?"

"I saw them headed that way!"

Pointing sharply, Yuan Zhisheng relied on his knowledge of the prison's layout to determine Odin's most likely escape route.

Uesugi Yue wasted no time—his aged body burst with vigor, leaving Yuan Zhisheng behind in the blink of an eye. In moments, he reached the site of Emiya and Odin's battle.

Clang, clang, clang!

Sparks and steel collided wildly, shattering lights, ripping through walls, and sending shockwaves through the corridor.

Uesugi Yue's temples throbbed violently. The scene reminded him of decades past, when Angra had crushed him under Time Zero.

He hated fighters who cheated with abilities like this.

Yuan Zhisheng soon arrived, just in time to see the environment shredded by invisible slashes, his expression turning grim.

"This is bad. If this keeps up, the whole place will collapse! Has Crow triggered the main alarm yet?!"

As if on cue, the shrill blare of sirens echoed through the building. The prison's automatic defenses activated as thick alloy walls began to descend from the ceiling, reinforcing the structure.

But neither warrior was stopped. Blades and spear casually sliced through alloy walls as though they were paper.

Uesugi Yue and Yuan Zhisheng exchanged a helpless glance, then chased on.

These days, even emperors of their bloodline couldn't keep up—they were reduced to bystanders.

———

Boom!

Emiya's blade carved through walls, sending debris flying, his sword handle twisting as he thrust at Odin cornered against a wall!

Odin's mind was made up. Pulling hard on his reins, horse and rider leapt as one, smashing through the ceiling into the next floor.

Emiya followed without hesitation.

Landing on the new floor, he was greeted by the hiss of sprinklers. Thin streams of water cascaded down, forming shallow pools on the floor. The building's alarm system had triggered the fire suppression system.

Emiya splashed forward—then suddenly sidestepped.

Boom!

A spray of water burst as Odin and his steed lunged through the wall, spear clashing with Emiya's katana. The blade had been angled toward Odin's heart—but Odin was sly, yanking Yuan Zhinu in front of himself as a human shield.

Emiya's strike failed. Odin disengaged instantly, slipping back into the wall—no, into the water coating its surface.

"Water?"

Emiya narrowed his eyes. The wall itself held no hidden passages. With the sprinklers, it was coated in a thin film of water. The medium wasn't the wall—it was water.

Water-based spatial transfer?

Not common, but not unheard of either. Medea of the Fifth Grail War had performed spatial transference with Age of Gods magic.

Emiya glanced down at the water pooling beneath his feet.

"…In that case…"

He bit down on the hilt of Kashuu Kiyomitsu, freeing both hands to project more blades.

Let's go—Niten Ichi-ryu!

Leaping into the air, he projected two blades—Yasutsuna of Hōki and Izuminokami Kanesada—crossing them in an X.

At that moment, Odin's reflection rippled in the floor's water. With a burst, the crimson spear lunged upward from the surface, carrying inescapable fate!

Odin had waited for this, stalking from the shadows, striking at the moment Emiya was airborne, unable to Shukuchi away.

Got you!

Book of the Five Rings—

Emiya's eyes locked on the spear's tip as it emerged from the reflection. With a roar, his twin blades blazed down, carrying the weight of a collapsing volcano.

—Flame Form: Kagutsuchi Collapse!

A torrent of searing crimson fire burst forth, boiling away the water before the spear could even break the surface. The flames swept outward, scorching black scars into the walls and floor, devouring the corridor like molten lava.

So you're using water as a medium? Then I'll burn it all dry.

One slash after another sent waves of flame tearing through the corridor. Steam billowed, fire roared, the walls turned charred black. The sprinklers above could only sputter futilely.

Emiya landed smoothly, blades at the ready.

Now then—where will you strike from next?

But Odin didn't.

A moment later, the sound of shattering glass rang through the hall.

———

Ambush? What ambush?

This brat was getting harder to deal with by the second. He couldn't win head-on, and ambushing wasted too much time. So Odin chose the better option: strategic retreat.

Seizing Yuan Zhinu, Odin smashed through the window astride his eight-legged horse, vanishing into the storm outside, carried by the wind.

Ha! He had a horse. The brat didn't. No way he could follow.

BOOM—!

Not long after, the sound of air being ripped apart thundered behind him. Glancing back, Odin's eyes widened—Emiya was hot on his tail, mounted on Melusine!

Odin: ?!

Damn it, how are you still chasing me?!

(End of Chapter)

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