Marvel: Trading with Worlds

"Haven't you even figured out why?"

"How are so many people tracking us? Do you want me to just kill them all and walk in like I own the place? And you still haven't taught me how to use the machine. Don't embarrass yourself, Master!"

Cu complained with clear dissatisfaction. He was a spearman, not an assassin. Doing this kind of work was already a favor to his Master, yet the man kept nagging him like it wasn't enough.

"What the hell did you do, Master? Even before we reached the police station, we ran into hundreds of searchers on the street. And by the way, a few magicians too."

Those magicians weren't particularly strong and had failed to catch up with Cu. Still, he couldn't be sure whether his identity as a Servant had been exposed.

"This must be the work of other Masters. In the last war, the Einzbern Master hired external forces to intervene in the Holy Grail War. But this time..."

The methods were far dirtier.

Even someone like Kotomine Kirei, who was often seen as cold and composed, couldn't help but feel a flicker of irritation. To magi, ordinary civilians were insignificant—but gathered in large numbers, they could pose a serious threat.

"Master, you—"

Boom boom boom!

Before Cu could finish, a sudden knock echoed from the front door.

Kotomine Kirei glanced sharply at Cu, who silently shook his head while gripping his spear. There was no way ordinary people—or even most magi—could have followed him. Unless... it was an Assassin.

Kirei didn't move to check the window. If they were being seriously hunted, every opening would already be under surveillance. He could feel just how serious these people were.

"Lancer, if things get rough, I'm leaving it to you."

Kirei sighed. After this, he would need to come up with a real solution.

"Who is it?" he called toward the door, while at the same time reinforcing his body with magic and heading for the second floor.

If a breakout was necessary, it would be better to distract the enemy's attention toward the first floor, opening up another route unnoticed.

"Routine inspection. This is the police. Please open the door and cooperate."

No response came from inside. By now, Kirei was already upstairs, leaving Cu alone on the ground floor.

Just as Kirei had suspected, the building was surrounded—Interpol, Japanese police, CIA, FBI... a full-blown international response.

Moments later, the Japanese officers at the front door broke it down and stormed in.

"Police! Don't mov—!"

Before the officer could finish his sentence, the first four or five who entered were sent flying as if hit by a truck.

The next second, Cu stepped out, spear in hand, roaring:

"You people are really annoying. Come forward if you want to die!"

He didn't care about killing civilians. As long as the order was given, he would wipe them all out without hesitation.

"He's connected to the suspect—open fire!"

With the command given, dozens of officers around the building opened fire in unison. The air erupted with gunfire.

Bang bang bang!

Unlike the Japanese police, the foreign agents didn't conserve their bullets. They emptied their magazines as fast as possible.

But it was futile. Even Kotomine Kirei could shrug off normal bullets—Lancer, even more so.

Clang clang clang.

None of the bullets even touched him. They were repelled by the magic aura surrounding his body, falling harmlessly to the ground.

"So this is the power of modern weapons? Pathetic. Not even a threat."

With a sudden motion, Cu appeared in front of a Japanese officer. One sweeping strike of his spear took two lives instantly.

Then he leapt to the second floor of the house across the street, claiming four more lives without hesitation.

"Requesting backup! We need backup now!"

An FBI agent reloaded his submachine gun and fired wildly, but it did nothing to stop Lancer.

Meanwhile, more police forces were converging on the scene.

From the second floor, Kotomine Kirei watched the chaos unfold. With everyone's attention drawn to Cu, he took his chance—jumping out the rear window and disappearing into the shadows.

Although one or two people noticed Kotomine Kirei's movements, no one had the capacity to deal with him at the moment. Their priority was the massacre being carried out by Chulainn on the other side.

"This is going to be a problem. They'll track down every possible hiding place, one by one."

While on the run, Kirei pondered the situation but couldn't come up with a solid plan.

On the way, he was intercepted by two magi from the Mage's Association. Fortunately, they were of mediocre strength, and he dispatched them with little effort.

After some time, Kotomine Kirei arrived at the residence of a local priest—now stained with the blood of enemies. This priest had once been an acquaintance of his father, Kotomine Risei. Still, Kirei wasn't sure how long this place would remain hidden. If the search in Fuyuki City intensified, it was only a matter of time before it, too, was discovered.

"Return, Lancer."

After settling in, Kirei used a Command Spell for the first time to summon Chulainn back. He then gave him a new order: cause chaos throughout the city.

If trouble was unavoidable, Kirei figured he might as well drag the entire Holy Grail War into the mess.

Later that night.

Kotomine Kirei felt a subtle presence at the front door and stepped out into the courtyard.

"It's you, Rin. I didn't expect you to find this place."

He was surprised to see the girl standing there, but his eyes lit up at the dagger she carried.

So… you've figured it out?

What a pity. I had hoped to tell you everything at the end—for dramatic effect. That would've been far more satisfying.

The thought flashed through his mind.

"You don't seem surprised to see me, Kotomine Kirei," Rin Tohsaka said coldly, hatred burning in her eyes.

"The truth always comes out eventually. And honestly, this wasn't even much of a secret. But I am curious—what exactly do you know, and how did you find out?"

"You bloody bastard!"

Rin could no longer contain her fury. She raised her arm, her magic circuits flaring to life. In the next instant, three elements materialized around her and launched toward Kirei—fire, wind, and lightning.

Kirei raised his arms to defend himself, but was quickly struck by the combination of spells. Energy crackled and exploded against him.

"It seems you know everything now—not just about your father, but your mother as well."

"Still, I wonder… how did you find out?"

"Your intentions are far too obvious, Rin."

Seeing her prepare the Five-Star Rotation, Kotomine Kirei lunged forward, attempting to interrupt her.

As Rin's former guardian and mentor, Kirei knew her techniques inside and out. But Rin had prepared for this confrontation. Just as he recognized her setup, she canceled the Rotation and switched tactics—activating her jewel magic instead.

"Die, you bastard!"

Boom!

A flurry of high-speed light bullets from her gemstones slammed into Kotomine Kirei before he could react. Fireballs and follow-up spells detonated against him, forcing him to retreat, staggered in mid-air.

Seizing the opening, Rin resumed her Five-Star Rotation. Kirei, off balance and reeling from the last attack, had no time to stop her.

He had misjudged her—just once—and Rin had seized the initiative. If not for the blessed vestments he wore, he might've been gravely injured.

"Impressive. You've grown, Rin," he said, brushing the soot and ash from his robe with a smirk.

"I had planned to reveal the truth when you lay dying... but it seems you beat me to the punch. That robs me of a great deal of fun."

"You bastard! I'll never forgive you!"

Rin's rage only deepened at his words. Gritting her teeth, she launched into another fierce wave of attacks. She hadn't been idle during the day—she'd spent her time preparing for this very confrontation.

"You're fast... but that's not enough!"

Kotomine Kirei changed positions and charged toward Rin Tohsaka, speaking as he moved. He knew her magic well—if he didn't close the distance, she would keep bombarding him with attacks. He had no intention of matching the Tohsaka family in mana consumption, especially since Rin might possess a gem that could kill him in one blow.

Boom! Boom!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Explosions echoed in rapid succession. Seizing the perfect moment, Kirei suddenly accelerated, dodging through the magical barrage and closing the distance between them to within ten meters.

Whoosh!

Several black blades—Black Keys—appeared in Kirei's hands and were instantly hurled at Rin Tohsaka.

"What?!"

Rin's pupils shrank in surprise. She had never seen this kind of attack from him before. Though she dodged swiftly, one blade grazed her right arm, making her stumble.

Kotomine Kirei immediately capitalized on the opening and charged forward.

"A single moment can decide everything, Rin."

"Be careful, Master!"

Before Kirei could land a decisive blow, Chulainn appeared in front of him, abruptly swinging his spear to intercept.

"Get back!"

But the deadly thrust was intercepted by Tsunade, who suddenly appeared and delivered a powerful punch. Her fist struck Chulainn's guarding arm with such force that he was sent flying—dragging Kotomine Kirei along with him. The two smashed through several walls and tumbled over thirty meters away.

After sending them flying, Tsunade turned to Rin.

"Tohsaka, you rushed into revenge without knowing anything about your enemy. You've already lost."

Rin muttered in frustration, "When we sparred, he never used those blades. Is that bastard dead?"

Tsunade shook her head. "Probably not. I didn't use full strength."

Rin's eyebrow twitched. Not full strength?

They were just punched through a building!

"As long as he's alive, that's fine. I want to take revenge with my own hands."

Drawing her Azoth Sword, Tohsaka Rin marched toward where Kotomine Kirei had landed.

"Wait, Tohsaka!"

Tsunade raised an arm to stop her, tilting her head.

"There's still one more guy to deal with."

Rin followed her gaze and saw a blond man in casual clothing standing arrogantly on the rooftop.

Her first impression: overbearingly proud.

Though he shared a hair color with Kain, Gilgamesh gave off none of the same impression—despite Kain once taking her hostage.

"Your strength isn't bad. I'll allow you to speak your name. You're qualified to fight under this king, to retrieve the Holy Grail."

"So noisy. If you want to fight, fight. Why talk so much?"

Tsunade stomped the ground impatiently. A deep rumble followed as thick tree branches burst from the earth, collapsing the rooftop under Gilgamesh's feet. He jumped back, slightly flustered.

At the same time, trees surged beneath Tsunade and Rin, lifting them into the air. The entire area transformed into a dense forest. Trees thickened from mere centimeters to several meters in diameter.

"This… this is…" Rin stammered in amazement.

"Wood Style," Tsunade explained briefly.

"I can create and control trees. They absorb vitality to grow and reproduce."

Without waiting, she launched Rin away to a safer location, knowing Rin couldn't take part in what came next.

"You dare interrupt this king and raise your hand against him? You clearly have a death wish!"

Gilgamesh's golden eyes flared with rage. Behind him, dozens of golden portals appeared—the Gate of Babylon.

From them, a rain of treasures launched forward, tearing through the forest and shredding tree after tree.

"What kind of king screams like that? A clown from a backwater land, with no strength and no dignity!"

Tsunade scoffed, then reshaped the battlefield. She condensed the forest to a one-kilometer radius, halting tree growth in the center while thickening the outer trees into a natural arena wall.

Boom!

She leapt down into the battlefield, twisting her fists and smiling confidently.

"Come on, all three of you. I'll end this in three minutes."

"You… mongrel!"

Gilgamesh's fury boiled over.

Called a petty king—lacking strength—and worse, expected to fight alongside others?

Unforgivable.

"Die!"

Sky Lock!

The portals behind him multiplied to hundreds. From them, golden chains shot out like lightning—dense, endless, overwhelming even compared to the forest.

Far away, atop a branch, Rin shouted:

"Be careful, Tsunade!"

"Don't yell. You'll distract the fighters."

A voice suddenly came from beside her. Rin jumped, spinning around with a spell ready—then sighed in relief.

"Don't sneak up like that, you jerk! You almost gave me a heart attack!"

Kain stood there, calm as ever.

"Apparition magic makes a sound when I appear," he replied, shrugging.

"You just didn't notice it."

…

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