“You think I would believe your words?”
Artoria held her invisible holy sword and pointed it directly at Gilles de Rais.
She did not believe a single word from that bastard standing before her.
“Wait, Saber.
If Caster isn’t here to cause trouble for us, then don’t fight him.”
Standing at a high vantage point, Kiritsugu Emiya could see the full scale of the sea demon army.
They densely occupied an entire street.
Even if there were not a hundred of them, there were still seventy or eighty.
With Saber’s left hand injured, fighting them head-on would be unwise.
So, after hearing what Caster said, Kiritsugu immediately intended to avoid battle.
Through their magical connection, he conveyed his thoughts to his Servant below.
“Master, do you actually believe that man’s words?”
Artoria immediately frowned and questioned him.
“I don’t believe him.
But if he’s willing to let us withdraw, then there’s no need to fight him.”
The Command Seal bounty on Caster was certainly tempting, but Caster was not some ordinary opponent.
They had already experienced yesterday just how difficult those familiars under his control were to deal with.
If Lancer had not interfered and, out of chivalry, supported Saber in attacking that heretic who slaughtered children, then Artoria, whose left-hand fingers had been cursed by Lancer’s spear, might very well have been defeated last night.
“But Caster is clearly going to harm someone else.”
“Only a Servant can fight a Servant.
Likewise, the one capable of killing the Master behind him must also be a Master.
A frenzied Servant wants to take revenge on whoever killed his Master.
We have no need to shield an unknown Master from that blade.”
While Kiritsugu Emiya and his Servant were at odds and arguing, the blood from Gilles de Rais’ revenge spell had already drifted past Saber.
Under Artoria’s wary gaze, it slipped toward the large Fujimura residence behind them.
“I found them.
The enemy who killed my Master is there!”
Gilles de Rais saw it as well.
Magical energy surged from his body, and he made no effort to hide the killing intent he held toward the person inside that estate.
“Master, do you think there happens to be another Master right beside the base you chose?”
Kiritsugu Emiya said nothing.
There were not that many coincidences in the world.
Caster’s target for revenge just so happened to be right next to their new base.
Looking at the sea demon army surging toward them, Kiritsugu placed his finger on the trigger and used his sniper rifle to fire the opening shot of the battle.
Naturally, the bullet did no damage to a Heroic Spirit.
Before it could pierce Gilles de Rais’ head, it was corroded and decayed by the black magical energy surging around his body.
“If you insist on standing in the way of my revenge, then I, Gilles de Rais, shall crush you beneath my feet here and now.
“Shine to your heart’s content.
When your life withers like a flower, I, Gilles de Rais, shall embrace your corpse in my arms and bind your soul beneath my curses.
“When that time comes, not even God will be able to take you away from my side.”
“Strike Air!”
Faced with Caster’s operatic declaration, Artoria directly unleashed a violent path of raging wind.
Just like the previous night, she intended to charge straight through the sea demon army, go directly for the leader, and take down the enemy commander first.
“The same trick will not work on me, Gilles de Rais.”
Caster chanted a spell while retreating into the sea demon army.
The two sea demons closest to him wrapped around his body and, under the effect of the spell, melted into a set of black, spiked protective armor.
The unsealed invisible holy sword struck it, only to be deflected away.
The spikes then counterattacked like spears.
Artoria raised her arm in time and used her gauntlet to block the spike aimed directly at her face.
But in the next instant, Gilles de Rais kicked her hard in the abdomen, sending her entire body flying backward.
“Are you really Caster?”
Protected by her armor, Artoria was not injured.
However, the force of that kick was powerful enough to make her question the class of the man before her.
“O holy maiden, I never expected that you would forget even this.
But no matter.
I can tell you again.
I, Gilles de Rais, as your lieutenant, was also a qualified noble swordsman.”
“Heretic, I told you that you have mistaken me for someone else.
Among my lieutenants, there was never a wicked bastard like you!”
The invisible holy sword slashed out, cutting the sea demons that surged forward in two.
But with Gilles de Rais continuously supplying magical energy, the severed bodies of the sea demons quickly reconnected and returned to their original state.
“Damn it!”
As large numbers of sea demons rushed toward her, Artoria was dragged into a bitter fight.
“What’s that sound?”
“M-Monsters?!”
The sound of gunfire at night woke many people.
Some members of the Fujimura Group got up.
After hearing the commotion outside, they opened the door and went out to check the situation.
At first, they did not know what was going on.
But once they looked, they saw that freaking seafood octopuses had invaded the land.
“Hey, don’t just stand there watching!
Help out too!”
Standing on the rooftop, Kiritsugu Emiya had switched to a submachine gun and was providing fire support for his Servant.
When he saw more and more people running out of the Fujimura residence, he could not help shouting at the group of ordinary people.
“Mr.
Emiya, what exactly is this?”
Raiga Fujimura came out wearing a robe and asked Kiritsugu Emiya, who was standing on the neighboring rooftop.
“Just as your men said, they’re monsters. This story is hosted at g.com.
Monsters from another world.
If you don’t want to die, pick up your weapons and fight them with me.”
Raiga Fujimura only thought for a short while.
When he saw the sea demons over there break into the houses along the street, followed quickly by human screams from inside, he soon made his decision.
“Everyone, grab your weapons!
Don’t let those monsters get over here.
Hm, Mr.
Emiya, we don’t have enough firearms.
Can you support us with some?”
“The weapons are all in the warehouse.
Go get them yourselves.”
After emptying a magazine, Kiritsugu replied without even turning his head as he loaded a new one.
Before long, a group of armed yakuza members climbed onto the rooftop.
Occupying the high ground, and under the command of Kiritsugu Emiya with their boss Raiga Fujimura’s approval, they provided stronger fire support for Saber, who was fighting bitterly below.
Although the sea demons were difficult to kill with bullets, their advance was still temporarily halted by the intense rain of gunfire.
Repairing the familiars’ injuries required magical energy.
If Caster’s Master had truly already said goodbye to this world, then Caster himself had to be running low on magical energy.
Perhaps simply maintaining his own existence was already difficult.
Right now, he was only sustaining his familiar army by slaughtering lives and obtaining some magical energy from them.
That was Kiritsugu Emiya’s judgment.
And when some sea demons were torn apart by bullets and did not recover, it proved that his judgment was correct.
“Damn you!
You buzzing flies, standing in the way of my revenge!”
Originally, Gilles de Rais had been focusing mainly on Saber.
But after being struck by such a rain of bullets, he shifted his attention to the group of humans farther behind her.
“Go around.
Kill them!”
He commanded a portion of the sea demons to circle around through the nearby houses.
Artoria wanted to stop them, but she was entangled by the sea demons around her.
“The monsters are coming!
We’re almost out of bullets too!
What do we do?”
Someone began to panic.
“Damn it.”
Kiritsugu Emiya gritted his teeth, regretting only that he had not bought several heavy machine guns to set up a proper defensive position.
“Maiya, prepare to take Irisviel and retreat.”
As he said this, Kiritsugu jumped down from the rooftop.
The current situation was no longer something he could handle.
For now, their only option was to withdraw first, then use a Command Seal to transfer Saber out of the battlefield.
“Mr.
Emiya, where are you planning to go?”
“Run for your lives.
The monsters charging over are no longer something we can handle.”
Kiritsugu Emiya did not hide the truth.
Although he was willing to use any means necessary, in his eyes, the Fujimura family had been dragged into this because of him.
Telling them the situation clearly now, so that even one more ordinary person might escape, was the least he could do.
As for lying to make these people stay behind as a rear guard, he had not sunk that low.
“Grandpa, what exactly are those things?”
Taiga Fujimura had also been woken up by the crackling gunfire.
When she came out and saw the scene of a group of sea demons surging toward them, she was frightened and immediately asked her grandfather.
“There are many things in this world that ordinary people don’t know about.
Because I’m involved in the underworld, I’ve been able to vaguely learn some hidden information.
Those creatures are probably monsters from the unknown side of the world.
Even you, Mr.
Emiya, are someone from that world, aren’t you?”
“Mm.”
Kiritsugu Emiya nodded.
“This matter may have started because of you.
The Fujimura family was dragged into it only because I agreed to a deal with you.
I accept that risk.
However, my granddaughter is only staying here temporarily.
I don’t want anything to happen to her.
Can you take her away and bring her somewhere safe?”
“Following me will only be more dangerous.”
“Given the current situation, I don’t really have any other choice, do I?
If you agree, this old man will lead his people to hold those monsters back for you.”
“All right.”
Raiga Fujimura and Kiritsugu Emiya quickly reached a deal, and he prepared to push his granddaughter into the Emiya family’s Hummer.
“Huh?”
Taiga Fujimura had not yet fully grasped the situation, but she did know that there was still a child inside the house.
“Grandpa, Broly is still in his room!”
She shouted.
At such a critical moment, his granddaughter was still worrying about a child.
This made Raiga Fujimura feel somewhat strained, but in the end, adults should not compete with children.
Raiga Fujimura waved his hand.
“There isn’t much time.
Hurry.”
Kiritsugu Emiya said, then continued using what little ammunition he had left to fire at the sea demons circling toward them.
Taiga Fujimura ran into the mansion and rushed straight toward the guest room.
Broly’s sleep quality over the past two days had been excellent.
The crackling gunfire outside had not woken him up at all.
Even when the girl barged in and started pushing his body, he still slept soundly.
“Stop sleeping!
There’s meat to eat!”
“There’s meat?”
Only when Taiga Fujimura said there was meat to eat did Broly suddenly open his eyes and wake up.
“Sister Fujimura, where’s the meat?”
Blinking his drowsy eyes, Broly tried to search the room for meat.
“There’s no meat.
I just wanted to wake you up.
Something happened outside.
Monsters are attacking, and we need to run.”
Broly: “???”
Taiga Fujimura held his hand and, without even having time to put on her shoes, dragged the boy outside.
“Grandpa, if we leave, what will happen to you?”
Only after stuffing the boy into the car did Taiga Fujimura remember her grandfather and the other members of the Fujimura Group.
“Don’t worry about us.
This is the Fujimura Group.
This is our home.
We will defeat every enemy that dares invade it.”
The gunfire had gradually stopped.
Every member of the Fujimura Group had drawn cold weapons.
The women and children living in the residence had also gotten into the family’s cars, and they would leave together with the Emiya family’s vehicles in a moment.
“Grandpa, let me stay too.”
“What nonsense are you saying?”
“Young Miss, this is a matter for us and the old man’s Fujimura Group.
If you don’t plan to inherit the Fujimura Group, then what’s happening now has nothing to do with you.
Go take shelter with the others.
I promise I’ll protect the old man.”
Scarface gave his assurance.
The atmosphere became tragic and solemn.
“What exactly is going on?”
Broly still had not figured out the situation.
He leaned against the car window and looked outside.
A hand reached toward him from behind.
“It’s all right, child.
You’ll be fine.”
Irisviel spoke softly.
She felt apologetic that the Holy Grail War had dragged innocent ordinary people into this, but right now, the only thing she could do was comfort the child of one of the affected families.
Broly turned his head, and the Crystal Palace in his mind immediately provided information.
[Strategy target discovered: Irisviel von Einzbern.
Current happiness value: 0.
Reminder: Taiga Fujimura’s happiness value is decreasing!]
Broly: “Hm?!”
The moment the reminder that her happiness value was dropping appeared, Broly’s previously drowsy little head instantly cleared up.
At that moment, a sea demon happened to leap over the roof of the front section of the Fujimura residence and land in front of the group.
It let out a sharp howl and swung its tentacles, sending several Fujimura Group members flying.
Taiga Fujimura’s happiness value also plummeted sharply, allowing Broly to directly identify the culprit responsible for making her happiness drop.
“Stop the monster!”
Raiga Fujimura shouted.
Bang!
A car door flew from behind, passing through the middle of the crowd before smashing into the sea demon that was about to continue attacking with its tentacles.
Carrying terrifying force, the door struck the sea demon and sent it flying.
With a splat, the sea demon was embedded into a utility pole on the side.
In just an instant, it had turned into a lump of minced flesh.
“Hiss…”
Everyone sucked in a cold breath and turned their heads in unison.
They saw a little boy jump out through the broken car doorway behind them.
At that moment, his small face clearly showed that he was very angry.
Under everyone’s dumbfounded gazes, he walked forward and kicked each sea demon that jumped down from the rooftop into a pile of minced flesh.
He made it look so easy that it seemed as if he was not kicking sea demons with tough bodies, but creatures made from blocks of soft tofu.
The sea demons suffered horrific injuries.
Their self-healing ability caused them to demand a large amount of magical energy from the one who had summoned them.
That demand once again drew Gilles de Rais’ attention.
Caster felt puzzled.
Logically speaking, if they were merely dealing with ordinary people, the sea demons he had sent over should not have demanded so much magical energy from him even if they were injured.
The amount was almost enough to summon an entirely new group of sea demons.
But when Gilles de Rais raised his head and looked into the distance, he finally saw that there was a child over there, trampling the sea demons he had summoned with his feet.
Before that child, his sea demons were like building-block toys, casually stomped on and kicked into pieces without the slightest ability to resist.