Chapter 189: Jack The Ripper!
["Jack the Ripper?! Wait a second, isn't that the same name as the loli killer in Fate/Apocrypha?"]
["That little girl was an Assassin, but this guy who can shapeshift is definitely a Berserker."]
["This Servant is way too honest, just showed up and revealed his name and class—London folks really are straightforward, huh."]
["Straightforward my ass! He threw a couple of knives the moment we met!"]
...
[System: 'Little Jack' has sent 169 Saint Quartz!]
[Message: "Hey Host, I heard Jack the Ripper can transform into anything, right…? Then I've got a really wild idea~~~…"]
...
Frankenstein was sitting amidst shattered rubble, her body continuously leaking electrical energy.
The use of her Noble Phantasm had caused her to enter a state of "temporary shutdown." The ambient electricity was gradually flowing back into her Bridal Chest—once she absorbed enough residual mana, she would be able to restart.
But the problem was—the man standing in front of her was completely unharmed!!!
He had clearly taken the full brunt of the "Electric Bride's" attack, hadn't he?!
Was this Berserker Jack really that strong?!
"I didn't expect people like you to still exist out here. Truly fascinating."
Ethan could feel a sharp gaze coming from a distance—the man, dressed like a British gentleman, was watching him with a dissection-like stare.
He stepped around Frankenstein, who remained motionless on the ground...
"Don't take another step!!!"
Mash immediately raised her shield and stepped in front of Ethan.
"Swoosh————————!!!"
A sharp slicing sound rang out as a lightning-fast slash flew straight toward them!
Mash lifted her shield with both hands to block the blow. Her body trembled slightly, but she held firm. Refusing to lose momentum, she countered with a swing of her shield!
But—
"———?!"
A chilling bloodlust suddenly flared up from behind her!
"Clang——————!!!"
A metallic clash echoed—a silver scalpel was deflected just in time by Mash, its blade stopping less than a hair's breadth from her skin.
"Oh? You can sense my killing intent?"
The man, clad in a pristine white lab coat, wore a delighted smile as if he had just discovered a particularly intriguing toy.
"Seems I need to reassess your combat capabilities."
"Haa——!!!"
Mash didn't bother responding. She roared and swung her shield straight at him!
"Boom————————!!!"
The moment she hit, the man's body dissolved into black smoke and vanished into the air.
Relying on her combat instincts—Mash immediately turned her shield to the right!
"Clang——————!!!"
This time it was a sharp short sword—the attack was fast and refined. It felt like he was enjoying the battle more than trying to end it.
"I'm praising you, you know… After all, the ones I've 'examined' usually break down quickly."
"That mechanical girl wasn't even worth the effort. Just a pile of hideous machinery inside."
"But you two are different."
"Swoosh! Swoosh!!"
A barrage of razor-sharp slashes came flying in! Mash clenched her teeth, defending herself against the brutal rain of attacks!
"Inside your body, there must be a beautiful flower blooming."
"I'm getting curious now… I wonder if your Master's internal organs also hold a similar flower?"
Just as the man's gaze turned toward Ethan—
"Boom——————!!!"
A violent force surged forward, forcing him to retreat!
Mash's massive shield slammed into the ground, sending shards of rock flying. One sharp fragment sliced across the back of the man's hand, leaving a bleeding wound.
"Don't you dare lay a finger on Senpai—not even a single strand of hair!!!"
Mash's eyes blazed with intense fury, and the mana within her burst forth like a tidal wave!
"——————?!"
The man looked down at the blood dripping from his hand…
And then—broke into a twisted, exhilarated smile.
"Clap clap clap."
The sound of applause came from the front right.
"How wonderful..."
Moments later, the man's voice echoed from all directions.
"——————————?!"
Ethan turned around—only to see figures dressed in various outfits slowly emerging from the thick fog.
Among them were workers, nurses, police officers, even a butcher...
All of them simultaneously drew different kinds of weapons, wore eerie smiles, and advanced toward Ethan and Mash, who were now completely surrounded.
"Please, do enjoy sinking into this London morning!"
Multiple figures instantly charged at Ethan and Mash!
"True Name, Pseudo Register!"
Mash immediately raised her shield in front of them.
"Unleash the Noble Phantasm! Lord Chaldeas!!!"
A burst of blinding silver light exploded outward!
First, it knocked the police baton out of the officer's hand. Then, it blocked the scalpels of doctors and nurses, and finally—clashed head-on with the butcher at the front line.
The butcher grinned viciously, revved the chainsaw in his hands with a bone-chilling roar!
He stepped forward heavily, swinging the chainsaw down on Mash's Noble Phantasm!
"Zzzzzzzz!!!"
Sparks exploded in all directions!
"Ugh..."
Mash let out a pained groan.
Ethan immediately reached toward her, gripping the shield alongside her.
On the back of his hand, a red Command Spell flared to life.
"Mash, use my mana!"
As one Command Spell was consumed, a massive surge of magical energy erupted from within Mash!
"Thank you, Senpai!!!"
Mash's eyes were filled with unwavering determination as she looked straight ahead.
A section of the silver wall of light silently took the form of a fortress wall.
"Haa!!!"
As the two of them pushed forward together, the butcher's expression shifted—and everyone in front of them was instantly swallowed by the silver light!!!
"Huff… huff…"
Mash leaned on her shield, gasping heavily.
Many of the enemies had been wiped out—only the thick fog remained, slowly expanding once again.
"GRAOOOO————————!!!"
Suddenly, a Chimera burst out from the mist!
Mash had no time to react—she was bitten directly!
"Mash!!!"
Ethan turned toward her—just in time to see Mash jamming her shield into the Chimera's open jaws, narrowly avoiding being swallowed whole.
Its mouth stuck on the shield, the Chimera couldn't bite down—but now, its venomous snake tail rose behind it, exposing glistening fangs.
"SSSSSS——————!!!"
A thick cloud of poisonous gas sprayed directly at Mash!
"Ugh..."
Surrounded by the toxic fog, pain immediately etched itself onto Mash's face—her strength began to wane.
"GRAAAOOOO————————!!!"
Seizing the moment, the Chimera thrashed violently—flinging Mash away from its blocked throat!
Her entire body was thrown backwards, smashing into an old, derelict car. The impact created a deep dent in the vehicle's side!
"Aaaah——!!!"
Mash screamed in agony.
Ethan started to rush toward her to check her condition—but the massive Chimera suddenly turned to lock eyes with him.
"——————?!"
Ethan immediately took a defensive stance, ready to dodge at a moment's notice.
But just a second later, the Chimera transformed—into a woman with wavy blond hair, dressed extremely provocatively.
In her hand was a small, ornate handbag, and Ethan could even catch a whiff of cheap, pungent perfume emanating from her.
"Between the two of you, I prefer the girl over there. So I'll have to ask you to wait a little."
She spoke as her high heels clicked sharply—"clack, clack"—striding straight toward the writhing Mash with a pained expression.
"Hide-and-seek ends here."
Ethan clenched his teeth and stared straight ahead.
If he didn't act now…
But there was no Leyline here—he couldn't summon a Heroic Spirit at all.
"System, initiate summoning!"
[Beep... Current area's Leyline is depleted. Forced summoning carries a very high chance of failure to summon any Heroic Spirit.]
[Would you like to proceed with summoning?]
"Proceed!!!"
Ethan screamed in his mind.
If he did nothing, everything would end right here.
What use were all those accumulated livestream points then?
"Withdraw every last point!!!"
Without hesitation, Ethan gave the order to the system.
[Request confirmed. Commencing continuous summoning!]
Immediately after, a silver summoning circle slowly emerged beneath Ethan's feet.
Compared to previous times, its glow was noticeably dimmer—like it could flicker out at any second.
"Heed my words!!!"
Ethan began chanting the summoning incantation.
Pouring all his effort into it, hoping to increase the odds of successfully calling a Heroic Spirit!
"I shall attain all virtues of all of Heaven, I shall have dominion over all evils of all of Hell."
Even though it was only a faint trickle of mana, it caught the attention of the blonde woman. However, she seemed completely unfazed by Ethan's actions. Instead, she took a delicate little pistol from her handbag.
After loading it, she raised the dark barrel and aimed directly at Mash.
"Ugh..."
Mash tried to stand, but it was clear her strength had nearly run dry.
"Stop struggling. The mist here can continuously drain a Servant's mana, and the barrier formed by this city can imprison any being with strong magical power."
The blonde woman smiled.
"So long as you're inside this mist—no one can oppose me."
Her finger moved to the trigger.
"Don't worry. I'll send that little boy to keep you company soon enough."
Ethan saw everything—and grit his teeth, forcing himself to press on with the incomplete summoning ritual.
Even with only the faintest glimmer of hope, he couldn't give up!
"From the Seventh Heaven, attended to by three great words of power, come forth from the ring of restraint, protector of the holy balance! ——————!!!"
[Beep... Heroic Spirit detected responding to summoning. Proceed with summoning?]
The system's voice suddenly rang out.
"Summon!!!"
Ethan shouted without hesitation.
The next moment, the summoning circle burst into a brilliant golden light!!!
"——————?!"
Sensing the eruption of an enormous mana source behind her, the blonde woman immediately turned around.
Only to see the cold gleam of a razor-sharp blade flying straight for her neck!!!
She twisted to dodge—barely avoiding a fatal blow, but a lock of her hair was sliced off, and a bloody gash opened on her cheek.
Before she could even process what had just happened, the second wave of attacks came crashing in.
"I don't care what the hell you are—inside this dense fog, there's absolutely no way you're winning!!!"
The blonde woman keenly sensed a faint presence to her right—and without hesitation, she hurled her handbag toward it.
"BOOOOM——————!!!"
The bag exploded violently in midair!
Using the dispersing shockwave, the woman immediately locked on to the intruder's exact position.
"There you are!!"
"BANG——————!!!"
A gunshot rang out, but in the very next instant, the small figure of a person appeared behind the blonde woman.
"It's surgery time~ Can we cut you open now? Can we? Can we, huh???"
A dagger stabbed straight through the blonde woman's abdomen!
She turned her head in stunned disbelief, her panicked eyes locking onto the white-haired little girl standing behind her.
"You're…"
"We'll stab from behind, so don't be mad, okay~"
Blood gushed out from the wound in the woman's stomach!!!
"Ah ah, you were thinking of running even after that…?"
The white-haired girl tilted her head in confusion, looking toward the nearby trash bin.
"Ha ha… ha ha ha!!!"
From within the mist came laughter—the woman's voice shifting mid-sentence into that of a man.
"Unbelievable… to think my wish would be fulfilled like this!!!"
A black-haired gentleman reappeared from the dense fog, clutching his blood-soaked abdomen, yet laughing madly.
"The Leyline was exhausted—so you were born from the mana-choked mist itself! I know who you are now — the remaining fragment of Jack the Ripper!!!"
"Huh? What are you talking about…?"
The white-haired girl tilted her head again, puzzled as she looked at the man.
"Mama, can we operate on him too?"
The loli pointed at the man.
"Don't call me Mama, and didn't you already stab him once?"
Anyone who had seen Jack the Ripper in loli form would know—this kind of development was no surprise.
Ethan let out a sigh.
"Of course you can."
"Yay!!! Finally, we get to do a fun autopsy again!!!"
The white-haired girl crouched, gripping her dagger tightly. Her silhouette darted forward, vanishing into the mist as if she had become one with it.
Taking advantage of the chaos, Ethan rushed over to Mash and helped her up.
"Mash, are you okay?"
"Senpai… I'm fine…"
Mash struggled to stand, her hazy eyes looking forward.
Through the thick mist, the faint sounds of battle could be heard.
"Senpai… did you summon another Servant?"
"Well, it was an emergency… luckily one Heroic Spirit responded to the call."
Ethan also looked toward the source of the noise.
The sound of blades clashing echoed in the distance.
He hadn't expected the summon to succeed.
And not only that—it was Jack the Ripper, and the Assassin loli version, no less.
Thinking back, it made perfect sense: London + fog + female aspect = Jack's full summoning conditions.
A literal "full combo summoning condition."
Their side, which had just been in a dire situation, had suddenly seized the upper hand.
Not only was the mist not a hindrance to Jack—it actually buffed her.
Now, there was only one problem left:
Could Jack the Assassin loli defeat Jack the Berserker?
Earlier, Jack Berserker had let their guard down by transforming into a woman, which made them vulnerable to the loli's specialized attack. But if they stopped transforming…
Jack loli might lose her advantage entirely.
At that moment, Ethan spotted Frankenstein lying nearby.
Solo might be tough—but that's fine.
Team fight is justice.
Fate Jump!!!