Shirou knew that Artoria's weapon held the "Invisible Air" barrier—multiple layers of compressed wind swirling around the blade, bending light and rendering the sword invisible.
When released in an instant, this compressed wind formed a powerful attack known as Fū-Ō no Tetsui (Wind King's Iron Hammer), which, at point-blank range, could kill even Heracles once.
Shirou couldn't be sure how powerful the unleashed Fū-Ō no Tetsui would be when the Noble Phantasm was detonated through self-destruction, but he had no choice. The arrow was already nocked and drawn. He poured all his strength into transforming the sword in his hand into a raging storm and let it loose.
"Haaa—!"
Attila, empowered by the Crest of the Meteor, was strong enough to withstand Gensei's hundredfold gravity. But even she was caught off guard by the storm-like blade Shirou wielded—it was more formidable than expected.
The self-detonation of the Noble Phantasm released an intense wind pressure, a high-speed expanding blast of air that mimicked a silent, invisible explosion—like a sudden, crazed windstorm slicing across the Sword of Mars with shrill howling.
Unprepared, Attila gripped her blade tightly. She felt like she had been thrown into a canyon during a violent wind tunnel test—flying sand and debris filled the sky. Nearby buildings crumbled like paper, disintegrating into the air.
Walls that had still stood were hammered apart, surfaces ripped away, bricks pulverized. Giant holes burst open instantly. The airborne fragments shot out of Aoiya and crashed onto the adjacent roads with thunderous noise.
Attila's body, though sturdy enough to resist the storm, was still sent flying backward. To stabilize herself, she slammed her blade into the ground like an anchor.
But it was like trying to stop a tidal wave with a twig.
Her divine blade was far sharper than any mortal weapon. The gale pressed along the blade's length, slicing through the ground and leaving a long fissure. Attila, gripping the Sword of Mars, was ultimately swept away by the sheer force of the wind.
WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH—!
Once she was flung outside Aoiya, the chaotic scene returned. The windstorm had vanished, but now it was replaced by honking cars, shouting drivers, and the rising buzz of confusion.
As the dust settled, Attila saw what had happened.
The fragments from Aoiya had blasted outward and landed all over the nearby roadway, forming an impassable pile of rubble. The road was completely blocked.
Cars had lined up behind the blockage, and drivers who got out to investigate found the mess impossible to clear quickly. Furious, many of them—Tokyo residents who lived by the clock—started cursing loudly.
Everyone was in a rush, and no one had time for unexpected traffic disasters like this.
And then… they noticed her.
A dark-skinned girl standing right in the middle of the road, dressed in an elaborate Western-style bridal outfit, holding a glowing rainbow-colored sword.
Some wondered—was this a new anime cosplay? A character promotion?
But then—
Shirou burst onto the scene, wielding a newly forged sword, clashing again with the girl and her whip-like chromatic blade.
Mouths dropped.
The onlookers stared, dumbfounded, as the battle unfolded like a live-action anime: afterimages trailing every strike, sword wind tearing up asphalt, lights too dazzling to be real.
Reality itself was starting to crack.
Some otaku-like guys even started scripting a fantasy scenario in their minds:
So I was just driving, listening to music, when my car got stuck in traffic. Then suddenly, a cute dark-skinned bride appears out of nowhere, fighting for her life—
And in that moment, I awaken my latent powers—magic, spirit energy, chakra, whatever—and help her repel the enemy. Then she gazes into my eyes and says:
"This world is facing destruction. Brave young man, will you shoulder the fate of salvation with me?"
Yes… yes… this had to be a movie shoot, right!?
———
Meanwhile, Gensei was nearly sent into internal hemorrhage by one of Attila's casual blows.
Fortunately, as someone with royal blood, he had an extraordinarily durable body. Even after unleashing the cost-heavy kotodama "Royal Authority" and being blasted by brute force, he could still stand.
…Well, barely.
After being hyped by his father as someone not inferior to Shirou, and mentally buying into the idea that Shirou had the same "royal blood" as him, Gensei had genuinely believed they were equals.
But reality hit back hard—and punched him twice in the gut.
Not only did Shirou outmatch him in a direct fight, but while Gensei got swatted like a fly by Attila, Shirou actually sent her flying in return!?
So… even among royalty, was there a hierarchy?
As Gensei crawled out from the rubble, dazed and questioning his life, a dusty Sakura Yabuki approached him.
"Are you okay, Sakura? Any casualties?" he asked.
"I'm fine," she said. "But several of our people were injured by the collateral damage. I've already contacted the Execution Bureau for reinforcements and medics. The battlefield has shifted outside, and it's likely spiraling out of control. Should we request emergency containment from the clan?"
What she meant was clear—if they let the battle escalate any further, the hidden side of the world, the "Inner World," might be exposed. That would be disastrous.
Containing the damage would involve roadblocks, memory wiping, hypnosis—a massive operation beyond what the Bureau alone could handle. They'd need the Orochi Eight Clans' resources, especially their many spirit-type kotodama users.
But Sakura didn't have the authority. Only Gensei, as the heir of the white king's bloodline, could give that order.
"Then under my authority, begin immediately."
After watching Sakura hurry off to carry out his order, Gensei turned to question one of the clan members. "Where did the Aoiya people go?"
"Young master, they tried to escape during the chaos. We've blocked most of them, but we can't guarantee they all stayed put."
Gensei was surprised. "They reacted so slowly? Doesn't seem like an organized retreat… almost like they didn't expect the attack either."
"I got that feeling too. They didn't seem to know who the attacker was."
"Let's not jump to conclusions."
Gensei still found all of this suspicious. Aoiya had switched out its personnel before his arrival, scrubbed the transaction records, and then got hit by an unprecedented attack. It all felt too neatly sequenced, like someone had planned it to perfection—step after step.
It was like setting up a chessboard, only to flip the whole board at the end just to be sure.
Gensei mentally pinned the blame on a certain Mountain and Earth King, imagining a poetic couplet to summarize:
"Long ago the fire dragon burned the granary;
Today, the great king destroys the archive."
Tagline: Same soup, new pot.
———
Back in the battle, Shirou was on the defensive.
The longer the blade, the greater the advantage—and Attila's sword was practically a whip compared to Shirou's short blade.
"Projection begin! — Full sequence, complete!"
With a silent apology to Source-san, Shirou projected a new Noble Phantasm: Kumo Kiri (Spider Cutter).
He needed a weapon that resonated with the faith of this land.
Kumo Kiri's original owner was the famous Genji ancestor, Minamoto no Raikō. The sword was named for slaying the spider demon that had plagued the capital during his illness.
Later, it passed to Minamoto no Yoshitsune, also known as Ushiwakamaru. The sword was then renamed Usugiri (Pale Green).
Thus, the projected Noble Phantasm had more than one origin, and more than one combat technique embedded within.
"Shanaō's Wandering Tale, Scene Two!"
Clutching Kumo Kiri at his waist, Shirou bent his knees and stepped forward, body low in a textbook iaijutsu stance. He roared:
"Usugiri — Celestial Blade Flash!"
BOOM—!
In that moment, man and sword became one. He broke the sound barrier and, with near-instant footwork, carved a flash of light that pierced through the God of War's blockade.
(End of Chapter)
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