"How fascinating."
Esdeath spoke casually, looking at Numa Seika's utterly bewildered face. A genuinely delighted smile slowly spread across her lips as she leisurely raised the slender sword in her hand.
Humm—!
An icy, azure mist rapidly surged across her blade, enveloping it entirely and spiraling upward into the sky.
An intense, piercing coldness locked onto Emiya Shirou, who was desperately fending off a storm of icicles, trying to save soldiers otherwise destined to die.
As Shirou stared back at Esdeath—her sword wreathed in brilliant blue frost, her killing intent surging like an unstoppable tide—his expression grew profoundly grave.
Just how many lives must she have taken to forge a murderous aura this strong?
Merely sensing her oppressive presence was enough to tell Shirou clearly:
He was no match for this woman in military uniform.
Even using every technique he'd learned so far, it seemed impossible to injure her.
Earlier, when she had descended like a goddess of war onto the battlefield, Shirou had fully grasped the terrifying extent of her power.
Without hesitation, Shirou immediately retreated.
But at the same instant, mist surged before him—
Countless razor-sharp icicles formed spontaneously, completely encircling him before Esdeath had even moved.
"[Sword Breathing—Flame Form: Blooming Flame Undulation]!"
A fierce, scorching wind surged around Shirou, enveloping his Nichirin Blade. Though no actual flame appeared, the air itself burned intensely, even melting some of the surrounding icicles.
Clang-Clang-Clang!
In a swift and graceful motion, Shirou swung his blade, carving a perfect circle that shattered all the surrounding icicles instantly.
His strength had clearly risen far beyond its previous limits. Life-and-death battles always granted the fastest growth.
Though Shirou was still nowhere near Kokushibou's level, if he was prepared to trade his life, he could at least create significant trouble for an enemy of that caliber.
Yet Esdeath's attacks were far from simple.
Swish!
The tip of her icy blade shot forward like a shadowy blue comet, viciously aiming straight for Shirou's throat at lightning speed.
"—!"
Facing Esdeath's instantaneous strike, golden lightning crackled around Shirou's mouth as he swiftly sprang backward, vanishing from sight as though teleported by sheer speed.
He had already mastered switching between various Breathing Styles without relying on Projection—even if only briefly.
Yet at the same moment, Esdeath's lips curved into a seductive smile as she stomped powerfully, propelling herself forward and instantly disappearing as well.
In the eyes of the watching soldiers, both fighters seemed to vanish simultaneously.
Of course, Shirou and Esdeath hadn't truly disappeared—they simply moved too fast for the human eye to follow.
Shockingly, Esdeath had overtaken Shirou's retreat in an instant, her speed far surpassing his own.
Whoosh!
A terrifying whistling sound sliced through the air.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
A dazzling storm of sparks erupted across the battlefield, accompanied by a continuous, sharp clash of blades. Shirou and Esdeath engaged at inhuman speeds, moving beyond what ordinary sight could perceive.
"Your breathing techniques... they're quite intriguing."
Amid their fierce clash, Esdeath calmly remarked with amusement.
Swish!
Within their lightning-fast exchange, her slender sword pierced through air resistance, producing a sharp, ear-piercing noise as it shot forward.
Ding!
Shirou, barely managing to react, swung his silver Nichirin Blade, deflecting the rapid thrust with difficulty, sparks flying violently.
He was already beginning to struggle to match the speed of this woman before him. Shirou felt as if every move he made was transparent to her; fighting became increasingly exhausting.
"Haa…"
A faint cloud of icy breath escaped Esdeath's lips. Her already overwhelming speed suddenly increased even further.
"This breathing method is quite addictive," Esdeath purred. "If I'm correct, each fighting style has its own unique name, doesn't it?"
Before Shirou could respond, Esdeath abruptly slapped her left palm onto her right hand. Her slender sword instantly transformed into a gleaming silver arrow, streaking toward Shirou's neck at astonishing velocity.
"How about... [Ice Breathing—First Form: Piercing Frost]!"
Facing the fierce, precise attack, Shirou could only continue retreating, his feet kicking up snow as his body darted backward like a streak of light.
Yet, Esdeath's attack wasn't something he could evade so easily.
Squelch!
With a sickening sound, her sword pierced clean through Shirou's shoulder, fresh blood dripping steadily from the wound.
Seeing him wounded, Esdeath's speed abruptly skyrocketed again. She let out a low, excited laugh, her foot lightly tapping the ground as she surged forward like a leaf caught in a violent gust, rapidly closing the distance to Shirou.
In her hand, another blade of ice swiftly crystallized.
"[Sword Breathing—Final Form: Dance of the Hundred Styles]!"
As Shirou's voice echoed, multiple Nichirin Blades suddenly materialized around Esdeath, instantly encircling her from every direction.
Burning flames, tranquil waters, swift lightning, raging winds—all appeared simultaneously.
"A Teigu?"
Even as the blades rushed toward her, Esdeath felt no fear whatsoever. Rather, she grew even more exhilarated.
It had been far too long since she'd experienced such thrilling combat—even if she was deliberately holding back a great deal.
Slash!
Five Nichirin Blades converged toward Esdeath, drawn together as though by magnetic attraction.
Yet she merely planted her foot firmly and spun gracefully through the air, her ice-blue sword sweeping around to effortlessly deflect every blade in a single elegant rotation.
Projected blades, after all, could never match the power of swords held firmly in hand.
Having shattered Shirou's encirclement, Esdeath pivoted sharply, blade humming with deadly intent as she delivered a lightning-fast, powerful slash toward Shirou's own weapon.
The air itself seemed to tear from her overwhelming strength, the blade emitting a shrill screech as it crashed violently against Shirou's Nichirin Blade.
Ding!
The clear sound of metal meeting metal rang out sharply.
Against the Empire's supreme general, Shirou's strength was completely insufficient.
With a decisive clang, Esdeath effortlessly knocked Shirou's blade from his grip, sending it spinning into the air.
Instantly, Esdeath's blade flashed again, becoming a blur of sapphire light as it lunged directly for Shirou's exposed throat.
Clang!
Yet another identical Nichirin Blade appeared in Shirou's hand just in time, desperately blocking her deadly strike.
"You truly are becoming more and more fascinating to me."
Esdeath licked her lips slowly, her sword glittering brilliantly in the sunlight, anticipation gleaming dangerously in her eyes.