This is the interior of the British Museum. If Big Ben is the location of the upper echelons of the Clock Tower, then this is the highest institution of the entire Mage's Association, having trained one outstanding magus after another.
"Even though the relic has been replaced and I can't summon the ideal Servant, it doesn't matter. With my talent as a magus, I will still be the winner of the Holy Grail War!" Kayneth was very confident in himself. Although the relic was stolen, which was somewhat unexpected, he still firmly believed he would be the final victor.
'And Waver Velvet, my dear disciple, just wait until I find you...' Kayneth was now extremely angry with this student.
…
The British Museum is a place for public visits during the day, but who would have thought it is actually a university that teaches magi?
It was now approaching evening, and the sky was beginning to darken. Due to technological advancements and the previous neglect by London residents, the city was often shrouded in fog. Although the situation has improved, it remains much the same.
"This dreadful weather. Technology is truly useless; only magecraft is the right path!" Kayneth was very dissatisfied with the weather. As an orthodox magus, he blamed it all on technology.
Kayneth's footsteps faded into the silence. Wait, silence? Kayneth was startled, stopped, and looked around. The fog was unusually thick, a rare sight even in London. As the capital of the UK, the city should have been bustling with activity, but now it was completely deserted. Unknowingly, he had wandered into an unfamiliar place.
"A Bounded Field? Or an illusion or hypnotic suggestion?" Kayneth, being an excellent magus, quickly analyzed the situation. Such a blatant approach indicated that the visitor harbored ill intentions.
Kayneth prepared himself covertly but wasn't overly panicked. This place was very close to the Clock Tower headquarters, and the Bounded Field would be discovered soon. As long as he could hold out for a while, there would be no problem. Moreover, Kayneth proudly believed that even alone, he could make those with ill intentions regret their actions.
"As expected of the head of the Archibald family, a first-class lecturer in the Department of Spiritual Evocation, the magus known as a genius, Mr. Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald. Even after falling into a trap, he remains so calm!" Ryougi Raku walked out from a corner, his tone full of admiration.
With a target in mind, Ryougi Raku devised a plan. Since they were in London, the sphere of influence of the Clock Tower and the headquarters of the magi, most magi would not be highly vigilant. Their concerns were more likely to be internal to the Mage's Association. Ryougi Raku used a simple suggestion to mislead Kayneth. Of course, the suggestion carried no hostility, so Kayneth didn't notice.
Now, he had set up a Bounded Field to repel ordinary people and avoid detection, but the field wasn't very sophisticated. He feared the magi would discover it soon, so a quick victory was Ryougi Raku's plan. He wasn't very interested in the magi's fighting style, and a magus's combat power would drop significantly outside their own workshop.
Seeing a 12-year-old boy walk out, Kayneth was momentarily surprised but showed no other reaction. In this world, age and appearance could not be fully trusted!
"Who are you? What is your purpose?" Kayneth didn't care about the trap itself, only blaming himself for his lack of vigilance.
Ryougi Raku smiled slightly and did not answer. Time was tight, and there was no room for delay here!
He slowly drew his sword. As the blade left its scabbard, a terrifying and strange murderous aura made Kayneth feel as if an evil spirit were rushing toward him, as if he had fallen into hell. Kayneth was alert. The illusion came and went quickly, but he did not dare underestimate the sword. The blade radiated killing intent—who knew how much blood it had drunk!
Ryougi Raku's footsteps seemed slow but followed a strange rhythm. In the blink of an eye, he was in front of Kayneth, slashing down with his sword!
Kayneth only saw the enemy before him move like a spider, instantly appearing in front of him from an odd angle. Seeing the cold glint, he quickly activated the Mystic Code and Mercury—the "Volumen Hydrargyrum"—he had prepared long ago. A blob of mercury-like slime blocked the blade's light.
Ryougi Raku was not upset that the spider steps he learned from the Nanaya family failed to kill Kayneth in one strike. The Nanaya were assassination masters, and using their techniques in a direct attack against a prepared opponent was already a stretch. But he disdained using assassination on such a character!
He raised his left hand, and raging flames ignited as he reached out to claw at the mercury blob. Ryougi Raku felt as if his hand were grabbing jelly, the resistance increasing the deeper he went. However, the true intent of this attack was the several-hundred-degree flames!
As the flames ignited, the mercury seemed to boil, but Ryougi Raku wanted to use the high temperature to evaporate it directly! Indeed, although he wasn't a science major, he knew that the higher the temperature, the faster mercury evaporates.
Seeing this, Kayneth smiled slightly, held his head high, and said proudly, "A good idea, but this Volumen Hydrargyrum is a Mystic Code. After being processed with magecraft, it's not just ordinary mercury."
As soon as he finished speaking, two whip-like strands emerged from the mercury blob, their tips sharp as blades, swiftly lashing toward Ryougi Raku!
However, no matter how fast they were, they couldn't compare to the speed of thought. Ryougi Raku's application of his Origin Power was as swift as thought! Before the two sharp blades could get close, they were bitten by fire snakes that emerged from his arm. Feeling the mercury blob begin to crawl along his arm toward his body, Ryougi Raku exerted force, and the flames exploded. He turned and stepped behind Kayneth. The mercury blob, which had been blocking the front, suddenly transformed into a sphere, enveloping Kayneth! After another ineffective attack, Ryougi Raku quickly retreated and stood still in the distance.
Kayneth placed one hand behind his back, turned around, and looked at the enemy's helplessness with a victorious smile, feeling very pleased.
"Tch, what a hassle! I thought two strikes would be enough, but it seems I'll have to use a powerful move!" Ryougi Raku muttered in dissatisfaction, simultaneously drawing his other, shorter sword. Ryougi Raku could pierce the Volumen Hydrargyrum's defense with a single strike if he wished, but those moves were far too powerful. If the Bounded Field broke, he would have to face all of London's magi. As an organization with over 2,000 years of heritage, they certainly possessed secret methods and world-class powerhouses. Ryougi Raku didn't believe he could withstand such a challenge at his current level!
For example, the legendary figure who had been the president of the Mage's Association for 2,000 years without ever being replaced. This 2,000-year-old monster—the current Ryougi Raku would have absolutely no resistance against him!
"That old monster probably won't bother with me. This Bounded Field should have been discovered long ago by a powerhouse of that level." He calculated that even if such a being were present, they wouldn't interfere. Besides, even if they did attack, he could definitely escape. But he would have to give up on killing Kayneth...
"It's useless. Even if you have two swords, what good will it do..."
"Divine Light Style Secret Technique: Second Sword: Heaven-Sundering Slash!"
Kayneth was about to make some sarcastic remarks with his usual arrogance, but his words were cut short...
He stared blankly at the cross-shaped cut on his chest, blood gushing out in torrents. This strike had actually pierced straight through his body.
"How... is this possible?" Kayneth's consciousness blurred for a moment. He didn't feel the pain of his chest being pierced. The word "impossible" echoed in his mind. The Volumen Hydrargyrum hadn't reacted at all. It was as if the slash had directly transcended space, bypassed cause and effect, and struck him directly!
Ryougi Raku saw the mercury blob shrink into a pool of liquid after losing its owner's support. He quickly walked over, searched Kayneth's body, found what he needed, his face lighting up with joy, and left without looking back.
Of course, that strike didn't reach the level of manipulating causality, but it certainly embodied the concept of a Noble Phantasm—a strike that transcended space! As the ultimate secret technique of the Divine Light Style, the Second Sword was originally created to counter the magical defenses of monsters. No matter how powerful your shield, this strike would directly pierce through space and slash you, leaving you dead without a trace! Most importantly, while this move was powerful, its aftermath was minimal, making it very discreet compared to other techniques that often affected large areas...
Ryougi Raku left quickly and dispelled the Bounded Field when he felt it was safe. By then, even if the Clock Tower discovered it was his doing, he would have long since left London. As long as he wasn't in the enemy's base, Ryougi Raku wasn't afraid of the Mage's Association. As for the fantasy that they would never find him—that was just a fantasy. As long as he participated in the Holy Grail War, he would be exposed!
…
In a corner of London, an eerie, thick fog gradually dissipated, and the sounds of pedestrians returned to the silent street. Two beautiful young women were chatting and laughing when one of them suddenly noticed something in the middle of the road. Curious, she called to her companion and walked over...
But what appeared before her was a nightmare that might haunt her for the rest of her life...
"Ah! Someone's dead!!" The next moment, a terrified scream echoed through London...
…
On the flight from London to the island nation, Ryougi Raku quietly touched the object in his arms. It was just as he had thought. After the relic was stolen, even if it was due to a mailing error, Kayneth carried the new relic with him as a precaution.
The perfect relic he had prepared earlier was stolen. Even if he could find Waver, the Holy Grail War would likely have already begun by then. If something went wrong with the new relic, it would be extremely embarrassing for Kayneth, who planned to use the Holy Grail War to add another glorious chapter to his resume!
"But this is a bargain for me!" Ryougi Raku thought to himself. Although he could summon other Servants without using a relic, rather than leaving it to luck, wouldn't it be better to have a Servant he was familiar with?
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In the Einzbern Castle, shrouded in ice and snow, Emiya Kiritsugu and Irisviel held the scabbard just given to them by the family head.
The scabbard was made of gold, adorned with breathtaking blue enamel, like the most noble crown in the world. It was engraved with long-lost fairy letters. This was King Arthur's scabbard, but Emiya Kiritsugu was not satisfied at all.
For Emiya Kiritsugu, this loyal and chivalrous King Arthur would be a very difficult type to deal with. Assassin or Caster would be more suitable for him.
"How beautiful!" Irisviel exclaimed, praising the scabbard's magnificence and nobility.
"After all, it's just a tool. The same goes for the Servant. It's also a tool for the Master... Anyone who has unrealistic fantasies about this will never win this battle!" Emiya Kiritsugu said with cold words.
Suddenly, an electronic voice entered their ears.
"We're finally here!"
Kiritsugu Emiya opened his laptop and checked the information inside. For such an orthodox magical family, it was not easy for Kiritsugu Emiya to bring in modern technology.
"What is this?" Irisviel asked curiously.
"This is a report from the guy who infiltrated the London Clock Tower. I asked him to investigate the Masters participating in this Holy Grail War."
Emiya Kiritsugu sat in front of the machine and operated it skillfully, while Irisviel accompanied him quietly.
"Ah. There are only four people, no... should I say three people." Emiya Kiritsugu's face gradually became serious.
"What's wrong?"
"Other people are easy to deal with, but this man, Kotomine Kirei, is a dangerous guy!" Irisviel understood what Emiya Kiritsugu meant. For Emiya Kiritsugu, if he said "troublesome," although he found it difficult, he didn't actually see it as a threat. But when he evaluated someone as "dangerous"... it showed that this person required his full effort to deal with!