Rematch Against the [Strongest]! Will an EX-Rank [Anti-World Noble Phantasm] Be Projected?
Orario Eastern Wasteland, War Game Battlefield.
The sky was pierced by countless streaks of light—not wishing stars, but a rain of magic swords named "Infinity." Every blade contained mana enough to shatter boulders; every sword was a "disposable high-explosive" meticulously prepared by Shirou Emiya for this war.
"Feel the pain! Feel the art! Art is—an EXPLOSION!" (He didn't actually shout it, but Shirou's inner thoughts were likely such that Deidara would have given him a thumbs-up).
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM——!!!
The first wave of sword rain slammed hard against the Freya Familia's fortress defense barrier. The continuous explosions sounded like New Year's firecrackers (the reinforced nuclear version); flames soared into the sky, and dust blotted out the sun. The earth trembled so violently that even the spectators watching the "Mirror of the Gods" broadcast from the Orario walls could feel the vibration.
"Too brutal..." Hermes watched the image in the crystal ball, clicking his tongue. "Is this really a war between adventurers? This is modern warfare saturation bombing! That kid Emiya... just how many magic swords did he project? Does his family run an armory?"
"Hmph! Well done!" Loki pumped her fist in excitement, her usually squinted eyes wide open. "Blast them! Blast them good! Level that nymphomaniac's nest! This is the power of 'Money' (though it's mana-converted)!"
However, in this world of magic and divine will, pure firepower doesn't always decide the outcome—especially when the opponent is the "Strongest."
The dust settled. The fortress, which everyone expected to be leveled, was... unscathed?
No, more accurately, a golden spherical lightning shield had appeared above the fortress. The moment the exploding magic swords touched the shield, they were decomposed and annihilated by violent electricity, as if tossed into a black hole.
Standing beneath the shield was a white-clad elf in aristocratic attire, wearing glasses and a look of cold indifference.
[White Elf]—Hedin Selland. Lv. 6, Caster, and the "Brain" of the Freya Familia (though possessed of a foul personality and maxed-out "poison tongue" attributes).
"Boring tricks." Hedin pushed up his glasses, his eyes full of contempt for such crude attacks, looking as if he were watching a caveman throw stones.
"Explosions made of purely piled-up mana lack any sense of beauty. Attacks of this level aren't even enough to light my cigarette. Is this the extent of the Loki Familia's newcomer?"
With a light flick of his staff, the massive lightning shield shattered, transforming into countless lightning snakes that lunged back toward the Loki Familia's lines.
"Everyone! Anti-magic defense!" Riveria raised her staff as well. Emerald brilliance rose, forming a massive barrier of wind that blocked the lightning snakes.
Boom! The collision of thunder and wind. Two of Orario's top casters engaged in a silent exchange across the battlefield. A draw. But for the attackers, this was a stalled offensive.
"Tch, I guess it's not that easy to break their defense?" Finn wasn't surprised. If the Freya Familia could be taken out in one wave, they wouldn't deserve the title of "Strongest."
"Since the long-range bombardment was blocked... then proceed as planned!" Finn pointed his spear, his small frame radiating the aura of a giant.
"Full assault! Push the front line forward! Crush them!"
"OHHHHHHHH——!!!"
Gareth led the charge like a heavy tank. Tiona and Tione followed close behind, their Amazonian war cries echoing through the clouds. Ais transformed into a golden gale, roaming the flanks, waiting for the moment to cut in.
The main force of the Loki Familia, like a sharpened blade, stabbed deep into the enemy lines.
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"Are they here? Those barbarians."
In front of the Freya Familia's position, four Pallum warriors stood side-by-side, reaching only to a normal person's waist. They looked identical, wore the same armor, and held the same weapons—like copy-pasted NPCs.
[The Bringar (Gulliver Brothers)]. Though they were small, their height was deceptive; when these four fought together, they were a terrifying combat force equivalent to a Lv. 6.
"Big brother, that old man is rushing us."
"Second brother, let's flatten him."
"Third brother, don't be careless."
"Fourth brother, go! Let him know height isn't a problem!"
The four brothers scattered like ghosts, their heavy hammers and spears weaving a web of death to meet Gareth's charge.
"Hahaha! Bring it on, you four runts!" Gareth laughed, and far from slowing down, he accelerated. "Let this old man teach you some 'respect for elders'! And don't think numbers will win the day!"
Boom! The sound of heavy weapons clashing was deafening. Gareth, fighting one against four, didn't give an inch. Each swing of his axe carried the power to split mountains, forcing the Gulliver brothers onto the defensive. It was like watching Lu Bu from Dynasty Warriors using his ultimate move.
On another part of the battlefield—
A black blur darted across the field, moving so fast it was hard to track. That was [The Dark Elf]—Hogni Ragnar. Usually a socially anxious, gloomy man, the moment he drew his sword, he became a "Chuunibyou" Berserker Lv. 6 swordsman.
"Is this... the surge of darkness..." Hogni muttered unintelligible lines (likely something about "releasing the seal on my right hand") while swinging the ominous magic sword Dainsleif. His target was clear—the Loki Familia's backline.
"Don't even think about it!" Two figures blocked him. Tiona's massive double-blade and Tione's kukri slashed down simultaneously.
"Amazonian... frenzy..." A red light flashed in Hogni's eyes. His body twisted eerily to avoid the attack, and his counter-slash forced the two back. "Sacrifice yourselves... for the end... of the twilight... the collapse of this world..."
"What is this guy saying? I can't understand him at all!" Tiona looked bewildered, feeling like she was talking to an alien. "But he looks strong! Sister, let's go! Let's beat him back into a normal person!"
"Shut up! Focus!" Tione gritted her teeth. This Dark Elf's swordsmanship was unpredictable; a moment's distraction would mean getting cut.
The battlefield fell into a stalemate. Grunt against grunt, general against general. Intense combat erupted everywhere.
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At the battlefield's highest point, Shirou Emiya stood with his newly projected longbow, brow furrowed.
"This is... a War Game." This was no longer a game of hunting monsters in the Dungeon. This was a slaughter between humans—a contest of tactics, will, and foundation.
"That white elf's (Hedin) defense magic is too tough; normal projections won't blast through," Shirou analyzed. "Unless I use a single-point breakthrough at the [Broken Phantasm] level... but..."
His gaze scanned the field, searching for the greatest threat. The man who had yet to make a move.
Just then—
Whoosh!
An extremely subtle sound of air breaking whistled past Shirou's ear. [Mind's Eye (True)] barely had time to alarm him because the speed exceeded the limits of neural reflex. It was a speed beyond perception.
"Wha—" Shirou instinctively leaned back, a reflex honed on the edge of countless deaths.
Slash! A silver spear grazed the tip of his nose, shearing off a few strands of red hair. Had he been 0.1 seconds slower, his head would have been gone.
"Oh? You actually dodged?"
A voice, part playful and part cruel, sounded behind Shirou. It was a youth with cat ears and a tail. He wore light armor, his gaze like he was looking at a dying mouse.
[The Goddess's Chariot]—Allen Fromel. Lv. 6, the fastest adventurer in the city.
"You're just Lv. 3 trash, but your reactions are decent." Allen spun his spear, pointing the tip at Shirou's throat.
"I can't believe the Goddess set her sights on a piece of junk like you... it's infuriating. It's like watching the Goddess feed leftovers to a stray dog.
You want to steal the Goddess's love?" Killing intent surged in Allen's eyes. "Then get past me first! Die here!"
Boom! Allen moved. His speed was faster than any enemy before. Even faster than Ais (in terms of pure linear speed).
"Trace—Shield!"
Shirou didn't have time to think; he projected [Rho Aias].
Bang!
With just one strike, four petals shattered instantly. Shirou was sent flying along with his shield, smashing into a massive boulder.
"This is... the city's fastest?" Shirou coughed up blood, his organs rattling. This speed was impossible to aim at! Even [Mind's Eye] could only catch a blurry shadow!
"Don't try to run!" Allen pursued him like a maggot on a bone, his spear turning into countless silver flashes enveloping Shirou.
"Dammit... do I have to use that?" Shirou gripped his twin blades, preparing to trigger his [Reality Marble] for a desperate gamble.
Just then—
"Get lost! You cat in heat!"
A furious wolf's howl came from the side. Immediately after, a silver bolt of lightning slammed into Allen's spear.
Clang!!!
Sparks flew. Allen was forced back several steps by the massive force.
Standing in front of Shirou was a defiant back. Gray wolf ears, silver combat boots, and a face that screamed "I'm very annoyed."
[The Braver/Fenris]—Bete Loga.
"Bete?" Shirou blinked.
"Don't get the wrong idea, loser," Bete said without turning around—the standard tsundere line. "I just don't like the look of this stray cat. Besides... you're our 'prize.' If you get broken, Finn will nag me to death."
"Hah? Who are you calling a stray cat?!" The veins on Allen's forehead bulged. "A stray dog dares to block my path?"
"Then come and try me!" Bete grinned, baring sharp fangs as magical flames ignited on his boots. "I'll pull out all your cat teeth and turn you into a domesticated Hello Kitty!"
Boom! Wolf vs. Cat, a duel of speed against speed, erupted instantly. Two blurs collided across the battlefield, shredding rocks and trees in their wake.
"Phew... saved." Shirou breathed a sigh of relief. Despite Bete's foul mouth, his strength was the real deal. With him holding back Allen, Shirou could free his hands to support elsewhere.
However, just as Shirou prepared to draw his bow again—
The entire battlefield suddenly went silent. Not because the fighting had ended, but because... a certain "Absolute Existence" had descended.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Heavy footsteps echoed from deep within the Freya Familia's fortress. Each step seemed to stomp on everyone's heart, accompanied by an oppressive BGM.
The combatants on both sides stopped simultaneously and looked in that direction.
The gate slowly opened. A figure stepped out.
He carried no weapon. He wore no heavy armor. Just a simple martial arts uniform. But standing there, he was like an insurmountable mountain, a wall of despair... a Wall of Sighs.
[The Warlord]—Ottar. Lv. 7. The pinnacle of Orario. The strongest living being on this earth.
Ottar ignored the battles around him. His gaze pierced through the crowd and the smoke, landing precisely on Shirou Emiya on the high ground.
There was no killing intent in his eyes, only a... mechanical indifference to completing a task.
"The Goddess has given her command," Ottar's voice was not loud, yet it carried clearly across the field.
"Bring him back.
Alive."
With that, he moved.
No wind-up. No charging of mana. Just a single, simple step forward.
BOOM!
The ground where he stood instantly exploded into a crater. In the next second, he had crossed hundreds of meters, appearing before the Loki Familia's vanguard.
"Stop him!" Finn roared. "Gareth! Ais! Block him with everything!"
"OHHHHHH!" Gareth raised his tower shield, muscles bulging as he used his defensive skill [Crustal Movement]. Ais activated her gale at maximum output, slashing from the flank.
The full-power strikes of two Lv. 6s. Power enough to destroy an army.
Yet, facing these two forces, Ottar simply... reached out with his hands.
His left hand pressed against Gareth's tower shield. His right hand caught Ais's blade by the edge.
"What?!" Gareth and Ais's eyes widened in unison.
"Too light," Ottar commented flatly.
Then, he jerked his arms.
BOOM——!!!
A terrifying shockwave erupted. Gareth was sent flying ten meters, his feet carving deep trenches into the earth. Ais was thrown directly into the air; though she managed to adjust her posture to land, the hand holding her sword was trembling.
One hit. Just one hit to repel a combined attack by two Lv. 6s.
This was Lv. 7. This was the despair named "The Strongest."
"No one can obstruct the Goddess's will." Ottar did not pursue them; he continued walking toward Shirou. He walked step by step, like a bulldozer. Any Loki Familia member who tried to block him was swatted aside like a fly.
Unstoppable. Unchallengeable.
Ottar drew closer to Shirou. The distance was less than fifty meters.
Shirou Emiya stood on the high ground, watching the approaching monster. His hands were shaking. Not from fear, but from... excitement.
"Is this... the world's strongest?" Shirou took a deep breath, his Magic Circuits beginning to churn frantically.
He didn't retreat. Instead, he took a step forward.
"Trace On."
This time, he didn't project a weapon. He pressed both hands to the ground.
"Since you're the 'Wall of Sighs'..."
"Then I'll... build you a 'Labyrinth'!"
"Terrain Modification!"
Using Projection Magecraft to forcibly alter the landscape!
"RISE!"
Rumble!
Countless massive sword blades burst from the ground. They didn't attack Ottar; instead, they interlaced and stacked, instantly constructing a... Fortress of Steel Blades between Ottar and Shirou.
"Oh?" Ottar stopped, looking at the mountain of steel that had suddenly risen, a flash of surprise in his eyes.
"Interesting." He tightened his fist.
"Then... I shall shatter it."
Boom! Ottar punched the sword mountain. Steel crumbled, blades twisted. But he didn't stop—punch after punch, he literally carved a path through the mountain of blades.
On the other side of the blades, Shirou turned to Finn.
"Captain! I can't hold him for long!" Shirou shouted, veins popping on his forehead. "Use that! We only have a chance if we break the balance!"
Finn watched the unstoppable Ottar, his thumb twitching violently. He knew a normal encirclement was meaningless against a Lv. 7. To win—or to keep Emiya alive—they had to create a "point" that could confront Ottar head-on.
Ais... no, her power wasn't enough yet. Gareth... couldn't keep up with the speed.
"Then, the only one is..."
Finn's gaze fell on Shirou Emiya. The man of infinite possibilities.
"Haruhime!" Finn roared, making a desperate decision.
"Yes!" The fox-girl Haruhime, who had been shivering in the rear, summoned her courage and raised her staff.
"Give all of it... to Emiya!" Finn pointed at Shirou. "Only he... can create a miracle!"
"Eh? All of it to Lord Shirou?" Haruhime blinked, then realized the Captain's intent. Not a buff for the whole team, but concentrating the power of [Uchide no Kozuchi] onto one person.
"I understand!" Haruhime took a deep breath, fox ears perking up, golden tail fluffing out. she poured all her mana—and her gratitude and affection for Shirou—into her staff.
"Grow up——!!!"
Golden brilliance, like a bolt of holy lightning, streaked across the battlefield. It struck Shirou Emiya's back with pinpoint accuracy and zero reservation.
VROOOOM——!!!
Shirou's body jerked. This wasn't a normal power boost. It was a forced leap in the level of existence.
The vessel that had already reached the limit of Lv. 3 (all stats SSS) was forcibly shattered in this moment. Mana boiled like lava; bones crackled like popping beans.
[Current Status: Lv. 3 -> Lv. 4 (Pseudo).]
But this wasn't just Lv. 4. Because Shirou's base stats were SSS, the quality of this Lv. 4 surpassed even a normal Lv. 5. Add to that his rule-breaking [Unlimited Blade Works]...
Shirou slowly exhaled a plume of white vapor. He felt the world change. It became slower, clearer. Even the distant Ottar, currently smashing the sword mountain, didn't seem quite so fast anymore.
"Is this... what a Level Up feels like?" Shirou clenched his fist, feeling power that seemed capable of tearing the sky.
CRASH!
The final sword mountain collapsed. Ottar stepped out, brushing dust from his clothes. He looked up at Shirou standing atop the ruins. In those brown eyes, for the first time, a light named "Interest" appeared.
"Oh?" Ottar felt the change in Shirou's aura. "You've grown stronger? That fox's sorcery?"
"Something like that." Light flashed in Shirou's hands. The twin blades [Kanshou and Bakuya] appeared again. But this time, the blades were wrapped in visible, tangible currents of mana.
"Ottar." Shirou looked down at the strongest king. "You said if I could take one punch from you, I'd win."
"Last time, I barely managed to survive it.
But this time..."
Shirou's figure vanished instantly. When he reappeared, he was above Ottar's head. His twin blades swung down with the momentum to cleave mountains and rivers.
"I want to see... if I can knock you back a step!"
"Come!" Ottar didn't dodge, nor did he use his fist. He drew the greatsword that had remained sheathed until now—[The Black Blade of Dominance].
CLANG——!!!
The massive black sword collided with the black and white twin blades. A terrifying shockwave instantly cleared everything within a hundred meters.
The Strongest Lv. 7 vs. The Strongest Lv. 4 (Pseudo) in history. Round two has officially begun!