Night, the warehouse district east of Seaside Park.
Dim streetlights illuminated the empty road. Kamitani Yuu and the pair before him stood in a silent standoff.
This man is definitely no simple character... Saber thought, shielding his Master behind him, his emerald eyes narrowing.
As the King of Knights who had weathered countless battles, Arthur Pendragon could clearly feel an equally sharp aura emanating from his opponent—a potent pressure that could only be forged through endless combat.
"Enemy Master, do you not intend to summon your Servant?" Saber gripped his invisible sword tighter, his voice low as he stared at the unarmed Yuu.
"There's no need." Having confirmed that this Arthur had not met Sajyou Manaka, Yuu felt at ease. He smiled and said, "It's enough for me to be your opponent."
"...W-what?"
Arthur blinked, startled. However, upholding the spirit of a chivalrous and fair knight, he patiently warned: "Combat between Servants is not something a magus can intervene in at will. You should summon your Servant and let them fight me honorably."
"It's fine. I'm actually quite strong."
Yuu shook his head, declining the silver knight's kindness. He then drew a faint gold card and inserted it into the buckle at the center of his belt, which resembled a white camera.
"Henshin!"
As the words left his lips, a whirlwind of prana erupted around him. His modern clothing was instantly replaced by a black tactical bodysuit, and a vermilion demonic spear materialized in his hand.
In that instant, his aura didn't just grow—it exploded! His presence surged with such intensity that he could now be compared to a first-rate Servant without reservation.
"This is—"
Sensing the sudden manifestation of a Saint Graph, Arthur was deeply shocked. According to his senses, the man before him was still a living human, so why was there a Servant's Saint Graph response coming from within him?
"He... he turned into a Servant?" Standing to the side, Irisviel gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. Her crimson eyes were wide with disbelief.
In their world, only heroes who had achieved great deeds and left behind legends and faith could become Heroic Spirits and be summoned as Servants. This magus, who had transformed from human to Servant-like in the blink of an eye, completely overturned their common sense.
"Kua! This is exactly the scene I wanted to see!"
Seeing the shocked expressions on Irisviel and Arthur, the corners of Yuu's mouth twitched upward irrepressibly. A look of immense satisfaction crossed his handsome face; he had been preparing for this moment for a long time.
Though, a cool set of full-body armor would have been better... Yuu thought with a hint of regret, looking down at his black bodysuit. During his three years in the Land of Shadows, every waking moment was spent training. He simply hadn't had the time to worry about defensive gear.
Next time I cross over, I definitely need to find someone to forge a set of armor that's both cool and powerful...
Shink!
Having made his mental resolve, Yuu deftly twirled the vermilion spear, leveling the cold, gleaming tip at King Arthur.
"Are you ready, Saber?"
"Come then."
Faced with the challenge, Arthur Pendragon's expression turned serious. He dropped into a combat-ready stance.
"Saber, please be careful," Irisviel whispered, backing away to a safe distance, her face etched with nervousness. "I can use some healing magecraft, but that's the extent of the support I can offer..."
Arthur kept his emerald eyes locked on Yuu as he replied, "I will handle the enemy Master. However, I am concerned that the opponent's Servant hasn't appeared yet. There may be a plot afoot. Be on your guard, Master. I leave my back to you."
Irisviel nodded slightly. "I understand. Please bring me victory, Saber!"
"I shall."
Their gazes locked. Arthur Pendragon raised the Sword of Promised Victory, silently reinforcing his body with prana. The air seemed to freeze, and an unsettling silence enveloped the street.
BOOM!
In the next heartbeat, accompanied by the sound of a heavy footfall, Arthur vanished. He appeared instantly before Yuu, swinging his invisible blade down with immense force.
Given his opponent's bizarre transformation, Arthur didn't hesitate to burst forth with massive prana, aiming to end the fight in a single, decisive blow.
However, his invisible sword, wrapped in the Invisible Air, was not only caught with ease but parried. Yuu swung his demonic spear with exquisite skill, deflecting Arthur's strike and pushing back to reset the distance.
His martial skill is incredible. He is not inferior even to the most elite of my Knights of the Round Table... Arthur gripped the hilt with both hands and lowered his center of gravity, focusing entirely on his opponent's next move.
"Should I expect nothing less from the incarnation of the Red Dragon? That strength is terrifying," Yuu muttered, taking a deep breath as his spear-hand trembled slightly.
In that brief exchange of spear and sword, the force transmitted through the shaft was far beyond his imagination. If he hadn't diverted the impact in time, he likely would have been sent flying.
But this is exactly what makes a fight interesting...
Feeling the blood beginning to boil in his veins, Yuu couldn't help but grin. A burning, battle-hungry glint appeared in his pale gold eyes. He quickly traced a set of ancient runes in the air with his finger.
"Kenaz, Inguz, Laguz! (Flame, grant me strength!)"
Following the incantation, surging prana coursed through his body, enhancing his strength and speed to the absolute limit of what his flesh could endure. If Yuu's Strength and Agility were previously at ranks C and B-, they had now undoubtedly ascended to B and A- respectively.
Aside from his superb martial arts, he is also proficient in an unknown form of magecraft... Arthur Pendragon analyzed the situation while maintaining his guard. Moreover, his Saint Graph seems to be tied to that golden card. Is the belt the weakness?
Just as the thought flickered through Arthur's mind, he saw the youth move.
CRACK!
A sound like the air itself being torn apart rang in his ears.
___
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