Chapter 7: The Dust Settles
"Bring it on!"
A gust of wind blew forward, lifting the loose strands of hair from Chizuki's forehead, revealing a pair of dark eyes beneath. As he stared at the Mist-nin captain closing in, a cold glint flashed through his gaze. The corner of his lips twisted into a cruel smile as he shouted.
Hearing this, the Mist-nin captain immediately understood—his opponent was also ready to stake everything on this clash. He did not dare be careless. Chakra surged wildly within his body, and his eyes, visible above the mask, locked tightly onto Chizuki.
In any battle, all techniques ultimately boil down to one critical moment—the instant the attack lands. For experts, the fight is decided in that single moment.
"It's over, Konoha genin!"
Seeing Chizuki preparing to take his strike head-on, the Mist-nin captain focused all his attention on Chizuki's kunai. There was no way the boy could withstand this blow—this was the confidence of a jōnin.
He had never been this serious before. Even when sparring with one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist—the wielder of the twin blades Hiramekarei—he had never delivered such a focused strike.
He knew—it was over.
Yet Chizuki's willingness to face him head-on stirred a trace of admiration.
Konoha truly was a place that nurtured talent.
Thus, he no longer called him "brat," but instead addressed him as a Konoha genin.
The tachi in his hand carved a beautiful arc through the air. A fierce wind followed in its wake, pressing the surrounding grass flat against the ground.
Slash!
Shhk!
In the blink of an eye, silver light flashed—blade aura erupted—and the two sharp weapons drove mercilessly toward their targets. Two faint sounds rang out.
Everything was decided.
A chill spread across the Mist-nin captain's body.
The pain in his back caused his thoughts to stutter. Blood surged up his throat, forcing him to cough. His gaze briefly swept over the blood he had just spat onto the ground before slowly lifting toward the figure before him—toward where Chizuki had been.
"W-What…?!"
But what he saw made him cry out in shock.
There was no Chizuki in front of him.
The boy who had stood there moments ago, ready to fight to the death, was now sprawled awkwardly off to the side. Meanwhile, the Mist-nin captain's tachi had struck deeply into the large tree behind where Chizuki had originally stood.
Seeing that his full-powered, perfectly focused strike had been dodged at the very last moment, he felt as if the world had played a cruel trick on him.
That so-called "resolve to fight to the death"…
That supposed "genius of Konoha"…
That all-or-nothing clash…
All of it—was fake.
His throat moved slightly as dark red blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. Gritting his teeth, he forced out his final question:
"Y-You… why did you dodge…?"
Chizuki, who had just scrambled back to his feet, spat out the grass stuck in his mouth. A mocking smile spread across his face as he replied:
"Come on, man—I'm a genin, and you're a jōnin. How could I possibly win in a direct clash? What am I, crazy? If I can't win, why wouldn't I dodge?"
"…I see… I was so focused on that final strike… putting everything into the clash… I overlooked it. Even if he looked ready to risk his life… he's still just a genin… how could he actually take my blade head-on…"
As Jack pulled her scalpel out of his body, the Mist-nin captain's pale face gradually turned ashen. His body collapsed weakly to the ground, the light fading from his eyes.
In truth, at the exact moment Chizuki shouted "Bring it on!", he had immediately thrown his hands over his head and bent his knees—rolling awkwardly to the side in a desperate move.
The enemy's blade swept past his back, slicing open his clothes and leaving a long tear. By a hair's breadth, he had avoided death.
The posture had been anything but graceful—but it saved his life.
And in the next instant, Jack arrived.
Her scalpel plunged straight into the Mist-nin captain's body, finally bringing this dangerous battle to an end.
"Phew… it's finally over."
Seeing everything settled, Chizuki felt as though all the strength had been drained from his body in an instant. He collapsed onto the ground, letting out a long breath.
During the intense fight, he had been completely focused, his nerves stretched tight. Now that he relaxed, the sight of corpses scattered across the ground made his stomach churn.
He quickly averted his gaze, turning instead toward Jack, who was idly playing with her small blade as she walked toward him.
System… this is my Servant, right?
Chizuki swallowed as he looked at the delicate yet captivating girl before him, muttering inwardly.
"Ding. Yes. This is the Heroic Spirit summoned by the host. The host may view the Servant's information through the Servant List."
The system's voice remained cold and mechanical as it responded.
"Show me."
At once, Chizuki opened the Servant interface. A display, visible only to him—like a digital screen—appeared before his eyes.
――――――――――
Servant Information:
Name: Jack the Ripper
Gender: Female
Height/Weight: 137 cm / 33 kg
Chakra Attributes (after system conversion): Yin, Lightning
Class: Assassin
Strength: C
Endurance: C
Agility: A
Mana (Chakra): C
Luck: E
Noble Phantasm: D–B
Class Skills:
Presence Concealment: A+
As an Assassin, she can completely suppress her presence, making detection nearly impossible.
Personal Skills:
Murder on a Misty Night: A
Enhances the power of the next attack and makes the user harder to detect.
Surgery (Unlearned): E
A scalpel stained with the enemy's blood can be used to heal oneself.
Information Erasure (Unlearned): B
A special technique that seals a random attribute or skill of the enemy during combat.
Noble Phantasms:
Maria the Ripper: D–B
Anti-Unit Noble Phantasm
Range: 1–10 m
Maximum Targets: 1
Normally manifests as four D-rank blades executing an unavoidable attack.
Power increases under the following conditions:
Nighttime
Target is female
Foggy environment
Dark Misty City: C
Barrier Noble Phantasm
Range: 1–10 m
Maximum Targets: 50
Creates a fog-based bounded field. The mist is generated from the user's chakra. In addition to obstructing vision and interfering with perception, it also deals damage to those within the barrier.
Servant Background:
Originally a manifestation of the resentment of aborted children from prostitutes in London, seeking to return to their mothers' bodies by killing women. Once summoned during a Holy Grail War, she was later purified by a special force and now exists as a true human.