Xyrin Empire
Chapter 476: Captured Heroic Spirit

Chapter 476: Chapter 476: Captured Heroic Spirit

"What the hell is going on?! There was just a gas explosion in the yard a few days ago, and now there’s been an explosion on the street next door?!"

This was the outcry from Fujimura Taiga, who had come over for a meal, after seeing the collapsed walls of the courtyard and the entire street that had been blown away.

On the other hand, a soft and delicate purple-haired girl was nervously hiding behind Emiya Shi Lang, looking at the street that seemed to have been attacked by an air bomb with a fearful expression, while from time to time casting curious glances at a few of us strangers.

Gas explosion, huh... Come on, Emiya, couldn’t you think of some other excuse?

Pods kept crashing down into Fuyuki City one after another, and even if one could use invisibility camouflage to hide their paths in the sky, the horrific traces they left on the ground were impossible to cover up. Tohsaka Rin did her best to use her authority in the Dark World to turn everything into a more plausible explosion incident, effectively pulling the wool over the public’s eyes, but for Fujimura Taiga and Makoto Sakura, who were very close to Emiya Shi Lang, it seemed to be more troublesome.

Well, perhaps the thick-skinned Fujimura could still be deceived, but Sakura, clearly a meticulous girl, looked weakly at the pit next to the remnants of the courtyard wall and the clear signs something had been moved from the bottom, and finally spoke up softly, "Umm... Senpai... Would a gas explosion really create such a big pit?"

Emiya Shi Lang’s face turned bitter, "Sakura, just think of it as a gas explosion."

"Oh..." The purple-haired, soft-spoken girl nodded and fell silent.

Was it really that easy to soothe her?

Due to some reasons, Fujimura and Sakura had not come to the Emiya Mansion these past few days. The former had already met us, but the latter was appearing before us for the first time. This seemingly timid girl was very concerned about a bunch of strangers who claimed to be "distant relatives and old friends of Emiya Shi Lang’s foster father," especially since a good half of us were women. But then again, do Pandora and Visca, the two little ones who were just a meter and twenty, really warrant your vigilance?

Sorry, dear little sisters, I accidentally touched a sore spot just now...

The appearance of such suspiciously related distant relatives or old acquaintances naturally also caused no small trouble for Emiya Shi Lang, with just explaining our origins already draining the unfortunate good Samaritan. Especially since most of the uninvited non-human guests were girls, the near-tears expression that Sakura gave whenever she looked at him and the scrutinizing gaze from Sister Fujimura were probably more terrifying for Emiya than being drawn and quartered. We couldn’t help with these matters. In fact, if it weren’t for Tsuruya and my earlier appearance to lay the groundwork and the Pandora Sisters as a buffer, the shock to Fujimura when Saber suddenly exposed herself would have definitely been even greater. It seems, in some way, that certain coyote should thank us.

After breakfast, the Emiya Mansion, which had been bustling all morning, finally quieted down again. The incident at the school unexpectedly erupted and was "resolved" ahead of time, so Tsuruya saw no more need to stake out at the school. Irresponsibly letting the "relevant department" of the Empire prepare a dropout form, the girl once again became a happy truant. She beamed in satisfaction as she saw off Emiya Shi Lang and Makoto Sakura.

Now, there were no more ordinary people left here.

After ordering Pandora and Visca to expand the Force Field to envelop the entire Emiya Mansion, Tsuruya and I headed to the dojo at the back of the courtyard.

The gates of the dojo were wide open, and the spacious interior was fully visible, seemingly unexceptional. But that was just under the guise of the Invisibility Field. Tsuruya drew out the Commander’s Sword and lightly waved it through the air; immediately, the space around us began to ripple, revealing what had been hidden by the phase illusion.

The first thing that caught our eye was a crystal platform with a radius of about five meters, perfectly octagonal. At each vertex floated a diamond-shaped Crystal Column, emitting faint blue rays, forming a cage that seemed both real and illusionary. And within the cage, a woman with purple hair that reached the ground sat dejectedly on the crystal platform, her back to us.

The Heroic Spirit we captured alive is a woman with the true name Medusa.

According to Tohsaka Rin’s opinion, since she is an enemy, she should naturally be eliminated. Saber agreed with this, but Emiya Shi Lang clearly could not condone such an action. Moreover, we had our reasons to keep her, thus, Rider, who was supposed to be sent back to the Heroic Spirit Hall, ended up being held captive.

Of course, the most important reason is that killing Rider now held little value in the Holy Grail War. In the Holy Grail War, killing a Heroic Spirit ultimately served the purpose of having the "eliminated" six Heroic Spirits transform into fuel for the manifestation of the Holy Grail. However, the current Rider could no longer serve as fuel. She had been eroded by Ghost Energy, and even now, part of her body remained in a crystalline state. Until these abnormal energies were dispelled, Rider’s death would cause irreversible damage to the Holy Grail.

"She’s recovering well, she can move now."

The golden-haired girl, who had previously been standing guard next to the Crystal Column, immediately came up to us. At first, she was very vigilant towards us, but capturing the enemy’s Servant this time was almost entirely thanks to our help. This significantly increased Saber’s favorable impression of us. Although she knew nothing of our powers, she had come to regard us as temporary allies.

"Hey, is she not turning around? As a prisoner of war, her attitude right now isn’t very good."

A few seconds later.

"Director, you’re being ignored," Tsuruya revealed her little mischievous side in such a delicate situation, as usual.

"Fine! So be it!" I pointed my finger in frustration at the purple-haired woman who was still turned away, ignoring me, then stepped forward with a twist of my waist, stating powerfully, "I’ll just walk around, then!"

Saber, Tsuruya: "..."

"You’re a strange person," this time, even the always-calm purple-haired woman couldn’t keep her composure. She struggled to stand up and turn this way, her tone containing a faint hint of suppressed laughter, "At least tell me, what happened to my body? And what’s the deal with this bizarre prison?"

The woman, now faced towards us, was tall and elegantly shaped, her beauty deserving of recognition based on that alone. However, she wore an odd purple eyepatch over her eyes, the eyepatch that covered much of her features greatly reduced her attractiveness and added a sense of eeriness. But I knew that the true danger lay in the Demon Eyes hidden beneath the eyepatch – they are far more dangerous than the Blood Temple, which once enveloped the entire school and nearly caused hundreds of teachers and students to perish. Well, at least that was before her corruption. As for now, those Demon Eyes should still be in a frozen state.

"It’s just an erosion by Ghost Energy," I pointed to the tips of her hair, where the long purple hair that should resemble a waterfall had turned into blue and white crystal at the ends. Though the crystallization was greatly suppressed, it still stubbornly occupied its territory, "So, that’s why they say eating recklessly can cause upset stomachs."

"As for this cage that’s imprisoning you, it’s the very thing you should be thanking for being alive. Without the transformation of the Crystal Matrix, you, who had already turned into a crystal state by the Ghost Energy, would have dispersed soul and spirit."

"Is that so?" The purple-haired woman nodded indifferently, then sat down again. With her current physical condition, it was quite difficult to maintain standing for long. "I don’t remember any Heroic Spirit possessing abilities like yours. Ghost Energy... it doesn’t seem to have appeared in my memory either. Moreover, as participants in the Holy Grail War, it’s strange that you would choose to capture me alive instead of directly killing me."

"Do you really want to die that much?"

I showed a look of surprise. The way she spoke so impassively about her own life and death was too nonchalant, like discussing the weather.

"It doesn’t matter," said the purple-haired woman, her voice devoid of joy or sorrow, betraying no emotion. "I was summoned to partake in this war and then depart upon its failure. There’s nothing to regret."

"So, no matter what we do, you refuse to reveal who your Master is?" I asked, raising an eyebrow as my tone lifted.

The purple-haired woman responded with silence, clearly indicating that even though she cared little for her own death, she was unwilling to harm the one who had summoned her.

"We’ve confirmed that your Master is within that school, and is a student," I said, purposely flashing a vicious look, "which means, wiping out those students would equally serve our purpose."

No sooner had I finished speaking than I felt a surge of anger next to me. Turning my head with a slightly astonished expression, I was met with Saber’s magnificent green eyes. The questioning in them was unmistakable.

"Don’t get worked up," I said, not surprised by the Knight King’s reaction. It was my oversight to make such a misleading statement without prior clarification, "I was just scaring her for fun."

Saber’s gaze softened, and then, unexpectedly, she revealed a barely concealed amused expression. Despite a few days of acquaintance, it seemed that my lack of tact still posed a challenge for the typically serious King of Dai Mao.

For a woman who could envelope the entire school within the Blood Temple and drain the Life Force of Humans, such a threat seemed trivial, she cared nothing for the life and death of those students. But I knew she would surely say something.

Sure enough, after a moment of silence that seemed almost like an intense inner struggle, the purple-haired woman slowly raised her head, her lips curling into a slightly cruel smile—almost imperceptible.

"It seems there’s no point in hiding anymore," she said. "His name is Makoto Shinji, the Heir of the Makoto Family."

As expected, she chose to use that guy as a scapegoat.

Makoto Shinji was Emiya Shirou’s classmate, and nominal older brother to Makoto Sakura. But in reality, he was the architect of the latter’s nightmare existence. A direct Heir of the Magic Family, yet in truth, he was a waste with no Magician’s Talent. Even without knowing the plot, one could find out as much through the simplest investigation. Could such a person really be a participant in the Holy Grail War?

It was clear that the purple-haired woman only sought to deflect blame onto Makoto Shinji with a seemingly plausible explanation. If we naively took her word and attacked this so-called "Master," his death wouldn’t matter much, she might even be pleased. And even if we detected the falsity of the information, her true Master would remain unharmed.

In truth, knowing the plot as we did, this whole Q&A session was largely irrelevant. The answer was something we had known from the beginning. I just wanted to see if this infamous woman was truly as the rumors said, truly protective of that girl. Now it seems, even the notorious Medusa has her commendable aspects.

"Perhaps you’re not fully aware," I said, having confirmed something important, it was time to clarify the situation, "but our identities are somewhat special. Saber will explain it to you shortly, but for now, you need to know that the Master you’ve been so fiercely protecting is in danger."

The purple-haired woman abruptly lifted her head, and although I couldn’t see her eyes beneath her mask, she was clearly trying to discern the truth of my words from my expression.

"Ghost Energy has already invaded your body. The body of a Heroic Spirit is made of energy, and having experienced near death before, you must have noticed that your body has crystallized to some extent. And until now, that crystallization hasn’t completely subsided," I explained, gesturing towards the still sparkling tips of her hair. "Have you ever considered that this dangerous Energy might flow back through the contract between Heroic Spirit and Master?"

In an instant, the purple-haired woman’s body stiffened.

How could this be, how could she have overlooked such danger? Could it be that this completely unfamiliar attack had robbed her of her ability to judge? Such dangerous energy, even the body of a Heroic Spirit would nearly transform into a crystal statue, once it entered a human’s body...

"Don’t worry too much, things aren’t that bad yet. The great lethality of Ghost Energy for Heroic Spirits is due to the nature of your beings, energy life forms are extremely sensitive to harmful energies invading themselves, while a human body can somewhat accommodate these things. Moreover—the energy reversal that girl received was very weak. For now, she’s probably just feeling a bit dizzy, right? But if it goes on for too long, we can’t guarantee what the consequences might be."

My reassurance slightly eased the purple-haired woman’s concern, but immediately after, she noticed the key point in what I’d said: "’That girl’? You already know..."

"That’s right, Makoto Sakura, I saw her just this morning," I shrugged, and at the same time, I found that occasionally teasing these Heroic Spirits could be an interesting affair, especially when the other party was such an indifferent person. "Don’t look like that, I just wanted to see if you truly cared about Sakura. If you had really revealed your true master’s name just now, you would have already turned into a crystal statue—this Crystal Column you are standing on is made of Pure Ghost Energy."

With that one sentence, the purple-haired woman almost jumped then and there!

Explaining our identities to Rider wasn’t a difficult task, but by the time I finished, I found myself breaking out in a cold sweat, for no other reason than King of Dai Mao had been watching the whole process.

You might not understand, so let me spell it out: Remember how I made up a bunch of stuff on the spot while explaining our origins to Saber? Now I suddenly realized I’d forgotten all of that, meaning I had to babble nonsense to Rider while struggling to recall how I’d hoodwinked Saber. Fifteen minutes worth of conversation nearly exhausted me!

Cheating and swindling can be lethal! Especially after tricking a famously earnest and serious King of Dai Mao!

"So, you are saying that you come from another... planet?"

After quietly listening to my explanation and seeing me demonstrate a little trinket from the Xyrin Empire that was absolutely unrelated to Human Civilization, Rider confirmed in an incredulous tone.

To these Heroic Spirits who had participated in more than one Holy Grail War and had been reincarnated countless times over endless years, modern society’s matters weren’t hard to grasp. Even though they were born essentially in ancient times, that didn’t affect Rider’s understanding of the concept of "Aliens." Understanding is one thing, but acceptance is another. The intrusion of aliens into a battle among human magicians felt quite awkward to our Medusa classmate.

After laying things out and indicating that we could help dispel the Ghost Energy contamination in Makoto Sakura’s body, Rider’s attitude towards us visibly improved a lot. This infamously wicked woman, known as the Slaughterer, was actually quite straightforward. She too had her likes and dislikes, personal hobbies, and someone she hoped to protect: Makoto Sakura. Yet beyond that, she held the lives and deaths of others, especially ordinary people, in contempt. This could be said to be a common affliction among Heroic Spirits who originated from myths of heroes or monsters, their disdain for mortals. From this perspective, Saber’s chivalry truly was rare.

However, regardless of everything, after understanding her background, I found myself somewhat fond of this contradictory Rider. Of course, this fondness was not the reason why I was going through the trouble to improve our rapport. The main reason was that I needed Rider’s assistance with a suddenly conceived idea that involved her and Makoto Sakura, and by strict definition, it was potentially dangerous. Had Lin Xue not predicted that this experiment was of great significance and would eventually succeed, I would never have suggested such a hazardous biological experimentation proposal involving innocent parties. Since I needed Rider’s cooperation for that matter, it was necessary to build a good relationship with her now, as I didn’t like to coerce anyone.

"I’m still very curious about one thing," Rider said, leaning lazily against the Crystal Column that was also her cage and healing equipment, after our relationship had eased. She looked at us with curious eyes, "What are your motives? I feel that, as beings from beyond humanity and even beyond this planet, there should be no need for you to interfere in what’s happening here? But I feel that your actions are all filled with purpose. Of course, this is just my intuition."

Should I say that it’s really worthy of Medusa? This level of observational skill and intuition could be sharper than Tohsaka Rin’s. Of course, the latter might have her suspicions too but didn’t raise them, probably because there were no conflicts of interest.

Noticing Saber also showing interest, I just shrugged nonchalantly: "Well, who knows, maybe it’s just curiosity. As long as I mean no harm, that should be enough, right?"