Xyrin Empire
Chapter 486: Bullying and Intruding into Private Residences

Chapter 486: Chapter 486: Bullying and Intruding into Private Residences

Without using any special attacks and reducing her own power to the same level as the Heroic Spirit, ensuring that both were on an equal footing for a comparison of their combat skills, would Vega still have an overwhelming advantage over a swordsman like Sasaki Kojiro?

According to common sense, under these circumstances, there should not be a huge gap between the two, and Vega might even be at a disadvantage. After all, the Sword Dao practiced by Sasaki had surpassed the realm of what could be described by "technology"; it was even approaching the level of "Dao." According to the invaluable spiritual heritage left by countless white-bearded old men waiting under cliffs for the protagonist to come along and defeat them, anything related to these mystical concepts was exceptionally powerful. Vega’s fighting skills, deadly as they were, amounted to nothing more than faster sword swinging, more accurate killing, and trickier angles of attack — a killing art. Whereas the latter was technology, the former was art. If this book were taking the mainstream approach, Sasaki would definitely be more formidable than Vega, much like comparing Pandora and Tsuruya. The former had an absolutely overpowering advantage in combat strength, but if you stripped away all weapons, equipment, powers, energy, and other advantages, and compared them purely on height, the victor would certainly not be Pandora — uh, this analogy has gone off-topic, but you get the gist; I’ve never been good at this.

However, the reality was that Vega, who only had pure combat techniques and understood nothing of the profound principles like, "With no sword in hand or heart, one with the sword, the heavens as my blade," had been overpowering Sasaki Kojiro, who had comprehended the Sword Dao, up until now. And throughout the entire fight, the former hadn’t exerted even a fraction more strength than the latter; she hadn’t even used her tail which could be wielded as a weapon without breaking the rules!

This was the victory of technique over strength.

What Vega used was an even more efficient and deadly killing technique than Saber’s, which had eradicated all unnecessary movements and ensured there was no wastage in her martial arts. She even pinpointed her attacks at the molecular level. Her memory core was injected with all possible melee data, her calculation module accounted for every factor that might affect combat, I’ve seen her combat data and was deeply impressed by the egg-breaking spirit of these fighting experts (though Vega didn’t seem to meet the conditions for having one’s eggs broken). Can you believe it? Every time Vega swung her blade, she even precisely calculated how many air molecules the edge needed to collide with, the thermal energy produced by these collisions, and the resistance they would cause to her attack trajectory. She even had a separate gravity measurement device dedicated to detecting changes in local gravitational pull from the Earth’s core and the universal gravitation of all nearby massive objects every millisecond. This nonsensical device’s sole purpose was to help her maintain her balance, among others like it on Vega, which, when coordinated together, turned her into a destruction machine with attack precision down to the nanometer. She once confidently claimed that she could evenly slice a half-meter long steel pipe into 9,700 sections in one second with her long blade, and the number of molecules in each section would not differ by more than ten. Naturally, such a skill is considered utterly boring and pointless by the Ravens, who unanimously believe that only an Armored Scorpion with a brain full of paste and glue could come up with such a thing. By contrast, the Ravens think of themselves as elegant and creative scholars. Their skills are a hundred times more practical than the Armored Scorpion’s, such as inscribing the entire Imperial Code on a fingernail with a micro Arcane Arrow.

Ahem, let’s not bother with the mundane lives of those Imperial Soldiers who have nothing better to do after stuffing themselves...

In any case, the eagerly engaged Vega was now completely gaining the upper hand. Sasaki’s Sword Dao might be mighty, and if he could go a step further, incorporating the "Dao" contained in his ultimate skill "Swallow Return" into each move, allowing his sword to gain power that defies reality with each attack, perhaps Vega’s twin blades would pose no threat to him. Unfortunately, he was incapable of doing that. Sasaki’s sword only transcended technique and sought the Dao when he executed "Swallow Return." His ordinary moves were still at a human level. But Vega was able to pinpoint Sasaki’s vulnerabilities with nanometer precision in any of her slashes. More importantly, the Scorpion Monster had not been facing the threat that Sasaki’s bamboo pole, inexplicably imbued with Ghost Energy, had presented to Saber. For Vega, Ghost Energy was not a threat but rather a fine source of energy. Therefore, Sasaki couldn’t possibly gain an advantage through trickery, making Vega grow more excited as the fight went on, her face filled with the joy of finally finding an opponent who could put up a decent fight. In contrast, Sasaki became increasingly frustrated, not only because of the Scorpion Monster’s cold and unbelievably precise attacks but also due to the unscrupulous onlookers happily munching on popcorn and sipping cola, equipped with DV cameras and setting up lighting around them.

"The odds are now 1 to 15, 1 to 15! Bet on whether Sasaki will lose within a minute or last longer... Tohsaka, you’ve already placed your bet! Sandora, you can’t eat those chips, Tsuruya help keep track of the time, Dingdang watch Little Baobao and don’t let that girl run off! Emiya, are you joining in? Right now, it’s just the Pandora Sisters betting on under a minute, want to try your luck?"

I really think I’m a business genius. Just look at this commercial insight—who else would think of starting a betting pool at a time like this? Greeting a group of onlookers who were already quite idled and corrupted by Imperial Officers and getting them to place bets on life-and-death fights while watching Vega toy with Sasaki, I actually found a hint of that Las Vegas vibe!

"What a bunch of incredible people you all are..." Red A looked stunned at the farce unfolding in front of him, his face straining with twisted veins, "How did the Holy Grail War turn out like this, and what on earth did I come here for when I answered the summons..."

"Of course, to see your little sister from the past," I quipped with a sidelong glance, tossing the words deep into his mind.

Red A was instantly dumbstruck on the spot, but before he could speak, everyone’s attention was already squarely focused on Vega and Sasaki.

The two who had been fiercely fighting until now suddenly stopped in their tracks. Vega casually dropped his twin blades at his side, gazing at the Heroic Spirit in front of him with a calm look, as if the battle had never happened. Meanwhile, Sasaki was gasping for air, his body covered in wounds torn by intense wind pressure. Although Vega had not used any power beyond his capacity, his pinpoint control over every ounce of strength made even his casual strikes amplify Sasaki’s openings by more than tenfold. It could even be said that if the width of the enemy’s openings exceeded ten large molecules lined up in a row (equivalent to the minimum width of the blade of a Leader-level Armored Scorpion’s Ship-Slicing Blade), Vega could launch a precision strike at the weak points.

Do they even need to fight with this tic-tac-toe?

"You have a fundamentally different understanding of the sword from us," Visca meticulously assessed Sasaki’s swordsmanship, "Perhaps the limitations of physical conditioning forced you to seek the ultimate meaning of combat through another path. This concept, which I cannot comprehend, has allowed you to stand against me thus far despite the absolute disadvantage in skill. But if you do not have something sufficiently interesting to show me, then this fight will come to an end."

"Ha, I never expected to gain such a valuable experience when answering this summon." After such a long battle, Sasaki had also grown irritable - monster or not, bizarre or not! This is a formidable foe, one who could completely outclass him in swordsmanship, a rival he had never encountered in his life. That Miyamoto Musashi, who won by tricks, is not even worth mentioning. To fight this opponent to the death, isn’t that my greatest lifelong wish?

"Then, let me show you the secret sword that I take pride in for my entire life!"

Feeling the instantaneous shift in the opponent’s aura, even Visca’s gaze sharpened. She crossed her blades in front of her, readying herself for any incoming strikes.

"Swallow Return!"

To slice a swallow flying through the air with a sword seems feasible if one is quick enough, but in reality, swallows are extremely sensitive to vibrations in the air, and their aerial agility far surpasses human reaction speed. No matter how fast you swing a sword, they can dodge in an instant. The only way to intercept a flying swallow is to instantly block all possible escape routes.

With a single stroke, forming three simultaneous attacks in the air, creating an almost dimension-folding phenomenon – that is the essence of Swallow Return. Clearly, this is not something that can be achieved by mere skill. Only reaching an understanding of the sword on the level of "Dao," and peering into the essence of the world with the sword, can one possibly make such an impossible phenomenon occur in reality.

The moment before the strike was utterly still, unmoving like a dried branch in the absence of wind. Sasaki effortlessly entered the state of a tranquil mind, then came the extreme motion. The three-foot-long Wild Tachi vanished momentarily, tracing a trajectory invisible to the naked eye through the air. Visca’s face showed an incredibly surprised expression. Clearly, such an ability to twist reality with a single moment of "enlightenment" was beyond her comprehension. The next moment, the three sword lights that appeared simultaneously in the air sealed off all her retreat paths.

If she didn’t use her Special Ability, as promised only relying on skill, Visca stood no chance of dodging such an attack. Firstly, she had given Sasaki ample preparation time, and the Swallow Return’s assault left no blind spots. Secondly, Visca’s towering figure, standing over two meters tall, cough cough, unless she cheated by using a Supersonic Charge, avoiding it would indeed be difficult.

If it was Dingdang, wouldn’t she just stand still and let Sasaki aim for half a day?

In fact, Visca didn’t dodge – or rather, she showed no intention of dodging. The "ding, ding, ding" of three nearly simultaneous crisp sounds shattered the brief silence on the battlefield, and three bright flashes sprouted from Scorpion Sister’s arms and back armor; she was evidently attacked.

With a "crack," the bamboo fishing rod in Sasaki’s hands decisively snapped into two pieces.

"Ah, the paint chipped," Visca turned and glanced at the back armor of her scorpion body, where a barely visible flaw had appeared on the lower part of number "1," "Too bad it didn’t breach the armor."

As the strongest close-combat unit of the Empire, the defense of an Armored Scorpion is no joke. Visca had once entered and exited amidst the concentrated attack of millions of the Insect Race without so much as a hair out of place. That Sasaki’s ordinary long sword, forged from common iron, was able to chip the paint on her Super Alloy Armor was already a miracle.

"Hey! This is completely unfair, isn’t it!?" Sasaki stared dumbfoundedly at the handle of his sword. Although he could restore weapons with magic, the mental trauma was not so easily healed, "You’ve been playing with me from the start, haven’t you?"

Visca lowered his head and thought for a moment, then seriously said, "No."

That’s why I never joke with Visca. Scorpion Sister’s stubbornness could make your teeth crumble.

The outcome was clear; Sasaki knew that no matter what, it was impossible for him to escape from these odd ones before him. He resignedly sheathed his broken sword, then fearlessly faced the Scorpion Girl, "Fine, do as you will. Having had this battle, I have no regrets."

"Take him alive." Under the puzzled gazes of Tohsaka and others, I issued such a command, leaving an unsaid thought to follow: and then throw him into Taville’s laboratory.

"Hey, wait, this way..." Tohsaka saw the situation developing beyond her control and quickly stepped forward to intervene, but in the next second, Visca’s tail violently spread open, a blood-red crystal swirling with astonishing energy suddenly pressing against the girl’s forehead.

"I only follow orders, human."

"Visca! That’s enough, she’s my friend."

Tohsaka retreated in shock, beads of sweat forming on her forehead.

"Don’t tell me she’s also a photography enthusiast." The disgruntled girl muttered under her breath, "And why not just kill him?"

I didn’t answer, merely offering an apologetic smile. But as Visca was about to "retrieve" Sasaki, countless shadows leaping from the walls of Yododani Temple interrupted her movement.

Indeed, they couldn’t sit still. I thought you could hide indefinitely, but releasing these things to meet the enemy shows they’ve realized that tonight’s affairs won’t end well.

The figures that leaped from the wall were wrapped in dark, impure magic, a continuous low growl filling everyone’s ears. As moonlight began to peek out from the clouds, their true forms gradually revealed, triggering cries of alarm from everyone.

Dead Souls, skeletons, the attacking shadows were those sort of terrifying things. Even Tohsaka, who came from a magician’s background, twisted her face in aversion, while the upstanding young man Emiya grew pale from having never encountered such creatures. The undead that sprung from Yododani Temple quickly occupied about one-third of the area in front of the mountain gate, and at the same time, more undead were pouring out, forming a spine-chilling tableau against the dim backdrop of the nightly mountainside temple.

For Emiya, it was so.

Tsuruya looked curiously at a Skeleton Soldier approaching her, snapping pictures with her digital camera—although she once feared these things, she was now able to analyze the calcium deficiency in the skeleton soldier’s femur through the lens of science after becoming friends with Sylvanas.

"This place actually harbors such filthy things, terrible..." Saber swung her sword and sent a nearby Skeleton Soldier flying, then turned to alert Emiya, "Shi Lang! Be careful!"

"I know!" After the initial panic, the crash training Emiya had undergone these past few days finally showed its effectiveness. Though he looked haggard, he was still able to move smoothly within the increasingly dense sea of skeletons. For Archer and Tohsaka, these Skeleton Soldiers were of course much easier to handle. The barrage of magic bullets in combination with Red A’s close combat restrictions meant that almost no Skeleton Soldiers could come within five meters of this duo—the sounds of cutting and bones shattering filled the air in front of Yododani Temple’s mountain gate.

"Heave-ho! Dumb Sister, I threw it even farther this time!"

Still, the most eye-catching on the battlefield had to be from our side.

Vis threw a luckless Skeleton Soldier A around rapidly on the spot, spinning four or five times before flinging it into the distant night sky, then smugly boasted to Pandora not far away, which was met with her silent gesture of grabbing another clueless Skeleton Soldier B that was chopping its way over. After a rapid double spin in the air, "whoosh", Skeleton Soldier B vanished.

Not far away, Tsuruya holding a large signboard and shielded by a Ghost Energy Shield from the scattering bone fragments, loudly announced, "Wow! Pandora, that’s amazing! Half a kilometer farther than before, Vis, it’s six to four now, you need to work harder!"

Watching them like this, how could I not intervene? Let alone me, even Sandora couldn’t look on, walking seriously to Vis, who was upset about her initial defeat. Queen Her Majesty admonished, "Don’t throw too hard, if they disintegrate mid-air, it won’t count."

Me: "..."

Forget it, let them play. After all, to them, this situation is just a game.

Although the number of undead that had suddenly emerged was large, under the carefree "extermination" carried out by Pandora and Vis, it only took a few minutes to clear most of the platform in front of the mountain gate. I didn’t know what kind of pitiful expression the mastermind watching this from within Yododani Temple wore, but Sasaki’s twisted and conflicted face was all too obvious.

This was no longer bullying; this should be categorized as a human rights issue!

However, even as things had developed to this extent, there was still no response from within Yododani Temple, the gate remained closed, silence all around. The assaulting undead had all been dealt with, and Sasaki, with Scorpion Sister’s dual blades at his neck, had lost the ability to resist, yet the enemy could still calmly stay in their stronghold?

Thinking back to the sudden appearance of Ghost Energy on Sasaki’s blade and now the strange lack of response from within the temple, I suddenly felt the situation was perplexing.

The original plan was to lure out the temple’s Master, but now it was clear that wouldn’t succeed. Although the aim was to capture Sasaki alive, taking him would not be easy. Being an irregularly summoned Heroic Spirit, Sasaki could only exist by relying on the Spirit Vein of Yododani Temple. Not only did he have just twenty days of existence, but he also could not leave this mountain gate. Taking him had always been a feint; seeing that the one who summoned him appeared not to care at all, Sandora and I exchanged a quick glance and made a simultaneous decision.

Breach in!

(To be continued. For the continuation of the story, please visit www.qidian.com. More Chapters are available, support the author, support genuine reading!)