Chapter 35. Yukinoshita Yukino is About to Die!
[At Homurahara Academy, two female Servants clashed fiercely. The battle reached a state of equilibrium, yet the intensity only increased.]
[Their speeds grew faster and faster. Chains and dual blades danced wildly, producing ear-piercing metallic screeches as countless sparks erupted into the sky—like dazzling auroras blooming in the night!]
["CLANG!"]
[After countless collisions, one of the Kanshou and Bakuya blades shattered.]
[After all, it wasn't truly a Noble Phantasm—just a replica forged through Archer's magecraft.]
[The white-haired Servant's face no longer held its usual calm. She looked slightly shocked, her body flung mid-air, arms flung wide from the force.]
[Medusa's eyes turned icy as she reeled in her chains and tightened her grip on her sword hilt.]
[— A perfect opportunity!]
["Fwoosh fwoosh…!!"]
[She bent low and charged, suddenly bursting forth. Her long purple hair whipped like a waterfall at supersonic speed, and in the blink of an eye, she was already right in front of her foe. The gleam of her cold blade was ready to pierce through the opponent's chest.]
[This was the moment when the white-haired Servant had exhausted her old strength, but had yet to call forth new power.]
[A perilous situation.]
"Oh no!"
On the Celestial Curtain, Yukinoshita Yukino clutched her chest, her heart pounding as if it might leap from her ribcage.
Could it be… her future self would fall here?
No...
That's not right...
There was still that battle of ideals in the PV—between her future self and her parallel self. There's no way she would die here!
Even so, the girl couldn't take her eyes off the screen.
Sometimes, even when you know the outcome, your breath still catches in your throat.
[On a nearby rooftop, Raku Sou appeared a bit more serious, colorful gems gripped in hand, ready to throw. Under the terrifying power of A-rank magecraft, even Servants would be forced to retreat several steps.]
[As the heir to one of the three great families, his strength far surpassed that of an average magus.]
[If he entered the fray and teamed up with Servant Archer, they could definitely drive Medusa back.]
[He had been watching carefully for signs of Rider's Master hiding somewhere on campus.]
[If a direct beheading operation could be executed—if he could take out Rider's Master—then even someone as strong as Medusa would be eliminated from the war, not just escape with a Command Spell's help.]
[But from the look of things, Rider's Master was just a coward—refusing to appear.]
[Heh~]
[What a rabbit Master.]
[Raku Sou sneered.]
[Still, his Servant seemed to be in mortal danger. As much as he wanted to observe her abilities more, it was best to lend a hand.]
[Just then… Hm?]
[He raised an eyebrow, intrigued by a sudden development on the battlefield below.]
[The white-haired woman muttered: "Trace on."]
[Mana surged into her palms, and with a brilliant flash of blue lightning, two freshly forged Kanshou and Bakuya blades were formed anew.]
[Medusa's pupils shrank. A sense of doom loomed, but—too late.]
["Clang! Clang clang!!"]
[Kanshou and Bakuya knocked aside the chains, ringing out in crisp strikes. Amidst the blazing sparks, the blades slashed directly toward Medusa's snow-white neck.]
[Just as Medusa attempted to retreat, the wind howled behind her.]
[Several radiant gems glowed under the moonlight before shattering—exploding with a thunderous roar. The blast of fire and pressure seared her smooth back!]
[No way to retreat now...]
[Medusa let out a soft groan. Forced into a corner, she had no choice but to face Kanshou and Bakuya's razor-sharp assault head-on.]
[This strike sealed off all escape. Nowhere left to run!]
["SPLURT!"]
[A large spray of fresh blood burst out, splashing to the ground like a cluster of brilliant red coral.]
[The purple-haired woman panted heavily and retreated to a distant rooftop using her superior agility. She clutched her bleeding shoulder, her breath labored.]
[No good…]
[I can't keep hiding my Noble Phantasm anymore…]
[Medusa knew—if she kept fighting up close in this wounded state, it would be nothing short of a slow death.]
["Fwoosh!"]
[The white-haired woman pursued quickly, leaping to the rooftop in an instant.]
[The wind howled, merging with the shrill screech of blades, stirring the air like never before.]
[Medusa's eyes turned steely. From her wounded shoulder, droplets of blood began to fall—glowing with radiant white light, ancient and sacred, tinged with a forlorn, primal aura.]
[It was as if a being from a forgotten era was about to awaken—an artifact of the divine age preparing to descend once more into the world.]
[The phantom of a winged white horse slowly emerged, letting out a deep, resonant neigh.]
[The white-haired woman, too, grew more serious. She immediately stepped back, taking a defensive stance while chanting softly, as if preparing to unleash her Noble Phantasm's True Name.]
[Medusa shouted solemnly: "Noble Phantasm—Release!"]
[The white-haired woman furrowed her brow: "I am the Bone of My Sword…!"]
[The desolate domain of infinite swords was on the verge of unfolding, its inner imagery slowly bleeding into reality.]
[This would mark the opening clash of the Holy Grail War—a Noble Phantasm collision the likes of which had never been seen before!!]
[Under the immense power of these ancient Heroic Spirits, the very heavens and earth felt dwarfed in comparison!]
The whole of humanity was ablaze with passion, eyes wide as they stared at the Celestial Curtain.
"I'm on fire! My whole body's burning!!"
"They're gonna clash Noble Phantasms?! Hell Yeah!!"
"That's... Pegasus! A being not meant for the mortal world!"
"Art is explosion—blow Homurahara Academy sky-high!!"
"They're already going full throttle for the first round?! This is insane!"
"I hope Archer wins. I love the white-haired onee-san!"
"Medusa is clearly the prettier one, too bad her Master is that scumbag Matou Makoto!"
"Archer's totally winning! You know, Swords are OP!"
"Stab her with you Sword, till she can't get back up, Archer Onee-sama!"
"Ayo bro, that sounded kinda wrong, not gonna lie."
...
In the shadows of Tokyo, the great yokai Hagoromo Gitsune narrowed her eyes, gently waving her folding fan.
"So they've arrived. Let's see if the blinding brilliance of you Heroic Spirits—revered by mankind—can compare to Seimei…"
...
Bone-Eater's Well, Warring States era.
Sesshoumaru seemed to sense something, casting a cold glance toward the cloudless blue sky.
As if, in a distant world, something terrifying was about to emerge.
...
At the sealing grounds of the Hanakaiin exorcist clan, the great yokai Tsuchigumo gazed outside, thrilled.
"Warriors..."
"So many warriors…"
"If I could battle them… there would be no greater joy!"
...
But just then, the thunderous soundtrack suddenly faded, and the screen went still.
Everyone blinked in confusion as the scene abruptly shifted.
[Step…]
[From the distant lecture building came the soft sound of footsteps on gravel.]
[Both duelists were startled, quickly suppressing their surging mana. Even the silhouettes of their Noble Phantasms vanished. They turned in unison toward the sound.]
["Who's there?!" ×2]
[Just as they shouted, Medusa dashed under the moonlight.]
[The white-haired woman did not stop her—she calmly gazed in the same direction.]
[The figure in the shadows seemed panicked, fleeing without even glancing back.]
[The atmosphere fell silent once again. From the rooftop, a young man in white leapt down.]
[Raku Sou stepped forward, gently patting his Servant's shoulder and smiling slyly: "I thought Rider would finish you off easily, like a third-rate Servant. Guess you're better than I thought."]
[The white-haired woman shrugged him off and replied nonchalantly: "That's a bit insulting, Master."]
["What was that just now? Projection Magecraft?"]
[Raku Sou rubbed his chin thoughtfully, half-joking: "I recall there's a female magus in Homurahara Academy who's really good at that. Could you be her ancestor?"]
["No way~"]
[The white-haired woman froze briefly, then laughed freely: "I don't recall having any descendants. But thanks to that unexpected interruption, not only did I avoid an all-out battle, but I also didn't have to reveal any of my tricks."]
[Raku Sou raised an eyebrow: "Then we should probably thank them. Wanna check it out?"]
[The white-haired woman shook her head: "Rider probably already silenced them."]
["No worries, maybe there's still time to save them." Raku Sou looked pensive.]
[As their light conversation continued, the two slowly disappeared into the distance.]
Meanwhile, people all over the world were losing their minds, pounding their chests and stomping in frustration.
"Damn it, my Noble Phantasm clash got interrupted?!"
"What happens next?!"
"At least let them finish the fight before cutting away!!"
"I FUCKING HATE CLIFFHANGER!!"