The roar of clashing swords resounded throughout the great cavern. The speed of the battle between the two did not slow because of the continuous collisions, instead, it intensified. The speed of their combat became faster and faster, and their sword techniques reached a point where ordinary people could not see them at all.
Even Fujimaru and Olga Marie, who were originally just watching the battle, had to hide behind the shield Mash had set up to avoid being blown away by the surging storm.
"Is that guy really a human?!"
Olga Marie was not surprised that the dark monarch possessed such terrifying and exaggerated strength. After all, she was the Red Dragon recorded in mythology, and after obtaining the Holy Grail, which provided a massive boost of magical energy, having such terrifying and exaggerated strength could be considered reasonable.
But what the hell is that guy! According to the data in her original memory, wasn't he just an ordinary person who had been brought into Chaldea to make up the numbers after his aptitude was discovered?!
"It's truly blood-boiling to watch! It's a pity that I descended in the Caster class, otherwise, I would really want to go up and join this intense battle."
Cú Chulainn's face was full of regret that his current body could not join the battle.
"I, too, yearn to join this intense exchange of swordsmanship. It is a pity that in this life, I am not some hero from mythology, and the longsword in my hand is just an ordinary weapon, I simply cannot intervene."
Sasaki Kojiro was also very regretful. He really wanted to exchange insights on swordsmanship with the two people in battle, but his own physical fitness made it completely impossible for him to join in. After all, no matter how exquisite your sword techniques are, they will have no effect in the face of an absolute gap in strength.
"Director, are all Masters supposed to be as capable of fighting as this one?"
Unable to suppress the doubts in his heart any longer, Fujimaru asked Olga Marie, full of curiosity.
"How could everyone be a monster like him! No matter how powerful a Caster who can become a Master is, it is impossible for them to fight a Heroic Spirit to this extent! Even that group of elites in Team A couldn't do it!"
...Hard to say.
After another intense collision, Caelus and Artoria pulled away from each other, not continuing the storm-like confrontation.
"Is this the so-called Assassin with no frontal combat capability?"
"After all, I am not a dead Heroic Spirit, I am a living being, and I can still improve."
Although Caelus's words sounded reasonable, for some reason, it felt like he was mocking her.
"I can feel that you are still hiding your strength, Assassin. Let this pure exchange of swordsmanship end here, let me see your full strength as a Foreigner."
"Hmm, I originally didn't intend to help Chaldea, because I felt that they, the protagonists at the beginning of these heroic stories, could face and overcome all difficulties. But I also don't know if things have changed because of me. In short, if there is no help from me now, they probably won't be able to defeat you... Well then, I'm going to get serious now, Mem."
"Mi!"
With just a simple flicker, Mem arrived by Caelus's side.
A Light Cone appeared in Caelus's hand. Depicted on the Light Cone was a young man with white hair and slightly tanned skin sitting on a barren hill, with broken swords scattered all around him.
During the time Chaldea was entangled with Lancelot, Caelus had crafted the existence of the Archer he had devoured into a Light Cone.
Mem took the Light Cone from Caelus's hand. Through the power of memory, she understood and recorded this Light Cone, learning everything contained within it.
[Noble Phantasm: As I Have Written, Unlocked]
"Partner, next, let us fight together!"
Mem's voice sounded slightly more mature, and her speech could now be understood by others, it was no longer just the repetitive chirping that ordinary people heard, excluding Caelus.
"Yes, Mem, use the Noble Phantasm."
"Let us write our own chapter together!"
Everyone present heard the sound of pages turning and the scratching of a pen touching paper.
The original great cavern was replaced by a new landscape. Soft light pierced through the curtain of darkness and shone upon this world. The azure sky was so clear and bright, and the few white clouds looked like children of the sky playing and laughing.
A soft breeze blew past, bringing with it the fragrance of flowers, grass, and trees. The originally barren land underfoot was now covered with green grass, along with a few flowers that could not be named but were exceptionally bright and vivid.
The sound of ocean waves reached their ears. Although they could not see the ocean, they could feel that tranquil and profound artistic conception.
Birds flew across the sky, they symbolized life and hope, bringing true vitality to this small world.
"A Reality Marble... but how can there be such a beautiful Reality Marble?"
Olga Marie stood in place, murmuring to herself, looking at this beautiful world in disbelief. Even the golden wheat field at the edge of her vision, with those golden ears of wheat swaying in the breeze, seemed to waft the scent of grain over, making everything appear so peaceful and serene.
[Noble Phantasm: As I Have Written]
[Effect: Unfolds a world depicted in memory. Within this self-woven world, she can briefly regain a portion of the authority she once possessed.]
"Partner! Do I look good in this form?"
Mem no longer had the appearance of a pink puppy from before, but had turned into a beautiful young girl with short pink hair.
Caelus watched the beautiful young girl smiling at him, then looked down at the pitch-black longsword in his hand, which was filled with endless malice and still faintly flowing and writhing. He looked around at this beautiful, peaceful, and serene little world and could not help but feel that his own art style did not quite fit in.
As if knowing Caelus's thoughts, Mem, no, Cyrene, smiled and reached out with both hands, grasping Caelus's hand that held the sword formed from all the world's evils.
"Partner, when life possesses those beautiful emotions that people yearn for, it also possesses those malicious thoughts that make people uncomfortable. These are all part of life, all part of what constitutes this world. Don't worry about whether you fit into this world at this moment, both you and I are part of this world, there is nothing special about it."
"Mm."
Caelus responded simply, then looked at Artoria, who had not attacked him or Cyrene since the beginning. Was she immersed in this beautiful scenery? No, she was frozen.
She was not frozen in a physical sense, she was frozen by her own memories.
What constitutes the emotions and conduct of sentient beings is the sum of all their memories from the beginning to the present.
If a person's memories are changed, their style of action, and even their way of conducting themselves in the world, will be changed.
And when memories stop flowing, when the possibility of continuing to extend stops, then naturally, everything about that sentient being is frozen.
At this moment, Artoria stood there like a statue. She could not hear, could not see, could not perceive anything at all, nor was she lost in any illusions or memories. She was simply frozen in memory, which caused her to be unable to act.
This was the power of the Immaculate Child. Although it was limited to this Reality Marble and was very brief, it was enough.
The pitch-black blade pierced through Artoria's body. When her frozen memories were unsealed, she first glanced at the long blade that had pierced her Spirit Origin, then looked around at the beautiful little world surrounding her.
Finally, she sighed helplessly and said.
"Can't you defeat me head-on just once? You really are a qualified Assassin."
Then, she looked at Mash and Fujimaru and said, "Chaldea, I hope that in your future journey, you can understand what you are really doing, and also find your own correct path."
Having said that, this pitch-black king turned into golden particles of light and dissipated in the breeze.
(To be continued.)
◇◇◇
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)