Swish—!
Before his words even faded, Kirei moved.
Even heavily injured, even without the support of his Magic Circuits, this man's martial arts were still terrifyingly suffocating.
Like a wounded tiger, he lunged at his prey, reeking of blood!
"So fast!!"
Sumire's pupils shrank sharply.
She could tell her opponent was severely injured; his wounds were still dripping blood, and the flow of magical energy within his body was a complete mess.
Yet even with such grave injuries, his speed was still so fast that she could barely react!
"Flowing Dance!"
Sumire instinctively executed the evasive sword form.
Her body became as supple as flowing water in time with the rhythm of her breathing. The moment the Black Keys thrust toward her, she slid to the side in an extreme evasive maneuver.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
Three Black Keys struck deep into the ground where she had just been standing, instantly shattering the stone slabs.
"Oh? Such footwork..."
Missing his strike, Kirei did not pause for even a moment.
Using his momentum, he twisted his body and swept out three more Black Keys from his other hand, sealing off Sumire's retreat.
"It's not over yet!"
Sumire gritted her teeth and held her ground, the twelve Magic Circuits within her body operating frantically.
That scorching magical energy surged through her veins, granting her strength and speed beyond her limits.
Instead of retreating, she used the centrifugal force of her spin to fiercely swing her old katana, forming a blue wall of water around herself.
Clang, clang, clang—!!
The Black Keys clashed against the water wall, sending sparks flying.
The immense force numbed the webbing of Sumire's hands, nearly causing her to drop her sword.
'It's not just her swordsmanship... what is with that magical energy?'
The two exchanged several more blows, all of which were ultimately neutralized by Sumire Kamado's bizarre, magic-infused sword stances.
Genuine surprise finally appeared in Kirei's eyes.
According to his previous intelligence, this girl was merely a layman who had just awakened a single Magic Circuit, her magical reaction pitifully weak.
But now...
The magical energy erupting from her body was pure, massive, and full of aggression...
'To think she could grow to this extent... in just a few short days?'
Kirei's killing intent surged even higher.
If she were allowed to continue growing, paired with that bizarre Avenger, she would absolutely become a major threat.
It seemed the plan to kidnap her to threaten Avenger was no longer viable.
He had to kill her, right here and now!
Ignoring his bodily injuries, Kirei forcefully squeezed every ounce of strength from his cells.
Bajiquan・Fierce Tiger Forcibly Climbs the Mountain!
He discarded the Black Keys and closed the distance directly, viciously slamming his vise-like hands toward the crown of Sumire's head!
This strike possessed no flashy techniques, only pure, violent destruction!
Sumire felt the aura of death.
That palm continuously magnified in her vision, as if blotting out the entire world.
She couldn't dodge it.
Whether in speed or strength, the injured Kirei still suppressed her.
Mr. Asuka's teachings echoed in her mind.
Sumire inhaled sharply, her chest rising high.
In that instant, the world seemed to stand still.
The sound of the wind around her, the rustling of the leaves, and even Kirei's heavy breathing all became incredibly clear.
Her vision pierced through Kirei's skin and muscles, seeing the severed meridians within his body...
She saw that violently beating yet overwhelmed heart, and she saw the extremely minute lag in his movements caused by his severe injuries.
That was... an opening!
Sumire took a large stride forward, charging right into the wind of Kirei's palm strike.
The katana in her hands came alive at this moment, the magical water currents wrapping around the blade instantly condensing into a single line.
A split second before Kirei's palm could shatter her skull.
Sumire's body suddenly dropped low, evading the fatal blow.
Simultaneously, the blade in her hands swept upward from below, viciously slashing along the opening in Kirei's attack!
Slash—!!!
Blood splattered.
Kirei's tall frame stiffened in place, his palm still maintaining its downward posture.
But he could no longer bring it down.
A wound so deep that bone was visible extended all the way from his right ribs to his chest.
A massive amount of blood gushed out like a burst dam, instantly dyeing his priest's garb red.
"Urgh..."
Kirei lowered his head, looking in disbelief at the girl before him, whose face was covered in blood and dirt, yet whose eyes shone with a terrifying brightness.
'How did she do it? That strike just now felt like teleportation...'
'Is it Time Magecraft like Kiritsugu Emiya's?'
'Did I actually lose?'
'Lost to a... little girl who cannot even be considered a magus?'
"How... is this... possible..."
The dizziness brought on by severe pain and blood loss instantly swept through his brain.
Kirei's massive body swayed before falling heavily backward.
Thud!
Dust flew into the air.
Looking at Kirei lying weakly in a pool of blood, Sumire finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Hah... hah..."
The katana in her hand dropped to the ground with a clatter, and her entire body went limp as she gasped heavily for air.
'I won...'
'I really won...'
She looked at her trembling hands, stained with Kirei's blood, as the life-and-death moment from just now echoed in her mind.
'It's unbelievable. Just a few days ago, I was a middle school student who slept in class every day, and now I actually have to experience something like this...'
Fear, nausea, and the relief of surviving a disaster—all sorts of emotions mixed together, making her want to cry.
But she held it in.
Because the battle was not over yet.
Sumire forced her aching body to stand up and stumbled over to Irisviel, who was lying on the ground.
"Miss! Are you okay?!"
Sumire helped the weak Irisviel up, anxiously checking her condition.
Irisviel barely propped herself up, looking at the unfamiliar girl before her with eyes full of surprise.
"..."
"I am Sumire Kamado!... Mr. Asuka's partner!"
Sumire wiped the blood from her face, revealing a reassuring smile.
"Don't be afraid, I've already defeated that bad guy! I'll get you out of here right now!"
Irisviel looked into those clear red eyes and felt the immature yet warm aura radiating from her, a warm current welling up in her heart.
She thought of her own daughter, Illya.
This girl's eyes were just as pure as Illya's.
'If only I could... live to see Illya grow this big...'
"Thank you... child..."
She reached out and gently grasped Sumire's hand.
Sumire only felt that her hand was so cold, so cold it didn't even feel like a human's body temperature. "Yeah... let's go, it's not safe here!"
Supporting Irisviel, she walked step by step toward the exit of Ryuudou Temple.
The night breeze blew past, clearing the mind of Sumire Kamado, who had just experienced a life-and-death struggle.
In her mind, she was already planning their route:
'First, I'll contact Mr. Asuka and take this poor woman to the Matou Manor... Wait, what about that little girl from earlier? Is she in any danger?'
Just as she was still thinking.
Vmm—!!
A low hum echoed from the sky, and the magical field of the entire Fuyuki City began to fluctuate violently.
Sumire instinctively looked up, only to see the clouds in the night sky swirling like a vortex, with a blackish-red light faintly shining through...
"What is that!"
Sumire exclaimed as the Command Spell on the back of her hand began to burn, faintly resonating with the magical energy in the sky.
Irisviel suddenly stopped in her tracks, her face instantly turning deathly pale.
"Ugh...!"
A surge of intense pain welled up from within her body, causing her to clutch her chest and fall to her knees.
"How could this be..."
"The Heaven's Feel... has activated?!"