"You haven't offered your name either, have you? Uninvited Servant," Xia Yu countered, unimpressed by his words.
"Tsk. Such is the life of a Servant," Cu Chulainn clicked his tongue and said, "Our freedom is tethered to others; we aren't even permitted to announce our own proud names."
His voice carried a hint of irritation and self-deprecation.
"But you're in luck, I know you," Xia Yu glanced at him, and another sword materialized in her hand.
Faced with Cu Chulainn's martial prowess, using only a single blade wouldn't allow her to fully enjoy the thrill of combat. While she had the ability to win that way, it ultimately felt a bit too restrictive.
"Child of Light of Ireland," she raised her swords, pointing them directly at Cu Chulainn. "You don't look like the type who enjoys bullying high school kids. What pleasure is there in raising a spear against the weak compared to a life-and-death struggle against the strong?"
"Indeed, indeed! You really do understand me," Cu Chulainn grinned with pure satisfaction. "A hero should only swing his blade at the strong!"
"If only you were my Master. I feel like we would have collaborated quite happily!"
Hearing this, the spiritualized Medea nearby let out a quiet "Tsk."
To be honest, she was quite satisfied with her current Master—mysterious enough, and trusting enough. Whenever she asked for mana, Xia Yu was incredibly generous, giving without reservation or even asking what she intended to do with it.
There was only one requirement: don't affect ordinary people.
Thus, as Medea watched Cu Chulainn level his spear at Firefly, she felt a wave of displeasure. She almost wanted to summon the Assassin she was keeping at the base to teach him a harsh lesson.
However, she also knew that given her Master's current "joy in battle" persona, she likely relished the clash with a strong opponent. After all, she was someone summoned as a Berserker. So, Medea could only watch silently from the side.
She began using Magecraft to construct a Barrier—one that wouldn't interfere with the battle but would protect the surrounding buildings. She knew the temperament of these demigod heroes all too well; once they got excited, they didn't care about collateral damage.
Since Master said not to affect ordinary people, she might as well do her part—even though a month ago, her impact on ordinary people was greater than anyone's.
Medea didn't believe the Cu Chulainn before her could cause any real harm to her Master; she knew exactly who her Master was.
"True," Xia Yu nodded in response to Cu Chulainn's sigh. "But it's fine even if we're enemies. We'll enjoy this fight just the same."
"I'm looking forward to it," Cu Chulainn had naturally noticed the Barrier being constructed around them. "But aren't you going to call out your Servant? Do you really intend to fight me with a Master's body?"
As someone who had studied Rune Magecraft, it was only natural for him to notice.
"She won't do a thing," Xia Yu smiled. "She's just protecting the house we're renting."
"I hope so," Cu Chulainn chuckled and raised his Long Spear.
"Here I come!"
With that, he took a deep breath. The spear spun in his hands, its sharp tip tearing through the air with a piercing, low hum.
Xia Yu raised her swords and met him without hesitation. In an instant, the energy-formed blades clashed with the Scarlet Spear, sending countless brilliant sparks flying into the night.
"This power..." Cu Chulainn grew even more excited. "If I didn't see that you're a living human, I'd suspect you were a demigod from some legend!"
As he spoke, he swung the spear in a massive arc for a downward strike!
Xia Yu parried with the sword in her right hand, while her left hand slid down the shaft of his spear, pointing directly at Cu Chulainn's right hand gripping the midsection.
Seeing this, Cu Chulainn was forced to change his move. He released his right hand, gripped the butt of the spear with his left, and slammed it downward. Using Xia Yu's parrying blade as a fulcrum, the Scarlet Spear swung in a bloody blur. The entire weapon reversed; he gripped the front of the shaft again and thrust forward with the butt of the spear! A spear's advantage lies in its reach; he intended to use that length to force her back. He had already realized her fighting style was incredibly aggressive; if he let her get close with those twin swords, he would be forced onto the defensive.
Faced with his assault, Xia Yu showed no intention of retreating. She reversed the grip on her left sword to block downward while simultaneously stepping to the side. She brushed past the butt of the Scarlet Spear, surged forward, and applied power to her right hand, slashing toward Cu Chulainn's neck.
Seeing her aggressive tactics, Cu Chulainn's fighting spirit soared. He leaned back sharply while pushing off with his legs. Holding the spear up with both palms, he used the shaft to block Xia Yu's twin blades. The moment they crossed paths, he gripped the shaft again, intending to gouge into Xia Yu's lower back!
Xia Yu's response was simple: she retracted her left hand and smashed her elbow downward. Simultaneously, she pushed off with her feet and spun her body, raising her left knee. In the nick of time, she caught that scarlet spearhead between her elbow and knee!
A perfect recreation of a legendary maneuver.
Cu Chulainn hadn't expected this solution, but he immediately tried to jerk the spear back. It wasn't that easy; with her left sword still in a reverse grip and her elbow pinned, Xia Yu's forearm snapped down, thrusting directly at his head.
Such terrifying physical control caused Cu Chulainn's pupils to shrink. He could only manage to tilt his head to dodge.
But because he dodged that strike, the spear in his hand stalled for a fraction of a second. Seizing the opportunity, Xia Yu's raised left leg snapped out like a spring, delivering a direct kick to his chest!
Faced with this blow, Cu Chulainn finally had no way to evade. He was sent flying, tumbling several times across the stone pavement before finally coming to a halt by plunging his spear into the ground to anchor himself.
"Demigods and the like are far above me," Xia Yu replied during the lull in combat. "I'm just a veteran who survived a battlefield."
Cu Chulainn rubbed his chest. "If I were still alive, that kick alone would have been enough to finish me. A veteran? What kind of battlefield could raise a veteran who fights for her life with every single move like you?"
Even as a Servant without the weakness of a heart, that kick was hard to take, let alone for a body of flesh and blood. Even his Spiritual Core had nearly cracked. He couldn't imagine how a human heart could withstand such an impact.
"And you survived that battlefield... has the war of this era become so insane?"
"In terms of death toll alone, it's far more cruel than any other era," Xia Yu raised her swords again. "Finished resting?"
"Whew. A person like you... even if you died, the Counter Force wouldn't be willing to let you go," Cu Chulainn stood up and raised his spear once more. "Perhaps we'll meet in the Throne of Heroes one day."
That's hard to say, Xia Yu thought, pursing her lips. It was actually quite difficult for her to "die" in this world.
"Come! Let us fight to our heart's content!"
Under the moonlight, the two figures clashed again. The sound of clashing weapons was constant. If the Barrier hadn't isolated everything, people would have been complaining about the noise long ago.
"Whoa, whoa, am I seeing this right?" In the distance, the hurriedly arriving Tohsaka Rin stared at the battle in disbelief. "Archer, do you see this?"
"I see it, Rin." Archer's eyes were also filled with shock as he looked at the battlefield. "Challenging a Servant with a human body, and doing so in the domain of close-quarters combat where they excel most..."
"How is such a thing possible?" Tohsaka Rin was on the verge of a breakdown. As a Master, she knew only too well how powerful Servants were. If she were to face her own Servant in a duel, she wouldn't have a shred of confidence in winning.
Yet right in front of her, someone was dueling a Servant with a mortal body—and was even gaining the upper hand. Every move forced the Servant back.
Wait, where did all these monsters in Fuyuki City come from? How did she, as the Manager of the Spiritual Land, not know about this?
"It is indeed possible," Archer said, his expression grave. "I've heard of such monsters existing, but... this is the first time I've seen it."
This was pure deception. He himself had once dueled Gilgamesh; although the other's arrogance was the primary factor, a win was a win.
Meanwhile, the battle continued. The desperate, life-risking style of her every move made Cu Chulainn quite uncomfortable.
Truthfully, he was already annoyed at having an old schemer for a Master. Now that he finally had the chance to duel a hero of the Living World, he didn't want to use his Noble Phantasm to end it so quickly.
But without his Noble Phantasm... Cu Chulainn realized he truly might not be able to beat her. It was obvious she was holding back as well. Not to mention there was a Servant—likely a Caster—hiding in the shadows, and in his peripheral vision, he could see two red figures standing there as well.
What was going on tonight? A simple scouting mission had now gathered three Servants and one monster of a Master.
"What's wrong, Lancer?" Xia Yu noticed the arrival of the uninvited guests. Her lips curved slightly as she spun her twin blades, delivering a heavy blow against the Scarlet Spear. "I feel your hesitation."
"But I'm not finished yet. Don't worry, they won't interfere with us!"
"You certainly are confident." Mana surged around Cu Chulainn. He didn't intend to use his Noble Phantasm, but he began fighting with a desperate intensity.
On the other side of the wall, Emiya Shirou was still struggling to search through Kiritsugu's belongings.
"This... no. This... isn't it either." He didn't even know what he was looking for; he just hoped to find something that could help.
Although Miss Firefly had said she was strong, and Sakura had warned him several times to stay away from those people, he had never truly seen it. The so-called 'meteorite' that day had only been seen from a distance.
However, the strength of the man in the blue bodysuit was something he had experienced personally—he had already died once at his hands.
Emiya Shirou could not tolerate standing by and watching someone else fight in front of him while he did nothing.
So, he hoped to find something to help Miss Firefly.
However, after searching through everything and hearing the constant clashing of weapons outside the wall, his movements gradually slowed.
"...In the end, can I do nothing?" Emiya Shirou slumped to the floor, failing to notice the geometric lines at his feet.
"I... no, I can't just stay here!"
"An ally of justice... how can I watch someone fight for me while I huddle in a corner shivering?"
He reached out and grabbed the wooden sword he used for Magecraft practice. Gritting his teeth, he prepared to walk out.
"Even if I can't do anything, I won't just sit here and wait for death!"
Even if I am this weak, if I can block even a single strike for Miss Firefly, it will be worth it!
As if sensing his resolve, three red marks quietly appeared on his hand, and the summoning circle behind him gradually lit up.
"Eh? This is..." Feeling the light behind him, he turned around in shock.
A knight with golden hair appeared from the summoning circle, her emerald eyes looking toward him.
"I ask of you, are you my Master?"
"Master? No, I'm not sure," Emiya Shirou stood frozen. Sakura hadn't told him about this, so he was completely lost.
"Hmm? The presence of Servants... a battle? And," Artoria looked at her Master's chest, "bloodstains?"
"There is a battle happening, right?"
"Yes, Miss Firefly is fighting an enemy to protect me," Emiya Shirou answered nervously. "Um, you are..."
"Understood," Artoria was clearly more focused on the battle within reach. "An ally named Firefly and a Servant, correct?"
"Probably," Emiya Shirou said hesitantly. "You haven't answered my question..."
"Time is short, Master." A Golden Light shone in Artoria's hand as she lightly gripped an invisible Holy Sword.
"We will talk after the battle is over."
She had noticed—this Master... he seemed to know nothing at all, and the Mana Supply was incredibly weak...
With that, she leaped directly onto the top of the wall.
Taking a simple look at the battlefield below, she too was stunned.
Based on her Master's words, she had thought the ally was holding back a Servant with her life to buy him time for the summoning. After all, seeing the blood on her Master, the battle must have been dire.
That was why she had been so decisive in engaging without over-explaining.
But everything before her made her brain stall.
The man with the red spear was undoubtedly a Servant.
But who was the one on the other side, constantly pressing him?
There wasn't a trace of a Servant's presence on her; she looked like a completely living human. But that life-risking fighting style... she was actually suppressing a Servant!
Artoria could tell that the Servant's strength was not weak at all! Even she, accounting for unknown Noble Phantasm factors, wouldn't say she was guaranteed to win.
"Tsk. Another one," Cu Chulainn spotted her immediately, as she hadn't hidden her fighting spirit at all.
The current situation was far too unfavorable for him. The newly arrived Servant, the two red figures watching from afar, and the hidden Caster...