Chapter 31: Blockade

Lancer's Master had retreated.

This was confirmed after Tatsuya Suzuki performed a great magic trick, wiping out all the sea monsters summoned by Caster and indirectly dealing a heavy blow to the summoner, forcing Caster to retreat.

After informing Lancer, Tatsuya returned to Einzbern castle with Artoria, taking the only surviving boy with him.

The hall was in a mess, and even Suzuki couldn't help but be shocked.

Morgan was quite merciless when he attacked Keyneth. Although Keyneth relied on the "Moon Spirit Marrow Fluid" to break out of the hall in a panic during Morgan's continuous magic attacks, he completely ignored the sense of honor when he declared victory upon entering the room.

Seeing the serious damage at the scene, Tatsuya regretted choosing the hall as his destination upon returning.

Thankfully, Artoria didn't say anything, showing only a little distress at the extent of the damage.

But Tatsuya really didn't want to pay for it. He made enough money to give his two children a good life, but he wasn't willing to use it to compensate for the losses of other camps in the Holy Grail War.

It would be very annoying if he were blackmailed by the Einzberns.

Rushing quickly to the next battlefield to support Irisviel's husband, Emiya Kiritsugu, became Tatsuya's next task.

He wanted to do this favor to shut up the Einzberns who might ask for compensation.

"Tatsuya...Suzuki..." Kirei regained his vision and saw the familiar face.

Tatsuya didn't rush to take action. "Excuse me, Saber's Master wants me to save this person. Is that all?"

"I see. I thought you had only agreed to a truce, but I didn't expect you to form an alliance," Kirei understood.

The judgment of this matter was not within the scope of his concern. Tokiomi believed that Tatsuya just needed to stop the war and concentrate on dealing with the Lancer camp, and Kirei accepted this result.

"That's what war is like. Sometimes we form alliances, sometimes we become enemies," Tatsuya smiled faintly. "The last time we met was four years ago. After your wife passed away, you entrusted your child to me."

Kirei remained calm. "Now that things have come to this, are you going to use that child to threaten me?"

"Even if I wanted to, I wouldn't take Caren as a hostage," Tatsuya sneered, even though he adopted Caren out of friendship as an old friend.

But the child was very good, and he didn't regret having such a daughter at all.

"But you, you've been in Fuyuki for so long, and it's rare that we finally meet. Don't you plan to visit your child?" Tatsuya was still greeting.

Kirei lowered his eyes. "No need."

Since Caren had been entrusted to Tatsuya for upbringing, Kirei felt that it was no longer his place to interfere, even though they were blood relatives.

As for Tatsuya's participation in the Holy Grail War, it was no one else's fault.

"You are still as heartless as ever," Tatsuya narrowed his eyes. "Can't retreat?"

Kirei, who had taken a stance, stared at Tatsuya silently. "I have something to do with that man. Don't get in my way. Even if we are old friends, there is no room for negotiation."

"Oh, really?" Tatsuya slightly turned sideways and slowly raised his right palm, placing it between himself and Kirei.

"Make your move." Kirei's voice was completely emotionless.

"Then give it a try!"

As soon as Tatsuya finished speaking, Kirei suddenly rushed towards him.

The distance between them was more than five steps, but the tall and strong agent could cross the distance in just one step.

This kind of footwork that seems to slide across the ground without moving at all is called "Living Step" and is the secret skill of Bajiquan.

Kirei, dressed in his cassock, slid into a safe distance from Tatsuya like the god of death, and with both fists, he exerted all his might, charging straight at Tatsuya's shoulders, intending to cripple his arms.

"...No...Impossible..." Kiritsugu, who was still conscious, murmured in a voice that only he could hear.

He could see that the power of Kirei's attack was enough to kill any magus.

But Tatsuya just blocked it.

With his right hand only.

Not only did he block it, but at the moment of contact, he moved sideways to grab Kirei's arm, eliminating the force of the attack, and moved sideways to let the opponent slide out.

"Bite your teeth!"

As if swinging a chain hammer, Tatsuya grabbed Kirei's arm, spun around on the spot, and threw him out.

Kirei flipped in mid-air and landed on the ground, sliding backwards a little on the soil before finally coming to a stop when he hit a tree trunk.

The next second, Tatsuya rushed towards Kirei at the same speed, right in front of him.

A punch with the speed and power to break through the air was thrown straight out, colliding with Kirei's fist, and the sound barrier that erupted shook the surrounding branches.

Having an extra arm, Kirei took this opportunity to swing out with his left fist.

The agent who had trained his body to the extreme had a clear understanding of his own strength.

But even so, he felt that Tatsuya's body was no longer strong enough to be described as forged with fine steel.

Even though he hit the relatively weak arm, Kirei felt as if he had hit the hardest rock, and Tatsuya did not move at all.

Have you used Runes to strengthen your body?

Kirei guessed in his heart.

His punches were as fast as cannonballs and were all blocked by Tatsuya at an even faster speed.

Then, Tatsuya seized an opportunity, grasped Kirei's fist, and flew over to block the other fist with his knee.

This was exactly what Kirei intended.

But just as he was about to use his inch strength to break free from Tatsuya's right hand, his clenched fist felt a sharp pain and the sound of bones breaking. The hardest part was broken, and the unexpected pain made Kirei grit his teeth several times, but he still squeezed out a low growl from his throat.

Tatsuya forcibly broke the bones of Kirei's clenched fist.

He repeated the same trick, grabbing Kirei's hand again and pulling him into the air. As he was falling, he kicked him in the abdomen with a side kick.

Kirei, spitting blood, bent his body and flew deep into the forest. After a while, a loud crashing sound was heard.

"...I think I've gone too far. Am I just jealous?" Tatsuya secretly felt guilty.

He knew Kirei would not die, but he had accidentally acted too cruelly just now... Was it because of Caren?

Was he angry because Kirei didn't want to see his child? Or was he angry because, as Caren's current father, he had to prove that he was stronger than Kirei so that he could raise the child with peace of mind?

Tatsuya wondered if he was being a little unfair to Caren, so he brushed off the speculation and turned to check on Emiya Kiritsugu.

When seeing the unconscious Kiritsugu being helped up by Maiya, Tatsuya couldn't help but mutter.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier that you had help... Never mind."

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