Battle of Masters

"Time Alter - Triple Accel!"

Without hesitation, drawing from his rich combat experience as the Mage Killer, Kiritsugu immediately activated his magecraft, enhancing his own speed to triple speed.

Though this would cause significant damage to his body, in the face of a life-threatening situation, it was a negligible cost.

His blood burned and his heart raced as he dodged at a speed far beyond that of an ordinary human.

*BOOM!*

Almost simultaneously, whip-like blades of solidified mercury swiped down, leaving deep marks on the ground. Along with them, the very expensive Walther WA2000 sniper rifle was sliced into a pile of scrap metal.

Yet, Kiritsugu had no time to mourn since Kayneth's next words tightened his heart once again.

"Time alter, huh? It's indeed an advanced magecraft. However, no matter how powerful magecraft is, it still has corresponding weaknesses. Once you understand that, countering it becomes a piece of cake."

'Time Alter'.

A magecraft researched by generations of the Emiya family on time manipulation. The results of their efforts should have been imprinted in Kiritsugu's magic crest as the fifth-generation heir.

However, due to an unexpected incident, this crest was sealed inside the Clock Tower. Even though his foster mother and mentor, Natalia Kaminski, negotiated with the Mage's Association to return the crest back, Kiritsugu only inherited twenty percent of the crest, with the remaining eighty percent still under the Clock Tower's control.

Knowing about Kiritsugu's abilities from Arkhan, Kayneth had thoroughly examined the Clock Tower's research on time manipulation over the years, devising a method to counter this advanced magecraft.

Four precious jewels imbued with powerful magical energy were thrown without hesitation, describing different but extravagant parabolas in the air, landing to form a square.

A ruby, a sapphire, a topaz, and an emerald.

The moment they touched the ground, the four jewels simultaneously radiated the brilliance of magecraft.

Vast magical energy surged forth—the ruby released terrifying heat, the sapphire diffused an extreme chill, the topaz brought a heavy pressure, and the emerald stirred up a dry gust of wind. The four fundamental elements of the world were reshaped at this place, transforming it into a completely different realm from the outside.

Clearly, this was a highly advanced bounded field, as hints of Reality Marble could even be discerned. The moment the bounded field took shape, Kayneth would become the absolute ruler of this separated realm.

Kiritsugu's breath slightly hitched and clenched his teeth silently.

Using enhancement magecraft to enhance his physical abilities, he held his breath and charged straight ahead. His only chance now was to break out before the bounded field formed; any hesitation before that would lead directly to his death.

The scorching air scorched his skin, the cold stream froze his joints, and the heavy pressure suddenly increased his body's burden, while the violent wind made it impossible to open his eyes.

The power of this bounded field was too terrifying. Even in its incomplete state, it suppressed him, who had activated his 'Triple Accel'.

It was too late.

With his current speed, there was no way to escape before the bounded field was completed.

As that realization came to him, Kiritsugu's eyes revealed a hint of despair.

Even though he had just found a glimmer of hope to save the world, was he going to fall here?

*Swish!* *Swish!* *Swish!*

Suddenly, three black blades shot out from the depths of the forest, precisely pinning the red jewel, instantly causing it to shatter.

The fluctuation of magical energy gradually disappeared, interrupting the progress of the bounded field. Seizing this rare opportunity, Kiritsugu quickly escaped from the coverage of the bounded field.

Kayneth looked at the shattered jewel, his eyebrows slightly furrowed. He turned around, observing a young man in black clothes and a noble in a wine-red suit holding a ruby wand, gracefully emerging from the depths of the forest.

"Not bad..." Kayneth said leisurely, hands behind his back, his expression proud and confident. "It seems you were well-prepared."

"Please forgive us, Your Excellency." Tokiomi said with an elegant smile, the ruby wand in his hand flickering with fiery flames. "This is for a necessary victory."

"Tohsaka, one of the three families that once created the Holy Grail War. I never thought you would fall so low to even collaborate with a low-class dog like the Mage Killer."

Kayneth said calmly while glancing at Kiritsugu, who pulled out a submachine gun from behind a rock. A cold smile soon played on his lips.

"Since that's the case, let me show you what it means to be a true and noble mage. You should thank me for my great kindness."

*Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat—!!!*

Expressionless, Kiritsugu pulled the trigger on his submachine gun, and with the frenzy of flames and rapid flashes, countless bullets were unleashed.

Kayneth waved his hand, and smooth mercury shot up from the ground, forming a shield in front of him, blocking all the bullets.

The black key thrown by Kirei and the flames unleashed by Tokiomi, all were intercepted by this viscous silver mercury, like the world's most robust barrier.

"It's useless. My Mystic Code is invincible. That's the difference between genius and mediocrity." Kayneth sneered. "Experience despair. I'll make you die painlessly. Dilectus incrisio (Attack on command)!"

Silver fluid, like a frantic dragon, rushed out, splitting into three streams heading mercilessly toward Kiritsugu, Kirei, and Tokiomi. It transformed into various weapons such as daggers, spears, and swords, descending ruthlessly upon the enemies.

Seeing this, Kiritsugu's gaze suddenly hardened. Using Time Alter, he avoided the attacks of the mercury. While doing so, he pulled out an ordinary single-shot pistol from his pocket and aimed it at Kayneth's head.

*BANG!*

The moment the bullet left the barrel, Kiritsugu became relaxed. As long as that bullet hit Kayneth, he won.

*Thud!*

The flowing mercury turned into a heavy hammer, ruthlessly hitting Kiritsugu's abdomen.

*BOOM!*

Kiritsugu instantly lost control of his body, crashing into a tree. Blood, mixed with visceral fragments, spewed from his mouth, his eyes filled with an expression of disbelief.

"A very nice trick. It seems mages die not just because of sheer foolishness."

Kayneth stood unharmed, and around him, the surface of the mercury revealed dark green patterns.

"But unfortunately, your good luck ends here."