Chapter 38: Life and Death

He looked at Keyneth, who was tightly wrapped in mercury. The flames could not burn through. They licked the mercury weakly but could not break through the Moon Spirit Marrow Fluid at all.

But...

Tatsuya stood in the middle of the flames, with his arms raised, staring at the mercury ball.

Mercury is a highly toxic substance. Keyneth's magic outfit, made using mercury, would suppress its toxicity through magic power, or its own imprint would help the host suppress this part of the harm.

All in all, under normal circumstances, the danger of Moon Spirit Marrow Fluid could basically be ignored.

But what if it were burned by a great magic using fire?

Tatsuya didn't know that he was carefully guarding against the mercury vapor that might escape into the air while waiting for Keyneth's reaction.

Using fire to break ice and snow is a risky method for a magician. If the magician is not strong enough, he will only be trapped in his own web.

The hotel's fire alarm suddenly rang. Tatsuya was stunned and sighed silently.

If this continues, He's afraid the fire department and the police will be attracted here.

His index finger drew a line in the air.

The Seventh of the Original Runes, the Fire-Suppressing Rune.

Using spells to reduce and suppress fire, extinguishing it is just the simplest application.

At the same time, the Moon Spirit Marrow Fluid that wrapped Keyneth and protected him from the flames gradually cracked.

"Wind..."

Keyneth was about to perform wind magic when his breathing suddenly choked, and he began to retch violently.

He covered his mouth and retched several times. After he took his hands away, his white gloves were stained with red blood. His body suddenly began to ache. His head and abdomen, though not injured, started to hurt as well.

"Mercury... poisoning..." Keyneth immediately realized the problem.

The Moon Spirit Marrow Fluid is indeed an excellent tool that can be used for both offense and defense. Keyneth had always been extremely satisfied with and trusted his work.

But today, he made a wrong move.

He didn't expect that Tatsuya would ignore his attribute disadvantage and use fire magic to counterattack. After he launched a defense in desperation, even the Moon Spirit Marrow Fluid evaporated because it could not resist the fire magic.

Just now... Keyneth placed himself in extremely concentrated mercury vapor without any defense.

"I thought you knew to pay attention to this kind of problem." Tatsuya couldn't help but complain.

As expected, academics are academics. Away from their small rooms and desks, they lack sufficient consideration for the ever-changing situations on the battlefield.

After complaining in his heart, he slowly raised his right hand.

"PantaRhei."

The strong wind turned into sharp blades, sweeping towards Keyneth from all directions.

"...Verteidigung (defense)!" Keyneth shouted hoarsely, struggling to breathe.

The Moon Spirit Marrow Fluid rotated at high speed, blocking all the wind blades, but Keyneth was unable to mobilize his magic power quickly, and the Moon Spirit Marrow Fluid also cracked under the attack, then slowly closed.

But this was only a matter of time. Keyneth soon could not sustain the magic power to maintain the form of the Moon Spirit Marrow Fluid, and his defense gradually collapsed under the strong wind.

The mercury slowly crawled across the floor, pooling together like slime, awaiting the next instruction.

Dark circles began to appear around Keyneth's eyes, and he felt his concentration fading and his physical judgment weakening.

Is there anyone... anyone who can help me...

Keyneth's will to survive prompted him to instinctively plead for help.

As if a god heard these words, a hand was placed behind his back.

"What a useless man. He got into trouble because of his magic outfit." Sola-Ui sneered at Keyneth coldly, but she was performing healing magic with her hands.

Tatsuya stood there, silently watching the couple. He knew they were engaged.

However, no matter how he looked at it, he couldn't feel the affection between the two that they should have as an engaged couple. Instead, it felt more like a cold partnership between magicians.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but turn his head and look at Artoria in the dark.

Artoria, however, looked away with an expression that said, "Don't look at me, I'm not that kind of person."

Indeed, if he had to say, even if she was just teasing him, the warmth conveyed by Artoria's words and actions towards Tatsuya was something that could not be found between Keyneth and Sola-Ui at this moment.

How could this happen... Tatsuya felt as if he had been shocked.

A Servant and a Master who have only known each other for three days are closer than those who have made marriage vows?

Tatsuya felt his heartbeat suddenly quicken, and a slight feeling of suffocation came to his mind. He thought he was also affected by the mercury vapor, and hurriedly used his magic power to protect himself.

Not at all...

He had already used the second type of original rune to protect himself, so it was impossible for him to be affected by this deterioration in the environment.

"You... what are you doing? Go back to your room, Sola-Ui!" Keyneth wailed in panic, "You'll die if you run out like this!"

"What are you talking about? It's obviously your fault for not fighting well. If you die, will I be safe?" Sola-Ui disagreed.

The fiancé who had boasted so much just a moment ago now looked so embarrassed. Sola-Ui looked down on Keyneth even more.

If Keyneth hadn't died, Lancer would have chosen to withdraw on his own. She wouldn't be willing to treat him. At the very least... she had to get the Command Seal from Keyneth.

Tatsuya looked at the two of them coldly, with an inexplicable feeling of pity rising in his heart. He slowly raised his hand, and a red spear appeared in his hand. "The spear is me, and I am the spear..."

Keyneth, who was receiving treatment, saw the magic power emanating from the weapon in Tatsuya's hand and knew that the other party would not sit idly by and watch him receive treatment and recover.

Keyneth's instinct as a magus told him that the red spear, which looked similar to Lancer's Noble Phantasm, was very dangerous.

In other words, it is a treasure held by a living person...

"A sure kill, Gae Bolg Alternative!"

"Danger, Sola-Ui! Vollstandige Verteidigung (Complete defense)!"

It was too late. Keyneth suddenly pushed Sola-Ui away and used his magic power to make the Moon Spirit Marrow Fluid move again, transforming it into a shield to block the attack from the red spear.

Meaningless.

The Moon Spirit Marrow Fluid, which should have been as strong as a city wall, was easily pierced like jelly, making a smooth cutting sound.

The red spear flew out of Tatsuya's hand.

Keyneth was knocked away by the spear, passed in front of Sola-Ui who hadn't reacted yet, and was nailed to the wall behind him.

The target was the heart, and if you aim, you will hit it.

"... Actually, it's..."

Looking at the magic spear that pierced his heart with disbelief, Keyneth finally knew the real name of the weapon. However, it was too late for him to say it out loud as he slowly stopped breathing.

Tatsuya slowly turned around, the Death Shadow Spear retreated, and Keyneth's body fell from the wall.

Since Keyneth wanted to kill me, I don't need to be polite. I can just borrow his head.

Whether you can survive depends on your ability.

Behind him, Sola-Ui finally reacted and let out a miserable wail towards the body of her fiancé, as if she had finally begun to understand reality.

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