[FGO]: 165

"Hey~ pal, don't go around making random connections. Who said I'm your Senpai?"

Perhaps from spending too much time with that sharp-tongued nun, Cu Chulainn reflexively snapped back.

Ryou smiled indifferently.

"Fine by me. Having a Senpai like you is embarrassing anyway. How about you quit?"

There was an odd tension between them.

Although it was their first time meeting, and they hadn't even exchanged a single word before this, they already seemed to dislike each other instinctively.

Both Ryou and Cu Chulainn felt the same way.

This guy is so annoying. I want to kill him!

At that moment, both of them had the same thought.

This must be what people call natural incompatibility.

"So, you're that woman's new disciple, huh?"

Cu Chulainn suddenly realized.

"Finally figured it out? I was starting to think your brain was just made of muscle."

"You're looking for trouble, aren't you?"

Ryou's eyes turned dangerous. He wasn't exactly known for his patience, and having just been roasted by the nun, now being insulted by Ryou was pushing him to his limit.

"You just noticed? People call you Cu the Wild Dog. Is your intelligence really on the same level as a dog's?"

Ryou's taunts were relentless.

"Hey, you're only smug for now. Don't cry for your mommy when you're getting beaten up later!"

Cu Chulainn twirled his magic spear in his hand, releasing his killing intent without restraint.

Ryou scoffed at Cu Chulainn's low-level taunt and gestured for him to come at him with a simple flick of his finger.

Swish!

Cu Chulainn's lips twisted into a ferocious grin. He stomped hard, and in an instant, his entire figure vanished from sight, leaving only the sound of the air being torn apart.

As Cu Chulainn charged in, Ryou didn't even ask Medea for reinforcement magecraft. He relied on his attributes and met him head-on.

A scarlet streak of light sliced through the air, aiming straight for Ryou's heart.

However, under the suppression of Medea's Temple, Cu Chulainn's original agility, which was at A-rank, could only function at a B-rank level at best.

For Ryou, who already had B+ agility and various close-combat skills enhanced...

"Too slow!"

Wearing his gauntlet-form [Apocalypse], Ryou met the sharp spearhead head-on.

Then, with his left hand, he slapped the side of the magic spear hard.

Cu Chulainn's strength stat had been reduced to C-rank, and he was no match for his A-ranked strength.

Cu Chulainn immediately felt a tremendous force strike from the side, knocking his spear out of control and pushing it off course.

Not good!

Cu Chulainn's beast-like instincts screamed danger at him, and before his brain could process it, his body reacted instinctively.

His left arm was raised, his left leg lifted, forming a temporary shield in front of him.

In the next moment, Ryou's fist crashed into the connection between Cu Chulainn's left arm and leg.

Though Cu Chulainn's reaction was fast, it was futile when his attributes, skills, and Noble Phantasms were all at a disadvantage.

Boom!

It was as if he'd been struck by a battering ram. Cu Chulainn spun through the air and crashed heavily into the temple wall.

Pfft!

Cu Chulainn spat out a mouthful of blood and slowly pulled himself out of the human-shaped crater in the wall.

"Not bad..."

Cu Chulainn's eyes gleamed with a savage, wolf-like wildness. His injury only seemed to awaken his ferocity.

"Let's see how you handle my next move!"

Cu Chulainn crouched low, gripping the middle of his spear with one hand and pressing the tip with the other, angling the magic spear toward the ground.

The mana in the atmosphere visibly gathered around Cu Chulainn's spear.

There was no doubt—he was about to unleash his Noble Phantasm: Gáe Bolg.

Once this spear was released, there was practically no way to dodge it—unless you had exceptionally high luck, like Medea.

With Ryou's luck stat, there was no way he could avoid the cause and effect strike.

Yet, a smile appeared on his face.

He even crossed his arms over his chest, assuming a pose that screamed, I'm ready to take your ace in the hole head-on. If I dodge, I lose! His expression seemed to say, Go ahead, start your performance.

Cu Chulainn was so furious he could barely breathe.

He had never hated someone this much in his entire life.

"Your heart is mine! Gáe Bolg!"

Cu Chulainn leaped high into the air, descending toward Ryou like a falling star!

The scarlet spearhead radiated an aura far more powerful than usual, and Ryou could even feel a faint pain between his brows.

Even so, he remained still, allowing Cu Chulainn to get into position.

The crimson magic spear turned into red lightning, zigzagging through the air, its ultimate target aimed squarely at Ryou's heart.

As the spear closed in, Cu Chulainn's face twisted into a smile.

Your only mistake was pissing me off. I feel a little bad for that woman, but you're just too damn annoying. Go to hell!

But in the next instant, Cu Chulainn's expression froze.

Ding!

A crisp sound of collision rang out.

At some point, a layer of translucent golden armor appeared on Ryou's body, radiating a brilliant light.

The magic spear, which had slain countless Celtic heroes, had met an insurmountable obstacle. The spearhead struck the golden armor and didn't even cause a ripple, let alone pierce through.

"Is that all? Now it's my turn."

Feeling the surge of power within him, Ryou calmly clenched his fist.

Dark red energy, the [Power of Revenge], surged from within him, coating the golden armor with a blood-red hue.

Ryou leisurely drew his fist back to his side.

Cu Chulainn's beast-like instincts screamed at him once again, warning of an immense, unstoppable danger.

The source of that danger was none other than the young man he had once looked down upon.

These instincts had saved Cu Chulainn from countless near-death situations.

Without hesitation, he began retreating.

With the aid of his [Battle Continuation] skill, he withdrew even faster than he had charged in.

But it was already too late.

Ryou's fist shot forward, overtaking Cu Chulainn's retreating figure in an instant.

"Machine Gun Blow!"

A barrage of fists enveloped him, covering the sky.

What awful luck, running into a monster like this. Where the hell did that woman find him…

That was Cu Chulainn's last thought before his consciousness faded.

Each of Ryou's punches carried the power to shatter stars.

Over a hundred punches landed on Cu Chulainn, and before his body could even hit the ground, it completely dispersed into the air.

[Ding!]

[Cu Chulainn (Lancer) defeated!]

[You have earned one special gacha!]

[Would you like to draw?]

["Draw."]

[Ding!]

[Congratulations, Host! You have drawn the skill "Rune Magic B-Rank."]

[Ding!]

[It has been detected that "Rune Magic B-Rank" resonates with the Host's existing skill "Primordial Rune D-Rank." A hidden effect has been activated, allowing the two skills to merge.]

[Would you like to merge them?]

Ryou initially had low expectations for the gacha from the wild dog. After all, this dog was essentially a magnet for bad luck, the type that couldn't even smuggle in a shred of good fortune.

But to his surprise, he ended up drawing a reward that was incredibly beneficial for him.

Logically speaking, the most valuable things Cu Chulainn possessed were his two Noble Phantasms—both anti-personnel and anti-army. However, since Ryou already owned more powerful Noble Phantasms of those types, drawing them would have been more for bragging rights.

On the other hand, the skill [Primordial Rune], inherited from Scathach, was far more valuable to him.

He never expected to draw it.

It seemed the luck he'd borrowed from the Goddess of Luck, combined with his own, had completely overridden his usual misfortune.

[Skill merging in progress...]

[Congratulations, Host! You have acquired the skill "Primordial Rune B-Rank."]

Ryou grinned. Before, his [Primordial Rune] was too low-level; aside from buffing himself, it was mainly useful for wiping out minor enemies. When facing Servants with [Magic Resistance] or bosses with high magical defenses, his [Primordial Rune] was practically useless.

But now, things were different.

At B-Rank, the power of [Primordial Rune] had increased significantly, enough to threaten Servants and potentially kill those with lower levels of [Magic Resistance].

Looks like this dog isn't so bad after all—giving me such a generous gift on our first meeting.

Ryou thought to himself with satisfaction.

If Cu Chulainn, now back in the Throne of Heroes, knew about this, he would probably be so furious he'd jump right back out.

...

Meanwhile, at the exact moment Cu Chulainn vanished from the world, in a church on the other side of Fuyuki City, far from Ryuudou Temple...

A nun, who had been silently praying before a crucifix, suddenly raised her head in shock.

She glanced at her wrist in disbelief. Just moments ago, she had felt the magical connection between herself and Cu Chulainn abruptly sever.

Knowing his character, betrayal wasn't a possibility, which left only one reason.

He had been defeated and killed, returning to the Throne of Heroes.

"A fitting end for a stray dog."

The nun reflexively let out one of her usual sharp-tongued remarks, but there was an indescribable sadness in her eyes.

Her mother had died by suicide, and because of the Church's doctrine against suicides, she had been considered unblessed since childhood.

Ten years ago, her father and grandfather had both perished in the previous Holy Grail War. To soothe the public, the Church had reluctantly baptized her, only to send her to Fuyuki City to oversee the next Holy Grail War.

This was no honor. It was a death sentence, given that her father and grandfather had both died in the same conflict. The fact that she was sent to manage the Fuyuki church, alone, made the Church's intentions clear—they had no plans for her to survive.

Without the relic loaned to her by a family friend, which allowed her to summon the great hero Cu Chulainn as her Servant, she wouldn't have even been able to protect herself.

Though Cu Chulainn had a rebellious streak, he at least patiently listened to her vent.

But now, that protection was gone.

Without a Servant, she was left to rely on the Church's reputation and whatever semblance of ethics the magi might possess, though those were often worse than that of politicians.

Perhaps dying here would be a form of release for someone like me, who has never been blessed...

Lost in thought, the nun suddenly heard a cold, cruel voice from behind her.

"It seems I've arrived at just the right time."

Caren Ortensia—yes, that was her name—spun around, startled. Two figures stood at the entrance of the church, exuding a palpable malice.

"Sakura Matou, what are you doing here?"

Caren quickly composed herself.

"Oh, nothing much," Sakura replied with a graceful smile, twirling a strand of her silver hair.

"I just came to invite you, Miss Caren Ortensia to the Matou household as a guest."

Behind her, Salter stood silently, her presence cold and menacing.

"You brainless cow! I'm the overseer of this Holy Grail War! If you attack me, it's the same as declaring war on the Church!"

Caren shouted, trying to intimidate her.

"Miss Caren, there's no need for such bravado," Sakura replied with a smile.

"I've done my research. How pitiful—your father and grandfather sacrificed themselves for the Church, and yet they treat you like a discarded pawn."

Caren's lips tightened, knowing full well how corrupt the Church could be. Sakura had come prepared.

Her gaze shifted to the black-clad Servant behind Sakura. With her Servant gone, she stood no chance against them.

Seeing Caren fall silent, Sakura's smile became more seductive.

"Don't worry, Miss Caren. As long as you don't resist, I won't harm you—at least, not right now. Now, please, come with us."

Caren sighed and approached Sakura, knowing full well she couldn't fight back. How could someone like her, ostracized all her life, possibly have learned combat skills?

But just as she reached Sakura's side, something unexpected happened.

Sakura's eyes glowed crimson. She grabbed Caren's waist, pulling her close, then leaned in and sniffed Caren's neck.

Shocked by the intimacy, Caren, who was still a pure maiden, could hardly believe what was happening.

"You pervert! How dare you lay hands on a nun! You... mmph!"

Before Caren could finish her barrage of insults, Sakura silenced her with a kiss, sliding her tongue into Caren's mouth.

Completely overwhelmed, Caren's inexperience showed as she succumbed to the kiss.

After a long moment, their lips parted, leaving a thin trail of saliva between them. From a distance, the scene resembled an intimate, forbidden painting of sisterly affection.

But the only one witnessing this moment, Salter, was silently munching on a hamburger she had pulled from somewhere.

"Ever since I entered the room, I noticed a certain intoxicating scent on you, Miss Caren. Now I'm even more certain. I'd love to keep you by my side forever, but for now, let me savor this moment."

And thus, the once-holy and solemn church was filled with the sound of forbidden intimacy.