Although Saber’s Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasm certainly possessed the power to instantly kill Komeiji Satori back then, landing such a massive move was far from easy, especially against an opponent like Komeiji Satori who possessed the ability to read minds. Even if Saber revealed not the slightest intention of using his fortress-breaking Noble Phantasm, Komeiji Satori could easily detect a faint trace of it within his thoughts.

A youkai who has survived for hundreds of years possesses wisdom far beyond that of ordinary people. Although Komeiji Satori herself dislikes fighting, which of the residents in Gensokyo is not proficient in combat?

While enjoying the distinct aerial advantage, Komeiji Satori was by no means constrained by it. If she were to exert her full strength, even if she couldn't stop Saber from unleashing that Noble Phantasm, she could effortlessly dodge it.

Therefore, without a doubt, Komeiji Satori had significantly held back.

But this level of holding back was something only he could perceive. Forget Saber; anyone unfamiliar with Komeiji Satori would be unable to discern the underlying subtlety.

Of course, since Komeiji Satori put it that way, he had no need to expose her; victory or defeat was merely an inconsequential trifle to him anyway.

“Where shall we go next?” Komeiji Satori asked with a smile, looping her arm through Lin Luo’s. Having withdrawn from her Heroic Spirit form, her mood seemed exceptionally good—or perhaps, simply being alone with Lin Luo like this was enough to make her very happy.

“Hmm…” Lin Luo considered for a moment before stating, “The fuse for the war has just been lit. It’s better to let everyone fully unleash themselves. For now, we can just be the audience.”

As Lin Luo decided to watch, Saber and Ayaka Sajyou were already heading back to their lodgings... Saber’s energy expenditure during the battle with Komeiji Satori had been immense, particularly that Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasm, which had nearly depleted one-third of his magical energy. At his current reserves, he could only manage to use it twice more.

If this were before today, even in this state, Saber would have absolute confidence in winning this Holy Grail War. However, today's encounter made him realize such thoughts were utterly fanciful; setting aside others, he knew he could not defeat that man in the black robe.

Furthermore, what exactly were that black-robed man’s identity and objective?

Saber could not figure this out, only feeling vaguely that his interaction with that person would not end here.

“In short, we need to plan properly for the days ahead. Until we figure out exactly who the enemies in this Holy Grail War are, we must absolutely not make any rash moves again,” Saber said grimly as they walked.

“Mm,” Ayaka Sajyou nodded, a flicker of complexity in her eyes.

...

Meanwhile, the battle involving the three Lancers had reached a deadlock. Although Remilia was fighting two against one, facing the combined assault of Reisen and Cú Chulainn, she showed no sign of defeat; rather, she subtly trended towards suppressing the pair... No, to be precise, she held an absolute advantage.

Reisen’s most powerful Noble Phantasm was Illusion, a vision so potent it could even deceive causality. This was precisely why she could contend with Cú Chulainn’s Cursed Mystic Spear. However, this illusionary power was useless against Remilia. After all, no matter how powerful a hallucination, it was ultimately just a phantom.

Moreover, Reisen’s illusions could not inflict spiritual shock. Although her defense and evasion were near perfect, her offensive power approached absolute zero. Gáe Bolg's innate certainty of hitting its target completely countered Reisen.

No matter how Reisen tried to deceive with illusions, Gáe Bolg would always strike her true self.

As for Cú Chulainn, his situation was even more dire. If his Gáe Bolg hadn't fully functioned earlier due to his lack of understanding of Reisen, he might have stood a chance once he grasped the nature of her illusionary Noble Phantasm. But Remilia... as a favorite of destiny, she could effortlessly twist the causality of a mere Cursed Mystic Spear.

This was no longer just a clash of attributes; it was a fundamental suppression, like a cat and mouse. Even if Cú Chulainn knew Remilia's Noble Phantasm, he could do nothing.

Of course, the magical energy available to Heroic Spirits in the current world is limited, and the more powerful the Noble Phantasm, the harder it is to use. Even Remilia and Reisen couldn't employ their Noble Phantasms indefinitely. Thus, realizing their primary weapons were neutralized, Reisen and Cú Chulainn resolutely engaged Remilia using their base combat prowess.

But!

The result remained regrettable. Even in baseline attributes, Remilia far surpassed them both... This was unsurprising, as Remilia had been one of the main forces fighting the Dragon God back then, her combat strength approaching that of peak powerhouses. It was only because she hadn't crossed that final threshold that she was reduced to such a low realm upon manifesting as a Heroic Spirit in the Nasuverse.

It could even be said that among the sisters in Gensokyo, she suffered the greatest reduction in power.

If she had taken even one small step further, she wouldn't be here now, but appearing as an Adjuster alongside Eirin Yagokoro.

Even so, her fighting capability was far superior to both Reisen and Cú Chulainn.

The only trait they shared was Rank E Luck. However, as previously mentioned, Remilia could interfere with her own luck value. Although altering luck required a Noble Phantasm, even a slight influence could be achieved through her very existence... and on the battlefield, even a minuscule advantage in luck could make a monumental difference.

Consequently, being countered in every aspect and possessing inherently inferior strength, Reisen and Cú Chulainn were completely suppressed. After managing to hold on initially, the fight devolved into a one-sided thrashing.

Not far from them, Akiha Tohno and Shiki Kurogiri were staging a similar scene in different ways... As the inheritor of the Blood of the Demon, Akiha Tohno’s power, once her lineage fully awakened, could rival the proximity of the Twenty-Seven Ancestors. She certainly couldn't match the top-tier Ancestors, but she wouldn't be far off from the weaker ones, perhaps even holding a significant edge.

And what was this peak powerhouse fighting against?

Shiki Kurogiri. A novice magician who had studied magecraft for less than a year, possessing no outstanding talent, only a slight aptitude for fire magic... Put simply, she was merely a mage apprentice.

Could there be any suspense in this fight?

Certainly not!

The battle lasted only five minutes before Shiki Kurogiri completely lost her ability to fight, reduced to evading Akiha Tohno’s attacks while fleeing.

In truth, if Akiha Tohno had gone all out, Shiki Kurogiri wouldn't have withstood a single move, ending in instant annihilation. The only reason she lasted this long was not just her own tenacious personality, but primarily because Akiha hadn't intended to kill her.

Although Akiha Tohno possessed a stern demeanor, those who didn't know her would likely mistake her perpetually intense expression for someone decisive and ruthless. In reality, Akiha’s serious attitude was cultivated under the influence of her family; inherently, she was a kind-hearted girl.

Unless absolutely necessary, she would never kill, even if the opponent was her enemy.

It was definite that Akiha disliked Shiki, feeling an instinctive revulsion due to their similar appearances. She desperately wanted to make Shiki disappear before her eyes immediately, but that didn't mean she would kill her.

The current pace was essentially her toying with Shiki.

“Oh dear, giving up so soon? I had rather high expectations for you,” Akiha sent Shiki flying with one strike, then casually toyed with her dishevelled black hair. Her gaze fell upon Shiki, who was struggling to rise, laced with undisguised mockery.

Despite holding back, this situation made her feel even more pleased.

“You…!” Shiki glared furiously at Akiha, grinding her teeth. Seeing that mocking expression, she desperately wanted to rush forward and deck her, but though she was physically well-endowed, she wasn't brainless. She now clearly understood the vast disparity in strength; avenging herself in this lifetime was essentially hopeless.

But!

“Don’t think you’ve won just because of this.”

“Oh? Do you still have some trump card left at this point? Fine, whatever skill you have, I’ll let you use it all, so you can lose without complaint,” Akiha responded with a carefree expression, smiling slightly.

Having tormented her for five minutes, her mood was now quite good.

“Hmph, you can only laugh now. Look behind you,” Shiki sneered.

This line had appeared in many scripts, and Akiha naturally wouldn't fall for it. However, she hadn't paid much attention to Shiki, so she instinctively glanced behind her after hearing the words, and then…

Swish!

A beam of black light shot out like lightning from an oblique angle, accompanied by a sharp, tearing sound, hurtling fiercely towards Akiha.

Akiha’s eyes sharpened. Just as the black light neared her face, her fingers, capable of tearing gold and splitting silver, clamped down on it, then yanked sharply to the side. With a loud boom, the black light was hurled into the nearby muddy ground.

Through the dust cloud, the body of the black light could vaguely be seen: it was a cat.

A Familiar!

A person of Akiha’s caliber certainly understood mages. She instantly judged that the black cat was a mage’s familiar. Given the strength displayed by the familiar just now, and the axiom that a familiar is never stronger than its master, it was clear that the owner of this familiar must be quite a formidable individual.

With this thought, Akiha looked towards Shiki Kurogiri. As expected, a woman now stood before Shiki Kurogiri... appearing to be in her mid-to-late twenties, with reddish-orange hair tied in a low ponytail, clad in a yellow trench coat, and smoking a cigarette, observing her with a half-smile.

“You are the master of that familiar?” Akiha sensed a faint threat.

The woman exhaled smoke and replied calmly, “There is the scent of a demon on you. Though I should not have met you before, for someone your age to possess such strength, I have heard a little about you—Akiha Tohno, head of the Tohno family.”

Akiha was startled. Although her mystery wasn't a secret, she had always maintained an extremely low profile, and she hadn't revealed anything about her presence in Fuyuki City to anyone. Yet, the woman before her had seen through her identity at a glance...

“Who are you?” Akiha couldn't help but ask, unconsciously becoming wary.

“Just an unremarkable mage, Touko Aozaki,” the woman replied calmly.

“You are Touko Aozaki?!” Hearing that name, even Akiha’s expression shifted slightly. It wasn't fear, but rather that the name Touko Aozaki was too resonant. Not only did she have a sister who was a Magus, but she herself was a figure standing at the pinnacle of the mage world.

“I see. The girl behind you must be your disciple. No wonder you are here,” Akiha understood as she saw Touko Aozaki standing protectively in front of Shiki Kurogiri.

“You are correct. I cannot pretend not to see my dear disciple being bullied by you like that,” Touko Aozaki chuckled. In truth, she had arrived nearby at the very beginning; after all, Shiki couldn't be sent deep into enemy territory as bait alone. But upon realizing Akiha wasn't intending to kill, she also wished to give Shiki some training, so she only showed herself now.

“Oh? And what do you intend to do?” Akiha asked with a solemn voice. Although Touko Aozaki had a fearsome reputation, rumored to be monstrous, Akiha was not afraid.

Touko asked plainly, “I only have one question for you… Is it fun bullying newcomers?”

Akiha was momentarily stunned, but then the corner of her mouth curved up into a radiant smile. “Of course it is. As a senior, slightly schooling a novice stepping into the occult world for the first time—how could such a thing not bring physical and mental joy?”

“School your ass!” Hearing this, Shiki immediately snapped, rolling up her sleeves as if ready to charge Akiha for a fight to the death.

“She is deliberately trying to provoke you.” However, before Shiki could move, Touko stopped her, her gaze fixed on Akiha ahead. “Very well. Then, as your senior, I will play with you a little too... Be careful, it’s two against one now.”

As she spoke, the black cat familiar, which had been standing by, lunged towards Akiha again. Simultaneously, Touko tossed away her cigarette butt and attacked Akiha with the great magic, Wielding the Heavens.

One, a leading figure in the mage world; the other, a demon inheritor with Ancestor-level potential. The two immediately clashed fiercely... In Shiki Kurogiri’s eyes, this level of battle was something she could only look up to.

The perspective returned to the battlefield of the three Lancers. After a series of exchanges, Reisen and Cú Chulainn finally understood that Remilia dared to challenge them both simultaneously not out of arrogance, but because she truly possessed the strength to do so.

Although if they could 'reload' and start over, they might not necessarily lose, they already had existing consumption, coupled with the loss of initiative and attribute counters; at this moment, they could no longer turn the tide. If the fight continued at this pace... they were certain to be eliminated!

Remilia could also see that although Reisen and Cú Chulainn still had plenty of magic power left, their stamina was failing. They had long lost the sharp, blade-like intensity of the beginning, whereas she was just reaching her peak, almost unstoppable.

“Hahahaha, it seems you’ve reached your limit. In that case, I’ll send you home!” Remilia laughed loudly in the sky. As soon as her voice fell, the two wings on her back snapped open, and simultaneously, she gripped a red cross in her hand.

“Die… Red Nightless City!”

Instantly, the massive red cross slammed down towards Reisen and Cú Chulainn.

Their expressions changed instantly—there was no mistake, that was an Anti-Army Noble Phantasm! If it were an Anti-Personnel Noble Phantasm, they might still have a chance to dodge, but with their current stamina, facing an Anti-Army Noble Phantasm, they couldn't even evade, let alone counter!

Was this how it would end?

Watching the terrifying Anti-Army Noble Phantasm descend, both were filled with despair.

“Phoenix Wing Heaven Soaring!”

However, at that moment, a powerful, commanding voice suddenly rang out. Then, a gigantic fiery phoenix flew in from the distance, soaring over their heads. To their astonished gaze, it crashed directly into Remilia’s Noble Phantasm... Boom!!!

Flashes of fire erupted instantly, and the deafening explosion seemed to dye the entire sky red.

“This Noble Phantasm?!” Remilia’s expression changed drastically upon seeing her ultimate attack destroyed. Her gaze instantly shot toward her opponent.

Simultaneously, a few hundred meters away from Remilia, standing atop a lamppost, was a girl engulfed in flames—Fujiwara no Mokou!

“It really is you, you tomboy!” Remilia glared fiercely at Mokou, grinding her teeth, “Interfering in my fight—you’re courting death!”

“Hmph!” Mokou snorted, meeting Remilia’s glare undaunted. “There are no rules in this Holy Grail War. Fight when you want, strike when you want. If I find something displeasing, any fight is fine. And frankly… I find you incredibly annoying right now.”

“Perfect then. Fighting the weak is pointless anyway. The blood of a Hourai, I’ve long wanted to taste what it's like!” Remilia smiled wickedly, then pointed forward. “Mystic Spear, strike her down!”

Instantly, Gáe Bolg materialized in the void, shooting toward Fujiwara no Mokou like lightning.

...

“Hey, Hisano, did you sense that? It seems like things are getting intense over there,” while the combinations of various factions were fiercely colliding, several miles away, Aoko Aozaki stood with an excited expression, looking toward the direction with the most violent fluctuations in energy readings.

Hisano Tamayura, standing beside her, sighed heavily. She disliked fighting in the slightest, but she knew anything she said now was useless; once Aoko got excited, even a god couldn't stop her.

As expected, the next moment, Aoko grabbed her hand and sprinted forward.

“Hahaha, things are finally getting interesting! Let’s jump in too!”

PS: Inspiration struck suddenly, and I finally managed to write this, saving my streak for full attendance. Also, check out a book recommendation: Tianma no Ryuu-Ren Monogatari, a Saki fanfiction, which feels like a masterpiece. There’s a direct link on the homepage for those looking for something new. Of course, since it’s purely for entertainment, jump in with caution—I promise to dig the hole, but I might not fill it in... (To be continued)