"Hahahaha, Marisa, how many of those pesky shadows do you have left on your end?" Reimu unleashed her ultimate spell, the Scarlet Devil Mansion, instantly enveloping a dozen dark figures, then she spun around, laughing heartily as she strode toward Marisa, not sparing a glance for the explosions erupting behind her. A true hero never looks back at an explosion; how else could one display confidence and majesty!

Though she wasn't exactly a hero. "Just 9 more to go!

One more Stardust Reverie should wipe them all out... Hahahaha!

Once my Master Spark unleashes, forget demons, I could obliterate even humanity—so these mere shadows are nothing, da★ze!" Perched atop her flying broom, Miniature Eight Trigrams Furnace in hand, Marisa laughed with domineering flair. "Hey, that last comment was dangerous—what do you mean, 'obliterate humanity'?" Bazett, shielded by a cordon of Servants, couldn't help but interject.

"Oh, oh, she just likes to talk big, don't take it to heart," Marisa's Master, Amber, chuckled awkwardly, waving a hand dismissively. "I don't think she's joking.

She might actually do it... given her tendency to cause sheer chaos," Kiritsugu Shiki muttered in complaint.

Because everyone who had formed an alliance for this Holy Grail War—including Tohsaka Sakura, Asagami Fujino, and Bazett, save for Illya and Cirno who were absent—had quickly gathered together after being ambushed by the shadows. Consequently, they had faced the largest number of these dark entities subsequently.

That dense swarm, like a plague of locusts, numbered at least five or six hundred. Furthermore, the strength of these shadows was such that nearly every single one rivaled the power of an average Servant, and when combined with such overwhelming numbers, it was nothing short of a terrorist attack, enough to strike terror into anyone's heart.

However, their timing was abysmal. If such a force had attacked the other powerhouses in Fuyuki City, perhaps even the Kurohime family might have yielded some results, but the Holy Grail Alliance was currently the most formidable faction in Fuyuki City, rendering their efforts utterly fruitless.

Their tactic was straightforward: first, several Casters established a defensive perimeter, forming an absolutely secure net to protect the non-combatants like Tohsaka Sakura and Kiritsugu Shiki within. Then, the strong figures who, while not the absolute peak combatants, could certainly hold their own—like Tono Akiha, Aozaki Touko, Medusa, Medea, Asagami Fujino, and Ryougi Shiki—guarded the front of the defense net, both as a precaution and for necessary containment.

Finally, the strongest damage dealers—Remilia, Mokou, Youmu, Marisa, Komeiji Satori, Hourai Ushizaki, and Aozaki Aoko—acted as the main DPS, raining down thunderous bombardment upon the shadows. Supported by the versatile abilities of Patchouli, Alice, Medea, and Kuonji Arisu, who could attack, defend, and heal, the battle was utterly one-sided, flowing smoothly without a hitch...

Save for a moment of initial tension before the defensive net was fully established, the rest of the engagement felt like a simple harvest of kills. At the very least, Remilia and Marisa were already competing to see who could rack up more kills.

Of course, one person could not be overlooked: Flandre. Although in terms of existential nature, in her current state she could not compare to world-ending entities like UO, when judged purely on raw frontal combat power, she was undeniably UO-level.

Unleashing her Quadruple Existence, she became an unrivaled cheat code in human form, crushing everything in her path. No shadow could withstand a single blow from her...

every dark figure shattered upon contact. While these shadows weren't entirely simple—as defeating one wave only led to another spawning, like copy-paste—this replication ultimately had its limits.

As the battle dragged on, the shadows finally ceased their spawning. Visible shadows numbered less than three digits.

"It seems we won't need to intervene," Eirin Yagokoro observed the various battles from the unseen void, remarking slowly once it seemed most fronts were resolved. Standing beside her, Byakuren Hijiri, clad in black robes, clasped her hands together, eyes closed.

"Namusanbō." Eirin immediately shot her a sidelong glance. "Are you offering a requiem for the shadows you killed?" "Hehe." Byakuren smiled enigmatically.

Since they were staying in Fuyuki City, even if they didn't seek out the shadows, the shadows would invariably attack them. But for these two individuals, whose capabilities rivaled or even surpassed UO, the shadows attacking them could only be described as seeking their own demise.

In the end, these shadows possessed only a certain degree of 'first-strike' capability; once their true nature was understood, fighting them became somewhat trivial. Of course, 'trivial' was relative to this group.

If they had faced Magicians or Executors from the Church, they would still have been overwhelmingly superior opponents. Following a fierce engagement, the final shadow was utterly annihilated by a perfect shot from Marisa.

Returning victoriously, she slowly dismounted her broom. As she touched solid ground, Youmu walked up behind her and gently patted her shoulder.

"Hmm? What is it, my dear Youmu?" Marisa instinctively turned around.

"Marisa, watch out!" Just then, Youmu's terrified cry echoed through the air. Many present found this confusing, especially Marisa, because the Youmu right in front of her was standing there with her head bowed, silent, not having shouted anything.

So where did that voice come from? Was someone imitating Youmu?

Marisa's thought process couldn't fully process the situation, but her excellent combat instincts saved her life. The moment Youmu's voice faded, she instinctively leaped backward with sudden force.

Simultaneously, the Youmu standing before her slashed out with her sword. The Rōrinkan Sword tore through space with a zzzzip, shearing off a few strands of Marisa's blonde hair.

Seeing this, everyone's expression changed dramatically. Marisa landed on her feet several meters away from Youmu, her face a mask of disbelief.

Sensing the slight coolness on her cheek, she instinctively reached up to touch it, realizing a small cut had appeared on her smooth, lovely face, from which blood was slowly welling. Touching the wound, Marisa replayed the last second in her mind, applying her Kirisame Deduction Method, cross-referencing advanced scientific analysis with Gensokyo's unconventional theories, and in a total of 0.5 seconds, she finally grasped a terrifying truth.

Clapping a hand over her mouth, she shrieked, "This is bad! We have a traitor among us!" Instantly, Marisa raised her Miniature Eight Trigrams Furnace, aiming it squarely at the Youmu before her, and demanded, "Youmu, why did you betray us?

Answer me! If it's some melodramatic reason like a family member being held hostage or being poisoned, my Master Spark will never forgive you...

Although, if it's because you have some embarrassing privacy as a boy that was revealed, then I might forgive you." "I don't have any of that ridiculous privacy! And that wasn't me—I'm the real Youmu!" The Youmu opposite Marisa remained silent with her head lowered, but Youmu's voice resonated in the air.

Everyone else turned to look in the direction of the sound, spotting another Youmu running quickly from a short distance away. Only Marisa kept her gaze fixed on the Youmu in front of her, frowning, "Youmu, when did you learn ventriloquism?

Can you teach me?" "I keep telling you, that isn't me! Are you even listening?!" The approaching Youmu was on the verge of a breakdown, while the Youmu standing opposite Marisa finally raised her head and spoke to Marisa, "Sure, if you hand over your life to me." "Whoa!" Seeing the face of the entity, Marisa jumped back in alarm.

She found that the Youmu opposite her had no eyes, no nose, and no mouth—her entire face was smooth, or perhaps, simply absent of features. This terrifying and unnatural appearance was utterly...

"Youmu, you've become so ugly," Marisa remarked with a look of disdainful assessment. "Are you having brain trouble, or is your IQ malfunctioning?

I've said it dozens of times, that is not me!" At this point, the genuine Youmu, complete with features and the bearing of a swordswoman, finally reached Marisa and kicked her hard on the body, shouting, "Use those dog eyes of yours and look properly! Which one is the real Konpaku Youmu!" "Ah!" Marisa wasn't truly an idiot; she finally caught on.

Shifting her gaze between the two Youmus, a spark ignited in her mind. She pointed at the faceless shadow and said to the real Youmu, "Is she your long-lost sister?

She looks so much like you, I wouldn't have recognized her if she were wearing clothes." At this remark, not only did Youmu feel the urge to commit murder, but even the others felt that Marisa's intelligence had taken a permanent vacation, placing her on the same level as Cirno. "Let this farce end now, before the true cruelty arrives..." The faceless Youmu suddenly spoke, her tone deep and chilling, but before "she" could finish, Marisa exclaimed admiringly, "Youmu, your sister is amazing!

She can talk without a mouth." Youmu's teeth ground together; she truly wished to cleave the idiot in two, but preserving the bigger picture, she ultimately refrained from bringing the Rōrinkan down on Marisa. Instead, she spun abruptly to face the faceless shadow.

"You imposter! Daring to commit villainy while impersonating me—you will pay a devastating price!" Clang!

In an instant, Youmu leaped forward. The Rōrinkan swung, weaving a tapestry of light and shadow that completely enveloped the faceless Youmu...

But! "Future Eternal Slash!" The faceless Youmu murmured softly, and a beam of sword energy shot out in a straight line, instantly shattering the myriad projections of light and shadow.

PS: I just woke up from a nap; five chapters is probably impossible now, but four should be doable. (To be continued.

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