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"There really is a problem."
The moment they reached the base of Mount Enzou, Scathach and Rin Tosaka both picked up on something strange. The mountain had an odd vibe, heavy with a sense of unease. The magical energy flowing through the underground leylines twisted and turned in unnatural ways, like someone had messed with it to hide something.
Yuto stepped up to a stone wall near the mountain path and reached out to touch it. A burst of sparks shot out, shoving his hand back.
"What's this...?" Rin's brows furrowed. She channeled magic into her eyes and looked up. The whole front of the mountain was wrapped in an invisible barrier of magical energy, stretching so far it seemed to tie the entire peak together.
"It's a magical barrier," Scathach said calmly. "Someone's covered Mount Enzou with it, tapping into the local leylines."
"Caster's here for sure!" Artoria's eyes lit up with a spark of excitement. "We can finally catch the one who ambushed Archer!"
"Hold on... isn't this kind of unfair?" Artoria frowned. "If the magus just hides in there, what can we even do?"
"That's Caster's edge," Scathach replied. "A Servant-level magus might not be strong on their own, but with leylines and a workshop, they can take on even the Three Knights."
{P.S. The 'Three Knights' are the Saber, Lancer, and Archer Servant classes}
As they talked, Rin focused her magical circuits, studying the barrier's patterns. Then her face brightened. "It's not fully sealed, though. If it were, Caster couldn't leave either. She's left a path we can use."
"Hey, that's awesome!" Artoria beamed.
"Not so fast," Rin said, shaking her head. "Think about why she'd leave it. We've got no choice but to take that path, and the second we step inside, she'll know. There's bound to be trouble waiting."
"Is it gonna be dangerous?" Artoria glanced at the dark mountain gate, her stomach twisting a little.
Yuto grinned and thumped his chest. "Relax, I've got you. I'll keep you safe."
"Mm, I trust you." His confidence washed away her nerves. Artoria steeled herself, ready to follow him in.
"Let's move," Rin said. She pulled a few bright red gems from her pocket with a wince, like it physically hurt to use them and took the lead.
Getting into Mount Enzou went smoother than expected. No traps, no fights, just a quiet hike. But as they neared Ryudo Temple, a weird, almost familiar feeling hit Yuto.
"Release the magic power!" he called. A wave of power rippled from him, making Rin and Artoria jump.
"Archer, what's happened?" Rin asked, scanning the area. It looked peaceful enough.
"Enemy's here!" Scathach moved faster than he could, summoning her red spear. With a quick twist, she stabbed at the empty air ahead.
A loud crash echoed as the spear tore through the stairs, blasting upward without losing steam. It slammed into the old-fashioned mountain gate, smashing it to bits.
"The gate's down?!" Artoria gasped.
Right then, amid flickering ether particles, an old man stepped out from the wreckage. Sunglasses hid his eyes, and two spears hung on his back. He scratched his head with a sigh. "Man, what a hassle... I guarded that gate for days, and you just blew it up, Lancer."
"You're... Assassin," Rin said, piecing it together. Artoria nodded.
"This isn't good," Rin muttered, sensing Servant presence from deeper in the temple. "Worst case confirmed, like Archer said. Caster and Assassin are working together, and there's another Servant in there we don't know about. Three against our two, it's not looking great."
"Rin, it's too soon to give up," Scathach shot back, flicking her spear with a fierce grin. "One enemy or a dozen, doesn't matter. We fight, we win. That's it."
Rin straightened up, her twin tails bouncing as she pointed at the gate. "Fine, Lancer, take down those Servants inside!"
"You got it," Scathach said. Then she turned to Yuto. "Archer, look after my Master."
"Don't worry," Yuto said with a nod and a laid-back smile. "I'll keep them safe. Once I handle the Assassin, I'll back you up."
"Um." Scathach vanished in a blink, charging toward the temple.
"Guess I'm being underestimated, huh?" The white-haired Assassin chuckled, his tone light but sharp.
"Li Shuwen, didn't take you for a comedian," Yuto said, gripping his Kanshou and Bakuya swords as he strolled forward, casual but ready.
"You saw through me," Li Shuwen said, unfazed even with his name out.
"Yep," Yuto nodded, flashing a grin.
Li Shuwen suddenly laughed, loud and rough. "Well, isn't that something? Shame we've got to settle this with only one walking away."
"So, we're fighting to see who's better and who lives?" Yuto raised an eyebrow, his swords catching the moonlight in dark, rippling reflections.
"Exactly," Li Shuwen said. He pulled two spears from his back, one red, one black. "This red one's been with me through years of battles. The black one's a gift from the witch inside. Fair warning: she's boosted me with magic. I'm stronger now than I ever was back in the day. You ready, kid?"
The air turned heavy, a killer edge pressing down. Rin and Artoria froze, sweat beading on their foreheads. Even Yuto dropped the easy grin, his face going serious.
"Ready," he said, his voice steady.
In a flash, Li Shuwen disappeared. Thunder rumbled overhead as a spear shot from the shadows, zeroing in on Yuto's chest with deadly force.
The pressure pushed him to his limit. With a sharp crack, his swords slashed out, blocking the spear. At the same time, two Noble Phantasms flew from his King's Treasury, curving through the air toward a wide-eyed Li Shuwen.
Clang!
A sharp clash of metal rang through the quiet night sky.
Li Shuwen moved his feet in a steady rhythm, thrusting his spear like a dragon, each strike sharp and precise. He knocked away two Noble Phantasms, sending them spinning into the darkness above.
This was Li Shuwen, the Assassin, summoned with a mind honed to maturity. His skill let him stay calm no matter the chaos, while also keeping his Master's spirit steady.
When the young man's Noble Phantasms came out of nowhere, Li Shuwen faced them with unshaken cool.
"Young man, what are those?"
He didn't say it outright, but Yuto knew the old martial artist meant the weapons he'd pulled from his King's Treasury.
"That's one of my powers as a king," Yuto said with a casual grin.
"A king?" Li Shuwen raised an eyebrow. "Are you some lord from ancient Japan?"
He'd never seen anything like this; weapons appearing from thin air. It was fast, strange, and unpredictable. Even with his skill, those odd Noble Phantasms nearly caught him off guard.
"Nah, not from ancient Japan" Yuto replied, shaking his head. "But where I come from, they do call me a king."
Li Shuwen paused, then his eyes behind the sunglasses lit up with excitement.
"Ha! What luck I've got, facing off with a king…" He chuckled. "Go all out, kid. I can tell you're holding back."
"Alright, you asked for it."
The old man wasn't wrong. Yuto had been easing up a bit. He'd been curious about learning the Assassin's mysterious "Sphere Boundary", a trick that let him blend with the world and vanish in a blink, even mid-fight. It was pretty cool, he had to admit.
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