Kayneth El-lloi Archibald had finally co to a realization.
The Holy Grail War wasn't rely a contest of honor and life between Magi.
As its na suggested, it was a full-fledged "war."
Victory ant survival. Defeat ant placing your life in soone else's hands.
Just like now.
The 24-layer barrier he had always prided himself on was shattered like fragile glass by Tenkei Shiomi.
The evil spirits and wraith familiars he believed were impenetrable were all annihilated—without exception—by Tenkei Shiomi.
In the past, Kayneth had always looked down on Magi who specialized in actual combat.
They didn't belong to any established faction—just third-rate drudges used by the Mage's Association for dirty work.
As a noble of the Association and a Lord, Kayneth had always instinctively regarded the other Masters in the Holy Grail War with contempt.
Now, he finally understood the flaw in that thinking.
Unaffiliated, self-taught Magi often couldn't even attain the Fra rank. Families who only joined the Association after the Industrial Revolution, no matter how many generations passed, usually capped out at the Cause rank.
But Tenkei Shiomi held the Pride rank—sothing that required exceptional talent and extraordinary achievents.
If he had been part of a recognized faction, it wouldn't be surprising if he had advanced even further.
With his hands behind his back, Kayneth stood in the room. His Mystic Code, Volun Hydrargyrum, was already deployed.
Automatoportum defensio:Automatoportum quaerere:Dilectus incrisio.
His fiancée, Sola-Ui, had agreed to remain in the room at his insistence. Kayneth himself now stood as the final line of defense.
Should he summon Lancer back to defend?
Kayneth glanced at the three Command Spells on the back of his hand, still hesitating over the decision.
There was no ti left to observe Lancer's battle against Berserker. Volun Hydrargyrum had already detected Tenkei Shiomi's presence and initiated the assault.
rcury, the heaviest substance at room temperature, driven at high speed and pressure, produced enormous kinetic force. Its shape could shift instantly into whips, blades, or spears, their sharpness surpassing that of lasers—akin to a super-high-pressure water jet.
The walls of the corridor groaned under the strain, shrouded in smoke and dust.
Kayneth felt the rcury sharpen into a blade and strike its target.
He never expected to defeat Tenkei Shiomi with a single blow. He rely hoped to deliver a shock—sothing to tip the scales and gain the upper hand on his own ground.
With his barriers and familiars lost too quickly, all Kayneth had left were the three magical reactors he'd brought, his last defense against mana depletion in this high-stakes battle.
"Control over fluids... if I recall correctly, your attributes are 'wind' and 'water,' aren't they?"
Shiomi erged from the haze of smoke and dust, and once Kayneth caught sight of him clearly, he was left speechless.
Volun Hydrargyrum had transford into high-speed blades, striking relentlessly, yet each attack halted right at the edge of impact, as if performing in a play—never landing a single blow.
"Scalp!" Kayneth shouted.
The rcury split into countless blades, all hurtling toward Shiomi.
Even under Kayneth's direct control, none of the blades could reach him.
"It's useless," Shiomi said calmly.
The third of the Primordial Runes—Rune of Anti-Enemy.
Under its effect, all weapons dulled and beca unwieldy, rendered ineffective.
No matter how Kayneth ordered or controlled them, Volun Hydrargyrum failed to strike Shiomi, let alone deal any aningful damage.
Fortunately, Kayneth was already in full combat mode. The erratic attacks from the rcury were rely a distraction to obscure the field of vision while his Magic Circuits ran at full throttle, drawing mana from the furnaces, and then—
A dense fog coalesced in midair, blending with the smoke to block both combatants' sight.
The temperature plumted—far colder than any natural winter.
Shiomi's body heat stood out starkly in front of the rcury-based Mystic Code, making him look like a perfect target.
Gales began swirling through the enclosed space.
Wind and water—Kayneth's innate magical attributes.
With mastery over both, deploying ice-based magecraft was child's play.
Now wasn't the ti to showcase his encyclopedic magecraft knowledge. Kayneth went straight for the most familiar elents, minimizing chant ti. With just his Magic Crest and the mana furnaces to assist, he launched a large-scale spell at full force.
He had seen Shiomi's ice magic the night before in the warehouse by the port. While impressive, Kayneth believed his own power—fully unleashed—far outmatched it.
"Eis, Befreie ine Feinde!"
A violent storm erupted, countless six-pointed snowflakes sweeping across the 32nd floor of the hotel. He intended to trap Shiomi—no way forward, no way back.
Shiomi raised his hand, already watching frost form on his fingers. In the blink of an eye, ice crystals crept across his entire body at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Water froze on contact. A single breath turned into frost.
This was indeed the genius of the Clock Tower, the of Lord the Mineralogy Departnt of the Mage's Association.
Shiomi slowly closed his eyes. In an instant, he was completely entombed in solid ice—like a prehistoric man frozen in a glacial tomb.
Through the clear, colorless ice, Kayneth saw Shiomi open his eyes again, staring straight at him.
"Scalp!"
Kayneth gave the order again—this ti to shatter both Shiomi and the ice completely.
This was the Holy Grail War. A clash between Magi ant life or death. Even if the Mage's Association wanted to fault Kayneth for this, they wouldn't have a case.
Then he noticed Shiomi's lips move slightly—he was saying sothing.
"What? Begging for rcy? You didn't run when I unleashed my Grand Magecraft, and now you're scared?" Kayneth sneered. "Too bad. You're too much of a threat. You've already cost
far more than I'm willing to forgive."
Before the words had even finished leaving his mouth, a small red light flickered within the blizzard—a light the size of a clenched fist, pulsing like a heartbeat.
Then it erupted.
The blazing glow burst through the storm barrier, devouring the dense snow and howling wind, surging toward Kayneth in a flash.
Realizing sothing was wrong, Kayneth imdiately recalled his rcury Mystic Code for defense, encasing himself inside just in ti to block the inferno and avoid being incinerated.
Shiomi wasn't begging.
He was casting a spell.
A single word was all it took to activate the fire-elent Grand Magecraft—Titanomachia.
...
Ice turned to water. Water flashed into steam.
The smoke-filled 32nd floor beca sweltering, stiflingly hot—like the peak of a rainforest's muggy season. Shiomi was forced to erect a magical barrier just to withstand the heat.
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