Late at night, at Fuyuki City's station, a small figure emerged from the building. The streets were empty, and only the dim, yellowish glow of the streetlights offered her a sliver of comfort.
Tohsaka Rin surveyed her surroundings and couldn't help but swallow hard.
The darkness beyond the lamplight seemed to hide something dreadful—like a savage beast lying in wait, ready to devour anyone who drew near. Yet, the thought of her missing friend stirred her fighting spirit.
It wasn't as if Rin had never seen Fuyuki City at night before, but in the past, her father, Tohsaka Tokiomi, had always been by her side. Tonight was different. She was alone, searching for her friend, fully aware she might run into that terrifying serial killer.
A cold gust swept through. Even wrapped in her red coat, Rin shivered.
She hugged her arms tightly. "So cold... And Fuyuki at night just gives off such a bad vibe..."
But what unsettled her even more was the magical-detecting clock in her hand.
Its needle, usually steady, had begun spinning erratically. Seeing this, Rin steeled herself. She had to find her friend Kotone. There was something deeply wrong with Fuyuki City right now.
To be honest, Mydei had his own ways of sensing magical energy too.
But Fuyuki was a big place—he couldn't possibly cover every inch of it. Besides, it was delicate work; even for him, it would take a solid two to three days.
Fortunately, Rin was already on the move. All Mydei had to do was wait for her to locate the enemy, then step in himself.
"To come alone into such a dangerous place looking for a friend... Is that brave or just reckless?"
Hidden in the shadows, Mydei and Matou Kariya stood together, tracking Rin's every move, vigilant for her safety. As he spoke, Mydei stroked his chin, then suddenly realized something.
What they were doing—secretly following a little girl late at night—felt more than a little creepy. Anyone who saw them would probably think they were a pair of shady uncles.
"You have to protect Rin, no matter what. If anything happens to her..." Kariya, watching Rin from a distance, spoke to Mydei with clear anxiety.
"Don't worry. With me here, nothing will go wrong." Mydei gave a slight nod.
Dealing with a Caster was well within his capabilities. And if things got out of hand, he could always deploy his Reality Marble and pull the enemy inside.
Though they chatted quietly, Mydei never took his eyes off Rin. He wouldn't let her come to any harm.
Soon, Rin turned into a dark alley. She hesitated for a moment, staring into its gloomy depths, but then her gaze hardened with resolve, and she stepped inside.
She began searching carefully.
A few minor scares happened along the way, but by chance, Rin caught sight of Ryuunosuke Uryuu, who had been abducting children.
"That's the one! He's radiating magical energy. Hurry!" Kariya urged, growing impatient.
"No rush. If we take him out now, what about the other children? I've already locked onto his presence. He won't escape." Mydei shook his head.
"But what about Rin? She's in danger if this goes on."
"Relax. She'll be fine."
Mydei sighed inwardly at Kariya's single-minded focus on Rin's safety. When you care too much, you lose your clarity...
Just then, they saw Rin follow the direction her clock was pointing and dash forward.
Soon, she came to a stop.
Before her was a staircase leading down to a basement. The magical-detecting clock in her hand, overwhelmed by the intense energy here, finally shattered.
Seeing this, Rin took a couple of hesitant steps back. But just as she gathered her courage to descend—
A pair of large hands grasped her shoulders.
For a moment, Rin felt like she couldn't breathe, frozen in fear.
Then a deep, calm voice spoke: "You've done well. But what comes next is beyond you. Don't worry—leave the rest to me."
It was Mydei, speaking softly nearby. Now that the enemy's hideout was found, there was no need for Rin to take any more risks.
He wasn't the type to let a child face danger.
"You are...?" Rin looked at Mydei, a hint of wariness in her eyes.
"My name is Mydei. You can call me big brother—that's what Sakura calls me."
"Sakura?! How is she?" Hearing her sister's name, Rin's concern surfaced.
"She's safe."
"Come with me, Rin. What happens next is too dangerous for you."
"Uncle Kariya?" Spotting Matou Kariya, Rin visibly relaxed.
She might not trust Mydei, but she trusted Kariya completely.
--+--
"Master, what have you been busy with since coming back yesterday? It's a bit boring. Can I start on these kids?"
Back at their hideout, Ryuunosuke looked at Caster, who was still fussing over something, and voiced his boredom.
"Ah, Ryuunosuke, a powerful enemy has taken notice of me. It must be the one who imprisoned the holy maiden Jeanne d'Arc! Regrettably, he is too strong for me. So, I must make all necessary preparations and stake everything in one final attempt!"
After being repelled by Mydei the previous day, Caster had sustained considerable damage. Fortunately, Servants and humans were different; such injuries weren't critical.
Since returning, Caster had buried himself in his work.
Though they hadn't crossed blades, he could sense Mydei was an exceptionally powerful foe. So, for the past day, he had been preparing.
This time, what he intended to summon was the great sea demon from the original story—but enhanced with three Command Spells!
To be honest, even Caster himself didn't know exactly what would emerge. But from their brief encounter yesterday, he understood clearly: Mydei was not an opponent he could defeat through ordinary means. To overcome him, he had to resort to something... unconventional.
"A powerful enemy? Master, what can I do? I'm getting tired of only targeting children and women. Though my passion for art hasn't faded, if there's someone else... I think I'd be thrilled!"
Instead of fear, Ryuunosuke felt exhilaration.
"It's simple, Ryuunosuke. Provide me with magical energy. Now, place these children in the center of the ritual circle. Leave the rest to me."
Caster chuckled.
At his words, Ryuunosuke gestured, and the children shuffled forward.
They were all kids he'd abducted over the last couple of days, none yet... used.
Among them was Rin's good friend.
"No. You won't get that chance."With a cold snort, Mydei kicked the door off its hinges, revealing a stunned Ryuunosuke and Caster inside.
Then, with a snap of his fingers, all the children instantly regained consciousness. Taking in their surroundings, they began to panic.
"Run outside. Don't stop. Get as far away as possible."
Mydei stepped aside, clearing a path, then turned his gaze to Caster and Ryuunosuke.
Surprisingly, the two showed no sign of panic.
"Why must a Messenger of God pursue us so relentlessly? Why! Why must you stand between me and my saint!"
The next moment, Ryuunosuke looked at Mydei and Caster, a frenzied grin spreading across his face.
"You're the one who injured my master, aren't you? Well, you won't get a second chance!"
The fleeing children disrupted Caster's plans, but they also made Mydei hesitate—he couldn't attack recklessly without risking harm to them.
That moment of hesitation was all Ryuunosuke needed.
"Master, this is the enemy you faced, right? I heard we're wanted now. In that case, let's just kill them all! Show me your art!"
So saying, Ryuunosuke raised his arm, revealing the three Command Spells on the back of his hand. "By my Command Spell, by my Command Spell, by my Command Spell! Do as you desire!"
In an instant, torrential magical energy converged upon Caster. Standing at the center of the ritual circle, tears welling in his frog-like eyes, he thought, 'Ryuunosuke, my dear friend, I will never forget your kindness. Now watch! I shall present you with a magnificent performance!'
Infinite tentacles surged from the magic circle beneath Caster's feet. One of them coiled tightly around Ryuunosuke, pulling him inside, shielding him completely.
Seeing this, Mydei cast aside all caution. In a flash, he closed in on Caster. The enemy was now wrapped in layers of tentacles—not an easy kill. If Caster succeeded in summoning that demonic beast here, the destruction to the city would be catastrophic.
After all, the original sea demon was dozens of meters tall. Empowered by three Command Spells this time? Mydei didn't even want to imagine how devastating it would be.
So, Mydei did the only logical thing.
In that instant, he charged straight at the enemy.
"Trying to stop me? No, it's too late!" Caster laughed maniacally, as if watching a play.
But the next moment, he saw Mydei plunge his hands into the ground. Then, in that split second, every muscle in Mydei's body tensed.
The outline of his powerful physique became visible. Immediately, Caster felt the ground tremble beneath him.
"Up you go!"
The next moment, Mydei lifted an entire section of the ground—roughly ten meters across—with his bare hands. The veins in his legs bulged as he exerted force!
In an instant, Mydei's figure, along with the massive chunk of earth he'd lifted, shot skyward.
And at that very moment, the ritual completed. The sea demon's body erupted from the magic circle, swelling larger and larger!
But it was all futile against Mydei.
The weight in his hands grew increasingly immense, yet a wild grin spread across Mydei's face.
"I'll make you fly!"
His entire body vibrated with power, every ounce of strength mobilized. The next moment, the colossal sea demon was hurled through the air at tremendous speed.
A mass of flesh rapidly expanding in the sky.
"This is just too reckless... His raw power... it defies all reason..." Below, Iskandar watched the scene, unable to hold back his astonishment.
A monster of that size had to weigh several tons at least. That Mydei could lift and throw such a mass...
The sheer impact of it left even these veteran Heroic Spirits, who'd seen their share of grand spectacles, utterly speechless.
BOOM!!!
After a brief flight, a deafening roar echoed.
Propelled by Mydei's immense strength, the great sea demon landed where the river outside Fuyuki City met the ocean.
Though it was the middle of the night, quite a few people were still scattered along the shore.
The massive body slammed into the water, sending waves surging. A huge tidal swell rushed toward the coast, quickly forming a small-scale tsunami.
It was only thanks to Mydei's throwing technique, which had mostly dissipated the creature's momentum, that it didn't cause a full-blown disaster.
Watching this, Saber, who had been waiting, raised her sword. Invisible Air activated instantly, and not a single drop of spray touched her or Irisviel.
The other Masters likewise used their own methods to ward off the seawater.
"Hey now, a body that huge... ordinary Servants won't be able to handle it," Iskandar remarked, gazing at the enormous fiend rising from the sea.
"Hey, got any ideas?" He glanced at Gilgamesh beside him.
"Of course I have a way. However, such a filthy creature is unworthy of my treasures. Using them would only defile my collection. Don't even think about it, mongrel."
Gilgamesh snorted coldly, outright refusing.
"Ah... that's troublesome... That size, plus its regenerative ability..."
As Iskandar spoke, he watched the sea demon. Just moments ago, he'd tested it with an attack and managed to injure it—but the wound healed instantly.
Shouldn't a monster like this belong in a tokusatsu show? What was it doing here?
"Relax, I never expected you to deal with it. Since I started this, I'll finish it." Mydei landed from the sky, brushed the dust from his hands, and smiled faintly.
"You have a way? That thing is no joke. Hmm... with that overflowing magical energy, I seriously doubt our Noble Phantasms would even work on it." Iskandar looked at Mydei in surprise.
Caster might not be strong in direct combat, but given time to prepare, he could be incredibly troublesome.
"Naturally. I said, leave it to me." Mydei let out a cold hum.
Then, he stepped to the front of the group, slowly rising into the air. A red crystal began to form in his hand, gradually solidifying into a long, crimson spear.
Holding the spear in one hand, he declared, "I am... Strife!"
In that instant, a golden emblem materialized behind him—the sigil of Strife. It drifted closer until it settled behind him, draping over his shoulders like a divine mantle.
"Tch... A detestable presence. A god..." Gilgamesh eyed Mydei with clear distaste.
"A god? How can that be? How could a Divine Spirit appear in a Holy Grail War?" Kayneth, standing nearby, was shocked. He found it hard to believe.
They all knew Mydei was strong, but no one had imagined he was an actual deity.
In this world, an immense gap separated gods and mortals—one that couldn't be bridged by mere effort.
During the Age of Gods, both magical energy and mystery were far more potent than in the present era. Compared to that time, the modern age could almost be called an 'era of decay.'
So, the concept of gods was largely theoretical to everyone present.
And now, a genuine god had joined the Holy Grail War?
But Mydei gave them no time to process this. He drew the spear back over his shoulder, adopting a throwing stance. "Now accept your punishment!!"
In a flash, the spear was hurled with blinding speed!
It pierced through the sea demon's body in an instant.
And then...
BOOM!!!
A piercing roar, followed by Caster's agonized scream, resounded across the area.
A single strike. With just one blow, Mydei had annihilated the great sea demon empowered by three Command Spells!
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
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If you guys wanna check it out.