Emiya Shirou doesn't want to work overtime

"This is really an interesting thing!"

Looking at Numa Seka, whose eyes were filled with confusion.

Esdeath said this, and with a genuine smile of pleasure, slowly raised the rapier in her hand.

"Buzz!"

A layer of bluish-green cold air immediately began to surge rapidly along the blade, causing waves of cold air to rise from its surface.

An extremely cold aura locked onto Shirou Emiya, who was doing his best to block the ice spikes and save the soldiers who were supposed to die.

Gazing at Esdeath wielding a rapier radiating a chilling blue aura, and feeling the surging killing intent rising from her like the sea, a solemn expression slowly appeared on Emiya's face.

Just how many people must have been killed to generate such a fierce killing intent?

Just by sensing Esdeath's killing intent and imposing aura, Emiya knew that he was no match for the woman in military uniform before him.

Based solely on what I've learned, I probably have no way to harm her.

Emiya fully understood the way she had charged into the battlefield like a god descending to earth.

Without the slightest hesitation, Emiya retreated backward.

Almost simultaneously, a mist appeared in front of Emiya.

Those were ice cones that had solidified in an instant.

Before Esdeath even arrived, they had already completely surrounded Emiya.

"Sword Breathing: Flame Form - Flame Demon!"

An extremely strong hot wind surrounded Emiya, and a terrifying shockwave clung to his Nichirin Blade.

Even though there were no flames, it was still so scorching.

The powerful shockwave even caused some of the ice spikes surrounding Emiya to melt.

"Clang clang clang clang!"

A series of striking sounds came from around Emiya, forming a perfectly regular arc as he instantly severed all the ice spikes around him.

At this point, Emiya's strength was already different from before. Battles at the brink of life and death were the easiest way to break through one's own strength.

Although Emiya is far from reaching Kokushibo's level, if he were to risk his life in a life-for-life exchange, he could still cause him considerable trouble.

But Esdeath's attack was not so simple.

"call out!"

The blade, carrying an extremely cold aura, transformed into a bluish-green shadow, darting cunningly and viciously towards Emiya's neck, aiming straight for his throat.

That speed was like lightning.

"!"

Faced with Esdeath's lightning-fast attack, golden lightning crackled around Shirou's lips.

His figure suddenly retreated backward, as if he had vanished from his original spot in an instant, and suddenly retreated.

Emiya is now able to switch between his breathing techniques repeatedly in a short period of time without the aid of projection magic.

At the same moment, Esdeath gave a seductive smile and stomped her foot on the ground. With a loud thud, she vanished.

In the eyes of the warriors, they seemed to have vanished.

Of course, Emiya and Esdeath didn't actually disappear. They were just moving so fast that their eyes couldn't keep up.

She caught up with Emiya in an instant, and was even faster.

"call--!"

A violent whistling sound rang in everyone's ears.

"Clang clang clang clang!"

Across the battlefield, sparks flew everywhere, and a series of crisp, clashing sounds rang out continuously.

Emiya and Esdeath entered into an astonishing speed battle with unparalleled speed, so fast that even the eyes couldn't keep up.

"Your breathing method looks quite unique!"

During the battle, Esdeath smiled and said to Emiya.

"call out!"

In that world of extreme speed, the cunning rapier tears through the air with a sharp sound, stabbing out like lightning.

"Ding!"

With great difficulty, Emiya wielded his silver Nichirin Blade to parry the lightning-fast rapier thrusting towards him, producing a crisp sound.

He was now finding it difficult to keep up with the woman's pace.

Emiya felt as if he had been completely seen through, and facing the woman in front of him became even more difficult.

"call--!"

A wisp of bluish-green aura emanated from Esdeath's lips.

Esdeath's already overwhelming speed has become even faster.

"This breathing method is truly irresistible!"

Esdeath's lips curled into a smile.

"It seems that the fighting techniques performed using this breathing method all have their own special names."

As soon as she finished speaking, Esdeath slammed her left palm into her right, turning the rapier in her hand into a silver arrow that shot towards Emiya's neck.

"How about calling it Ice Breathing First Form: Rin-Stab!"

Seeing the tricky spear tip shooting towards him, Emiya could only retreat, his feet making crisp stomping sounds on the ground as his body shot backward like a streak of light.

However, Esdeath's attack could not be so easily dodged.

"Pfft——!"

A muffled thud rang out, and the rapier pierced through Emiya's shoulder in an instant, blood slowly trickling down from the wound.

Upon seeing that Emiya was injured, Esdeath's speed suddenly increased dramatically.

With a low shout, he lightly touched the ground with his toes and his body flashed towards Emiya like a leaf in a whirlwind.

A blue-white sword blade quickly materialized in his hand.

"Sword Breathing: Final Form - Hundred Styles Dance"

As Emiya finished speaking, one Nichirin Blade after another appeared beside Esdeath, instantly sealing her off.

Scorching flames, gentle water, swift lightning, and raging winds.

"Teigu?"

Faced with the sudden attack of the Nichirin Blade, Esdeath felt no panic whatsoever; instead, she became even more excited.

She hadn't experienced such an exhilarating battle with glass in a long time.

Even now, when she's in a state of extreme leniency.

"cut!"

The five Nichirin Blades seemed to be drawn to each other, slashing towards Esdeath in the center.

But Esdeath merely paused abruptly, her body spinning in mid-air, the ice-blue sword in her hand rotating half a circle, instantly deflecting all the Nichirin Blades.

The power of swords projected in the air is nowhere near that of swords held tightly in one's hand.

Esdeath, who had just finished off Shiro with a series of swift sword strikes, suddenly swung her blue sword, which was imbued with a sharp, powerful aura, and with a low shout, swung it at an extremely fast speed toward Emiya's hand.

The air around them seemed to be torn apart, momentarily stagnant, before a piercing sound of wind breaking through eardrums slammed heavily into Emiya's Nichirin Blade.

"Ding!"

A loud clang of metal clashing echoed through the space.

Emiya's power is utterly insignificant compared to that of the Imperial General.

Under these circumstances, with a crisp sound, Esdeath actually knocked the katana out of Emiya's hand.

The silver-white samurai sword suddenly flew into the sky.

Esdeath brandished her icy blue sword, and a sharp whistling sound rang out once more. The azure tip of the blade transformed into blue lightning, tearing through the air and aiming straight for Emiya's neck.

"clang!"

A Nichirin Blade identical to the one used when he was knocked away appeared in Emiya's hand, blocking the attack.

"I'm really getting more and more interested in you!"

Esdeath licked her lips, the longsword in her hand gleaming with a deep blue light under the sunlight.

Chapter Fifty-Seven: Unable to defeat him, he was ultimately captured.

Looking at the boy in front of her who was struggling against her but never gave up, Esdeath's expression gradually became excited.

The blue chill emanating from her body suddenly surged.

As the strongest person in the Empire, Esdeath's most terrifying aspect, besides her extremely powerful physical combat abilities, is the Imperial Arm she wields called "Demon Manifestation: Essence of the Demon".

It was forged from the blood of a legendary, extremely dangerous species that inhabits the far north.

Legend has it that swallowing this jar of blood will grant one the terrifying ability to control ice.

Many people tried it before Esdeath, but after just one bite, they lost themselves, went mad, and eventually died.

Only she not only drank such terrifying blood, but also drank the entire bottle of blood in one go.

"clang!"

With a sound like a tolling bell, Emiya's body was thrown back as if by something heavy, and his Nichirin Blade fell from his hand once again.

After rolling on the ground, he turned over, knelt on one knee, and a mouthful of scarlet blood gushed from Emiya's mouth.