The Holy Grail War Blessed by the Gods

Without magic, one can only exploit one's own existence, which is also the power one can still extract.

Since we haven't lost everything or exhausted all our resources, it's not time to declare defeat yet.

"Ha... then come on, before I hear the praise of victory, I will share my song with you, until the cheers are over."

Now take up your weapons and attack like lightning before I ascend to my throne, sailing with the sun.

Manshu opened his arms, but did not do anything further. Instead, he looked at Wuzun and waited for him to unleash his final blow.

"All the forces of heaven and earth converge here! 'Kaiken: Ama-Kurakumo-no-Tsurugi'!"

The Martial Venerable unleashed the destructive power of the ferocious serpent once more, a power that, as a manifestation of the flood god, ravaged the land and civilization.

"Oh! We will lift the Great One above his enemies. Let you and us recite praises together!"

O Ra, your terrible light, shakes the heavens at the sound of the gods marching, and that serpent shall die.

Turn your back on yourself, retreat, leave, you snake! Look, I am the one who pulls the eastern sky and the western sky.

Manjushri unleashed his final burst of power, and even at this point, he could only barely resist the Kusanagi Sword.

This EX-rank anti-world Noble Phantasm was not something that could be easily blocked; in this ritual, it could even be said that no one could match it.

Manshu could only follow the voice that had been playing out since the beginning of the battle, repeating the words that had been spreading at the start of the fight.

This power is used to dispel Apep and to strike down the evil serpent.

Warmth returned to Manshu's eye sockets. Sekhmet poured his remaining power into Manshu's body, while he himself simply transformed into eyes, waiting to awaken the next time Manshu called out.

The last rays of the sun transformed into the rising god Ra, ultimately evaporating the ceaseless floodwaters and creating a scene reminiscent of Moses parting the Red Sea. As for the remaining power that dispersed the surrounding area, that was beyond any attempt to stop it.

"Saber!"

Miyamoto Iori let out a frantic shout as he rushed here from Zhou Yu's place, only to find the raging floodwaters upon arrival.

When the floodwaters receded, the Command Seals in his hand had turned into light and disappeared, and the spot where the Musou Release Treasure had stood was no longer occupied.

"You are... Saber's Master. Saber is a true warrior. He fought to the very last moment, still relentlessly wielding his sword... His gaze is so sharp, just like your Servant's."

Upon hearing Miyamoto Iori's voice, Manshu turned around, recognized him, and began to speak with him.

But before she could finish speaking, Manshu's gaze fell on Iori's face.

From Miyamoto Iori's eyes and the hand already resting on the hilt of his sword, his fierce fighting spirit was self-evident.

"Enough outstanding warriors have died tonight. There is no need for another unnecessary death. I advise you to regain your senses. Drawing a sword with a human body will only result in death."

At this moment, Manshu was in a good mood and didn't take the provocative look to heart. Instead, she offered some advice.

"No, tonight only the victor will survive."

Miyamoto Iori composed himself, making it impossible to discern his thoughts, as if his earlier flustered and out-of-control demeanor had never existed.

"Oh...it seems you intend to join this battle as a warrior. So what is it that you seek, that makes you willing to risk your life to pursue such an absurd possibility?"

Only now did Manju truly take a good look at Miyamoto Iori, Saber's Master, who was standing in front of him.

Without a doubt, this guy is just a human, and it's rather ridiculous that he would challenge me with this body.

No matter how advanced one's swordsmanship becomes, it's impossible to participate in such a battle.

Even Yagyu Munenori, who was also a sword saint, could only say that he could not intervene when he witnessed Achilles and Cú Chulainn's warm-up battle.

But this guy does seem a bit strange, giving off an inexplicable feeling.

"Although I have lost my Servant, I should still be a participant in this ritual. I came for the Moonlit Moon."

A little further away, the Cup of the Full Moon was still on the ground, but it had fallen into the rubble due to the shockwaves from the battle.

Chapter Fifty-Three: Shattered

"Did you come here for a wish? But even if there is a wish that you have to fulfill, there is no need to devote your life to something that is impossible."

As long as you're alive, you can always rely on your own strength to try and achieve your desires by any means necessary. Instead of throwing away your precious, irreplaceable life like this.

Manshu shook his head and said that although it was not necessarily impossible for the other party to start over, after all, the name Miyamoto Iori was somewhat familiar, and it was possible that he could be summoned as a Servant.

But at least as a human being, his life has ended, which is an unnecessary act.

"Hmm, haven't you come to terms with the inevitable outcome of failure?"

Samson regained his strength and ran towards Manjus.

This guy was defeated by the remaining magic several times, but with his terrifying vitality, he stood up again.

This was indeed a bit annoying, so Manshu could only wave his hand again, using the sunlight to strip the green-haired fighter's body, rendering him incapacitated for a while longer.

"These words are not only for Berserker, but also for you as Master. You should accept that you can no longer fight for the Moon Cup. If you intend to avenge your Servants, you should abandon this foolish idea."

Rushing in blindly without being able to do anything about it isn't revenge; it's just impulsiveness.

Manju turned and walked toward the full moon, preparing to end this ritual of the full moon, which was a replica of the Holy Grail War.

“No, even so, I still yearn for the full moon. Living in this peaceful world, the sword in my heart gnaws thirstily, so I need to obtain the full moon.”

Manshu, who was walking towards Yingyue, stopped and turned around.

“I have repeatedly admonished you to cherish life, such kindness is rare at any time... but since you only know how to be like a snake, then I will grant you the fate of extinction.”

Manshu then remembered what the guy in front of her looked like. She opened her eyes and saw only his persistent thoughts.

This is a ghost hiding itself in human form. Although it is unknown why it can still maintain a normal appearance, it is now impossible to hide it anymore.

"For the sake of your servants, I grant you a painless death. When the golden morning ship arrives, and the gentle breeze reaches the port of victory, I, holding high the torch, will open the gates of death for you."

Manju simply stretched out his hand and poured out the flames, letting the fire that pierced through the night burn the man.

Even a swordsman who has honed his swordsmanship to an exceptional level, capable of cleaving magic in two with a single stroke and thus deserving the title of sword saint, could not cleave this flame with his blade.

The flesh of a mortal, if touched, will instantly turn to ashes without the slightest pain; in an instant, one will lose their life.

"It seems you still don't understand... I am as calm as the sun and follow the principles of being a person. That's how others see me."

But I am not that kind of person, just as you now treat me as an ordinary person and are unwilling to put any effort into me.

Indeed, we should follow the principles of being human in this world. Whether it's emotions or the heart, both should contribute to the world. This is the best choice for living a peaceful and fulfilling life, as natural as breathing.

You know it, and I know it all too well, which is why I act this way, but it has never been my goal.

My purpose has never changed, nor can it ever change; my only wish is to reach the pinnacle of swordsmanship.

I will act with composure and follow the principles of humanity in order to understand those who live peacefully and steadily in this era.

If you understand, you can easily kill. I only want to understand more in order to kill more people, whether it's the people of Edo, my master, Saber, or anyone else.

I will conquer all the people in the world; I live only to slay all my opponents.

Therefore, Rider, I will draw my sword against you and seize the Moon, all for my own sake.

Miyamoto Iori ignored the flames rushing towards him, instead fixing his murderous gaze on Manshu.

His right hand rested on the hilt of the sword, his left hand gripped the scabbard, and the moment the flames arrived, he drew his sword, slicing everything in front of him in two.

"Ha... It is indeed a bit strange that I haven't looked at you properly. Although you are not worth too much attention, you are not entirely worthless either."

Tonight, only the victor will survive. Is the last setting sun upon you? Then it is indeed time to send you to your final resting place. First sun, die here.

Only now did Manju realize that this was the end of the night, the final death of the setting sun, and the final challenger of this ritual.

"Come, let me be the referee and decide the final winner of this festival. Each one is a top-quality offering, it's a real pity that we can't have them all."

A man with yellow and black stripes painted on his body and wearing a jaguar skin emerged from the darkness. He held weapons in both hands, and his right foot made a crisp sound as it stomped on the ground. That foot was an obsidian mirror inlaid in it.

This is Tescat 8. Liboka 5. Incarnation of a warrior 7. A manifestation of him 6. A deity 3 who brings war 4. 4\『②"

"Do you still have any strength left in my heart? Or have you completely used up your last bit of strength to appear before me again?"

Manshu could see that Miyamoto Iori's gaze had also shifted, and knew that this was not just his illusion, so he asked.

"Do you want to know? Nothing comes without a price, but it can also be without a price. Want to ask my mirror?"

Tescatlipoca spoke only ambiguously, then took another obsidian mirror from his chest, held it up, and pointed it at Manshu.

"There's no need for that. You should focus on the battle you're passionate about; I'm sure you've been waiting for it for a long time."

Upon receiving this reply, Manshu lost interest in looking at the mirror again.

That mirror might offer the true answer, or it might cast a shadow, bringing an illusory explanation.

It goes without saying that Tescatlipoca is a fickle god; the hazy, smoky mirror already illustrates this point, and the answer he gives is as vague as the mirror's hazy surface.

"Indeed, this battle has kept me waiting for quite a while. So, I'll hand this place over to you two. Come on, let's engage in a fierce and brutal fight. Don't get distracted while you're killing each other."

Tescatlipoca didn't say anything more, but took two steps back and threw the obsidian knife he was holding toward the center.

"The winner should use this to rip out the loser's heart."

The obsidian knife hit the ground with a sound like the gunshot used to announce the start of a match.

Miyamoto Iori did not rush to draw her sword and attack. Instead, she sheathed her sword, assumed a fighting stance, held her breath, and stared intently at Manshu before taking a step forward.

The Niten-ryu style of fighting is to move with the sword and adapt to the situation. However, when facing a powerful enemy, one needs to calm oneself, reduce one's sword intent to zero, and assume a fighting stance.

The advantage of dual-wielding lies in its ability to unleash maximum power in an instant. Miyamoto Iori himself was a genius who studied secret swordsmanship and profound techniques, and was known as the master of all principles.

He was constantly learning. At the beginning of this ceremony, he only had mastery of the earth and water elements. Through continuous battles and comprehension, he gradually came to understand the wind, fire, and finally, the void.

Although this rapid comprehension did not bring him to the level of Miyamoto Musashi, he was able to flexibly combine his swordsmanship to create different possibilities and defeat the sword saint who had reached the pinnacle.

Miyamoto Iori drew the twin swords from her waist and unleashed the second form of the Void, a killing move, using an iaido stance to perform a dimensional slash. Her body then transformed into shimmering light, launching void slashes in different poses.

If judged solely on technique, this is indeed a commendable strike; however, in this life-or-death struggle, it is not worth spending too much time on.

Even the most dazzling swordsmanship is ultimately just an ordinary blade wielded by Miyamoto Iori; it is ultimately just a sword technique used to kill and deal with people.

Manshu possesses two skills that give him a significant advantage in melee combat, enhancing his own abilities and reducing the enemy's attacks.

Moreover, the two katanas in Miyamoto Iori's hands were indeed just ordinary weapons. With Theseus's skills, it was not impossible for him to take them away. At least it should be easier than taking away Ushi Gozen's Dojigiri Yasutsuna.

Ushi Gozen, the most powerful and mysterious assassin of the Heian period, possesses boundless martial arts skills, which were once considered unparalleled in that era.

For swordsmen, brute force is enough to overturn them, and it doesn't have to be brute force that completely exceeds the limits.

However, out of respect, Manju took out the fake book filled with writing and recited Angra Mainyu's Noble Phantasm.

After unleashing the Noble Phantasm, crimson writing attached itself to Manjushri, allowing this primitive sorcery to take effect.

Even if Miyamoto Iori's slash could reach Manju and pierce his flesh, the final result would only be the destruction of Miyamoto Iori's fragile body.