Crossover Anime: Starting with Bankai from Demon Slayer

Chapter 188 Swords and Guns on the Beach

The next day, at noon.

"What did you say?"

Tokiomi Tohsaka put down the quill he was using to record magical fluctuations, his brow furrowing slightly.

He looked at Kirei Kotomine, who was standing in the shadows, his tone filled with disbelief.

"You mean that swordswoman (Saber) summoned by the Einzbern family... is building sandcastles on the beach right now?"

"Yes, my dear teacher."

Kirei Kotomine replied expressionlessly, "According to visual sharing transmitted by Hassan, who was lurking near the seaside park, a silver-haired woman named Irisviel is playing on the beach with a blonde, blue-eyed girl."

"Although the girl was dressed in casual clothes and the magical energy emanating from her was deliberately suppressed, there was no doubt that she was a sword servant."

Kirei paused slightly, as if organizing her thoughts.

"They...had a lot of fun."

"The silver-haired woman even used magic to strengthen the structure of the sand, building a beautiful Gothic castle that attracted many children to watch."

Tokiomi Tohsaka fell into a long silence.

A slight upturn at the corners of his mouth revealed a mocking smile that was a mixture of confusion and elegance.

"...It's truly regrettable."

"The Einzberns, once a member of the Winter Saintess's family, have lost themselves in their pursuit of the Holy Grail. Have they even forgotten the most basic dignity of a magician?"

"Or is it because they are artificial life forms that they lack the most basic reverence for life and are so utterly disregarding its importance?"

In his view, this behavior was as vulgar as barbarians eating meat with their hands at a court banquet.

Moreover, we are currently at war.

Exposing oneself so openly to everyone is like sticking one's neck out to the enemy's blade.

He stroked the ruby cane beside him, pondering its possibilities.

"Father Li Zheng, it seems that the participants this year are somewhat lacking in common sense. We can't let this sacred ceremony turn into a street farce."

Kotomine Ritsu, standing to the side, swirled the wine glass in his hand: "Don't worry, Tokiomi."

"Tonight, the church will blockade the Warehouse Street area near the sea under the pretext of police searching for fugitives and investigating gas leaks."

"We will set up a protective barrier to disperse ordinary people, and place incense that affects their perception to ensure secrecy."

"Very good, thank you very much."

Tokiomi picked up his quill pen again and elegantly wrote a rune on the parchment.

"Regardless of their purpose, since we're here, let's see if the strongest swordsman is truly a legend or just an empty shell."

On the other side, the top floor of the Hyatt Regency Fuyuki.

In front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window, Kiritsugu Emiya was using a high-powered telescope to observe the sun-drenched beach in the distance.

In the scene, Irisviel is laughing as she brushes sand off Artoria; the two interact intimately, like sisters on vacation.

"...Thank you for your hard work, Alice."

Kiritsugu put down his binoculars, turned around, and walked to the table in the center of the room.

There was a detailed map of Fuyuki City on display there.

"Maimi, how is it?"

His assistant, Mai, was squatting on the ground, skillfully inspecting each military equipment box.

When asked, she replied without looking up, "The equipment is ready."

"Also, there was some commotion at the Tohsaka family last night."

She turned on the TV and played a somewhat blurry video.

Those were images captured by cameras hidden in the Tohsaka residence, showing the assassin being instantly killed by a Bow Servant.

Kiritsugu lit a cigarette, and his expression appeared particularly gloomy amidst the swirling smoke.

"What do you think?" he asked.

"It's a bit too deliberate," Mami calmly analyzed. "The interval between the appearance of the assassin and his being killed by the archer is too short."

"Assassins possess the [Scent Concealment] skill, so I don't think they have the means to detect him immediately."

"Moreover, the assassin's master is Kirei Kotomine, the son of Father Risei Kotomine, the church's overseer."

"He went to the church last night to request neutral asylum."

Upon hearing this, Kiritsugu Emiya repeatedly watched the scene on the screen, pondering for a long time: "The Tohsaka family's high-profile public announcement of their Servants' identities and status... perhaps they share the same goal as us..."

As planned, Kiritsugu used Irisviel as bait, disguised himself as Artoria's Master, and made a public appearance to attract all the enemy's firepower.

As the true Master, he will transform into a venomous snake lurking in the gutter, waiting for the other Masters' weaknesses to deliver a fatal blow...

"Mai, arrange for a familiar to be sent to the Fuyuki Church."

"Is this a good idea? Masters shouldn't interfere in the Church's neutral zone."

"Just keep a distance so you won't be noticed."

He picked up an old-fashioned pistol from the table and skillfully loaded a specially made bullet.

"For justice..."

As night falls, the lights are on.

The once bustling port area has become unusually deserted due to the interference of the Holy Church.

The streetlights cast a dim, yellowish glow, stretching the shadows of the shipping containers long.

"Irisviel, stay close to me."

"The enemy has been waiting for a long time."

Artoria's emerald green eyes were scanning the surrounding darkness warily.

On the beach, she sensed a powerful aura emanating from a hundred meters away; it was undoubtedly a heroic spirit.

Was it an unconscious act? Or was it an intentional invitation or provocation?

At this moment, Irisviel is heading to this area with her Servant, intending to find out who this Servant is.

The two walked through a container alley and came to a wide-open space.

She stopped in her tracks.

A handsome man dressed in a dark green bodysuit stood in front of them, holding two spears, one long and one short, wrapped in talismans.

He had a beauty mark under his right eye, which exuded an eerie and bewitching charm in the night.

Lancer, the follower of the spear.

"I have been waiting here for a long time."

"Today I swaggered around and let my presence show all day, but not a single person was willing to step forward."

"It seems that the only strong person who accepted my invitation is you, a swordsman with clear fighting spirit."

The spearman bowed slightly, the beauty mark at the corner of his eye radiating a kind of bewitching charm under the moonlight.

Despite bearing his Master's orders, his innate chivalry still compelled him to give his opponent a standard dueling salute.

Artoria shielded Irisviel behind her, her blue eyes locking onto the approaching figure.

With a clenched fist in the air, the Wind King's Barrier concealed the sword within the airflow, solidifying it into an invisible sword.

"I'm glad my first opponent is a decent fellow." The spearman smiled slightly, wielding his two spears in an attacking stance.

"I am honored to meet a heroic spirit with such a sense of honor." Artoria said in a clear voice, her casual clothes transforming into armor constructed of magic.

The two spoke simultaneously: "That's it, let's settle this once and for all!"

Whoosh—!

Without another word, the spearman thrust his spear tip straight into Artoria's chest.

Artoria sidestepped to the side and met the attack with her invisible sword.

clang!!

The blade and the spear tip collided, sparks flying.

The two engaged in close combat, their spears and swords flashing, and stones flying everywhere.

At the same moment, a light truck was slowly driving towards the edge of the seaside dock area.

"Alright, alright, last order. Let's finish the handover and head home."