Honkai Impact: Dreams and the Holy Grail, but the Servant is Rei.

However, the assassin [Kafka] was surprised to find that if she was facing a certain spot on the building that was collapsing not far away, [Silence of the Sirens] could not be used!

Chapter 27 Dramatic Irony (Part 2)

Assassin [Kafka] used her class's high agility to rush towards the collapsed building where the rose phantom appeared.

She found it difficult to describe her current feelings; she couldn't tell if she was curious, excited, joyful, or expectant.

Could he be the Pioneer himself? Or, like himself, a Servant who was summoned?

She even felt a little fearful, wondering if the being who set up this huge stage had any wicked sense of humor, perhaps the Trailblazer would have died just as she met him, just like the inevitable events that occurred in Elio's [script].

It's ironic when you think about it this way: the real Kafka couldn't experience fear, while it was Elio who suggested to her that the Trailblazers would allow her to perceive fear.

But he himself experienced fear before the master of those memories did...

After a few quick flashes, Assassin [Kafka] appeared on the top floor of a nearby high-rise building. With an excellent vantage point, she could clearly see the two people fighting not far away:

One is the corrupted "Pure Knight" Lancer Silverbranch, clad in red hair and silver armor; the other is a black-haired youth dressed in pioneer attire...

The young man was neither a Servant summoned by the corrupted Holy Grail nor the pioneer she remembered, yet the Siren's Silence still had no effect on him.

Is it because he fused with the power of the Caster as a Master? But there are no signs of contamination on him...

This was a development that truly surprised her.

However, she sensed a resemblance between the black-haired youth and the pioneers in her memories. He didn't use a fire spear, a baseball bat, or the hat he inherited from Mikhail, but she was very familiar with the power of his memories: it came from the [Onfaros] that Eriol had prophesied the pioneers would go to save!

Without any further doubts, Assassin [Kafka] was convinced that even if the black-haired youth before her was not the true pioneer from the outside world, the two must have a very deep connection.

Come to think of it, why did she rush here at top speed just for such a vague and unfounded reason? She couldn't help but chuckle to herself.

What is the connection between the Trail Blazers and Kafka and her existence as an Assassin?

But she still can't help but think about it, and even now she subconsciously wants to take action... Maybe this is fate.

Aren't the events destined to happen in Elio's script, or the people and things that remained anchored at crucial moments despite interference from other star gods, just like them? They were all powerless to control their own destiny...

Seeing the black-haired youth who could only passively defend, Assassin [Kafka] had already made a decision:

Even if this is a preordained script or fate, so what? From beginning to end, she was the one who was always chasing illusions, a wanderer!

Lancer [Silver Branch] sensed the killing intent behind him. He stopped attacking and looked warily at the woman in the trench coat on the top of the tall building behind him.

At this moment, Assassin [Kafka] suddenly realized that because she had rushed over at top speed, she hadn't used Assassin's [Presence Concealment]...

That's alright. Under the influence of the Word of Power, the beast, corrupted by the Holy Grail and almost completely controlled by it, is far easier to deal with than the resolute and powerful [Pure Knight]...

At the time, Meng Weiyu thought it was because of his status as a Caster (a type of Servant) that he had high magic resistance and a strong will. In fact, from beginning to end, Assassin [Kafka] never actually used any Word of Power on him.

A jumble of memories flashed through Assassin's mind in an instant, like a revolving lantern before her death, in the face of Saber's impending attack.

She took a deep breath. After Archer's death, Saber's [Yun Li] reaction and behavior were far beyond her expectations and greatly disrupted her subsequent plans.

Fortunately, the assassin [Kafka] still had a trump card up her sleeve!

Assassin [Kafka] quickly rethinks and adjusts her previous plans while simultaneously observing the battlefield situation.

The crimson, yet invisible, threads had now completely enveloped the entire battlefield, but she wasn't entirely confident that she could control Saber [Yun Li], who was in a state of extreme emotion.

I'm quite envious of the real Star Core Hunters; they always have Elio's [script] protecting them during their operations. Some memories resurfaced before Assassin [Kafka].

Although she knew from the beginning that her life was short, she still wanted to live a little longer.

He didn't dislike these resurfacing memories of Kafka herself, but he hated that they appeared in this recurring, whirlwind format.

The presence of the "pioneer" and his servant Caster, who were not far away, actually hindered him. When casting that wide-range Word of Power spell, he had to use some of his power to avoid or greatly reduce the influence of the Word of Power on the two of them.

If only he weren't that pioneer, then the two of them could sit back and watch from afar, waiting for her and Saber [Yun Li] to be both severely weakened before delivering the final blow.

She knew that without the corrupted Holy Grail, her existence wouldn't last long, since there was no place like Valhalla that allowed her to be constantly summoned and returned.

In this short life, she could accept dying at the hands of Saber [Yun Li], after all, she had killed Archer [Yan Qing], whom she cared about so much.

Dying at the hands of the "Pioneers" isn't so bad; it's another acceptable ending.

Just then, several flying swords projected from different positions and angles flew towards Saber [Yunli].

"Catch!" Meng Weiyu shouted at the same instant. He reached out and tossed the crimson memory crystal toward Assassin [Kafka].

He didn't have high hopes, and didn't even want to explain it again with words.

The previous failures seemed to have told him from the depths of his soul that Lord Chang Le Tian Jun did not want him to persuade other Servants by such means.

The flying swords did not interrupt Saber [Yun Li]'s continuous gathering of power. A flash of magical energy passed by, and the flying swords shattered instantly, along with the crimson memory crystal...

Meng Weiyu: ...

At this point, he no longer wanted to complain.

From a distance, the Assassin [Kafka] gave him a familiar, subtle, and gentle smile.

"Partner! She doesn't need you to provide her with memories, she already knows everything!" [Xi Lian] reacted immediately.

Meng Weiyu was startled. He was about to speak when he felt as if a storm was about to break, and the flow of magic around him suddenly became deathly still.

At this moment, Saber [Yun Li] raised the extremely exaggerated Xuan Tie Heavy Sword high, and its power was now infinitely close to the Noble Phantasm that she should not have been able to use in this Holy Grail War - [Sword of Earth, Blade of Heaven]!

At the same instant, countless crimson threads also appeared, converging towards Saber under the control of Assassin [Kafka]!

Chapter 28 Endless Hatred

The crimson threads, like manipulating a puppet, bound and entangled Saber [Yun Li] the moment she launched her attack, causing the towering Xuan Tie giant sword, which stood like an iron tower, to tremble!

Unstable energy transformed into invisible, deadly fluctuations, which began to emanate from the greatsword.

Just like when they shattered the flying sword and memory crystal, these rampant [magic] energy fluctuations crashed into the surrounding buildings like a destructive gale, instantly cutting them to pieces!

Assassin [Kafka]'s hands were now wrapped in countless crimson threads, which gathered at her knuckles to form ring-like circles.

Just as she had predicted, Saber [Yun Li] was in a state of extreme emotion and had regained some of her memories. Her will was firm and resolute, and the powerful Word of Power could not completely control her, but only temporarily hindered her actions.

If the "Pioneer" and his Servant were to attack the two of them at the same time... wouldn't that be the best opportunity? Thinking of this, Assassin [Kafka]'s purplish-red eyes seemed to dim a little.

But then she noticed that Saber [Yun Li] seemed to be able to control the overflowing [magic] energy fluctuations, and several waves carrying an aura of destruction were instantly within reach.

After several fluctuations, there were several more large-scale magical fluctuations. It seemed that Saber [Yun Li] not only wanted to force herself to interrupt the Word of Power spell cast on her, but also wanted to take her life at this moment.

"Am I really going to die like this?" assassin [Kafka] thought to herself.

Even as the energy fluctuations were almost upon her, she did not stop using the Word of Power.

She was prepared to squeeze out all her potential and forcibly interrupt Saber [Yun Li]'s devastating attack the moment the wave struck but she was not completely dead!

That way, her short life would have a more meaningful end. Thinking about it this way, I guess I was also influenced by the [emptiness] fate of the original owner of the memories.

"I am the bone of my sword."

Like seven petals, the [Sevenfold Heavenly Ring] appeared in front of Assassin [Kafka]. At this moment, the complete version of the concept armor used by Meng Weiyu in the battle against Saber [Yun Li] appeared once again!

At this moment, Meng Weiyu used the second ability of the red tag again, using the [Archer Emiya] ten-minute trial card.

The Seven-Ring Blazing Sky blocked all energy fluctuations, protecting [Kafka]'s safety while also ensuring that Meng Weiyu and [Xi Lian], who arrived quickly, were not affected.

"Don't stop! We will protect you with all our might!" [Xi Lian] arrived at Assassin [Kafka]'s side before Meng Weiyu. She held the illusory and transparent ritual sword and used the power of [Demigod of Time] to trace back the subtle cracks that appeared on the outermost layer of [Seven Rings of Blazing Sky].

More and more energy passively struck in an instant, but all of it was blocked by the [Sevenfold Rings of Blazing Heaven] empowered by [Xi Lian].

Upon seeing this scene, Saber [Yun Li], who was bound by the crimson threads, stopped using energy fluctuations and stared intently at Meng Weiyu with a deep-seated anger and hatred.

"I'm sorry, she saved my life too." Meng Weiyu sighed, looking directly into Saber [Yun Li's] eyes.

At this moment, he had finished chanting the first half of the incantation for [Unlimited Blade Works]. Although he still couldn't activate the [Realm Barrier], one after another [Pseudo-Spiral Swords] projected around Meng Weiyu were summoned to the center.

This time, the [Pseudo-Spiral Sword] did not surround him tightly like thorns as before, but instead floated around Meng Weiyu, with the sword tip pointing directly at Saber [Yun Li]!

The advantage of the blue-labeled [Escape Sword] was evident at this moment. Meng Weiyu no longer needed to draw his bow and nock an "arrow" like the great hero Emiya. With the blessing of [Xi Lian]'s magic, he could fire ten thousand "arrows" at once!

Unfortunately, due to the limitation of not being able to unleash the full power of his Noble Phantasm during the First Holy Grail War, both his projected [Sevenfold Rings of the Blazing Sky] and [Pseudo-Spiral Sword] were far inferior to the fake projected by Emiya.

Based on her experience fighting Saber [Yun Li] before the time reversal, Meng Weiyu estimated that it would take four to five [Pseudo-Spiral Swords] to have the destructive power of Archer Emiya's ranged attack.

He learned from the previous lesson of insufficient explosion, and this time he will detonate the hundreds of [Pseudo-Spiral Swords] launched by [Escape Sword] simultaneously!

Looking at the familiar scene, Saber [Yun Li] suddenly recalled the time before the time rewind when the two of them had their final battle in the mall...

This time, however, there was no young man standing against the wind on his sword, using his flying sword to thwart these potentially fatal attacks for her.

At this moment, grief and hatred completely overwhelmed Assassin [Kafka]'s Word of Power. The crimson threads left Saber [Yunli] covered in wounds, but she still managed to unleash this earth-shattering sword strike!

At the same moment, all the [Pseudo-Spiral Swords] were launched simultaneously!

The blinding white light engulfed everything in sight. The moment after launching the [Pseudo-Spiral Sword], Meng Weiyu activated the golden affix of [Pioneer Memory] and, together with [Xi Lian], devoted all her strength to retracing the ever-breaking [Sevenfold Ring of Blazing Sky].

Assassin [Kafka] did not stop manipulating the Word of Power; she continued to fiercely fight against Saber [Yunli]'s consciousness.

In the devastating apocalyptic landscape, the [Seven Rings of Blazing Sky] is like a small boat that is constantly being patched up, carrying the three of them forward through hardships.

At the most critical moment, because the speed of destruction exceeded the combined speed of the two people's retrograde, the [Sevenfold Ring of Blazing Heaven] was less than one layer away from destruction!

Meng Weiyu dared not cancel the projection and replace it with another barrier, otherwise the overflowing annihilation [magic power] energy could wipe out the three of them in a fraction of a second.

Perhaps because Assassin [Kafka] did not stop manipulating the crimson threads, the greatsword's strikes never landed on [Sevenfold Rings of the Blazing Sky]. After the initial and most intense explosion, the speed at which [Sevenfold Rings of the Blazing Sky] was rewinded finally exceeded the speed at which it was destroyed.

When it retraced back to the sixth level, the assassin [Kafka] stopped using the Word of Power.

“Her consciousness has vanished,” said Assassin [Kafka].

Under such an energy collision, Saber [Yunli] does not have a defense similar to [Sevenfold Rings of Blazing Heaven].

Meng Weiyu's pupils contracted sharply. He waited in disbelief for another ten seconds, but the system in his mind, the [Entertainer's Encyclopedia Box], still did not send any notification!

Inside the tavern, watching the projection of the Holy Grail, Giovanni, the Masked Fool, remarked, "Brother Meng, your humanity seems to be getting more and more formidable."

"It's all thanks to the favor of our Lord," Meng Weiyu said politely.

As the dust from the explosion settled, the two of them noticed from their high-altitude perspective that a huge, indescribable black object had covered the spot where Saber [Yun Li] had been standing!

"This is...Avenger?" When she uttered the last word, Meng Weiyu's voice trembled slightly, a rare occurrence.

Chapter 29 "Avenger"

“Avengers?” Even with the [Synesthesia Beacon], Giovanni, the [Masked Fool], did not fully understand Meng Weiyu’s meaning.

As the "Masked Fool," a sponsor of certain large-scale events and a smuggler in the world, the "synesthetic beacon" system, which converts linguistic information into perceptual codes, is an indispensable standard for him. However, sometimes due to a lack of understanding of the corresponding cultures of different civilizations, the translations are not accurate.

"Not an Avenger, but an eighth-class servant summoned by a certain family during the Third Holy Grail War." [Meng Weiyu] continued, her eyes glued to the screen. "Like the legend of the Holy Grail (Fate), it's a story that didn't actually happen in my world."

“But in your world, the universe we live in right now is also fake,” Giovanni said pointedly.

“Yes.” [Meng Weiyu] did not deny it, but continued, “In that story, there was an Avenger Servant named Angra Mainyu. His soul was absorbed into the Holy Grail according to the rules for defeated Servants, causing the originally colorless Holy Grail to be polluted by the black ‘all the evil of this world’.”

"The Servants who are defeated in the Holy Grail War will be absorbed into the Holy Grail?" Giovanni was shocked, but he didn't think about the "Avenger" and the question of 'all the evil in this world'.

He immediately thought of how, after many Holy Grail Wars, the corrupted Holy Grail absorbed the memories and abilities of countless outstanding destiny travelers and even messengers throughout the universe, and wondered what kind of terrifying being would be born from it.

“That shouldn’t be my lord’s intention.” Meng Weiyu turned to look at Giovanni again, calmly downing his drink. “The Holy Grail can’t be the Scepter; it’s far inferior to Onphalus.”

“My Lord told that ‘me’ that while winning the Holy Grail War, I must also cleanse the Holy Grail of its defilement,” he added.

"So what exactly is the corruption of the Holy Grail you speak of? Is it also 'all the evil of this world'?" Giovanni finally realized the crux of the problem.

"Mr. Giovanni, what kind of being do you think is closest to 'all the evil in this world'?" Meng Weiyu asked with a smile.

Inside the Holy Grail, when Meng Weiyu saw the indescribable, four-story-high behemoth where Saber [Yun Li] had stood after the dust settled, she gasped in shock.

Its jet-black body was covered with dark purple eyes, and it had two pairs of thin, razor-sharp wings that folded back. Its lower limbs and tail resembled the body of some kind of dragon, but its upper limbs were like magnified, thick human arms. Its head was simply a faceless humanoid shape, devoid of facial features except for a single, scarlet eye in the center.

And on its head is a crown with patterns resembling the Holy Grail!

For a fleeting moment, Meng Weiyu felt that the truly corrupted Holy Grail might be hidden among them!

While recovering from the massive magical drain and repairing Saber [Yun Li]'s relentlessly damaged body, it may have been attracted to her, and might even have completely devoured her...

Without any fear or hesitation, Meng Weiyu immediately used [Fantasy Collapse] to hit this behemoth!

This attack was merely a test of his strength. After the system notification failed to sound, he did not foolishly wait in place, but instead continued to project the [Pseudo-Spiral Sword] as a backup.

He didn't have much time to begin with, and now there were less than five minutes left before the projection ended.

At this moment, the several [pseudo-spiral swords] stuck in the ground were all projected by him when the shockwave ended.

"If only this youth version of Unlimited Blade Works could be used in rapid succession," Meng Weiyu thought.