Izou Okada was a swordsmanship genius.
No matter the sword style, he could often master it after seeing it just once.
As a result, Okada looked down on other swordsmen, considering those he could easily defeat as worthless trash.
This time was no different.
After arriving at the location as ordered by his Master and seeing the target he was supposed to kill, Okada was certain the girl holding the sword was a swordmaster. Though her exact level wasn't clear, he felt it was still manageable.
[This looks like it could be fun.]
That was Okada's thought at the time.
His own abilities gave him the confidence for such arrogance. And when he saw Okita and Naoki leave and head to the outskirts of the city, he guessed their intentions.
(They're looking for a suitable grave for themselves. Good, outside the city, I won't have to deal with their bodies.)
With that thought, Okada followed them. Though their surprising speed mid-way gave him some trouble, he eventually caught up.
(Since you made me chase this far, just wait and see how I'll kill you!)
As he emerged from the forest, Okada saw Okita holding a sword glowing with rainbow light, looking extremely dangerous.
What was that? Was that a sword too?
Okada, born in the modern era with minimal mystery, didn't understand Magecraft. Even if he did, he was someone who disliked studying and had no interest in knowledge beyond swordsmanship. So, even if he knew about it, he couldn't be said to understand it at all.
Through instinct alone, he could grasp one thing—that sword was extraordinary!
And then…
"Ugh… Aaaaahhhhh…"
As if wanting to scream but trying to hold it back, Okada let out a roar akin to a beast's. He stumbled back against a tree and collapsed, clutching his right arm—below the elbow, it was gone.
Beside him, the ground and forest looked as if they had been torn apart by something, a massive gash clearly visible.
This was undoubtedly the result of Okita's sword swing. Enhanced by Naoki's Magecraft and various fairy enchantments from Summoning Magecraft, though temporary, the sword was now capable of letting Okita fire a beam of light.
Even if its power was only at that level.
Seeing Okada slumped under the tree, Naoki walked over and crouched down. "Your survival instincts made you fight desperately to save your life, Assassin."
"You…"
"Don't look at me with those scary eyes. I'm not afraid. On the contrary, it feels like I'm being stared at by a rabid dog, giving me chills." Naoki said, waving his hand. "But even though you saved your life, you won't last long. I placed three curses on Okita's sword."
Deadly poison, unhealable wounds, and continuous damage.
In Okada's condition, even if left alone, he would die and return to the Throne of Heroes in ten to twenty minutes at most.
However…
*WUUU!*
Suddenly, a wave of spatial energy spread around Okada.
(His Master is using a Command Spell, planning to save him… Is that even possible?)
Just as the light of the Command Spell transfer was about to envelop Okada, Naoki raised his hand, removed his glasses, and glared sharply at him.
"Uwaaaaaaahhhhhh!"
The sensation of his entire body being gnawed from the inside out made Okada scream in agony uncontrollably, and amidst such wails, the Command Spell transfer completed.
Seeing Okada vanish from the spot, Naoki adjusted his glasses. "Hmm, with this, we don't need to worry about the German side."
Soul Eater Mystic Eyes, Mystic Eyes that erode spirits. Any spirit seen by these eyes would turn into an evil spirit driven solely by destructive instincts. If Naoki didn't control it, it would keep acting until it destroyed itself or was destroyed.
Of course, for Okada, Naoki had no intention of controlling it. After all, he was now completely out of control range. How could he control something beyond signal reach?
"With this, an uncontrollable executioner Servant has entered the German base. Though in his current condition, he can only last ten to twenty minutes, that's enough to clear out the people in that base, right? The troublesome Caster can also be dealt with this way."
"Caster?" Okita furrowed her brow. "Master… Though I'm used to it, I'm still shocked. Do you already know all the enemy personnel?"
"Pretty much. I might've forgotten who the Master is, but at least I remember the Servant. This time's Caster, like the Assassin, is a Servant summoned by a German Magus. His true name is Maxwell's Demon."
Maxwell's Demon.
A fictional entity born from a hypothetical experiment by a mathematician who tried to challenge the Root in the past. It was a Servant with a distorted spiritual foundation, born from humanity's desire for "infinite energy."
In terms of existence, it was strictly closer to a Phantom Spirit—a being born from human desires tied to a specific story or theory.
Though it fundamentally lacked combat strength, since its existence was based on the concept of "Maxwell's Demon," as long as that concept wasn't disproven at this point in time, it was completely indestructible.
However, in 1981, mathematician Bennett's paper disproved the "Maxwell's Demon" theory.
This meant that if it appeared after 1981, summoned in an era where the concept of "Maxwell's Demon" was debunked, it would lose its indestructibility and could even be destroyed by hitting it with a book.
"It's 1945 now, far from 1981. So, the Caster is completely indestructible. Fighting it would be a waste of time—but in the end, it's just a Servant. If a Servant loses its Master, it naturally can't remain in the real world."
With Okada's abilities as an evil spirit, clearing the German military base wouldn't be difficult. If he could directly kill the Master of Maxwell's Demon this way, that would be ideal. If not…
(*Oh well, it doesn't matter. At worst, I'll drop the moon or use the Holy Sword. It's a good chance to settle some personal grudges too. After all, in this era, Germany and Japan losing one or two bases won't make a difference.)
Thinking that, Naoki said to Okita, "Well, let's put the Caster issue aside for now. The most important thing is the Holy Grail bomb—there's a Japanese military base on the outskirts of this city. Let's check there."
"Alright, Master."
Okita nodded, instinctively trying to sheathe her sword, but the intense Mana and glowing light enveloping the blade prevented it from fitting into the scabbard.
"Master, this sword… Can't your Magecraft be canceled?"
"Uh… Sorry, it can't. Just wait a few minutes."