Facing the swift crimson bolt, Morpheus swung his short sword. In an instant, a surge of ferocious mana erupted from the blade, forming a crescent arc of light that tore through the air, racing forward with incredible speed!
Boom!
The collision with the crimson streak produced a deafening roar, unleashing a violent gust that swept the surroundings like a storm.
The explosion was so intense it blasted apart the water surface below for dozens of meters, creating a hemispherical void. Water rushed in from all sides, filling the hollow with a thunderous crash.
"Well, well!"
The red-clad Archer, Emiya Shirou, showed a flicker of surprise.
His attack wasn't a casual shot but a Noble Phantasm transformed into an arrow and fired with precision.
The attack's strength depended on the Noble Phantasm's power. Even if it was ordinary, the resulting blast was formidable.
Yet this human countered it with a mere swing of his mystic code, a combat style that made Emiya Shirou feel he wasn't facing a magus but a swordsman.
"When did this era's magi become so strong in close combat? It's like he's from ancient times," Emiya muttered, manifesting a demonic sword in his hand. He notched it onto his bowstring, and as he drew it back, the sword morphed into a spiraling projectile... his arrow.
The Caladbolg II, modeled after Caladbolg, the demonic blade of the Celtic hero Fergus mac Róich, was a projection crafted by Emiya's magecraft. Though a replica, its quality was nearly indistinguishable from the original, barring its duration and durability.
This A+ or even A++-rank Noble Phantasm was used as disposable ammunition, transforming into a dazzling beam of destruction that shot forward!
This technique, Broken Phantasm, was one of Emiya Shirou's most potent moves as a Heroic Spirit!
For Emiya, who could replicate countless Noble Phantasms, this was an extension of his Unlimited Blade Works... his ideal combat style!
Then, he saw a figure appear in the distance, moving so fast it was nearly invisible, like a launched cannonball.
An enemy attack?
Without hesitation, Shadow Servant Emiya released his fingers. The charged weapon became a streak of light, carrying immense mana as it shot toward the target.
Boom!
The arrow struck true, its full force concentrated without dispersion. But in the next moment, a figure burst through the smoke, fist clenched, charging at the wide-eyed Emiya.
"What?!"
A low exclamation betrayed Shadow Servant Emiya's confusion. His hit landed, yet the target seemed unscathed?
Before he could process it, the fist connected with his stomach, sending him flying.
Crash!
Emiya smashed through a railing and a wall, nearly embedded in the debris.
"Hah!"
Morpheus exhaled softly, looking at Emiya Shirou in the distance and raising his right hand. "Come on, show me your true strength as a Servant. Let's have a proper fight."
His open palm clenched into a fist. Morpheus sheathed his weapon, standing empty-handed, his eyes blazing with battle lust. His aura radiated unreservedly, signaling his desire for combat to everything around.
"And let this fist send you back to the Throne of Heroes!"
"Have I run into a Berserker?" Emiya sighed, lamenting his recurring encounters with such types. He studied Morpheus, puzzled. "But you're human, right?"
He shook his head. "No, not quite. You're human, but why do I sense something Servant-like about you?"
Morpheus smiled, adjusting his clothes. "Does it matter if I'm human? Just fight. Either you kill me, or I send you home... then I'll deal with that woman next."
He pointed behind Emiya, his meaning clear.
"Fair enough."
Emiya chuckled, manifesting two swords... one white, one black, yin and yang... and charged at Morpheus.
A massive surge of mana erupted behind him, propelling him past the speed of sound like a rocket!
"Come, human, let's clash! Show me if you have the right, the strength!"
A supersonic duel... human versus former human turned Servant, magus versus magus, a clash of two worlds' systems.
Without surprise, their bodies collided in an instant, moving too fast for the naked eye. In mere moments, they exchanged dozens of blows!
Shadow Servant Emiya dodged Morpheus's attacks while countering relentlessly.
Despite countless battles and Holy Grail Wars, Emiya was stunned by this human.
His body... or rather, his clothing... had an eerie resilience. Emiya's strikes, even when they landed, couldn't harm him!
It was like firing a rifle at a main battle tank's front armor... utterly ineffective!
This human could deliver supersonic attacks, not just strikes but moving his entire body at sonic speeds, weaving and dodging with the agility of a monkey!
A defense impenetrable to Servants, movement matching their speed, and attacks sometimes faster than a Servant's.
Everything screamed one truth: this was no human!
No human could do this!
Yet his mind, his knowledge, insisted otherwise... this was a human.
He resembled no magus but a legendary hero from the Age of Gods, capable of battling phantasmal beasts with raw physicality!
In Emiya Shirou's mind, Morpheus had become such a being!
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Continuous attacks brought continuous explosions. When a magus poured all their mastery of magecraft into physical control, this was the result.
The air, torn by supersonic strikes, produced deadly sonic waves radiating from Morpheus's attacks, creating an area-of-effect assault.
But it wasn't enough... not nearly enough!
This intensity couldn't ignite his blood. He needed a stronger, far stronger foe!
Morpheus attacked with increasing ferocity, his speed escalating. The fight shifted from equal footing to Emiya's one-sided defense, struggling to keep up.
Bang!
An unblocked fist struck Emiya's stomach again, sending him flying. In midair, he adjusted to reduce damage, but the blow still felt like it nearly shattered his bones.
A monster... an absolute monster!
His mind screamed "human," but Emiya trusted his instincts: this was a phantasmal beast in human skin!
Feeling sweat bead on his skin, Morpheus took a deep breath, smiling. "Thanks. I finally got to stretch my muscles a bit today."
"Oh? So I'm just a punching bag to you?"
"Not at all!" Morpheus shook his head, stretching lazily without guarding against a sneak attack. "A punching bag is just for beating... boring. But fighting you, close-quarters, hand-to-hand, lets me unleash my full strength!"
"Your full strength? Hah!" Emiya laughed as if hearing a joke. "Your close-combat skills rival a Servant's... mine, a knight-class."
He shook his head. "But I won't forget: you're a magus. Your main style is magecraft, not this melee!"
"Using my body to its fullest is still giving my all. You can't beat me, so I call the shots!" Morpheus grinned, looking at Emiya. "By the way, I'm not mistaken... you're operating on the Holy Grail's power, right?"
"Ugh!" Emiya's eyes narrowed. "How do you know?"
"I know a lot. Don't worry about it." Morpheus's battle lust surged. "So, use your ultimate move... Unlimited Blade Works. With the Grail's vast mana, show me your true power, Emiya Shirou!"
"Emiya Shirou?"
Shadow Servant Emiya paused, then smiled. "Ah, that's a nostalgic name. I don't know how you know it, but you won't tell me, will you?"
"I would, actually. If you ask, I'll answer. How do you know I won't?"
Emiya rubbed his eyes, sensing Morpheus's knack for provocation.
"Alright, tell me."
"I met you in the past. I was even your teacher," Morpheus said with a smile, spreading his hands. "Believe me?"
Emiya froze, not expecting that answer. As a Servant, once an ordinary modern human, his mind held more knowledge than magi who shunned the mundane world.
In seconds, he pieced it together.
"You met me in a parallel world?"
"Exactly. Another world's you was my student. I taught him magecraft. He used projection too, but for him, it was mainly for daily convenience and crafting mystic codes for magecraft!"
"Magecraft? He learned magecraft?!"
"magecraft. Want to try it? I can show you. In return, show me your Unlimited Blade Works!" Morpheus proposed, genuinely eager to face Emiya at full strength, to experience the true Unlimited Blade Works.
He couldn't bring himself to fight the past Emiya Shirou... that'd be bullying. But this Heroic Spirit Emiya was different. No Holy Grail War, no Grail to worry about... just fight!
Of course, Morpheus had other motives too.
Seeing Morpheus's enthusiasm, Emiya's aura shifted, his gaze sharpening. "Using Unlimited Blade Works might kill you."
Morpheus laughed. "If I can't beat you, I've got no business saving Human Order."
Emiya paused at the response, then burst into laughter. "Hahaha! Hahahahaha!"
As he laughed, his mana surged, eroding the surroundings.
"Perfect. That's the spirit. Face me at my strongest, human!"
In that moment, Emiya seemed to recall his past... his burning passion, his inner path!
Accepting Morpheus's challenge, he began his chant.
"I am the bone of my sword.
"Steel is my body, and fire is my blood.
"I have created over a thousand blades.
"Unknown to death, nor known to life.
"Have withstood pain to create many weapons.
"Yet, those hands will never hold anything.
"So as I pray, Unlimited Blade Works."
This wasn't a spell but a reflection of his life, a mental trigger, a key to unleash his spirit... or a switch.
As Emiya Shirou's switch flipped, the world transformed. The burning earth vanished, replaced by an endless desert. The dim sky gave way to a twilight with turning gears.
The ground was littered with countless weapons, swords plunged haphazardly.
This was a world of swords, Emiya Shirou's world, a Reality Marble born from his personal fantasy invading reality... Unlimited Blade Works!
"The magecraft closest to True Magic, banned by the mage's Association?" Morpheus murmured, his eyes gleaming with excitement at the field of legendary swords!
***
If you enjoyed this story, don't forget to drop 5 stars and your power stone. And if you want to read more than 70 chapters in advance, feel free to visit: pat reon . com / KangTL