"Is this how you treat guests who have come from afar?"
Holding Medusa's hand, Ayato greeted him as calmly as if he were seeing an old friend.
"But never mind, although this is our first meeting, I believe it will also be our last."
"Just an imposter, and quite the braggart."
The corner of Gilles's mouth curled up, the killing intent in his eyes as tangible as a physical substance.
"Fine, it saves me the trouble of finding you."
"You can just stay here."
As his sinister voice echoed, countless rustling sounds seemed to emerge from the surrounding forest, like venomous snakes slithering across the ground.
Under the dim moonlight, grotesque monsters appeared as if materializing out of thin air.
"Master, these are all sea demons."
Medusa's expression shifted, and she said softly to Ayato. "But even though there are many, if this is all they amount to, leave them to me."
"Okay."
With Ayato's approval, Medusa's figure shot forward like a cannonball from its barrel.
Her tall and perfect body showed a ferocity completely at odds with her beauty as she charged into the midst of the sea demons.
Boom!
A terrifying wind blew. A ten-meter-long chain-linked short sword tore through the air, instantly sweeping in all directions.
As the chain-linked short sword crisscrossed, the surrounding trees were severed, kicking up sky-filling dust.
In an instant,
Dozens of sea demons had their bodies severed.
Next!
Medusa's figure leaped into the air. Terrifying magical energy erupted, transforming her into a valkyrie raging across the battlefield.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Each sea demon collapsed without putting up an effective resistance.
This was not a battle, but a one-sided slaughter.
Watching this, both Gilles and Ryunosuke stood frozen as if possessed, stunned in place.
"Im... impossible."
After a moment, Gilles' eyes widened. "With this kind of magical energy, this fighting style, she absolutely cannot be an ordinary Magus."
"Who said she was a Magus?"
Ayato's expression was strange. "From the very beginning, she has been my Servant."
"What?"
Hearing this, Gilles's face drastically changed. "You are not a Servant? You tricked everyone?"
"I never said I was a Servant."
Ayato shook his head gently and said indifferently, "But have you thought of your last words?"
Boom!
The moment his words fell, though Ayato did not move a muscle, a terrifying wave of magical energy erupted from his body, sweeping in all directions like a raging torrent.
The next instant,
A magnificent magic circle slowly materialized behind him, its light blue light illuminating the entire dark forest as if it were day.
"No matter what you are, don't look down on me too much."
Gilles' face twisted with rage. He flung Ryunosuke far away. A flash of light appeared in his hand, revealing a grimoire of unknown material.
Prelati's Spellbook
This was his Noble Phantasm.
Rustle!
The grimoire was opened, and unintelligible incantations echoed in the air.
Centered on Gilles, a magic circle outlined in blood, radiating malice and ill omen, began to spread outward.
Medusa, who had just finished off the last sea demon, also tensed up, feeling the entire dark forest tremor and shake.
She turned her head and seemed to feel a tangible demonic energy enveloping the entire sky, blocking out all the moonlight.
"With this kind of demonic energy, what is he trying to summon?"
A look of shock appeared on her face. She quickly returned to Ayato's side, assuming a protective stance.
"Roar!"
From within the bloody magic circle came an earth-shattering roar, like rolling thunder, filled with boundless ferocity and brutality.
A crimson light shot into the sky.
Boundless demonic energy surged. Within the bloody magic circle, a sea demon with countless tentacles and a body as large as a mountain emerged.
"Master, this grimoire is at least an Anti-Army Noble Phantasm."
Glancing at Gilles atop the sea demon, Medusa suggested, "Perhaps we should withdraw for now?"
"It's just a mere sea demon."
Ayato smiled faintly, the magic circle behind him growing even vaster. "Don't doubt your Master's abilities."
Rumble!
Before Medusa could react, a bolt of lightning that connected the sky and earth bloomed from within the magic circle.
That bolt of lightning was hundreds of feet long, as if piercing the sky, its momentum vast and boundless.
This bolt of lightning tore through the demonic energy, as if splitting open the sky.
"What are you?"
Gilles's pupils contracted, his eyes filled with a mixture of shock and anger.
Such magical power was like a god or demon.
He wondered if the Holy Grail had malfunctioned.
After all, choosing such a being as a Master was simply cheating.
"Roar!"
The sea demon let out a roar, its voice filled with terror.
This vast lightning made it instinctively feel fear.
Almost instinctively, countless tentacles shot into the sky.
Rumble!
With its movement,
An overwhelming tide of demonic energy surged, as if trying to dye the bright moon pitch black.
The next moment,
The lightning and the tentacles collided.
There was no earth-shattering explosion, only an overwhelming, irresistible force.
Under the lightning, countless tentacles, like foam, were instantly turned to charcoal.
"This is... Master's power?"
Medusa stood frozen in place, her small mouth slightly agape, her beautiful eyes behind her blindfold filled with visible shock.
"Impossible?"
Gilles's face was full of terror. His entire body retreated rapidly, using the sea demon itself as a shield.
"Roar!"
The sea demon, bearing the brunt of the attack, let out an earth-shaking roar.
It almost instinctively tried to dodge, but its massive body made that impossible.
With no other choice, its ugly face contorted with even greater ferocity. Its massive body, carrying a sky-reaching demonic energy, charged forward.
Boom!
The lightning struck the sea demon.
A giant mushroom cloud shot into the sky. The entire dark forest was swept by endless gale-force winds. An impact wave as tangible as a physical substance rippled outward in all directions.
Countless surrounding trees were uprooted, as if the entire forest had been leveled.
Crunch! Crunch!
Amidst the sky-filling dust and smoke, the sea demon's massive body continuously cracked apart. Massive amounts of blood gushed out, as if turning into a rain of blood.
Its blood-red eyes were filled with fear and reluctance.
Boom!
Another roar rang out.
The terrifying lightning completely engulfed the sea demon, thoroughly piercing its massive body.
"Ah!"
Not far away, Gilles spat out a mouthful of blood. Just the residual energy of the lightning had already severely injured him.
He tried to flee, but saw that the lightning did not stop, already enveloping him.
"No!"
Amidst the deafening screams, Gilles's figure was completely engulfed by the lightning, utterly annihilated in that vast bolt of lightning.
As if he had never existed from beginning to end, completely erased.
Before long,
The dust in the air began to settle.
The magic circle behind Ayato also slowly disappeared.
The entire forest was quiet.
But a kind of heaviness that words cannot describe permeated the air.
"H-How... how is this possible?"
Dirty and disheveled, Ryunosuke's face had turned pale.
"Shishou, how could he die?"
"You're not even a Servant. Why are you so strong?"
"You actually survived that residual energy. You're quite lucky."
Somewhat surprised, Ayato glanced at him. "Never mind, you're still going to die."
With that, a flick of his finger sent a beam of magical energy through Ryunosuke's chest.
Crunch!
Blood sprayed, and fragments of internal organs gushed out.
"Th-This is..."
Seeing this, a look of sudden realization appeared on Ryunosuke's face. "Haha, so this... this is what I've been searching for."
Smiling, Ryunosuke breathed his last.
Ayato: "..."
'This guy was definitely not right in the head.'
'Was letting a serial killer like this die satisfied letting him off too easy?'
Shaking his head, Ayato turned and put his arm around Medusa's waist. "Why are you stunned? Have you fallen for your Master?"
Medusa snapped back to reality, leaned her head against Ayato's shoulder, and smiled. "Yes, I really do have a powerful Master."
Even though she was a legendary monster, the nature of worshiping the strong was universal, whether god or demon.
She was smitten.
"Hehe, now you know you've found a treasure."
Ayato smiled slightly. "But hold back a little. We're still outside."
"Heh... hehe..."
Medusa's lips twitched.
'Well,'
'No matter how powerful he was, it didn't change the fact that his head was full of perverted thoughts.'
'But 'outside' wasn't really appropriate, indeed.'
'Wait!'
'What was I thinking?'
Under the night sky, looking at Ayato's handsome face, Medusa's cheeks flushed bright red.