"So it was all a misunderstanding, huh?"
The three of them regrouped downstairs. Zhou Yuxuan cupped his hands respectfully toward Emiya Shirou. "Though not entirely. Wamuu-dono was intrigued by your earlier claims about 'circuits.' I was sent on her orders to test you personally and verify the truth."
"Oh? Then what did you mean earlier when you said bounty hunters weren't allowed here?"
"Wamuu-sama places great value on you. If you wish to know, it's not a secret."
Zhou Yuxuan dropped the formal act and spoke plainly, a sharp contrast to how he'd spoken to Old Tang earlier.
"This mission to the Chu relics is officially under Wamuu-sama's leadership, but hunters are only permitted to perform initial exploration. They have no claim to core interests. The relic must be managed and protected by the hybrid noble families."
"The enforcement team is composed of personnel from my Zhou clan of Xiangyang, as well as the neighboring Wu, Wang, Jiang, Chen, Sun, and Bai clans. We're mobilizing political and commercial resources, all under the guise of 'developing cultural industries.'"
"The formal schedule hasn't started yet. Wamuu-sama sent me here in advance to meet you. If this so-called Western magic of yours is real, our Zhou clan is willing to grant you a favor within our power."
"Huh? You're taking me that seriously?" Emiya looked puzzled.
Are the hybrid clans trying to transition into the realm of magi?
"That's exactly how seriously. But—only if you show real skill!"
With a shake of his body, Zhou Yuxuan revealed a heavy huan shou broadblade strapped tightly to his back. A corroded bronze chain connected to its ring-shaped pommel.
Old Tang, seeing such a massive weapon, cried out in panic, "No need to go that far!"
But Emiya Shirou was intrigued instead.
The ring-pommel sword was first developed during the Han dynasty and remained in use through the Tang dynasty. According to historical lore, Guan Yu of the Three Kingdoms used one called "Ten-Thousand-Man Slayer" (later mythologized into the Green Dragon Crescent Blade in Romance of the Three Kingdoms). To Emiya, it was clear this was a weapon of deep legacy.
It might even qualify as a Noble Phantasm.
Unexpectedly, Zhou Yuxuan didn't draw the wide blade from its sheath. Instead, he lashed out with the bronze chain like a whip.
Clang—!
Emiya Shirou drew two nihontō—one long, one short—from his cello-shaped weapon case. A diagonal slash blocked the incoming chain.
Before he could counter, Zhou Yuxuan was already closing in, whipping the chain in relentless waves. Emiya parried with his twin blades, metal clashing in a rapid rhythm.
Though seemingly evenly matched, Zhou's relentless assault gradually forced Emiya back. The chain's wide arc and aggressive rhythm left little room to maneuver. Sparks danced in the air.
"Is that all you've got?"
Emiya didn't respond. Instead, something flickered along his limbs: a glowing, circuit-like pattern. Even his irises reflected elemental intensity.
Reinforcement Magecraft.
In an instant, his strength and perception surged. His enhanced dynamic vision traced the exact motion of the bronze chain.
Clack! Emiya slipped the edge of one blade precisely between the links of the chain!
"!?"
Zhou Yuxuan's eyes widened. Emiya gave the chain a twist and pull, and Zhou's body lurched forward under the massive force. Emiya's other blade was already poised—Zhou was being dragged straight into its edge.
If this blow landed, the match would be over.
Sensing imminent danger, Zhou's golden eyes ignited and his Iron Torrent domain erupted.
Boom!
Emiya's blade struck a hastily-formed metal shield, sending a dull shockwave through the air.
Zhou quickly retracted the chain. Examining the shield, he saw a deep gash carved into it—evidence that Emiya hadn't even used full power.
More importantly, Zhou's Iron Torrent couldn't manipulate Emiya's weapons—proof they were crafted from regenerated metals, immune to metal-elemental interference.
That could only mean one thing: alchemical weapons of exceptional purity.
Only through superior alchemy—refining impurities and reshaping the metal into a new state—could a weapon become immune to Zhou's abilities and surpass normal performance.
So Wamuu-sama had been right—Emiya's alchemy truly was extraordinary.
Then what was that sudden strength surge? A Lingual Art? Or this so-called Magecraft?
Zhou had to probe further.
This time, he abandoned the chain and raised his broad, door-sized ring-pommel sword.
Boom—!
The ground shook under the force of his downward slash. Concrete cracked, and sparks exploded between their weapons.
But Zhou's heart sank.
Despite his weapon's overwhelming weight, he found himself being overpowered. Emiya's twin blades sliced through the air in gleaming arcs—not in the style of any known sword school, but rather a lethal battlefield rhythm of his own making.
"Ghh…!"
Even with his refined alchemical blade, Zhou was steadily pushed back. In a dozen exchanges, his arms were numbed from the transmitted shock.
Teeth clenched, his golden eyes flared brighter.
Iron Torrent had one more function—at close range, it could extract metallic elements from the opponent's body.
In the human body, such elements are vital to life. Remove them, and the target would collapse.
As long as he maintained close contact, this move almost never failed—
Unless…
The target didn't rely on metal elements to function.
Or the target was a living alchemical construct completely immune to interference.
Chanted in ancient Draconic, his Lingual Art reverberated—but returned no response.
Failed!?
Emiya's body had the usual amount of metal—but couldn't be affected!?
Zhou's elemental sight revealed something shocking: a sophisticated matrix of metallic alchemical circuits inside Emiya's body!
These patterns were as precise as a nervous system, forming a self-contained inner domain that resisted external influence.
Rivers of stabilized elemental energy flowed along these circuits, concentrating in his limbs.
So that's how it worked.
This is the so-called "Magic Circuit." It's how his strength surged. This is the core of his Magecraft.
To embed such high-precision alchemical matrices into oneself—Emiya's alchemy wasn't just skilled.
It was master-tier.
(End of Chapter)
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