Instant Kill
"I, Toyota, and Isshin will go with Nakamura-sensei to deal with the stronghold they mentioned. I believe there should be important intelligence there," Taiyi said firmly.
"However, can you two handle it?" Nakamura asked, his eyes narrowing.
"Don't worry," Taiyi replied. "Blue Snake's strength has grown considerably. He should be able to hold off most of the enemy shinobi."
"That's right. Don't forget—we have two Sharingan on our side," Uchiha Tsuki added, smirking with quiet confidence.
"Then should we set off now?" Tsuki asked.
"No," Nakamura shook his head. "We move tomorrow. If we act now, we'll only alert them. We need them to reveal their hand first. Too much has already been covered up—we came late to this."
"Then let's return and prepare properly," Taiyi said.
"Yes, sensei," the others responded in unison.
---
The Next Day
At dawn, Shirō set off with the Hidden Hot Water Village's representative after exchanging only a few words. He deliberately ignored the shinobi tailing them, feigning ignorance as they pressed deeper into the territory.
As they drew near, Shirō stopped, hand resting on his bow.
"Should I fire an arrow from here first? Drop them all before they react?"
"No," Taiyi interjected sharply. "The enemy likely has jōnin-level shinobi. We can't be reckless."
Shirō sighed. Ever since he had learned Clairvoyance, he had never truly tested its thousand-meter precision. A part of him longed to unleash it, if only to show off. But he reined in his eagerness.
When they finally arrived, their eyes widened.
Before them loomed a massive stone wall—more fortress than barricade. Its scale was impossible for ordinary villagers to construct.
Shirō frowned. This isn't just rogue shinobi. If the Hot Water Daimyō was involved… no wonder the village head asked for Konoha's aid. The Land of Hot Water can't afford to provoke the Leaf outright.
But politics weren't his concern. Their problem now was how to breach it.
"Any ideas?" Shirō asked.
"My Lightning Release won't break through something like that," Taiyi admitted.
"My Fire Release isn't enough either," Tsuki muttered.
Sneaking in was possible, but that would undermine their mission objective.
Finally, Shirō straightened. "Then I'll do it. I wanted to test something anyway. Do either of you know about Earth Release?"
"A little," Taiyi answered warily. "Why?"
"Raise the ground here—just a meter or two, wide enough for me to work. It doesn't have to be much."
After hearing his plan, both shook their heads. The chakra cost would cripple them before the fight even began.
"Fine," Shirō muttered. "I'll handle it myself."
He bit his thumb, focusing his chakra. "Projection… start!"
The air shimmered as a colossal structure materialized—a dark, towering fortress that made even Tsuki's Sharingan widen.
"Wha—Ninjutsu?" Tsuki gasped.
Taiyi's eyes narrowed. "Not quite. This is Shirō's secret art… something beyond a mere bloodline technique. If it were easy to learn, the Emiya family would already rival the Hyūga."
Still, Tsuki wasn't fully convinced. "Earth Release can create fortresses too. What's so special about this one?"
"You'll see."
The enemy spotted the castle instantly. Alarm bells rang, and shouts of "Enemy attack!" echoed from the walls. Dozens of shinobi charged forward.
But Shirō's expression hardened. Channeling his remaining chakra, he synchronized the Noble Phantasm with his circuits. The fortress shifted, warping into a stage-like platform.
"Bloodthirsty Demoness—Báthory Erzsébet!"
With the demonic castle as an amplifier, Shirō weaved hand seals despite the stabbing pain in his circuits.
"Wind Release: Thousand-Faced Gale!"
A storm of wind blades erupted, each carrying the force of an A-rank jutsu. Empowered by the Noble Phantasm, the attack shattered the fortress wall and ripped through the ranks of enemy shinobi. Stone and flesh alike were torn apart.
When the dust cleared, half the enemy force lay defeated; the rest were battered, barely standing.
Shirō staggered, sweat dripping. His chakra reserves were spent, and his body screamed in protest. Every flicker of chakra through his magic circuits brought sharp agony.
Yet there was no time to rest.
"Boom." "Boom."
The ground trembled. A massive shadow emerged from the dust—a towering shinobi, radiating killing intent.
Taiyi's expression hardened. "Shirō… it's unkind to say this, but we can't protect you this time."
"I know." Shirō grimaced, biting down on a ration pill. "But Blue Snake will."
Forming shaky seals, he slammed his palm down.
"Summoning Technique!"
With a burst of smoke, Blue Snake coiled into existence.
"Blue Snake, take me back. I leave the rest to them."
"As you command, Shirō-sama," the serpent hissed, slithering away with its summoner on its back.
"Don't worry," Taiyi called after him. "You've already done more than enough."
"Heh." Tsuki smirked, Sharingan spinning to life. "Now it's our turn. I'll show you the power of the Uchiha."
Taiyi drew his short sword as lightning flickered over his body. "Lightning Release Body Technique…"
Not to be outdone, Tsuki unsheathed his own blade, flames licking along its edge. "Uchiha-ryū: Flame Flow Sword!"
The two stood ready, side by side, as the giant roared and thundered forward.
---
Noble Phantasm Data
Name: Bloodthirsty Demoness (Báthory Erzsébet)
Rank: E–
Owner: Elizabeth Báthory, the infamous "Blood Countess" of Hungary.
Form: A demonic spear, manifested as a castle-shaped amplifier.
Legend: Csejte Castle, where Elizabeth tortured and killed hundreds of girls to preserve her beauty. Bathed in blood, she retained her charm and magical power.
Effect: Transforms into a massive amplifier that enhances jutsu. Converts the user's chakra techniques into devastating wide-range attacks. Though its scale is terrifying, it is most effective against humans rather than armies.