Chapter 97: Kali, Who Breaks the Limits of the Flesh VS Shirou, with Magic Circuits Fully Unleashed!
The underground Pleasure Street.
Originally pitch black, the entire area was now covered in the radiance of divine power, transforming into a strange and labyrinthine space.
Blinding divine light tore through the darkness like a meteor and created a space entirely isolated from the surroundings — a bizarre world unto itself.
"What on earth… happened here?"
When Freya, Ishtar, and the other Familia members arrived, the sight before them left everyone stunned.
The once quiet and normal underground district had twisted into an unrecognizable shape. The entire street had undergone a massive transformation, making it seem eerie and unfathomable — as if divided at a specific point.
Just a single step forward or backward revealed two completely different scenes.
Although the surrounding environment still looked like the Pleasure Street, stepping past a certain invisible line was like entering a completely different world. Through a thin membrane-like barrier, they could see an ancient colosseum.
From the exotic architecture, to the distinctly Eastern aesthetic style, to the domed arena — everything was so real it defied description.
"This... is some god's Authority, isn't it?" Freya immediately deduced, narrowing her eyes. "It feels like some kind of domain-type Authority."
"There's an Authority that can do this?" Takemikazuchi asked in surprise.
"Divine Authorities are essentially manifestations of a god's personality," Freya explained calmly. "For example, Ishtar and I possess charm-type Authorities as goddesses of beauty. You, as a war god, have a combat-type Authority. Or take Apollo's Authority of luck, for instance.
If there were a god who yearned for eternal War, it wouldn't be strange for them to create an arena that traps both themselves and mortals in endless combat."
"A colosseum… Don't tell me this is that Kali's doing," Ishtar muttered, her face betraying confusion — she was the only one present who knew Kali had arrived in Orario.
"Kali? I've never heard of that god," said Freya, frowning.
Due to the existence of godly factions, both Freya and Takemikazuchi were unfamiliar with deities outside of Orario — let alone Kali, who resided far away in the war-torn nation of Telskyura. Ishtar quickly gave a brief explanation of the War Goddess Kali.
"My knowledge of Kali is limited, but I've heard of her title — the Goddess of War. If it really is her, then this arena created with divine Authority wouldn't be unusual at all."
"So… Lord Emiya is trapped inside this domain, with that goddess named Kali?" Yamato Mikoto said with a worried expression.
Bell, Lili, and the others were clearly concerned about Shirou being trapped in the domain of a god.
Seeing everyone so flustered, Freya smiled gently. "Since you're all this worried, why don't we go inside and take a look ourselves?"
"Lady Freya…"
Ottar, her most powerful follower, tried to dissuade her.
For safety reasons, he didn't want her getting involved in something so dangerous.
But Freya was firm. She was determined to step into the domain and observe the battle for herself.
To reassure Ottar, she explained softly, "Most divine Authorities don't affect other gods. The only real exception is the charm of beauty gods, which can influence even fellow deities. So you need not worry about my safety. Besides, if Kali deliberately isolated Emiya alone, it likely means he's the real target."
"…Understood."
Unable to change her mind, Ottar ultimately gave in. "In that case, allow me to accompany you and ensure your safety."
"Suit yourself."
Freya didn't mind Ottar tagging along — as long as she could witness the battle between man and god, that was all she cared about.
As Freya made her decision, the others exchanged looks and followed suit, all choosing to enter the domain's interior as well.
After all, whether mortal or divine, everyone present deeply cared for Shirou.
None of them were willing to just stand by while he faced danger alone within the domain.
Thus, after a quick decision, nearly everyone stepped forward into Kali's Arena of War.
The moment they crossed the threshold, they all felt as if they'd stepped into another world.
Behind them was still the familiar underground setting — but just one step forward, and they were suddenly inside an ancient arena. As if influenced by the domain's power, everyone automatically appeared in the spectator stands.
Opposite the stands was, naturally, the center of the arena — a massive circular colosseum.
In the heart of the colosseum, Shirou and Kali stood across from each other, locked in a silent standoff, moments away from a fierce confrontation.
"I-Ishtar? Freya? Bell? Why are you all—?"
Shirou looked toward the spectator stands, shocked to see so many familiar faces suddenly appear inside Kali's constructed domain.
He clearly hadn't expected them to get involved.
Kali, on the other hand, was elated by their arrival. With a delighted expression, she looked around at the gathered gods and mortals and said:
"Wonderful, just wonderful! A duel is always more thrilling with an audience. Now I can really cut loose!"
BOOM!
At the moment her words ended, the altars surrounding the arena suddenly ignited with blazing fire.
The flames were no ordinary fire — they burned like projections of divine power, quickly enveloping the entire perimeter of the colosseum. Countless sparks danced in the air like petals, intensifying the already heated atmosphere.
Then, like a referee presiding over the duel, Kali addressed the spectators, laying out the rules.
"First, the fundamental rules of this War God Game are as follows — both sides will have their levels suppressed, magic sealed, and movement confined to a specific area. Within these constraints, combat is otherwise unrestricted."
"Second, at timed intervals, random weapons will appear at the edges of the arena. The type and location are unpredictable, and each weapon will automatically adjust to match the wielder's size and physique."
"Lastly, the entire area surrounded by divine flame is considered the battlefield. Victory conditions are simple — either knock your opponent unconscious or force them out of bounds."
These were mostly rules Shirou had already been informed about.
The battle was about to begin — a clash between god and man, where strength alone would determine fate.
That the endpoint of the arena would randomly generate weapons was something entirely beyond his expectations.
However, for the spectators in the audience, all of these rules were clearly events beyond comprehension.
"What the hell? Limiting level and magic, and then fighting a god in hand-to-hand combat? That's way too harsh!"
"Lord Emiya actually agreed to such terms?!"
"Can he really win the duel under such heavy restrictions?"
For a moment, everyone present—both mortals and gods—were stunned by the rules of this divine battle.
Even Freya, Ishtar, and Takemikazuchi, these three deities, hadn't anticipated such severe terms, and their gazes toward Shirou unconsciously grew tense.
The only one still calm at the scene was Freya's follower, Ottar.
This strongest man in Orario seemed unshaken by anything.
Even when faced with the outrageous spectacle of a man-vs-god battle, not the slightest emotion appeared on his face. He silently observed the duel as if isolated from the world.
On the battlefield—
Shirou and Kali had both made their preparations.
"Come, Emiya Shirou. You, the man I acknowledge—come and have a splendid duel with me!" Kali gave Shirou a provocative look and slowly took from her waist a fossil that looked like a stone or perhaps a seashell. "This specially made coin from the battle nation of Telskyura will serve as the signal to begin. Once the coin hits the ground, the battle officially starts. At that point, all restrictions are lifted, and each party may attack the other, as well as attempt to acquire the weapons that appear in the arena."
"Now, prepare yourself."
As she spoke, Kali tossed the stone coin into the air.
The coin flipped and spun midair, instantly capturing the gaze of everyone present.
Almost every pair of eyes in the audience was drawn to the silver coin, and hearts pounded in time with its spinning—until, at the instant the coin was about to hit the ground—
Clang!
Kali and Shirou moved almost simultaneously.
Kali launched the first strike toward Shirou.
Despite being physically restricted to Level 1 stats, her movements were inhumanly fast.
She darted out with agility and lunged straight at Shirou, intending to take him down instantly.
However, to her surprise, Shirou seemed to have anticipated her move.
Even before Kali made her move—at the very moment she tensed—he was already retreating.
Shirou didn't fully grasp the terrifying strength Kali possessed, but he was well aware that as the Goddess of War, her confidence in this duel likely stemmed from her formidable close-combat prowess.
Even with the knowledge and experience inherited from Heroic Spirit Emiya, Shirou was never particularly skilled in unarmed combat—it would be incredibly difficult to match Kali blow for blow.
Therefore, Shirou immediately chose to widen the distance and headed straight for the arena's endpoint, hoping to obtain one of the randomly generated weapons there!
With a weapon in hand, he would have a much better chance in a melee brawl!
"Trying to get a weapon, are you?" Kali saw Shirou's movement and instantly grasped his intent. "Not a bad idea—but do you really think you can escape from me?"
Boom!
As Kali's words fell, an unimaginable scene unfolded.
Despite her small frame, she burst forward with the explosive force of a predator.
Each step she took sent tremors through the ground, and her body launched toward Shirou at an astonishing speed.
In the blink of an eye, the gap between the two shrank dramatically.
.
.
.
"Hey hey hey, can a Level 1 even move like that?!"
"That kind of explosive power—there's no way a human could pull that off!"
"Isn't this Goddess Kali cheating—using divine power in secret?"
Unable to contain themselves, the audience cried out.
None of them could believe the speed and movement Kali displayed, or that such feats could be accomplished under Level 1 physical restrictions.
"That's not necessarily something impossible for a Level 1," only Takemikazuchi calmly responded amidst the shocked crowd. "The human body is a curious thing. Most people only ever use about a tenth—or even one percent—of their actual potential. It's a protective mechanism designed to prevent the body from harming itself."
"So you're saying, Lord Takemikazuchi, that Kali broke through her physical limits and is using strength beyond the ordinary?" Yamato Mikoto replied instinctively beside him.
"Exactly," Takemikazuchi nodded. "As a god of war, I can also do such things—it's not something unthinkable. However, while Kali and I are battle-oriented gods, and this kind of thing is natural for us, if Emiya Shirou can't similarly transcend his limits, then he will stand no chance against her."
Takemikazuchi's words brought grim expressions to everyone present.
Even Ottar, who had originally shown no interest in the battle, now turned his eyes toward the duel, his attention caught by Kali's extraordinary combat technique.
.
.
.
"!!!"
Never would he have imagined that someone could perform such exaggerated feats with only Level 1 physical stats—Shirou now truly understood the level of hand-to-hand combat mastery held by the Goddess of War, Kali.
If she closed the distance, he would stand absolutely no chance.
"As I feared, reinforcement magic can't be used…"
The arena not only restricted magic in general, but completely eliminated the existence of magical energy in the space—preventing the activation of all magecraft or spells. Any attempt to convert mana into matter would be forcefully nullified.
Thus, even magecraft was unusable.
Shirou was forced to rely solely on his raw, human body to go against Kali!
However, the arena's rules weren't without loopholes.
Though no magical energy existed inside the arena, Shirou—as someone who had transmigrated into this world—was different from ordinary mages who needed to draw mana from external sources.
His magical energy was generated internally, through the activation of his own magic circuits. These circuits produced mana directly from within his body.
While the arena prevented reinforcement magic or projection magic from being executed, if it was simply a matter of activating his magic circuits to push his body's potential further—that was still possible.
"Magic Circuits—ON!"
In an instant, Shirou activated the twenty-seven magic circuits within his right arm.
With the boost from his circuits, his physical capabilities didn't just double—they increased dramatically.
The distance that Kali had just managed to close was suddenly preserved. He could now maintain relative motion and potentially reach the weapon-spawning endpoint before Kali could catch him.
This scene unsurprisingly caused the crowd to erupt in astonishment.
Kali, too, was surprised by Shirou's response.
"Ohhhh! Not bad! You too can push beyond the limits of the human body, Emiya Shirou!" Kali misunderstood the nature of Shirou's action, thinking that he, like her, had simply broken past his body's physical boundaries.
"That's more like it—this is more like it! Let this battle become even fiercer, until it fully satisfies me!"
With those words, Kali accelerated even more dramatically.
Now fully using all four limbs, she resembled a leopard hunting across the plains, launching herself toward Shirou with feral speed.
Even though Shirou had activated his twenty-seven magic circuits and surpassed the human limit, the distance between them continued to shrink, bit by bit.
Fortunately, Shirou had started with enough of a lead to avoid being caught immediately!
"Just a little farther—if I can just make it there!"
At that moment, Shirou ignored the god of War racing behind him. His eyes were locked solely on the arena's endpoint.
As if in response to his determination, a divine glow radiated from the end of the arena—and a sharp sword appeared.
Although it didn't seem to be an especially powerful weapon, in an arena where levels and magic were restricted—where combat relied solely on physical prowess—even a kitchen knife could be the key to victory!
Since Shirou was closer to the endpoint than Kali, he wasted no time rushing forward and seizing the sword.
"Did I make it?"
Though he was the first to obtain a weapon, Shirou didn't let himself relax.
Because everything felt too easy—it instead filled him with a strong sense of unease.
And as if confirming his worries, reality answered.
Far off in the distance, even after seeing Shirou acquire the weapon, Kali showed no hint of panic. She continued to charge at him with the same relentless speed.
"If you come any closer…"
Knowing this was an unprecedented duel, and that he could afford not a shred of hesitation, Shirou understood one thing clearly—any indecision would lead to defeat.
So without a moment's pause, he swung his sword with all his might, using his most practiced technique to slash toward Kali!
Clang!
And then, an unbelievable scene occurred—stunning not only Shirou, but everyone watching.
Kali, in the face of Shirou's swing, performed a swift somersault along the ground—and from a near-impossible angle, launched a spinning kick.
Smack!
With just that one move, Kali broke Shirou's sword clean in half.
Under the overwhelming force of the Goddess of War, the sword's blade was completely shattered in two!