Chapter 17: This is: Nine Lives Blade Works!
In ancient Greek mythology, there was a great hero named Heracles (Hercules). He was the son of the chief god Zeus and Alcmene, who punished evil, promoted good, and dared to fight. He completed 12 tasks deemed 'impossible to complete,' leaving behind the legend known as the Twelve Labors.
When he destroyed the immortal multi-headed serpent Hydra, he used a bow-shaped Noble Phantasm to shoot down all its heads simultaneously, extinguishing its immortality.
This was the Noble Phantasm that Heracles trusted the most among those he possessed.
However, rather than being a single weapon, it was more accurately a fighting style or school of combat.
This Noble Phantasm of the hero Heracles is versatile, capable of changing shape according to the target. He can unleash this technique with the full power of a Noble Phantasm, regardless of the weapon he uses.
Even the crude, formless axe-sword in Emiya's hand is no exception.
Its name is—
"Nine Lives Blade Works: Shooting the Hundred Head!"
Emiya lifted the axe-sword, whose weight was unknown, high into the air with one hand. The Noble Phantasm's target was locked onto the Cursed Spirit just a few meters in front of him.
Finally, the Cursed Spirit could no longer bear the immense pressure.
It completely abandoned human speech, letting out a monstrous shriek as it charged toward Emiya. It seemed to believe that if it eliminated the source of the danger, it would no longer feel such anguish.
But didn't it ever consider why that sense of danger was coming from the person right in front of it?
"Hooo—"
Opening his mouth with all his might, as if trying to draw all the air into him.
Emiya Shirou suddenly moved.
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM—!
Rather than a final battle, this was a one-sided annihilation.
This is the Projection Magecraft common to both EMIYA (Archer) and Emiya Shirou.
It can not only analyze and forge a Noble Phantasm's material and structure from scratch, but it can also grasp the martial arts and techniques infused by that Heroic Spirit, even replicating their power.
Almost everyone in the Jujutsu world assumes that physical attacks cannot affect Cursed Spirits. But perhaps... the fundamental reason they fail is simply that the force isn't great enough?
In mythology, Heracles is known as the embodiment of divine strength.
Upper arm, collarbone, windpipe, skull, sternum, ribs, hip, and thigh—terrifying strength, combined with ultimate speed and skill, consecutively cleaved through these parts of the Cursed Spirit's body.
And the final strike, aimed directly at the chest!
The Cursed Spirit's body might be able to regenerate endlessly with enough Cursed Energy support. But what if all its vital points are attacked at the exact same time?
This is the essence of the Noble Phantasm "Nine Lives Blade Works": a nine-hit combination delivered at such high speed that all the attacks overlap.
The Cursed Spirit's body and limbs instantly disintegrated, and with the final blow, the Cursed Object that provided it with Cursed Energy was blasted out of its chest. No matter how strong or unique the Cursed Spirit's structure was, it was absolutely impossible for it to survive in that state.
Thud—
Gazing at the Cursed Spirit's dismembered body lying lifelessly on the ground, Emiya rested the axe-sword against his side, using it momentarily to support his own body.
In truth, he didn't sustain any damage in the recent fight.
All the pressure came from wielding Heracles's axe-sword.
After all, he couldn't draw any magical energy from the outside world right now, and his physical condition had barely recovered since before. The only reason he could project the Noble Phantasm was by using the Magic Circuits to squeeze out his life force.
After catching his breath for a moment, Emiya, whose mobility was restored, dismissed the axe-sword and turned back to Miwa.
He then realized she had already fallen unconscious sometime earlier. Judging by the injuries, her condition was certainly many times more severe than his.
After sending an update to Ijichi about the current situation, Emiya left the Cursed Object where it had fallen.
Cursed Energy, Cursed Spirits, and Cursed Objects were all outside his area of expertise. Rushing to touch it might cause more trouble, so it was better to wait for the professionals.
.
.
.
Jujutsu High's support arrived sooner than Emiya expected.
About ten minutes later, Ijichi arrived with Kento Nanami. The office worker, who was visibly unhappy about being woken up to deal with a Cursed Spirit, was frowning.
Although a Grade 3 Sorcerer would typically never survive fifteen minutes against a Grade 1 Cursed Spirit, time must be calculated relatively. They had truly arrived quickly.
Emiya and Nanami got into Ijichi's car, while Miwa, who couldn't be woken up from her unconscious state, was secured in the trunk in a special manner.
Nanami's words were that at most, she had only broken ribs and internal bleeding, which wasn't immediately life-threatening.
As a Sorcerer, she had clearly misjudged the danger of the situation, and failing to retreat in time to re-classify the mission grade was a mistake. So, enduring some suffering now to learn a lesson was better than losing her life later.
A few Assistant Supervisors remained on-site at the academy to handle the remaining clean-up and follow-up, while the others drove directly into the barrier surrounding Jujutsu High.
After sending Miwa into what was reportedly the medical wing, Nanami pulled Emiya aside into a private room.
"When I heard that the mission, originally for a Grade 3 Cursed Spirit, turned out to involve a Grade 1, I was worried about your safety. Yet, you're the one who is relatively unscathed."
"So... did you eliminate that Grade 1 Cursed Spirit yourself?"
Facing Nanami's question, Emiya nodded. There was no point in hiding this; it was already obvious.
"I see. It's a good thing that your potential is stronger than expected. But this will make things... complicated." Nanami's tone was full of resignation regarding the current situation.
"If you were just a Grade 4 Sorcerer who luckily awakened an Innate Technique, they might not pay too much attention. But a Sorcerer who can independently eliminate a Grade 1 Cursed Spirit immediately after awakening is different.
Even if you want a quiet life, the old folk in the Jujutsu world won't leave you alone. In necessary circumstances, they aren't above using underhanded methods against you."
The few prominent families that once served as the sole pillars of the Jujutsu world claim to uphold lineage and honor, but beneath that, there is boundless filth.
Emiya somewhat understood the situation but still asked the question:
"Shouldn't a Sorcerer's primary mission be to eliminate Cursed Spirits and ensure the safety of non-Sorcerers?"
Nanami fell silent upon hearing the question. He sighed heavily and stated to Emiya: "Regarding most things, I neither praise nor condemn.
My principle is to face the facts and hold myself to a high standard... but I, too, once had a time when I mistakenly believed that society operated the same way.
The Jujutsu world is similar. Being unable to follow your own path is the norm here. Even if you don't want to do something, people will force you to..."
Nanami's words should have ended there, but he suddenly remembered one particular person.
"Unless you possess the power of 'The Strongest,' a power that allows you to disregard all rules."