"Like a cannonball fired from its barrel"—such words might seem wildly exaggerated to describe the force of a single punch, yet when applied to the grey-haired woman's strike, they felt almost inadequate.
A power that seemed to churn and shatter everything within his body forced a torrent of blood from Kingu's lips.
Enkidu's vessel was immensely durable, which made this the first time he had ever been so grievously wounded.
Had it not been for the Holy Grail inside him, and his unique nature as a divine-made clay golem—allowing him to freely reshape his own body so long as he had magical energy—that single blow would have ended his life then and there.
Realizing this, Kingu gritted his teeth in bitter frustration.
'For Mother's sake, I can't afford to die here!'
Every ounce of dignity and composure befitting a new humanity was cast aside in that moment—not out of fear for his own possible death, but out of dread for the consequences his demise might bring.
He drew upon the Holy Grail's energy with near-maniacal intensity.
The injuries that had shattered half his body vanished in an instant, and he shot backward through the air at twice his previous speed, then streaked away into the distance even faster.
"So strong… to force a retreat in just one exchange…" Fujimaru Ritsuka stared in stunned silence at the scene.
As the Last Master of humanity, they had witnessed countless battles between Heroic Spirits, but seeing one powerful Servant repelled so effortlessly—that was something they had seen only once before.
"Master…!" Mashu quietly positioned herself in front of Ritsuka, her shield subtly angled toward Amber's direction.
'…What should I say?' Amber calmly retracted her right hand, her movements fluid as she turned to gaze at Ritsuka and Mashu behind her.
She wracked her brain for what Fu Hua might say in such a situation, but came up empty.
Instead, her eyes drifted toward Merlin, who was currently enjoying the show like a spectator snacking on melon seeds.
A friend had once told her that Merlin possessed remarkably high emotional intelligence—so much so that the entire Round Table held him in high esteem.
She could only hope he'd know how to break the ice in a moment like this.
"My, to think you'd so easily drive back the gods' ultimate weapon. Your prowess is truly unfathomable," Merlin offered a harmless smile.
"We're deeply grateful for your timely assistance. Had you not arrived, a mere magus like me—utterly lacking in strength—would have had no idea how to ensure Ritsuka and Mashu's safe escape."
"A magus like you would surely push such troubles onto others without a second thought, wouldn't you?"
A young girl's voice chimed in. From within the forest, a purple-haired girl draped in a hooded cloak emerged.
Though her words seemed dismissive of Merlin, she knew full well he was capable.
Since he regarded this grey-haired woman with caution, she saw fit to mislead in turn—to give the impression that Merlin truly was as powerless as he claimed.
Another Servant? Was she with the white-haired one?
Though Ritsuka was curious how the magus knew their name, they held their tongue.
"Illusions won't work on me." Prompted by her navigation system, Amber became aware of the illusion Merlin was weaving and spoke up to warn him.
Did they mistake her for some kind of villain? She'd just helped them, after all! And besides—with an honorable face like the Celestial's, how could anyone see her as a threat?
"Ah… that was a contingency I prepared earlier to deal with that 'Enkidu.' It seems I mistakenly included you in its range when you joined the fray. As expected, my magecraft is little more than a parlor trick." Merlin's expression didn't shift in the slightest; he maintained his gentle smile, though he allowed a trace of chagrin to surface.
Recalling her friend's tales of the "Court Sage of Britain," Amber felt a flicker of doubt, but chose to take him at his word.
Her navigation system seemed to hesitate, as if wanting to say more, but in the end remained silent.
"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Merlin, and this is Ana." Though uncertain of Amber's identity, Merlin knew his current party was in no position to challenge her.
Besides, he had more pressing matters at hand. Seeing that Amber showed no intention of fighting and hadn't called him out on his little ploy, he decided honesty was the best policy.
"I am Fu Hua… though others often call me the Phoenix."
"Phoenix?" Ritsuka wondered inwardly. Was there a mythological figure by that name?
Mashu, however, ventured a guess: "If we're speaking of Phoenix… is it a divine bird from Shenzhou? Or perhaps the Vermilion Bird? Or maybe the Fenghuang?"
She made the connection to Shenzhou because Amber's attire was unmistakably in that style.
"Would you be the Phoenix Celestial, then? The one who guarded Shenzhou for millennia, and the grandmaster of Li Sushang in the novel Shenzhou: Saga of the Shattered Swords?"
Merlin's smile seemed to grow more genuine—though, given his incubus blood, only he knew what truly lay behind it.
"Eh…" Though Ritsuka hadn't read the novel, anyone who had "guarded Shenzhou for millennia" sounded like a Heroic Spirit of the Good alignment.
As for fictional characters becoming Heroic Spirits… in the past, that might have surprised them. But to the present-day Ritsuka, it was practically commonplace.
Though they'd never before encountered a fictional Heroic Spirit quite this powerful.
"Ah, I'm Fujimaru Ritsuka, and this is Mashu," Ritsuka quickly added, realizing they hadn't introduced themselves yet. They then gestured to the white creature perched on their shoulder. "And this here is Fou."
No sooner were the words spoken than Fou—who had been poised for action—leaped toward Merlin and delivered a punch that sent the magus tumbling to the ground.
"You vicious beast! I never should have taken in a fiend like you!"
"Fou! Fou!"
"Have you forgotten all my years of care and kindness?"
"Fou!" (Somehow, the tone grew even more intense.)
"Damn you! How many paw-enthusiasts have you charmed with that adorable face? To be popular just because you're cute—how unfair!"
The absurd, evenly-matched scuffle left the two from Chaldea utterly dumbfounded. Was this really the legendary chief magus of Britain? And since when did Fou know him?
Amber was equally stunned, but to maintain the Celestial's dignified composure, she forced her expression to remain neutral—ethereal and serene, even as confusion lingered unmistakably in her eyes.
Ana, who had been quietly keeping her guard up, let out a soft sigh.
"Such bizarre behavior and undignified antics should be reserved for the dead of night, and performed alone."
With Ana's intervention, Fou gracefully ceased its assault and returned to Ritsuka and Mashu's side. Merlin offered an awkward grin as he picked himself up. "I owe you my rescue, Ana."
"This wasn't part of our contract. Rather than thanking me, I'd prefer you reflect on your actions." Ana's tone was flat and unimpressed.
"So strict," Merlin remarked, brushing off dust that wasn't there.
"Speaking of which, Mr. Merlin, you've always been in Avalon, haven't you? It's surprising that you've had the chance to read novels from the outside world..." Mashu mused, curious.
"Ha ha, well, there isn't much entertainment in Avalon beyond dozing off. Observing the outside world from time to time is a hobby of mine," Merlin replied with a light laugh.
Though he said as much, he revealed nothing about how he actually managed it.
In truth, he possessed a clairvoyance of the highest order—one that allowed him to perceive all of the "present." And since Avalon lay within the Inner Sea of the Planet, beyond the world and outside the flow of time, the concept of "now" held little meaning for him. Whether past or future, to Merlin, they were all the same.
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T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.