[FGO]: 62 (Patreon)

Swish!

The long katana drew a perfect, crescent-like trajectory, and another burst of blood splattered from Amakusa Shirou's body. He stepped back a few paces, positioning his sword in front of his chest, panting heavily.

At this moment, Amakusa Shirou had long lost his previous elegance and grace. In less than three minutes, his body was covered with numerous cuts and wounds. A deep gash on his face continuously bled, making his once handsome face appear ghastly. The wounds on his side, thigh, and shoulder were deep enough to expose bone, but the most severe injury was on his chest. A long, narrow bloodstain ran from his left shoulder down to his right abdomen. If the cut had been any deeper, it would have nearly split him in two.

"Why are you stopping me? I was too close! Too close, and all of humanity would have been saved! Even you would not be an exception! Why are you stopping me!"

Amakusa Shirou howled like a beast driven to desperation.

Ryou replied calmly.

"Using the Third Magic to make all of humanity immortal to stop war, what kind of foolish logic is that? Moreover..."

Ryou flicked non-existent dust off his body.

"What do your thoughts and wishes have to do with me? What does it matter to me what happens to this world? My time is precious; I don't have time to play your games."

Hearing Ryou's blunt and cold words, the crowd's expressions varied. Astolfo scratched his cheek with a bright smile.

"No matter what, that was way too harsh."

Kaar frowned deeply. As the MC possesses the trait of a Hero of Justice, his views naturally clash with Ryou's. In the distance, Atalanta's eyes showed a hint of surprise, seemingly not expecting her new boss to be so candid. However, her bow remained steadily aimed at the Empress's vital spot.

Among those reacting to Ryou's words, the strangest were the Empress and Jeanne. The Empress looked at him as if she were seeing him for the first time, her eyes filled with curiosity as she sized him up. Meanwhile, Jeanne, inherently kind-hearted, wore a conflicted expression, as if her inner world was in turmoil.

"Indeed... only someone as selfish as you could be the greatest obstacle to humanity's happiness! Even if I shatter to pieces and my soul dissipates, I will kill you here!"

"Hmph!"

Ryou was annoyed at his statement, finding it bothersome to even argue with someone who liked to impose their ideas on others.

"Nguyen Ryou! This time, I'll send you into the abyss! Twin Arm: Big Crunch!"

Amakusa Shirou's left and right arms simultaneously lit up with red and blue magical auras. Intricate and mysterious magical runes, one after another, extended from his wrists to his elbows and up to his shoulders. The previously faint and peaceful magical energy around Amakusa Shirou suddenly surged as a large bowl of water poured into boiling oil, rapidly boiling and rampaging, converging into his arms.

"Did you think I'd give you time to charge up your big move?"

Ryou instantly gathered magical energy into his eyes.

"Equipment is inadequate. A true hero kills with a stare! Brahmastra!"

His eyes suddenly shone brightly, and a scorching beam shot straight at Amakusa Shirou. This was none other than Karna's signature move, the legendary hero's killing blow with his gaze—Brahmastra!

"No!"

Amakusa Shirou's face twisted in fury. He was just a bit short of unleashing the full power of his Noble Phantasm. But with Ryou's attack imminent, he had no choice but to forcefully release his not fully charged Noble Phantasm.

With a sweep of his hands, a dark red and a bright blue light orb flew out. The red and blue orbs collided in mid-air, eventually merging into one and turning black. The black orb rapidly expanded tenfold, and then a terrifying gravitational force emanated from it. A small black hole formed from dark matter emerged, sucking in everything around it with an irresistible force, devouring everything around it like a bottomless pit despite being only two meters in diameter.

At this moment, the destructive golden beam shot into the black hole. The originally stable black orb began to oscillate violently, its pitch-black surface faintly showing a golden halo, and its previously calm surface now rippled violently, looking as if it might shatter at any moment.

"More!"

Amakusa Shirou roared, raising his hands and channeling magical energy without hesitation into the black orb at the center.

"You think you're the only one who can do that?"

Ryou increased his magical output. The originally finger-thin golden beam instantly thickened to the size of a baby's arm.

Both sides ramped up their magic, causing the central black hole to suddenly expand in size, its pull increasing correspondingly. Centered on the black hole, a small storm formed, sucking in large amounts of debris, stones, and foliage.

Amakusa Shirou and Ryoug engaged in a fierce tug-of-war with the black hole as their battleground. The massive flow of magic began to cause destructive damage to their bodies.

Amakusa Shirou's brow furrowed with veins bulging, and his bronze-colored arms burst with blood.

"I will never lose!"

Amakusa Shirou screamed. Despite his arm veins bursting, he did not stop the flow of magic; instead, spurred by the pain, he increased it.

In this pure contest of magical power, Ryou was not having an easy time either. The magic coursing through his eyes made them feel like they were about to explode, and a trickle of blood tears flowed from the corner of his eye. Hearing Amakusa Shirou's shout, Ryou did not respond, but the magic in his eyes intensified.

Pop!

A soft sound echoed, and the central black hole seemed to have reached its limit. It abruptly contracted inward before exploding outward. From above, the flames containing the Sun's fire bloomed like a flower, followed by a gold-red mushroom cloud rising into the sky. A scorching storm swept across the area, forcing everyone to shield their faces with their arms to avoid burns.

The two closest to the center were directly scorched by the flames. The high temperature completely incinerated Amakusa Shirou's samurai attire, revealing the taut, bronze-colored muscles underneath. His entire body blistered from the heat, and his hair, eyebrows, and other body hair ignited.

The burning pain seemed to trigger distant memories for Amakusa Shirou, and he showed a moment of realization. However, the battle was not over, and this brief lapse pushed him into the abyss of defeat.

A silhouette suddenly dashed out from the flames, appearing right in front of Amakusa Shirou.

The blade flashed like lightning!

Blood spurted!

If asked what Ryou's greatest gain after Transmigration was, he would confidently answer that it was neither the transcendent power nor the joy of summoning beloved characters from mobile games.

In the initial few days of his crossing, struggling as a slave on the brink of life and death, he fought his way out of a hellish colosseum. The otaku Nguyen Ryou died completely, and what survived was a qualified warrior.

A warrior who could be ruthless to others and himself!

Up to now, he was immensely grateful that the first person he summoned was Scáthach, the iron-blooded master.

It was she who taught Ryou the fundamental principles needed to survive and grow stronger in a world where power reigns supreme.

Crossing the hottest zone, even with the dual recovery effects of his Noble Phantasm and Mystic Code, was just enough to keep Ryou alive.

What appeared before Amakusa Shirou was not a human but a charred figure, with some parts showing burnt bones and organs—a moving, charred corpse, a demon from hell. The resolute saint from the Far East felt a twinge of fear for the first time.

"What... what are you?"

Shirou shouted, his tone slightly off, while fear took root in his heart like a virus.

Ryou did not speak, and in fact, he could not. The several-thousand-degree heat had burned his vocal cords. His cold eyes focused solely on his target.

With a swift slash, Amakusa Shirou, who had lost his momentum, had his right arm severed by him.

Clutching the gushing wound with his left hand, Amakusa Shirou staggered back.

Ryou, like a relentless demon, followed closely. His large sword, heated by the Sun's fire, gleamed brightly, as if freshly forged.

The long blade thrust forward, its gleam like a dragon's! The scorching blade pierced through Amakusa Shirou's body, pinning him to the ground.

A burnt smell wafted, the scent of his seared flesh, symbolizing his defeat.

Amakusa Shirou's face no longer bore its previous calm and composed expression. Anger, resentment, doubt, and unwillingness all mixed on his face.

"You lost. It seems that the so-called burden of saving all humanity is nothing more than this," Ryou spoke slowly, his vocal cords just starting to heal, making his voice hoarse and unpleasant, like an old tape that had been scratched.

"How could I lose to someone like you? I won't accept it!"

Amakusa Shirou screamed, his face twisted.

Ryou didn't even bother replying; to him, this was the true wail of a defeated dog. He ignored Amakusa Shirou and looked around.

When he raised his head, everyone who saw his face couldn't help but gasp. At this moment, his face had not fully recovered, with new flesh mixed with charred skin, making his appearance particularly creepy.

"Ahhh!"

Even Astolfo screamed in fright.

In stark contrast, Jeanne d'Arc immediately ran over to Ryou, her tone mixed with worry and reproach.

"You! You don't take care of yourself!"

As she spoke, she took out the Holy Shroud to bandage his wounds.

Ryou waved his hand to stop Jeanne's actions. His injuries appeared severe, but he had passed the most dangerous stage and would fully recover soon without leaving any scars. However, Jeanne's silent concern warmed his heart and strengthened his resolve to take her with him, even if by force.

But the matter was not yet over. Ryou turned his gaze to the Empress, who was looking at him with a strange expression.

"Semiramis, you should still remember the message from Ishtar, right? It's still valid. But... you need to give me something," Ryou said indifferently to Semiramis.

The Empress's body trembled, and after a moment, she spoke in a slightly hoarse voice.

"What thing..."

"A token of allegiance."

Ryou smiled slightly and threw Amakusa Shirou's sword in front of her. The sword, now embedded in the ground before Semiramis, reflected a cold gleam in the firelight. However, the chill in Semiramis's heart was even greater. She did not doubt that if she refused, the huntress in the distance would turn her into a pincushion with arrows.

A look of determination appeared in the Empress's eyes. She took a deep breath, slowly drew the sword, and walked over to Amakusa Shirou, looking down at the defeated saint of the Far East.

"Come on! Kill me! Adorn your Holy Grail with my blood!"

Amakusa Shirou shouted, like a warrior unafraid of tyranny and bravely facing death. Due to Ryou's earlier scheme, he had already developed a suspicion towards Semiramis, and what he saw now seemed to confirm his doubts. The saint of the Far East, who believed himself betrayed and deceived, had flames in his eyes almost turning into reality.

However, Semiramis did not look at him but turned her gaze to Ryou. At this moment, with his powerful recovery ability, all of Ryou's burns had completely healed, leaving not a single scar. Noticing Semiramis's gaze, Ryou wore a warm smile and made a 'please' gesture, as if inviting a lady rather than forcing someone to kill. Polite and courteous, yet it chilled Semiramis to the bone.

The Empress struggled internally, her ambition clashing fiercely with a sense of resignation. After hesitating for a moment, Semiramis suddenly threw the sword far away.

"Ah~ I suddenly don't feel like doing this anymore," she said casually and then looked at Ryou with a face that said, "Let's see what you do to me."

The Empress's arrogance and coldness vanished instantly, leaving her looking like a resigned, lifeless fish. Women, even empresses, are emotional beings. Semiramis's life had always been filled with intrigue and scheming, to the point of bearing the infamy of poisoning her husband.

But her heart was scarred, and her soul was exhausted.

This was why the Empress exuded an air of utter despondency.

Faced with Ryou's coercion, she suddenly felt that nothing mattered anymore.

To her surprise, Ryou laughed.

"Congratulations, you've passed my test."

Without hesitation, he swung his sword, sending the saint of the Far East back to the Throne of Heroes.

The Empress was instantly filled with disbelief.

Driven by curiosity, she instinctively asked, "What if I had killed him?"

"It wouldn't have mattered much, except that you would never have earned my trust," Ryou replied casually.

"After all, if you can kill your Master today, you could naturally do the same to me in the future."

The Empress immediately wondered if she had made the wrong decision. The complexities of reality made her yearn to return to the Throne of Heroes.

"Alright, it's time to deal with the last enemy," Ryou said in a relaxed tone.