Chapter 73

With his right hand tightly gripping the hilt of the Z-Light Saber inside the sleeve of his ceremonial robe, Yan Ye looked at the magician he hated with a determined and resolute expression. This man possessed everything he desired but discarded it all, completely disregarding the sorrow and pain of his wife and daughter. If it were anyone else, Yan Ye might have only sighed or comforted the suffering, but the object of his actions was Kyou, whom he had secretly loved for a long time but gave up on to avoid sending her to the worm chamber to suffer. Thinking of this, Yan Ye almost couldn't contain his anger and was about to rush forward, raising his sword to strike the elegantly poised figure of Tohsaka Tokiomi.

"Abandoning the path of magic but still being obsessed with the Holy Grail. Yan Ye, your behavior is a disgrace to the already vanished Matou family."

"Tokio Tohsaka, I have only one question: Why did you entrust Sakura to Zouken?" Ignoring Tohsaka's provocation, Yan Ye asked through gritted teeth.

"What?" Tohsaka frowned at the unexpected question. "Is that something you should be concerned about now?"

"Answer me, Tokiomi!"

Tohsaka sighed and said to the agitated Yan Ye, "You should know. I only wish for my daughter to have a happy future."

"What?" Yan Ye's mind almost froze. Throwing his child into a worm chamber infested with Crest Worms and calling it for her happiness?! Yan Ye had already activated the magical circuits in his ceremonial robe, feeling his body filled with power, his magic flowing rapidly. If the conversation broke down, he could cover the twenty meters between them in a second and cut down this heartless bastard.

"Magicians who obtain twins always face the dilemma of passing on their secret arts to only one. This means one child will inevitably become mediocre. Especially my wife, as an excellent vessel. Both Rin and Sakura were born with equal rare talents. Both daughters need the protection of a prestigious magical lineage. To secure a future for one, the potential of the other must be sacrificed. No father would wish for such a tragedy. To preserve the talents of both sisters, one must be sent away as an adopted daughter. Therefore, the request from the old man of the Matou family was a blessing. As a clan that knows the existence of the Holy Grail, the possibility of reaching the Root is higher. If I cannot achieve it, there is Rin, and if Rin cannot, there is Sakura. Someone will inherit the long-held wish of the Tohsaka family."

"Compete? The two sisters against each other?!" Faced with Yan Ye's accusation, Tohsaka did not hesitate: "Even if it leads to such a situation, it is happiness for the descendants of my clan. Victory brings glory to oneself, and even in defeat, glory will be attributed to the ancestors. Such a carefree confrontation is what we dream of."

"It seems there's nothing more to say between us, you madman." Yan Ye, gritting his teeth, faced Tohsaka, his body poised to charge.

"Talking to you is a waste. You, who once strayed from the path of magic, do not understand its nobility. Magicians are born with power and will one day gain even greater power. This responsibility is in their blood. By refusing to inherit the family business, you handed the Matou magic to Sakura. For this, I thank you, but I will not forgive you. Evading the responsibility of your bloodline is a despicable act that cannot be forgiven. Matou Yan Ye, a disgrace to magic. Since we've met again, I will destroy you."

A fiery red magic array, bearing the crest of the Tohsaka family, formed a blazing wall in front of Tohsaka, a defensive spell that could block bullets and blades and burn them to ashes. For most magicians, this was a hopeless barrier. Although Tohsaka Tokiomi's basic abilities as a Master were inferior to those of Shinku and Kirei, his extensive experience gave him a high chance of victory, far surpassing Kirei, who lacked real combat experience.

"Don't spout nonsense, you heartless man."

"You are wrong. Being responsible for oneself is the primary condition of being human. If you cannot do this, you are not a person but a dog. Understand, Yan Ye."

"Calling yourself a noble but doing things even beasts wouldn't, you are not even fit to speak of humanity. Tohsaka Tokiomi, today, I will teach you a lesson for Sakura." The hilt of the Z-Light Saber slid into his hand, and Yan Ye, leaving a trail of afterimages, rushed to the front of Tohsaka's defensive spell, his three-meter-long emerald blade slicing through the fiery wall from the lower left to the upper right. The Z-Light Saber, already charged, cut through the blazing defense like a hot knife through butter, slicing through Tohsaka's barrier with ease. Impressed by Yan Ye's strength and the sharpness of his weapon, Tohsaka used magic to enhance his agility and quickly retreated, pushing the defensive wall towards Yan Ye. The high-temperature defense, while ineffective against physical attacks, was an offensive defense that could be pushed towards the opponent. Despite the protection of his ceremonial robe, Yan Ye was not foolish enough to charge through Tohsaka's barrier.

Magical energy flowed through the circuits in his legs, and with the enhancement of magic, Yan Ye leaped over five meters, jumping over the magical barrier from the air. At the same time, he drew the burst gun from his waist, inserted the Z-Light Saber into the energy port, and fired silver bullets infused with compressed magic at Tohsaka. As the first defensive spell failed, Tohsaka began constructing a second, using a precious red gemstone to absorb and channel magic. A thicker, more vividly red barrier sprang from the ground, intercepting Yan Ye's bullets. Silver bullets, effective against spirits but insufficient against magical defenses, could not penetrate a Crown-class magician's barrier, even with the Z-Light Saber's energy boost. However, as a distraction, the continuous attacks forced Tohsaka to maintain his defense. The burst gun's silver bullets, while not excelling in penetration, produced powerful explosions upon impact, which were costly for Tohsaka to defend against. Of course, the head of the Tohsaka family was not limited to this. Pulling several red gemstones from his red suit, Tohsaka murmured:

"Grant my enemy a fierce cremation." From the staff adorned with a large red gemstone, three fiery serpents emerged, each over a thousand degrees, and Tohsaka directed them towards Yan Ye. Unfazed by the magical flames, Yan Ye crouched and charged like an arrow towards Tohsaka. The first serpent failed to react, and Yan Ye dodged its head, swiftly slicing it apart with his Z-Light Saber. The second serpent attacked from Yan Ye's left, and he extended his right hand behind him, inserting the Z-Light Saber into the burst gun and firing a series of small magic bullets to hinder the serpent's advance. Charging the gun with magic, Yan Ye turned, aimed, and fired a nearly one-meter-wide energy bullet, which exploded the second serpent into pieces. Now, only one serpent and Tohsaka's defensive barrier stood between Yan Ye and his target. Removing the Z-Light Saber from the burst gun, Yan Ye ran to the right of the serpent, his right shoulder forward, both hands gripping the Z-Light Saber, preparing to use a charged spinning slash to bisect the serpent. Suddenly, a red object, faster than the serpent, shot out. Though small, Yan Ye, familiar with the Tohsaka family's magic, recognized it as a magic-infused red gemstone hidden in the serpent's mouth, propelled by high pressure. Knowing its danger, Yan Ye reflexively manipulated the mercury in his ceremonial robe to form a mercury shield in front of him. As the shield formed, a violent explosion erupted from the gemstone, shattering the hastily formed mercury shield. The fiery serpent, hissing, lunged at Yan Ye.

"Regret your foolish actions, you disgrace of the Matou family." Tohsaka channeled his magic to the maximum, the fiery serpents turning almost white with extreme heat, instantly engulfing Yan Ye. But what happened next left Tohsaka in disbelief.

"What is that?!" Two spinning magic beams formed an impenetrable shield in front of Yan Ye, easily deflecting Tohsaka's serpents and even reflecting them. Just before the flames hit, Yan Ye twisted his body, placing the Z-Light Saber on the magic circuit in his left sleeve. The Z-Light Saber's diamond-shaped devices extended, and the circuits on both sides emitted magic beams, causing the Z-Light Saber to spin rapidly, forming a shield that could block and reflect attacks. As the flames dissipated, Yan Ye stood unharmed, his left hand forcefully throwing the overheated Z-Light Saber into the air. From the inside of his ceremonial robe, he drew a series of connected sticks, activating the magic within to form a two-meter-long staff. The Z-Light Saber, falling from the air, landed at the top of the staff. Magic flowed through the staff, each section supplying energy to the Z-Light Saber, forming a gun-like tip comparable to a charged Z-Light Saber.

"Tohsaka Tokiomi, prepare to pay the price for your arrogance and inhumanity." Yan Ye charged at Tohsaka again, the high-temperature barrier posing no threat. Although Yan Ye had only learned the basics of various weapons—swords for slashing, thrusting, and parrying, and the staff for spinning—the skills were enough to deal with Tohsaka, who was unfamiliar with them. The staff spun rapidly in the air, easily tearing through Tohsaka's defensive barrier. Reaching Tohsaka, Yan Ye swung the staff and struck his abdomen, sending him flying and crashing into the railing of the high-rise villa, spitting blood, likely due to internal injuries from Yan Ye's enraged blow.

"Never thought I would lose to a novice, someone who could defeat me with just magical equipment and a strong physique." Tohsaka, leaning on the railing, slowly stood up. His staff, a formal magical equipment, was broken by Yan Ye's blow, leaving only a gemstone in his hand.

"You should understand now that the nobility of magicians is nothing. Your years of magic practice couldn't even defeat me, a so-called disgrace who relies on equipment. For such a thing, you would abandon your family, your kin, and even your children's future." Putting away the staff and removing the Z-Light Saber, Yan Ye looked down at Tohsaka. "This time, for Kyou, Rin, and Sakura, I won't kill you, but remember, practicing magic is not an excuse to abandon other precious things."

With that, Yan Ye leaped between buildings, quickly leaving the scene. Tohsaka, half-leaning on the railing, watched Yan Ye depart, his grip on the gemstone gradually loosening. He was rescued by Kirei, who arrived to provide support, and taken back to the Tohsaka residence.

Yan Ye returned to the Ama Tofu Shop, relieved to see no one following him. His body immediately collapsed, and he was dragged back into the shop by Akuren, who had been monitoring the situation from the base. Yan Ye's retreat was partly due to his unwillingness to break his promise and partly because of his significant magical energy depletion. Using the Z-Light Saber in various modes and the full enhancement of his ceremonial robe had drained both his magic and physical energy. More importantly, he had to support Berserker's severe consumption. With a bitter smile, Yan Ye activated the communication device given to him by Shinku and contacted her.

"Sorry, Shinku. I'm too drained. I can't control Berserker's actions anymore." Saying this, Yan Ye sat on the ground, minimizing his movements to focus all his energy on controlling Berserker.

PS: I've added some new elements to the world I originally planned. Stay tuned. Also, please recommend, collect, and review the book. The review section is too quiet, full of ads!

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