001 - What Makes it Hard to Go Home ?

Artoria dashed forward, maintaining her stance with her sword aimed at Kojiro, planning to execute a few slashes and observe his reaction.

Judging by his stance and how he held his katana, she knew she couldn't afford to underestimate him. However, she needed to assess his strength through the initial clash, which would reveal what kind of opponent he truly was.

"Eh?" Artoria let out a surprised yelp, realizing she had overlooked one crucial detail—her body was no longer what it used to be.

Her current form was no longer the one that had merely housed a dragon heart during her lifetime, nor was it her Servant body. She hadn't accounted for just how much stronger she had become. Using too much power for her dash, she moved so fast that she overshot Kojiro entirely, blasting past him and crashing through the trees behind him.

The sound of trees snapping and falling echoed loudly around them, causing everyone to freeze momentarily.

"Huh… that was weird," Rin remarked, watching as Artoria completely vanished from the scene.

"Will she be okay? That noise from her hitting all those trees sounded really painful," Sakura asked with a worried expression.

"Hahaha!" Illya, however, was laughing hysterically at Artoria's blunder, clearly amused. She felt a tinge of satisfaction seeing Artoria like that, especially after the woman had stolen her food during breakfast earlier that morning.

"Should we help her?" Ayane asked her Servant.

"No," Fujino replied curtly, showing no intention of intervening.

A few moments later, Artoria returned, her body covered in branches and leaves from the trees she had smashed through. Her face was slightly flushed from embarrassment, a stark contrast to her earlier confidence.

"I'm sorry about that," she said, coughing lightly as though trying to dispel her awkwardness.

"That's fine. Are you still not used to your body? What happened earlier?" Kojiro asked, tilting his head.

"Something like that… I'm still adjusting to my new strength, so I can't fully control it yet," Artoria admitted, her tone more subdued.

Hearing this, Kojiro sighed deeply. He had been eager to face someone formidable, a legendary figure from the legend of Artoria or Arthur, but instead, he was faced with someone struggling to manage their own power.

"Well, what now? Are you still going to fight me, or are you planning to swap with one of your companions?" he asked, resting his katana on his shoulder.

"I will be the one to fight you. This is my master's order," Artoria replied, but this time her demeanor shifted.

"This is my first task in this body, and I will ensure I fulfill his wish," she declared, her voice steady as her golden, dragon-like slit eyes began to glow once more.

She pulled Excalibur from her waist, and this time the sword responded to her power, its once radiant white blade shifting to a deep, fiery red hue.

Taking a deep breath, Artoria steadied herself, working to adjusting her immense power. Her mana surged, amplifying her strength and radiating outwards.

Kojiro watched her transformation with a smile, recognizing her renewed resolve. He adopted his stance once again, prepared to meet her head-on.

Gripping Excalibur firmly in both hands, Artoria fixed her gaze on Kojiro, her expression now one of unwavering seriousness.

In a single, blindingly fast movement, she closed the distance between them, arriving directly in front of him.

She swung Excalibur in a vertical slash, but Kojiro, already anticipating her movements, sidestepped her attack with remarkable precision.

From seeing Artoria's movements earlier, Kojiro knew he couldn't follow her speed. All he could do was predict and react to her attacks, just as he had done with the Swallows.

He countered immediately, swinging his katana in a precise arc. However, Artoria deflected his blade with her own, their weapons clashing loudly.

Clang! Clang! The sound of steel colliding echoed repeatedly as the two continued their exchange, their weapons creating sparks with each strike.

Their clash lasted for quite some time, and as they exchanged blows, gusts of wind swirled around them, while multiple slash marks appeared on the ground beneath their feet.

Kojiro managed to keep up with Artoria thanks to the enchantment provided by Caster and the mana she supplied. Without those enhancements, he would have stood no chance against her in this state.

However, Artoria was also improving with each clash. With every strike exchanged, she began to adjust to her new power. Her movements became sharper, and her attacks grew heavier, making them increasingly difficult for Kojiro to counter or deflect.

Eventually, She ended their clash with a powerful stomp that cracked and shattered the ground beneath them. The sudden shock surprised Kojiro and caused him to momentarily lose his balance.

Seizing the opportunity, Artoria slashed at him with her sword.

"Ugh!!" Kojiro grunted in pain as her blade struck him, forcing him to retreat. He leaped back to the top of the stairs, landing in front of the gate.

Of course, Artoria didn't give Kojiro a chance to catch his breath. She dashed forward at incredible speed, and they clashed once more.

Blood dripped from Kojiro's torso as he focused intently, trying to anticipate and counter each of Artoria's attacks. However, the Artoria he faced now was vastly different from the one he fought a few minutes ago. She already starting to getting used to her dragon power, her movements now faster and more precise, giving her a clear advantage.

Artoria's strikes became relentless, and with one swift counter, she deflected Kojiro's katana, causing him to flinch. She seized the opportunity, delivering a powerful kick straight to his stomach. The force sent Kojiro flying through the gate, shattering it as he crashed through.

Kojiro hurtled through the air at high speed, heading straight toward Rei, who appeared to be in conversation with someone. Without even turning around, Rei effortlessly used his power to shift Kojiro's trajectory, redirecting him to the side.

"What!?" Caster exclaimed instinctively, preparing to shield her Master, Souichirou Kuzuki.

However, her reaction proved unnecessary as Kojiro flew past them as well, slamming into the shrine with a deafening crash.

*Boom!* The loud sound echoed, followed shortly by the sound of Artoria's hurried footsteps as she approached.

Upon spotting Caster and the man beside her, Artoria immediately assumed a battle-ready stance, pointing her sword toward them.

"Caster!" Artoria halted beside Rei, her sword still aimed at the pair.

"It's fine, Artoria. They're not our enemies," Rei said calmly, placing his right hand on her sword and gently lowering it.

"Right, Medea? If you accept my proposal, then we're not enemies," he added, directing his gaze at Caster.

Medea's expression hardened as she resumed her internal deliberations. Trusting someone, especially a man with such a handsome face, didn't come easily to her. Her life had been a series of betrayals, and deciding whether this man could be trusted weighed heavily on her mind.

As Medea thought about it, her master stayed silent, simply watching Rei. He didn't know who Rei was, but Caster had told him to ignore the man and let her handle it.

Kuzuki couldn't sense anything unusual from Rei. He didn't seem dangerous—just a man with white hair and sky-blue eyes.

"Fine, I accept your deal," Caster finally said, agreeing to Rei's proposal.

She suddenly pulled out a peculiar dagger that was thin, brittle, and blunt. Its strange shape made it clear that it wasn't meant to be a weapon for killing.

Rei's mood immediately lifted when he saw the dagger. Without hesitation, he began replicating its structure and origin using his Creation power.

The dagger's true purpose wasn't for combat. It was a key for rituals, and more than that—it was Rule Breaker, a dagger capable of nullifying all magecraft effects, whether they were enchantments, bonds, or even life created through magical energy.

"That's enough. You can put it back," Rei said, raising his right hand to signal her to stop.

"Hey, Artoria, what happened with the samurai? Did you win?" Rin's voice called out from behind Rei and Saber.

The others had finally arrived, walking through the ruined gate.

Artoria glanced at them and explained, "Kojiro is under the wrecked shrine. I'm busy with Caster right now."

"Caster? So now we just need to find Assassin, and then we'll have met all of them," Rin said.

"Creation: Rule Breaker," Rei said calmly, as the usual bright blue light appeared above his palm.

The light shifted and reshaped itself into the exact replica of the dagger Medea held. He grabbed it as soon as it fully materialized, inspecting it closely.

"Hm, not bad. This dagger seems fun to mess around with," Rei remarked, casually moving his hand up and down, testing the dagger as if it were a new toy.

Caster's eyes widened in shock as she stared at him holding the dagger.

The aura it emanated was exactly the same as her own Rule Breaker.

"How did you manage to do that!?" Caster screamed in disbelief.

"Huh?" Rei responded, looking at her with confusion.

"This is just my ability as an Astral. Don't think too much about it. Let me fulfill my part of the deal," Rei said as the dagger disappeared from his hand.

As he began walking forward, Kuzuki immediately assumed a fighting stance, positioning himself as if to shield Caster.

Seeing this, Rei stopped in his tracks and sighed. "Don't be so guarded. I'm not going to harm your girlfriend. I just need to touch her body so I can do this without making any errors," he said, shaking his head.

"Master, don't get involved. This person is far more dangerous than anyone else in this world," Caster warned, stepping in front of Kuzuki to protect him.

"Well, you two lovebirds can have your moment later," Rei said, placing his hand lightly on Caster's shoulder.

Just like when he had touched Artoria, Caster's entire body was immediately enveloped in a soft blue light. Rei began altering her entire body structure, carefully and meticulously.

He removed her Saint Graph, reshaping her essence. Her pointed ears morphed into human ears, and her body transitioned fully into that of a human. However, Rei left her magic circuits intact, ensuring that she would still be able to protect both herself and her beloved Kuzuki.