In fact, the activation of the Noble Phantasm had taken less than two seconds.
As soon as Emiya Shirou poured his magical energy into it, the Dragon Severing Platform had already slid free from its scabbard.
He could feel clear joy radiating from the blade, as if it had just met not a stunning beauty—but a perfect partner.
Then Emiya paused in surprise.
The sword he'd drawn was only half a blade.
Though it functioned perfectly as a conceptual weapon and could still activate as a Noble Phantasm, the incomplete length clearly limited its full potential.
So that's how it is... This sword believes I have the ability to restore it to completion?
As the bronze ring-handled sword's chain coiled itself around his arm, Emiya quickly grasped the weapon's intent.
"Alright, I accept. But first—let's finish this fight."
Even with only half its blade, the weapon released a terrifying pressure—likely true dragon's might. Every single Dead Apostle on the battlefield staggered backward in fear, their attempts to flee clumsy and laughable.
Then the sword began to glow red-hot, as if a blazing sun were driving away the stormy darkness.
Emiya raised the Dragon Severing Platform high and swung it down. The resulting sword wind stretched for dozens of meters, sweeping through the ruined buildings like a child knocking over toy blocks.
The Dead Apostles' retreat was completely cut off.
RUMMMBLE—!
Rain surged violently upward, forming towering water columns.
Within this vast domain, the reversed water pillars spun and merged, gaining spiritual form. They became dragon-shaped torrents—one, two, three, four…
From within the Dragon Severing Platform, more knowledge poured into Emiya's mind.
In a flash, he envisioned an ancient myth—of the monstrous dragon Nine Infants, which could spit fire and water, wailing with the voice of an infant. One cry would freeze rivers solid; another would ignite them into flame.
So this was the terrible beast slain by Yu the Great—and this was the power sealed within the sword.
The release of the Noble Phantasm had brought this myth to life.
...Seven... eight... nine dragons!
Emiya leapt high into the air as the water dragons spiraled and danced around him in a torrential storm of myth and majesty.
Every Dead Apostle cowered before this apocalyptic sight. They instinctively felt their doom approaching.
Dozens of them clustered protectively around the shattered transport vehicle, as if it were their last bastion of safety.
The top of the cargo unit had already been torn open, revealing the largest of the Dead Apostles within. No longer serpentine, this creature had membranous wings, dense joints, tougher scales, fiercer claws, and a much larger frame—twice the height of its kin.
Clearly, the lesser Dead Apostles were counting on their "boss" to rise and fight against fate.
Heh—
From within the howling Nine Dragons came a mocking sneer.
Emiya raised the blade high and brought it crashing down. The dragons, backed by atmospheric force and overwhelming dragon's might, fell like a divine judgment from heaven.
The towering Dead Apostle flapped its wings in futile defiance, but after a single second of resistance, it dropped to its knees.
Then the massive torrents descended with a thunderous roar.
In an instant, the surging water froze into glacial ice—and simultaneously ignited into flames. A chorus of sharp, infant-like wails echoed across the field. It was unclear if these were cries of surrender... or the death throes of monsters with no soul left to beg.
The rain continued to fall gently.
And the burning river of ice snaked across the night, like a twisting dragon in the cold wind.
——
Cold. Trembling.
"Yo, you're awake?"
Through the haze of consciousness, Zhou Yuxuan heard a familiar voice and sat up abruptly, pulling off the covers. He saw Old Tang nonchalantly chewing bubble gum and playing Starcraft with ridiculous enthusiasm.
The room around him was unmistakably his family's old Tang Dynasty-style home in Xiangyang. Though, the glowing screen and intense gaming sounds beside him were a bit out of place.
"Ronald Tang, what happened with the Dead Apostles?! Did you contact the family? And what about Emiya-dono—ghh!"
His sudden movement pulled on his wounds. Pain lanced through him, but along with it came the fuzzy memory of Emiya drawing the Dragon Severing Platform and releasing the Grand True Word Art. After that, everything had gone black.
"Brother Zhou, you should really lie back down. Your clan already sent a task force to handle the aftermath. As for the ruins mission, I think someone else from the Zhou family is taking over. And come on—we've been through life and death together. Just call me Old Tang."
Old Tang waved casually, but Zhou Yuxuan remained tense.
This was a mission assigned directly by Wa-zhu—and it had turned into a disaster.
Not only had a key guest almost died, but the ancestral weapon Dragon Severing Platform had been activated without formal permission…
The consequences were sure to be harsh.
Suddenly, a cheerful, melodious voice rang out from the hallway:
"Zhou Yuxuan, we came to see you~!"
Zhou's eyes went wide.
It was Wa-zhu—the matriarch of the Zhou family—entering the room with Emiya Shirou at her side.
She looked gentle, even smiling, showing no hint of the severity or anger he had expected. It was as if she didn't care at all about the major failure in the mission...
Wait—why was she being carried on Emiya's back!?
"Wa-zhu, you… you're here? I mean, shouldn't you be using a sedan chair when traveling? What would the elders think—"
Zhou was so flustered that his words tumbled over each other.
"A sedan chair? Oh, you mean those old-fashioned things with eight guys carrying it? That's just for show, for those crusty old fossils in the clan. They're not even here. If I had to ride in that thing everywhere, I'd go crazy. Why can't they just get me a sports car or something? Seriously, what century are we living in?"
As head of the Zhou family, Wa-zhu naturally had to maintain appearances. But the feudal-minded elders insisted she use a traditional palanquin to uphold their image. What a pain.
"I—uh…"
"Okay, okay, don't overthink it. I already covered for your 'mission failure.' Don't go whining to the elders like some ungrateful brat."
She rolled her eyes dramatically.
Her current attitude was miles from the cold, commanding figure who had assigned them the mission. Right now, she was more like a playful, elegant porcelain doll—just… don't look below the waist.
Wa-zhu rested her chin on Emiya's shoulder, hands clasped in front of her.
Her serpentine lower half was coiled snugly around his waist, her tail swaying mischievously—making Emiya's expression visibly darken.
That slippery feeling reminded him far too vividly of his recent close encounters with serpent-like Dead Apostles. He tried not to shudder.
Still, it was strange.
They had only chatted online before. So why was Wa-zhu suddenly so fond of him?
Was it because he'd activated the Dragon Severing Platform to save Zhou Yuxuan?
Or maybe it was how well they had hit it off in those chats about cultivation theory?
(End of Chapter)
[Check Out My P@treon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!][www.p@treon.com/euridome]
[Thank You For Your Support!]