Chapter 16 : Opening
Using the momentum he had gained from his run, he kicked the door to the entrance. There was a slight resistance and the lock slid open, swinging it open inwards. In that brief moment, Shirou and Rin closed the distance between them.
Without any pause, he stepped forward.
(…………!?)
An intense sense of discomfort similar to dizziness. What is this...?!
"Both of you, outside!"
I tried to stop the two who were chasing me, but it was already too late.
As soon as they entered, the door closed automatically.
Shirou immediately grabbed onto him and shook him. But,
"It won't open!"
I slammed my sword against the door, but it didn't even crack what was supposed to be just glass.
"You two, get out of the way!"
At the same time that Shirou and I jumped back, Rin hurled two red stones at the door.
Gem magic.
This is the kind of magic she specializes in, and by storing magical power in a gemstone beforehand, it allows the caster to handle more magical power than they possess.
By bestowing attributes when releasing the stored magical power, it is possible to produce various effects such as cold, wind, or even healing. Furthermore, the properties and compatibility of the magic can change depending on the quality and type of gem used, making it a magic with a wide range of applications.
The attribute that Rin gave this time was fire, a standard attribute. It was a bomb that used magical power.
Bang!
A roar that shook the pit of my stomach. However...
"I guess it's no good after all...!"
Just as Rin had said while clicking her tongue, there wasn't even a scratch on the door.
We gave up on escaping and turned our eyes to the depths.
"Hey, Tohsaka, this is..."
"…I thought I was going to surprise them, but I ended up being lured in instead. I've been fooled. Even so, I never would have imagined that the entire school building had been turned into a workshop…"
Just as Rin had said, the inside of the school building looked the same, but it had almost become like another world.
He asks for instructions from Rin, who acts as the commander.
"What would you like to do?"
"...We can't move carelessly. Emiya-kun's sensors will be useless in this situation."
Shirou is sensitive to abnormalities in the "world." His sensitivity makes him skilled at spotting magical traps.
However, there are "only" abnormalities in this school building. Shirou's ability to find hidden abnormalities is not able to analyze the type of abnormality.
When I heard that a Servant-like person was attending school, I was more curious about "how" than "why."
If there was a magician in the school, it would be easy to find out, so we needed to expose him.
But finding the hidden magician is not easy. How did they do it?
That question has now been answered. It would be crazy for an average magician to live in a place like this.
After pondering for a moment, Rin spoke.
"Let's wait for Archer. We might be able to pry it open from the outside."
It was a rational decision. Being separated worked to our advantage... or so it seemed.
But is this enemy so lenient that they would allow that?
Sizzling!
"!?"
Suddenly, a loud bell rings.
It was a fire alarm. Perhaps it was a reaction to the explosion earlier. Wait, a fire alarm? In this otherworldly school building?
Bang!
As if to answer that question, white smoke spewed out from the sprinklers installed on the ceiling, blocking the view.
"Cough! Cough! Wait... what is this!?"
"Cough, tear gas... gas?!"
No, I was the only one who could just see.
Unlike me, the two are human beings, inhaling the smoke and coughing violently, crying tears.
At that moment, my ears caught the sound of small footsteps that seemed to drown in the noise of the alarm.
Step inside through the entrance.
There was a staircase in front of me, and corridors on either side. In the corridor on the right, there was a man dressed in black.
Although he was dressed in all black, he was not wearing any special attire like an assassin, but rather black jeans and a black jacket, a not uncommon look for this day and age. Except for one thing.
The man was wearing a black mask.
It covers the entire face and has a bizarre design somewhat reminiscent of an insect, with countless small holes in the mouth area.
What is this aspect?
Wasn't Caster a woman?
If he is the Master, why did he reveal himself?
Many questions crossed my mind - but I ignored them all. First, I defeated the enemy before me!
He stepped towards the man and slashed at his torso. But,
(fast!)
The man dodged my attack by jumping backwards.
Even though it was a little shallow, it was too fast for a human to react. Moreover, in one backward jump, it had traveled several meters.
It's clearly superhuman, yet the movements themselves are those of an amateur.
It's probably a physical strengthening through magical means. And when it comes close to being as strong as a Servant, it's hard to imagine anyone other than Caster being able to do it.
(They are human beings after all!)
Although it is incredibly strengthened, it is not enough to surpass a Servant.
If he had been a master of martial arts, he might have been able to demonstrate enough fighting power to defeat me, but as an amateur, that is not something I can hope for.
Having completed the above considerations before the man landed, he leapt forward in pursuit, aiming for the point where the man would land. This way, he should be able to avoid at least the type of traps that would be activated automatically.
You can't catch up with the first push, so you move your center of gravity to match the second push.
As expected, the man jumped backwards again as soon as he landed.
I chased after it and kicked the floor--
Thump!
It sank just like that.
"Damn it!?"
Without even understanding the situation, he immediately thrusts his sword into the wall and hangs from it to check his surroundings.
Suddenly, a hole appeared in the hallway, and I was up to my chest in the muddy water that had pooled underneath.
(Indoors... a bottomless swamp?!)
Anyway, I reached for the floor to get up. However,
"Huh!?"
The linoleum floor seemed to melt as soon as it was touched.
I tried again and it was the same. Looking more closely, I saw a glow of magical energy as it vanished.
(this is……!)
The magically woven scaffolding was disguised as a corridor. But it was disappearing due to my resistance. In other words,
(It's a trap that only works on those who have magical defenses...!)
Who could have come up with such a trap?
What kind of twisted personality does one have to have to come up with a contraption like this!
It's possible to jump using only physical strength, but if you're not careful, the whole corridor might end up in the same state. If you fall in a strange position, you might not be able to get out.
Luckily, there doesn't seem to be any construction on the wall. So I can just kick the wall and move...!
Thinking that, I tried to pull myself up, but
(!? Magic release isn't working!?)
Contrary to my delicate appearance, I am a Heroic Spirit with such strength that I've been called the Hammer of Demolition.
However, this is not pure muscle strength, but the enormous amount of magical power I was born with that I can project like a rocket to add to my physical abilities. The reason I studied under the royal court magician Merlin was to learn how to control my magical powers.
But now, for some reason, it had been completely sealed. No, in the first place, I should not have sunk under the water thanks to the protection of the lake spirit. But even that wasn't working.
In my confused field of vision, something appeared.
The sword I was holding had some mud on it, and the barrier was loosening, revealing the blade.
"this is,orderCosmos… The mud of the apocalypse!」
According to Merlin's teachings, in magic, chaos represents the beginning and possibility, while order represents completion and the end.
Chaos is possibility itself. Therefore, it has no meaning on its own, but when given direction it can transform into anything. That is what magic is.
On the other hand, order is something that is already complete and complete in its current state. Therefore, it does not change any further and there is no beyond that.
Order is the natural enemy of magic itself.
Mud of Order is mud into which the magical powers of the five elements are kneaded in an inactive state, and as its name suggests, it has the properties of Order.
As long as I'm in contact with it, all magic is meaningless. That's probably why magic release and the blessings of the spirits don't work. No, if I stay in it for too long, even my body, which is woven with magic, might break down.
In this situation, there is no other way to escape without using magic. However,
(I can't put any strength into it...!?)
The sensation gradually fades from the extremities of my body. This is...
(Poison, you say...? To me, a Servant...?)
In a panic, I looked up and saw the same man reflected in my field of vision.
The man looked at me with an observing gaze, or rather, he seemed to be actually observing me.
Was he planning to finish me off? If so, that would be to my advantage. If he could just get within range, I could bring it to a draw.
However, as if he had seen through me, the man jumped up, kicked the wall, avoided my distance, and landed on the opposite bank, behind me.
Even though he was in such a favorable position, he had no intention of fighting me. He ran towards Shirou and the others.
I'll try to think of a way to stop it...
(I can't do anything, I'm stuck!)
"We're heading your way! Fight back!"
I should be their sword, yet all I can do is call out to them...!
The two of them had apparently heard the noise coming from our side and were staggering out, trying to escape the gas.
As the man runs, he swings his right arm and extends the baton he has taken out of his sleeve.
Seeing this, Rin coughed and prepared the gem, but the man hit her arm and easily knocked it down.
The man slammed his baton against Lin's neck, or rather, pressed it against her.
Snap!
With that sound, Rin collapsed without even being able to scream. What was that just now!?
"Tohsaka?! Shit!"
Shirou braced himself, and the man raised his baton and slammed it down on Shirou this time.
Shirou blocked it with his arms crossed.
A clang! A metallic sound resounded, a sound impossible with cloth or flesh.
This is Shirou's "strengthening."
It is Shirou's specialty, or rather the only type of magic he can use, which increases the strength of an object by passing magical energy through it.
The defensive power of the "reinforced" clothing exceeds that of a sturdy full plate suit. It can withstand blows from a baton. Or so it was supposed to be.
Snap!
Along with that sound, Shirou also collapses.
"Shirou!"
Although it reacts to my voice, it doesn't seem to be able to move.
The baton the man was holding made a crackling sound and pale blue sparks flew off.
That's... not just a baton, but an electric shock type Noble Phantasm?
The man rummaged around in his pocket and pulled out a metal ring connected to a chain - handcuffs. With those, he restrained Shirou at his feet.
"Ugh... Shit!"
Shirou groaned, but the man paid no attention to it.
After handcuffing Lin's hands and feet in the same way, the man took out something else from his pocket.
It was cut in half -- a potato.
"……teeth?"
While she was stunned, the man pressed the sweet potato against Rin's forehead.
Looking at the mark, the man nodded in satisfaction and spoke for the first time.
『Oh, it worked.』
A voice that was so stress-free.
The man walked up to Shirou and handed him the sweet potato as well.
"Yes, finish."
With Rin, I couldn't see what was going on because of the angle, but this time I could see it clearly.
A red mark resembling some kind of complicated writing remained on Shirou's forehead, then it faded away as if soaking in.
(Cursed Blood Seal...!)
It is a type of powerful curse that allows the user to force someone into a contract by carving a mark on their body with their own blood.
The problem is the content of the contract, and no matter how unreasonable or one-sided the content may be, it will be concluded regardless. And to think that it would be decided by a fake judgement...!
"Ah, I can finally take it off. I guess gas masks are pretty hard to breathe in, huh?"
The man muttered as he took off the mask.
"So, shall we go for some free talk time?"
It was less than five minutes from the time they stepped inside the school building to when this line was spoken.
That was all it took.
We were defeated by this one man with a dead eye.