Even if a Cursed Spirit and the curse within a Cursed Object rge, the fusion can never truly be perfect. Fundantally, it only gives the Cursed Spirit a stronger, faster power source.
And as long as the Cursed Object continues to provide Cursed Energy to the Cursed Spirit, the Cursed Spirit can constantly reshape its body, making it very difficult to defeat physically.
Kasumi Miwa could clearly see that the missing Grade 1 Cursed Object was embedded in the Cursed Spirit's chest. If they could manage to remove it, the Cursed Spirit would naturally collapse without the support of the Cursed Energy.
The chest, then?
Emiya focused his sight forward again. The area still appeared empty, but the existing intelligence was enough for him to hypothesize the enemy's physique.
Combined with the constant source of intense malice, the so-called 'invisibility' no longer posed an obstruction to him.
He could defeat it!
Raising Kanshou and Bakuya, Emiya charged toward the Cursed Spirit's position again.
Why insist on the risk of close-quarters combat?
Because the Cursed Spirit from the shopping center previously proved that physical damage is ineffective against Cursed Spirits, but the exorcism-imbued swords were surprisingly effective.
Perhaps if he released the True Na of his Noble Phantasm, he could also create an unexpected suppression effect on these Cursed Spirits... but his current amount of magical energy and physical condition didn't really support that.
Upon reaching the Cursed Spirit again, Emiya first feinted with a slash to the left. The mont he sensed the block, he abruptly swung the other weapon toward the Cursed Spirit's chest.
Bang—!
The attack was blocked by sothing.
Did this Cursed Spirit have a third arm?
No, that couldn't be the case, or an unexpected attack would have arrived already. So, it was highly likely that the arm he had just severed had already regrown due to so terrifying regenerative ability.
Boom—Boom—Boom—!
His body moved, and the dual swords in his hands launched attacks at different angles constantly. Within this bamboo grove on the back hill, a hair-raising sound, along with clouds
of stirred-up dust, echoed all around. An ordinary person would probably only catch fleeting shadows and the constant snapping and falling of bamboo stalks.
Beyond language and sight, combat is also a very effective form of communication.
Emiya could feel that the Cursed Spirit was eting his attacks with its flesh over and over again. Its body couldn't possibly be undamaged by the swings of Kanshou and Bakuya, yet it still possessed power after enduring so many blows.
What kind of strange regenerative ability was this?
And most importantly, this Cursed Spirit clearly possessed considerable intelligence.
It was consciously protecting its weakness and was even continuously adapting to Emiya's fighting style.
This wasn't like a mindless monster at all; rather, it possessed astonishing learning capabilities.
Realizing that this kind of battle would be difficult to resolve, Emiya imdiately created distance and began to consider how to bring about a breakthrough change in the fight.
But suddenly, the continuous malice that had been sustaining his awareness vanished.
Had it noticed that he was using its hostility to locate it and deliberately suppressed its malice?
No, that's not right... that is sothing only soone who has reached a certain state of mind can achieve, and this Cursed Spirit wouldn't be able to realize that point.
Therefore...
Emiya instinctively looked around and suddenly realized that he must have moved away from Miwa's position during the continuous fighting.
The malice hadn't vanished; it had shifted its target!
"Miwa-senpai—!!!"
Emiya imdiately shouted, trying to give a warning.
The Magic Circuits within his body even let out a tallic clanging sound like clashing steel. He was unreservedly pushing the magical energy in his body to the limit, using it to reinforce his speed.
Reinforcent Sorcery doesn't target the physical level but instead specializes the very aning of existence. For example, the aning of a blade's sharpness, or a food's nutritional value.
So now, Emiya poured all his existence into the reinforcent of speed, rushing toward that direction with all his might.
In a trance, ti seed to be excluded from his body, and he left the wind completely behind, all in an effort to arrive one fraction of a second ahead of the Cursed Spirit.
Finally, before disaster could strike, Emiya's speed eclipsed the Cursed Spirit's.
However, since he didn't know the angle of its attack, Emiya could only brace himself, holding the couple swords crossed horizontally in front of him to receive the blow—
"RUMBLE!!!"
When the Cursed Spirit gathered all its Cursed Energy for a focused attack, the resulting explosive force was terrifying. Though it wasn't affected by physical attacks, the sheer physical destructive power it exhibited was astonishing.
For tens of ters around, there was scarcely anything left intact, yet Emiya remained standing in place, and the injured Miwa behind him was completely unscathed.
"Cough..."
As the one who took the attack head-on, Emiya could clearly feel that this level of force was definitely reaching the Servant-class rank.
Even with only Kanshou and Bakuya in his hands, and even though he couldn't see the Cursed Spirit's location, this Cursed Spirit would never be able to defeat him.
However, given its intelligence, it had likely guessed that Miwa behind him was Emiya's soft spot.
It might not continue to focus on Emiya but would instead try to take the immobile Miwa as a hostage or sothing similar. Unfortunately, Emiya's inability to see it made it very difficult to defend against this effectively.
To end this battle quickly, there was probably only one way.
"Heeh—"
"So, it's here."
In the field of vision where Emiya could neither see nor hear, the Cursed Spirit gave a delighted smile. Its words were halting, as if it hadn't fully learned human language yet. But knowing that the human who cut off its arm also had a weakness made it very excited.
It didn't necessarily have to kill. Just the thought of arbitrarily tornting the enemy who had just been beating it made it happy.
But just as it was about to reach out and torture the human in front of it, it suddenly saw the man put down his dual swords and raise only one hand, pointing it directly at the Cursed Spirit.
Although the enemy no longer had a weapon, a constant fear began to spread through its heart. Its ager brain couldn't comprehend; it couldn't understand what kind of situation this was.
"Trace on..."
Magic Circuits, like a spiderweb, crawled up Emiya's arm. His life force began to be ceaselessly converted by the Magic Circuits. Because he was pushing his sorcery to the limit while his body was not fully recovered, this action could very well render his life imperiled.
But this was exactly the result Emiya wanted.
Didn't they say that non-Sorcerers could only see Cursed Spirits when their lives were in peril?
Then that's what he would do.
"I am the bone of my sword. Steel is my body, and fire is my blood. I have created over a thousand blades..."
In the silent bamboo grove, the tallic clanging of forging steel suddenly rang out—a sound that even the Cursed Spirit could hear.
However, it was completely unable to understand, and it couldn't muster the courage to make any move.
"Unaware of loss, nor aware of gain. Withstood pain to create many weapons. Waiting for one's arrival..."
As the incantation slowly finished, the pain in Emiya's body intensified. It was as if the sound of forging steel was not imaginary, but that soone was truly inside him, hamring his very body as if it were raw tal.
And as his life force drained and his breathing grew heavy, the scene before Emiya's eyes began to blur, but one thing beca incredibly clear.
He saw it.
The pale, humanoid Cursed Spirit. Its face, which should have been frightening, was now contorted with fear.
As expected, this thing was truly ugly.
Is that why they say it's born from humanity?
Innurable small balls of light converged in Emiya's hand to form the shape of a colossal sword, which he finally gripped fiercely.
It was ti to end this.
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