BAMN: Chapter 123/125

Chapter 123: Instant Kill

"Then, given Sakura's situation, roughly how many magicules can she obtain?"

"About B-rank."

"Only B-rank?"

Rin was about to say it was too little, but considering the difference between worlds, he realized he couldn't calculate it that way.

Firstly, no matter how high the weight ratio, there was an upper limit.

Any outsider, the Voice of the World could at most grant Special A-Rank magicules, which is within 990,000.

So, what level was Sakura in the Type-Moon World?

Rin could only say that she possessed a very excellent magus bloodline.

But that was all.

"The Type-Moon World has multiple parallel universes, as well as various Lostbelts."

"Sakura is just a relatively excellent magus in a certain parallel universe."

According to this calculation, Sakura receiving a B-rating was already quite good.

Moreover, B-rank monster magicules was just the beginning, Sakura could still continue to grow stronger.

No one could say what the future held.

Of course, this was the Type-Moon World.

If it were any other world, the protagonist there might not even get a C-rank evaluation.

"Are there any other restrictions?"

"Yes, there are."

Violet added, "There's a limit to the number of people who can 'smuggle' through. Taking too many people across at once will overload the Void Gate."

"Specifically?"

"You can refer to my magicule recovery efficiency."

Violet: "Right now, I can probably provide a quota of 500,000 magicules per month."

Someone like Sakura, with a B- evaluation, would consume about 5,000 to 6,000 magicules.

"If I work hard, I can have an excess of 100 B-rank slots per month."

This restriction will continue to increase as Violet grows stronger.

Because this act is essentially leeching off the Cardinal World.

When people are brought over, the Voice of the World bestows magicules.

The magicules allow children like Sakura to instantly grow into B-rank monster powerhouses.

It's important to know that B-rank here is not the Heroic Spirit ranking, but the Cardinal World's B-rank.

"Then, what if they aren't brought out?"

Rin meant that he would put Sakura into his Bounded Field and then return to the Cardinal World.

However, Rin wouldn't be there to release the contents of the Bounded Field.

Instead, he would let Sakura live inside the Bounded Field.

"That can be done."

Violet: "The current Bounded Field is just a prototype, it's not complete."

"Once we return, I will work with the Cardinal World to transform it into a true small world."

This small world would belong to Rin, completely under his control.

"You can adjust the rules within it, making that world change according to your will."

Not only that, the small world will continue to expand as Rin grows stronger.

Rin doesn't need to worry about the specific methods.

As the CEO of the Cardinal World, Violet can easily manage a small company.

"High-grade Chaos World, Mid-grade Chaos World, Low-grade Chaos World."

"The amount of magicules needed to evolve a small world into different grades of Chaos Worlds varies greatly."

With Rin's current power, he can at most maintain the small world at a low-grade level.

As for evolving the small world to the top-tier like the Cardinal World.

Unless Rin reaches the height of the Star King Dragon, there's no need to consider that much.

"Alright, I understand."

Rin didn't hope to reach the heavens in one step, he was content with taking it little by little, just like this.

Most importantly, Rin had fulfilled his promise to Sakura.

He would take this child away from this world.

From now on, he would be her family.

"Crack, crack…"

While Rin and Violet were studying the Bounded Field.

On Fuyuki Bridge, Artoria stood pale, leaning on her Sword of Promised Victory.

Wisps of cold air swirled around her, and her eyebrows and hair were covered in a thick layer of frost.

"Lancer…"

The girl looked beside her.

She saw a humanoid ice sculpture slowly shattering, then turning into ice shards and scattering.

On the ground lay the Crimson Rose of Exorcism, broken into two pieces, and the Yellow Rose of Mortality, completely shattered.

Then she looked at Sola.

After witnessing Lancer's demise with her own eyes, she knelt there with empty eyes, completely unable to accept such an outcome.

"Saber!"

"Don't come over, Irisviel!!"

Artoria stopped Irisviel, who wanted to heal her.

"This is our battle!"

"Alright."

Putting her hand down, Snow Empress cast a barrier on Irisviel, which would temporarily protect her from the cold: "There, don't worry and fight me, she will be fine."

"Thank you."

Artoria didn't think much of Snow Empress's intervention.

The Holy Grail War was inherently a life-or-death struggle.

Rin's promise was that he wouldn't attack other Heroic Spirits during his battle with Iskandar.

But now, the war was over.

Whatever Rin wanted to do was his freedom.

Rather, even after expending so much magical energy, Rin still allowed Snow Empress to engage two Heroic Spirits.

They were the ones who had the advantage.

However.

'How many powerhouses does that guy still have under his command?'

'He's already summoned so many monsters, yet he can still send out someone like this.'

The previous exchange made Artoria realize something.

The girl before her, like an ice and snow fairy.

Her strength far exceeded her imagination.

With just one encounter, she was repelled by the opponent.

And facing Diarmuid's two Noble Phantasms, Snow Empress destroyed them with overwhelming force.

After that…

With one palm, just a light, airy tap on Diarmuid.

The next moment, Lancer's body began to shatter.

'Incomprehensible.'

'Magecraft?'

'Or, True Magic?'

Given Diarmuid's Magic Resistance, there shouldn't have been any curse that could affect him.

Yet, the truth was before her eyes.

Diarmuid couldn't withstand a single move from Snow Empress!

[Empress' Palm · Snowless Glacier]

This was the ultimate skill Snow Empress used to deal with Diarmuid, instantly killing him.

"Boom!"

Artoria forcibly broke free from the ice restraint, raising her Holy Sword and pointing it at Snow Empress.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 124: The Abandoned Irisviel

"A casual strike can unleash power comparable to True Magic. Are you a Magic User who has reached the realm of True Magic?"

In the Type-Moon World, True Magic and Magecraft are two different concepts.

Simply put, Magecraft are something that can be achieved by human effort, for example, blowing up a mountain. Humans can do the same with thermal weapons.

However, relatively speaking, bringing the dead back to life or traveling through time, these powers that transcend the current era, are defined as True Magic.

Of course, if one day, humans invent a time machine.

Then time travel would no longer be True Magic, but Magecraft.

So the question arises.

What exactly did Snow Empress do to make Artoria believe that she was a Magic User who had reached the realm of True Magic?

"If it weren't for Avalon, I should be dead by now, just like Lancer."

When Artoria was corroded by Snow Empress's cold air, she felt it.

The opponent's power of ice was not just ordinary cold or heat.

"The True Magic contained in that palm strike just now was the concept of Absolute Zero, right?"

Absolute Zero is the lowest possible temperature in thermodynamics, the temperature of matter when particle kinetic energy is at its lowest point in quantum mechanics.

Upon reaching Absolute Zero, matter will collapse, and all things will turn into nothingness.

Even light would stagnate under this power.

It's no exaggeration to say that this girl before her was a walking natural disaster.

Any existence touched by her power would instantly have its surrounding rules disappear.

And without the fixed rules, what would happen to a Heroic Spirit?

The result was obvious.

Lancer's Spirit Core was directly destroyed.

Even the two Noble Phantasms in his hand could not escape the fate of turning to ashes.

"Interesting."

Snow Empress was not angered by Artoria revealing the essence of her Empress' Palm; instead, she said with interest, "The Avalon you speak of, is it the scabbard within your body?"

"A special blessing keeps you in a certain state, eternally unchanging."

"So that's it."

Snow Empress: "Although my Empress' Palm didn't land on you, to recover so quickly, the scabbard called Avalon is truly impressive."

Rin still had some fondness for Artoria.

If possible, Rin had considered forming a contract with her, taking her as a dependent, and bringing her back to the Cardinal World.

Therefore, Snow Empress did not directly kill Artoria, but merely eliminated the troublesome Diarmuid with one palm.

"Come, the one who obstructed us has disappeared."

"Next, let me witness the glory of the King of Knights."

After Snow Empress finished speaking, a longsword constructed of ice frost appeared in her hand.

"Empress' Sword: Unparalleled Chill!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Snow Empress immediately used Empress' Sword, one of her Three Empress' Ultimate Skills.

The river rapidly froze in the cold wind, as if time had been solidified, and a layer of crystal-clear ice shell covered the river surface.

The originally shimmering river surface had now become a giant block of ice, and the cherry blossom trees swaying in the wind on both banks were frozen in that moment.

The branches were covered with ice beads, gently swaying and emitting a crisp sound, like pearls falling onto a jade plate.

"Hoo~"

Exhaling a breath of cold air, Artoria glanced at Irisviel, who was trembling slightly.

Looking down from the bridge, the entire world had entered a severe winter, covered in silver.

"Saber..."

"Irisviel, are you alright?"

"I, I'm, I'm fine..."

The bone-chilling cold made Irisviel's teeth chatter, unable to speak a complete sentence.

Fortunately, she only felt cold.

If it were anyone else, such as Lancer's Master, Sola-Ui.

Under such cold, she would have long since turned into an ice sculpture.

Irisviel was able to remain unharmed.

Besides Snow Empress keeping her promise, she also wanted Artoria to be able to fight her wholeheartedly.

"Hold on a little longer, I'll end the battle soon!"

However, Artoria's condition was not good.

Although she had Avalon's scabbard, she did not suffer too much damage.

But the power of the Empress' Sword instantly took away most of her magical energy.

Now, let alone releasing a beam of light, even the magical energy to maintain the Invisible Air was precarious.

"Sure enough, relying solely on the Empress' Sword can't deal with you."

Snow Empress's Empress' Palm required close contact with the opponent, if it was from a distance, its power would be greatly reduced.

The power of the Empress' Sword was not as great as the Empress' Palm and did not reach the level of True Magic.

But it didn't matter.

Snow Empress originally had no intention of killing Artoria.

The reason she used the Empress' Sword was purely to create an excellent battlefield for them, nothing more.

"Come on, don't use those flashy tricks."

"A swordsman should speak with a sword."

Snow Empress raised her ice longsword and descended gracefully like a goddess: "I, too, will only fight you with my sword."

By indirectly sealing Saber's magic cannon, Snow Empress's goal was to engage in a sword fight with the other party.

"Good!"

Artoria had no choice.

The only thing she could do now was accept Snow Empress's trial.

However,

"By the Command Spell's name, Saber, retreat immediately!"

???

The sudden recall of the Heroic Spirit not only angered Snow Empress, but even Artoria showed an incredulous expression: "Kiritsugu, you bastard! I refuse to retreat!"

Artoria certainly wasn't fighting Snow Empress for the sake of it.

She was worried about Irisviel.

If she escaped, what would happen to Irisviel?

"Her, you cannot take her away."

Snow Empress was very angry now.

Her hard-earned interest had been interrupted, and if she didn't make the other party leave something behind, Snow Empress would never agree.

"Kiritsugu! I must take Irisviel back!"

"Saber, I order you to retreat."

"Kiritsugu, you scoundrel!"

Irisviel was Kiritsugu's wife!

Even abandoning his own wife, Emiya Kiritsugu, are you still human?

"Retreat!"

Unfortunately, the power of the Command Spell was absolute.

Artoria had no choice.

Even if she forcibly resisted, it would be impossible to rescue Irisviel from under Snow Empress's nose.

"Tsk."

Seeing this, Snow Empress was certainly displeased, but still promised: "Don't worry, this woman will be fine."

"Thank you."

Artoria looked gratefully at Snow Empress before being forced to leave.

Isn't it ridiculous?

Snow Empress, as an enemy, was willing to show benevolence and not harm women and children.

Leaving the other party behind was also just for the sake of face.

But Emiya Kiritsugu, who prided himself as an ally of justice, always harmed his own people.

First his own father, then his teacher, and now he can even abandon his wife.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 125: The Rebellious Saber


Snow Empress enveloped the frozen and unconscious Irisviel with magical energy, then carried her back to Ryuudou Temple: "Has he gone mad?"

Rin had described Emiya Kiritsugu to his companions.

A man with a heart for justice, wanting to become an ally of justice, and bring peace to the world.

But what exactly was his so-called justice and peace?

Rather, if justice is defined by an individual's perception, can it truly still be called justice?

Anyway, Snow Empress didn't understand his strange way of thinking.

"Humans..."

Snow Empress shook her head secretly, then her entire body transformed into ice crystals and dissipated into the air: "Truly incomprehensible."

She took Irisviel away.

Not just to vent her anger, but also out of curiosity about a certain power within the woman's body.

Snow Empress couldn't understand it, but that didn't stop her from taking the person back for Rin to assess.

"Emiya Kiritsugu!"

On the other side, Artoria, who had left, returned to Emiya Kiritsugu's side almost instantly under the power of the Command Spell.

"You have become so despicable that you can even abandon Irisviel."

As soon as Artoria arrived, she immediately grabbed his collar and questioned: "Do you really believe that for victory, anyone can be sacrificed?"

"Everyone has their own mission, and Irisviel is no different."

Kiritsugu was well aware of Irisviel's role.

She was the vessel for the Holy Grail, a crucial link in summoning the Holy Grail.

With Lancer's demise, three Heroic Spirits had already died at Rin's hands.

This also meant that Irisviel's physical body was about to reach its limit.

"What do you mean?"

"Tell me, what do you mean by that?"

Compared to Kiritsugu, Artoria recognized Irisviel more.

If she could, how she wished Irisviel was her Master, and not this despicable man in front of her.

"Irisviel is the vessel of the Holy Grail."

Then, Emiya Kiritsugu informed Artoria of Irisviel's identity and purpose.

The Holy Grail is divided into the Greater Holy Grail and the Lesser Holy Grail.

The Greater Holy Grail is the body of Justeaze, the Holy Maiden of Winter.

It is connected to the ley lines of Fuyuki and draws magical energy from them to initiate the Holy Grail War.

It possesses the power to contact the Throne of Heroes and summon Heroic Spirit fragments in the form of Servants.

And the Lesser Holy Grail.

Simply put, it is a tool used to control and operate the Greater Holy Grail, preventing it from malfunctioning.

This tool is provided by Einzbern, which means it is their manufactured homunculus.

Irisviel was the Holy Grail vessel created by Einzbern for the Fourth Holy Grail War.

Whenever a Heroic Spirit dies in battle, its soul returns to Irisviel's body.

Once the number of deceased Heroic Spirits exceeds 3, Irisviel's personality will begin to collapse.

"When only the last two Heroic Spirits remain, the Holy Grail will manifest."

At that time, Irisviel would die.

This was already predetermined and could not be changed.

"This is why I summoned you back."

"Continuing to stay there would only be a meaningless sacrifice."

...

Artoria didn't expect things to be this way: "Why didn't you tell me such an important matter beforehand?!"

Thinking that Irisviel would die sooner or later, Artoria felt heartbroken for her.

Her very purpose of birth was to summon the Holy Grail.

How was that different from a sacrificial offering?

'The Holy Grail I seek is exchanged for Irisviel's life.'

Artoria could not accept such an outcome.

Moreover, if the Holy Grail was such a thing, could she truly, with a clear conscience, wish upon it to save her country and people?

"With that person's magical attainments, it's impossible for her not to see Irisviel's importance."

Kiritsugu had already accepted Irisviel's impending death.

So he wouldn't save her, because there was no need.

"You truly are a scoundrel!"

What justice, what world peace.

In Saber's view, Kiritsugu was a scumbag immersed in his own beautiful dream.

"I'm going to bring Irisviel back!"

Artoria prepared to go to Ryuudou Temple, she intended to formally visit Rin and then ask him to return Irisviel.

Rin was strong.

But he was also a King, with his own magnanimity.

If possible, Artoria also hoped Rin could find a way to avoid Irisviel's death.

For this, Artoria was willing to pay the price.

"In the name of the Command Spell, Saber..."

"Swish!"

However, before Emiya Kiritsugu could continue, Artoria's blade was already at his throat.

"Don't stop me, Kiritsugu."

Artoria had understood: "Otherwise, the moment the Command Spells run out, I will kill you!"

What Holy Grail War?

What Master and Servant?

If she couldn't even protect the person she cherished right now, then what was her so-called wish to save her people?

She was going to bring Irisviel back.

Even if it meant risking death for it, she would not hesitate.

...

Watching Saber leave, Kiritsugu's face was extremely grim.

He truly regretted why he had summoned Saber.

If only he had summoned a Heroic Spirit with better compatibility, he wouldn't be so passive.

According to Kiritsugu's plan.

With the situation having developed to its current state, they should temporarily observe from the sidelines and wait for Rin and Gilgamesh to decide the victor.

The Heroic Spirits' magical energy and Noble Phantasms were, after all, limited.

No matter which side won, the remaining one would certainly be greatly weakened.

Only then, by letting Saber act, would he have a chance to obtain the Holy Grail.

Unfortunately, Saber disliked such schemes and stratagems.

At the same time, inside Ryuudou Temple, Rin looked at the white-haired woman Snow Empress brought back, his expression surprised.

"This is..."

Rin asked, "What's going on?"

"My spoils of war."

Snow Empress told Rin exactly what had happened earlier.

"So, you were unhappy with Saber's sudden departure."

"So you kept Irisviel as revenge?"

Rin scratched his head and said awkwardly, "It's not that I blame you for doing that, but her, how should we handle her?"

Killing her was certainly not to that extent.

Then, locking her up?

Rin wouldn't be so rude as to treat a woman like that.

"Forget it."

"Find a room, and send two Ogres to take good care of her."

(To be continued.)