Chapter 194: Joining Forces
["Ah!!!"]
[Seeing this scene, everyone let out various exclamations from their throats.]
["Whoosh…"]
[The shadow instantly obliterated everything of Aozaki Touko, its tentacles—thorny and sharp—extended at an alarming speed, with its ominous claws aiming directly at the pharmacist who dared to harm its master.]
[Regina: "Maio!!!"]
["Ah…"]
[Hearing Regina's scream, Maio's throat trembled slightly.]
[He couldn't escape. His body was captured in the blink of an eye, the tentacles dragging him into the "door" and feeding him to countless unseen jaws.]
---
Sisigou: "This monster seems to freeze the consciousness of anyone who looks at it."
Kotomine Shirou: "What exactly is this? A creature like this has never been documented before."
Waver: "It resembles Bluebeard's Sea Demon. It might be a similar kind of entity."
Semiramis: "This woman is truly impressive to have acquired a creature like that."
---
["Gray!"]
[At this moment, El-Melloi II's voice cut through the chaos, snapping Gray out of her daze.]
[Gray: "Master, I..."]
[In that instant, Gray noticed Aozaki Touko's crumbling eyes looking directly at her.]
[Her gaze seemed to hold a faint smile, an unspoken push forward, telling her to live as she liked, unshackled.]
[It was the most free-spirited person Gray had ever met, offering her silent assurance.]
["Ahhhh!!!"]
[Without waiting for orders from El-Melloi II, Gray acted on instinct.]
[She swung the scythe that Add had transformed into, pouring all her magical energy into the attack, and forcibly severed the monster's thorny tentacles.]
[Though part of Maio's legs had already been devoured, he was still alive.]
["Maio!"]
[Regina and the Silver Princess ran to his side.]
[Even after hearing Maio's earlier demand that they devote themselves to magic, their feelings for him hadn't wavered.]
---
Caules: "Can he even be saved? I thought he was as good as dead."
Fiore: "Honestly, it might have been better if he didn't survive."
Kayneth: "Agreed."
---
[El-Melloi II: "Gray!"]
["…I'm sorry, Master."]
[Gray apologized, cutting off the thorny tentacles once again as they reached out to recapture Maio.]
["Well..."]
[El-Melloi II nodded, focusing his attention on the twisted space, which now resembled a blurry, distorted "box."]
["No way to resolve it completely? However, its ability to intervene seems to be time-limited and spatially constrained."]
["I see. It's like something out of a horror movie. Vampires are feared because they're invincible only at night, and zombies because of their mindless hunger. This thing suits her style perfectly."]
---
Tohsaka Tokiomi: "What kind of monster is this, capable of interfering with time?"
Kayneth: "It's an existence unrecorded in history."
---
["Svin, how many can you handle?"]
[Svin: "Seventy percent chance of success."]
[El-Melloi II: "Proceed."]
[Flat: "Wait, teacher! Aren't you going to ask me?"]
[Svin: "Shut up. You've done nothing but give yourself a concussion and faint."]
[Flat: "No, seriously, concussions are dangerous! What if I start snoring mid-battle? But hey, isn't it fascinating to glimpse your past life or dying moments? Teacher, don't you think—"]
[El-Melloi II: "Svin, fight alongside Gray to hold off the tentacles."]
[Svin: "Understood, teacher!"]
[El-Melloi II: "Flat, intervene and stabilize the spatial distortions."]
[Flat: "Got it, teacher!"]
[El-Melloi II: "Reines, provide support to everyone."]
[Reines: "Yes, yes, I knew you'd say that."]
[El-Melloi II: "Lord Valualeta, Mick, please focus on pushing it back. Can Byron and the Silver Princess be left to you?"]
[Inorai: "Well, they are part of our faction, after all."]
[Mick: "If it's the client's request, I have no choice."]
[El-Melloi II turned to Atrum and said, "I thought you'd have run off by now."]
[Atrum: "Oh, I certainly considered it. But this is a rare opportunity. Let me see what you're capable of."]
[El-Melloi II: "I should charge a fee for spectators."]
[Atrum: "Take whatever you want."]
[El-Melloi II: "Gray."]
[Gray: "Yes!"]
["Well done."]
[El-Melloi II said slowly, "I promised to handle this case. Letting the murderer be consumed by that monster would tarnish El-Melloi's reputation. We'll resolve this ourselves."]
---
Sisigou: "As expected of a Lord, he prioritizes his faction's dignity even in a crisis."
Kayneth: "Hmph, at least he knows to protect El-Melloi's face."
Sola-ui: "But how do you deal with an immortal monster? Can it even be destroyed?"
Kayneth: "There's no need to destroy it."
Sola-ui: "???"
---
["It's starting."]
[The thorny tentacles emerged once more from the dark "box," surging toward Gray.]
[Gray, wielding her scythe, charged forward and clashed with the writhing appendages.]
[Svin joined the fray, relying on the overwhelming strength of his beast magic to tear through the attacking tentacles.]
[And sensing Gray and the others' counterattack, the thorns immediately multiplied.]
["Don't try to kill the monster."]
[El-Melloi II warned: "If you use a large amount of magic power to stimulate it, it's likely to attract its true body. Hold it off until Flat finishes the analysis."]
[At this time, Trimmau immediately transformed into armor and enveloped Gray's body.]
[Reines: "Although I don't want to show off in this kind of situation, I'll lend you Trimmau. Do your best."]
[Reines endured the pain in her eyes, concentrating on controlling Trimmau.]
[She carefully synchronized Trimmau with Gray's magical energy, ensuring it wouldn't interfere with the girl's movements and techniques.]
["Ahhh!!!"]
[Svin also roared and created several clones to fight.]
---
Waver: "Can the Marrow of the Moon Spirit be used like this?"
Kayneth: "It's not that simple. Didn't you see how much effort Reines put into synchronizing it with that girl Gray's magical energy?"
---
[The two fought bravely, beautifully suppressing the avalanche of thorny tentacles.]
[Thanks to their efforts, Flat's spatial intervention began successfully analyzing the distortions.]
[Suddenly, a thorn shot out from a gap and pierced El-Melloi II with pinpoint accuracy.]
[This sudden attack caught Gray and the others off guard.]
[But in the next moment, an automaton resembling a spider landed and blocked the thorn from hitting El-Melloi II. The automaton's vitals were impaled by the thorny tentacle, but it twisted the tentacle off with its inhuman strength.]
[It was the same automaton that had stopped Reines and Gray earlier when they followed the footprints.]
[Inorai: "Is that the automaton that stupid disciple left with Byron?"]
["Thanks."]
[El-Melloi II turned to look at the Silver Princess.]
[Another mystery had been solved. It was the Silver Princess who had stopped Reines and the others in the forest.]
[Needless to say, her goal had been to protect Maio and buy him time.]
---
Tohsaka Rin: "The last puzzle is solved."
Caules: "I didn't expect it to be the Silver Princess. That was another surprise."
Fiore: "Collaborating with Maio isn't that far-fetched, though."
---
[Silver Princess: "I originally intended to use it to commit suicide with my father in the end."]
["..."]
[Regina continued caring for Maio, remaining silent.]
["But why are you…"]
["It's not me who wants to save you."]
[El-Melloi II said calmly: "If my student is working this hard, is there any reason for the teacher not to help?"]
---
Illya: "That sounded pretty cool."
Iskandar: "Boy, that excuse is way too casual."
Waver: "I'm just being honest."
---
[The battle situation was becoming increasingly critical.]
[The thorn tentacles twisted into a new form, taking the shape of a humanoid figure resembling a knight wielding a sword made of thorns.]
[The monster in the "box" seemed to have calculated that matching its form to the enemy's would make the fight easier.]
[Gray charged forward again, her scythe clashing violently with the thorn sword, but this time she couldn't sever the denser thorns with a single strike.]
[The figure spun, and Gray reflexively blocked its slashing sword.]
[The opponent was clearly mimicking Gray's battle data.]
[If not for Trimmau, Gray's carotid artery might have been severed.]