"Boy, your teiques are quite iing."
Matou Zouken's voice dripped with disdain as he watched Chihiro's spell disrupt his swarm's attack.
Chihiro nded lightly atop a stone wall, his expression calm. "Sorry to disappoint, but this is just basiyōdō."
It was true. The talismans Chihiro used were ohe kind an experienced practitioner could craft anywhere in Japan. If one sought truly advaeiques, they would look to the higher-level arts practiced at pces like Mount Hiei or Kurama-dera.
Mount Koya, where Chihiro had trained, was known more for spiritual training and traditional martial arts like Aikido. The talismans Chihiro used had one major fw: the intatiooo long.
He had practiced tirelessly to t them quickly and precisely. Now that he had access to the system, he made a mental o look for ways to acquire shorter and more powerful spells iure.
"But how long do you think you keep this up?"
Zouken's smile was cold and desding. He could tell that while the young man had some skills in onmyōdō, his magical power was limited. At best, he could hold his ground momentarily, but that would ge soon enough.
As Zouken spoke, a faint buzzing sound, like that of a mosquito, reached Chihiro's ears. Reag instantly, he leaped away.
"Crafty old worm."
Zouken had used his words to distract him, allowing his is to close in for a surprise attack. Though Chihiro had detected the tri time, the a magus had ted on basic human psychology, people often assume that an oppo won't use the same tactic twi a row.
Unfortunately for him, Chihiro knew Zouken's methods far too well.
---
"From the northeastern winds I summon a gust, swirling from the path of the Eight Trigrams. Let all impurities be swept away! Obey my and!"
"Wind Summoning!"
The ofuda vanished, and a fierce gust erupted, scattering the swarm of is away from Chihiro.
---
"By the divine order of heaven ah, the Master of Restraints has e. Bind this evil! Obey my and!"
"Binding Spell!"
This time, Chihiro took the offehe ofuda shimmered with golden light, f a magical barrier that locked around Zouken.
"You think you restraih this?"
Zouken sneered as another wave of is poured out from his sleeves, breaking the spell.
"Tch, i familiars are really a pain," Chihiro muttered.
Seeing the overwhelming number of is breaking free, Chihiro knew he had to retreat. His current abilities weren't enough to deal a killing blow to Zouken. He quickly unleashed another fire spell to create a barrier, then turned and fled.
---
"Hmm? Where's Sakura?"
Chihiro reached the nearby interse where Sakura had been hiding, only to find her missing.
"Zouken was with me the whole time, so it couldn't have been him… Was it someone else from the Matou family?"
---
"Matou Zouken!!!"
A furious voice rang out, and Chihiro turo see Tohsaka Tokiomi arriving on the se, his face twisted with rage. He swiftly pulled a jewel from his robe and hurled it toward Zouken.
The gem burst with explosive magical power, jewel magecraft, the signature magic passed down through the Tohsaka lineage.
"Tohsaka Tokiomi, you—!"
Zouken's words were cut off as the bst hit him directly, sending him flying.
Seeing Tohsaka intervene, Chihiro let out a small breath of relief. For now, he didn't o worry about the old magus.
"But where is Sakura?"
Chihiro opehe group chat, hoping to find some clues about Sakura's whereabouts. However, the chat was in plete disarray.
---
Sihe initial Q&A session, the partits had grown more familiar with the chat system, leading to an ued development: a twisted camaraderie had formed between Ryuunosuke Uryuu, known as "The Showman," and the notorious Gilles de Rais, "Bluebeard."
The two's deranged versation quickly incited e among several other members, including Artoria, Waver, and Diarmuid, who were disgusted by their twisted remarks.
However, their attempts to admonish the two fell on deaf ears, as Uryuu and Gilles tiheir uling banter. Adding to the chaos, Gilgamesh stoked the fmes with his usual arrogance, further derailing any attempts to restore order.
"The chat's no help… I'll have to do this on my own."
---
Determined, Chihiro searched the area until he found a strand of Sakura's hair.
"By the will of the kami, reveal to me the path. Let the wandering soul be found. Obey my and!"
"Seeking Spell!"
He ed the strand of hair in an ofuda and folded it into a paper e. ting the spell, he released it into the air, and the paper e took flight, leading him in a specific dire.
"Not toward the Matou estate…"
Seeing the e heading farther away, Chihiro activated his magical speed, a swift footwork teique he had refihrough rigorous training, and followed the paper e.
---
Back at the Matou estate, Tohsaka Tokiomi tinued his heated frontation with Zouken.
Meanwhile, Chihiro followed the paper e along winding paths and finally arrived at an obscure, remote building.
"I never would have found this pce without the e guiding me."
The entrao the basement was hidden in such a way that only someone familiar with the area would know of its existence.
---
"Let all clouds be swept away, and reveal the truth beh. Strike down the wicked with divihunder. Obey my and!"
"Invisibility Spell!"
Chihiro pulled out another ofuda, ted the spell, and pced it on his chest, vanishing from sight.
---
He carefully opehe door and crept down into the basement. When he reached the inner chamber, Chihiro pressed his ear to the door, listening to the voices within.
"Master, I 't wait to meet you."
"Don't worry, I have prepared the sacrifice."
The voice was filled with a twisted excitement. Peeking through a cra the door, Chihiro spotted a young man speaking fervently to the system s.
"Ryuunosuke Uryuu…" Chihirhe man immediately.
"What a ce. I didn't expect to run into you here."
It seemed Ryuunosuke had been the one who kidnapped Sakura. But why was he so close to the Matou estate?
"No matter. I'll subdue him first a aer."
With that thought, Chihiro pushed open the door and stepped inside.
