Chapter 84: End of Kayneth's Fate

Words : 842 Updated : Sep 17th, 2025

Rage was like sulfuric acid, corroding Kayneth's heart. He was a first-rate magus, and by all accounts, he should never lose his composure over emotions, especially in the face of a formal competition. In fact, if this battle had been a duel between first-rate magi, where both sides gave their all, Kayneth wouldn't have been so furious. He would have admired and revered his opponent's techniques, calmly assessed their true strength, and wholeheartedly employed the appropriate magecraft to counter them—just like his confrontation with Sakatsuki at the Hyatt Hotel. Such noble and dignified gentlemanly contests were the kind of "battles" Kayneth was familiar with. He had come all the way to this remote country in the Far East to compete with Tokiomi Tohaka, Zouken Matou, and the other four competitors for the right to obtain the Holy Grail. But now—the wound piercing his right shoulder was stimulating his pain receptors. It throbbed incessantly as if mocking and humiliating Kayneth. This resulted from a single shot fired by Kiritsugu Emiya from his beloved gun, the Contender. It had nothing to do with magecraft or Mystic Codes. It was merely a laughable toy assembled from mechanical parts, yet it had breached the barrier between mystery and reality, penetrated the defences of Volumen Hydrargyrum, and left a wound on the Lord of the Clock Tower. This wound was not sustained in battle. That act—it could not be called a "battle." It was like stepping through a rotten floorboard; like knocking over a pot while cooking; like having mud splatter onto one's finest clothes. The opponent was a cowardly insect, unworthy of being called an enemy. Even the sight of him was an insult to Kayneth's eyes, nothing more than a pile of revolting trash. Betting on the dignity of Lord El-Melloi, he would never consider such a thing as a target for his "anger." These were merely trivial matters, something to be laughed off as bad luck. Even as Kayneth told himself this—the wound on his shoulder continued to scream. The searing pain tormented and gnawed at his pride. Kayneth's pale face was as expressionless as a Noh mask. It was not the face of someone "angry," for Kayneth bore no hatred toward anyone. His rage was entirely directed at himself. He was simply furious at this abnormal situation. "Impossible—" His pent-up anger transformed into a destructive impulse, transmitted to Volumen Hydrargyrum. The mercury blade lashed out wildly, cutting and slashing at the walls of the surrounding corridor. "Such lowly scum actually made me bleed... Impossible! How could this happen!"@@@@ Kayneth, with the pace of a sleepwalker, pursued the fleeing Kiritsugu. Doors blocking his path were not pushed open but shattered by the weight of the mercury. Vases, paintings, ornate furniture—all the decorations within sight were severed and utterly destroyed. Along the way, there were numerous traps. This magus's arrogance, his stubborn refusal to adapt to the changing times, was the very weapon that would lead to his own demise. And now, as a magus killer, all he needed to do was add fuel to the fire. The Calico submachine gun spat fire, unleashing a relentless barrage of bullets. "Fervor, mei sanguis!" After being shot in the shoulder, Kayneth was not foolish enough to use the same method of defence. He reconstructed the mercury's defences, abandoning the membrane in favour of a pillar-like formation. From the floor to the ceiling, countless inverted spikes rose like a dense bamboo forest, covering Kayneth's body and completely blocking the incoming bullets. The bullets were stopped by the silver blades, bouncing between the spikes with deafening metallic clangs before losing momentum and falling to the ground. Not a single bullet touched Kayneth's body. But Kiritsugu showed no intention of changing his strategy. The moment the M950's magazine emptied, the Contender in his right hand roared. This single bullet's destructive power far surpassed that of the 9mm rounds, having previously pierced Volumen Hydrargyrum's barrier and wounded Kayneth. "You didn't think that trick would work again, did you? Scum." Kayneth's mocking voice emerged from behind the protection of Volumen Hydrargyrum. Unlike before, the pillar-like mercury offered far greater flexibility than the membrane form. The moment the lethal bullet touched the silver spikes, all the other spikes closed in like a Venus flytrap, enveloping the bullet completely. The densely packed, needle-like spikes transformed into a thick pillar in an instant, sealing off the .30-06 Springfield round. This move fully demonstrated the versatility of Volumen Hydrargyrum. The precision and perfection of this fluid manipulation magecraft could be considered the ultimate technique of the prestigious Archibald family. However, at the very moment, as Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald successfully executed this pinnacle of spiritual and technical mastery—his fate had already reached its end. *** Hey readers! Want to read ahead? ???? Join my Patreon for early access to 30+ advance chapters! Your support helps me write more and bring the story to you faster. ????patreon.com/aarvan???? Thanks for being awesome! ❤️

Chapter 84: End of Kayneth's Fate

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