Magician in Type-Moon

Page 5

One after another, the shelled monsters that had molted from disgusting worms spread their wings, which were still covered with some unknown slime, but they were already impatient.

The insect's wings vibrated rapidly, emitting a noisy hissing sound, and its huge, sharp mandibles emitted a high-pitched chirping sound. This was the signal to start a war!

The two swarms of insects quickly clashed, their attack methods extremely simple—ramming and biting. Like warriors on an ancient battlefield, they engaged in a desperate struggle using the most primitive and savage methods, creating a bloody and horrifying scene.

Meanwhile, the Zerg swarm at the center of the battlefield could no longer distinguish between friend and foe.

They were tearing at anything that could move around in the vicinity, as if they had gone into a frenzy.

Countless broken insect limbs fell out of it, and even the head of a winged insect rolled to Matouchi's feet. This chaotic battle had lost all reason and purpose.

Just like the Battle of Verdun in Europe or the Battle of Xiangji Temple in China, this place has become something like a meat grinder, or even a millstone, crushing everything involved.

In this brutal battle, everything becomes meaningless; only death and destruction remain.

"This won't do; we'll lose sooner or later." Matou Ike thought to himself, then contacted the Fireball Ant's hive and dispatched a group of Fireball Ants into the battle zone.

The decision Matouchi made instantly was that they couldn't allow their own Winged Blade Insects to retreat before sending Fireball Ants into the center to self-destruct.

He knew that the old insect was a stronger insect master than himself. If the winged blade insects were no longer able to restrain him, this batch of fireball ants might be quickly countered by the enemy before they could even self-destruct, causing a serious reversal of the battle situation.

Immediately, Matouike gave the Fireball Ants the order to fly directly into the battlefield and self-destruct.

Fire ants flew into the battlefield, like crimson arrows, swiftly piercing through the swarm's lines. Upon reaching their target, they emitted a low buzzing sound before unleashing their self-destructive energy.

A massive burst of flame erupted, releasing formic acid in the explosion, which sprayed in all directions, engulfing everything around it.

The moment the fire ants flew into the battlefield, Zouken Matou noticed something was wrong. He quickly ordered the insects to keep their distance, but due to the interference of the winged blade insects on Matou Ike's side, only a portion of them escaped the fire ants' self-destruct range.

Most of the winged beetles could not escape the power of the explosion. They were hit by formic acid, their carapaces were rapidly corroded, and their bodies were blown to pieces in the violent explosion.

The splattered fragments flew through the air, and the entire battlefield instantly turned into a chaotic and panicked sea of ​​acid and fire.

Upon seeing this, Matouchi quickly dispatched a second batch of Fireball Ants and Winged Blade Insects to reinforce the battlefield, attempting to repeat his previous tactics.

Furthermore, a large number of demonic worms were dispatched to the battlefield to search for wrecked limbs and extract the remaining life force and magic power. After the demonic worms brought the magic power and life force back to their nests, a new round of insect breeding was triggered.

Although the battlefield was temporarily covered by formic acid, thanks to Matouchi's special training, the Demon Worm had acquired the ability to survive briefly in the formic acid of the Fireball.

Zouken Matou's second wave of insects surged forth once more, and the winged blade insects were once again engaged in fierce fighting, while the fireball ants followed closely behind, joining the chaos of the battlefield.

The scene that just happened is about to repeat itself, with fire ants crowding into the center of the battlefield from all directions.

However, the expected explosion did not occur; only a handful of twenty or thirty fire ants successfully self-destructed.

Matou Ike's gaze sharpened as she carefully observed the battlefield. It was a spiderweb; the battlefield was already covered in a dense network of spiderwebs, the transparent, colorless threads intertwining in the dim light.

Only when the fire ants self-destruct can the outline of the spider web be reflected by the faint firelight, like a faint glow.

This spider web is not very strong, and winged beetles can easily break through it. However, it has water-type properties, so it can easily recover even if it is broken.

It seems these spiderwebs are primarily used to block the activities of intelligence-gathering familiars, creating a situation where heaven and earth are completely cut off. However, using them to block the fire ants at this time is also quite appropriate.

After a moment's thought, Matouchi had the Fireball Ants attach themselves directly to the Winged Blade Insects and go into battle together. This would increase the losses of his own swarm, but it was the best solution at the moment.

Thus, the battle in front of the insect hive had devolved into a war of attrition fought with sheer numbers. Although Matou Ike's insect swarm was far outnumbered by Matou Zouken, the limited space in the insect chambers had led to a stalemate between the two sides.

Meanwhile, Matou Ike, who was standing outside the main battlefield of the insect swarm, was not idle either. He assigned more demons to be scattered in various locations of the insect nest in order to gather intelligence on Matou Zouken's side.

"Damn old bug, wasn't he already incapacitated? Even if he's in his magic workshop, manipulating so many familiars, won't he just die instantly?"

Using the spies in the swarm chambers, Matou Ike meticulously analyzed the current battle situation and was secretly alarmed by Matou Zouken's actions.

The entire insect chamber was now covered with spiderwebs that had appeared on the main battlefield. All the "Demon Spirit Flies" sent by Matouchi had been captured, with only a few escaping the net able to keep an eye on the situation inside the insect chamber for Matouchi.

The demonic worms that were sent out, because they moved slowly by crawling along the ground and walls, still had a large number of survivors. However, the worms were far less mobile than the demonic flies, and the visual information they could provide was also much less.

Currently known information about the insect chamber:

"First of all, the insect chamber is filled with insect webs woven by water-attribute spiders. Although I don't understand the structure of these webs, they must be able to transmit some information. After all, what use are these spiders if they don't even know what kind of prey they've entangled?"

“Apart from the largest insect nest located at the deepest part of the insect chamber, all the insects in all other insect nests have disappeared. However, according to the information transmitted back by the Demon Worm, some of these insects have gathered at the main battlefield, while others are searching for something in the various passages of the insect chamber. Based on the estimation of the insect swarm's size, some insects have also gone into hiding.”

"The purpose of the hidden insects is currently unclear. But the insect swarm used for searching should be targeting me."

"Although my magic and blood were used to simulate my existence in that insect hive, such tricks are still hard to fool a seasoned magician who has lived for hundreds of years."

"But judging from the number of swarms the old bug deployed on the front lines, he probably still couldn't be sure whether I stayed there."

"The old bug has already laid his trap, so how can I break free?"

"A test? A test before the Holy Grail War? Is it to test how long I can withstand his attacks? Or to test whether I can escape alive?"

"That's not necessarily the case. In the end, this is the old bug's magic workshop, and I'm the one who came here."

"Looks like I still have to go to the Great Insect Nest..."

Chapter 4 "Fierce Battle" (Please add to your favorites! Please continue reading!)

Before setting off, Matou Ike first checked his own magical power status and the branching status of the Matou family's magic crest.

Then, after checking the number of magical artifacts and familiars he still had on him and confirming that everything was in order, he carefully moved along the stairs inside the insect room.

The demonic worms sent out by Matou Ike found him a relatively safe route, and Matou Ike slowly followed this route.

During this process, he completely closed his own magic circuits and carefully observed every place he passed.

This route seemed to avoid all the swarms of insects sent by Zouken Matou to find him; only the dense spider webs along the way posed a slight obstacle, but it wasn't impossible to get through.

Matou Ike finally managed to find his way to the deepest part of the Matou family's magic workshop, which was also the largest insect nest where Matou Zouken kept his familiars.

Looking at the pool of wriggling Crest Worms, Matou Ike took a deep breath; he was quite familiar with this place.

During the nine years I spent in Fuyuki, at least half of my time was spent at Matou Pond, and those unpleasant memories are still vivid in my mind.

Upon arriving at the insect nest, Matou Ike looked around and found that things were not much different from usual. The only difference was that the number of aggressive insect familiars had decreased significantly. It was very likely that they had been sent by Matou Zouken to the battlefield above, or used to search for Matou Ike's whereabouts within the insect chamber.

Without using magical perception, it's difficult to detect the abnormality of the insect nest with the naked eye. But once magical perception is used, Zouken Matou will be able to detect its location, seemingly trapping them in a vicious cycle.

Zouken Matou's swarm of insects can be simply divided into three parts: the vanguard, the middle army, and the large insect nest.

The vanguard is responsible for fighting the enemy on the main battlefield, while the central army is responsible for intercepting any enemy forces that slip out and gathering information on the location of Matouchi, as well as quickly replenishing the Zerg swarm on the main battlefield when the vanguard suffers heavy losses. The large Zerg hive is responsible for a stable supply of Zerg to the front lines.

This layered defensive strategy put Matou Ike in a rather passive position. Matou Zouken was able to almost suffocate him simply by manipulating the rhythm of his familiars' attacks.

Hesitation will only lead to chaos. Fighting on the front lines is doomed to failure, and simply hiding will only provide temporary safety. Zouken Matou's insect swarm's carpet search will soon uncover them.

So the only chance of winning lies here, but...

Without hesitation, Matou Ike pulled out his "little helper," selected a phosphorus fireball, and fired nine shots into the giant insect nest. At the same time, he ordered the fireball ants he was carrying to immediately enter the nest and self-destruct.

The scene that Matouchi had hoped for did not happen. As soon as the fireball ants entered the insect nest, the insects inside immediately became agitated and adopted a defensive posture. The fireball ants that stepped into the swarm were like lambs to the slaughter, losing contact with Matouchi.

Although the Nine-Shot Phosphorus Fireballs caused some damage to the insect swarm inside the nest, the effect was far from what Matouchi had expected.

Before the phosphorescent flames exploded among the swarm, the insects inside the hive quickly secreted a mysterious liquid that effectively shielded them from most of the fire damage, so that only the outermost group of insects in the hive had to pay the price.

"You've finally arrived, Ike. I thought you'd be hiding there like a coward forever!" Zouken Matou's voice rang out from inside the insect nest, accompanied by the piercing chirping of insects.

So Zouken Matou really is here? Experienced magicians are unlikely to make such a mistake. This seemingly obvious opportunity now appears to be nothing more than bait to lure me out.

"So you really were here. It seems the so-called 'safe passage' my insects found was a trap you deliberately set, Grandpa."

Matouchi looked at the insects that were coalescing into a human shape in the insect nest and said, while also reloading ammunition into his "little helper" that had run out of bullets.

"Isn't this exactly what you wanted, Chi? Didn't you want me to be here right now?"

Zouken Matou, whose face was not yet fully formed, answered Matou Ike's question, as one after another, Crest Insects crawled from their nest onto the humanoid form he was condensing.

“Indeed, it is just as I wished…” Matou Ike replied.

Zouken Matou's appearance was exactly what Matou Ike had hoped for. He had never pinned his hopes on destroying the giant insect's nest to achieve victory, because that was almost an impossible task.

For him, who was trapped in the workshop of a rival magician, winning a one-on-one opportunity to fight the opponent was already the greatest victory.

Phew, the insects that Matou Zouken sent out to find me should arrive here soon, and the insects trying to get here from the front lines will be held back by my insects, so they shouldn't arrive too quickly. I must finish this quickly. The old insect probably isn't in great shape either, so there's still a chance of winning!

[Bang! Bang! Bang...]

One phosphorescent bomb after another was fired from the "little helper" and shot towards Zouken Matou, who was still taking shape.

In an instant, the unknown flying insects in the insect nest were used as shields in front of Zouken Matou, turning into clumps of ashes that fell into the insect nest.

After Matou Zouken completed his physical transformation, he immediately displayed his seasoned ability to respond. Countless black-armored, steel-winged winged insects molted and launched a coordinated attack on Matou Ike's location.

Matou Ike responded quickly, his personal familiar—the Fireball Ant—began to self-destruct one after another, causing a series of explosions that created plumes of smoke and dust between the two of them.

【Starkung】

This enhancement is still focused on the legs, starting from the circuit nodes at the ankles and extending all the way to the root of the thighs, with corresponding magic runes surrounding them, which greatly improves Matou Ike's jumping ability and speed.

What Matou Ike desperately needs is mobility. He needs to quickly approach Matou Zouken in order to attack his main body, which is the key to victory.

However, Zouken Matou seemed to have seen through Ike Matou's intentions, and gathered around him one after another cluster of unknown crustacean familiars, forming three layers of protection. Clearly, he himself was aware of his own weaknesses.

Matou Ike remained unconcerned, simply waving his hand. At that moment, a massive swarm of winged blade insects surged out from behind him, launching a fierce attack on Matou Zouken's insect swarm like a black cloud. It turned out that before Matou Ike even reached the giant insect's nest, he had secretly summoned a batch of winged blade insects to follow him.

【Raserei! (Go crazy!)】

As Matou Ike spat out a spell, blood mist began to seep from the bodies of his winged blade insects. The high-frequency vibrating wing membranes, like engines running at maximum power, erupted with a roaring sound, and they swept towards each other like a blood-red storm.

Melee combat between insect familiars is often the bloodiest and most brutal. They lack intelligence, but they absolutely obey and execute the commands of their insect familiars without question.

One after another, winged beetles charged into the battlefield, flying at high speed, their hard carapaces sparking as they collided.

If other types of familiars collided in such a conflict, they might lose consciousness briefly, but the insects wouldn't care. They only knew to rejoin the battle, using their sharp mandibles to pierce the enemy's head, swallow the magical insect brain, and then throw themselves into the next battle without stopping.

The two sides' winged insects clashed again, but this time the battle was completely different, almost a one-sided rout. The scales of victory were gradually tipping in Matouchi's favor.

Seeing that Zouken Matou remained unmoved by the situation, only repeatedly mobilizing familiars from the insect nest to form a defensive line, Matou Ike became more and more certain of his guess—Zouken Matou had lost the ability to cast spells.

Or rather, aside from the magic he used to sustain his life, all he could use were these insects that didn't require additional spells.

Seeing that the situation had become slightly deadlocked, Matou Ike began to think about how to get closer to the location of Matou Zouken's main body.

Using magic to change the terrain? No way. As the Matou family's magic workshop, dozens of barrier-type magics are used here for reinforcement.

This is why Matou Ike didn't initially have the idea of ​​using magic to blast open an exit and escape directly; even if she could, it would take too long.

It seems that to open a path through Matou Zouken's defenses, Matou Ike will need to use magic in conjunction with the Winged Blade Insects to tear open a gap.

In terms of magic consumption, the magic insects can alleviate it, which allows him to unleash magic more freely, which is undoubtedly his greatest advantage.

Having made up his mind, Matou Ike continued to infuse the Winged Blade Insects with the berserk effect, while clumps of demonic worms fell from his clothes, searching for materials to absorb magic power for him.

Suddenly, a thick shadow fell on Matou Ike's face. He sensed something strange behind him and turned around to find a strange insect with six scythe-like forelimbs behind him.