They've already fought their way through the Holy Grail War, and you still call them dragons?

This incident is also recorded in the Impure World Reincarnation Technique in "Naruto".

However, what does the "cutting off past karma" that the other party keeps mentioning mean?

Emiya was thinking about the plot of the subspecies singularity Shimotsuna Province, but he seemed to have lost his memory.

Fortunately, BB brought a cup of coffee at this time——

"? What are you doing?" Emiya subconsciously reached out to take the coffee cup, and was suddenly startled when he put the cup to his lips.

He is in the middle of a tense and exciting battle right now, can he be serious?

"Hey, Senior, you've already tested everything you need to test. Now all we have to do is solve the problem of immortality, right?"

BB smiled as he glanced at Emiya who was becoming more and more relaxed, and at Hozoin Inshun who was climbing up with difficulty in the distance.

Senior, do you call this "thrilling"?

“…Yeah, that’s true.”

Emiya noticed Hozoin Inshun charging towards him again, screaming and wailing. He casually swung his sword, sending another golden light flying. Then, he took a sip of his milky instant coffee.

"Fuck you!" The other person's eyes bulged when he saw the golden light, and the whites of his eyes, which were already red, seemed to be even redder. I don't know if it was because of the casual attitude of Emiya who just drank coffee and dismissed him that irritated him...

The ending was nothing more than his face being hit by the basic attack of the Ame no Murakumo sword, and he was once again blasted into the bottomless abyss, shattered into ashes.

"So, BB, do you have any idea? His immortality... or perhaps the immortality of those other 'Heroic Swordsmen' seems to be related to some kind of karma."

Emiya thought, how should I deal with this thing?

He won't have to create a targeted weapon like the "Undying Slash" in "Sekiro" to get rid of these infinitely resurrected servants, right?

"The so-called 'karma' refers to cause and effect! Buddhism says that past good and bad karma can produce present-day suffering and happiness!"

BB quickly explained, "This causal relationship between good and evil is called karma, or in other words, cause and effect! Philosophically, this is often referred to as the interconnectedness of things."

"cause and effect……"

After BB's reminder, Emiya finally remembered that many Heroic Spirits' methods involved cause and effect. The most famous ones were Cú Chulainn's Noble Phantasm, the Magic Lance, Bazette's Backlight Sword, which could reverse cause and effect, Miyamoto Musashi's Noble Phantasm, which could sever cause and effect, and Sengo Muramasa's "Eyes of Karma," which could see through cause and effect...

However, comparing it with his existing ability template, perhaps he should make some long-awaited efforts to improve Muramasa's "Eyes of Karma" and Musashi's "Six Paths and Five Wheels: Kurikalā"?

Emiya scratched his head, he didn't expect that he would have to pick up something he had put down before and practice it again.

Maybe these days it's not enough to just practice basic stats, you need to prepare more ways to deal with mechanical monsters.

He glanced at Baozangyuan Yinshun who had crawled out again, and casually slashed with a golden sword that was as powerful as ever.

Just when everyone thought the fate of this unlucky servant was about to be repeated, a scarlet figure rushed into the scene at an extremely fast speed.

“——Stand still like a mountain!”

The man's voice was powerful and deep, and he shouted loudly. Golden light exploded on the face of the red figure, but his entire body equipment flashed a bright red glow, and the golden light that should have been overwhelming was abruptly stopped!

Boom!

The divine power exploded, like a torrent of sun flames that destroyed the earth and burned everything, but it was diverted by the obstruction of the hard armor, separating from the two sides of the male figure to form two narrow "tributaries", blasting out oblique abyss canyons on the left and right, and Baozangyuan Yinshun happened to be behind the man and was safe and sound.

After a while, the golden light finally stopped destroying the ground, and the male figure staggered back several steps, panting, and the scarlet armor on his body also dimmed a little.

"what?"

Emiya put down his coffee and gazed into the distance. Being able to block the basic attack of Ame Murakumo Sword with limited output meant that the armor the opponent was wearing was at least at the artifact level.

"Hahaha! This corpse is none other than the 'Heroic Swordsman' Takeda Shingen! I never imagined my opponent would be a warrior wielding divine power! Facing such a formidable foe, my crimson blood is boiling...!"

The man, draped in a long cloak and cloud-shoulder robes, smiled heartily and announced his name. Although this man, like Hozoin Inshun, had red eyes, he didn't exude a murderous aura. Instead, he exuded a strong leadership aura and possessed a fierce and aggressive aura.

It seems that whether or not he transforms into a "Heroic Swordsman" will not affect his aggressiveness and dominance.

"Oh, it's Takeda Shingen! Is he the 'Tiger of Kai,' the legendary foremost general of Japan's Warring States Period? It's said he commanded the most formidable cavalry corps of the time, battling the 'Dragon of Echigo,' Uesugi Kenshin, to even strength, and later defeated the combined forces of Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa Ieyasu!"

Mashu's attention was also drawn to her, and she quickly recounted the historical deeds of Takeda Shingen.

"I see, the Takeda family! The sacred armor you're wearing is the Shield Armor inherited from the Genji, right?"

Emiya happened to know this because it was related to the Eight Clans of Snake. Legend has it that the Shield Armor of the Genji was a gift from God. This armor was passed down to the Takeda family in later generations. The Takeda family was a branch of the Genji, and had an inextricable relationship with the Uesugi family of Uesugi Kenshin.

"That's right! Takeda is a cavalry team with extremely strong strength. Unless the Dragon of Echigo comes, no one can stop it-" Takeda Shingen announced publicly.

"Are you talking about Uesugi Kenshin? It's not impossible..." Emiya thought that Eri was just the pseudo-Servant who was hosting Uesugi Kenshin.

"Uh—I was joking, don't ask her!"

Takeda Shingen waved his hand. "Well, we have a new rival after such a long time! Raise high the banner of Fuu-rin-zan-zan! Ride across the heavens and earth and make your presence known, crimson warriors!"

Rumble...!

The earth began to shake, and buildings in the city began to collapse in large numbers. Amidst the smoke and flames, groups of ancient cavalrymen could be seen faintly. They seemed to be stepping on flames, rushing towards them, surrounded by red flames!

Mashu exclaimed in surprise, "Takeda summoned cavalry from afar! Could they be the famous Twenty-Four Generals of the Warring States Period? Or the Takeda army of yesteryear?"

"Haha, that's not the case! Some warriors may have their own banners or ideals, but they may not be willing to follow my 'Wind, Forest, Fire, and Mountain'!"

As soon as Takeda Shingen finished speaking, two figures from the galloping cavalry regiment jumped off their horses and landed next to Takeda in advance. They were a male servant holding a samurai sword and a musket, and a female servant holding a sword and carrying a bow and arrow.

They came riding on the horses of the legion summoned by Takeda, and they are undoubtedly the immortal "Heroic Swordsmen"!

Emiya concentrated and recognized their identities: Hijikata Toshizo and Tomoe Gozen!

Chapter 315 I still like your unruly look just now

In short, in just a short while, Takeda Shingen, as a Rider, rescued Lancer Hozoin Inshun, and used his own cavalry regiment to bring back Archer Tomoe Gozen and Berserker Hijikata Toshizo.

When the four heroic swordsmen gathered together, they had four pairs of scarlet eyes. The demonic energy rising from them was cold and dense. Under the cold red moon, their words sounded like the hoarse and noisy roars of evil spirits, which was chilling.

"Hmph! As long as I'm here, this is the Shinsengumi! The Banner of Truth (the Shinsengumi's flag) is immortal! Even the Tiger of Kai with Fuurinkazan cannot deny it!"

Hijikata Toshizo, dressed in military uniform, had a stern face and his eyes were abnormally bloodshot, but surprisingly, as a Berserker, he still retained the ability to speak.

"Hey!" Takeda Shingen was a little helpless:

"Although I have summoned the legion and allowed you to board, I, Shingen, never considered you my subordinates or retainers! As I said before, if you trust me, a well-known and established Warring States daimyo, why not form an alliance and support each other?"

The multi-party alliance during the Holy Grail War is also an old tradition.

It seems that among this group of "Heroic Swordsmen", Takeda Shingen is more of a brave warrior than others, and he has the most brains, so he has a certain appeal.

As for how effective this "indestructible alliance" is, it depends on how capable Takeda Shingen is.

As the servants over there talked, Emiya's eyes moved slightly and looked at the imposing military-uniformed berserker. He knew Hijikata Toshizo, a servant who seemed to be able to speak normally but actually did not look normal from his temperament.

In history, Hijikata Toshizo was active in the Shinsengumi, a security organization during the late Edo period (a samurai organization that eliminated those who opposed the shogunate). Its members included the renowned swordsmen Okita Souji, Saito Ichi, and Nagakura Shinpachi. Hijikata Toshizo served as the Shinsengumi's vice-chief.

Because he implemented extremely strict "rules and regulations" within the Shinsengumi (including not making money privately, not getting involved in lawsuits without authorization, strictly abiding by the Bushido spirit, etc.), he was regarded as the "Demon Vice Captain" by his teammates. Because of his brutal and efficiency-oriented fighting style, he was also nicknamed "The Demon of the Battlefield."

After transforming into a heroic swordsman, his frenzy became even more intense, and his opening remarks in a very loud tone further demonstrated what it meant to have "hair standing on end with rage" and "hair and beard standing on end."

The difference between the two, aside from his increased desire for bloodshed and fighting, is probably... his fanatical obsession with the survival of the Shinsengumi has intensified, with his constant reference to the Shinsengumi or the "Flag of Sincerity." At the very least, Takeda Shingen's desire to have Hijikata Toshizo obey him like an arm is a dead end.

As for Archer Tomoe Gozen on the other side, beneath her crimson eyes was a set of armor wrapped around her graceful body, and the eternal flames burning around her symbolized her fanatical hatred.

Tomoe Gozen drew her blade and swung it with blazing flames. She still turned her head to look at the city engulfed in flames and muttered to herself, "--The people of the Genji clan cannot be forgiven. This Japan and its people cannot be forgiven! Since this world has become purgatory, let everything burn!"

Surges of hatred emanated from the words of the Heroic Sword Master Ba Gozen.

Emiya pondered Tomoe Gozen's statement. Could it be that she had set fire everywhere, setting the city ablaze? Well, Tomoe Gozen's ability was indeed fire, so that made sense...

Tomoe Gozen, the concubine of Kiso Yoshinaka, was a skilled warrior, capable of defeating a thousand men on horseback. Despite being a woman, she frequently fought on the battlefield and made great achievements. The Tale of the Heike also records her as follows: "She had fair skin, long hair, and a distinguished appearance. She was also skilled in using a strong bow, and whether on horseback or on foot, her shots never failed to hit the target..."

In other words, she has fair skin, beautiful features, excellent archery skills, and extraordinary strength (those who are good at using strong bows are all strongmen). In short, she is a legend who can be ranked alongside the Four Heavenly Kings under Kiso.

Unfortunately, Kiso was politically incompetent and was deserted by his friends and family, leading to his swift downfall. Tomoe Gozen, though regretting not being able to be by her husband's side during his final moments, was a gentle and peaceful woman who ultimately accepted her grief with equanimity.

However, after becoming a Heroic Swordsman, unlike Takeda Shingen and Hijikata Toshizo, Tomoe Gozen's personality changed drastically, becoming filled with extreme anger. She hated the Minamoto family, who had driven her husband, Kiso Yoshinaka, into a desperate situation, and she began to hate everything...

"Hate the whole house and the whole dog as well", sounds unreasonable, right?

But the Heroic Swordsmen were just that kind of people. They were defeated on the battlefield as Servants of the Holy Grail War. As "Servants," they had long since died.

The heroic swordsmen they transform into are like wandering ghosts or zombies, driven by various obsessions tinged with murder.

For example, Hozoin Inshun's desire for fighting, Takeda Shingen's desire for hegemony, Hijikata Toshizo's dedication to the Shinsengumi, Tomoe Gozen's unquenchable resentment...

Herzog once said these Servants are unkillable, which is partly true... Rather, they're already dead. How can a dead thing die a second time?

"Takeda! Why did you summon us here? Are there still enemies left to be annihilated? Is it them? Should we kill them? No matter what, the Shinsengumi's banner of sincerity will not be extinguished!"

Hijikata Toshizo spoke loudly, emphasizing the Shinsengumi as if by some sort of habit. Takeda wondered, "Could you please stop talking about the Shinsengumi? It's like you're afraid others won't know about it." Hijikata slung his long sword over his shoulder and pointed the musket he held in his free hand at Emiya and the others.

Emiya didn't react to this, but Mashu quickly used her shield to protect Abbas, the ordinary person behind her.

"It's them? So that's how it is. Hozoin was beaten badly," Tomoe Gozen heard this and noticed the embarrassed look of Hozoin Inshun.

"Do we need to treat them like firewood? But we shouldn't mobilize all our forces and even the legion just for this small number of people. There are only... four of them. I can handle them alone!"

(Emiya: Are you sure?)

"..." Baozangyuan Yinshun couldn't help but want to complain, thinking to himself, you're no good! I went there to fight alone and was beaten to my knees. If you go up there, won't you just be a piece of cake?

"No!" Takeda Shingen clearly agreed. He also felt that Tomoe Gozen's single-handed PK with Chunchun was tactless and self-defeating. They had a powerful wielder of a divine weapon, so they should at least withstand the attack themselves and cooperate with their teammates to be sure of a successful outcome.

However, he has a high emotional intelligence and is good at speaking. He did not show his contempt directly, but just said it in a tactful way:

"As the leader of the alliance, I advocate that when one side is in trouble, all others should support it. So naturally, I personally rescued Baozangyuan Yinshun. If I let him face the enemy alone, what difference would that make? Just like when that white dragon attacked before, it was only because you and I helped each other that we were able to easily repel it!"

Hijikata Toshizo was disdainful and said arrogantly, "That Dragon King has a face as cunning as a ghost and has no fighting spirit at all. He just showed off his power at first, but when he couldn't defeat him, he flew into the sky. Does he really think we can do nothing?"

Emiya suddenly realized what was happening. Well, White King Herzog's previous arguments had been exaggerated, erasing his "glorious" exploits of being forced to flee. He couldn't even defeat several Heroic Swordsmen, clearly demonstrating how unworthy his title of White King was.

"Humph! They say we're allies, but how can anything in this world be unwavering? Breaking alliances is not uncommon throughout history!"

When Tomoe Gozen mentioned this, it was as if a key word was triggered. During her lifetime, Kiso Yoshinaka and Genji were not only allies but also relatives. However, Kiso was killed by Genji.

"Hey! It's best to keep such hurtful words to yourself, Archer. Now is far from the time for internal strife."

"Then stop the sweet talk! You summoned us here, so you must have some hidden agenda, right?"

"It seems I can't hide it from you guys."

Takeda Shingen looked around and said, "Actually, this call isn't solely for the purpose of rescuing the Hozoin Temple and annihilating these 'outsiders'—"

He blew a loud whistle, and with a horse's neigh, he turned over and sat on a tall and majestic horse that looked like a tiger or an ox - this was Takeda's favorite horse "Black Cloud". On the other side, there were countless crimson armed cavalry regiments rushing from the city.

The warrior army burned with flames, igniting raging fires wherever they passed. Finally, they stopped in an orderly manner not far from Takeda, awaiting orders...

The distance was just right - it just let Emiya and others get stuck between the cavalry regiment and the heroic swordsmen, giving a sense of encirclement. Takeda Shingen's calm behavior really had some of the style of a daimyo who galloped across Kai Province.

Emiya noticed the commotion. The dense flames from the marching cavalry and the trampling of their horses' hooves exemplified the meaning of "invasion like fire." It seemed that the Takeda army had contributed to the overnight blaze in the city, not just Tomoe Gozen.

Judging from the way Takeda's defense just now helped him withstand a single attack from the sword Ame Murakumo, it seems that Takeda Shingen not only has charisma, but his strength may also be among the best among these heroic swordsmen.

But Takeda Shingen, a daimyo who failed in his bid for world domination, theoretically couldn't be as strong as Oda Nobunaga or Tokugawa Ōtsuna? How could he be so strong?

It couldn't be a local fame bonus, could it? If there was a local bonus like Minamoto no Raikou being summoned to his hometown of Kyoto... then it would be possible to maximize his strength.

Emiya pondered this and suddenly it occurred to him, wait, popularity?

Takeda Shingen rose to power in Kai, which is today's Yamanashi Prefecture, one of the Tokyo metropolitan areas. This is the land they stood on!

"My dear heroes!" Takeda Shingen, who had mounted his horse, spoke in a louder voice, revealing his purpose:

"I am a daimyo, born in Kai, I survived in Suruga, conquered many lands, and rose to prominence in Shinano."

"However, life is full of twists and turns. He fought the Dragon of Echigo five times at Kawanakajima but made no progress. Just when he was about to defeat the Tokugawa-Oda coalition at the Battle of Mikatagahara, he died of illness in the camp. His career was halfway through and he died midway, leaving his hegemony unfinished!"

"Now, we are all Servants defeated in the Holy Grail War, fallen corpses who should have retired. We have so many regrets in life, and even after death, we are still frustrated. How can we willingly endure such a situation?"

Takeda Shingen, a powerful figure during his lifetime, was indeed remarkable. He mobilized the enthusiasm of his troops with just a few words. Not to mention the Takeda cavalry who obeyed his orders, even Hijikata Toshizo was inspired to fight with high morale, shouting "The Shinsengumi will never be defeated!"

"We must not forget that there are still Servants who are victorious and surviving in this war!"

Takeda added, "If we want to turn the tide of war and realize our wish, we must eliminate this great enemy! Not just the one in front of us!"

Obviously, what Takeda meant was that they gathered together mainly to find out the servants who were still hiding, not simply to integrate combat power to deal with Emiya and others.

However, after all this talk, Takeda Shingen actually didn't intend to hide anything at all, and openly leaked important information -

Or perhaps, with the four Heroic Sword Masters gathered together, their confidence had doubled? After all, they had defeated the White King without much difficulty before, so they subconsciously let down their guard, and thus no longer took Emiya and the others seriously?

Then Shirou would say that it is not a good idea to underestimate the enemy.

They wouldn't think that just because they knew from the battle between Hozoin Inshun that he could use divine weapons to strike with a single blow, they would arbitrarily assume that this was all Emiya's ability, right?

But that’s also true, the Heroic Swordsman himself is not afraid of death.

Not fearing death means at least having the guarantee of "not losing". This is their greatest confidence that allows them to run rampant and even force the White King Herzog to flee in fear.