With Ren Kuroda fully unleashing his power, the magical energy radiating from his body was indeed stronger than that of the sea monster—but only to a limited extent. Although Saber and the others had immense confidence in him, Ren himself knew that this alone still wasn't enough to completely erase the enemy from existence.
Just as Ren steeled himself and prepared to go all in—planning to activate the Type-Moon–world version of "Half-Demonization," namely his innate skill Demonic God Rampage—another voice suddenly echoed inside his mind.
It was a mature, sultry woman's voice, rich with confidence and attitude. And yet Ren was absolutely certain he had never heard it anywhere before.
"Honestly, Ren, you idiot. Saber can use her Noble Phantasm—so why can't you?Why insist on activating an innate skill with nasty aftereffects?If you expose that weakness now, what will you do when other Servants start targeting you later?Is a slimy, single-celled lump of garbage really worth using a skill with drawbacks?
So, young man… draw your blade. I suppose I can reluctantly lend you my power."
The sudden female voice caused Ren—who had been on the verge of going berserk—to freeze mid-thought.
Unable to locate the source no matter how he searched, his gaze finally dropped suspiciously to the Nichirin blade hanging at his waist.
"…So, Shin'yu. That was you just now, wasn't it?"
If Ren remembered correctly, his Nichirin blade had awakened after being subjected to Lancelot's infamous "NTR hand" incident—but back then, the blade definitely hadn't been capable of communicating with him.
"Obviously. Who else on your body could possibly have psychic resonance with you?Honestly, Ren, you're completely hopeless. I was born the moment I was forged, yet it took you this long to awaken my consciousness.
And don't get ahead of yourself—I'm only half-awakened right now. I can't even manifest a body, and the support I can provide is quite limited.That said… limited or not, with your current mana and my assistance, dealing with that maggot-like trash won't be a problem."
After that confirmation, Ren finally became certain—the sharp-tongued, big-sister voice truly belonged to the Nichirin blade at his waist.
During the brief moment Ren was communicating with Shin'yu, Saber—who had been watching his sudden mana eruption—had assumed he was about to make a decisive move. Instead, she was caught off guard when he simply stood there, motionless.
Just as Saber was about to call out to him, the unfocused look in Ren's eyes suddenly sharpened into a brilliant gleam.
In the next instant, his feet kicked off the steel surface of the bridge with an eerie, curved trajectory, and his body shot forward like a fired cannonball!
"Forged by the sun, guarded by the heart—Nichirin Blade, Shin'yu!"
Ren skimmed across the surface of the sea at terrifying speed. The sheer velocity split the air before him to both sides, and even the seawater was forced apart by the violent airflow.
As he flew forward, Ren slowly drew the Nichirin blade from his waist, calling out its true name.
The moment his hand closed around the hilt, Ren felt it clearly.
He had drawn this blade countless times before—but this time was completely different.
The sword felt as though it had formed a strange, intimate connection with him. Power from the blade's spirit surged unceasingly into his body. And in the instant Ren entered this indescribably wondrous state, the System suddenly chimed in his mind.
[Skill "Mind's Eye" has been upgraded: B → A]
At the same time, two entirely new skills were granted.
Skill Name: Weakness PerceptionSkill Rank: B+Description:As a master swordsman who has honed his craft to the extreme, you can, through experience and intuition, rapidly identify the weaknesses of certain enemies—and strike them down accordingly.
Skill Name: Blade Spirit UnitySkill Rank: S−Description:Having earned the recognition of a blade spirit through your advanced swordsmanship, you enter a special state.While in this state, all sword-related abilities gain a massive boost in power and destructive force.Proficiency with sword-based skills increases significantly, and during combat, there is a chance to comprehend or enhance related abilities.
The instant he drew the Nichirin blade and released its true name—receiving two skills in rapid succession—Ren was utterly stunned.
He had never imagined that the "assistance" Shin'yu mentioned would be this absurdly powerful.
And this so-called Blade Spirit Unity—despite being "only" S-rank—was downright broken.
Boosting sword techniques and destructive power was one thing, but its true nature was essentially that of a cheat.
Just look at the effect: while in this state, Ren's comprehension was enhanced, allowing him to learn and upgrade sword-related abilities in real time.
The sudden upgrade to Mind's Eye and the newly acquired Weakness Perception were clearly just the opening bonuses.
Still, something puzzled Ren.
If the Nichirin blade had possessed such ridiculous abilities when it first awakened, why hadn't they triggered during his battle with Lancelot?
That question was swiftly answered—by the blade spirit herself, and in a rather irritated tone.
The reason Shin'yu hadn't demonstrated her true Noble Phantasm-level abilities before was simple:
She didn't have a name.
In the Type-Moon world, a Noble Phantasm can only fully unleash its power when its true name is invoked.
Previously, Ren's Nichirin blade lacked a unique, recognized name.
"Nichirin Blade" was nothing more than a generic classification—a mass-produced designation within the system. It could never serve as a true name, nor would Shin'yu ever acknowledge it.
It wasn't until a certain scumbag finally sensed a crisis—when his beloved blade was about to be NTR'd—that he hastily bestowed the name Shin'yu upon it.
Only then did Shin'yu finally obtain a true name and awaken the power worthy of a Noble Phantasm.
And after entering a half-awakened state, her Noble Phantasm rank rose from B to A.
As for classification—since Blade Spirit Unity enhanced only the wielder—it was categorized as an Anti-Personnel Noble Phantasm, with a single target.
An A-rank Noble Phantasm was, without question, a legendary weapon worthy of historical renown.
Even Yamato Kyōka's famed Onikiri, if converted into a Noble Phantasm, likely wouldn't reach this level.
Perhaps only her master's blade—Dōjigiri Yasutsuna—could rival it as an A-rank Noble Phantasm.
Which meant that even in Ren's original world, the half-awakened Shin'yu unquestionably qualified as a national-class blade.
Though it was his first time experiencing the Blade Spirit Unity state, Ren felt an uncanny sense of familiarity.
The blade in his hand felt no different from an extension of his own body.
His raw mana hadn't changed much—but Ren was absolutely certain that his current combat strength was not far inferior to his Half-Demonization state.
"Witness the roar of divine flame,the ravenous blaze of the Greedy Wolf—Invasion Like Fire: Greedy Wolf!"
The sword technique etched into his very instincts was unleashed once more.
Ren chose Invasion Like Fire instead of the faster, more destructive Move Like Thunder for a reason.
The flames of the Greedy Wolf clung like a curse—ensnaring even those that couldn't be slain in a single strike and hindering regeneration.
But the moment Ren witnessed the result of this strike, he realized his earlier worries had been completely unnecessary.
In the past, Invasion Like Fire: Greedy Wolf produced flame wolves that were little more than fiery silhouettes—shape without soul, mere fire given form.
But now, under Blade Spirit Unity, everything was different.
The slash was vastly larger.The flames burned far more violently.And the manifested wolves themselves had undergone a dramatic transformation.
These Greedy Wolves were no longer hollow imitations.
Each one was massive, exquisitely detailed, and possessed a fierce, majestic presence. Compared to before, they weren't even in the same league.
"Awooooooooo—!"
Amid synchronized howls, colossal flame wolves lunged toward the sea monster like predators descending upon prey.
Watching the blazing pack charge toward him, Caster—perched upon the monster's forehead—let out a scornful laugh.
He had survived Saber's Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasm. Ren's attack might look flashy, but Caster didn't take it seriously.
After all—
This was the ocean.
Using fire to defeat a sea monster here?
In Caster's eyes, Ren had already failed at the level of basic tactical choice.
Facing the roaring, diving pack of flame wolves, Caster calmly repeated his old tactic—raising walls of seawater as a barrier.
In his mind, this attack wouldn't even scratch him. In an environment rich with water, how powerful could flame-based techniques possibly be?
And he was already just a stone's throw away from Fuyuki City's shoreline.
Once Ren's attack failed, Caster would land—and the slaughter would begin.
"Szzzz—ssss—"
Just as Caster expected, the fiery wolves reacted violently upon contact with the seawater barrier.
But before a victorious smile could form on his face—
The first massive flame wolf burst through the steam like a beast emerging from a heavenly realm, jaws wide open, scalding vapor billowing around it as it lunged straight at him.
One.Two.Then more—
Flame wolves tore through layer after layer of seawater barriers, charging forward amidst clouds of searing steam—rushing straight toward a stunned, wide-eyed Caster.