Yasaka ran through the streets of Urakyoto, her kimono swaying with the strong wind blowing through the debris.
The gray, heavy sky seemed to reflect the tension settling in her chest. Each step was faster than the last, her heart pounding as she advanced toward the epicenter of the destruction.
The city, once vibrant and full of life, now had a part reduced to ruins. Flames still burned in the buildings, and the smell of smoke was unbearable. She felt the weight of every scream that reached her ears, every plea for help cutting through the air. But she couldn't let herself be consumed by despair. She had to be quick.
"We need to evacuate everyone immediately!" Yasaka murmured to herself as she veered into a side street. She knew the terrain and where the families lived. The houses there were modest but filled with precious lives. Every second counted.
Turning a corner, she spotted a group of civilians, still dazed by what had happened. Some were trying to clear debris off others, while others stood frozen, their eyes glassy, unsure of what to do. With a pained yet determined expression, Yasaka ran to them.
"Quick! To the evacuation zone!" she shouted, her voice firm but laced with urgency that reflected her concern. She began guiding the people, taking an elderly woman by the hand and leading her to a safer path. "Don't stop, let's go! The center is much more dangerous now!"
Meanwhile, more civilians emerged, some with minor injuries, others more severe. Yasaka led them like a commander, always at the forefront, always showing the way. Her fox ears perked up, catching every sound of danger that might arise. She could not fail.
Within minutes, most of the civilians were being led to safety, but Yasaka knew she couldn't stop yet. More people could be trapped in the rubble. Her chest tightened with agony as she heard a distant cry coming from inside a partially destroyed house.
"Stay here. I'll be right back," she said to those already safe, giving them one last look before running toward the sound.
She entered the house, on the verge of collapse, and found a small boy trapped under a wooden beam. His eyes were filled with fear, but upon seeing Yasaka, a glimmer of hope began to shine.
"Are you okay, little one?" Yasaka asked softly, even though she knew time was against her.
The boy nodded, trying not to cry, but his leg was pinned. Yasaka crouched quickly, her expression fiercely determined.
"Don't worry. I'll get you out of here," she said, her hands briefly glowing with a faint spiritual aura as she used her strength to lift the beam and free the boy.
She swiftly lifted him into her arms, ignoring his weight. He felt lighter to her, as if he completely trusted that he was safe now.
As she exited the house, Yasaka spotted more civilians and ordered them to head to the nearest evacuation point, where a group of volunteers was already organizing people.
The pressure didn't let up, but she didn't stop. She couldn't. Urakyoto, her territory, was in ruins, but she wouldn't let it be swallowed by this disaster. The worst was yet to come, but for now, she would give her all to protect those still under her responsibility.
"Follow me!" Yasaka commanded, her voice now steadier, without a hint of doubt. "Let's make sure everyone is safe. Hurry!"
Suddenly, from atop one of the partially destroyed rooftops, four figures emerged through the smoke and shadows.
The elite guards of Urakyoto, respected warriors among the youkai, each responsible for one of the four access routes to the city.
They descended to the street, landing before Yasaka with a quick, simultaneous bow.
The first to speak was Raigen, a Tengu with black wings folded on his back, his golden eyes glowing like embers. His wind spear rested on his back, but the static energy around his fingers made it clear he was ready to act.
"Yasaka-sama, we are here. The gates are under our control. The East remains sealed. No signs of intrusion on my route…"
Beside him stood Gozu, a Minotaur with dark eyes and an overwhelming presence. His grayish skin gleamed, and he carried a kanabō strapped to his back. He spoke calmly.
"Northeast remains sealed. No hostile movement passed through me."
Yukiwa, a Yuki-Onna with white hair and serene eyes, joined the two.
"The North is secure as well. No being crossed my domain."
Lastly, Ibaraki, an Oni with dark red skin and wild hair, walked slowly with a giant axe resting on his shoulder. His grin was wide, as if ready to fight at any moment.
"South? Only the wind passed by me today."
Yasaka frowned, confused and furious.
"If everyone was at their posts… how did they get in?!"
Raigen was the only one to meet her gaze directly, with respect but firmness.
"They didn't use the roads. I can guarantee that, Yasaka-sama. There was no movement on the paths, no distortions in the air. They must have teleported into the city…"
The other three nodded in unison.
Yasaka pressed her lips together, her eyes hardening.
"Understood," she said finally. "Prepare the evacuation routes. If these intruders think they can cross Urakyoto without paying a price, they're about to find out how wrong they are."
All four guards gave a brief bow and vanished toward the civilians.
She then looked toward where she could sense the intruders' presence. As a leader, she believed her first duty was to protect her people, which she had done instead of heading straight there. But now, with her trusted subordinates and guards handling the civilians, she could go with a clearer mind.
With that in mind, she quickly ran in that direction.
.
.
.
.
.
When Kazuya and his companions arrived at the attack site, the scene was a nightmare in broad daylight.
Behind where they had stopped, an entire block had been reduced to smoking rubble. Traditional buildings lay in ruins, charred wood crackling under the lingering heat. Civilians ran in panic through side streets, some with singed clothes, others carrying children or helping the injured.
They had stopped because in front of them, as if posing for a heroic or mocking portrait, stood the culprits. They stood calmly, as if it were nothing more than a stroll in the park.
And at their center, exuding the air of someone who had done exactly what he intended, radiating arrogance, was him.
Cao Cao.
The wielder of the [True Longinus].
To his right, Georg, with a faint purple mist subtly surrounding his body.
Beside him, Jeanne d'Arc, or at least the version Kazuya recognized from this world.
Further ahead, Perseus observed the wreckage.
And next to Perseus was Marsilio, smiling faintly.
The group didn't end there.
Zhuge Liang held her fan with a strange smile on her lips.
Arthur Pendragon and Le Fay, the Pendragon siblings, stood slightly behind. Le Fay looked at the wreckage with restrained sorrow, her fingers nervously clutching her grimoire. Arthur remained stoic, the [Caliburn] resting in his hands, still sheathed for now.
And finally, there was him.
Siegfried, standing calmly a bit further back.
Kazuya observed it all without saying a word for a long moment. He recognized them easily, as did his Servants, thanks to the information he had shared through their mental connection. It was incredibly useful in situations like this.
Ishtar snorted, crossing her arms tightly.
"Oh, great. A festival of egos with god complexes. This is gonna be a pain."
Ereshkigal sighed.
Shuten took a step forward, excitement gleaming in her eyes. That thirst for chaos only an oni could know.
Artoria stared directly at Arthur, knowing he was her descendant and wielded the "sword of selection" in this world. She wanted to see if he was worthy.
Kazuya finally broke the silence.
"You really picked the worst place and the worst possible day to show up."
Cao Cao was the one to respond.
"On the contrary, Kazuya-dono. It was the perfect moment. The eyes of the world are on you. And this was the time to test whether your words about peace were just propaganda."
Kazuya smiled sarcastically.
"You attacked civilians. Very heroic for those who call themselves heroes. As villainous as my style might be, I've never done that. This is terrorism."
Jeanne stepped forward, her expression serious. "They're youkai. Not civilians… They attack humans around Kyoto for fun."
"And that's the fault of a child playing or a mother cooking and waiting for her to come back for dinner?" Ishtar retorted, her hands already glowing with faint golden sparks.
Cao Cao raised a hand, calling for silence.
"Our goal is only to capture Yasaka. If she surrenders, we can stop the attack immediately. Besides, we also want to see how strong the Official Human Faction is, a position that should rightfully be ours…"
"Well," Kazuya replied, cracking his neck and taking a few steps toward the group, "I couldn't care less about your goals… Now it's my turn to respond to your attack on someone under my protection."
Zhuge Liang smiled. "Then let's see if the 'strongest of humanity' is truly worthy of the title…"
Her words were followed by an uncomfortable silence.
No one moved.
The heat from the still-unextinguished flames mingled with the strong smell of dust and ash. Civilians screamed in the background, but none of those present seemed willing to back down.
Artoria's eyes didn't leave Arthur. Ishtar's sparked with impatience. Ereshkigal kept her fists clenched, while Shuten Douji laughed softly, almost as if enjoying the tense atmosphere.
On the other side, Jeanne held her upright posture but watched Kazuya cautiously. Perseus seemed more bored than worried. Siegfried, motionless. Arthur, like a statue. Le Fay glanced nervously at both sides.
Then, hurried footsteps broke the tension.
Yasaka appeared at incredible speed, her kimono stained and her brows furrowed with pure fury.
As she approached, her eyes narrowed.
"Who are you?" Her voice was firm, clear, and carried the authority of someone in her own territory. "And why did you attack my city?"
Cao Cao smiled, as if it were a casual conversation between old acquaintances. He took a step forward, the [True Longinus] appearing on his shoulder.
"We are heroes…" he replied, as if that were enough. "And we've come to ask for your help."
Yasaka's reaction was immediate. Her shoulders tensed, and her tail twitched slightly behind her, as if ready to lash the air.
Help? All this was a request?
"You call this help?!" She pointed to the wreckage around her, her eyes blazing with anger. "Injured children, separated families, and you… call yourselves heroes?"
She took another step forward.
"You have two seconds to get out of here before I—"
But she didn't finish her sentence.
Cao Cao merely tilted his head slightly, as if signaling something silently.
Georg reacted instantly, murmuring a spell under his breath. At the same time, Zhuge Liang raised her fan calmly and opened it with a soft snap.
The ground beneath Yasaka's feet trembled.
A purple mist quickly formed a circle beneath her, almost like a trap that had been there all along, waiting for the right moment.
She tried to step back, but there was no time. The ground vanished in a second, as if sucked upward. Yasaka fell, swallowed by a thick purple mist that closed immediately after, leaving only a faint swirl lingering in the air.
"Yasaka!" Kazuya shouted, his eyes wide with surprise. It all happened too fast, so fast it could hardly be called swift—it was instantaneous.
Without wasting time, he activated his [Clairvoyance] ability to see Yasaka's future. Earlier, he had used it only to identify the attacker. It wasn't a skill he could keep active constantly, as the overload of information was mentally exhausting. That's why he wasn't surprised by the arrival of the heroic faction; his real mistake was not using clairvoyance earlier to foresee their plans.
He cursed himself for it, but now, as he finally used it, he felt a subtle relief. Yasaka had been teleported into a pocket dimension created by Georg, and the enemies' goal was clear: to separate them all.
Kazuya considered letting it happen. After all, his Servants were always complaining about the lack of worthy opponents, and maybe this time they'd get the fun they craved.
While his thoughts raced, his Servants, who had also been unable to react in time, were equally stunned.
"That was…" Ereshkigal began, only to be interrupted by Ishtar, who was already floating beside her.
"Blatant kidnapping. Snatching someone in front of everyone? You really think you're walking away after this?"
Zhuge Liang smiled.
"Depends. Are you going to let us?"
Ishtar gritted her teeth.
Zhuge Liang's arrogance, her calm tone, that smug little smile…
"A mere…" Ishtar repeated under her breath, incredulous. "You're full of yourself, huh?"
Without warning, Ishtar raised her hand, forming a finger gun. A golden glow concentrated at the tip of her index finger, intense, fierce, divine.
With a snap, the air trembled.
The magical blast tore through the air with a boom like the thunder of an angry god. It was a beam of pure golden energy, too fast for human eyes to follow, heading straight for Zhuge Liang.
The strategist girl, though surprised, had sharp reflexes. Her eyes widened for a moment before Georg appeared in front of her, hands outstretched, his eyes glowing with focus.
A thick purple mist rose like a living wall, swallowing the blast with a magical roar. The impact created a shockwave, kicking up debris and dust as if an explosion had just occurred.
Zhuge Liang briefly dropped to her knees from the shock, but Georg remained impassive. He looked at Ishtar and shouted:
"Now!"
Snapping back to reality at Georg's shout, Zhuge Liang immediately used her Sacred Gear, [Strategic Trap], which could create various traps, like small holes for transporting people and items. Several holes appeared beneath the Servants, while one appeared above Ishtar, who tried to fly—they were pre-set traps, each activated simultaneously.
Knowing they couldn't use the same trick as they did with Yasaka, these holes only teleported the Servants closer to Georg, who was overly prepared.
The purple mist formed a giant dome and swallowed them all in the blink of an eye.
One by one, the magic circles faded as their targets were transported to the pocket dimension created by Georg's Sacred Gear: [Dimension Lost].
Georg, now panting from the effort, raised his hands one last time, releasing a new wave of mist that quickly swept the field. It enveloped the bodies of Zhuge Liang, Jeanne, Perseus, Siegfried, Le Fay, Arthur, and Marsilio, making them vanish like shadows in the fog.
In seconds, only Cao Cao, Georg… and Kazuya remained.
Silence prevailed.
The silence at the scene was heavy, like a storm about to erupt, until Cao Cao, with his usual arrogance, stepped forward, looking at Kazuya with a mocking smile.
"Looks like you're alone now, Kazuya-dono," he said, the [True Longinus] resting casually on his shoulder. "Will you keep smiling even after watching your subordinates fall one by one?"
Kazuya just looked at him, arms crossed, his face showing pure disdain. Then he smiled. Not a forced or polite smile… but a genuinely mocking one, as if the situation were a hilarious joke only he understood.
That deeply irritated Cao Cao.
"You're not worried?" he asked, frowning. "Your allies are trapped, Yasaka captured, and you're here… smiling?"
Kazuya let out a short, genuine laugh, as if he'd heard something utterly absurd. He shrugged, looking as relaxed as if watching a comedy movie.
"Worried?" he repeated, chuckling. "My friend… the one who should be worried here… is you."
The laughter stopped as naturally as it began, but the mocking smile lingered on his lips.
Cao Cao tightened his grip on the spear. He felt insulted, underestimated. Kazuya wasn't just unshaken—he was finding it all amusing.
"You underestimate me… that will be your final mistake. If you're not worried about them, you should at least be worried about yourself! Unfortunately, I'm going to kill you now…"
Kazuya raised an eyebrow, still with that carefree air. Then, in a calm, almost disinterested voice, he replied:
"Nah… I'll win."
The short phrase, spoken so casually, carried more weight than any war cry. As if the outcome were already decided, as if the entire world conspired in his favor.
Cao Cao finally gritted his teeth.
"Has anyone ever told you you're insufferable?" he hissed, already irritated by Kazuya's cold confidence. "So tell me… if you're so sure, why not accept a fight now? Me against you."
Kazuya shrugged.
"Yeah, I've heard that a lot."
He then looked at Cao Cao casually and said, "Has anyone told you you're pretty arrogant and have a hero complex? You're acting like one of those action movie protagonists… I bet you practice your lines in front of the mirror." With a sarcastic smile, he continued, "I thought the fight had already started, but you're too scared to attack me… But honestly, fighting here would destroy the city of the faction I'm trying to ally with, which isn't good… So, do you have a better place for us to fight, or should I figure something out…?"
Cao Cao gripped the spear's shaft tightly, his expression furious. He signaled to Georg…
Georg, who had been silent until then, finally extended his hands.
The purple mist began to expand again, this time thicker, enveloping the three like a heavy veil. In moments, the scenery around them began to distort. The ground vanished beneath their feet, the sky darkened as if reality itself were being torn away.
And then, in an instant, everything changed.
They appeared in a new place, a pocket dimension created by Georg with his [Dimension Lost]. The surroundings eerily resembled Urakyoto, but something was off.
It was like a distorted copy of the destroyed city. A solid illusion strong enough for combat to unfold without interruptions, but far from the world's eyes.
There they were, the three of them: Kazuya on one side, still smirking with disdain, as if in complete control… and Cao Cao, beside Georg, spear in hand, eyes burning with determination and wounded pride.
"Enough talk," Cao Cao said, stepping forward. "Show me what you've got, 'strongest of humanity.'"
Kazuya stretched his neck, rolled his shoulders slowly, and then spread his hands as if to say, *finally*.
"With pleasure."
But before Cao Cao or Kazuya could start fighting, Georg, sweating slightly, calmly declared as magical energy exploded from him:
"Balance Breaker…"
… ...
With a dull thud and a faint groan of pain muffled by the dust of the impact, Ishtar fell on her back. Having flown to escape the hole trap earlier, she ended up hitting her head hard against a tree trunk.
"Ow, OW! Damn it!" she shouted, clutching the back of her neck as she sat up quickly, grimacing in pure pain. "That bastard threw me like I was cargo!"
Ereshkigal appeared floating beside her, landing gracefully while watching Ishtar with a mocking expression.
"Hmph. Looks like the goddess of love stumbles even when thrown carefully…" she teased, with a sly little smile.
"SHUT UP, YOU GRAVE-DWELLING NECROFREAK!" Ishtar snapped, standing with clenched fists and sparking eyes. "It was the mist's fault! I could've landed with style if this place wasn't made of poorly rendered illusion!"
"Sure, sure. And I'm the queen of the underworld," Ereshkigal rolled her eyes. "Oh, wait, I actually am."
"You want to fight right here and now?! Because I'm ready!"
"Recover from your fall first…"
"I… I didn't fall on purpose!"
"You looked very… majestic, Ishtar, Goddess of the Sky, fallen like any mortal. Want me to fetch a stool for you to recover on?"
"SHUT UP!" Ishtar turned to her, even redder. "Didn't you see? That tree was planted here on purpose! And you're acting like you landed perfectly, but I know you tripped before stopping, Ereshkigal!"
"Lies! I'm far more elegant than you," Ereshkigal retorted, crossing her arms and lifting her chin. "You're just making excuses to hide your shame!"
The two stepped closer, their foreheads almost touching, sparks practically flying from their eyes.
They were about to dive into one of their usual bickering matches when, suddenly, they noticed their surroundings.
They froze.
The mist around them slowly dissipated, revealing a city.
Then they both realized something. The place around them was Kyoto. Or rather, it *looked* like Kyoto. The streets, the buildings, even the smell… but there was a subtle strangeness, as if everything had been rebuilt by an invisible hand. The purple mist lingered faintly in the air, almost imperceptible.
"…This isn't the real world," Ereshkigal murmured, stepping back, her eyes alert. "We're trapped. I'm worried about Master!"
"Can we ask him to use a Command Seal to summon us there…?"
"Since when are you so clever?"
Before Ishtar could retort, Georg's voice echoed through the dimension at that moment.
*Balance Breaker — Dimensional Creation.*
A chill ran down both their spines.
The sound reverberated as if coming from the air itself, and the space around them trembled slightly in response.
At that moment, a familiar voice emerged in their minds, soft, firm… and with a touch of comforting irony.
『Ishtar, Eresh, before you ask me to use a Command Seal to bring you to my side, I'm fine. Don't worry.』
"…Master." Both said at the same time, relief dripping from their voices.
Ereshkigal, her eyes subtly welling up, murmured, "Are you really okay? They… didn't hurt you?"
Ishtar gritted her teeth, but her concern was clear between the lines. "Spill it, are you in one piece? Or I swear I'll destroy this place just to get you out!"
His response was immediate.
『Relax, not a scratch on me. Don't forget your man here is invincible! Cao Cao wanted to isolate me… probably thinks he can kill me alone. Georg is with him too, but the rest of the group was scattered to other parts of the dimension, like you.』
『Georg used his Balance Breaker, Dimensional Creation or Mist Utopia, which lets him turn mist into a barrier to trap opponents in a different space. Dimensional Creation can also create various barrier devices to contain or imprison those inside the dimension. Georg can still generate mist to transport others to the barrier and use it to block attacks.』
Ereshkigal pressed her lips together. Ishtar looked around suspiciously.
"So he basically recreated Kyoto as a fancy prison," Ishtar said.
『Exactly. He can alter the scenery at any moment. And I believe with Zhuge Liang helping them, it'll get more complex, so expect strategic traps along the way too. You need to stay mobile and not trust the environment around you—everything could be a lure.』
"Wonderful," Ereshkigal muttered. "If I see that arrogant mage again, I swear I'll beat him until his soul comes out of his mouth."
Ishtar growled softly, her fingers crackling with golden energy. "That idiot's gonna pay. I'll make sure to blast his face just to see if he still smirks."
『Relax and leave this to me. I won't use the Command Seals to pull you out yet. Enjoy it. REALLY enjoy it. You don't always get the chance to fight side by side like this. And please… have fun. Take down the enemies the way only you two can.』
The two were still processing Kazuya's mental message when the sound of soft footsteps echoed through the silent streets of the recreated city.
Ishtar and Ereshkigal turned at the same time.
There they were.
Perseus, Siegfried, and Marsilio emerged from nowhere, stepping out of a misty side street, their silhouettes slowly taking shape.
No one spoke for a few seconds.
Perseus broke the silence, his voice low, polite… but lacking warmth.
"Kazuya is busy. We came to stop you from interfering in his fight with our boss…"
Ishtar raised an eyebrow.
"Interfere?"
Ereshkigal scoffed, a sharp smile on her face.
"We don't need to interfere in our Master's fight. You're underestimating him too much if you think that arrogant spear guy has any chance against him…"
But the scene was controlled. The mist, the alleys, the streets… everything felt slightly off, like pieces of a set designed by someone with a strange taste for symmetry.
Marsilio sighed, stopping a few meters away.
"We're not underestimating the 'strongest of humanity.' On the contrary, you're the ones underestimating Cao Cao…"
Ishtar stepped forward, positioning herself between Ereshkigal and the three.
"Think what you want, useless mortal. I'm more amused by this hilarious situation. You three really think you can stop us? Alone?"
Siegfried finally moved, taking a few steps and stopping beside Marsilio. His eyes locked on Ishtar, and his voice came out low, hoarse, as if he hadn't spoken in a while.
"Obviously, arrogant woman…"
Ishtar ignored the provocation and frowned.
As she was about to speak, Ereshkigal stepped beside her.
The two goddesses exchanged a glance. There was no fear in either of their eyes, only mild irritation at having to waste time on this. And, well, a bit of excitement too…
"So that's it… Master's orders are for us to have fun, but I think they won't put up a good fight. I want to punch the faces of these arrogant mortals," Ishtar murmured, flexing her shoulders. "Let's take care of them quick…"
"As always… you solve everything with a punch, don't you?" Ereshkigal replied with a brief smirk.
Ishtar snapped her fingers and looked ahead.
"Of course. I'm the goddess of love. And love, sometimes, is direct."
Perseus drew his sword with a clean, practiced motion. Marsilio merely raised his hands slowly, as if in no hurry. Siegfried took a deep breath and drew one of his swords from his waist.
And without another word, the fight began.
… ...
The field was vast and silent.
Surrounded by mountains cloaked in a thin mist, the hidden valley resembled an ancient painting. The grass swayed gently in the early morning breeze, but the air carried something heavier, a sense of something about to explode, gathering invisibly.
Shuten Douji stretched her arms above her head. Her half-closed eyes were fixed on the figure before her.
"Anata~… understood…" she murmured with a lazy yet unsettling smile.
Jeanne, from the heroic faction, stood a few meters away.
Shuten brought her sake cup to her lips and took a small sip, her eyes glinting faintly with anticipation. A thin laugh slipped through her lips.
"Hehehe~… so this is a Balance Breaker, huh? What a scary… and tempting thing."
Jeanne's smile remained serene, but her voice carried a firmness that cut through the calm valley air.
"Ignoring someone you're about to fight… is a bit rude, don't you think?" she said, locking eyes with Shuten without wavering. "Anyway… are you done saying goodbye to the traitor of the human race?"
For a brief moment, time seemed to freeze.
The sake cup paused in the air. Shuten Douji's eyes, once playful and half-closed, slowly opened fully. Her relaxed expression shattered like cracked porcelain, giving way to something darker.
"…Haa?" she murmured, as if unsure of what she'd heard. After a second, she tilted her head, and her smile returned, but now it was different. Wider. More twisted. With something hungry glinting in her eyes.
She took a step forward, the soft sound of grass crunching under her bare feet.
"Fufufufu… so this foolish human dares to insult… my Anata~?"
The breeze stopped.
Shuten brought the cup to her mouth but didn't drink. Instead, she tilted it, letting the sake spill onto the grass like an offering.
"How rude, how rude… but if that's how it is, let's do this the fun way." Her voice was musical, but something in it made the skin crawl. "I'll drink your blood… drop by drop, until the last breath of that ridiculous faith of yours."
Jeanne didn't respond immediately.
A bead of sweat rolled down her temple, though her body remained upright like a spear planted in the ground.
The feeling was clear, instinctual, like the fear animals sense before a natural disaster.
She had faced dragons, demons, lesser gods… but nothing in her memory seemed to compare to the being before her now.
"…Then let's finish this before the sun gets too high…" Jeanne said, gripping the handle of her banner tighter. "Because it doesn't matter if you're an oni or a possessive wife. My duty is to kill you…"
Shuten let out a shrill, joyful laugh, like a child about to open a gift.
"Hihihihihi~! How delightful! I like you, human. This is going to be… unforgettable."
And then, in an instant, the wind blew with sudden violence, as if even it were trying to flee.
The two figures stood there, motionless, separated by meters… but already caught in the whirlwind of an inevitable battle.
… ...
The ghost city seemed frozen in time.
The stone buildings bore gothic details and slender towers covered in moss, as if centuries had passed since any living being walked there. The mist hovered close to the ground, muffling sounds and creating an oppressive atmosphere. No birds sang. No sound of wind. Only the silence of something forgotten.
In the middle of the worn cobblestone street, where carriages would never pass again, three figures faced each other.
Artoria Lancer stood there, steadfast.
Her long golden hair danced gently in the chilly breeze. The sacred lance rested on her shoulder naturally, as if it were an extension of her body. Her gaze, however, was firm, calm, and sharp as the tip of the weapon she carried.
"Since my Master has given me permission to do as I please," she said, her voice almost respectful but filled with authority, "I have to ask…"
Her eyes glinted with restrained intensity.
"Are you the last descendants of the Pendragon family? Arthur and Le Fay, correct…?"
Arthur raised an eyebrow, his golden eyes narrowing in suspicion.
"…And what of it?" he replied, his tone dry, defensive.
Le Fay hesitated.
The young mage, who usually spoke for him, took an unconscious step back.
Artoria didn't respond immediately.
Her gaze slowly lowered… landing directly on the sheathed sword Arthur carried strapped to his back.
"…I want to see," she said, now with a faint melancholic smile, "if you are worthy of wielding that sword… as I once was."
The words fell like stones.
Arthur's eyes widened.
Le Fay, beside him, did too.
But before they could question her, the woman's aura surged.
The fight was about to begin.
____________________
💬 And hey — want to just read ahead a bit?
📚 For $2.99, you can read up to 5 chapters ahead, perfect for avoiding spoilers or just bingeing.
📚 For $5.99, you get full access to ALL content, no holding back.
My Patreon: patreon.com/Adam_Kadmon