The Shogun's eyes narrowed as she blocked the strike… Violet light spread from the center of her pupils, and without even exerting much strength, she simply pushed her naginata forward, easily knocking her opponent back!
Bang!
Once more, a sharp collision resounded through the air. The two separated—no… more accurately, Jack was sent flying several meters away by the Shogun.
Clatter…
"Tch…"
Jack twisted midair, landing on the wall opposite like a spider. From her elevated perch, she looked down at the Shogun. The next second, mist enveloped her body once again, hiding her presence before she disappeared from sight.
Seeing this, the Shogun activated Elemental Sight. Her violet eyes narrowed slightly as the world shifted into a sonar of purple hues. Through the intersecting waves, she caught traces of her opponent—faint glimmers darting between rooftops and alley crevices, circling her, probing for a blind spot.
Whoosh!!
Seizing the moment, Jack launched another strike, spinning down from above like a top, daggers gleaming with a dangerous red glow. For most, this attack would have been fatal—but not for her.
Her sharp gaze tracked Assassin's every move. When Jack closed in, the Shogun merely shifted her body slightly to the side, evading the lethal strike. The dagger's edge brushed past her flawless face as her eyes met Jack's startled ones.
"!"
Jack faltered in panic. For an instant, she froze under the Shogun's gaze, feeling an overwhelming pressure—like lightning surging through her entire being. Those eyes were unfathomably deep, cold, and merciless, looking upon her as though she were nothing.
It was the gaze of a god upon mortals. No one could endure such eyes without discomfort, forced down a level beneath them. And she hated nothing more than so-called gods!
Thud…
Landing, Jack clenched her teeth and slashed again!
Whoosh!
As if anticipating the move, the Shogun stepped back lightly, once more evading with ease. Jack struck again, her daggers swift and relentless. Each swing carved out a blood-red arc in the air, but every one was dodged flawlessly.
Such wild flurries might overwhelm ordinary foes, but against a warrior like the Shogun, they were full of openings. One decisive counter would suffice.
After sidestepping another strike, she swept the naginata lightly at Jack's feet.
Clatter!
Thrown off balance, Jack staggered—only for the Shogun to slam the shaft of her weapon into her stomach.
Bang!
The impact resounded heavily.
"Gah…"
The girl coughed blood, her ribs shattered from the blow.
Before she could recover, the Shogun vanished in a flash of lightning, reappearing behind her. With one hand, she swung her heavy Engulfing Lightning upward, tracing a lethal arc from waist to neck!
Whoosh!
The blade, wreathed in thunder, cut through the air with terrifying speed. Jack, enduring the agony in her abdomen, raised her dagger in desperate defense.
Bang!
The clash rang out, and Jack was hurled into a wall. The heavy bricks cracked apart, leaving a gaping hole as debris rained down.
Bzzz~
The Shogun flicked her naginata, sending a streak of radiant lightning slashing forward.
Boom, boom!
Upon impact, a fiery explosion erupted, splitting the building wide open.
"Cough… hehe… Big Sister really is amazing~"
Jack's voice echoed faintly through the air, airy and ethereal.
"Not only beautiful, but so strong… Truly perfect. Jack can't help but admire you. But…"
Her tone shifted—
"Hehe… Even Big Sister must have weaknesses, right? Weaknesses in the heart…"
The Shogun listened intently, her gaze flicking about to pinpoint the sound. Yet, it was omnidirectional, slipping from left to right, then back again—an illusion of surround sound.
Closing her eyes for a brief moment, she opened them again. Spinning her naginata in one smooth circle, she turned sharply, unleashing a sword wave nearly a floor high toward a precise spot behind her.
Boom, boom!!
The explosion blasted out!
"My, how dangerous~! As expected of Big Sister… Even in this fog, you can still find my general location. Hehe… Then let's stage the final act of our play—here in my Darkened Misty Metropolis~"
As soon as the voice faded, it disappeared… The surrounding mist grew even thicker, heavier than before, as though signaling a scene change. In an instant, the townscape transformed into something entirely different.
Amid the gray-white fog stood Victorian-style buildings and streets. The moon was nowhere to be seen, perhaps hidden by the haze. Looming in the dark night like a lighthouse was Big Ben, its clock hands frozen at a certain moment.
London, 1888—the fog-shrouded city.
Dong—! Dong—!
Though the hands had not moved, the bell tolled, each heavy chime echoing across every corner of London.
The Shogun raised her gaze toward the clock tower above, her violet eyes flickering with doubt, then swept her surroundings—the streets now old and strange, with rats scurrying through the corners.
Children, no older than ten, lined the edges of the street. Their clothes were ragged, their faces pale, bodies scarred. Their eyes were lifeless, devoid of even the faintest light.
From an alley staggered a beggar clutching a filthy bottle, collapsing into a trash heap. In contrast, elegantly dressed noblewomen strolled by, laughing and chatting as if unaware of their surroundings.
But the children—all of them—turned their dead eyes toward her, following her every step.
The Shogun gave them only a cursory glance before continuing forward, naginata in hand, deeper into the street. The noblewomen did not seem to notice her at all, still lost in their idle chatter.
When she passed through the street, the area grew deserted.
"Big Sister… Do you want to come into this world too?"
A childish voice rose behind her.
The Shogun stopped and turned her head.
From the shadows, a small figure emerged—a child under ten, covered in bloodstains, clothes in tatters, body marked with scars. Barefoot, the girl walked slowly toward her.
"Do you wish… to live on in this ugly world?"
The child lifted her bangs, revealing glowing red eyes beneath.
"Tell me… Big Sister."
[Shogun… This is an illusion. Don't let it ensnare you.]
Ei's voice cautioned her.
"..."
The Shogun's gaze remained cold as she looked at the little ghostly figure. Then, without a word, she turned and walked away.
"Is it truly fine to ignore all this?"
Taking a step forward, another boy appeared at her side, staring blankly as he asked.
The Shogun did not so much as glance at him.
"Is it truly fine?"
Another girl appeared from the opposite side, repeating the same words.
Tap, tap…
From the far corner came the sound of frantic footsteps.
A blonde girl burst from the alley. Upon seeing the Shogun's figure, she exhaled in relief.
"Save me! Please, save me!!"
She ran desperately toward her—but then…
Crack!!
A carriage rushed in from the left, crushing her beneath its wheels. Hooves and wheels ground her body, the sickening crunch of bones breaking echoing in the air.
The Shogun narrowed her eyes slightly and stepped toward the corpse blocking the street's center. The body was mangled, the girl's eyes bloodshot, her face twisted into a grotesque mask.
"Even now, can you still ignore this?"
The child who had been following her all along appeared at her side, questioning her again.
[Haa…]
Ei let out a quiet sigh. Trying to talk to a puppet about humanity? Even if the Shogun has her own thoughts, she is still a puppet. Using psychological attacks on her is nothing but a grave mistake.
The corpses of countless children fell from the sky, striking the ground with sickening thuds as bones shattered. Blood seeped across the streets, flowing into the Thames, staining the river a deep crimson.
On the streets, in the alleys, along the river—everywhere lay the bodies of children. They were discarded like trash, yet the passing adults paid no attention, still laughing and chatting as if nothing were amiss.
The blonde girl who had been crushed beneath the carriage was now torn apart by stray dogs, her dress shredded, her body unrecognizable.
"Beauty is filth, and filth is beauty."
The childish voice continued behind her.
"Here… children are nothing more than sacrifices."
The Shogun turned her cold gaze toward the girl.
"You show me this for what purpose?"
Her icy voice cut through the air. Was it to stir pity in her? To make her lay down her weapon and repent? Or simply to disrupt her mind for a chance at a fatal strike?
"You still don't understand?"
This time, it was not the girl who answered, but one of the corpses. A girl who had drowned in the river dragged her twisted body to the Shogun's side.
"Or… perhaps you refuse to understand."
Another child approached from the other side.
"Children born, children never born—all thrown into the river. That is this place."
This time, it was the blonde girl, her body half-eaten by dogs.
"This is what this place is…" ×N
Soon, all the surrounding corpses rose, forming a circle around her, repeating the same words over and over like broken dolls. The voices droned endlessly, drilling into the ears.
"This world is like this…" ×N
"Big Sister, do you wish to live on? In this world… in this filthy world…"
More and more children appeared, until they were like an ocean around her.
"If so… then come with us, Big Sister. Be our mother. Save us, Big Sister."
They closed in, the circle tightening, their hands reaching toward her like sinners grasping for salvation, like vines encroaching from hell.
"Yes… we were born from this town…"
"And we were never born at all…"
"And when we were born, we were killed and cast aside…"
Their whispers overlapped, rising in a grotesque chorus.
"But we are here, always here… beside Big Sister."
From the distance came a girl with gray-white hair, standing at the edge of the crowd, her voice soft yet clear.
The Shogun's eyes narrowed, violet light locking onto her as though ignoring all others. Their words were nothing but noise, like wind against her ear.
"Big Sister… save us…" ×N
The children pressed closer, reaching for her hands and sleeves. In their palms, black mist swirled—dark, predatory, hungering for her body.
Their voices overlapped, louder, more chaotic, filling the entire space. A normal human would have long succumbed to their bewitching words, dragged into a hellish abyss. But the Shogun was no ordinary human—she was not human at all. She was a puppet.
Crackle!!
The next instant, her body erupted in lightning, searing through the fog. Thunder roared from the heavens, tearing the haze apart as the Chakra Desiderata appeared behind her. Electro swelled like a reactor, air currents lifting the dust from the ground. The children recoiled in fear.
BOOM!!
In the next moment, the gathered currents burst outward, a shockwave of lightning sweeping across the entire city, engulfing all the children.
Squelch!!
At once, every child encircling her was incinerated by the blazing thunder. Blood sprayed through the air as limbs and fragments of flesh scattered.
Yet none of it touched her. The blood was repelled by her Electro shield, sizzling into vapor before dispersing into the air.
At last… silence.
Those grating voices had nearly worn through her ears.
"!!"
Only one remained—the last girl who had appeared, the silver-haired child. Her face was pale with fear as she stared at the scene before her. The street was covered in blood and torn limbs, every other figure consumed by lightning, burned away without a trace.
She had never imagined such an outcome. That someone could be so cold-blooded… Even in an illusion, who would strike without hesitation like this?
But in the very next instant—
Squelch…
A searing pain burst from her chest.
"Gah…"
Blood gushed from her mouth as she lowered her gaze. A violet blade had pierced through her heart, its dazzling edge crackling with thunder, burning and corroding the wound as it spread.
She lifted her eyes—yet the Shogun was no longer where she had been. Instead, she now stood behind her, the thrust delivered in the blink of an eye, without the slightest trace of presence.
"Kh… Why… does this illusion… not work on you…"
Bleeding, Jack reverted to her true form, collapsing to her knees. Blood poured endlessly as she stammered, staring at the woman whose Musou Isshin had pierced her heart.
"You… have no… heart?"
Her voice trembled. This Noble Phantasm's reach spanned all of Trifas. Every person was caught in the illusion—even Jeanne, even the wandering Red Archer, Atalanta. They had all succumbed so easily. The Red Archer especially had been completely twisted by her control, Jeanne wavering but still within her grasp. Only one stood apart—Saber!
With sheer force, she had shattered the illusion of the dark London fog. To think she herself would be defeated by such power—it was unthinkable.
"…This vessel is not without a heart. It is merely heartless toward enemies."
Besides, why would she be swayed by illusions she knew to be false? Such tricks might deceive others, but never her.
Earlier, Jack had claimed even she must have weaknesses. She had expected phantoms of "Vision Hunt Decree," "Ei," "Makoto," "Inazuma," or her people—things that might hold meaning to her. But this? This was nothing.
Clearly, her opponent did not understand her at all. Did not know what truly mattered to her.
Slash!
The Shogun smoothly withdrew Musou Isshin from her opponent's chest, blood spraying in an arc across the ground.
Robbed of strength, Jack collapsed forward. Blood gushed from her wound until her body dissolved into motes of blue light, fading into nothingness.
Black's Assassin—eliminated.
The scene around them wavered and shifted. The fog dispersed, and Trifas returned to its original form.