The war council concluded with Riis's final command ringing in the air. The team mobilized immediately, converging in the courtyard behind Luke's house where the air was cold and charged with kinetic energy.
Akane stood at the center of the flagstones, her eyes focused. With a practiced flourish, she channeled her deep reservoir of mana. A massive crimson-red magic circle, shimmering with the intricate runes of the Morningstar Household, expanded rapidly, coating the ground in a brilliant scarlet glow that promised instant transit.
Luke, Kai, and Kotori moved toward the magic circle, their expressions locked in mission focus.
Just as Luke was about to step into the shimmering light, a flurry of motion caught his eye. Asuna rushed up to him. She stopped right at the edge of the magic circle, the crimson light bathing her pale features. She quickly reached out and gently grasped both of Luke's hands, her touch firm but pleading.
"L-Luke," she whispered, her voice trembling slightly. "Please, don't do anything dangerous." Her large eyes were wide with genuine fear, a stark reminder of the conceptual backlash he'd endured just days ago.
Luke stopped, meeting her gaze with a reassuring smile. He briefly glanced over his shoulder at Kai and Kotori, who were patiently waiting, and then looked back at Asuna.
"Don't worry, Asuna," Luke said softly, squeezing her hands gently. "I have Kai and Kotori with me. They're here to help me. We'll be fine."
He released one of her hands and turned, his gaze sweeping across the courtyard to land on Yuma and Riis, who were observing the final deployment. He gave them both a wide, genuine, and utterly Luke-like smile—a warm, confident expression that melted away the professional tension for a brief, disarming moment.
Both Riis and Yuma instantly felt a wave of heat rush to their faces, their stern mission expressions cracking as a faint blush settled on their cheeks.
"You idiot," Yuma muttered under her breath, quickly turning her head away to hide her reaction.
Riis let out a sharp, exasperated sigh, crossing her arms tightly. "You absolute, reckless idiot," she said, but the usual severity in her voice was replaced by a soft, almost affectionate exasperation.
Luke's smile didn't falter. He turned back to the magic circle, a final surge of resolve replacing the warmth.
"Let's go," he said to his team.
Kai and Kotori stepped into the crimson light. Luke followed, and in a blinding flash, the crimson-red magic circle collapsed, taking the three figures and the weight of their mission into the darkness of teleportation.
A violent wrenching sensation—the hallmark of high-tier teleportation—snapped Luke, Kai, and Kotori from the crimson darkness.
They materialized instantly in the chilling, salt-laced air of the Old Port District.
The location was a massive, derelict industrial area. Tall, skeletal buildings and stacks of decaying shipping crates provided a labyrinth of shadow and concealment.
Above, the night sky was clear and beautiful, radiating with countless stars, but down on the ground, a slight, heavy fog encompassed the area, swirling around the rusty metal and cracked concrete.
Luke took an immediate breath, tasting the air. His eyes, usually hyper-aware, narrowed.
"This fog isn't normal, is it?" Luke said to Kai, his voice low.
Kai nodded, his expression already hardened to focus. "You're right. Let's check."
He drew one of his twin swords—the White blade—and without hesitation, drove the tip straight into the cracked earth. A burst of blue aura pulsed briefly from the blade, radiating a silent, invisible shockwave into the environment.
"Knight's Eye," Kai commanded. His naturally blue eyes began to glow, intensifying the subtle color. He scanned the swirling fog. "I can see about a hundred mid-tier Fallen Angels within range. They're scattered, but I can't sense anything further out. There's definitely more out there, though."
Kotori, standing between them and radiating her customary sense of quiet assurance, looked at Luke. "Luke, aren't your eyes more powerful than Kai's? Can you pierce this?"
Luke sighed, adjusting his grip on the transit key. "Sure, but I might have some trouble. This fog feels designed to block us—like a conceptual ward, not just weather." He pushed his caution aside. "But I'll handle it."
He activated his own sensory power. Luke's Apostle's Eyes flared, not with color, but with a terrifying intensity that seemed to peel back the veil of reality. He didn't just see the mana; he saw the lines of the conceptual ward forming the fog, twisting and distorting the sensory input. He felt a brief, searing pressure against his mind as he pushed through the barrier—a sensation like staring into a swarm of wasps made of pure malice.
He forced his awareness through, glimpsed the true threat, and pulled his power back, concealing his awareness once more.
Luke's composure vanished, replaced by cold certainty. "Kai was right. There's more," Luke reported, his voice completely flat. "A lot more. I count roughly a thousand Fallen Angels and demons, scattered around the perimeter, just waiting for the fog to lift."
"A thousand," Kai repeated. "So fighting them conventionally is a bad idea."
"Yeah," Luke confirmed. "It seems they don't know exactly where we are yet, but this fog won't save us for long." He pressed the transit key tighter in his hand.
Time to cover more ground, Luke thought to himself.
"Knights Assemble!" Luke commanded.
Instantly, his Eight Knights appeared in front of him, their armor polished in the familiar crimson and gold of their Multi-Promotion state. They knelt in perfect synchronization.
Snoke, the lead knight, spoke with absolute devotion. "What is your command, my Liege?"
Luke's golden Apostle's Eyes looked with intense, focused resolve at the assembled Pawns. "All right, you all know our objective: destroy the Will of Sariel. I'll cut to the chase—there's about a thousand enemies here, and we need to move fast. I need you to take them out. By any means necessary."
The Knights responded with a unified, metal clang. "As you command!"
Luke turned to Valis. "Valis, how far is this fog reaching?"
Valis tapped his staff lightly on the cracked concrete. A subtle red aura burst from the tip, pulsing outward like an invisible shockwave that conceptually mapped the immediate environment.
"It is encompassing the entire port, My Liege," Valis reported. "And I sense faint, layered magical power signatures within it. I've also managed to find that there is a strong spatial anchor near those large crates, likely linked directly to the transit key you hold."
"Wow, impressive," Luke murmured in surprise. He then addressed Valis again. "Valis, change your attire. Your armor is kind of flashy."
"As you wish, my Liege." Valis waved his staff once. The crimson and gold evaporated, replaced by eight sets of tailored black Knight uniforms. Robin received a practical, split-side skirt over leggings. Ezio received a unitard with an attached hood.
"Nice fits," Luke approved. He paused, noticing Robin's gear. "Especially you, Robin."
Robin, clutching her bow, blushed faintly beneath her hood. "Why, thank you, my King."
Luke, still focused on his Knights, heard the voices clearly transmitted through the tiny magic circle Kyra had placed near his ear. He sighed in frustration.
From the comm link, Riis watched the exchange, her voice dripping with mock sweetness. "Oh, really, Luke? Even now?"
Yuma continued the playful accusation. "You already have me, and you still go after other women. How mean!"
Akane laughed lightly. "My, my, Luke can't seem to help himself when giving women compliments, can you, our charmer? You might outshine Kai!"
"Oh, come on, it's not that big a deal," Luke insisted, rubbing his ear.
Kai, standing next to him, smiled slightly. "I don't know."
Even Kotori chimed in, her placid face completely stoic. "Cassanova," she stated plainly.
Luke groaned. "Really? You too?"
He refocused, speaking directly to the comm link, addressing Riis and Yuma. "You know I wouldn't do anything to hurt you intentionally, right?"
Riis and Yuma felt a slight pang of guilt. "Don't worry, Luke, we know," Riis said, slightly softening her tone. "Yeah, we like the kind you, Luke," Yuma added.
Luke turned back to his team. He looked at Valis, then at Snoke, who were both waiting with a shared look of expectation.
"My Liege, we have something for you," Snoke announced.
Valis waved his staff, and a small, crimson magic circle appeared between Luke and the kneeling Knights. It revealed a beautiful, lethal-looking dark longsword, patterned with an intense red centerline color. The blade pulsed with refined power.
Luke widened his eyes. "Woah. No way, come on, I can't take that. I mean, I know I gave you guys independent bodies and all, but this feels... weird." He felt a conflict—pride in their devotion versus the discomfort of accepting such a weighty, personal gift from his own soldiers.
From the comm link, Riis cut in. "Oh, come on, Luke. You're their king, accept their gift."
Yuma chimed in. "Yeah, Luke, you can't refuse them, can you?"
Kyra added, the professionalism back in her voice. "A king has to be considerate, Luke. Their pride is tied to this offering."
"I'm not even a king! Riis is, I'm the Pawn!" Luke protested.
Kai smiled, his gaze firm. "Yes, but to them, you're a king."
"Fine," Luke relented, looking at the powerful blade. "All right, I accept. Thank you, Knights. I will wield this in your name."
He raised his hand and pointed into the fog. "Knights, scatter!"
In an instant, the eight figures vanished, utilizing a specialized flash-step technique to execute their mission of distraction and elimination.
Luke let the dark longsword disperse back to the Knight's realm. He adjusted his uniform tie, regaining his composure. He turned to Kai and Kotori, his voice sharp with finality.
"Kai, Kotori, stick to the perimeter shadows. We don't engage the main force—we find the anchor and break the spell."
Kai and Kotori nodded. They quickly headed toward the crates where Valis had detected the spatial anchor, moving with practiced silence toward the heart of the ambush.