Execution Interrupted
Akira moved with the inhuman speed afforded by his combined abilities. His Predator's Focus Sight cut through the chaos, locking onto the faint energy signature of the enemy commander, who was positioned deep behind a shield wall, directing the armored charge.
The final few steps were a blur of perfect silence. Akira bypassed the fighting, slipped past the shield wall, and materialized directly behind his target. Blue Haze whistled, poised for a swift, precise decapitation—the clean, efficient end to the invasion.
But in the critical half-second before his blade met neck, Akira froze.
The enemy general, momentarily turning to shout an order, was revealed to be a woman.
The Shameful Act
The killing blow was arrested by the same ingrained 2D sensibility that defined Akira. He could not, physically, execute the woman—especially one who was clearly a high-tier opponent—in a simple, efficient manner. The thought of adding a "female general's execution" to his list of necessary evils clashed with his deepest, most primal boundary.
Akira retracted the katana but did not retreat. Instead, he did what he considered the most shameful, strategically embarrassing thing possible to achieve the same result: total demoralization and retreat.
He activated a focused burst of his power, aiming not for the woman's life, but for her dignity. With a single, invisible, hyper-focused application of Corrosive Slash channeled through his hand, Akira targeted her vital equipment.
The woman's full plate armor instantly failed. The metal around her torso and joints warped, then disintegrated, stripping her of her combat protection and leaving her exposed and humiliated in the middle of her command post.
Rout and Retreat
The general, shocked and shamed by the sudden loss of her armor, let out a cry of disbelief. The immediate military leaders around her saw the impossible sight: their commander suddenly disarmed and exposed by an unseen phantom.
The psychological impact was devastating. The general immediately screamed a desperate order: "R-retreat! Retreat immediately! The enemy possesses magic that melts armor! Fall back!"
The structured, armored formation instantly broke down into a confused rout. The invaders, their morale shattered by the instantaneous, terrifying defeat of their leader by an enemy they couldn't see, turned tail and bolted back toward their newly opened Gate.
Seeing the retreat, Akira activated his Alpha Intimidation ability one final time, projecting a pulse of absolute dominance that hastened their flight.
The second Gate quickly swallowed the remaining invaders, and then—just as abruptly as it had appeared—the purple portal vanished, leaving only the ravaged interior of the mall and the surviving forces of Earth.
Aftermath and Claim
The sudden end of the battle left the mall space ringing with silence. The Heroic Spirits, Servants, and Serafall stood amid the wreckage, confused by the sudden, panicked rout of the enemy they were only just beginning to slaughter.
The Voice of the World immediately rang out, confirming the victory:
"World Battle concluded. The invaders have retreated. The Candidate Akira has successfully defended the sector. The territory of 100 meters surrounding the Gate's initial location is now claimed by the victorious party."
Akira, reappearing from the shadows beside his elite team, wiped the sweat from his brow. He had secured the territory and avoided a moral crisis, but only by committing an act of strategic perversion.
His gaze immediately sought out Serafall. "Sera-chan," he ordered, "organize a brief celebratory flyby for the Servants. Then, you have another assignment: gather every single one of those awakened goddess entities. I need them at the castle summit meeting tonight. Now."