Here we are, in the last chapter of this triple update. Yes, you heard it right. If you got into this chapter first, I recommend you to go back two chapters if you don't want to spoil yourself hard.

Now, for those that have read the two previous chapters, buckle up, because this is going to be quite the ride. Aside from the Emiya Theme, or any epic theme, you should prepare an ominous one. I recommend the entire "Doom Eternal" soundtrack.

Without further ado, let the chapter begin!

Disclaimer: I don't own any right over Type-Moon, the Fate Franchise, High School DxD, or Honkai Impact 3rd.


Reverse Kyoto. Some time before...

"What in the world is that!? It somehow hijacked that portion of the space and reshaped it into something else entirely. I can't so much as breach it!" The second in command of the Hero Faction spoke with uncharacteristic eagerness as he observed the place where both Shirou and Cao Cao disappeared.

And that only helped increase the confusion in everyone around him. The pocket dimensions created by his Dimension Lost should be the most powerful and stable. For a spell casted by a human to disrupt it so easily, it was mind-boggling. Everyone could tell there was something there even if they couldn't see it, and Georg could tell an entire new pocket dimension was created there.

"It seems Emiya Shirou took his own measures to prevent others from interrupting their fight." On the other hand, Heracles seemed as calm as he was at the beginning of the fight. "In that case, our job here is done. We should wait for the outcome of the battle."

"What are you saying, Heracles!? Have you gone senile!? We already got them!" The shadow warrior immediately argued against it, but the giant's stern gaze didn't waver.

"Heh, more like you finally realized you hit a brick wall here." Xenovia retorted confidently. Her breath was somewhat heavy, and she had some wounds in her body, but she was more than ready for a second round.

More so having Jeanne beside her, with her banner radiating holy light that alleviated the pain. Xenovia's words hadn't been a bluff entirely, as that light was preventing Connla from getting close.

"Besides, even if you decided to stop, the same can't be said for the monsters from the Annihilation Maker."

"We'll tell Leonardo to stop them. Also, Georg, stop the Kyuubi now that she's done her job."

The giant's words took by surprise the Church trio, and even his comrade, who looked at him as if he had grown a second head.

"That's simply not possible. I didn't plant a mind-control spell on her. I just made her go berserk."

"What did you just say!?" Kunou's raging voice was heard in the distance.

Just as Georg said, while time was slowly resuming for everyone after the Unlimited Blade Work's deployment, the Kyuubi kept rampaging without wasting a second. The Sitri pawn turned into a black dragon that could barely keep at bay.

"Serafall-sama, please, I need your help here!"

Unfortunately for him, ever since the red knight deployed his unique spell, the twin-tailed maou seemed to have lost all her momentum. Her blue eyes were fixed on the place where the red knight disappeared... and tears were starting to slide down her cheeks.

"The answer you got after living all your life as a sword... a graveyard..."

Even if she couldn't see what was inside the reality marble, she was able to hear the first part of the conversation between Shirou and Cao Cao. The pieces fell in place, and even if she could already see it coming, it was still too heart-wrenching.

Despite having both Saji and Azazel yelling into her ear, she couldn't bring herself to get into the fight again. She needed some time to sort out her feelings.

"Oh? An illusion, yet not at the same time... That's quite an interesting spell." Nurarihyon observed with fascination as if he hadn't been fighting the Red Dragon Emperor, the General Governor of the Grigori, Odin's former secretary, and Yasaka's right-hand woman seconds ago.

Those four were also looking in that direction with similar questions in their head.

"Issei-kun, has Shirou-kun spoken about that spell before?"

"He did mention having an aria about himself when he was giving me advice about the Juggernaut Drive, but he left it with an "I'll show you one day"."

"Oh, that must be the really personal spell he mentioned! I never thought it was an actual poem about himself. If that's the case... whatever is in that pocket dimension must reflect him on a really deep level." Rossweisse's tone became dark as she came to that realization. The poem itself was already quite somber

What those three were discussing went over Sakura's head. As far as she was concerned, Shirou had isolated the terrorist group's leader for a one-on-one duel, so it was up to them to deal with the other problems.

"Do you really want to keep this up, Nurarihyon? You're pretty much alone now, and you were used as another pawn on someone else's plan. You don't even have that much honor to defend here."

The old Yokai caressed his chin, still keeping his carefree attitude. "Knowing when to retreat is just as important, yes. Unfortunately, there seems to be a way pressing matter for all of us."

"What do you mean?"

Meanwhile, in the closest area to the deployed Reality Marble, a certain cloaked figure found herself staring at it in awe, having completely forgotten about her fight with the Vermilion Bird.

"Wow... So he did have a way to manifest it. Seeing it on a spiritual level had been already impressive, but this..."

"You... how is it that you know what that spell is?" Suzaku questioned her. She wasn't an expert in all kinds of magic, but she liked to think she was quite versed.

The hooded beauty instead gave her a smug grin. "Of course I know. Shirou-kun and I are the closest confidants there could be~"

""What did you just say!?"" Both Suzaku and Tobio, who also put a stop to his battle, glared at her questioningly, but that just made her smile widen. Perseus landed near her in preparation for the second round, his serious expression not giving away any clue.

But the question of how they should take that this enemy claimed to be really close to Shirou didn't even cross the mind of the Raiden Clan's heir. Because there was something else plaguing it.

"A reality marble... Haha... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Much to Mei's horror, the voice in her head started laughing manically upon recognizing the spell casted by the red knight. "So that's how it is! Hahahaha! I was so used to being stuck in this failed world that I forgot how a human from a strong civilization felt. Now this is something worth my awakening!"

"What are you- Gah!" Before she could formulate the question, a head-splitting migraine assailed her, while she started to lose all feeling of her limbs. "No... Argh! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

She fell on her knees, her hands grabbing her head and even clawing at it in a futile effort to stop the pain. Deep down, she knew she would not be able to stop it. All the previous attempts had been playful at best.

This time, the entity was truly forcing itself upon her body with all its strength.

"Mei!? What's happening to you!?" Tsuna, who was the closest to her, dropped his stoic mask in favor of a concerned expression. However, he wasn't able to close the distance before lightning burst forth from the body.

It was like anything she had shown before. Massive torrents of purple electricity run rampant, frying the corpses around them, evaporating the blood, and even carving the concrete. And that was just the first wave. Dark clouds started to form all over the fake Reverse Kyoto, and gigantic thunders fell all over the city, racing down already damaged buildings atomizing every poor soul that didn't find a way to elude them.

The very space of the pocket dimension seemed to be getting distorted. The amount of power she was exuding went way beyond even someone with a divine heritage.

"What's wrong with her!?" Perseus asked, all his seriousness having completely vanished and replaced with terror.

"That can wait! We need to get out of here! Jin!" Tobio commanded his Sacred Gear beast to grab the three downed heirs before making room for it.

But unfortunately, there was nowhere to run. The only option was to put up a defense and pray it worked.

"Incoming-"

And even that wasn't allowed to them as one of the earth-shattering thunders fell right on them like a divine punishment. Their figures disappeared in the blinding light, just as all the other living beings in the city.

The raging storm went on for some minutes until it finally receded just as suddenly as it came.

"Haaah..." Jeanne let out a deep breath, her knees hitting the concrete but her hands still clutching her banner tightly. The release of its true name came just an instant before the lightning struck the palace, and with such force her entire body was shaken.

"Are you okay, Jeanne?"

"Yes... somehow..." The blonde teenager took Xenovia's hand to get back on her feet and take a look at her surroundings.

Just the shock-waves from the impact had caused some parts of the palace to collapse, but they already had everyone out of it just in case, so there were no injured. On the other hand, the three members of the "Hero Faction" had also taken refuge inside her barrier.

But this was not the time for that. Even the belligerent Connla understood that whoever caused the storm was the biggest thread at the moment.

The same applied to the group that had been fighting the leader of the East Yokai faction, who had joined forces with him to create a strong enough barrier to take cover.

"This was... Mei?" Sakura managed to recognize the power that had generated those lightnings, and everyone turned to look in that direction.

With no buildings blocking their view, everyone could stare directly at the source... and everyone's heart skipped a beat collectively.

With the group nearest to the source, everyone emerged from the light in one piece miraculously, but now there was one more figure among them. A little girl with long, silver hair, clad in yellow and white robes and wearing green headphones with turtle shell patterns.

""Genbu-chan!?"" Both Ouryuu and Suzaku immediately recognized her, their eyebrows shooting up behind their bangs.

"You surely took your time." The members from the "Hero Faction" on the other hand didn't seem that surprised. But the girl in question decided to explain it to her colleagues anyway.

"I was told I was free to do whatever I wanted after Cao Cao and Emiya Shirou finished their battle, but I guess this also counts."

Her high-pitched voice seemed calm, but they could see her body trembling. It wasn't that the barrier generated by the Black Turtle's power couldn't block the lightning entirely. It was just...

Sheer fear as she looked at the figure standing in front of them.

Everyone's eyes slowly turned to look in the same direction, and chills ran down their spines the moment her figure was registered in their minds.

The already long black hair now reached the floor in length, had purple accents, and floated around as if it had its own gravity. Her blue eyes now had turned purple, with their pupil turning blood-red. Her kimono had been replaced by black and white robes covered with pieces of black and red, oni-themed, samurai armor, with two oni horns coming out of her forehead. A pair of big, armored arms was floating at each side, with the right one holding a massive katana inside its white sheath with a flaming pattern, and a halo that seemed to be made of pure, purple energy hung behind her.

But the most disturbing thing about her was the bloodthirsty grin her pink lips were forming, only matched by the sheer, crude power emanating from her.

"Fufufu..." A soft, disturbing giggle escaped her lips as she looked at herself and closed and opened her hands in the same way someone would when trying a new suit. "Nothing beats having a proper vessel. And a really compatible one."

Once she finished the "adjusting" she ignored all the people staring at her, and focused her undivided attention on the pocket dimension. Her grin widened as she lowered her stance in preparation to swing Doujigiri Yasutsuna. At the same time, the massive arms around her took an iaido stance, and both weapons started to radiate absurd amounts of electricity.

"Well then, sorry for interrupting your party-"

"RRROOOOOOAAAAAAARRRRRRR!"

The lightning queen's face turned into a sour expression when an ear-shattering roar filled the pocket dimension. Her eyes drifted in the direction it came from, and took notice of the massive, nine-tailed fox, who was now concentrating all her magical power on her mouth and forming a massive ball of flames. All the while shrugging off the attacks from the black dragon trying to stop her.

Such sight would instill terror in most beings in this world, but "Mei" only looked at it with slight annoyance.

"Bothersome... I guess cleansing the filth from the stage should come before the fun." With that said, she redirected the attack she had been aiming at the reality marble to the Kyuubi. "Disappear, runt!"

The fireball now resembling a meteor was fired just at the same time as both lightning-clad swords were swung, and another lightning rendered everyone blind and deaf. The entire pocket dimension was shaken, and when everyone opened their eyes again...

They were met with the horrifying image of a downed and bloodied Kyuubi, and the missing figure of Vritra.

"MOM!"

""GENSHIROU!""

"Wait, Kunou!?"

"Where are you going!?"

The lightning queen rebelled on the cries of despair caused by her handiwork. She saw a pair of little kitsunes running toward the defeated beast, followed by an albino girl and an angel. However, her vision was blocked by another kitsune, who approached her with caution, her hand resting over her katana's handle, but her eyes revealed a small glimmer of hope.

"Mei... It's me Sakura. I don't know what happened to you, but I do know you aren't someone who loses that easily. Please, come back to your senses."

The lightning queen took a moment to observe the pink-haired kitsune, and managed to recognize her after some effort. Which caused her smile to turn even more wicked.

"Sorry, but Raiden Mei went on sabbatical. Thanks for helping me plunge her into the abyss even further!"

"Huh-"

The distance was closed in the blink of an eye, Sakura was barely able to unsheathe her blade, blocking the attack purely on instinct. The impact ran through her body, and she could feel muscles tearing apart and bones fracturing.

The word "strong" fell short. Sakura couldn't even begin to wrap her head around the massive power spike the girl in front of her had. She has had a lot of friendly spars with Mei ever since they met, and she had always prioritized technique over physical prowess despite her lineage. Not even when she went all out could she muster up so much raw strength.

And unfortunately, that single blow was but the beginning of a raging storm. Sakura swung her Frozen Naraka frantically to block Doujigiri Yasutsuna, drawing all her strength with her six tails out in sigh, and even then, the lightning queen matched her effortlessly, without using her second blade.

"Hoh? You're doing well. Maybe I'll have some enjoyment before the main dish!"

The next swing came with even more force, and Sakura, throwing all elegance to the wind, dodged it by rolling to the side. The lightning-clad tachi tore a crater in the concrete, but much to her horror, Sakura saw the massive katana being unsheathed for an overhead swing without "Mei" even turning around.

"Snap out of it, Mei!" Fortunately, she wasn't alone. A flaming sword skillfully deflected the telegraphed attack, redirecting the force away from Sakura.

"That's it! Come at me all at once, vermin!" The lightning queen proclaimed as she blocked the scythe and sword from Tobio and his sentient Sacred Gear without looking at them.

"I thought she only had inherited a portion of Gozu Tennou's power, not the entire package!" The Grigori enforcer commented agitated before having to block a barrage of supersonic swings that nearly pummeled his defense.

Before she could follow up, a torrent of fire in the form of a bird crashed onto her. But it might as well had been a calm breeze as "Mei" swatted it aside with her big katana. Doujigiri was then returned to its sheath, where it was infused with massive amounts of lighting before she unsheathed it again.

She moved so fast that it looked like a literal web of cuts had formed around her the next instant, blowing everyone away like rag dolls.

The one-sided beat-down continued as others utilized the precious time they were buying to analyze the situation.

"Azazel, tell me you have a slight idea of what happened to her."

"You're asking for the impossible, Serafall. But one thing I'm certain. That's not Gozu Tennou, or any Japanese divinity for that matter. If we had Shirou-kun around, he could take a look at that katana and tell us."

"Well, he doesn't seem to be aware of what's happening while inside there, so..."

"We can only try to beat some sense into her, or buy time for Sensei at least..." Issei concluded, making his best effort to prevent his voice from wavering. He was nearly exhausted, but as things stood...

It was fight or die.

[Down Fall Dragon Balance Breaker.]

The General Governor immediately activated his artificial Sacred Gear, donning a golden armor similar to Issei's and summoning a light halberd. Serafall by his side once again turned her magical staff into an ice sword while throwing a side glance at the Valkyrie turned devil.

"Rossweisse, you won't happen to have a copy of the spell you guys used to bind Fenrir, will you?"

"Unfortunately, no. I would need a lot of preparation to replicate something of that scale. However, we might be able to achieve something like that with Irina's black keys."

"Then focus on that." She then looked at the old Yokai leader still in the scene. "And what about you? Are you going to flee, or will you help us subjugate that monster?"

"I might be old, but I'm not stupid. I recognize a calamity when I see one. I'll lend my strength if its necessary. But it would seem that girl isn't the only imminent thread."

Nurarihyon pointed with his head at the half-demolished castle, and they were met with another nightmarish view.

The monsters created by Annihilation Maker had resumed attacking the place, but something was wrong with them. The seemed to be... withering. Some kind of purple energy was rotting them, and turning them into something even more alien and fear-inducing.

And those weren't the only ones. The corpses scattered around the entire pocket world were raising like puppets controlled by that weird energy.

"What the... a zombie apocalypse now!?"

"The pressure she's exerting... that's not just plain magical power! It acting more like radiation!"

And just like that, the situation took another turn for the worse. Back in the castle, the battle became even more fiercer. The monsters made by Annihilation Maker still followed basic biological principles, but the otherworldly, black and purple abominations attacking them now didn't. Their forms resembled creatures from the planet, but internally, they didn't even seem to be carbon-based lifeforms.

"Oi, can't Leonardo just dismiss this things!?" The shadow warrior asked with visible frustration as he kept skewering abominations with his shadows.

"He should, but I've lost contact with him!" The usually composed Georg was sweating profusely. He didn't know if the communication spell was being jammed by the "radiation", or if something actually happened to their comrade outside the pocket dimension.

"Balance Breaker!" The musings were interrupted when Jeanne unleashed her balance breaker, and commanded the pillaging dragon to dive-bomb into the incoming abominations. "The best defense in this case is a good attack. We have more than enough hands here. Some of us should go help fight the root."

"I'll be going then!" Xenovia disappeared using the speed granted to her by Excalibur, leaving a trail of golden light and mangled bodies.

"You too, Connla! You're abilities will be of most help with them." Heracles ordered his fellow warrior, who silently disappeared in the shadows.

The group of devils then looked among themselves to see which one of them should go. It didn't take long to decide it, though.

"Go, Kiba. We'll hold the fort here."

"Good luck then!"

The Gremory knight was the last one to leave the formation and rush at the ground zero. There, the battle raged on. The sounds of blades clashing overlapped to create a cacophony that was slowly destroying everyone's eardrums.

Sparks filled the entire place as all the swordsmen attacked the lightning queen without giving her room to breath, but she met all their attacks with a battle-hungry smile. It wasn't to say that she didn't receive any attacks, nor that she was immune to them. But all the wounds they managed to inflict by sheer number advantage closed in seconds due to the overflowing energy in her body.

Pain seemed to be just a slight inconvenience to her, and all the magic attacks fired in her direction were neutralized before even touching her. So it was safe to say she had some form of magic resistance, and it was around the same level as Shirou's.

It was just like an actual nightmare. Their attacks were barely effective, while hers had enough power to straight up kill them in one blow if they weren't careful enough. If Issei had to put it into the game terms Azazel liked to use, it was as if she had a type advantage against them. Not even the illusions created by Nurarihyon and Xenovia's Excalibur were making the trick.

Even from the distance they were away, Irina could tell the battle wasn't looking good. She gritted her teeth, but she couldn't afford to go help them.

"Is she going to be fine!? She'll be fine, right!?"

"Please, calm down, Kunou."

She was guarding the two young kitsunes from the occasional abomination or zombie that attacked them, as well as Asia, who was using her Twilight Healing at its maximum output to treat the unconscious Kyuubi.

Asia wasn't even sure she could save her given how grave her wounds were, and Kunou's hysterical back-and-forth wasn't helping.

"I found Genshirou!"

Luckly, Momo returned with good news... well, that wasn't exactly accurate. She was carrying her comrade, but he had a foot in the grave as well.

"Put him next to Yasaka-sama." Asia stated curtly, not risking losing her focus. The Sitri bishop did as she said, and immediately ran to Irina's side, swallowing her urge to stay beside him.

"Sorry for the wait, Irina-san!"

"No trouble!"

With Momo back into the equation, the reincarnated angel felt the temptation to ask her to hold the front while she went to the battlefield. She wasn't delusional to think she could fight that monster directly, but she was sure there was something she could do with her remaining black keys.

What made them useful for an angel, who could create weapons out of pure holy light at will, was their versatility.

The answer to her internal turmoil came from the outside, when a familiar barrage of spells wiped all the monsters around them.

"Rossweisse-san!" She uttered the name of her comrade before even seeing her.

"Irina-san, come with me! We'll restrain Raiden Mei-san."

"Just what I was thinking!"

She looked at the albino devil, and she just nodded while preparing her spells for the next wave. With her confirmation, both Valkyrie and angel flew into the battlefield.


"Gah!" A heel made its way into Tobio's guard, knocking the air out of his lungs as he rolled through the concrete.

At the same time, her sheathed katana blocked an strike from Durandal, while the other armored arm punched away a holy-demonic sword. The next moment, the lightning queen positioned her tachi to block an icy katana coming at her neck, and moved it to force a stalemate with her face centimeters to Sakura.

The kitsune's beautiful face was ruined by the herculean effort she was making to match "Mei", while she grinned at her playfully. But after a few seconds, the lightning queen pushed her back and moved to block a flaming sword.

The one who took on the mantle of one of Minamoto-no-Raikou's Heavenly Kings pressed on with supreme bladework. Veins were popping over his forehead as he forced his human body beyond all limit, fighting with just one hand gripping his Onikiri Yasutsuna while his other hand performed a series of hand seals.

It wasn't any kind of spell. He had zero potential in that department, just like his ancestor. But just like him, Raiden Tsunayoshi, had mastered the art of turning his human body into a oni-slaying weapon through self-suggestion.

It was something never to be used in a human. But in this case, he could hardly consider the monster he was battling one. So once he performed the last seal and entered the desired calm state, he quickly sheathed his sword in preparation to unleash his ultimate technique.

"Heh..." The lightning queen recognized it, and allowed him to use it as she sheathed her tachi as well. "Come!"

"Oeyama – Bodai Kisatsu!"

"Itto Ryodan!"

Fire and lightning burst forth as they swung their swords. While the lightning queen just concentrated her vast power for a single devastating swing, Tsuna's attack was the culmination of the human sword that was capable of slaying that one Oni.

The impact created another thunder that assailed their ears, and the next moment, they saw Tsuna getting flung away... with a gory cut on his chest and his arm bent in a direction it shouldn't.

"Tsunayoshi!" Sakura immediately went to his side, but a certain cloaked figure had beaten her to it. "Who-"

"Focus on the fight, we'll take care of him. Look closely at her. You guys are making some progress."

The pink-haired kitsune did as she was told, and saw the lightning queen observing with some surprise a quite unsightly cut going from her collarbone to the center of her torso. It was a wound that would have killed instantly most living beings, but "Mei" treated it as a paper cut as the energy in her body fixed it.

However, it wasn't a sight that instilled further despair. Quite the contrary. If she can bleed...

"Tch... Let's go, Jin! Behowlest the slaying of thousands of mortals and princi-" Tobio started the chant to activate his Sacred Gear, but before he could even finish the first line-

"Well, now that the only had-decent human is out, let's start cleaning the filth!" The giant katana was unleashed faster than anyone could react, and fired a massive burst of lightning at the Grigori enforcer.

In the last second before the purple light engulfed him, his black humanoid, dog jumped in front of the attack with Ame-no-Habakiri in hand to block it. But it proved to be futile as both their figures faded away inside the light.

After some seconds, the smoke fade away, revealing the Grigori enforcer's figure, lying on the charred ground, and covered in nasty burns. The physical manifestation of his Sacred Gear, the humanoid, black hound, was nowhere to be seen, most likely having been vaporized after taking most of the attack's brunt.

That attack must have been in the same level as the one that took out Yasaka... and she didn't need more than a few seconds to charge it. Tobio was still breathing, albeit faintly, which also meant that his Sacred Gear wasn't destroyed down to his very soul, but even then, he wouldn't last long without treatment.

Just like that, the small glimmer of hope faded away. Perhaps dimming him unworthy of getting finished off, the lightning queen shifted his focus to the other runts around her, or more exactly...

The armored arm that wasn't holding her gigantic katana suddenly turned and punched at seemingly nothing. Or so they though until they heard the sound of steel smacking flesh, followed by a the figure of an armor-clad teenager appearing right where the punch connected... before being flung away.

Only a few of them recognized him as Perseus, but none could pay his unconscious form attention.

"Oh?" She let out a surprised voice when she blocked a fist covered in a futuristic gauntlet. The figure in front of her was none of the other that had been fighting her, and judging by the confused looks of everyone else, he was an unexpected variable.

A young man around Shirou's age, clad in skin-tight suit that didn't fit with this world's current technological advances. He looked into her eyes with a stoic expression, and spoke with a resolute tone.

"I didn't expect one of you to awaken so soon, if at all. Regardless, I'll take care of you."

The lightning queen scuffed at his confident words, but didn't retaliate immediately as she heard someone scream what she assumed was the name of her new opponent.

"Mitsuya Kanzaki!" It was one of the vermin Mei had already beaten up before she took control, and he spat that name with so much content it was actually endearing.

There was no time for pleasantries though, as the mysterious man unceremoniously got down to business.

"Balance Breaker: Transcendental Arrival!"

After unleashing his own unique Balance Breaker, both of his gauntlets emitted a blinding light before both figures disappeared inside a dome similar to the ones created by Dimension Lost. The battlefield plunged into a silence filled almost exclusively with ragged breaths.

"Okay... does anyone know... who that guy was? Not that I'm... not complaining about the extra help..."

At Xenovia's question, Azazel took a look at the Nakiri heir, who was getting carried away by the Doumon heir to a safer place. Something he wasn't appreciating.

"Drop me already, Genbu-chan! I need to kill that bastard and take back the Sacred Gear he stole!"

"Zip it! You're in no condition to even remain awake." For a girl who didn't look like she could hurt a fly to retort like that, the adrenaline in her body must be reaching critical levels.

"Honestly, we don't know much about him other than his name and that he somehow acquired two of the most troublesome Longinus-class Sacred Gears. We aren't sure of his affiliations, so don't drop your guard just yet"

"Wasn't planning on it." Serafall swiped the sweat from her forehead and pointed her ice blade at the dome. "Can you at least tell us about those Sacred Gears?"

"Innovate Clear and Telos Karma. One creates a pocket world in which the user becomes... pretty much a supreme being, while the other can alter fate to force a desired conclusion."

"You gotta be kidding... who can you even fight that?" Issei asked, sweating profusely under his scarlet armor.

A certain ultimate sword popped into some of their minds, but given the price for a single swing, they immediately discarded it.

"We pray for things to not come to that..." Serafall answered curtly.

"Even if he can't defeat her, it would still be good if he can weaken her," Suzaku commented as she summoned the power of the Vermillion Bird to its fullest.

"But..." What if he kills her? Sakura gripped her chest, not wanting to think about that. All of them were fighting to suppress her more because none of them could overpower her more than anything, but that man...

"Watch out!" The cloaked figure suddenly yelled in an alarmed tone, and seconds after, the light dome was perfectly bisected.

Not just that. The slash went beyond it, forcing most of them to dodge sideways as they could.

"What did just-" Issei's words died in his throat when something hit him square on the chest.

He didn't receive any damage. It felt more like someone had thrown a potato sack at him, meaning it was more the shock of the unexpected impact that stopped him than anything. His eyes then descended to look at what hit him, which he caught by reflex, and...

"HUH!?"

A voice filled with confusion escaped his lips. It was... the guy who just did that superhero entrance to challenge the monster to a one-on-one. But... something was really wrong with him.

His body was so rigid he weighed more than he should. His expression was frozen into a perpetual look of surprise... and his lower part was missing.

So... that liquid that had splashed all over his armor must be blood... He didn't notice it since it was the same color... And those things that were gushing out from his cleanly cut torso-

"Blurgh!" Hyoudou Issei barely caught the vomit in his mouth, preventing filling his helmet's interior and most likely drown him.

He swallowed it back as he could, his body growing numb by the second while his eyes went up again, and met with a nightmarish image.

The other half of the mysterious man collapsed with a loud thud, and the lightning queen raised his blood-stained tachi. With eerie calm, she bathed one of her fingers in the red liquid and proceeded to paint her lips with it.

"Fufufufu. How utterly naive. He truly thought for a moment those little gadgets could affect me. A pity that pathetic God's power to alter fate has no effect on a Herrscher who stands on a higher plane." Her cruel eyes then focused on the vermin squirming before her, daring them to make another futile attempt.

The world had seemingly stopped. None of them knew that man, but the few words exchanged were enough to send their brains into an overhaul.

What did she even mean by Herrscher and was she implying her powers were on a higher dimension than even the Miracle Worker?

"Issei!" Kiba ignored her and ran to his friend, who was still shocked by the corpse in his arm.

With a not so subtle movement, he shook it from his grip making it fall on the ground unceremoniously. The Gremory knight had to suppress a grimace, but he handled it way better.

"Issei! We need you ready and alert!"

"Y-yes!" Not even he believed that he was ready. It wasn't possible in this situation. His throat was burning due to the stomach acids, so he was in desperate need of water, yet he made an effort to stand firm.

And it could be said it paid off when Azazel subtly conveyed a plan through their comms spell. It was... saying it was desperate would be like saying water is wet. But, it was the last ray of hope they could cling to.

"EXCALIBUR!"

Without any warning, Xenovia unleashed her holy sword's true name after a quick charge with Durandal's energy. As a result, the beam of light wasn't a powerful as it could, but it came out quick enough for the lightning queen to be unable to dodge... or at least that was what she wanted to think.

Judging by her grin, it was more likely she decided to take it head-on for the fun of it, which was exasperating. That was the reforged and improved Excalibur, and it still couldn't do any significant damage. But it was part of the plan.

Before the golden light faded away, a certain heiress had already harnessed a massive amount of flames around her hands. She moved her arms as if she were drawing a bow, and the vermilion flames took the form of an arrow.

At the same time, the twin-tailed maou had positioned herself across her elemental counterpart and had hyper-condensed an absurd amount of demonic power into a small orb at the tip of her fingers. It was a reminiscence of the technique she used during the terrorist attack on Kuoh Academy, just that this time, she was aiming it directly at a target.

"Kamino: Fuga!" Suzaku uttered the name of her technique and released her "arrow", which expanded as it flew through the battlefield and took the form of a majestic bird.

Using that as a signal, Serafall flickered her small orb a beat later, with a precise amount of speed so it hit the lightning queen at the same time. "Mei" once again didn't counterattack and tanked both attacks.

The clash between ice and fire created an explosion that shook the entire battlefield. But most importantly, it filled it with a thick layer of vapor.

The lightning queen calmly looked around her with slight disappointment. "Is this the best you could come up with?"

Just as she spoke, she tilted her body just enough to avoid a holy sword aiming at her neck. At the same time, Doujigiri was moved to smash a holy light halberd, and her free hand batted aside a red gauntlet.

Even if she couldn't see the attacks coming until the last moment, she could still hear them coming. Even the nimblest of them, the pink-haired kitsune, still made soft noises when she swung her katana.

"Oh?" But then, as if they heard her thoughts, that flaw in their strategy was removed.

Not just that. The attacks came way faster from all directions. It was as if their numbers had increased, but she wasn't seeing different weapons or magic at all. Which could only mean...

"Illusions, huh? Paltry tricks..."

So what if her senses were being manipulated? Her authority over electricity went beyond just throwing bolts of lightning around. Sensing the electromagnetic fields generated by her electric currents and their steel blades and armors was just as easy as breathing.

"What-" A surprised voice filled the battlefield when she caught a Holy-demonic sword between her knee and elbow. She gave the blonde knight a playful smile before driving her tachi into his chest. "Guh!"

Blood splattered over her once more, which she licked with gusto. The boy did manage to avoid getting stabbed in the heart, she'll give him that. So she decided to throw him at the next attacker, the blue-haired girl with two holy swords.

She barely stopped her swords from cutting him in half. That saved her, as the lightning queen had to prioritize the next attacker instead of capitalizing on her opening.

The armored arm floating beside her caught a haymaker from the Red Dragon Emperor, but the explosive force managed to cause some cracks in it and repel it. Issei didn't hesitate and followed up quickly by summoning his dragon-slayer sword.

[Blade!]

Unfortunately, much to his frustration, "Mei" caught Ascalon's blade with her bare hand, and pulled. Before he could react, her face was mere inches from his, which sent chills down his spine.

"You're that man's best friend, right? Will he come out sooner if I kill you?"

Issei's answer was a right hook at her, but she just waved below it. Using his own momentum against him, she threw the Red Dragon Emperor at the incoming pink-haired kitsune while her floating hands started to unsheathe her katana.

"...!" Sakura's heart stopped as Issei's bulky body hit her in the middle of the air.

They were dead. With the option of dodging out of reach, that attack would no doubt chop them like a hot knife cutting through butter.

"Rin..."

That name was the only thing she was able to utter before the roaring thunder filled the battlefield once more.

The combination of vapor and mist that had been surrounding the lightning queen dispersed, revealing to gloomy reality. Blood had once again splashed over the concrete, as well as the disturbing sound of soft and squishy things falling to the ground.

"Ouch..."

The sound of a boy grunting in pain brought Sakura back to her senses. It wasn't the sound of someone who received a fatal wound, but rather, slight annoyance after hitting your head. In fact, she wasn't feeling excruciating pain, just some pain for having the armored Red Dragon Emperor on her.

So then... whose blood was covering them?

"Huh?" Her beautiful face turned into perplexity when she saw to cleaved corpse in front of them.

The small body of an old man she would recognize everywhere. But that only made her feel even more lost.

"Why..." Her mind couldn't wrap around the facts presented to her. How could that old jerk of all people have jumped in front of the attack? It didn't make any sense. Definitely not for Issei, and for her...

No, she cut ties with him in the most aggressive manner. He never showed any caring for her or her sister. So how could he throw his life just like that?

"Grr!" She grunted and pushed the Red Dragon Emperor aside with all her might to stand up.

Doing what she was trained to do from infancy to survive and protect her sister, she channeled her intense emotions into her sword as she took her stance and assumed a stoic mask.

Hers was the way of the Setsuna. Her swordsmanship was created first and foremost to end fights quickly, even if she was prepared in case the first strike didn't get the job done. In other words, as much as she loathed it, her sword wasn't appropriate to protect something.

The lightning queen mirrored her posture. The electricity crackling around her contrasted with the expanding ice around Sakura.

Whatever thing was controlling Mei's body had access to the sword skills engraved in that body. The martial arts passed in the Raiden clan had always been more optimized to fight supernatural creatures, but Mei thought a more refined style suited her better, so she came to Sakura, unaware that she was learning man-slaying techniques.

Or maybe she was aware and paid no heed to it. At the end of the day, a sword is neither good nor evil, but the one using it.

"Forgive me, Mei... I'll have to show you the true essence of my sword."

"Heh, took you long enough." The monster dismissed her words with confidence. Nothing had worked against her so far, so there was no reason to think this wouldn't end the same way.

It was as if she truly was above them on a conceptual level.

Swallowing those pessimistic, Sakura put power into her legs and burst forward at a blurring speed. The lightning queen matched her pace, and sparks filled the battlefield as their swords clashed.

Even trained eyes would have trouble keeping pace with their fight. Using their own versions of flash step, they reached a realm that could be categorized as divine, at least in terms of swordsmanship. To most spectators, they would only be able to see purple and blue trails constantly intersecting with thundering clashes.

Just a few seconds later, the trails started to resemble a literal constellation. It was easy to start hoping for the kitsune's victory. Her sister in the distance was focusing her entire being on praying for her success, ignoring the chaos around her-

Unfortunately, what seemed like an even clash at high speeds was decided just as quickly. With a louder clash, the blue trail crashed on the ground like a star shot down from the sky.

"Gah!" The purple trail landed on her mercilessly. However, instead of driving her blade through Sakura's chest, her hand wrapped around her delicate neck with an iron grip.

The lightning queen smirked as she saw the Kitsune putting her life on the line to suck the tiniest bits of air.

"In the end, your rage amounted to nothing. This world's civilization is truly pitiful..." The queen's haughty words stopped, her expression turning into one of confusion and... annoyance. "What's with that grin? Have you lost your mind due to the lack of air?"

Defying those answers, the pink-haired kitsune raised an arm and wrapped her hand around the queen's wrist. "I've got you... just where I wanted."

"What?"

When "Mei" raised her head to look around, she finally found what she had been overlooking due to the vapor, the illusions, and her tunnel vision. A great number of black keys were forming a magic circle around them, enhanced by a myriad of Norse runes.

The ex-Valkyrie was ready to activate the formula at any moment, and the reincarnated angel was in a position to start praying.

No matter. She could kill them in the blink of an eye, faster than their brains could send the next command to their bodies-

"...!" Her thought was cut off the moment she realized her body was already unable to move an inch. But that was impossible, that spell hadn't been activated-

The answer came as she looked at the smirking kitsune in her grip. One would think that the ultimate technique of an assassin would naturally be a stance that guarantees the kill, just like Sasaki Kojiro's Tsubame Gaeshi or Okita Souji's Mumyo Sandan-dzuki.

And that assessment would be partially true in her case. After all, freezing the space around her opponent would in most cases lead to an unavoidable fatal blow. But she made sure to separate the freezing from the assured hit for situations just like this.

Even if she was born to kill, she still had something to protect.

"Commence, Tower of Imprisonment!"

"Our Lord's house is wherever we pray..."

"You-"

The lightning queen only managed to utter a single word before the spell was activated. The conceptual weight started to force the lightning queen down as holy light filled the entire battlefield. A crushing weight that would vaporize most heretic beings, and would squash most others.

It wasn't a binding spell like the one they used against Fenrir, but one that used the very concept of God's house. A cathedral to be precise. To put it simply, it was the same as putting the target under a hydraulic press bearing the weight of the biggest buildings in the world.

But the lightning queen was resisting it through her sheer power. "Kuh! That pitiful God again!"

However, she was putting a great effort into it. Space itself started to shake as she unleashed her immense energy to fight back the pressure. It became a desperate struggle for both parties.

Rivers of sweat were pouring down Irina's forehead, and Rossweisse's arms started to tremble. Even with Issei giving them more power, they were quickly burning through their reserves to keep the spell strong.

It was a losing battle. They knew that from the beginning. That monster had absurd reserves of energy. All about her defied logic and common sense. The real question was, would the time they were buying and all the sacrifices made be worth it?

"GET OUT OF MY WAY!"

With one last push, the purple lightning tore through the pillar of holy light and blasted away all the black keys forming a circle, alongside everyone in the vicinity.

"Haah... haah... haah..." The lightning queen rose with trembling legs, her breath ragged. "To think I'd be forced to use so much power against vermin..."

Her eyes then looked at the kitsune still trapped below her. Sakura had managed to withstand the clash because she had been in the proverbial eye of the storm, and she still showed confidence despite being unable to fight anymore.

That simply wouldn't do.

"Don't get cocky, lowlife. Do you really think I haven't noticed that shadow guy carrying all your wounded to the blonde girl with healing powers? And your sister is also there, right?"

Those words made all color drain from Sakura's face. Her heart skipped a bit as she saw the lightning queen get ready to unsheathe her katana in that direction.

"NOOOOOO!" The pink-haired kitsune shouted in desperation as she tried to put strength into her exhausted body to no avail. She was the only one close enough to stop the monster. Unfortunately, all the muscles in her body burned up after her last stand.

"ITTO RYOUDAN!"

The slashing wave of destruction was unleashed. The attack traveled so fast it could be said it literally cut the distance between it and its target. There was next to zero time to react. By the time Doumon Genbu realized what was happening, that attack had already crashed into the barrier she had created preemptively, and almost pierced through it as if it were made of cheap glass.

"Kuh..." Almost instinctively, she let her body be possessed by the Black Turtle and even manifested a miniature copy of it in front of her.

Multiple layers of barriers were erected almost instantly with a defensive power compared to fortresses. The power of the Black Turtle was completely focused on defense unlike all the other Sacred Beasts, and it boasted of having a nigh impenetrable defense. Yet...

That horrifying attack was smashing through all the barriers with little effort. Every layer of defense in its way barely reduced its momentum. A few seconds turned into an eternity as she desperately created barrier after barrier. The sounds of them being destroyed akin to glass shattering only made her despair grow by the second.

"Huh?" But in the middle of the struggle, she saw a figure fly between the attack and her before the world exploded.

She desperately kept one final barrier up so the explosion didn't reach the people behind her. Her eyes were almost by the intense light, and her petite body miraculously held its ground without getting blown away.

After a few seconds later, the pressure receded, and she managed to distinguish that valiantly bore the brunt of the attack. A man clad in golden armor, and sporting twelve crow-like feathers.

"Azazel-sensei?" The albino devil behind her recognized him as the General Governor of the Grigori... but something was wrong with him.

He was still standing, his body frozen in a stance that indicated he had created a barrier of his own to take on the attack. Coincidentally, even if he based his artificial Sacred Gear's Balance Breaker on Vali's, Fafnir's power had been more focused on defense. It was natural for a greedy dragon that zealously guards his treasure.

However... the arm that should have been deploying the barrier was gone. No blood was coming out of the wound. The arm had been vaporized, and the flesh on his body's left part was completely charred.

The armor created by the Sacred Gear collapsed seconds after, Azazel's body hitting the flour with a loud thump that brought everyone out of their stupor.

"Asia! The Phoenix Tear!"

"Yes!"

While everyone started to run around, Genbu also collapsed on her back, completely exhausted. Her consciousness faded away slowly, with every part of her body screaming in pain.

The lightning queen observed her handy work with satisfaction. That was one less annoyance, and that particularly was the one giving instructions to the others. Now, there was only one who could be called a credible threat. Her purple eyes drifted to the twin-tailed maou who stood in front of her once again, and made a gesture to come at her.

"What's the matter? You're the only one whose power comes remotely close to mine. Don't tell me you've been holding back not to kill the the pests around us."

Serafall bit her lips. Those weren't the words she'd use, but that summed it up quite well unfortunately. Right now, Sakura was still just some feet from the monster, and the teenagers were still around her.

"In that case, why don't we go to a more secluded place to settle this, Ms. Lightning?"

"Mei" snorted at that. "I guess I didn't bother giving my name to people that were about to die. But consider it a parting gift. You may refer to me as the Herrscher of Thunder. And no, the only one I'm interested is still inside there."

"Figures..." There was no other way now that things had come to this. Her heart hoped for a last minute miracle, for a certain red knight to finally come out so they could fight together, but it didn't seem that would happen. "Let's settle this then..."

The current Leviathan started to exude her own overwhelming power, causing the temperature of the place to drop to the point a layer of ice started to cover the ground. Her blue eyes gave off an azure glow as she lowered her stance.

"That's more like it- huh?" The lightning queen was about to assume her stance when she noticed something off with the fake world around her.

She raised her head, and her purple eyes spotted cracks in the night sky. The maou followed her gaze, and encountered the same strange sight. But before any of the two could utter a single word, the cracks finally turned into a hole through which a massive dragon flew through.

It was a Chinese dragon with jade-like scales, red eyes, and yellow horns. The majestic creature announced its presence with a roar before charging straight at the Herrscher much to their surprise.

"Tsk, more annoyances." The lightning queen casually jumped over the dragon and drew her tachi, but before she could swing it to bisect the dragon, her instincts alerted her of another attack coming at her.

Doujigiri Yasutsuna was swung, intercepting a red staff. One absurdly long at that. It came all the way from the dragon's back, its shaft being held by a short man clad in Chinese robes, covered in golden fur, and with a black ribbon covering his eyes, a golden headband, and a smoking pipe in his mouth.

The red staff then retracted. But instead of shortening towards its wielder, it did towards her, carrying the short man with it. The lightning queen quickly responded by firing several slashing waves at him, but the monkey Yokai dodged them dancing around the staff.

The distance was closed, and the short Yokai attacked with a palm strike, and the monster blocked it with her tachi's blunt side.

"...!" However the strength behind the unassuming blow caught her off guard, and she was sent crashing down to the floor.

The battle came to a pause as the monkey Yokai fell right beside Serafall and took a puff from his pipe. The twin-tailed scrutinized his figure, her eyes widening when she finally figured out his identity.

"You are... the Great Sage Equaling Heaven!"

"Indeed. I meant to come the moment the moment I felt her presence, but breaking through the Mist Longinus' barrier proved to be more difficult than we expected."

"You don't say, old man!" The Jade Dragon complained with a jovial voice that didn't fit his imposing appearance.

[Even the Dragon King Yu-Long came. This really turned out to be quite a moved night.] The Red Dragon spoke with a tinge of nostalgia, which made Issei turn his eyes.

Was his partner numb to the overwhelmingly desperate situation they were in? At least he recognized that dragon as it was also one of the figures that appeared in the "Journey to the West". He would like to think things would start to improve, but given all the things that happened in the last few minutes...

"Can't you fight that monster on your own!? I really felt I was going to die with her first attack!" And the Dragon King trying to flee despite his epic entrance wasn't a good sign.

"This is serious. Do your best and fight all you've got, Ao Lie."

He and Serafall ignored the dragon's resigned grunt, and the maou turned to ask Sun Wukong. "Do you know what is possessing her?"

"Not a single clue. But I can tell, just by looking at her, that we're facing a world-ending calamity."

"For real... So Loki was just the prelude..."

The sounds of steps put them on alert. The lightning queen finally walked out of the crater she formed with her fall, no worse for wear, of course.

"Well, well. It wasn't just a big lizard. A God decided to come to play as well." The Herrscher of Thunder opened her arms dramatically with some excitement. "The obstacle that caused this world's civilization to get stuck wants to stop me. Do you really want to prolong this dead world's suffering that much? I can't help but ask, who's the real monster here?"

"You aren't making any sense!" The Jade Dragon retorted before charging at her with another roar.

The maou and the Buddha followed close behind, starting a battle that left the Red Dragon Emperor frozen in the sidelines.

He had stayed there while everyone else had retreated to where Asia was positioned. It was obvious this enemy was just way out of their league, and they had already thrown everything at it. The right thing to do was now leave it to those three.

But Issei couldn't help but feel powerless again. It was irrational. That monster made Loki feel like a harmless puppy. Yet, here he stood, unable to make a meaningful contribution despite his advances. Regardless of his improvement with the variations of his Balance Breaker and what he and Ddraig named the Illegal Move Triania, he wasn't able to defeat even that geezer.

The same guy who got cleaved in two right in front of him.

His body grew numb as the clashes in the sky shook the entire fake world. Ddraig was also oddly silent, but he could tell it was just because he was focused on observing the fight. Even for those three god-like beings, the battle was hard-fought.

The Jade Dragon was slowly taking gruesome wounds, parts of his flesh and scales getting cut or blown away, as he took on most of the attacks to protect Sun Wukong and Serafall. The current Leviathan was retaliating with attacks that made the one she threw earlier look like a splash of cold water, making the entire fake world enter a literal ice age.

As for the Sage Equaling Heaven, he was more focused on making every movement count. Waiting for an opening to attack with the original Ruyi Jingu Bang or his bare fists. As the Red Dragon put it, being a mortal that ascended to the status of Buddha through enlightenment, age had affected him as any other Yokai, so he was most likely trying to conserve his strength instead of displaying his might as he did in his youth.

"Tell me, Ddraig... Can we really reach those highs?" He ended up asking with a flat tone.

[Come now, partner. Do not let this shake you. None of your predecessors had to face some ridiculously strong alien thing. You should keep your focus on the short-term goals like paying back Sairaorg.]

"I know... But a this rate, who knows what crazy thing will come next if we get out of this alive... I don't think I can go on with the excuse of "that enemy is just too strong..." Wait, did you say "alien"?"

[If not even that sage knows what she is, then I can't think of a better term to describe her. And she does feel otherworldly.]

"To think Sensei's paranoia would be proven right so soon..." Issei's words died as his brain caught up with what was happening in the sky.

[You have to be kidding...]

The Welsh Dragon was at a loss as well. Because the Jade Dragon was shot down from the sky just like that. Its impressive body was full of wounds before crashing onto the ground and causing a small earthquake.

And the next instant, that malevolent katana was brought down to finish the job. Fragments of the fake world were blown away by the world-shaking thunder that struck the Dragon King.

It was followed by a dead silence. The only things they could hear were the casual steps of the lightning queen as she walked out of the carcass bathed in blood. She didn't seem to give any consideration to the fact that she just exterminated one of the Five Dragon Kings. If anything, she was treating it as if she had just slapped away an annoying fly.

"Sun Wunkong!" Meanwhile, Serafall landed where the Sage had crashed after the Herrscher had flung him away alongside the Jade Dragon. "Can you keep fighting?"

He wasn't that wounded, but it was taking him all his energies to stand up. He looked at the maou, who now had blood staining her beautiful face due to a cut in her front, severely.

"These old bones of mine reached their limit way faster than I thought. It's been so long since I faced such an incredible opponent. I tried to settle this before my back started acting, but I failed..."

"Just... how can she be so strong? Where does that endless energy come from?" Serafall asked rhetorically as she looked at the monster.

However, the Sage was actually able to provide some answers. "She is receiving her power from a higher plane. Her body is acting as a conduit. But even then, that human girl must be a highly exceptional vessel to be able to draw so much power at once. And as for why our attacks don't seem to be effective against her while hers are so devastating well... I only have a conjecture."

The Sage Equaling Heaven took out his pipe to take one last puff. "She has... a conceptual advantage of shorts. As if she had been created as an effective weapon against this world and its inhabitants."

"I don't suppose you came up with a way to defeat her, did you?"

"Well, theoretically, if we could cut her connection with that higher plane..."

Serafall's heart skipped a bit upon hearing those words. She knew exactly who had weapons that could get that done. The problem was... if such a thing could be done with that superdemonic katana, or it would require his ultimate sword...

She looked again at the Herrscher of Thunder, and to her surprise, her maniacal expression had turned into one of excitement. Just what could cause such emotion in-

Wait...

Her eyes slowly turned towards where the reality marble was, or should be. She felt butterflies in her stomach when she spotted a certain red knight finally make his entrance.


Back to the present...

"What..." The red knight let out a confused voice as his brain struggled to process the image in front of him.

The blood and destruction, he was used to it, but Raiden Mei's figure covered in blood and looking at him with a blood-thirsty grin... He admittedly didn't know her that personally, but this... and the alien-like pressure she was exerting...

It reminded him of a certain spider slumbering in South America, even if the scale wasn't quite the same.

His golden eyes then drifted to the big katana held by those floating, armored arms, and-

*Static*

"Guh!" His expression turned into a grimace, and he even staggered for a moment as a hand shot to grab his head in an effort to quell the sudden migraine that assailed him.

"Hey, what's the matter? Don't tell me you're getting cold feet now after beating me?" Cao Cao by his side spoke with his usual mirth, but it was obvious that was also a way not to succumb to the fear. He was pale, and his entire body was rigid.

"That's not it..." Shirou was about to explain, but he was interrupted by two overlapping voices.

""Shirou/Sensei!""

He saw both Serafall and Issei ran up to him... all bloodied and beaten up. The Red Dragon Emperor collapsed on him, most likely running on fumes.

"What took you so long... We barely made it alive..."

Shirou had to swallowed to knot in his throat to answer. "Sorry, Issei. I guess this guy and I lost all notion of time while we were bashing each other."

"What's the deal with him anyway? I don't see him that beaten up..."

"That can wait for later. For now..." The red knight dragged his words as he looked at the black-haired demon, who was just staring at him silently. "Can anyone tell me what happened to Mei?"

"We don't know it, but... Sun Wukong said she is a world-ending calamaty... most likely of alien nature... and she is receiving her power from a higher plane."

Serafall conveyed that piece of information with a dead serious tone, knowing that he would reach the same conclusion as she did. The way his eyes widened for a moment confirmed it.

Those golden eyes then narrowed like a hawk, peering beyond the physical realm with his Eye of Karma. The migraines came stronger than ever, but he toughed it out just for a couple of seconds.

"I can see it. She has a bond with a higher plane..." That was disturbingly similar to his connection to the Throne of Heroes, but he kept that fact to himself. "However, if I want to sever that bond, I'll have to take a better look up close."

"You mean..."

To answer Serafall's question, Kanshou and Bakuya were projected into his hands. "Let me fight her on my own for a while."

The twin-tailed maou bit back a retort. As things stood, it truly was the better option if he was aiming to get information rather than defeating her. Still...

"What do you mean, Sensei!? Let us help you! I can at least give you my last energies-"

"That won't be necessary, Issei." The red knight cut him off. "Besides, there's also another thing I need to check. That big katana of hers... that's a Sacred Gear."

He let that bomb sink into their minds, which didn't take long for it to leave the three astonished.

"Are you sure, Emiya?" Cao Cao asked with skepticism. With Azazel knocked out, he was the most knowledgeable regarding Sacred Gears around. And even with all his research, it was hard to believe that alien monster came from a divine artifact created by God.

"I'm sure of it. The basic framework is the same as all the other weapon-type Sacred Gears I've reproduced. However, the core used for that one, the equivalent to Ddraig's soul for the Boosted Gear... the moment I tried to reproduce it with just my sight I got a migraine."

"How bad is that? I remember you said you had trouble with divine constructs using just your sight."

Shirou nodded at Serafall. "They give me trouble, but I can still reproduce a partial replica if its concept is close to "sword". The only time I wasn't able to reproduce something at all was when I looked at a weapon forged by a primordial God during the very genesis of the planet."

Issei couldn't help but swallow loudly Yeah, that was pretty much a hard confirmation that thing was a literal alien.

"Now then..." Shirou signaled at them to take distance and took his stance.

It was a stance that was pretty much yelling at his opponent to attack. He had his body tilted forward, ready to pounce at her at any moment, with both his swords at his sides. Yet, the lightning queen refused to make the first move.

It was unbelievable. The merciless monster that had been toying with them and unleashing killing blows at the first sign of weakness was acting cautious, properly measuring the red knight as she took her own stance. It was as if... she actually considered him an equal.

Just when that thought crossed Serafall's mind, her supernatural senses were overwhelmed. The same happened to Issei, and Cao Cao to a lesser degree.

As devils, they were more attuned to sensing others' magical power and the flow of energy in the atmosphere. So, when Shirou's modest presence as a human suddenly turned into a massive beacon of power, it was only natural for them to get startled.

Up until now, they had noticed the change in Shirou's presence when he was fighting a powerful foe. Gabriel noted his presence is similar to that of a spirit way back during the attack at Kuoh. It had been something subtle, just a minor boost for their standards. After all, Shirou always defeated his opponents with his skills and his adaptability thanks to his arsenal.

Now, however, his presence had entered another realm. In terms of raw power, it was around, or even greater than Issei's Balance Breaker, but conceptually speaking, Serafall now understood that was the true pinnacle of human power.

He hadn't been bluffing when he said he finally regained his real power. That must be the true strength of a heroic spirit.

Even the lightning queen seemed surprised, and then... she stared giggling excitedly.

"Magnificent! You aren't just a human from that strong civilization. You're an envoy of its collective unconscious!"

The red knight's eyebrows shot behind his bangs for a moment. The alien was able to recognize what he was just with a glance? Was she a foreigner from his own universe that also drifted here?

No, there was no time for questions. That could wait after he returned that body to its rightful owner.

"...!" Issei was physically thrown back when both opponents disappeared in a burst of speed, leaving craters in the soil.

Before the debris blown away fell to the ground, the sounds of swords clashing were already filling the place. Their blades clashed in balance, and at a similar speed as the earlier clash with Sakura. If those two had drawn a constellation, then these two were creating a whirlwind of destruction.

A literal storm of swords that would cut to pieces anyone who dared come close. Lightning started to strike around the battlefield as the Herrscher of Thunder started to exert her authority alongside her bladework, but that too was being fended off by the red knight's twin swords and their magic-resistant properties.

It was a clash between calamities in human form. One was a weapon created to destroy civilizations, and the other was a weapon to fight the greatest wars and destroy threats to humanity.

Even their fighting styles were polar opposites. For the Red Dragon Emperor observing the fight, although he could barely make out what was happening due to their speed making Kiba look like he was slow, he was mesmerized by how the red knight's steady bladework was countering that monster's ruthless onslaught. Even with his twin swords getting blown away from his hands or outright shattered,

"He really wasn't kidding when he said he had reached his peak of strength..." Serafall murmured, her black hair dancing with the wind generated by their clashes.

And Issei had to agree. His Sensei had been getting stronger after each hard-fought battle, though he didn't know the logic behind that. But the gap between the Emiya Shirou that fought Loki and the one now fighting the Herrscher of Thunder was ridiculous.

If this was a case of him regaining his original strength rather than improving... then that meant he fought all that crazy people while basically being... crippled.

"Well, well, this explains a lot." The three were almost startled when the Sage Equaling Heaven approached them unnoticed.

"Old man..." Cao Cao referred to him with caution. Even if he was among the very few people that treated him like a freak or a tool, he had also been trying to hunt him ever since he founded the Hero Faction. "So you also came here..."

"Of course. I had a hunch you were the one behind Yasaka's kidnapping so I kept an eye on Kyoto. Who would have imagined how much your mischief spiraled out of control."

The legendary Yokai was right, as it was Cao Cao who orchestrated most of the events of that night, but... "How was I supposed to know that girl had a Sacred Gear made from something alien?"

"That doesn't absolve you from all your other crimes, boy. But I'll let you off the hook for now." The Sage then looked at the raging fight and whistled. "So that is the human that took down Loki. Although calling him "human" in his current state is a bit of a stretch."

"Sun Wukong, what did you mean by "this explains a lot"? Have you figured something out?"

"Yeah. About the overwhelming advantage she had against us, let me correct my assumption. She doesn't have that conceptual advantage against us because she was made that way. Seeing how those two are on equal footing, I'd say she was given that power to fight him specifically. To put it in the terms she used, the civilization he hails from is more advanced than ours, therefore, the advantage she had over us is more pronounced. Although, I don't know exactly in what way is his civilization more advanced."

At that moment, something clicked in Cao Cao's head, since he had the missing piece of that puzzle. If the world Emiya Shirou came from was one where humans had left the Gods behind, and that alien treated it as the superior one...

Then that meant their path was the right one.

On the other hand, a completely different process of thought was filling Issei's head. If those two were so evenly matched, then just the slightest boost would make a difference, right?

Once that thought was processed, the Red Dragon Emperor found himself running into the battlefield, his legs moving on their own, ignoring the voices calling his name. He didn't need to touch him, that would be completely suicidal. He had been practicing to be able to give someone power with his Boosted Gear's Gift from a moderate distance, so he just needed to get close enough.

But the moment he managed to get in range, he realized there was a big flaw in his plan. How was he supposed to take aim when he could barely make what was happening in that hurricane? He could even screw up and give the power to the Herrscher of Thunder.

"In that case... I can only bet on Sensei."

He raised his arm and mustered his remaining power, trusting Shirou would notice it and be the one to move in its trajectory.

Unfortunately... he failed to account on the possibility that the lightning queen also noticed him.

A metallic bang filled his ears, so loud it managed to rupture his eardrums to some extent. His eyes were blinded, and he felt his body hit the ground and his scale mail finally fall apart. There was also the heat. The "radiation" that monster was exuding had apparently gotten stronger, and it was now permeating his body. The heat was accumulating in his chest for some reason, making it hard to breath.

When he finally managed to get into a sitting position, the sight of a familiar strong back greeted him. The red knight was there, with his steel-tipped boots sunk in the concrete, and the veins in his arms pulsing as he blocked the lightning queen's katana with Merodach.

"Oops. Sorry, I saw a fly trying to get in our way, so I instinctively went to slap it away." "Mei" spoke sarcastically as she got her face close to Shirou's.

The red knight squinted his eyes and spoke to her for the first time. "What business has an alien in this world?"

"Alien?" She parroted before shooting a twisted smile at him. "That's reach coming from you. We, the Honkai, might have originated from another planet, but we at least are native to this imaginary tree. You, on the other hand, came from another tree entirely. So, tell me, who's the alien here?"

"Eh?" It was Issei who let out a confused voice behind him. He had been close enough to hear that, and even if the terminology she used might have gone over his head, the message was more than clear.

The grin on the queen's lips widened as she felt the red knight's hostility expand. That definitely struck a nerve, so he would now finally attack instead of just sticking to defense.

Just as she wanted, the red knight poured magical energy into his sword, releasing a burst of light that blew her away some meters. She dug her high heels into the ground to kill her momentum, and brought up her tachi to block the next attack.

"Trace on!"

A flame-shaped sword was traced on the red knight's left hand before he crossed the distance in an exhalation. Both the Original Sin and Aestus Estus struck like a crashing meteor, forcing the Herrscher of Thunder to bring out his big Katana to help block them.

"That's it! Come at me with fury! Show me the power of a Counter Guardian!"

"You talk too much!"

The storms of swords became a cacophony of explosions as both knight and queen used their respective forms of mana burst. Debris were blown away by the shock waves, and the already unstable fake world around them started to crumble with each clash.

It was like seeing a natural disaster raze everything it came across without the power to do anything about it Serafall had to quickly pull Issei away before one of the explosions vaporized him now that he was vulnerable.

"What were you even thinking, Issei-kun!?"

The Red Dragon Emperor didn't respond. He seemed to be in a deep shock, but she couldn't fathom a reason for it. This was hardly the first time he had been beaten up.

Unfortunately, there was no time for that. Her instincts fired alarms in her head, and her neck almost snapped from the whiplash when she looked up. The two combatants had stopped for a moment, but it wasn't to take a respite. Far from it.

The Herrscher of Thunder was adopting the stance to unleash her ultimate killing blow, while the nameless hero was filling his golden sword up to the brim with magical energy. Lightning started to strike around them, and the foundation of the sacred right to select the king emitted a blinding light like a miniature Sun.

Serafall's eyes widened. If those two unleashed those attacks... She'd have to trust Jeanne to handle their side, but as for them...

"Everyone, behind me!"

"DIE! ITTO RYOUDAN!"

"Cleave the wicked... MERODACH!"

A split second after the twin-tailed maou created a wall of ice in front of them, both opponents swung their swords. The mighty thunder that reduced everything to atoms clashed against the light that burned everything it touched.

Both figures were engulfed in the blinding light, before a rumble preceded the collapse of the fake world. Albeit "collapse" was putting it gently. For everyone present, the world was literally blown away by that explosion.

After some seconds, Serafall opened her eyes and realized they were all back in the real world, which wasn't as devastated. The ice wall in front of them had crumbled as well, but it had taken the full brunt of the shock wave.

The problem was... that monster was now loose in the real world.

"...!" She quickly turned to look where she heard a sound near them, and spotted the red knight carving three trails through the concrete with his boots and sword to slow down his momentum and keep his balance.

His attire had been torn to shreds, and his body was full of burns, but it didn't seem like he would go down any time soon. In fact, his passive regeneration was already patching him up.

"Shirou! I thought you would only fight her to gain information."

"And that's what I did." He answered calmly without turning to look at her. "She refused to use that sword, so I had to kick into a higher gear. And it proved to be the right decision."

"That means you now have a plan?" Cao Cao, who had approached him as well, spoke in a mixture of statement and question.

"Yes. I could only discern that the Sacred Gear's core is some kind of gem. However, regarding her "bond", it turned out to be closer to the physical realm than I expected. So, a stab with this should suffice to cut it, at least for a moment."

As he said that, he put one of his hands on his back and projected a certain jagged, ritual dagger Serafall immediately recognized. A massive weight was lifted from her shoulder knowing that they wouldn't need to use extreme measures.

Meanwhile, Cao Cao took the dagger and inspected it. "Will a moment be enough?"

"It should. It will be the equivalent of all the adrenaline in your body suddenly disappearing. She will either pass out or be weakened enough for Mei to regain control."

At that moment, the Herrscher of Thunder finally emerged from the dust cloud. Her body was just as battered as Shirou's, but just like him, all her wounds started to quickly heal.

"Okay... now we have to find an opening to stab her, which doesn't sound that feasible..."

"We'll make one." The red knight stated matter of factly, Merodach being replaced by his trusty married swords. "Serafall, we'll hold the heavens together."

That cryptic statement threw both for a loop, but after some seconds, something clicked in Serafall's mind, and she nodded confidently.

"Of course, leave it to me."

"Are you done discussing your next plan?" The lightning queen asked them with a playful tone. "Will you finally come with the intent to kill? You can't seriously still want to save this vessel. This failed world isn't worth saving, nor destroying. We should just fight to our heart's content."

Shirou's eyebrow trembled. She created this bloodbath just for that reason? And why does she mean by failed world?

"Hmph. I can only tell you that this fight will be decided in the next exchange."

"Fufu. Then, by all means..."

She adopted her stance while the red knight just crossed his arms, which piqued her curiosity. Some seconds passed in silence, with Shirou carefully filling his twin blades with magical energy.

"Spirit and technique, flawless and firm."

Without a warning, Kanshou and Bakuya were thrown at the lightning queen, drawing symmetric arcs that intersected right in her neck. However, "Mei" didn't wait around and dashed towards the red knight, making the married swords miss her by a hair, quite literally.

Shirou also kicked the ground to close the distance, the second pair of twin blades getting projected just a beat before Doujigiri Yasutsuna was brought down on him. The tachi was skillfully redirected to the side, creating a small window he used to thrust Kanshou.

"Our strength rips the mountains."

At the same time, the Bakuya from the first pair came from behind, creating a simultaneous, two-sided attack. However, the Herrscher of Thunder didn't even wince at that and reacted calmly by tilting her body to the right to dodge Bakuya and bringing back her tachi, hitting Kanshou with its hilt's back and blowing it away from Shirou's hand.

She reacted as if she literally had eyes on her back. This wasn't a case of instincts bordering precognition or straight-up clairvoyance. The red knight could tell she detected the incoming attack using her authority over electricity.

"Our swords split the water."

No matter. Regardless of the method she had to evade attacks from all directions, this technique was designed specifically to counter any form of dodging.

Without giving her a respite, Shirou attacked with Bakuya at the same time the other Kanshou returned. With now time to reposition herself for a clean dodge, she tilted her body backward to let Kanshou fly over her only gracing her shoulder, while swinging her tachi upward to counter Bakuya.

The two reached a stalemate. With Kanshou getting shattered, the red knight was disarmed, while the lightning queen's stance was completely shattered, leaving her vulnerable.

"Our names reach the imperial villa."

Yet, that assessment couldn't be far from the truth. Shirou's magic circuits flared one last time, bringing Rule Breaker out from the hill of swords, fully intending to stab her open chest. At the same time, the armored arms around "Mei" finally moved, going for a downward iai strike.

The Herrscher of Thunder was confident in her victory. Her unsheathing speed was way faster than the time it would take the red knight to swing down that jagged dagger-

"...?"

But that was also taken into account. The reason why Shirou didn't use a variant of his Triple-Linked Crane Wings that also countered that extra pair of arms was because someone else would do it for him.

The lightning queen had to change her plan when she noticed the temperature of the space behind her drop significantly. That annoying devil didn't use a steel weapon, so she was unable to sense her ahead. But no matter. She swung her katana to strike her down, thinking that the shock of seeing her bisected would stun the red knight enough for her to bring back her tachi-

"The two of us cannot hold the heavens together."

"Huh!?"

A surprised voice escaped her lips when she heard the sound of ice shattering instead of flesh being torn and burned. But that wasn't possible. She clearly felt her presence behind her-

And ice sculpture. She noticed it when its upper torso fell in front of her. It must have had enough magical power to imitate Serafall's presence. And it didn't end there. With a hand sign from the real Serafall some meters away, the fragments of the sculpture reformed into a set of chains that bound her.

That completely eliminated the possibility of her blocking the attack or retaliating, covering one of the two only weaknesses of the technique.

"HAAAAAAHHHH!"

The lightning queen immediately started to release her power uncontrollably in a desperate attempt to blow away the chains and the red knight. But it was obvious her pressure had diminished drastically from the last time she had to do it.

She made it look like she had infinite energy, but all that fighting had definitely taken a toll on her.

"Grrraaahhh!" The red knight grunted as he pushed himself against the overwhelming energy. Even with his magic resistance, he could feel the radiation trying to erode his body.

He wasn't going to make it. He could see the ice chains starting to break, yet he wasn't able to bring down Rule Breaker more than a few inches-

With another cracking sound, the ice chains finally fell apart under the pressure. The lightning queen immediately commanded her second pair of arms to cleave the red knight with her katana before his arms resumed their movement.

"...!" Yet, once again, she stopped when she saw Shirou shooting a cocky smile at her. "You-"

There was one last surprise attack incoming. She noticed a projectile coming at her from behind the red knight and flying past his shoulder aiming straight at her chest. She couldn't tell what the purpose of that attack was, but if she had to guess, it would be the same as that foul dagger.

At that moment, she was forced to choose what target to strike. Being already in the middle of the swing, she couldn't change its trajectory to hit them both. The best she could manage would be to change its target to the incoming projectile.

There was no time to ponder it. Her instincts took over, commanding the armored arms to strike down the more immediate threat, that is to say, the projectile. Meanwhile, she let go of the Doujigiri Yasutsuna with one hand and raised that arm to block Rule Breaker.

It was one last desperate gamble to minimize the damage... and unfortunately, she lost.

The moment her katana struck the projectile, she realized it was a light orb that phased through it unharmed. It even went right through her without causing any harm. And when it stopped behind her, the man carrying the Holy Spear teleported right there, already swinging the first copy of Rule Breaker Shirou projected.

"Ah..."

It was her defeat. She had been outsmarted, by a plan those three came up in the fly with next to zero verbal communication. It was humiliating. Not because she fell for a series of intricate faints, but because she wasn't bested in a proper contest of power.

In the end, she wasn't able to make the Counter Guardian come at her with the full intent to wipe her out.

"Come back to us, MEI!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" I pained cry escaped her lips when both Rule Breakers impacted her, severing her connection to her "God", causing all the Honkai energy in her body to disperse in the atmosphere.

After seconds that felt like hours, the black and red armor disappeared, bringing back the clothes Mei had been wearing before, and she collapsed into the red knight's arms. Shirou waited a few seconds to make sure this wasn't a ploy, but after confirming that she no longer had any trace of "radiation" in her, he picked her up in a princess carry.

"She's passed out. It's over."

"We won, huh?" Cao Cao said with a somber tone as he looked at the destruction around them. The amount of death around them was enough to extinguish any feeling of achievement.

"At least, there's something good out of all this," Serafall spoke as she approached them, and pointed her finger at the Holy Spear wielder. "I thank you for helping us there, but you're gonna have to spend a while in penitence for your crim-"

"Wait, Serafall." The red knight interrupted her while stepping in front of Cao Cao. She threw a stinky stare at him, but after seeing how serious his face was, she raised an eyebrow.

"What? Don't tell me you don't want to throw him and his colleagues in jail."

"Precisely. We've already talked about it. The "Hero Faction" will disband, and all its remnants that may want to still fight for what is right are free to join us in a new organization. Having them rotting in a cell won't do any good. If you ask me, it's better to have them atone for their misdeeds actively."

"So... you want to form a proper human faction? A Neo Hero Faction?"

"Not exactly. Everyone is free to join us, regardless of race, and regardless of them having a Sacred Gear. And definitely not a "Hero Faction". I'll think of a better name."

"Hnn..." The twin-tailed maou hummed in silence and threw a look at the Sage Equaling Heaven, who was walking up to them with Issei's unconscious body.

"Heh, don't look at me, Leviathan. I don't have any problem with this lad and his friends doing something productive for once. If anything, you guys should be worried about Indra. That man has had his eyes on the Holy Spear for a while." Sun Wukong then looked at the red knight. "I'd ask if you're ready to face the King of Gods, but seeing how you handled this threat, I'm sure you'll be fine, Emiya Shirou. A pleasure to finally make your acquaintance, by the way."

"Indra..." He had never met the Indra from his world, but he did meet one of his many offspring, so he wasn't really that sure. But if Sun Wukong himself said it...

"Me too." The red knight replied politely and repositioned Mei to accept his offered hand.

"Judging by the face you're making, my descendant has already given you trouble, hasn't he?"

"I wouldn't use the word "trouble", but yeah, we haven't been on the same side exactly."

"Heh, I'd go deal with him if this night hadn't been this long. The cat he's been hanging out with lately was around." After saying that, the legendary Yokai looked at the Jade Dragon's carcass, and his tone lost its life. "Also... I should start preparing a proper burial."

The Sage left Issei in Shirou's hand and walked off towards his old friend, leaving them alone again.

"Fine. I know they won't go stray with you leading them, Shirou. But, convincing the others is another story."

"Nothing that a good opening speech won't be able to achieve." Cao Cao interjected confidently, and before Serafall could object, he spoke to... his shadow? "What do you think, Connla?"

Following his cue, the shadow warrior emerged from the soil and leveled a glare at both Cao Cao and Shirou.

"Are you kidding? What's gotten on to you, Cao Cao? Why are you acting so carefree with that traitor and a devil!? Weren't you supposed to defeat him and assert our way!?"

The Chinese warrior didn't flinch and answered calmly. "That was a possibility, but in the end, I was completely defeated. I have accepted Emiya's as the right way. You can accept it, or not. Unfortunately, there won't be a place for you to return if you decline, so you'll be on your own. Maybe if Shirou showed you what he showed me you'd consider it more carefully."

"Hey, that isn't something I can go showing to everyone. It's too personal, and my magical energy isn't infinite." The red knight remarked with slight annoyance, purposely ignoring the... complicated stare Serafall was giving him in favor of staring at Connla in the eye. "Look, now isn't the time to start explaining things. Just know that we'll fight to protect humanity and this world. You're free to follow your own path, as our enemy, that is."

The shadow warrior gritted his teeth and even stepped back after getting hit by Shirou's killing intent.

"You don't have to make the decision right now." A fifth voice cut into the conversation, and they observed a giant man walking up to them, carrying the unconscious forms of both Georg and Perseus. "I will follow Cao Cao, and see for myself where this new path will lead us. And I'm pretty sure these two will agree as well."

Another figure walked up to them, although with more difficulty. A familiar blonde girl, whose body was battered after having withstood so many shockwaves. She threw a glare at Cao Cao before returning to a neutral expression to refer to the red knight.

"Shirou... you settled the score..."

His lips narrowed into a thin line. "Yes, Jeanne... I know it's unreasonable to ask you to leave your grudges behind and work together with him, but from now on, we'll work towards the same goal. At the very least... there will be no more brainwashing and stolen lives."

She bit her lip, before giving him a nod. "Just for you. I'll put up with him just because you're the one asking, Shirou. And if he once again resorts to that..."

There was no need to end that sentence. Shirou himself was planning on doing that, but he hoped things wouldn't come to this.

"Now then. As our first mission, we should start searching for any possible survivors and evacuate everyone to a proper hospital."

"Nahida is really going to hate me, but I don't think any medical facility survived the attack..."

With that said, all of them headed for the place where most of the survivors had been gathered, that is to say, around Asia. As things were, the sun would rise before the situation was stabilized.


"Ha... ha... ha..." A tired breath escaped the lips of a certain cloaked figure as she entered her safe house and unceremoniously dropped on the couch.

"Oh? What's the matter, Kukoka?" A voice beside her spoke in a playful tone, and she could imagine the cocky grin in the White Dragon Emperor's mouth. Honestly didn't have the energy to deal with it. "Was it that tiring? You only had to arrange a fight."

"Shut up. You don't have any idea how much things escalated. That... monster... she appeared out of nowhere and started butchering everyone. Even the Sun Wukong got his ass beaten, and the Jade Dragon kicked the bucket."

Vali's eyebrows started to raise to the point of hiding behind his bangs, his expression becoming one of surprise and skepticism.

"You must be joking... That's-"

"Azazel lost an arm. You should go visit him and drop the bad boy act for once."

The White Dragon Emperor honestly didn't know what to be surprised more about, that bomb she just dropped, or the fact that Kuroka of all people was asking him to mature.

"You saw it, didn't you?" Before he could question her further, their boss spoke beside them out of the blue. And to make things even weirder, there was some excitement in her voice, as well as a small smile on her lips.

"If you're talking about that Herrscher or whatever, then yes, I even managed to avoid getting slaughtered by it."

"No, I'm talking about the hill of swords. I'm pretty sure Shirou finally deployed it again."

While Vali remained oblivious to what she was talking about, Kuroka widened her eyes in recognition. She actually forgot about that for obvious reasons.

"Yeah, Shirou-kun actually rewrote the world to impose his inner world... It was... amazing. But, aside from that, Ophis-sama, what in the world was that monster?"

Much to her horror, the little girl just shrugged. In fact, she even seemed disappointed Kuroka wasn't as excited about the Unlimited Blade Works.

"Beats me. Maybe an alien? Also, you should do something about the radiation."

"Yeah... Where's Le Fay? I'll need her help..."

"Hey, wait! You have to explain to me just what in the world happened in Kyoto!"


"Once again, thank you so much for saving my daughter, Shirou-kun."

"No need to, Raiden-san. It was... something I had to do, and I was quite late..."

It had been some days after the whole fiasco. Shirou found himself in the middle of a hallway in Serafall's hospital when he ran into none other than Raiden Ryoma, Mei's father. A man of strict visage, with blue eyes and black hair, and wearing a business suit.

It surprised Shirou that the man was able to guess the cause of his old man's death. They must have been more acquainted than he thought. Aside from that, the man was obviously thankful to him after he learned it was him who saved her from that so-called Herrscher of Thunder.

Fortunately, the man didn't press further with his gratitude. The death count reached well over the five digits, and that was only because the reverse Kyoto had way less population than the real one, even if we compare it to the Edo period instead of the present.

It was a tragedy. No matter what good things were achieved that day, that fact will never change. It wouldn't be far-fetched to say that it will reach the same level of repercussion as events like the 9-11, at least in the supernatural world. So many victims in a single night, which included really big names.

One of the five Dragon Kings died. Those were existences that were arguably placed even above most Gods. No amount of cover-up will stop that from spreading, and the fact that he was pretty much murdered rather than dying in an epic battle would only make it worse. It won't take long for the ones investigating the incident to find out the perpetrator. There were too many witnesses and too many victims, wounded or mortal.

That's why he came here. For once, he wasn't the one bedridden. On the contrary, it was pretty much everyone else. It wasn't a matter of wounds in most cases. Everyone who had been present had to go through a procedure to cleanse the "radiation" permeating their body. It wasn't as bad as say a nuclear accident, since the only people who entered direct contact with the lightning queen had some form of protection, but it was still concerning. They'd need to investigate that strange energy.

So, after paying a visit to Issei and the other devils, including the ones that came from Kuoh to visit, he immediately came to visit her.

With some hesitation, he knocked on the door, and the answer came shortly after.

"Come in."

She didn't ask who it was, most likely having heard him talk with her father. When he entered the room, she was there alone, sitting up with her hand in her lap, and a number of machines monitoring her vitals.

What once was a hair as black as the night was now purple, and the same happened to her once blue eyes. It would seem that Herrscher thing left its mark on her, a constant reminder that it was still lurking there.

"Good morning, Shirou-kun. Thanks for... coming to see me." She greeted him with one of the most forced smiles he'd ever seen.

"Good morning, Mei-san... How are you feeling?" Shirou asked carefully, keeping his own poker face.

Mei's smile quickly turned into a self-deprecating one. "I'm okay... or at least, as good as someone can be after being forced to... do that."

"That wasn't your fault." That was what he wanted to say, but he swallowed those words. The worst thing he could do now was feed her self-blame by trying to discuss it directly. He more than everyone knew how that could go.

Instead, he walked to her side and sat on the couch beside the bed before speaking again.

"I know... Even if no one could have seen that coming, and objectively speaking, the guilt shouldn't be pinned on someone specifically, the sense of guilt will inevitably eat away at you. But you mustn't let it fester... and develop into really somber thoughts."

After a few seconds of silence, she looked at him in the eye. "Talking from experience?"

"Yes. You could say I've been... dealing with survivor guilt all my life."

"And could you..."

"Depending on who you ask, I'm either not doing good or I'm doing horribly. At the very least, it shaped me into the person I am now." He returned the look. "So, I can't honestly give you profound advice, aside from leaning on your close ones. And I know I can't be considered one of those, but..."

Damn, he sucked at this. A guy she just met some days ago with worse mental problems trying to give her advice on trauma must be a really bad joke for her. Or that's what he thought, but the now purple-eyed girl showed him a soft smile.

"No, I can't possibly think of you as a stranger, Shirou-kun. I... was somewhat conscious during the fight. I saw how, despite it being the hard option, despite how many times she tried to taunt you, you chose to save me instead of killing us both. At that moment... even I was hoping for someone to... put an end to it. I can't begin to put into words how much grateful I am."

She had brought her right hand to her chest, her cheeks were blushing, and that look she was giving to him...

Shirou's eye trembled for a moment. It was one thing to have fate smack him in the face for jinxing himself with "I guess fate willed our paths to cross again", but this...

"Besides..." Before he started questioning if he truly had that kind of skill, she continued to speak, now in a more reserved tone. "I also heard that bit about... you being an alien. So I guess... that makes us... partners in crime?"

"Huh?" The golden-eyed boy blinked owlishly at her. "That's your reaction to my origin from another universe? Don't you feel... scared? Alienated? Rejection towards me?"

"Not at all." She answered without hesitation, her eyebrows furrowing. "It's just the same as with Sakura, and Kunou. You not being human, or at least not a human from this world, makes no difference. Besides, I'm... possessed by another alien, so I'm in no position to judge you."

She... was only saying that because she didn't see the Unlimited Blade Works. His having the same anatomy might trick their brain into classifying him as something familiar, but once they see the byproduct of his distorted perception...

Then again... Cao Cao took it well despite being inside his reality marble, even if he wasn't as explicit with his origin...

"In that case, I guess I have no reason to offer you... a proposal." He brought back a serious expression as he said that, startling Mei a little. "I, and my associates, won't judge you for what happened, but unfortunately, that won't be the case for the rest of the world. The moment they find out about this "Herrscher of Thunder", they'll come to hunt you. So, I offer you the chance to join this... group of sorts I'm forming. We'll not only protect you, but we'll try to find ways to deal with your Sacred Gear and the entity inside it. On the other hand, you'll most likely be involved in more convoluted messes, whether it's more terrorists or more aliens. Give it a thou-"

"Count me in." Once again, she surprised him by accepting without any hesitation. "I'll follow you wherever you go, Shirou-kun. I'll make amends for... what happened that night by putting to good use these powers."

She reaffirmed her vow by taking Shirou's hand. But if she was being honest, that wasn't the entire truth. She did believe in what she said. That fighting to protect this world with her power was the right thing. She had been growing up with that credo as part of the Raiden Clan.

However, she more than anything wanted to continue being with the golden-eyed boy, and not turn this into a farewell. Fate had brought them together, even if it was in a twisted way due to him being some kind of Guardian of Balance and her having an alien invader inside her, so she didn't want to let go of this bond. On the contrary, she wanted to deepen it as much as she could.

Maybe it was the infatuation of a teenager, but... she had always felt their chance meeting had been something special. Emiya Shirou definitely was... the light she always sought to illuminate her lonely world.

"Very well, Mei-san. Unfortunately, I haven't announced the group's name yet, so I can't give you a grandiose welcome-"

The auburn-haired boy was interrupted by someone knocking at the door. He looked at Mei, wordlessly asking if she was expecting someone else to visit her, but she shook her head.

Shirou walked up to the door and immediately noticed that whoever was on the other side of the door was definitely powerful. A certain twin-tailed maou crossed his mind, but why would she be visiting Mei?

"Oh, you're here Shirou. Just as I thought." Well, he was about to find out because she was indeed the one waiting in the hallway, alongside her trusty queen.

"Serafall, Nahida. Were you looking for me, or did you want to talk with Mei-san?"

"More of the first, actually." Serafall answered before pinching the bridge of her nose. That, coupled with her formal dress, allowed him to more or less guess what she was about to tell him. "Come with me. The big shots finally decided to step in, and they've called an emergency meeting to discuss what happened and what should be done afterward."

"Just to make sure, by "big shots", you mean..."

"Yes. In fact, Amaterasu herself came in person. But she isn't the only deity involved."

"I see... Can I bring Mei with me? I want her to be present for what I'll announce there."

"Well, that's why I'm here," Nahida interjected with her usual cheerfulness despite the seriousness between the two. "She's stable enough to come. In fact, I'd say her stability improved after you visited her, Shirou-kun."

Serafall's eyebrows furrowed at that. She knew Shirou would come to help her recover emotionally. That's what he's been doing with Xenovia, Irina, and Jeanne. Still...

After some minutes, the four walked into the room everyone was already gathered in.

The tension in that room was palpable, to the point it physically made it harder to breathe. Cao Cao, who greeted him with a sign, was standing alongside Heracles on their own. Xenovia, Jeanne, and Rossweisse were standing a distance from them, so Shirou decided to stand between the two groups with Mei following behind.

The looks of apprehension she received were inevitable, more so with the changes in her hair and eyes, but since it didn't escalate to full hostility, he decided to let it pass.

Serafall and Nahida took a corner for them, standing as the devil representatives. Irina and a newly arrived Griselda were representing the Heavens, but unfortunately, there didn't seem to be anyone representing the Grigori since Azazel was still out of commission.

Himejima Suzaku and Nakiri Ouryuu were acting as the Five Great Clans representatives, Kunou, accompanied by both Sakura and Rin were there to represent the West Youkai Faction. It seemed that Yasaka was still recovering, but their entrance to the room seemed to have cheered the young kitsunes a little.

As for the East Youkai Faction, someone had come in their representation, maybe the one that would have to take the mantle as their leader after Nurarihyon's passing. She was a white-haired, blue-eyed nekomata, an elder if the seven tails were a sign.

But if you asked Shirou, she was completely overshadowed by the two elephants in the room.

The first one had him making a double take. Pink, flowing hair, golden eyes, and dressed in robes filled with Sun-themed ornaments. And there was also that sly stare she threw at him. For a moment, he truly thought Tamamo-no-Mae had somehow come to this world as well, but he quickly discarded it.

That wasn't a Bunrei, but a full-fledged Goddess. So, that could only mean she was Amaterasu as Serafall had warned him. But then... why did she have that appearance? Did the Amaterasu of this world also have an aspect related to nation-ruining beauties?

The second Goddess in the room was more of a mystery to him. A silver-haired, regal beauty, with blue eyes. Clad in robes that gave a Greek vibe, but wearing a Roman laurel crown. Well, Roman and Greek mythology were pretty much the same, baring some differences, but even then, he couldn't make a guess about her identity.

Heracles seemed to be tense, but Shirou guessed he would react that way in the presence of any God and not only Hera.

"My, my, you've arrived just in time." The pink-haired Goddess greeted them, and immediately took control of the meeting. "Let me introduce myself again. I am Amaterasu, Goddess of the Sun and patron deity of the Shinto Pantheon. In light of the events that took place three days ago, we Gods decided to finally get involved. We just finished formalizing the new truce between the Five Great Clans and both Youkai factions. Nakiri Ouryuu, Kunou, and Magari here decided to put their differences to work together and rebuild all that has been destroyed during their quarries."

Her eyes then turned sharply towards the Raiden Clan's heir, but she stood firm, albeit squeezing his hand for support. "Now, let us address the other... issue that played a major role in the tragedy. Raiden Mei, we recognized your authority over lightning as a sign of you being a descendant of Gozu Tennou. However, as it turned out, it was a power usurped by an... alien invader with nefarious intentions. We should then decide how we shall handle this threat. Let us hear what every part involved has to say."

"That won't be necessary." Shirou interjected just as Amaterasu finished, making sure not to interrupt her. He paused and made sure to not flinch when the two Goddesses examined him from head to toe, seemingly piercing through his soul.

"And why would that be, Emiya Shirou?" She finally asked with curiosity filling her tone.

"Because Raiden Mei will be joining my organization. She will therefore be under my protection, and we'll in turn help her control that power, or at the very least, suppress it."

"Oh? What organization are you talking about? You aren't referring to the Three Biblical Factions, are you?" She wasn't the only one with that question in mind. Even the three of the four girls living in his house looked at him questioningly.

Now was the moment. If he was being honest, he didn't really prepare a speech beforehand, but no plan survives contact with the enemy anyway. After taking a deep breath, he projected Merodach and rested his hands over the pommel, a trick to bolster his image as a representative.

"As some of you may know, the "Hero Faction" from the Khaos Brigade has been dissolved after we... settled our differences. In turn, we want to announce the creation of a new organization that will fight still fight for humanity. However, this organization will be free of any prejudice towards supernatural beings, nor will it declare active war on them. Moreover, we welcome everyone who wants to fight for our cause. It is our belief that humanity will naturally leave them behind in our journey to the stars, and so, our duty is to preserve that progress and fight the threats that endanger this world."

The golden-eyed boy made a dramatic pause, activating his Servant mode to make his presence even more majestic.

"We are Chaldea, the Organization for the preservation of the Human Order, and this will be our Grand Order."

In the end, he couldn't think of a better name for this kind of organization. A place where people of all places, times, and with very different ideals, will gather with the common purpose of fighting for humanity.

Unfortunately, the meaning of that name seemed to go unnoticed for most of the people in the room, except the two Goddesses, and Cao Cao, who couldn't help but smile and nod in approval.

"Chaldea, the observatory used by the first stargazers... that's a fitting name."

With Cao Cao's explanation, the name finally had the impact he desired. This wouldn't be a tale about people claiming to be heroes, but people who shine like twinkling stars to illuminate the path ahead.

"Of course, it goes without saying, but as an organization led by Shirou-kun they have complete support from the Three Factions." Serafall immediately added confidently while staring at both Goddesses, with both Irina and Griselda nodding in support. Unfortunately, Shirou would have to make a correction there.

"Actually, the organization's leader will be Cao Cao here." The auburn-haired boy said while resting a hand on the Holy Spear wielder's shoulder.

He could already see their expressions twisting in surprise, disbelief, and even outrage, so he elaborated further. "I'll be of course acting as a vice-director of sorts, taking part in the decision-making, but I'll repeat it as many times as needed. The dead shouldn't be the ones guiding humanity. We should just stick to being a helping hand at best. That's why I'm entrusting Cao Cao with this position."

"I know the impression I, and the old "Hero Faction" left is far from bright." Said man took over, and started his speech in a calm tone. "In my obsession to see what highs humanity could go, I did despicable things. This won't bring back all the lives lost due to my experimentation with Sacred Gears, nor do I seek forgiveness. But now that I see a clear path for us humanity, I wish to fight for it. The mantle Emiya wants me to take on is heavy, but I'll put all my gifts and the skills I harnessed in service of Chaldea as a commander. Regardless of the issues you may have with me, I hope we can all work together for our Grand Order."

There was genuine remorse in his voice, but he didn't make it look like he regretted everything he had done up until now. Shirou was sure Cao Cao didn't feel that much remorse for all the supernatural beings he killed, whether they deserved it or not, nor did he regret all the experiments he did.

Just like most scientific advances, the method used for their discovery was horrendous, but they were later used for good. Only time will tell if that's the case here.

There was still some reticence in Serafall, Xenovia, and Irina's eyes, but this was an issue he wasn't changing his mind regardless. Just like in the original Chaldea, its cornerstone was the human masters, not the servants.

"Very well." Amaterasu finally answered, a smile forming on her lips. "If everyone agrees, we shall entrust Raiden Mei to Chaldea's care."

After seeing that there was no opposition in that matter, she continued. "Moreover, the Shinto Pantheon wishes to start formalizing our alliance with the three factions, as well as establishing the same kind of relationship with Chaldea."

"We would be pleased, Lady Amaterasu." Shirou let Cao Cao handle the pleasantries.

He would be lying if he said he wasn't expecting her decision. Azazel told him Amaterasu had seen him fight Loki, which included his use of the Tsumukari Muramasa, so it was only natural they'd try to approach him even if just to pry into that.

Now, the problem was the other Goddess. Those calculating eyes and that cryptic smile weren't good signs in his books, more so when they were directed solely at him.

"With all that settled, allow me to introduce myself at long last." The mysterious Goddess finally made her move, rising from her seat and resting a hand over her chest before speaking.

"I am Athena, one of the Twelve Olympians. However, I didn't come here as their representative. I originally came here to have a meeting with you, Emiya Shirou, but after hearing the founding speech of your Chaldea, I have another proposal. Tell me, would Chaldea accept me in your lines?"

Shirou couldn't help but raise an eyebrow just before the room was filled with gasps. Even Amaterasu seemed confused about her move.

That seemingly came out of nowhere, but this was the Goddess of Wisdom and Battle Knowledge. There had to be more to it, or that's what Shirou would like to think. This was also the same Goddess that cursed Medusa even after Poseidon... did that, because she envied her beauty.

On the other hand, she wasn't talking as if she was a robot like the Artemis he met at Chaldea...

"Of course. As I said, we accept everyone as long as they share our goals. However, I assume you don't want to join us just because my speech moved you. There's something more, am I right?"

Her smile only widened further. "Indeed. However, this is an issue I would like to discuss in private just with Chaldea."

She said that while eyeing the other people in the room, as if to hint at them to leave. After having an outright staring contest with Serafall, with the latter finally conceding, the representatives of the other factions started to leave.

The twin-tailed maou sent one last look at him, and Shirou nodded back. There wasn't concern in her blue eyes, she trusted he could handle this.

"I'll see you later, Shirou-sama!" Kunou didn't miss the chance to speak to him. She clearly wanted some time with him in private, to which he simply nodded.

Sakura also threw a look at him and Mei. Although that seemed more like a knowing look accompanied by that sly smile. The golden-eyed boy couldn't help but shudder at that.

"Well then, what do you want to talk about, Lady Athena?" Cao Cao broke the silence while summoning his True Longinus and resting it on his shoulder.

With Shirou still holding Merodach and showing his strength as a servant, it was more than enough of a deterrent. Unless she was too confident in her power, which wasn't beyond the realm of possibility, she wouldn't try anything funny. Even less having Mei around. Forcing the Herrscher of Thunder to come out again would be suicidal.

"No need for the weapons. I swear on my divinity that I do not seek any harm to you. I am genuinely interested in joining your cause, and I do bring a proper offering." The Goddess answered, not being intimidated in the least. In fact, she seemed to approve of their caution.

"And what would that offering be?"

"Information, of course. Knowledge is the best blessing I could ever grant thy." Athena then approached them, stopping only some feet away from the red knight. "You see, the appearance of this Herrscher of Thunder might seem something completely unexpected, but I think this is the result of the wheels of Fate getting into motion. Tell me, haven't you asked yourselves who was it that exalted the Five Great Clans into rebellion? Or who gave information about the attack on reverse Kyoto the East Youkai Faction? Or the one that made the young Leonardo disappear? Or even more, who was behind the slaughter of the Kaslana family?"

Those two last questions flew over Shirou's head, and most of the people left in the room, but judging by the way Cao Cao got tense, he assumed those questions were meant for him. The first two though... she had a really good point. Some unknown entity orchestrated the events, and when Cao Cao tried to manipulate them to his benefit, they once again interfered indirectly to throw everything into chaos.

"Are you implying that those three things are the work of a single entity?" Cao Cao asked with a serious tone he rarely used.

"Exactly. A great evil is festering in this world, using incidents like the Kyoto one as a curtain to hide behind."

"Like another Khaos Brigade?" Xenovia ventured to ask, but the Goddess shook her head.

"I'm afraid the Kahos Brigade was a lesser evil in comparison. When you look at it, the one leading that organization never intended to do evil, and its parts lacked any kind of coordination. This one though, as you saw, is way more meticulous and effective."

"And you decided to come to warn us out of the goodness of your heart?" The golden-eyed boy asked with skepticism.

"Unfortunately, a number of Gods have decided to align with this evil, including some relatives of mine. And more will do once the existence of Chaldea is made public. You expect that much, don't you? So, I decided to pick a side as well. "

"So, you want to recreate the Trojan War with all Gods picking a side?"

"More or less. Although this group resembles more the Argonauts if you ask me. But don't worry." This time, the Goddess revealed a soft smile and extended her hand to them. "I'll make sure this won't be another tragic epic. This time, you will reach a happy ending, my heroes."


"..."

It had been days since she had been brought to this room. At first glance, it was just a small room with a bed, a table with a couple of chairs, a two-meter tall mirror on the wall opposed to the bed, and a small bathroom.

That wouldn't be far from the description of the average small flat in a big city, but things changed when one realized that the door was locked and the only window was covered by layers of steel. And if that wasn't enough, she could tell that the entire room was covered in a spell to ensure she didn't punch a hole through the wall... somehow.

In short, it was a cell. There were no bars and it was clean, but there was no denying that she was being caged.

Something curious, because she barely had a notion of herself as an individual. She really didn't have any reason to escape or a place to run to. As twisted as it sounded, this place was the only thing she could call home. They even made sure to keep her fed, and it was properly cooked food and not military rations.

So she had plenty of time these days to think of who she was.

In her sleep, she witnessed a pair of mismatched memories, and really blurring to make things complicated.

One was a girl born into a loving family who lived in a place filled with snow. The memories never reached adulthood, so they were mostly pleasant times filled with fun and joy. However, it wasn't free of hardships, as she was trained by her parents at her insistence. Because she wanted to fight for all that is beautiful in this world.

There was something that stood out from those memories, something that the girl's mother often said and had left a strong impression on her.

"Ich liebe dich."

As for the other set of memories... they were the exact opposite. A boy born amidst flames, and who walked into hell, alone all his life. A man who kept chasing an ever-distant dream, and lived all his life as a sword. Therefore, she could remember as clearly as day the answer he reached.

"I am the bone of my sword."

Despite being opposite lives, the two of them had something in common. Both wanted to dedicate their lives to protecting others. The man's memories showed her a lonely journey filled with setbacks and misery, with only a glimmer of hope at its end, while the girl's showed her the beginning of a journey filled with love and optimism.

So, she couldn't help but ask herself, which of the two she wanted to be? Or, did she want to follow one of those paths at all? In the first place, why was she even here, and what was expected of her?

While her mind struggled to find answers to her questions, her heart always told her that it would be really beautiful to live such a life. A part of her, the childish one, thought about dedicating herself to protecting all that is beautiful in this world, while the callous, pragmatic one thought that was hell she was walking into.

And once she looked at the mirror in a vain attempt to find answers, the image that looked back at her was just as confusing.

A girl with the same age, slender body, and messy, snow white hair as the girl from her memories, yet the same hollow, golden eyes as the man clad in black and red. It was a startling image. Those eyes didn't belong to a child, but someone who had been through the same hell.

But, was she really a child? She looked like one, and a part of her thought as one, but the other analyzed the situation pragmatically... and was aware that she was born not that long before she was brought here.

She was... an artificial being most likely. One created with the genes of those two persons, and accelerated growth on top of that. She was aware that she lacked something crucial, the very thing that constituted the base of the red knight's power.

She didn't have magic circuits, and also, her soul hadn't been turned into that hill of blades. However, as if to make up for it, there was something there that she was sure would allow her to produce magical energy.

Her very heart. As it seemed, whoever created her, had thrown in a third factor in her genetic pull.

Unfortunately, she hadn't been successful in completely activating it. She only managed to make it produce enough magical energy for structural grasp and basic projections. Projections she knew would never match that man's, as she lacked the blueprints that constituted them. Instead of drawing them from the hill of swords, she'd have to go through the seven steps... from memory.

It was just too inefficient, and the results wouldn't be that much better than glasswork. She didn't know if the ones who created her had that in mind.

"It's time, huh?" The sound of steps outside the room alerted her.

That morning, she had been fed with a meal filled with carbs, something one would have before an activity in which they'd need a lot of energy. Also, they made her wear a set of clothes that resembled nun habits, but with openings in the robes specifically to not hinder her mobility. And on top of that, there was a band on the right sleeve with something written on it.

K-423

All evidence pointed to her finally being asked to participate in some sort of experiment.

She steeled herself as easily as breathing, no doubt making the same stoic face as that man, unfortunately. A part of her thought that it ruined her natural beauty, but the other part immediately discarded such unnecessary thought.

Regardless, she was ready for anything they threw at her. There wasn't much to lose, after all.


And that's it for this triple update. Remember when I said I hated cliffhangers? Well, I do hate them, but that doesn't mean I don't know how to use them.

Now, there's a lot to unpack here. A lot of people kicked the bucket here, big names in the lore, but let's be honest, they were pretty much background characters in the original story and served the purpose of enriching the lore.

Except Mitsuya Kanzaki. If I'm being honest, given that the guy is just another absurdly broken character introduced as a long-term goal for Issei, and there isn't that much information about him in any regard, I just decided to get him out. At the very least, the fact that his powers didn't work on HoT served as a hint of her alien nature for people not familiar with Honkai. I pretty much spoiled that to you in the interlude, in the inner monologue Shirou has after Azazel tells him about Mitsuya.

All the killing served to establish how big of a threat a Herrscher is in this story, as well as hinting at the direction it will take with all the dialogues she threw. I explained through Sun Wunkong that this isn't a matter of her just being absurdly powerful, but more about her having a... multiplier of sorts when they fight against DxD characters. Think of it as the same that happens when Siegfried fights an enemy with the dragon trait. It's a stark contrast with Loki, who literally didn't manage to kill anyone and the only one who nearly died was because of self-inflicted damage.

Also, I'll confirm it here. The DxD world in this story is part of the Honkaiverse. Which conceptually is quite similar to the Nasuverse with the universe being a tree and all that. I'm honestly surprised there aren't that many crossovers on this site between both franchises, although there are some new ones as of recent.

Now, regarding the center of this chapter, the Herrscher of Thunder, warning about a rant that only Honkai nerds will get. I'm aware that the second personality in Mei's body was revealed not to be a Herrscher persona in the final chapters, but what you saw in this story is indeed an actual Herrscher. There's no stigmata here, which might sound absurd, but that's because Mei didn't become a Herrscher in a traditional way in this story either. It was through the Sacred Gear that contains the Herrscher core, with the Sacred Gear itself fulfilling the role of the stigmata. How that came to be, you'll have to wait for the story to reveal it.

On another note, yes, as some of you have waited, Shirou ended up turning the Hero Faction into Chaldea. Not a Neo Chaldea, because Shirou himself considers this just a branch of the original Chaldea that acts in this world. He has very fond memories of the place after all. Athena's appearance might seem out of nowhere, but remember that suspicious owl that had been spying on Hades and Rizevim. She pretty much has been stalking Shirou ever since. Also, Athena is a Goddess who cares and watches over heroes, so I think she was the perfect candidate. On another note, the design I picked is the one from "Campione!"

And finally, our newest guest! Yes, the result of Rizavim's machinations is none other than this world's K-423, Kiana Kaslana... or should I say Emiya Kiana? That's the only aspect of the character I still can't decide, because Emiya Kiana Kaslana sounds too mouthful. However, I do have her characterization and the direction she will go planned. I mean, it isn't a Kiana if she doesn't have to tank life itself trying to run her over.

The next chapter will cover her prologue, as well as expand further on the aftermath of the Kyoto incident and establish the next arc.

Now, finishing the rant, I'd like to hear your thoughts on these chapters, and I hope I entertained you. I promise the next update won't take that long. I don't plan the next chapter of "Can a monster act like a hero?" to be this long.

Now, I wish you a merry Christmas, and a happy New Year! Hasta la vista!