Chapter Text
-Your Master, the Beast of Ascension 2-
“Ssso, are you all going to just stand there watching me or are you going to anssswer my questionsss? It’s rrrude to ignore others, and I believe we ssshould move before worse things arrrive.”
The irritated tone in the being’s voice snapped the siblings, Mash, and the Director out of their stupor, causing them to stammer before answering, more out of fear of provoking the individual’s wrath than out of politeness.
“M-my name is Olga Marie Animusphere, Director of the Organization for the Preservation of Human Order, formerly known as Chaldea!”
The young woman with white hair and pale skin replied, puffing out her chest and putting on a facade of pride to hide her concern.
“I-I am Mash Kyrielight, Kouhai and servant of my senpais! It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir!”
The partially armored girl stammered, slowly stepping aside and placing herself between the humans in the group and the newly arrived stranger, whose eyes turned to the brother and sister who were intently watching him.
He offered a smile that was probably an attempt to calm their nerves, but it only made them both pale.
“I-I’m Fujimaru Ritsuka, sir!”
“And I’m Fujimaru Gudako!”
They both bowed at the same time in a polite bow, causing the man to laugh, a distorted sound that echoed through the burning city, making everyone shudder.
“HAHAHA! Don’t worrry, I won’t harm the protagonists of the story without a good rrreason! Since you’ve introduced yourselvesss, I’ll do the same again, my name is Micolasssh and the book is called Kitab.”
“Kitab? Literally book in Arabic?” Mash asked innocently, tilting her head in confusion.
“Ssso that’s what his name meansss? Sssuch lack of creativity and… OUCH!”
Everyone recoiled in surprise as the tentacles holding the book to the man’s arm moved, visibly tightening around the limb.
“I was jussst kidding!”
He shouted at the book through clenched teeth.
“Forgive me, Mr. Micolash, but is your book alive?”
“Yesss, it has opinions, personality, and feelingsss. So don’t be sssurprised if you see me talking to it.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Kitab!”
Mash offered a radiant smile and nod, causing Micolash to fight the urge to pat her head.
“Enough wasting time! To answer your questions, no, we haven’t found any of the people you’re looking for! Now, answers to ours!”
Olga stepped forward, which would have been a courageous gesture if her head hadn't been peering over the servant's shoulder. Micolash made a sound of disappointment before nodding, allowing her to continue.
“First of all, what are you? A servant? Some kind of mythical being from an obscure legend?”
“No, I’m nothing like that. I wasss once human, if you believe me, but now, I don’t even know what I am. And honessstly, I highly doubt you’ve heard my ssstory.”
The director crossed her arms, dissatisfied with the answer. Sighing, she asked the next question.
“And what are you doing here, Micolash? What is your purpose?”
“I could asssk you the same thing, but to answerrr your question, I have no idea. One moment I wasss in a place with my companionsss, I saw a blinding light, and when I woke up, I wasss here with Kitab. My goal is to find my friendsss and return home.”
“Hm… Wait here.”
Olga stepped back, calling Mash and the siblings away, forming a small circle while Micolash watched them with a mixture of amusement and curiosity.
“I feel that as director, I should ask your opinion on the matter. Should we accept Micolash’s help or not? His story is too vague; he could be lying, a servant, a monster, a mad mage, or all of the above.”
“Well, he didn’t attack us, unlike the skeletons, that’s a good sign, isn’t it?” Ritsuka replied hesitantly, glancing at the subject of the conversation who was now talking to his book while his army of undead surrounded him.
“I mean, he’s scary and all, but he helped us, didn’t he? And did you see the magic he used? I’d rather have someone like that on our side.” Gudako said next, though she wasn’t quite sure of her words.
“Despite his appearance, he seems like a good person.”
Immediately, everyone looked at Mash, questioning if that was really her reasoning, making the young woman look away. On the other hand, Micolash had his own business to settle with the book.
“Hm… We’ll prrrobably find the others little by little in the next singularitiesss.”
“Certainly, I wonder how the plot will change with our presence. It will probably become more convoluted than it already is.”
“I agree… Hey, can you put my statsss in FGO form?”
“Leave it to me!”
The words in the book changed, and soon the updated version of Micolash's stats was revealed.
Class: Foreigner
Name: Micolash
Real Name: ?
Gender: Male
Height / Weight: 180cm 75kg
-Stats-
Strength: B
Resistance: C (B, thanks to Iron Shakespeare's soul)
Agility: B+
Magic Energy: A+
Luck: E-
-Noble Phantasm-
1 - François' Rapier: Class A [Anti-Army]. A divine construct, the weapon of choice of the New God François the Dominating One. A rapier capable of creating and shaping gold and portals according to the user's will.
Ability: Molten Gold, recite the chant and point the rapier towards the heavens, opening a portal that will pour oceans of divine, boiling gold upon your enemies, transforming them into golden statues.
2 - Chains of Torment: Class A [Anti-Unity].
A divine construct belonging to the New God Ron Shambara the Tormented One. Chains covered in curses designed to inflict maximum physical and mental pain on the target as their skin is removed by hooks and spears.
3 - Miasma: Class C [Anti-Unity]. A sword from another world, with a will of its own, origin, and made of unknown materials. Releases toxic gases and poisons and degrades the user's mind; in return, it grants the strength of six men to its wielder.
Ability: Poisons and Madness, recite the chant and cut your opponent to affect them with the poisons and mental degradation of miasma.
4 - Enchanted and Cursed Cleaver and Shark Teeth: Class D [Anti-Spirit]. An oversized meat cleaver and a crude blade, one made for chopping and the other for tearing. Both enchanted and cursed, making them effective against spirits and other similar beings.
There's nothing truly special about the forging of these weapons; their incomplete legend and modifications are what give them power.
5 - Soul of Iron Shakespeare: Class D. The imprisoned soul of one of the most powerful knights of the Kingdom of Rondor, who succumbed to madness after attempting to purge evil from the dungeons of fear and hunger, now his spirit offers the legendary defense of his massive armor.
6 - Kitab: Class ? A spellbook made by the Old Ones and granted to their favorite human. Who knows what kinds of secrets it holds?
7 - Accessory: Various magical accessories that offer different effects, making you immune to poisons and bleeding, constantly regenerating your health and mind, and slightly increasing your resistance to magic.
-Class Abilities-
Favorite of the Gods EX: The gods favor you, and you have an extraordinary ability to increase your affinity with them, even if they are enemies or from different groups, obtaining various types of blessings and rewards.
Legend Slayer EX: You fought against the New Gods, ending their reign. You killed the God of the Depths and all sorts of dungeon monstrosities; now you have an advantage when fighting similar beings.
Natural Gambler EX: By flipping a coin and obtaining the desired result, you can distort destiny, time, and space to get what you want.
Divinity C: You sat on the Golden Throne and entered the Green Hue, the place of origin of the universe and birth of the Old Gods and the concepts they represent. You did not complete the ascension process, but your being was modified by ancient power and knowledge, acquiring various benefits.
• Biological Immortality;
• Divine Magic;
• High Mana Levels;
• Enhanced Body;
• Knowledge of the Gods, Spells and Other Areas of Magic, Workings of the World, Past, Possible Futures and Other Worlds;
• Granting of Blessings and Increased Power The More You Are Worshiped;
Body Modifications A: A representation of The Colour From Outer Space. You have no problem modifying your body with magic to get what you want, whether to become stronger or gain a minor advantage during a fight.
Charismatic Leader D: You have the ability to lead and bring strong people to your side; now everyone who fights under your command is strengthened, although your appearance hinders your ability to reach a higher level.
Madness Enhancement D: A representation of the Bloodlust ability.
Swift as the Wind D: A representation of the Dash ability, increasing your agility and speed.
Magic Resistance D: A representation of the Counter Magic ability; now spells of class D and E will not affect you, and those of class C will have reduced damage if the Eclipse Talisman is equipped.
Devourer D: A representation of the Devour ability. Any type of meat fills your stomach as long as it is not poisonous.
Magic Enhancement D: A representation of the Greater Blood Magic ability, evolving and reducing the cost of spells from Gro-goroth and similar entities.
Item Creation D: A representation of the various recipes you have accumulated, ranging from delicious foods to healing potions, poisons, explosives, and more.
“Mr. Micolash.”
“Hm…”
The man looked up, seeing the Chaldea group watching him, with Olga trying to hide her apprehension.
“My associates and I have considered your proposal and, after much deliberation, we have concluded that it would be advantageous to have you as our ally.”
She readjusted her posture, offering a handshake, which Micolash returned, enveloping the director's soft, delicate hand with the red, eye-filled mass that was once his arm.
Olga's face turned green, and her expression contorted in disgust as she felt the hot, slimy, pulsating flesh against her skin. Soon, her expression turned to pain as Micolash nearly crushed her bones and ripped off her arm with a swing.
It ended as quickly as it began, and the man left the director behind, oblivious to her suffering, and offered the same gesture to the others, who nervously refused, offering made-up excuses and a polite nod in return.
“Alright, now that we’rrre alliesss, you can count on me to keep you alive!”
Despite the kindness, his words offered no comfort, as it all sounded like a sarcastic joke.
“Very well, with that done… Kyrielight! Prepare the summoning circle! It’s time for the Fujimaru siblings to summon their servants; they are the masters of Chaldea now, for lack of a better option!”
“Yes, director!”
Mash nodded, placing her large shield on the ground. Simultaneously, Olga fiddled with a device on her wrist, creating a holographic screen that was currently filled with static and incoherent noises.
Meanwhile, the siblings watched, swallowing hard, for it was time to prove why they had been chosen as masters.
Gleaming lines spread across the floor, with Mash's shield at their center. The young woman stepped back as Olga called the siblings closer, teaching them about the summoning process.
While this was happening, Micolash's attention was drawn to the ghostly rat that climbed his leg and onto his shoulder, whispering something in his ear. He nodded, and with a command, his army of skeletons split in two and marched away.
At that very moment, the summoning began, a whirlwind of multicolored mana, surrounded by luminous spheres, illuminated the night. Ritsuka and Gudako watched in admiration at the beautiful scene, feeling the mana whirlwind almost lift their feet off the ground.
Both were energized, their magic circuits burning with power, then a blinding light blinded everyone, and when it disappeared, there were two people there.
One of them was a tall, strong man with dark skin, white hair, and steely eyes, wearing a long red coat and wielding twin blades.
The other was a young woman with fair skin, a slender body, and short blonde hair tied back with a black ribbon, wearing a light pink kimono with a long, darker-toned skirt.
“Servant Archer, Emiya, I ask, are you my master? / Servant Saber, Okita Sōji, are you my master?”
The servants spoke simultaneously, perceiving each other's presence. Exchanging a confused glance, they focused on the connection they felt, approaching their respective masters and considering they were summoned to the same location, they probably wouldn't have to face each other, a desirable outcome.
“Hello, handsome~” Godaku smiled broadly, almost drooling at the sight of the archer's well-defined muscles pressing against his clothes.
The servant in question pinched the bridge of his nose, already knowing the kind of person his master was.
“Master, please, let's keep our relationship strictly professional. I'm here to destroy your enemies, not to date you.”
“You can call me Gudako~”
Depending on the point of view, the first interaction between Ritsuka and his servant could be considered better or worse than Gudako's.
“Greetings master, I… COUGH! COUGH! COUGH!”
Okita didn't have the opportunity to continue, being overcome by a coughing fit that painted the floor red.
“My God, let me…”
The young master tried to help her, but the servant stopped him with one hand, using a handkerchief to wipe away her bloody smile before acting as if nothing had happened despite the pain on her face.
“As I was saying, I will be your sword from now on. Just point me at the enemy and I will bring about their end. Now, how should I address you?”
“You can call me Ritsuka Fujimaru, now, if you don’t mind me asking, shouldn’t you be…”
He hesitated momentarily, avoiding being rude, however, his servant laughed before answering.
“Shouldn’t I be a man? Yes, the throne updated me on the history of the world and it seems the records about me are wrong. I have always been a woman.”
The implications were interesting, but hopefully, this would be the only instance of gender reversal.
“Now that the introductions are over, would you mind telling us where we are and what happened to this city?”
Emiya asked, crossing his arms as he looked around. A strange feeling washed over him, a sense of familiarity, as if he had visited this place before.
“We are in Fuiyuki in the year 2004.”
The archer froze like a statue for less than a second as those words left Olga's mouth, something imperceptible except for the sadness in his eyes.
“How did things end up like this?”
He whispered, more to himself than to the others.
“Tell me, is the bizarre man in front of us somehow connected to this?”
Okita narrowed her eyes, slowly bringing her hand to her sword. Emiya frowned, preparing for combat.
Micolash slowly approached, hand on the hilt of his rapier, and when he got close enough, a pang of surprise appeared on the faces of the servants.
In Okita's case, it was due to his mutant appearance, but for the Archer, it was due to what he discovered while analyzing his equipment. A throbbing headache hammered in his brain and a drop of blood trickled down his nose, worsening as he observed the living grimoire.
“Master, this man has dangerous associates. We should eliminate him before he becomes a threat.”
“No, absolutely not, he helped us and we already made a deal! We won’t stab him in the back for no reason!”
Gudako stopped before his servant, opening her arms protectively.
“So be it, but I recommend you keep an eye on him from now on. That kind of person tends to be unpredictable.”
The servant sighed, ceasing his aggression, but still sent a furious glare at Micolash. Okita, on the other hand, asked for her master’s help, who shook his head, causing her to relax her posture.
“Verrry well, you don’t need to tell me yourrr names, I’ve already heard everything. My name is Micolasssh anyway, now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll summon my ssservant.”
“W-wait, that wasn’t part of the deal!”
“And you expect me to fight on the front linesss against legends of the passst? I’m just human, what chance do I have?”
“Humph! Human…”
The archer laughed sarcastically, and Olga bit the inside of her cheek. He seemed like a capable mage, but summoning a servant would give the mysterious man more power.
“Very well, let me help you.”
“That’sss not necessary, I’m familiar with rituals and sssummons.”
The same display from before repeated itself; the whirlwind of mana swirled like a cyclone, and a luminous pillar rose. Micolash rubbed his hands anxiously, barely able to contain his excitement at acquiring a powerful servant.
However, disappointment appeared on his face when a fair-skinned blonde girl, dressed in black and holding a teddy bear, appeared in the circle, wiggling shyly.
“Hm… I’m Abigail Williams, are you my master?”
When the mana mist cleared, they stared at each other, the first in disbelief at what had happened, while the second widened her eyes and opened her mouth in a perfect O.
“Where is my Barrrghesr?!”
Micolash fell to his knees, slamming his fist into the ground, creating a small tremor and cracking the earth, to Chaldea’s horror.
The little girl didn’t care; in fact, it snapped her out of her trance, causing her to quickly close the distance and happily jump around Micolash while talking nonstop.
“This is so cool! Lord Tep and his friends really like you! I wish they were like that with me! Do you talk to them?! Do they invite you to play?! Can you introduce me to them?! Before that, do you want to be my friend?!”
Still crying, Micolash stood up, stroking the girl's head, making her stop, her face flushed with embarrassment.
“Of courrrse, I can even carry you on my shouldersss if you want, but first, how about you help me with the servantsss that are coming?”
“You promise?!”
Abigail's eyes shone like stars and Micolash nodded.
“Wait, what do you mean by servants?!”
“My familiarsss detected two servantsss approaching, I sent my skeletons to delay them while you summoned yourrrs.”
“And you didn't think it was important to warn us?!”
“You ssseemed to be having fun.”
Micolash shrugged and Olha felt like tearing her hair out. However, there was no time for that; a rain of dark daggers fell from the sky, each one aimed at the masters' vital points.
They never hit their targets, being parried by Emiya and Okita's swords while Micolash's were crushed by tentacles that emerged from dark portals.
A figure dressed in black with a skull mask clicked his tongue, leaping from a building and landing on a pile of ruins, next to a pale woman with pink hair wielding a chained scythe.
“We thought the Holy Grail War was over. Who would have thought there were still masters in the city?”
The masked man laughed, preparing another dagger.
“Are you seriously ignoring the little God next to them? How did he escape from the reverse side of the world?”
The woman said in an irritated tone, spinning her weapon faster and faster. The servants, masters, and the director turned to Micolash, who laughed nervously, tugging at the collar of his shirt.
“Hehehe, it’sss a long story. Anyway, it’s not me you should focusss on. You are masters, so it’s time to ssshow what you know.”
Then, without another word, the servant showdown began.
-Fixing Fairy Tales 2-
Honestly, I expected the fight to be harder. Maybe I’ve become stronger, or maybe this girl is too weak. I stayed on the defensive, dodging and parrying, letting her tire herself out; after all, I didn’t want to kill a potential ally. Actually, I felt nostalgic, as it reminded me of how I met D’arce.
Sweat dripped down her red face, her breathing became heavy, and her posture more slumped.
“How long do you plan to run away?!”
“Until you ssstop attacking me for no rereason!”
She growled furiously, swinging her sword again in a wide strike, however, she never hit her target.
CLANG!
CRACK!
I gripped the sword between my teeth and, applying more force, shattered it into a thousand pieces that scattered across the floor.
The tearful expression that appeared on the girl's face was similar to that of a certain useless blue-haired goddess, but she didn't give up, delivering a punch with a war cry. Nothing happened, I looked down, receiving a pair of wide eyes and an empty smile in return.
I raised my clenched fist above my head and…
BONK!
I sent her flying towards the ground, where she remained motionless. With a few nudges, I determined she was alive, but unconscious. With that done, I threw her over my shoulder and carried her out of there.
“Wow, you know how to handle a girl!”
“Don’t ssstart, Kitab. I have to find a way out.”
I created a Greater Blood Golem to clear the path of the pigmen and wandering undead, eventually leaving the underground prison via a staircase, my eyes half-closed as the sunlight touched my face.
Looking around, it seemed we were in some kind of fortress made of white stone, full of monsters similar to the others.
“Well, at least this place is better than the dungeon. When was the last time we saw the sun?”
“I can’t rrremember.”
For a moment, I savored the moment, feeling the warmth touch my body and the breeze blow around me. However, soon it was time to continue, because the faster I completed this mission, the faster I would return with my pockets full.
“Do you know what Tep meant by cleaning up the messs or something like that? What exactly ssshould we do?”
“I have no idea, I can talk to the Old Ones, but it’s not like they answer me all the time.”
“I figurrred.”
Walking a little further, we climbed a long, wide staircase, my Golem eliminating enemies, stopping when we spotted a castle shrouded in mist in the distance.
“Probably where the final bosss is.”
I could ignore all the defenses and teleport inside the castle and end the problem once and for all, but I still didn’t have enough information. I prefer to avoid ruining everything, and besides, I can't leave Jeanne alone.
With no other options, I followed the path to the right, stepping onto the fort's walls that slowly descended in levels divided by staircases.
Everything seemed fine until I heard a flapping of wings and saw a large shadow forming around me. Looking back, a fucking dragon dived towards us with its mouth full of flames.
“Holy shit!”
I cast Greater Hurting, a large ring of orange energy encircled the dragon's neck, closing in on it immediately.
SPLAT!
With a wet thud, the dragon's head flew off, disappearing somewhere within the fort, its body following the trajectory and tumbling down the path ahead.
The tremor almost knocked us off the walls, but I managed to regain my balance, following the trail of blood and approaching the massive corpse.
After a few seconds of consideration, I put Jeanne down and gathered some of the dragon's flesh, scales, and claws, grinning broadly as I found an orange sword in the stump of its neck.
Now I realized how much I miss the Souls series games, what I wouldn't give to play them again. Putting those thoughts aside, I picked up Jeanne and continued walking, eventually reaching a locked wooden door.
I questioned the organization of the place, as the fort's walls were connected to the back of what appeared to be a mansion. Considering the lack of defenses, the dragon would have no problem turning this place to ashes, including whatever was beyond.
Anyway, I raised my foot and delivered a kick.
CRACK!
The door flew off its hinges, but I immediately regretted it upon hearing a cacophony of shrill female screams coming from the other side. Right now, a crowd of young, brightly colored-haired maids stared at me in fear and surprise.
“Hello, pleassse forgive me for thisss. I will pay for the damages if necesssary. Is there someone in charge I can talk to?”
The result was anything but what I wanted.
“Demon beast!”
Chaos spread through the mansion, with the maids screaming and running in different directions like headless chickens. I sighed, grabbing the arm of one who began to scream and plead, tears staining her face.
“No, please!”
“Listen, isss there someone in charrrge I can talk to?”
Still panicking, a pang of confusion appeared on her face.
“W-what?”
“SSSOMEONE IN CHARGE! DON’T YOU HAVE A MASSSTER OR SSSOMETHING?!”
Perhaps she had finally understood that I wouldn't hurt her, because something gleamed in her eyes and the corners of her mouth lifted.
“THE MASTER OF THE BURG! YOU CAN TALK TO HIM, JUST GO UP THE STAIRS!”
“THANK YOU!”
With a growl of frustration, I threw Jeanne into her arms. The maid fumbled to catch her and soon found herself pinned to the ground by a woman in armor.
I ignored that for now and found the aforementioned stairs, entering what seemed to be the only bedroom in the mansion. I had a smile on my face, trying to make a good first impression and explain the whole misunderstanding, however, my expression turned impassive upon entering the room.
The place was spacious, with expensive and ornate furniture, but what was scattered on the floor was what infuriated me: naked women in situations I prefer not to describe, and at the center of it all was the master of the burg.
He seemed to be in the middle of the process of becoming a monster. Inhumanly tall, with one part of his body muscular and red and the other pale and fat, wearing rags that were once quality clothes.
"Who the hell are you?!"
His face, half swollen and half riddled with sharp teeth, contorted into an indescribable grimace.
“Chains of Torment.”
I pointed a finger at him, and blood-red portals erupted around him, firing chains ending in hooks and spears. He screamed as his flesh was pierced, worsening as the chains pulled him in opposite directions. With a final tug, the halves of his body were separated, each flying to a different side of the room.
Screams came from a small door in a corner, and I had no trouble knocking it down, finding a small room with chains, boxes, and cloths serving as beds, and inside, more maids.
“Lisssten, I just killed your boss, but I won’t hurt you. I’m leaving, so do whateverrr you want.”
I turned my back on the frightened maids and returned the way I came, spotting Jeanne rubbing her head as she helped the maid from before to her feet. The knight stood before the maid, but I didn't take my eyes off the woman she was protecting.
"You sssent me to a monster."
"Yes, hopefully you would end up killing each other, but I think you won in the end, didn't you?"
"Cerrrtainly."
"Now I'll be next, won't I?"
A nervous smile slowly crept across her face.
"No, not at all, actually, I'd like sssome information, that is, if the knight here doesssn't try to kill me again."
I focused on Jeanne, who stared intently at me.
"And what guarantees that you won't harm these people?"
I looked around, seeing the frightened maids staring at me from behind walls and furniture, at least those who hadn't managed to escape.
“The fact that everrryone, including you, is alive provesss my good intentionsss, doesn’t it?”
Sighing, Jeanne’s posture remained tense, but not as much as before.
“What do you want to know?”
-The New Member of the Reunion 2-
This place was a prestigious school, judging by its appearance, as the signs, posters, and things of that sort were written in what I thought was Russian, making it difficult to identify. That didn’t explain how I managed to understand the spoken language.
I crept through the shadows, hiding or teleporting whenever a student came close to finding me. Something I quickly realized was that the people in coats wouldn’t need to kill the students, as they would probably kill themselves first.
From what I understood from listening to some of the conversations, some were children of nobles and aristocrats while others were commoners. Both classes hated each other, dividing themselves into groups, which were further divided due to disagreements.
Each group kept its supplies for itself, the quantity of which did not match the number of members; some had more and others had less, increasing tensions and causing some to steal from others, starting fights.
I sought an isolated room and drew a ritual circle on the floor with my blood, opening a portal, then teleported out of the building and to a distant district of the city, where there were no conflicts at the moment.
I created another portal inside an abandoned warehouse, leaving some rats and Golems to guard the place. Then I searched for one of the people in black coats and masks, finding a dead man with an arrow in the back of his head.
I took off my clothes, storing them in my backpack, and put on his, hiding my appearance completely, except for my horns and tail, which didn't seem to be a problem here.
So I returned to the warehouse, went through the gate, and found myself at the school. From there, I went to the principal's office, using the announcement system to broadcast a message.
“Attention all ssstudents, if you wish to essscape, gather in classroom 12B. Repeating, if you wish to essscape, gather in classsroom 12B.”
I created more rats and supervised the operation; there was hesitation and doubt as to whether it was all a trap. However, some students timidly made their way to the room, observing my portal with fear and surprise. I ordered one of the rats from the warehouse to repeatedly cross the portal, proving that it was safe, that there was a way out.
A girl with brown hair and a red headband threw a pencil case through the portal, then she slowly approached and extended her hand, then her arm and legs, crossing completely.
Her friends, one with white hair, another with light blue hair, one blonde, and one with black hair, waited anxiously, screaming when their leader's head appeared, shouting for them to call the others.
It was a blast, and I couldn't help but smile as the news spread and more students began to appear in the warehouse.
I had the rats search the school one last time, and after confirming that no one else was there, I ordered them to spill the ink from the ritual circle, interrupting its magic and closing the portal in the classroom.
I smiled, satisfied with a job well done, and left the school, climbing to the roof of a building and feeling my stomach sink and hearts almost leap from my mouth as I witnessed the apocalyptic landscape.
The storm clouds reached their peak, and from them, orange lightning and massive black crystals bombarded the city, turning everything into ruins.
Earthquakes, fire and collapse, war cries and death—that wasn't enough to describe what I saw. My attention was broken when a wave of flames melted a cluster of buildings in the distance.
Using one of the rats, I watched as a neighborhood melted away in the presence of a pale woman dressed in black before a tall, strong man, clad in military attire, dark glasses, and wielding a large shield.
People similarly dressed lay dead around him, burned, cut, and melted, yet he still stood, albeit weakly.
For a moment, I considered whether or not to intervene, but soon sighed, already knowing the answer. I teleported as fast as I could, closing the distance with each step.
The moment the woman swung her flaming sword, time slowed. I screamed as I felt the absurd heat almost burning me alive, but I placed my hands on the man's shoulders and carried him away at the last second.
I fell on my back, breathing heavily in a mixture of exhaustion and pain. Even with the Sorcerer's Stone, I had cast too many spells in too short a time.
I certainly had burns now, but I ignored the stinging on my skin and stood up, seeing the man from before leaning against an alley wall, breathing heavily as sweat dripped down his red body.
His glasses hid his eyes, but I felt like he was trying to punch a hole in my head. I kept him in my sight, but in my mind, I ordered the rats to search for the people I saw before, those escorting the man in black.
They were nearby, halfway to boarding an aircraft. I clicked my tongue and approached the man on the ground; he failed miserably to push my hand away, and as soon as I touched him, we teleported towards his friends.
“Ace!”
The rabbit girl shouted upon seeing us, recognizing the man.
Our sudden appearance caused gasps of surprise from the others, but as soon as the woman with dog ears and the blonde rider advanced toward me, I had already teleported away.
Now, let's see if the children are alright.
END OF CHAPTER