A grating sound of tal grinding against tal filled the air as Saber of Red, Mordred, sensed an approaching threat. The next mont—Boom!—a thunderous explosion erupted, and the stone buildings on either side of the street where Mordred and her Master, Kairi Sisigou, stood shattered in an instant. Boulders, each weighing hundreds to thousands of pounds, rained down toward the pair like a deadly barrage.
Truthfully, as a Heroic Spirit with the ability to dematerialize, Mordred didn’t need to dodge such a physical attack. She could simply vanish, nullifying the damage without any loss of energy.
Unfortunately... her Master was right beside her. If he were to be killed, and without her own Independent Action skill, she’d be forced out of the battle in disgrace.
"Master, get back!" she called out sharply, positioning herself in front of Shishigou. Red lightning flared across her form, and in the critical mont, she shielded him from the incoming barrage.
Crash! Crack!
With a swing of her dragon-force-infused blade, Mordred shattered the boulders coming at them, grinding them down to dust that drifted in a gray cloud over the nearby houses.
"Cough... Saber, I really owe you for that... cough." Erging from the dust, Shishigou brushed the gray powder off his now-white jacket, breathing a sigh of relief.
"I let my guard down. That’s a lesson learned; I won’t act as bait again," he muttered, kicking himself for his own mistake. Fighting Heroic Spirits renowned in history required relentless vigilance.
"Hm? Saber? What’s wrong?" he asked, noticing her unusual stillness. Given the rebellious but approval-seeking "wild child" character he’d figured her for, this lack of reaction seed out of place.
Recalling her Class Skill, Intuition (B)—which allowed her to instinctively sense the best course of action and reduced the effects of sensory interference—he realized there was only one explanation. "We’re in Yggdmillennia territory, so... could it be that the Black faction’s Servants are making their entrance?"
Ignoring the dust on his jacket, Shishigou pulled out a short-barreled shotgun, his face now set in alert readiness.
The weapon he drew was a horizontal double-barreled sawed-off shotgun without a manufacturer’s logo. The stock and barrel had been shortened for portability and close-range use indoors.
"Saber?" he whispered.
"Yeah, Master, stay alert—the enemy is approaching!"
As the words left her mouth, heavy footsteps began to sound, and soon, a dozen or so towering figures erged—each armored in towering 2.7-ter gray steel armor, with golden accents on their pauldrons and chest plates.
Then, a much taller figure—almost 2.9 ters—stepped into view, his imposing red-plud helm and more elaborate armor setting him apart from the others. His breastplate displayed a golden double-headed eagle, while the forehead of his helm bore a golden-winged emblem with the Roman nural II. His right shoulder plate displayed an intricate symbol of two iron fists crossed like hydraulic presses.
Each step he took ground the shattered stones underfoot to dust.
Bzzzt!
"With the blood of the enemy, we offer tribute to our Empress!!" His massive chainsword roared to life, producing a grating whine, and his grating, tallic voice bood from within his helt.
Boom!
At his command, a gray-armored giant charged forward, wielding the enormous chainsword as he unleashed a brutal downward slash toward Mordred.
With a mighty whoosh, the blade cleaved through the air.
"Master, watch out!" Mordred shouted, hurling Shishigou away from the attack.
Clang!
The chainsword t the brilliant blade of Mordred’s Shining Royal Sword, unleashing a shockwave that blasted dust in all directions.
Holding back the hulking warrior, Mordred raised her sword in a defiant pose. "Master, leave this to ! I’m going to fight!"
"Alright..." Shishigou got to his feet, understanding that he’d only hold her back by staying. With a brief nod, he turned and ran.
"If you’re in trouble, I’ll use a Command Seal to bring you back, and... don’t hesitate to burn through mana if you need to use your Noble Phantasm. I’ll give you all the reinforcent I can," he called out over his shoulder. "Saber... bring victory!"
It was a fatherly show of respect, and Mordred’s only response was a fierce grin as she watched him dash away without a second glance.
"After him!" the officer ordered his soldiers.
"Yes." Without emotion, the homunculi complied, ard with an array of weaponry, and sprinted after Shishigou.
Watching him leave, the Astartes officer made no move to pursue; instead, he turned to the homunculi, who promptly followed his command.
According to Her Majesty’s orders, this journey to an alternate world was only for sport—a re skirmish rather than a battle for dominance. Their goal was simply to engage this Heroic Spirit and gather data for their own Heroic Spirit transformation.
This diminutive Knight would serve as the whetstone for the Astartes. Still, Her Majesty expected no half-asures!
The Legion Commander’s highest creed was "Our Empress’s sword points the way, and we follow." Victory through total dedication to the Empress was the Astartes’ Second Legion’s sworn mission.
For Selene!
"Second Legion... So Budo has nearly finished forming it. He’s even designed a Legion crest—it’s essentially a smaller engraving of his own Teigu: Adralech."
Selene stood atop the clock tower of the Trifas church, her imperial robe glinting in the moonlight, lending her an ethereal aura. Her enhanced vision allowed her to observe the skirmish between Mordred and the Astartes of the Second Legion in detail.
The soldiers armored in those iron-gray power armors were from the newly ford Second Legion. Their Legion Commander was General Budo, and their insignia matched that of Budo’s own Imperial Arm, Adralech.
Yes, Budo’s Imperial Arm—Thunder God’s Rage: Adralech—had been badly damaged in its duel against Mine’s Roman Artillery: Pumpkin.
However, with Selene’s ability to recreate the Orichalcum tal necessary for crafting Teigu, coupled with Dr. Stylish’s craftsmanship and Dorothea’s alchemy, restoring the weapon was no issue once the remains had been retrieved.
Selene even took the extra step of crafting a new Core of the Herrscher of Thunder, though it was a reduced and modified version, and integrated it with Honkai Crystal to enhance Adralech.
Now, in Budo’s hands, Adralech could indeed be called "Thunder God’s Rage" once again.
Amusingly, in the early stages of the Second Legion’s formation, so officials suggested the codena "Wrath of Thor," which Budo dismissed, instead proposing titles like "Wrath of the Divine Empress," "Punisher," and "Heaven’s Judgnt" to Selene.
Selene hadn’t yet formally responded to Budo’s request.
Though the Legion’s codena hadn’t been finalized, Budo had made other decisions. The Legion crest would be Adralech, the creed "Our Empress’s sword points the way, and we follow!" Their motto, "Honor through loyalty!" Their war cry would vary depending on the situation.
Indeed, it bore the stamp of Budo’s unbending loyalty and steadfast nature.
"Your Majesty, should we go to support the Second Legion? The Master of the Red faction seems to be making a run for it," suggested the Imperial Guard Captain, who stood by Selene’s side.
"There’s no need... the ga has only just begun. Why the rush? Besides, I think you’re the one itching for a fight," she said, giving him a bemused smile.
"Uh... Forgive , Your Majesty, you saw right through ," he replied with a sheepish grin.
"Your ti will co soon enough. The child of the sun god Surya from the Mahabharata... that will be your match," she said, her gaze shifting toward Shishigou’s retreating form.
As the homunculi closed in on him, Shishigou holstered his sawed-off shotgun and pulled out a strange, withered-looking red and black heart grenade from his pocket.
Necromancer tools are nothing if not unique, she thought with a chuckle as she watched him throw the grenade at the path behind him.
Thump—the heart landed on the ground with a wet slap.
Boom!
The heart grenade rapidly expanded and burst apart. There was no deafening explosion or blazing fire, only a spreading purple-gray mist that brought instant death to the homunculi caught within it.
The homunculi were formidable combatants, but to a seasoned necromancer like Kairi Sisigou, they were little more than a trifle.
Shishigou and Mordred were among the few pairs in this Grail War to have achieved any level of coordination, along with Amakusa Shirou Tokisada and Semiramis.
Pairs like Gordes and Siegfried? They were practically in negative territory when it ca to teamwork.
Though Gordes wasn’t exactly a bad person, his pride was imnse. He was powerful, sure—an alchemist of so repute within Yggdmillennia—but that was the extent of his skill. He was neither the most talented nor the most accomplished, with more pride than sense to match.
Selene shifted her attention back to the battle between the Astartes and Mordred.
"While these summoned Astartes lack energy projection techniques and have no Noble Phantasms, they’re still formidable in terms of raw strength... but against the Saber class, known for their balance and power, they’ll struggle..."
Boom!
"Hey, you in the tin can, how about a little chat?" With a taunting smile, Mordred infused her Royal Sword with lightning, empowering her muscles with mana, and crushed an Astartes underfoot, launching him into a nearby building.
By now, four or five Astartes had fallen, their bodies dissipating into spirit form.
"I see what’s going on—cowardly grunts summoned by so Servant skulking in the shadows. Is that all you’ve got?" she sneered, wondering if she’d see herself among the Knights of the Round Table summoned by her father soday.
"Enough insolence!" the Astartes officer roared. Red and purple Honkai energy began to radiate from his power armor.
With a heavy stomp, he activated his chainsword, the jagged teeth now cloaked in purple-red energy, and swung it down at the diminutive Saber.
"Finally showing so spine, huh, tin can!" Mordred cackled.
Boom!
The clash sent another shockwave rolling through the cobblestone streets, cracks spiderwebbing out and deepening as rubble from nearby buildings flew.
Each thunderous impact carried Mordred’s taunting, a skill perfected over many battles, down to her spat insult for the officer: "You’re so uptight; you remind of Agravain’s stiff-necked ways—it’s disgusting!"
"Loyalty is my glory! A backstabber like you could never understand!" the Astartes officer spat back.
Snap!
"Say that again!!"
Sothing dark flashed across Mordred’s face. Her voice dropped to a nacing hiss as she hurled herself upward, red lightning cloaking her fra.
Her sword’s hilt sprouted dual prongs, crimson lightning shooting skyward and dyeing the night in blood-red light. The sheer mana aura sent rubble and sand scattering.
Bzzzt—Crack!
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