Boom! Boom! Boom!
Deafening explosions tore into the heavens, and the resulting shockwaves sent vast ripples spreading across the ground.
The crystallized earth shattered apart in an instant, breaking into countless tiny ice-like fragments glowing with violet-red light. Swept up by the raging wind, they howled through the air as though engulfing heaven and earth.
Earth and stone, plants and trees, steel... Before this collision resembling a natural disaster, the vast concrete jungle truly became no different from a mirror. Everything was fragile enough to shatter at the slightest touch.
Seen from afar, the sight resembled an enormous, translucent amethyst flower blooming within the silent city wrapped in flame-like violet-red radiance. It was incomparably beautiful.
Yet within that dazzling beauty lurked a terror that made one feel as though they had fallen into the deepest abyss of hell!
Whoosh!
A blazing tide surged into the heavens. Towering waves of fire erupted from around the golden figure as a massive hemispherical vortex of flames rose into the air, spinning and roaring as it spread outward with unstoppable force, swallowing street after street, building after building... everything within its range.
How did her technique reach this level?
Just how old is she?!
From the very first collision, William Orwell had come to believe every analysis and assessment the intelligence agencies had made regarding Selene. Her threat level was unquestionably real, and it had far exceeded the upper limit of the Vatican's evaluation.
Even someone as experienced and well-traveled as him, a freelance mercenary who had spent years roaming battlefields across the world, had never heard of an existence like Selene.
It wasn't as though he had never fought a "Saint" before. Among the fewer than twenty Saints in the world, William Orwell was confident that he stood at the very top. That was not arrogance. It was simply a statement of fact.
He had not merely heard that Selene had defeated Kanzaki Kaori, who ranked among the top nine Saints. He had specifically investigated this unusually mature "middle schooler's" records in detail, even carefully watching the surveillance footage of Selene beating Kanzaki Kaori down with her bare fists.
Within Academy City's upper circles, that information was not particularly secret. If neither Selene herself nor Board Chairman Aleister Crowley had deliberately sealed something away, obtaining it from outside was not difficult. You simply needed enough money.
And William had certainly not watched it for something as shallow as the spectacle of two women fighting. Among all of God's Right Seat, William Orwell had probably been the first to take notice of Selene, because the intelligence analysts' assessment that she "possibly possessed the constitution of a Saint" had greatly interested him.
What kind of existence would be created by combining the Christian concept of a "Saint" with the so-called scientific power of an esper?
At the time, based on the intelligence he had obtained, William Orwell had even made a prediction. The greatest flaw Selene exposed during her battle with Kanzaki Kaori was her lack of real combat experience. She had simply relied on overwhelming physical ability to force her way to victory, with almost no technique whatsoever.
Still, that made sense. You could hardly expect an aristocratic young lady's school to teach profound techniques for killing and beating people.
And judging from the footage alone, William Orwell had not found Selene's physical abilities particularly outrageous at the time. I could do that too. And, in fact, he really could.
But now William Orwell finally understood the meaning of the saying that after even three days apart, one should look at someone with fresh eyes.
Selene's seasoned spearwork and crisp, efficient footwork did not look remotely like something a middle school student could master. Espers might all possess extraordinary computational ability and be outstanding students, but wasn't she a Gemstone?
And killing techniques had absolutely nothing to do with academic study!
No matter how talented someone was, even with perfect memory, techniques like these required years upon years of refinement before they could be mastered and engraved into muscle memory. Yet only two months ago, Selene had still been a complete novice who knew nothing and relied entirely on superior physical ability to crush her opponents...
Could her "Saint" characteristic somehow have granted her the countless martial techniques of the Son of God?
William Orwell's mind was filled with questions, but he no longer had time to think about them.
Rumble!
Scarlet flames swept across the entire street like a blazing meteor. By now, Selene had already discarded her evening gown and donned golden armor shimmering with the radiance of stars.
Although it was called armor, its actual appearance was closer to an extravagant cosplay costume than literal armor. The golden breastplate followed the full curves of her chest, while the open neckline exposed a glimpse of pale cleavage. Beneath the short armored skirt, one smooth thigh remained completely bare, while the other leg was wrapped in white pantyhose, making the asymmetrical design particularly conspicuous.
Intricate and exquisite ornamentation adorned her entire body. Combined with Selene's already stunning appearance, she resembled a Valkyrie who had stepped directly out of mythology.
William Orwell stood before the sea of flames like a colossal statue forged from steel. Every muscle in his body swelled in an instant as he swung the enormous steel weapon, smashing it toward the approaching Selene like the descending blade of a guillotine.
Bang!
Visible ripples from the sonic boom spread outward, while the expanding roar triggered successive explosions throughout the air.
Two currents too fast for the naked eye to follow flashed through the battlefield. In almost an instant, another stretch of streets extending hundreds of meters was reduced to ruined ground. Office towers along the way collapsed within seconds under the aftershocks of Selene's attacks. Their load-bearing structures failed, walls caved in, and entire buildings began to tilt.
Whatever William Orwell might have thought, Selene had discovered a new way to entertain herself, and she was having great fun combining everything together.
With the Swirl of Honkai in her possession, control over the composite Type-Moon world, and the Throne of Heroes under her command, Selene no longer needed to actually be a Heroic Spirit, nor did the concept of a Servant's innate skills matter to her.
The ability to freely draw upon them whenever she pleased was no less effective than Imperial Privilege. Better yet, she possessed the highest possible authority, with no upper limit, no weakening, and the ability to stack them together!
The exquisite techniques of heroes whose names had been immortalized in history felt incredibly smooth in the hands of Selene, a "novice" who normally solved most problems through overwhelming force. Yes, smooth and satisfying, with an entirely different kind of charm.
Holding a spear in each hand, she assumed the opening stance of the demonic spear arts of Celtic Ulster. Her method of releasing flames came straight from the son of the Sun God in the Mahabharata. Her shifting footwork reflected the peerless martial skill of the Flower of the Knights of Britain. Countless complicated and unfamiliar systems were completely fused together...
One could say that although Selene wore the appearance of Dea Anchora, both her combat methods and the way she wielded it were fundamentally different from Bianka's upon closer examination. She had mixed together who knew how many different things, turning them into a private amusement that only Selene herself could truly appreciate.
Ahem... Wisdom of Dún Scáith, premium Spear Master of the Land of Shadows edition. Uncrowned Martial Arts, same model as Surya's son. Eternal Arms Mastery...
Selene had clearly decided to use William Orwell as an excellent punching bag for her experiments while she was at it.
She felt that she ought to look heroic and magnificent at the very least, but as far as the spectators present were concerned... well, their dynamic vision simply wasn't good enough to see anything.
"Is this Selene's true strength...? No. She hasn't even used the spatial abilities she's best at..."
Misaka Mikoto was currently floating atop a thin sheet of purple crystal, looking completely dumbfounded.
She had known Selene was strong, the undisputed number one of the Science Side. But no matter how eloquently someone explained it, no matter how extravagant the description, nothing could compare to witnessing it firsthand.
By this point, Shokuhou Misaki had completely lost any desire to continue making covert moves. Whether Selene had intended to intimidate her or not, she had indeed been frightened.
Flames scattered everywhere. Buildings continuously collapsed. Fireballs torn from the ground were hurled into the sky, while vast quantities of crystallized debris carrying tremendous heat and kinetic energy rained down across the city. The ruined metropolis was now completely engulfed in a sea of fire.
Seen from high above, it looked exactly like the end of the world.
And all of this was the power of a single person!
Fortunately, the battlefield was merely a mirrored city projected into the boundary between Imaginary Space and the material universe. Had this been reality, School District 7 would probably have been blown apart by now.
Elsewhere, Third Princess Villian, serving as a specially invited spectator, gritted her teeth. Exhaustion covered her face, her golden hair had lost some of its luster, and pure tears shimmered in her eyes. Her cheeks were still swollen and reddened from crying, yet she desperately held herself back from breaking down completely.
As the exemplar of royal morality and a symbol of benevolence, she understood the duty she could never escape as a princess. But seeing him again, that taciturn, towering mercenary she had been unable to forget for so many years, made her desperately want to burst into tears.
Especially when the "sun" represented by Selene crashed down yet again, causing the water magic he excelled in to wither, disperse, and retreat beneath that scorching yet icy brilliance. Villian covered her face, unable to bear watching.
The way she struggled with guilt and self-reproach, combined with her fragile, pitiable air, made her look utterly miserable and helpless.
Villian's elder sister, Second Princess Carissa, felt no such sympathy. In her eyes, William Orwell was a knight who had defected. If he died, then so be it. It would save her the trouble of signing a pardon in the future.
William Orwell was strong. It was true that he possessed the dual characteristics of both a "Saint" and the "Divine Mother." But if he had no loyalty and did not belong to her, then she would rather not have him at all.
Mother, you're already old. If Britain wants to escape its worsening decline, it must change...
Carissa stared fixedly at the unfamiliar city below, now transformed into a sea of flames, and her gaze gradually hardened.
The rise of the Habsburgs was unstoppable. It was already impossible for Britain to reclaim the glory of the empire on which the sun never set. But being second was still better than dying a slow death!
Clang!
Clang!!
Clang—!
Within the mirrored city, the two almost simultaneously swung the gigantic steel weapon and long spears in their hands, producing a continuous barrage of piercing metallic crashes.
Violent shockwaves savaged the entire domain in dense succession. Even the residual currents alone sliced a nearby building cleanly in half.
Explosive flames roared again and again. The scorching heat they unleashed rapidly burned the surrounding ground into charcoal, even melting the amethyst-like structures.
Another burst of sparks erupted. With a sharp clang of colliding metal, Selene's fatal thrust toward William Orwell's throat slammed heavily into the massive steel weapon, spraying sparks as the two weapons ground violently against each other.
Her vicious spear strikes continued pressing forward without pause.
William Orwell's movements fell half a beat behind, and he only barely managed to find an opening to counterattack.
Swinging the "parasol frame" resembling a structure built from skyscraper rebar like an enormous flyswatter, he violently thrust it into Selene's attack path. He intended to block her assault while simultaneously exploiting the advantage of a heavy weapon. The muscles of his right arm bulged high as the steel shaft swept across.
But then—whoosh!
Ferocious flames erupted along the Voidstar Anchor in Selene's hand. They illuminated the surrounding air while releasing heat beyond imagination.
Rip!
The sound of flesh tearing rang out.
Bloodstained scraps of cloth spontaneously ignited, turning to ash in midair within moments. The droplets of blood spraying outward did not even have time to reach the ground before evaporating completely.
"Urgh..."
William Orwell let out a muffled groan. Enduring the excruciating pain, he advanced instead of retreating. The tip of the Voidstar Anchor pierced smoothly into his chest, and the tremendous impact hurled him dozens of meters backward.
"HAAAAAAH!!!"
His hand clamped around the shaft of the Voidstar Anchor like a steel vice. Blood foamed at the corner of his mouth as William Orwell unleashed a thunderous roar.
Every muscle in his body swelled violently. His frame grew taller and broader, his knotted muscles rising like mountains until he resembled a small giant. Completely ignoring the grievous wound in his chest, he raised the massive steel weapon overhead and brought it crashing down toward Selene's slender body.
The atmosphere screamed. The air around him was squeezed by that immense force and erupted outward like a hurricane.
You really want to land one hit on me that badly? Selene had no interest in catching it with her face.
The next instant, an explosion powerful enough to rupture eardrums spread outward from the two of them in every direction. Everything within several kilometers seemed to be annihilated by the impact.
Buildings across several blocks were struck by the shockwave. Nearby fast-food restaurants had their doors and walls blasted apart by the immense force, scattering fragments only a few centimeters wide that were sharp as knives.
The force transmitted into the ground like a small earthquake.
Within that terrifying area, the earth shattered!
Yes.
It shattered!
After all, this was neither true Imaginary Space nor the material universe. It was only a mirrored world Selene had created based on the real Academy City. Although she had given the city its basic physical form, the internal details were actually quite crude. For example, there wasn't even anything resembling a sewer system...
As a result, when William Orwell unleashed a blow using more than two hundred percent of his innate power and plowed through the ground, he punched straight through the layer Selene had constructed, revealing a bottomless abyss beneath it glowing with violet-red light.
Crack-crack-crack!
Near the opening of the abyss, the crystalline structures fractured across a vast area and collapsed downward. The surging air itself became like a typhoon, shredding everything nearby.
"Ah, what a pity. The game is over. Are you satisfied with my 'capacity' now?"
Hummm—!
A compressed streak of scarlet light instantly pierced through the curtain of flames. The resulting explosion of air produced a violent shockwave that blasted William Orwell away just as he was falling into the bottomless abyss.
Bang!
William Orwell's body slammed heavily into the devastated crystalline ground.
He had been moving so quickly that he carved a long trench across the surface before finally coming to a stop. His entire body was embedded at the base of a slowly collapsing skyscraper, and blood immediately flowed down from him, staining the ground beneath his body red.
"Urgh... ah..."
William Orwell's voice could no longer fully form under the overwhelming pain.
Blood covered the surface of his body. His clothes were torn beyond recognition, his skin split and cracked, and his entire right arm had been ripped away, leaving behind raw flesh around the stark white stump of shattered bone. Agony from his bones and muscles clung to every sensation like a parasite burrowing into his marrow.
Boom!
The upper half of the collapsing skyscraper was smashed to pieces by a streak of black light. Looking at his old companion twisted into several mangled sections before him, William Orwell lay on his back in the crater, dazedly staring up at the starry sky, his heart filled with defeat.
"Cough... cough..."
He had no choice but to admit it.
Selene had succeeded.
She had shattered every last trace of his confidence and pride.
William Orwell had never imagined that he would suffer defeat in such a humiliating manner.
Again and again...
He had felt it with perfect clarity. Again and again, whenever he thought he had gained even the slightest advantage, she would casually reveal an even more terrifying degree of power, forcing him to understand just how ignorant and weak he truly was.
The victory that had seemed almost within reach, the one he had exhausted everything to pursue, had never been anything more than part of her game.
What a person of terrible tastes you are, Selene.
Clack... clack...
Accompanied by the crisp sound of golden combat boots touching down, William Orwell once again looked toward the brilliant figure before him, radiant as the sun, through bloodshot eyes.
At that moment, the only thing he could feel was pure strength.