Behind Illya stood her Servant, the Berserker: Heracles.
His gigantic body, pitch-black and towering like a colossal sculpture, radiated a terrifying aura akin to an ancient monster.
He wore nothing but a worn-out pair of armored pants, while his bare arms and legs were wrapped with large iron bands at the wrists and ankles.
In his right hand, he gripped a massive sword-axe—a brutal weapon carved from stone, its blade glimmering faintly like black obsidian that seemed to absorb the surrounding light.
Seeing Illya and Berserker, Rian and Larva immediately stopped in their tracks. Larva even tugged at the end of Rian's trench coat, as if asking for his attention.
'That girl… her magical energy is enormous. But… her body is frail,' Rian murmured internally. 'So this is what it looks like up close? Poor kid.'
Through the interface of his glasses, Rian's Six Eyes caught a striking anomaly within Illya.
The magical energy inside her body was overflowing, pulsing in sync with her heartbeat. Even more surprising, the flow of her magic circuits was tightly interwoven with the Command Spells etched on her body.
However, despite having such an enormous reserve of energy, Illya's body was far too fragile.
She was incapable of channeling magical output beyond her physical limit, meaning that excessive use would only end up harming her.
"What a pity… it must hurt," Larva whispered softly.
Rian turned his head, finding Larva staring at Illya with a look of sympathy. Her soft red-pink eyes briefly glimmered with a bright blue light.
The name of that ability was Eye of Blue Star.
The emitted glow was proof that Larva had activated one of her personal Skills—a type of Mystic Eyes on a planetary scale.
It was almost similar to Rian's Six Eyes, but with a far broader scope.
These eyes served as eyes of insight, capable of scanning and observing while absorbing information from any being within her vision.
Any target caught within their view would be detected and analyzed—weaknesses, intentions, even potential strength.
This ability could function passively or actively, depending on whether Larva merely wished to observe from afar or was preparing for combat.
On the other hand, Illya—who had been quietly observing the Master and Servant pair before her—began to furrow her brows, her expression reflecting clear confusion.
"I came here because I sensed something strange," Illya said as she shifted her gaze back and forth between Rian and Larva. "And to think what I found was… an Eighth Master? How peculiar."
Illya's eyes then moved toward Larva, focusing on the gentle, pity-filled expression the girl was directing at her.
"Is that… your Servant?" Illya asked with a curious tone. "Is she truly a Heroic Spirit? It feels… very strange."
Hearing her words, Rian wasn't offended in the slightest. Beside him, Larva simply looked at Illya calmly, her expression flat with not even a hint of anger—just like Rian.
Instead, a faint smile formed on Rian's handsome face.
He lifted his shoulders casually, both hands tucked into the pockets of his trench coat.
"I see…" Rian replied lightly, his tone relaxed. "Quite bold of you, ojou-chan. Saying something like that in front of someone you don't even know yet."
Upon hearing this, Illya closed her eyes for a moment and offered a faint smile.
With graceful composure, Illya said, "Correct. I was indeed rude to a stranger."
Pinching the hem of her skirt, Illya bent her body with elegance as she introduced herself, "My name is Illyasviel von Einzbern. A pleasure to meet you."
Rian responded with a faint smile.
He removed both hands from his coat pockets, then placed his left hand over his chest.
His body leaned slightly forward, head lowered, his right foot placed subtly behind while his left knee bent—forming a gesture of refined respect.
With a warm tone, Rian introduced himself,
"In that case… forgive me for not introducing myself first. My name is Rian Andromeda."
Illya's eyelids lifted again, her eyes studying Rian with a slightly surprised expression.
Beside him, Larva's cheeks had begun to flush a soft pink—an adorable contrast to her inherently elegant appearance.
She instinctively cupped both hands over her face, wiggling her small body with a delighted squirm, exactly like a mother watching her child do something that melts her heart.
Even the tail behind her reacted, swaying left and right in small, cheerful motions—like a tiny dance she couldn't suppress.
"Master…" she whispered, her voice soft as cotton, overflowing with pride and affection.
"That gesture… it was so sweet." Her eyes sparkled, her tail wagging even faster. "Especially in front of a lady…"
She leaned her small body slightly forward, her smile widening—unable to contain the bubbling excitement inside her.
"You're just… adorable!!"
Rian glanced briefly at Larva before turning back to Illya with an easy calm.
"In that case," Rian said lightly, "I appreciate your compliment."
A faint smile formed once again on Illya's face. Her eyes closed for a moment, showing a warm yet hollow expression, before she finally clasped both hands behind her back.
"Well then, since we've introduced ourselves…" Illya said in a relaxed tone.
Then she lifted her finger, pointing straight at Rian and Larva, her lips curling into a grin.
"Berserker! Destroy them."
"Raaargghh!"
The terrifying roar of Berserker echoed through the air, sending out a surge of magical energy that made the hair and clothing of Rian, Larva, and even Illya sway gently.
The dark skin of Berserker's massive body glowed red for an instant, thin trails of steam rising from every inch of him. In the next heartbeat, the monstrous warrior lunged toward Rian and Larva with ferocious speed.
With a diagonal, sweeping horizontal slash of his colossal axe-blade, Berserker attempted to cleave both of them in a single strike.
But just before the blow could connect, Rian grabbed Larva from behind, lifting her into his arms, and darted away with incredible speed.
Larva was momentarily startled, her face flushing faintly from the sudden embrace. Her small body seemed to melt into Rian's hold as he whisked her away.
Behind them, Berserker's weapon slammed into the pavement with devastating force, unleashing a shockwave that shattered the ground, scattering debris and carving deep cracks across the street.
Watching Rian's swift movement as he carried Larva to safety, Illya smiled brightly—genuinely delighted by the destruction unfolding before her eyes.
"You're quite impressive, Rian," Illya said casually, her tone as light as a child enjoying a game. "But if that's all you can do… I'll get bored quickly."
Illya spread her arms, her smile widening even further.
"Berserker, don't hold back. Kill them… the way you crush an insect!"
Another earth-shaking roar erupted from Berserker's mouth.
Responding to his Master's command, the giant charged with even greater ferocity, his massive axe-blade slicing through the air in a relentless barrage. Each swing came with lethal force, leaving no room for mistakes.
Yet despite the increasingly savage attacks, Rian's expression remained calm. He continued to hold Larva securely in his arms, dodging each deadly strike with fluid, effortless movements.
Every impact of the axe shattered the street, carving deep fissures in the ground and sending dust clouds exploding outward, chunks of debris and broken pavement flying in all directions.
Amid the chaos, a soft voice gently cut through the storm of destruction.
"Master," Larva called, her tone calm and delicate. "We cannot keep dodging forever, can we?"
Rian smirked, his breathing steady even under the crushing pressure.
"I know. But… as an alias," he said lightly, "can I call you Alter or Larva, and… can you defeat him?"
"Of course you may," Larva replied softly, a faint sadness in her voice. "You may even call me Alter or Larva."
"It's just that… I'd prefer it if you called me Mom." She lowered her head slightly, her voice trembling gently in the air.
"As for defeating him… it might drain quite a lot of your magical energy. Because… Mom hasn't gathered enough of her energy reserves yet. Is that okay?"
"You can drain as much as you want," Rian said with a faint smile, still weaving effortlessly between Berserker's strikes. "As long as… you don't leave your child dried out."
"Fufufu~," Larva giggled softly. "That would never happen, my Child. Mom isn't that cruel…"
Larva's pink eyes—marked with an "X"—shifted toward Berserker.
"But… before that, you'll have to put Mother down, so she can give that naughty child over there a little punishment," Larva said, her tone gentle yet carrying an unmistakable pressure.
"Alright," Rian replied casually, the crooked smile returning to his face. "Let your most handsome child find you the right place."
With a single long leap, Rian widened the distance enough for Heracles to briefly halt his rampage.
Once the opening formed, Rian carefully set Larva down, making sure her small feet touched the ground steadily.
After confirming she was balanced, Rian stepped back slowly, giving his Servant the space she needed to move forward.
Larva extended both arms, her movement gentle—like a mother inviting her child into a warm embrace.
"Come here, my Child," she said with a soft smile. "Mom is here."
Yet from behind that tiny, delicate form, a horrifying aura suddenly surged out—sharp enough to pierce straight into one's soul.
Moments later, Larva's pink eyes glowed brighter. Without warning, her body grew slightly older—like a girl just past the beginning of her adolescence.
___
Additional Note:
Sorry guys, I'm late updating because I fell asleep. ehehe~
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