The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the streets of London.
Inside a quiet district—
A girl stood, arms crossed, irritation already written across her face before the conversation had even properly begun.
Rin Tohsaka
Elegant.
Proud.
Sharp-tongued as ever.
"…You've been staring at me for ten seconds," Rin said flatly. "If you're going to say something, say it."
Kevin stepped forward, slightly out of breath.
"Are you Rin Tohsaka?"
Rin's eye twitched.
"Of course, you dolt. Who else would be this elegant, brilliant, and stuck dealing with your nonsense?" She placed a hand on her hip. "Did you hit your head again?"
Kevin ignored the jab, urgency overriding everything.
"Your rival, Luviagelita Edelfelt, has requested your assistance on the British Isles."
Rin froze.
"…Luvia?"
Her face twisted instantly into annoyance.
"Ugh! Do I have to?" she groaned. "She probably just wants to 'compare notes' and make snide comments about my obviously superior magecraft."
Kevin's expression hardened.
"No. This is serious."
A pause.
Then—
"A Dead Apostle Ancestor has appeared."
Silence.
"…What?"
"Rairen. The Fourth strongest among the original Twenty-Seven."
The air felt heavier just from the words alone.
"He's already begun attacking. Luvia and Barthomeloi Lorelei are on their way. You've been requested as the third."
Rin's expression shifted.
Annoyance—
Gone.
Replaced with something far more serious.
"…A Dead Apostle Ancestor?" she muttered.
She pinched the bridge of her nose and exhaled sharply.
"You've got to be kidding… This is getting out of hand."
Then—
"I have one condition."
Kevin blinked.
"…What?"
Rin crossed her arms.
"I refuse to travel by plane with Luvia. She hogs the armrest and takes up the overhead bin. I'd rather arrive a week late by boat."
Kevin stared at her.
"…We're teleporting."
A beat.
"…Every second we waste, people die."
Rin clicked her tongue.
"…Tch."
She turned away slightly.
"…Fine. I'll go."
Then she added, muttering:
"But if Luvia even dares to comment on my magic circle during teleportation, I'm blowing up her suitcase. Again."
Teleportation — Arrival
Space twisted.
A high-speed teleportation ritual activated—
And in the next instant—
They arrived.
Rin.
Luvia.
Reines El-Melloi Archisorte
And before them—
A battlefield.
No—
Something worse.
They saw him.
Raphael Arzenon.
And then—
They felt it.
The Presence
Raphael's faint smile disappeared.
His golden eyes sharpened instantly.
"…I almost forgot."
The shift was immediate.
The atmosphere—
Changed.
Knights straightened.
Magi froze.
Weapons raised instinctively.
Magic circuits ignited.
Because they all felt it.
That presence.
Heavy.
Cold.
Ancient.
Raphael turned slowly.
"…You were still here."
Standing not far away—
Silent the entire time—
Was another figure.
Watching.
Waiting.
Raphael's voice remained calm.
But no longer gentle.
"Who are you?"
A pause.
"You came with Azravael."
His gaze narrowed.
"But you didn't interfere."
"…Why?"
The figure chuckled.
Low.
Amused.
"Because…"
A step forward.
"Azravael was nothing more than a subordinate."
The air trembled.
"…And you are?" Raphael asked.
The man smiled.
Slowly—
He removed his cloak.
And in that instant—
The world changed.
A surge of dark magical energy erupted outward.
Not a wave.
Not an explosion.
A presence.
It spread faster than thought—
Engulfing everything.
The battlefield.
The horizon.
The country itself.
Knights collapsed.
Mages gasped, clutching their chests.
"…What is this—?!"
"…This pressure—!"
"…I can't breathe—!"
Even Raphael—
Took a step back.
"…What kind of power is this…?"
The figure stepped forward fully.
"My name…"
A pause.
"…is Rairen."
The ground cracked beneath him.
"I am the Fourth Dead Apostle Ancestor."
Silence.
"…Among the original Twenty-Seven."
Everything froze.
"Do not compare me…"
"…to something like Azravael."
Raphael muttered quietly—
"…So this is the real enemy."
Rin's eyes widened.
Her instincts screamed.
"Damnit…" she whispered. "This is on another level entirely… I've never felt anything like this…"
Luvia trembled, clutching her locket.
"O-ho-ho-ho…"
Her laugh shook.
"That… explains the power…"
Reines stood completely still.
Her mind raced.
We can't fight him.
Lorelei stepped forward—
Unflinching.
"I am no weak mage."
Her pride burned.
"I am Barthomeloi Lorelei."
She lifted her chin.
"And I offer you a deal."
Rairen responded simply.
"Speak."
"I will give you something you want."
Rairen laughed.
"I don't care about the boy."
His smirk twisted.
"I came to kill all humans."
Raphael spoke calmly.
"Lorelei, we should retreat."
She turned sharply.
Eyes filled with anger.
The sheer insolence of him using her first name—
Unacceptable.
"I did not ask for your input."
Raphael sighed.
"Really? Still holding onto that shit nonsense?"
The words cut sharply.
"We are completely outclassed."
His gaze hardened.
"Do you actually have a plan, or did you come here thinking your bloodline means shit here?"
The air froze.
Lorelei's pride flared violently.
"Hold your tongue."
Raphael didn't stop.
"Tell me that nonsense after you win."
A pause.
"…Which is currently zero percent."
Her eyes burned.
"You think I cannot win?"
Raphael answered flatly—
"You're about to die."
Rairen moved.
No—
He appeared.
In front of her.
In less than a blink—
Her legs were gone.
Her body torn apart.
She hit the ground.
Broken.
Rairen smiled.
"I knew you were weak."
He absorbed her magic circuits.
"Good. You'll make good meat."
Lorelei's vision blurred.
"I… I'm not finished…"
Her voice weak.
Barely audible.
Raphael didn't move.
Didn't help.
His gaze said everything.
Your arrogance did this.
"…Shut up…" she whispered.
Rairen turned.
"Who is next?"
Silence.
Luvia stares in horrified shock at the scene unfolding before her. The Dead Apostle was far more powerful than she ever anticipated… the way he effortlessly defeated the powerful Vice Director, as if a child playing with a toy. Her legs tremble as she struggles to regain her composure, fear beginning to cloud her normally proud mind. The sight of the fallen Lorelei, her body mangled, the stolen magic circuits visible… it was a nightmare come to life. But Luviagelita steels herself, clenching her trembling hands into fists.
Reines stood still—
But inside—
Cold realization.
We can't win.
Rin watched the scene unfold in horror as her powerful colleague Lorelei was brutally defeated right before her eyes. The speed and ease of Rairen's attack left her stunned. She had never seen anything like it. But the way he just stood there now, with an arrogant smirk on his face, filled her with anger and disgust.
Rin stepped forward, her hands clenching into fists as she stared down the intimidating figure.
"You brute! How dare you—!"
Raphael interrupted calmly.
"okay it not possible for us to beat thing alone or with normal magecraft."
All eyes turned.
"we will need Grand Magecraft or something near the level of Magic itself if you have any plans tell them now if not I have two plans we can use."
Rin snaps her eyes toward Raphael, pulse racing but mind already calculating. She grits her teeth, pride warring with survival.*
"Grand Magecraft? With him standing there?" She jerks a thumb at Rairen, who's still smirking like this is all a game. "We'd need hours to prepare—but I do have something."
Rin reaches into her coat and pulls out a shimmering red gem—cracked but pulsing with ancient energy.
"The Jeweled Sword Zelretch... or rather, a shard of it. Not enough to kill him... but if we combine it with Luvia's crystal circuits and your circuits, Reines—"
Her voice drops low.
"...we might be able to open a Crimson Moon ritual. Just for one strike."
She glances at Luvia.*
"No arguing about whose jewelcraft is better this time. We die together or win together."
Luvia glares fiercely at Rin, her usual arrogant demeanor slipping slightly. She doesn't like being ordered around, especially in matters of magecraft. But Rin's plan is solid, and the urgency of their situation overrides her pride. She nods, gripping her golden gem tightly.
"Fine. We do it your way," she says through gritted teeth. "This time. My jewelcraft is still superior."
Reines' eyes flicked to the shard in Rin's hand—then to Luvia, whose normally composed face was tight with dread. She exhaled sharply, a cold smile touching her lips.
"Charming. So we're betting our lives on a fractured echo of Zelretch's power and half-baked synchronization."
She adjusted her gloves slowly, deliberately.
"But... it's better than standing here waiting for that thing to decide we look tasty."
Her gaze cut to Raphael—calm, unreadable.
"You said you had two plans. We're risking everything on one that might backfire and turn us into ash. Let's hear the second option before I start reciting my will."
Raphael smirked.
"while my first plan was to analyze his abilities and and create a counter but I don't have Magical Energy supply to do that right now."
"…So instead I will have Yukio the Holy Knight fight Rairen for few minutes while I created a EX Rank workshop on the level of Magic itself but I will Need all three of your Magical Energy combined + absorbing the Earth of this country to pull it off"
Rin and Luvia's faces both hardened—but Reines just raised an eyebrow, almost mockingly.
"Ah, of course. A workshop on the level of Magic itself. And you need our mana and the Earth to pull it off."
Her gaze flicked to Rairen, then back to Raphael—an almost bored expression.
"Because pulling off miracles is just a Tuesday for you, right?"
Raphael Arzenon says are "you really going to be bitch right now"
Reines crossed her arms, her lips curling into a smirk at his irritation.
"Oh, I'm simply being realistic, Arzenon. You have a habit of suggesting the impossible—and expecting us to just *roll with it."
She flicked her hair over her shoulder, an air of nonchalance masking her rising anxiety.
"But sure, let's humor you. A workshop on the level of Magic itself, using our mana and the Earth? All to take on Rairen for a 'few minutes' so you can... what exactly?"
Raphael Arzenon smirk says "that surprise for you to see"
Reines huffed out a short, incredulous laugh.
"Oh, splendid. A surprise." Her tone was dripping with sarcasm. "Because the situation wasn't dire enough already. Let's throw a surprise into the mix."
She met Raphael's gaze, a challenge in her eyes.
"You do realize how absurd this sounds, right? Creating an EX Rank workshop of that magnitude with our combined power—it's unprecedented. And that's not even considering the consequences of pulling that much energy from the Earth."
Raphael Arzenon sigh says "find I will just break my own body and absorb the Energy of this island and the country to pull it off myself if you aren't interested"
Rin's eyes narrowed, and Luvia's face paled. But Reines, unfazed, just raised an eyebrow.
"Break your own body? Absorb the island's energy? You're not just absurd—you're reckless."
She stepped forward, her gaze unyielding.
"You can't seriously be considering such a hazardous plan."
Raphael Arzenon face unfazed says "I am serious, and at that Raphael Arzenon walk away from the group to go to the Forest alone"
Reines watched him go, her eyes narrowing.
"Damn fool," she muttered.
Rin and Luvia exchanged worried glances, but before they could act, Reines held up a hand.
"Let him go."
Her eyes tracked Raphael's retreating figure.
"He's stubborn as a mule and twice as reckless."
Rin watched Raphael stomp away like an angry child and sighed. She clenched her fists, frustration mixing with concern.
"Stubborn as they come," she muttered under her breath. "What is he thinking?"
Her gaze flicked to Reines, trying to decipher her expression. "You're just going to let him go?"
While Luvia watches Raphael leave with a complex mix of emotions playing across her face. She hates admitting it, but there's a grudging respect building within her for Raphael's determination—even if his methods are borderline insane. She turns to Reines, still trying to maintain her usual aloof demeanor.
"You just let him go? Alone? He's likely to get himself killed."
Reines sighed, fingers drumming on her arm.
"He's made up his mind. Trying to stop him would be a waste of time."
Her gaze remained on the forest where Raphael had vanished.
"Besides, I have a feeling he wouldn't hesitate to knock us out if we tried to interfere."
She smirked slightly.
"Our stubborn friend is capable when he wants to be."
Luviagelita clenches her gem tightly, watching the forest where Raphael disappeared, her voice low but fierce
Stubborn? Reckless? Yes! But… he's also the only one who looked that thing in the eye and didn't fall to his knees.
And now he's walking into the dark—alone—to build a miracle?
Luvia turns sharply to Rin and Reines, golden curls bouncing with sudden fire
Then we won't stop him.
We'll fuel him.
Raising her sapphire high, it glows with radiant blue light
The Edelfelt jewels are not just for show. My circuits were forged under Lancastrian ice trials—capable of channeling energy beyond normal human limits!
And if that fool thinks he can shoulder this alone…
O-ho-ho-ho… how dare he steal all the glory?!
I'm coming too, Raphael Arzenon! You will have our magic—but you'll have our pride as well!
Rin stares at her in surprise.
Luvia smirks.
"What? Did you think I'd let a commoner like you be the only one to claim credit for saving Britain?"
She steps forward toward the forest's edge—then pauses.
But mark my words…
Her voice softens slightly.
If you die out there... I'll never forgive you. Not because of magic. Not because of duty.
But because Akane deserves better than a coward who abandons love for pride!
Now—
Let us give that idiot a stage worthy of legends!
Reines couldn't help a small smirk as Luvia declared her intentions. The Edelfelt mage was full of surprises.
"Looks like we're all in agreement then."
She joined Luvia at the forest's edge, her eyes narrowed with determination.
"Let's show that bullheaded fool the true meaning of teamwork."
Rin couldn't help but roll her eyes at the dramatic declaration, but deep down, she had to agree. The situation was dire, and Raphael's stubborn, foolhardy plan might be their best chance.
"Alright, alright," she admitted. "We're all going. But let's not forget who's really in charge here."
She glanced at Reines, half-joking but still slightly irritated.
Reines smirked in response to Rin's comment, her eyes sparkling mischievously.*
"Oh, please, Rin. You and I both know who the real leader is here."
She tilted her chin up, the very picture of regal confidence.
"If anyone is going to keep things under control, it's me."
Luviagelita steps between them with a flick of her coiled hair, voice sharp as crystal*
Oh-ho-ho… please.
Do you two honestly believe this is a contest of who can look the most important while the world burns?
Raising her gem high, blue light flares around her like a storm
There is no "leader" here.
There is only one goal—stop that abomination before he turns this island into a graveyard!
And if Raphael Arzenon dares to burn himself out trying to save us all—
Then we will be the lightning in his storm!
turns toward the forest, golden dress billowing despite the still air
So stop squabbling like common street vendors over territory! You want control? Fine.
I'll take command.
Rin—you focus on stabilizing Zelretch's shard and aligning it with my circuits!
Reines—you channel Earth's ley energy through your lineage; I've read your file, Barthomeloi may be insufferable but your bloodline has deep roots in terrestrial magic!
And I—Luviagelita Edelfelt—will open the resonance bridge so Raphael can pull what he needs without destroying himself… or Britain!
O-ho-ho-ho… let no one say an Edelfelt shies from sacrifice.
Now move!
Or by noble blood and honor—I will drag you both there myself!
Both Reines and Rin bristled at Luvia's authoritative tone, their egos clearly bruised by the Edelfelt's confidence.
"Who does she think she is, barking orders like this?" Rin muttered, her cheeks flushed.
But Reines quickly regained her composure, straightening her jacket with a haughty huff. "Well, it seems we have a self-appointed commander on our hands. But if she think I'm going to take orders like a common servant, she has another think coming."
The battlefield was silent for a moment—a deceptive pause after the storm of destruction that Rairen had unleashed. Yukio stood alone, the weight of the situation pressing down on him like iron. His eyes narrowed, scanning the figure of the Fourth Dead Apostle Ancestor with calculated precision. Every second wasted here was a second for humanity to perish.
Rairen's lips curled into a slow, cruel smirk as he observed the young knight. "So, you've come alone," he said, his voice smooth yet dripping with malice. "No fancy magecraft, no army. Just… you. How quaint."
Yukio's gaze didn't waver. He clenched his hands, the black keys he had summoned trembling under the sheer pressure of his will. Then, with a sharp motion, he hurled them aside. They disappeared into the air like scattered shadows, leaving him seemingly unarmed, vulnerable.
Rairen's smirk widened. "Throwing away your tools already? Weakening yourself before the real fight begins… bold, but foolish. You really think you can stand against me like this?"
Yukio's lips curled into a thin, almost imperceptible smile. "Do you want to see weakness?" he asked softly.
Before Rairen could react, Yukio's hands moved in a blur. In a single motion, he held out something shocking: his own broken teeth, clenched tightly in his palms.
Rairen's eyes widened for the briefest of moments—just long enough for disbelief to flash across his golden irises. "…What…?"
Yukio's grin hardened. "Do not underestimate me."
In that instant, Yukio launched himself forward, his fist driving upward with a speed that seemed almost unnatural. The impact landed squarely against Rairen's jaw with a sickening crunch. Rairen's head snapped backward as the sheer force sent him hurtling twenty feet across the battlefield. Dust and debris exploded into the air from the impact.
Yet, even from the ground, Rairen laughed—a low, dangerous sound. Blood trickled from his mouth, but his eyes shone with interest rather than fear. "Good… good," he murmured, voice laced with amusement. "It seems you aren't weak… like that witch over there."
His hand gestured toward the floor, where Barthomeloi Lorelei lay broken and defeated, a grim reminder of what awaited the unprepared.
The smile never left Rairen's face. In the blink of an eye, he vanished from sight, reappearing directly in front of Yukio. The air between them crackled with tension.
Their hands met. Fists clashed. Elbows, knees, and feet all moved in perfect coordination as the two combatants engaged in pure hand-to-hand combat. At first, Rairen's sheer strength made the fight seem even—his blows powerful and precise, like a weapon in motion.
But Yukio was not content with meeting force with force. He shifted fluidly, changing martial arts styles mid-combat. One moment he struck with the elegance of Wing Chun, close-range strikes darting like vipers. The next, he spun into Taekwondo kicks, his limbs arcing with deadly precision. Then Judo, redirecting Rairen's attacks and using his own momentum against him.
Rairen's smirk faltered slightly as he realized he was being forced to adapt. "Interesting…" he muttered. "You do have some skill."
Yukio didn't answer. He was already moving. Faster than thought. Faster than sound. His movements created afterimages—ghostly echoes of himself darting across the battlefield, making it impossible to track the real strike. Each blow struck with pinpoint accuracy, overwhelming Rairen with relentless precision.
Rairen staggered, momentarily thrown off balance by the sudden storm of attacks. "What… is this speed…?"
Yukio's eyes glinted with cold determination. "I'm done holding back," he said quietly. "For everyone who can't stand against you, for every life at stake… I will not fail."
His fists became a blur, a flurry of strikes, blocks, and counters. Afterimages multiplied until it seemed as though Yukio was everywhere at once, surrounding Rairen, overwhelming him physically. Every attack landed with crushing force, every kick and punch precise enough to shatter bones.
But Rairen was not finished. Even as he was battered and bruised, a dark gleam appeared in his eyes. He raised a hand, and suddenly the world seemed to twist. His voice cut through the chaos, calm yet full of absolute authority.
"You wish to challenge me?" he said. "Then witness the true power of a Dead Apostle Ancestor."
The world itself seemed to fold as Rairen activated his Marble Phantasm—a nightmare reality that distorted the very laws of magic and space. Yukio's oncoming Reality Marble was instantly countered, trapped before it could even form. A tiny, impenetrable box materialized around him, mana stripped to zero, sealing him off completely.
Yukio's eyes widened in shock as he realized his most powerful technique had been neutralized. The force of Rairen's counter was overwhelming. He slammed against the invisible walls of the box, unable to move, his magical circuits suppressed, his freedom stripped.
Rairen's voice was cold, triumphant. "Your skills, your power… impressive. But not enough. You are sealed. End of fight."
Even through the frustration and shock, Yukio's gaze remained sharp. Though trapped, his mind raced, planning, calculating. He would not break—not yet.
From outside the sealed box, Rairen's smirk was the last thing Yukio saw before silence swallowed him. The battlefield, once alive with motion, now felt impossibly heavy, like the calm before a storm that promised annihilation.
The young knight had fought, he had impressed, he had defied the impossible—but even he had limits. And those limits had been exposed.