Fate/Bonds Beyond Humanity

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88- Raging Dragon of Domination III: Dancing Dragons, Rivals United

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A few hours before the Underworld's invasion.

She was watching the troops move from a rooftop, her arms folded beneath her modest breaths. The building belonged to the Old Satan Faction but there was no one inside it any longer since almost every able body was ordered to prepare for war.

There wouldn't be a march in the traditional sense since the army was going to teleport towards several different locations and attack all at once. Still some costumes were good for morale and so the devils of the Old Satan Faction marched around the Khaos Brigade's HQ in a show of force.

'Even if this is a sole skirmish it is also the end of a long war.' Altria deliberated as one hand went to Clarent on the left side of her waist and the other moved to her chin before she raised her head to look around. With swift steps she jumped through several buildings, never bothering to hide her presence as she watched the devils preparing for their assault. 'I never thought they would really call so many soldiers at once or share Ophis' snakes like they are doing. It isn't just too risky, it is insanity.'

Once arriving at the Old Satan Faction's main building she saw several commanders with huge chests full of glass bottles containing small black snakes. She didn't even need to bother getting inside the theater to see them sharing Ophis' fragments like one would apples in a bazaar.

'There are so many of them… A lot of people are going to die.' And Altria wasn't just talking about the Underworld's people but those in the Khaos Brigade as well.

As one of those close to Ophis, Clarent's Owner had seen many of those little snakes born from the Dragon God's finger as several members of the Khaos Brigade swore loyalty and Great Red's death.

She didn't like it, neither how they used Ophis' snakes nor the fake promises. In fact, Altria knew that only a few people held an honest desire to challenge the Dragon of Dragons. And from the Old Satan Faction there was none. Instead she could see how a lot of people were going to die over lies.

Altria definitively didn't like it. 'A single swing. That is all it would take.' Her left hand held Clarent's pomel as her right itched to draw the blade. 'It would be quick and easy. Most of the devils are already all in one place and I could strike before they even noticed it…' The idea of attacking without warning sounded cowardly to her and left a bad taste in her mouth mostly because she was reminded of a redhead magus and the good food he served, worsening her mood. 'These guys are all going to die anyway. Better to do it before they spill innocent blood…'

The idea was tempting her in a way not even Caliburn could since it was something born of righteousness even if it spat in her honor somewhat Indeed the Reincarnation of Artoria cared not about the Old Satan Faction's ambitions and only their ideals, none of which she approved of.

As far as the blonde knew they were just a cruel bunch who looked down on everyone but themselves. During her time in the Khaos Brigade she saw many examples of how those devils treated everyone else like tools or products, including herself. While praising her beauty, one of them even had the gall to solicit a night from her brother for a 'King's ransom'.

While Arthur managed to contain his wrath which Altria almost didn't, it was Le Fay who cursed the devil and so the man became impotent for the rest of his life. Which was considerably short when he went to complain to Vali of all the people who laughed about the man's story, eventually killing him when the devil tried to attack the hybrid for the mockery.

But that was just one of many stories that several in the Khaos Brigade could tell about the Old Satan Faction and the complex of superiority those devils had. If not for their fortune and allies, it was obvious they would all have been exterminated by every other camp in the pocket dimension.

However nobody dared to cross Rizevim and it was telling he wasn't participating in the invasion even if his main lieutenant was. 'Euclid…' Altria moved ducked on the rooftop the second she found the silver haired devil. Slowly getting to a knee, she approached the edge carefully. 'He is the one in charge of distribution? That is some powerful security… With Power of Space there is no way I can strike and leave without getting caught.'

Because the idea still had merit and even if she did it in the Khaos Brigade's HQ, she doubted the other factions would really care about her actions. The Hero Faction would even side with her by exterminating so many devils at once even if some grumbled because she stopped their enemies from weakening each other.

Ophis would also complain, if just because creating so many snakes had been a boring task. "If you are going to do something, you better do it quickly, nya~"

"Grr… You found me." The maiden dressed in blue turned to the nekomata dressed in black. Kuroka offered a Cheshire Cat's smile as she laid by the other edge of the building without any real care in the world. "I was sure I completely eliminated my presence this time."
"Yep, you did. If you didn't then Arthur would surely have noticed his sister had suddenly vanished." Her friend commented playfully while stalking towards the blonde who stood up and relaxed her posture.
"I was referring to both my mana and my Ki." With how impressive her reserves were, if Altria's control wasn't good then she would be a walking beacon anyone would notice walking in a town even casually. However the latter was the problem when it came to the Stray Nekomata, one which she was sure had been solved "How did you find me?"
"Nyahaha! Your control is good. And getting better. I almost missed you… Almost." Kuroka slipped by Altria's side while looking towards whatever interested the platinum blonde woman.

Who let out a frustrated, "Hmph," before adding, "If I was hidden so well, how did you find me? And don't you dare to say I left a trail. I checked."
"How couldn't I when we all knew where you were going?" The Stray Nekomata asked half rhetorically before laying on the rooftop, raising her head with her hands and kicking the air. "They sure are getting ready there, nyaa~"
Accepting she suddenly had some company, Altria dropped to a knee beside her friend. "Kuroka… how did you find me?"

"Your sister snitched, nyahahaha~."

"Fay? I made sure she was distracted. There was just no way…" Altria only needed to see the grin on Kuroka's face to grow quiet. Closing her eyes and expanding her senses, it took a few seconds for her to detect something. "An invisible… hummingbird?"
Indeed the blonde's eyes barely could make out the distortion in the air, one so tiny that was basically imperceptible unless someone like her actually looked for it. What really told her what she wasn't seeing was the small but fast repeated noise of wings beating. And since she knew Le Fay hated insects, a hummingbird was actually a logical conclusion.

"Yep, yep, yep. She didn't notice you leaving but guessing where you were going wasn't that hard~" Hearing her friend gritting her teeth in frustration filled the former Bishop with glee. "And we found you being naughty~ So naughty~" The nekomata was pleased to find the younger woman doing some mischief. A fact that had Altria flinching. "Nya, why aren't you happy? Could be worse. Arthur could be here, one of his lectures ready for the taking~"

"... My brother would hear my concerns…" Her eyes turned back to the ground where several devils had already received Ophis' snakes.

"And Add would add fuel to the fire, nya~" Kuroka joked while her feet danced in the air in a lazy fashion. "Since everyone knows that, it isn't surprising your sister asked me to babysit you~" She loved how the blonde's shoulders shivered in frustration and shame. Then her tone got serious for a moment. "Do you really think we should go down there and 'light up' some fires?"

A moment of silence descended on the rooftop allowing them to hear the devils chatting about the invasion, their excitement and nervousness fully on display. It was easy to see who really was ready to fight and kill, they were the ones awarded with Ophis' power, but there were plenty who looked fearful and resigned.

For all their loyalty to the cause it was obvious not everyone in that army were fighters nor ever intended in becoming such. Regardless of their preferences the upper brass of the Old Satan Faction cared not about their well being, power or training.

They needed bodies against the Underworld's armies even if those weren't able to do much.

Bait, in other words.

After a few minutes where Ophis' power was shared among the most bloodthirsty or zealous devils, Altria finally asked. "Why you ask? Thinking about helping me?"

Kuroka's feet stopped moving as she laid her hand on an arm. "My sister is there, remember? And those devils are going to die and take as many people as they can with them." Much like the blonde, she knew about the black snakes' potential. "But they aren't going to consume Ophis' power yet. If we attack now… In and out and that army is gone, nyaa…"
Even to Altria's ears that sounded forced even if the assistance was welcomed. Just one she wasn't willing to fully accept since, "According to the plan that the Old Satan Faction presented to Vali and Ophis, Rias Gremory and her peerage won't be in the Underworld by then. They will be hostages, or potential hostages, at least."
"Nyaa, like plans like those work all the time, right?" She didn't need to be reminded by Stray Nekomata, that meeting never left the blonde's mind. "And when they kill Diodora? What then? You think Gremory won't try and get back to the arena as soon as possible? That girl can't keep her nose out of people's troubles. Probably will stumble in a warzone or another with Shirone, nya!"

'She is still mad at Gremory? At least she lost fair and square!' Altria needed to take a deep breath before replying. "You still don't need to worry about them. Your sister is strong and even if she wasn't, Rias Gremory wouldn't let anything happen to her loved ones. Her nature won't allow it."
Nevertheless the blonde knew those words were wind because of how siblings could easily worry about each other and there was no denying that Koneko would be under a certain amount of danger.

In that sense Kuroka's presence was logical; she realized what Altria was plotting and volunteered to find the younger woman while actually planning to join in for her sister's sake or perhaps even attack by herself.

"So, are we doing this or what?" Which returned the blonde to her dilemma despite the nekomata hiding her concerns expertly. "The Old Satan Faction has had more or less one hundred or so snakes, you know? And from what I can see, they already shared most of them." From their position they could see the empty boxes and several soldiers bragging about being chosen as the main strike force. "If we are going to attack, we better do it now… right?" Sitting in her spot, the woman's eyes grew sharper. "We just need some of the weaklings to consume the snakes and *bam*; Old Satan Faction army destroys itself before the invasion even begins."

"Ensure the deaths happening because of their foolishness will be isolated…" Instead of stopping Altria, Kuroka was just giving her ideas more merit. "The problem is their Satans and lieutenants. Lucifuge is just one of many-"
Suddenly Kuroka hissed and Clarent's Owner feared they had been found but the woman's next words erased that notion. "Nyaa, yes. Yes you are right…" Her eyes were fixed, completely locked inside the temple the Old Satan Faction built for their leaders. "Someone there is wrong…"
"Rizevim?" Because if Vali's 'grandfather', the term worse than a bad joke among their friends, was around then they could potentially rope in the Vanishing Dragon in their plans.

Yet the nekomata shook her head and for the first time in a while she saw fear in her friend's posture. "No, someone worse… Weaker but worse. Rizevim feels like a super powerful devil," appropriated, all things considered, "but whoever this is… they aren't as strong but more dangerous. Much more dangerous."
Kuroka's every instinct warned her to not mess with the presence watching the proceedings from the temple. That whatever force recently joined the Old Satan Faction was something she shouldn't face unless she had a death wish.

Few were the times the nekomata felt like that and her friends learned overtime to trust those instincts which were not only deeply tied to her heritage but also her skillset with Ki which was on a level rarely seen even on her race.

"Do you think we could strike before this presence acted?" Altria questioned and was surprised when Kuroka nodded positively. "Then maybe that is what we should do." Slowly but decisively the blonde began drawing Clarent from its sheath.

Which inspired Kuroka a little, banishing her fear. "Nyahaha. You know that is treason, right?"

"Never agreed or approved the Old Satan Faction's methods. If anything they should be thankful that we tolerated them this long."
"Ohh~ Vali is going to be upset we started the party early." The nekomata joked again while raising her claws.

Despite the situation, the swordswoman couldn't help but grin. "Then he should have started it first. He is the one complaining about his 'grandfather' all the time." An exaggeration but something both could see their friend doing if he was the type to express his feelings out loud. "Once we do this, there is no going back. Direct action like this-"
"Either Ophis is gonna be pissed and do something or the rest of the Khaos Brigade is going to kick us out. Or Ophis is gonna be pissed and kick us out, nyahaha." Kuroka deduced but honestly they were willing to take the fall for that if necessary.

One was fighting for her sister while the other was fighting for her principles. It also helped that their group never considered the Old Satan Faction allies. Same could be said about almost every faction of the Khaos Brigade but the point of their alliances was to stay out of each other's way.

Mana began to flow from both women as they got ready to jump. "I knew letting Kuroka come get you was an awful idea." Then they froze as another of their friends arrived making them both flinch. "Sorry to burst your bubble but you aren't stopping this. More precisely, I can't let you stop this."
"But Vali-"
"No means no, Ria." Vali Lucifer didn't bother to land on the rooftop as his sacred gear, his last wings as Emiya Shirou cut all others into ribbons, kept him steadily in the air.

"Nyaha! Come on, Vali. If you don't want to have some fun just look to the other side. We won't tell." Kuroka suggested making her friend sigh.

"Can't do that either, no matter how much I want to." And they knew he really wished he could, maybe even joining them to finally take a crack at his 'grandfather' and a few others. "Ophis would get upset." He concluded with a resigned tone. "Besides, that is their war and not ours. If they want to go and die like idiots, that is their problem."
"The problem is who else is going to get caught in the crossfire." Altria pointed out with a lot of anger in her tone but she could see her friend wasn't moved. "Just turn around, Vali. We are just going to do some damage. Enough to postpone the invasion."

'Indefinitely' went unsaid.
"And make us enemy number one for most of the Khaos Brigade… That is tempting, actually." The silver haired man rubbed his chin with a grin as the idea grew more appealing by the second. "Certainly it would get us fighting against some really strong guys after a good deed… Unfortunately they already anticipated me thinking about it and convinced me to sign a Geas to prevent this exact situation."
"Wait, you made a contract with them? Why?" Kuroka asked with legitimate curiosity.

Vali let out another sigh. "Because…" And he left it at that before shaking his head. "Look, I had my reasons and they wanted me out of their way. Couldn't have me pull a stunt like I did during the peace talks. Fighting like I did and then leaving the army to be slaughtered once I had my fill certainly didn't 'look good'." He concluded sarcastically. "So I had to agree with not touching this whole operation and keep you all away from it. Mostly you girls. Everybody knew one of you was going to try something." Before they could complain, he raised a hand. "Save it. Just having this discussion is proof… that man was right. Geez, I need to watch my mouth with soap after saying that."

Divine Dividing began to shine a little brighter as another joined the discussion. [Not blaming you, Partner. Not blaming you.] Albion commented gently before directing his attention to both women. [It was good that Fay had the sense of telling us. You have no idea of the headaches my Partner would have if you two broke the contract, even unknowingly.]

While Kuroka flinched, Altria remained undetained. "What was so important that you signed a deal with Rizevim?"
"A lot of things, actually." Vali's expression was somber and remorseful.

"Then we can't do anything? At all?" The Pendragon woman asked in a final attempt.

Which had the silver haired man shaking his head. "They figured out we leaked a lot of important intel to the Hero Faction." His reply made Altria wince. The kidnapping attempt cost them a lot of good will. "And he really, really, didn't want me snooping on this. More than usual in fact which is rather odd… since that man isn't participating in the invasion at all." Floating towards the edge, Vali joined the women in watching the devils march. "Whatever he wants, conquering the Underworld isn't his goal."
That in mind changed the whole perspective of the march in the group's eyes. "They are marching to their deaths for nothing?" Altria asked carefully.

Only for the Vanishing Dragon to shrug. "Who knows?"
[The plan is solid and the invasion can work.] Albion casually pointed out. [My Partner is just saying that isn't the point nor the reason why they want us to stay away.]

"Well, it isn't our business. Like I said, there is a Geas so if you two drop down and start blasting, I will be the one suffering the consequences." Altria and Kuroka shivered at the darkness in his eyes. The man clearly didn't like signing that contract at all. "Trust me, they won't be pretty."
Resigning herself that any action would harm her friend, Altria's hand finally left Clarent. "I don't like this."
[Welcome to the club.] And from Vali's face they could tell he was the founder.

"Nyaa~ Ok, if you say so." Kuroka retreated her claws and shrugged trying to hide her worry. She failed miserably, everyone else present knowing the nekomata enough to not fall for her act.

Nevertheless, Vali didn't call her out. "Come on. Staying here isn't going to help anyone."

Divine Dividing began to take its owner away, Kuroka throwing the marching army one last look before following the Vanishing Dragon. Altria looked back at the invasion force with the knowledge they were going straight to their deaths for one devil's goals. Even if most of them didn't mind dying for Rizevim Lucifer, some would.

And that was enough to sour her mood further. "Damn it."

Swiftly the trio left the Old Satan Faction's section of the pocket dimension straight towards the center as the three of them tried to ignore how empty the old fashioned streets were. Easily similar to some of Europe's oldest cities the devils made sure to not short change when making their architecture memorable.

But soon enough it would be useless and would be mostly dismantled by the Khaos Brigade's other factions. Victory or defeat there wasn't relevant anymore as they would either take over the Underworld or lose too many people attempting it. Those who knew how Ophis' snakes worked were sure the latter was more probable.

"Vali!" Altria suddenly called out making the three stop just as they were about to leave the Old Satan Faction territory. Already they could see dozens of people walking around the intersections of the other factions with some haste, all waiting for the results of the invasion.

"Yeah?" The White Dragon Emperor didn't turn around and asked rather casually even if he could guess what she wanted.

It was easy to do.

"Is it fine to let them die like this?" The blonde went directly to the point, her eyes shifting between her friends. "They are your people, right? Maybe you are a True Hybrid or whatever but-"
"Save it. They made their choice." Then Vali fully turned around to show the woman how uncaring he was about the whole situation. "Anyone smart enough to be useful to that man is already in his inner circle. Everyone else is cattle for the slaughter."
"I see…" Once again she resigned herself, all hope lost.
"Ria, I know you don't like it but that is how things are."
Hands behind her head, Kuroka asked. "What was the price for that contract?" Immediately the other two focused on her. "Come on, tell us, nyaa… Or you can't?"

Nodding once, Vali turned around before saying. "Our safety, per say. Not just our little merry band but Ophis' as well." Infinity or not, the young man suspected that his 'grandfather' could take down the Dragon God if he wanted to. Then his eyes then focused on a huge building belonging to the Hero Faction. "Now we just have just one front to worry about."
"Are they going to act soon?" The nekomata pouted as Altria beat her to the punch.

"Maybe. Let's keep going." Conversation over, they quickly made their way to the central tower, Ophis' tower nicknamed Infinity's Rest.

From the outside it looked like just a single huge tower made of pure onyx, extremely simple in design and at the same time the sort of building someone imagined a dragon imprisoning a princess of some sort.

With a wave of Vali's hand the store sized gate opened for the hybrid and his companions revealing a place that was far bigger that the outside would lead anyone to believe. Partially because of magic, partially because of engineering, the inside of Infinity's Rest was divided in several sections.
The entrance looked to be the most normal part of the structure with a small flight of stars that led to the entrance hall where several tables and commodities spread all over the place. They weren't just for visitors but also for Ophis itself until it eventually got bored of it.

No matter the books, films, games or whatever entertainment of the sort was offered to the Dragon God it would always get bored and not pick them up again regardless of how fond memories it made with them.

Leaving everything to visitors and allies, the mess hall was so full of stuff that few people could properly navigate the place unless they were going straight to Ophis. In that case one just needed to follow a 'hallway' of essentially junk. At least in the Ouroboros Dragon's perception, most of the stuff there was rather expensive with any country's coin.

Rare tomes written over the centuries, weapons with certain properties that caught its attention and a few stones supposedly capable of weakening dragons. Things it hunted down for centuries with one goal: kill Great Red.

Obviously everything failed so everything was garbage despite some of that stuff being extremely valuable for collectors and warriors alike. However most of the real good stuff had already been given away by Ophis, several factions of the Khaos Brigade asked for a treasure or the other to help on their goals.

And so long they ended up helping Ophis with Great Red then the Dragon God didn't care, willingly parting with its 'junk' whenever needed. Unlike every other dragon in existence the Ouroboros Dragon cared not about the accumulation of trinkets or precious artifacts.

All it wanted was Silence, everything else was just a means to an end.

So much so that another characteristic of the tower was shown the second Altria closed the door behind herself; every sound outside of it completely vanished. One of Ophis' demands when Infinity's Rest was being built was that it could completely isolate itself from any noise as possible.

Immediately everyone worked on it like their lives depended on it, the Khaos Brigade itself unable to leave the ground until that order had been delivered because Ophis wouldn't part any of its power unless it had a modicum of Silence.

Many devils, magicians and such were recruited to the terrorist organization because of that condition, becoming pillars for their respective factions for years while others joined in and the Khaos Brigade grew.

Once the tower was complete a few centuries later to Ophis' satisfaction was when the work truly began; all members of the Khaos Brigade could request the Dragon God's help with the promise that once they reached goals everyone who took Infinity's power would later help the Ouroboros Dragon destroy Great Red.

'This place always gives me chills…' Altria watched her step or else stumble on a thing or another. The entrance was as chaotic as usual but the problem was always how bothered she felt wherever entering in that space. 'Why does she want Silence so much? If I had to live like this for more than a day, or worse by myself, I would lose my mind!'

It was a feeling everyone who stepped inside the tower felt at one point or another: a sensation of having their senses deprived or muffed mixed with a deep sense of longing as if their souls warned them to stay away from Infinity's Rest.

Because it wasn't like the place was sound proof or anything similar but instead surrounded by so many spells it was fairer to say the tower stood on a plane of existence of its own, separated not by dimensions but by existence itself.

Any involuntary noise was unwelcomed in the tower as well, Vali's loud steps suddenly becoming as silent as Kuroka's despite having no change to his posture. While feeling that event happen once again, Clarent hit a huge slab of metal to the side but she didn't notice as there was no noise.

"Is anyone else cold or is it just me, nyaa?" The nekomata asked playfully to dismiss the tension she always felt in that tower. At least in the first few minutes when her senses adjusted to the isolation and being suddenly cut from the outside.

The only lifeforms inside of the building were the ones Ophis allowed, no insect or even bacteria could go in without permission. "Not just you." Altria whispered helpfully.

"Huh, you were always a scared cat, Kuroka." Vali joked a little, making his friend hiss. "Why not use this space for training and hone your focus?"
"I'm not like you, Battle Maniac." Was her response.

"Hahaha. That is why you are always shivering." The Vanishing Dragon avoided every piece of junk without looking, arriving at a huge flight of stairs made of marble. Up they went, several books and treasures resting on the walls without utility. "If any of you want to get used to this place for real then you need to embrace it."

"Nyaham. No, you need to stay far away." Kuroka played around as the banter half distracted her from the feeling of enclosement. She wasn't claustrophobic but Infinity's Rest had a way to make her think she was.

The Vanishing Dragon grinned. "Want to try one of those deprivation chambers? They are more or less like this."

Altria shook her head with a small smile. "You were the one who stuck one of those on Azazel's lab for 'training', right~"
"Tch. Damn Bikou… Doesn't mean I am not right." They arrived on the second floor after just twenty steps. "Training here isn't that different from depriving yourself from your senses and-"
"'Sharpening your focus is always good'." Kuroka giggled at her friend's insistence. "Nyaa, it would sound better if you just weren't stubborn. There are other ways to improve focus."

"Slower, sure, but safer." The blonde added.

"Like meditation."
"Practice with multiple weapons."
"Ki refinement."

"Mana blockers."

"And of course, sacred gear practice. That one you should already be a master of… Keyword, 'should'! Nyahahaha!" Kuroka was happily witnessing her friend stop himself from fumming. "Well, we did make progress in the last one~ We did, didn't we~? Nya? Nya?"
Vali stopped for a moment to stare at the nekomata before turning around and knocking the door. 'Just roll with the punches, Vali. Roll with the punches.'

[There is no need to roll with those, Partner. Neither of you is wrong.] Albion told his Partner in the privacy of their soul. Yet he respectfully kept his voice low nevertheless for Infinity could still hear them. [But with how the times are changing, we don't have time to stay weak so I approve of your methods the most.]

"Come in." A soft voice that they all know replied and the doors opened without anyone having to do anything.

Once it did the trio found Arthur and Bikou sparring with bamboo weapons, the former using one like a sword and the latter using his like a staff, without a single sound despite their fast paced bout.

They only occupied a small space in the center of the room that indeed looked like an arena surrounded by every matter of miscellaneous stuff. Yet it was all neatly organized to give everyone in that place more or less twenty or so meters of room to move as they pleased. It kept going like that in several spots of the room, some more used than others.

Several computers could be found in a corner, everything turned off because nobody was using it, doors to other rooms were connected by intricate hallways of things and a kitchen was open for everyone including a grinning Le Fay who floated out of it with a tray of muffins.

But the room was still comfortably big despite the many things spread all over it. The tower kept going up and so did the Ophis' main abode as tons of books and treasures rested on higher places. And it kept going for more than a few kilometers of heigh culminating in what should be called the tallest 'museum' in History.

However the main feature of the room was a huge ball of light floating in the center with several different spheres spinning around it on a slow rhythm similar to a solar system. It just wasn't Earth's since the planets themselves were portrayed differently than they should with the blue one clearly absent.

Instead the third planet closest to the 'sun' was a black and gray rock with just a few stretches of blue in certain points. There were also more planets than the human known solar system, eleven of them to be exact.

None of that was relevant to Altria who gritted her teeth while watching her sister approach. "Ria! I made some muffins~" From the sweat on her forehead everyone could tell the witch was nervous. "We have one of jelly, one with chocolate chip, one vanilla, one-"
"If you think you can bribe me with sweets, you are mistaken." Didn't stop her from taking the chocolate chip muffin and taking a huge bite.

In that moment Bikou struck Arthur's sword sixteen times with the tip of his staff before slamming it on the ground and turning his whole body for a kick that threw the swordsman on the floor.

All fell silent until someone began to laugh. "Kikiki! I told you, that sword's too small!" Add laughed again while resting above a pile of scrolls on a table. "Kakaka! What's wrong, Arty? Need some help from the almighty container?"
A groan escaped the oldest Pendragon sibling. "I swear you are getting more insufferable with age, Add."

"Well, he is right, isn't he? Kakaka!" Bikou commented while standing perfectly still on top of his staff. The bamboo had nothing special on it yet the man could easily retain his balance. "You were the one who didn't want to use our weapons." Expertly he did a small flip, kicking his staff above his head before grabbing it with a tail that suddenly sprung from his back. "Come on. Just let out a seal or two. Come on. Come oooooon…"
"How many times have I told you 'no'?"

"I lost count!"

"... Why am I even surprised?" Arthur jumped back to his feet and repositioned, both his hands returning to his weapon. "Besides, you still need to even the score."
"Hooooh. Someone woke up ready for a brawl today." With a backheel, Bikou grasped his bamboo with his left hand before twirling it around while his tail vanished. He wouldn't give his friend any extra targets. "Well, time to feed you some humble pie."

"Those are my words." Just before the two charged at each other the silencing spell around them shifted and they noticed the rest of the crew looking at them. "Ria, Vali, Kuroka. We are in the middle of something."
Bikou laughed before greeting them,"Yo, everyone! Ria, looks like your plan failed."
Immediately the elder Pendragon glared at the monkey yokai. "You were involved in that buffoonery?"
"You sent Vali to collect me? Vali of all people?" Altria didn't know how to feel about that. "It is bad enough that you sent Kuroka."
"Nya? Hey, I almost convinced you!"

"To go ahead and blow stuff up." Vali said it quickly before starting to whistle while Kuroka glared at him.
"Oh, please, you already had a foot in on the idea of ruining the Old Satan Faction day!" Ria retorted while sitting on a chair-like throne randomly in a corner of the room as the nekomata found her favorite giant pillow to lay down on. "And then you sent Vali? Talk about throwing a match into gunpowder."
Arthur and Bikou both lowered their weapons, the latter laughing out loud as the former shrugged and said. "It was Fay's idea." All eyes turned to the witch who used a spell to make the tray of treats float as she smiled nervously. "And it seems it worked. Without a shadow of a doubt she is the wisest of us three."
"You do realize you are putting yourself down, right?" Vali pointed out while taking a strawberry muffin. "Hmm~ these are good."
"Nonsense! Any brother should praise his sister for what they do best and Le Fay is certainly the smartest of us all."
"Which doesn't make us stupid." Altria added because despite being upset at her siblings, she would still stand with them. "Just that our little sister is really smart… Too much for her own good." Fay offered her older sibling another forced laugh as the platinum blonde grabbed her head, hat and all, and pulled her back. "So mind explaining why you sent Vali of all people? Did you know about the contract?"

Her brother threw a look of confusion at her and the Vanishing Dragon, pretty much shutting down that theory. "... Because he told me he was going to stop you from starting anything."

Still unbelievable. "Look, even I will admit I am not the most… peaceful guy around." The hybrid said after a chuckle. "But you did insist a little too much that I checked Ria and Kuroka… Did you really not know about the contract?"

""What contract?"" Arthur and Bikou asked at the same time, Vali waved them off and focused on Fay.

Feeling her sister's claw on her head, the witch knew she had to give something. "Well, I knew you had negotiated with the Old Satan Faction after the botched kidnapping so… two plus two equals four?"

"Hmm… You didn't send a familiar to spy on Vali, did you, Fay-chan?" Kuroka threw fuel into the fire as another entity floated down from higher in the tower and landed softly on the floor.

"Hihihi! Looks like Fay was doing some mischief of her own." Arthur tried to hit Bikou's head but the yokai did a flip and landed on a huge stack of books at least six meters high. "Close, close, Arty!"

"I already told you to not call me that." The nobleman replied while giving his youngest sister a disappointed look. "While I approve of stopping Altria and Kuroka from getting into trouble… you haven't been really spying on our friends, have you?"
"Of course not!" Le Fay replied as the stealthy entity approached.

"Good." Arthur accepted easily.

And Altria almost facepalmed at her brother's response. "Doesn't explain how she knew Vali had some sort of contract with his 'grandfather'."

"Because I pay attention, Ria." Fay's reply didn't fill her sister with confidence but the older one could tell the younger wasn't lying. "And also he looked sort of depressed a few days ago. Everything else was just guessing."
"A really good guess… One so good that you trusted I wasn't going to escalate the situation." Vali retorted while passing a muffin to the entity who gladly began munching it before speaking and capturing the room's attention with a gentle tone that, while distant and innocent, held a sort of unnatural wisdom.

"Say, Vali, what is all that noise outside?" Asked something looking like a girl dressed in a gothic lolita dress with tones of black, purple and pink.

Pink went off the few ribbons, including two in her hair, while black was the main color of most of her dress and purple covered her legs and chest. The only exception to her color scheme was a white collar that held a pink ribbon tie for her neck.

The girl, or entity, had hair so black that it could be invisible in the night and similar eyes too match. While truly she was something beyond mortal comprehension, her appearance still was that of a very young girl and the very symbol of innocence. Looking at her one wouldn't give that particular girl more than ten or eleven years old.

Even Le Fay was slightly taller than her, a couple centimeters or so but definitely taller, and while her hair easily reached beyond her waist anyone who knew nothing would confirm she was far from leaving childhood.

Yet that being wasn't a girl, didn't need to be a girl even as appearance and gender were things it controlled at will. For she was Infinity given a form and one of the Strongest Existences known to Man. Once upon a time she was considered the Strongest Creature, unmatched and unbeatable.

Then Great Red showed up and her title was lost, the Dragon of Dreams crowned the Strongest. But she didn't care because it never was something of value in her opinion. Power itself never was something of note and the prayers and desires of others weren't things she bothered herself with.

The problem was that Great Red also took her home and with it he took Silence for, despite all its insanity her home was isolated from Everything. So the Second Strongest creature refused to let it stand since the Dimensional Gap was the only place she could have true silence, the abstinence of noise that came with the lack of Life.

Eventually came to be in her current form, not a creature of absolute destruction but a gentle and approachable girl who could ask for help since she understood her powers weren't enough against the Dragon of Dragons.

Power became a necessity, a resource, a problem and an asset to secure help for her goal.

Help eventually came with the formation of the biggest terrorist organization ever conceived: Khaos Brigade.

For all intents and purposes it existed for her, to do her whims and one day return her home in exchange for power, influence and whatever bits of knowledge she accumulated during her crusade to kill Great Red.

That girl was none other than Ophis, the Ouroboros Dragon, the Once Ultimate Dragon and the Infinite Dragon God.

Infinity was her Power, her Concept and her reach meaning that she needed a place to live in full isolation just to not get annoyed with the day to day of smaller creatures she could kill on accident.

Even then Silence could only be attained in the Dimensional Gap when it was fully empty so even within her tower Ophis could hear plenty of things, both inside and outside. It wasn't enough to harm her, the Ouroboros Dragon could have her ear inside a cannon and neither the sound nor the cannon ball would do any damage.

Yet the Dragon God compared every other sound in the Universe as an annoying fly in her ears all the time. Which included actual flies whenever she resided in a World where those existed. Wherever she was, Ophis could hear everything even if she wasn't trying to and even if she couldn't understand any of it.

Vali patted the Infinity in the head before replying. "That is just the Old Satan Faction. They are prepping for the invasion, remember?"
After munching her muffin, the girl exclaimed with surprise. "Oh… That is today…" Ophis genuinely had completely lost track of time. It wasn't like it ever had been relevant to her as an existence old enough to remember when there wasn't an Universe in the first place. "Do you think they will help kill Stupid Red after this invasion?"
"Huh, I don't think they will even succeed in the first place." The silver haired man answered honestly.

"That so?" The Ouroboros Dragon asked while taking another bite.

"Yes, Vali is probably right." Arthur placed his bamboo sword on a wall and moved to collect Add as Bikou just kicked back to relax in a hammock. "They don't have the manpower nor the capability to take over the Underworld."
"Their strategy is flawed." Altria added to her brother's words. "Even if they kill the new Maous, nothing guarantees the Clans aren't just going to keep fighting."
"Ophis' power?" Kuroka asked while turning around to relax on her pillow. "They got a lot of snakes, nyaa."
Upon hearing that the Dragon God shrugged. "It was just a little. I don't think that much power can make much of a difference."
Le Fay was suddenly free from her sister's claw grip as they both traded looks. 'Of course she thinks that is little. Not like all those snakes combined couldn't sink a continent or anything…'

'Most dangerous existence in the Universe…' Bikou thought while chuckling. 'Powerful as hell but completely ignorant how weak the rest of us are. Seriously, it is not for nothing that the Hero Faction don't want to expel Great Red. Who knows what Ophis will do with the Dimensional Gap?'

However that wasn't the case for their group as they saw the innocence of the ancient being and fully trusted that she wouldn't just destroy everything by mistake. She was there when the Universe started after all and before the Dragon of Dreams showed up had resided inside the Dimensional Gap with no problems.

For that, most of them sympathized with her plight. "If they win, they win. No use worrying about that now." Vali pointed out with a shrug while getting another muffin.
"And if they win… will they help with Stupid Red?" Ophis asked directly and innocently. Or at least in a tone that sounded innocent when in fact the question was quite cold and calculative. 'Will they betray me?'

The odds were low but existent as the Dragon of Infinity had dealt with similar situations in the past where people asked for her power and tried to escape the deal without trying to do something about Great Red.

Ophis wasn't even asking them to fight the Dragon of Dragons either since when it came to power the only creature that could possibly content with the Apocalypse Dragon was Trihexa, a creature recorded in several sources including the Bible to be his equal, and if that was the case she was the only other creature with a chance of putting up a fight.

However no one counted on Trihexa for anything since it was sealed behind God's Final Seal and nobody knew what it could do and what it could do. Perhaps it was the equal to the Dragon of Dreams in power and yet the Ouroboros Dragon chose to ignore the Apocalyptic Beast so she wouldn't have a repeat of the current situation.

No, what she wanted was something that could deal with him directly or indirectly. Be it either a super dragon slayer weapon or poison, she didn't care. Ophis' greatest desire was Great Red gone and so long her 'allies' put some effort on that wish, she would tolerate their greed.

Even failure was tolerated as the Dragon God judged herself a patient creature. "So, will they?"
"I am thinking but… Devils give a lot of value to their contracts." Vali admitted with a shrug. "Supposing they win, of course."

"Not that they will make something capable of dealing with the Big Kahuna Red! Kakakaka!" Add joked with glee. "You sure it wouldn't be a better idea to find another place to crash? Or talk to him about sharing the Gap? Because- aaaaaaahhhhhhhh!"

The Mystic Code which held the Lance that Shines at the End of the World screamed in pain when the Dragon God grabbed it with ill intent before Arthur could react. "Stupid trinket. Shut up." Much like the child she looked like, Ophis began to hit Add on a table. Not with all her strength, the tower was still standing, but enough to make others wince. "Stupid box. Stupid. Stupid. I will get rid of Stupid Red. I will reclaim Silence."
"And we are going to help, nyaa." Kuroka embraced the Ouroboros Dragon from behind which ended the girl's tantrum as she rested her head comfortably on the nekomata's chest.

Quickly Arthur jumped to get Add before he fell to the floor. "When are you going to learn to shut up?" He hissed angrily.
"Sorry but someone had to ask. Nobody is any closer to beating the Final Boss since he showed up." Add then felt Bikou flick his side which, because of the damage made by Ophis' fingers, hurt a bit.

"Don't tease her like that. Beating Great Red is her dream. He needs to learn a lesson for kicking her out of her home. Ain't that right, Ophis?" The monkey yokai asked and the Dragon God nodded without a care while Kuroka played with her hair.

Vali finished his muffin before changing the subject. "What about your pet project? If I remember right you have been on it for the last thousand years or so? Any progress?"

That was an useless question for everyone but Ophis since the concept of time was completely different for Infinity. "Nothing changed." Freeing herself from Kuroka's embrace, the girl's body began to float closer to her solar system. A model of her solar system. "Still nothing. And I can't just push anymore of my powers in it either if I want to trigger a natural evolutionary process."

Literally her solar system or more precisely a model she could use to influence it without actually traveling towards the point in the Universe where she first began to experiment millennia ago, her first real plan to take down Great Red.

And it was a complicated plan that would take a billion years to come together regardless of what the Dragon God did: create an Ultimate Dragon Slayer lifeform by giving life to a certain number of planets and triggering fast directed evolution.

Life itself was easy for gods to create, Ophis' snakes, the angels, the original Valkyries and many other beings in the World were examples of what gods could do with some power, skill and knowledge.

Yet their potential was capped in a sense, starting extremely powerful but lacking the impetus and capability to evolve by themselves. Many of them ended up replaced with time, like in the Norse Pantheon where they incentivized the Original Valkyries to have children, all who were demigods.

Ophis pretty much tried the same thing on a greater scale; first she found a suitable solar system where life could properly begin and sustain itself with minimal interference. Then she left some seeds, special snakes that took years to create, inside the core of each of those worlds.

Eventually life will spring in them, by that point it was inevitable, which was when the second part of the plan would begin. That new life would be a new form of draconic creature with different characteristics for every one of those planets depending on the distance to their 'Sun' for variety.

They would be just as smart as Earth's dragons but smaller and more humanoid, an improved version of what devils could become once fully taken over by Infinity while sustaining a far better connection to Ophis.

A connection she would use, billions of years later, to start a war on each planet regardless of civilization level. It wouldn't be a war of nation but a war of dragons where each creature would devour each other to gain power. Once only eleven champions were left, one for each planet, Ouroboros would throw them all in a single rock for a final tournament of some sort.

So only the Ultimate Dragon Slayer could emerge. A life form with the power of trillions of dragons and evolution by its side. A creature whose only weaknesses would be its absolute obedience to Ophis and a desire to kill Great Red.

A Champion worthy of the Ouroboros Dragon.

Also it didn't matter that her solar system was literally on the other side of the Universe because the Dimensional Gap could be also called the Ultimate Shortcut. Anyone skilled enough, namely Great Red and Ophis, could use it to travel anywhere connected to that dimension.

Virtually anywhere in the Universe as Ophis proved by being able to not only find a good star for her plan as well as connect her model with it and the planets where one day life in her image would emerge.

Still it was a natural process that would take a long while and at some point Ophis grew bored and started looking for alternatives. Didn't matter that time was irrelevant and that she could wait, she wanted the Dimensional Gap back as soon as possible. To reclaim her Silence as fast as possible.

"The planets are already stabilizing at least. Ice will begin to melt soon and two of them already have moons." Soon for Ophis was still somewhere between a thousand and ten thousand years at least. And neither would be nowhere close to the conditions for intelligent life any time soon. "Maybe if you kill Great Red, I won't need them."
Vali was flattered by her vote of confidence even if nobody knew if Albion's Divide would work against the Dragon of Dragons. On the other hand, a few other members of their group were rightfully concerned.

"Then what happens if we kill Great Red before your plan gets going?" Altria questioned and within reason since it was the first time the Khaos Brigade truly began to put their plans in motion. "Will you just leave them be or…"
"Sure, why no?" With Great Red gone, Ophis wouldn't care regardless.

Which Le Fay saw as a waste. "Eleven planets worthy of life… that is a lot of research material…" The witch couldn't help but drool at the implications and potential experiments. "So… many… specimens! And the new sorts of herbs…"
"And she is gone. Kikiki." Bikou joked while the group watched the youngest Pendragon with concern.

"Should I…" Kuroka gently pitched her own cheek, eyes dancing between the youngest and the eldest Pendragon sibling.

"Let her dream. She doesn't get enough of it, kakakaka." Add suggested and a small glare from the witch told anyone she didn't appreciate the joke.

Ophis quickly landed beside the nekomata again who embraced the Dragon God as she looked at the annoyed Le Fay. "Can I get more muffins?"

That snapped the blonde from her stupor. "Of course. I was making another tray and… AH! It is burning!"
Only then did everyone notice the smoke, something basically invisible on that tower of onyx. In an instant several of them were in the kitchen to see the burnt food and damaged oven.

"Ah… I am going to have to start all over again." Pulling out her magic wand, the witch easily fixed everything but was still middle depressed for the wasted work.

Which was when her older sister placed a hand on her shoulder to say, "Well, with more hands, we will get more done."
"Leave it to me! Going to show you all the Wukong peach technique."

Only for Vali to hit him in the back of the head. "No way in hell I am letting you work in a kitchen, Monkey. That is a disaster in the making!"

"Yours would be worse." An instant later, Add began whistling nonconsciously despite lacking lips.

Before the Vanishing Dragon could teach the Mystic Code another lesson, Bikou offered a decent suggestion. "Come on! At least we can help a little. How hard could it be to mix some milk and… stuff."

"To be fair, both you and Vali are a disaster on this battlefield. Nyahahaha!"

Took a lot of work, and a little pain considering the majority of them sucked at cooking, but in a few minutes a new batch of muffins was done and the Dragon God rejoiced with her tribute, not minding that the others had some so long there was plenty.

For the next hour or so they just bantered and traded stories, mostly to give Ophis something else to hear as they knew the Dragon of Infinity's was still listening to the march. At least until her posture relaxed and the entity in a girl's shape looked more calm while perusing an ancient tome or another.

However, even if she was calm, others weren't. "Still thinking about the invasion?"
Altria offered Vali a look of annoyance that didn't impress the Vanishing Dragon. "It is written on my face, isn't it?"

"I think only Ophis didn't notice but, to be fair, she doesn't mind the small things." Their eyes shifted to the Dragon God who was still munching a muffin while researching some way to get rid of her enemy. She could hear them but, as Vali said, the Ouroboros Dragon didn't care about the small things. "By this point the invasion has already started. There is no stopping it."
"Maybe I am not that bothered about it." Clarent's owner retorted swifly.

Only for Le Fay to plop in her lap to say, "Ria, do you want another muffin?"
"No, thank you… Goddamned." The older blonde facepalmed as her sister and friend chuckled. "That was it, wasn't it? I ate just… two muffins right?"
"You left Ophis to have a whole tray without a fight." The little witch informed her sister with an expression and tone of understanding. "Since 'hunger is the enemy' and yours was beaten so easily today, I assume you have something else in your mind." Then her blue eyes grew sad. "I am sorry that I stopped you from attacking the Old Satan Faction but that wasn't a fight you could win."
"I wasn't going for the win-"
"You always go for the win." Vali quickly added it before drinking some milk.

"-I just wanted to do some damage. You know, hit and run tactics." She pointed to the relaxing nekomata in accusation. "If anything she would start trolling and then we would have some real trouble."
"Nyah? No, I ain't that bad."
A certain witch couldn't help but giggle. "She sorta has a point, Kuroka."

"Aren't you just defending your sister, Fay?" Bikou asked while laying around several piles of books and using his tail to hit a muffin. "'Cause Ria can be a real sore loser when she wants."
"This isn't about winning or losing anyway." Altria wasn't going to even bother to defend herself from that accusation. She knew herself enough to acknowledge that flaw. "People are going to die… for effectively nothing. Plus, they shared Ophis' snakes like candy? How many 'zombies' are we looking at in that case?"
"I wouldn't call them zombies, they are far too fast and powerful for that." Le Fay commented but everyone got the point and she sighed. "But we are looking for up to fifty or so of those and unless they change their strategy most of them will be in the stadium…"
"Our warning may save some civilians if the Maous are smart." Vali observed as, even if it wasn't their intention to sound any alarms, Shirou's kidnapping attempt was an indirect message.
"So what? Nothing we can do at this point." Bikou commented honestly and sat up with his hands raised once he felt Altria's glare. "Just saying. Just saying. The thing already started anyway. Thinking about it helps nobody."
Arthur petted his middle sister's head. "He has a point. Thinking about it won't help you."
"And is a waste of time." Vali said it dismissively.
"A waste of time, huh?" Altria questioned the White Dragon Emperor's words but ended up just shaking her head. "Maybe it would be different if we had acted sooner."

Understanding Altria would still think about it without a distraction, Add offered an idea. "Hey, what about we go exploring today?" Rhongomyniad's seal suddenly had everyone's attention. Everyone but Ophis' who kept eating one of several muffins floating by her side as she read a book twice as tall as her form. "We haven't poked by Stupid Red's turf for a while. Let's see what the True Dragon has been cooking."
Arthur rubbed his chin. "Well, it isn't like we have anything else to do." He looked at everyone else before his eyes flickered to his middle sibling who didn't look that excited about the idea. "A little adventure will help with indigestion."
"Nyahahaha! Then we should have one every day!" Kuroka suggested with a playful grin.
"Urgh. I don't think my heart could take it." Le Fay replied honestly before focusing on her older sister again. Then she looked away with a petulant expression. "If I stay out of my workshop for too long then that hack of a homunculus is going to get ahead of me!"
Immediately Altria flickered the witch's hat off. "Don't call Illyasviel that."

"You also should stay out of the lab more often." Arthur added with a look of concern. "And not send familiars to spy on your friends."
"Don't worry, I don't watch your dates-" The older brother quickly slapped the younger sister's mouth while blushing and the rest of their friends laughed at the interaction.
"But exploring a bit sounds like an awesome idea." Vali grinned while finishing his food and jumping from his chair. "I always love poking at Great Red's stashes."
Kuroka shook her head, grin still in place. "Just because most of the time they include some sort of mortal trap."
"Or explode when we are running away." Bikou added.

"Or the treasures tickle your dragon's fancy." Altria concluded in a better mood..

[Hey, if Great Red isn't watching over his stuff, it is first come first served. That is the way of the dragon.] Albion joined in, his excitement palpable.
While most of the Dimensional Gap was empty despite the constant storm of colors, from time to time something from wherever fell inside the Dimension Between Worlds either on purpose or by coincidence.

During the times Ophis was the sole resident, she mostly ignored everything and everyone, content on just enjoying her Silence. Great Red was different since the Dragon of Dragons had several treasures in several old buildings he had floating around the Gap. Nobody knew where he got the buildings or his riches but there were a lot of them.

Not odd since even the Dragon of Infinity didn't know everything about the Dimensional Gap nor would she care to know. The important thing was that there were plenty of treasure troves for one to explore if they had the courage. In fact several treasures in Infinity's Rest once belonged to Great Red.

Looting them was Vali's favorite pastime, that and fighting. "What are we waiting for?"

"Ohohoho! Are we going to a new dungeon today?" Bikou began to jump in place excitedly.

An excitement the True Hybrid shared. "Yeah! Let's go dungeon diving."
"Aren't you two a bit too eager?" Altria asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Aren't you? It 's always fun! Great Red has some of the most amusing security systems." The White Dragon Emperor shot with a grin knowing that argument was his to win.
Le Fay shook her head. "How many times I have to say those aren't security systems but treasures you just pick a fight with."

Looking legitimately confused, Bikou asked Kuroka, "A golem with machine guns for hands isn't a security system?" The nekomata could only shrug.

"Those weren't 'machine guns'," Le Fay started while making quotes with her hands, "they were… why do I even bother?" Not like she didn't take a few of the treasures for herself. So the witch embraced her adventurer side to say, "Ready for some loot?"

Plenty in the room cheered while her brother shook his head as he would usually be the one to remind them of the risks of their small adventures. Or more precisely remind them that someday Great Red may notice his stuff was missing. That the only thing protecting them from his wrath was the infinite extension of the Dimensional Gap.

Nevertheless his sister needed something to help her forget about the Old Satan Faction. "Not a bad idea at all. Don't you think so, Ria?" She nodded a little and he took it as a sign of her interest. "And we are already with Ophis so we can ask for her assistance. Fay?"
The witch quickly revealed a necklace with Ophis' symbol in it. "It is out of mana so if we are going to explore we need a new snake, Ophis."
"Everything to pest Stupid Red." The possibility of them finding a weakness was still on the table so the Ouroboros Dragon didn't hesitate. Pointing at the gem, a thin beam of black mana that turned into a huge snake for a second before going inside the jewel which shone with power. "Have fun."
Taking a look at her mystic code, Le Fay knew there wasn't any need to check if the mana was full or not. Of course it was since her necklace called Guiding Light was already moving in Ophis' direction. Besides acting like a compass towards Infinity, the gem also could be used to open a portal in and out of the Dimensional Gap.

It wasn't their only means of leaving Great Red's domain but by far the fastest and arguably the safest one. Not to mention that with it they could always just turn around and go back to the Khaos Brigade HQ wasting energy.

Le Fay basically did the impossible by making traveling the Dimensional Gap for days actually safe since they couldn't get lost nor had the risk of being stranded and were even able to escape the 'dungeons' as Bikou liked to call them.

Most of them disagreed with the term; some of the warehouses were too organized to call them dungeons.

"See you later, Ophis." Vali and everyone else said their goodbyes as the Dragon God kept researching new ways to kill her own species.

When they left Infinite's Rest the group was suddenly assaulted with several noises as the whole Khaos Brigade was considerably agitated due to the Old Satan Faction's invasion. Most of their members were either going around and making bets about their success or preparing their own plans despite it.

At least they were less noisy than the devils' march, the noise of conversation and people doing small things much like they would in a village being far more manageable, especially because people tried to focus on their own affairs.

Including Vali's team who focused on their adventure and couldn't wait to get started as they quickly charged towards their preferred corner of Dimension Lost's pocket dimension. The frontier between sanity and insanity.

Thanks to the Longinus Balance Breaker's barrier nobody suffered any negative effects upon gazing on the Kaleidoscopic dimension but that wouldn't protect the group when exploring.

For that they would have to use their own measures and once getting on an open space, Bikou was the first one to start preparing them. "All aboard Kintoun (Jindou Yun)!" Once he slammed his hand on the ground a golden cloud, big enough to fit them all quite comfortably, appeared just as the monkey yokai did a flip and landed on its center. "Hihihi! Dungeon! Dungeon! Dungeon!"

"Nyahaha! I swear sometimes you're like a kid." Kuroka focused her Ki which quickly exploded into a purple flame that began to surround the cloud. To a Youjutsu master like herself it was easy enough to form a barrier that complemented the monkey yokai's technique. "Aaaaaaand…" However only someone of her skill level could make a mobile barrier good enough to block the Dimensional Gap's effects. "Done and done. Nyahaham."

Suddenly the golden cloud was carrying a purple one that once everyone stepped inside could tell was made to perfectly block most outside influences. Its monotone was also perfectly adjusted to block the kaleidoscope they would soon face. It was also made quite quickly too, showing the nekomata's skill.

"Arthur~ Is your turn~" Kuroka called him seductively knowing the man would easily ignore her. His heart belonged to one woman alone and the former Bishop wasn't the one.

With a stoic expression and the mocking chuckles of his partner, the Heir of Pendragon raised the mystic code in the palm of his hand. " Partial release."
"Approved! Hahaha!" Add began to glow and shift before transforming from a cube into a sword half its owner's size. The weapon looked to be made of pure steel with dim silver and gold undertones but nevertheless as far as weapons went it was comparable to a Noble Phantasm. "Beginning conversion of mana particles into necessary components for survival." Add's face was slightly smaller and completely round as it rested on the sword's handle, one the right side of a cross guard. Its mouth could no longer move but everyone could hear him. The group watched the sword shining, a stream of light leaving the blade to pour over the cloud to create a pseudo-atmosphere inside Kuroka's barrier. " Boundary field adjustments complete. Hehe, you got better at these, Cat. Just need to learn how to filter the air next time."
Kuroka giggled and offered her friends a small bow when some of them applauded at the accomplishment. "Thanks, you're all too kind."

Bikou took his turn to act again, his left hand going to his ear and retrieving something smaller than an ant. With a wave of his arm the object suddenly grew hundreds of times in size until it was his height. Nyoibo, also known as Ruyi Jingu Bang, appeared in all its glory before being twirled, doing a flourish and pointing forward.

With the silent command Kyntoun began moving hastily outside the pocket dimension's confines and taking them across the infinite expansion of colors. Thanks to their combined efforts there was nothing that could stop them from venturing to their heart's content. Of those who did nothing at the moment, each still had their part to play.

Vali for example would be the first scout whenever they found a dungeon or any similar ruin for them to explore. With Scale Mail he could venture in the Dimensional Gap by himself so the risks for him were minimal. He also promised to only venture a few meters inside whatever they found before calling the others as to not hog all the fun to himself.

Altria was the supply runner since she was the one who most cared about food and had a better head to numbers than everyone else. Between adventures and missions, she always made sure to refill their stock whenever they explored for days on end while also mapping their routes whenever possible.

However most of those efforts would be in vain without Le Fay present who literally made Guiding Light to make sure they wouldn't be lost nor explore the same place twice. Directions weren't really a thing on the Dimensional Gap, the points of reference were scarce but she could at least identify the warehouses they had already looted.

Only magic was constant, the place filled with so much mana that in theory it could power the whole universe by itself if one dared to siphon Great Red's realm and risk the Dragon of Dragon's wrath.

Regardless, Bikou made Kyntoun fly at full speed without waiting for instructions which irritated a certain someone. "Do you have any idea where you are going?!" Le Fay asked while trying to adjust the Guiding Light's spells which was difficult with how fast they were moving.

The monkey yokai looked at her with an expression of confusion. "I thought we should get a few miles as a head start."
"Why?" Everyone could hear the witch's annoyance.

"Huh? Didn't we already explore everything around here?"
"Also, are we measuring the Dimensional Gap in miles now?" Vali also was confused and once he questioned, everyone shared the same doubt as well.

Except Le Fay who hit Bikou's head with her wand. "Did you forget that everything but our HQ is in movement inside this place?!" Taking a deep breath, the girl quickly recovered her calm as her older siblings massaged her shoulder and petted her head. "Also why the hell miles?"
"Would you prefer kilometers?" Kuroka was the one asking only to receive a glare. "So that is nyo?

"What difference does the metric system make?" The Vanishing Dragon questioned again. "We are inside a whole empty dimension anyway. This isn't a road."
"Not necessarily empty and that is precisely why the common methods of measurement are worthless here." Le Fay's Guiding Light began to float by itself before separating from the necklace to move around. "The Dimensional Gap itself is constantly changing. If I didn't know any better I would think someone was doing it to screw with us."
"Most particularly, you." Add's comment irritated the witch considerably.

Altria tilted her head to ask her sister. "Are you sure of that? Sounds convoluted."
"The Universe is ever expanding and this place is bigger than it." The younger sibling replied with a tone of resignation. "But it isn't growing… It doesn't need to grow. It just… is, I guess."

"Hey, relax. Does it make any difference that Bikou is taking us in a random direction?"
"No, but he could slow down so I could lock our location and find stable sources of mana." Which usually indicated security or treasures and it was how they usually found their adventures in the first place.

And remembering that fact made the brown haired man stop his cloud while looking bashful. "Right, right. Haha. Sorry. Got a bit too excited there."
"You think?" Le Fay questioned before closing her eyes and focusing on her mystic code.
Arthur shook his head and glared at his friend. "You need to remember that Fay is the one telling where to go for a reason. We get that finding a good adventure is always great but please be patient."
Suddenly the witch's eyes shot wide open with dread. "Uh-oh." Because Guiding Light had another very important function.

Unfortunately she whispered and everyone only heard Bikou's loud excuses. "I know! I was just a bit stir crazy back there."
"Because the devils are fighting and we were sitting on our thumbs?" Altria was talking more about herself than anyone else so nobody took it personally.

"Let it go, Ria." Her brother was quick to say.

And Kuroka was quicker to agree. "Yeah. No use crying over spilled-" Then her eyes went wide as well.

Everyone's eyes did since they all felt a powerful presence without equal which should be relatively impossible as it appeared suddenly, being far too powerful for them to not notice its approach before it was so close to them.

And it was close, growing ever closer.

[Balance Breaker! Scale Mail!]

Albion wasted no time and involved his Partner with their scales as the hybrid chuckled. "I didn't think I would get to fight him so soon."

Contrary to his friend's sentiments, Bikou immediately turned his cloud in the opposite direction. "Is this who I think it is?"
"Can you think about anything else with this much power? Especially within the Dimensional Gap?" Altria asked while drawing Clarent, her eyes jumping around like everyone else. "Fay! We need to get back to HQ!"

"I am trying!" The witch sounded nervous and frantically tried to use several spells with her wand however Guiding Light wasn't responding how it should.
"Where is he?" Kuroka was panicking and nobody blamed her. All her senses were being overwhelmed by the power that seemed to be everywhere at once. "Has anyone found him?"
"No…" Arthur replied while being back to back with his middle sister. "Is he chasing us?"
"If he is hunting, we would already be caught!" Add sounded distressed and mana pulsed on his body as he prepared to open the other seals of Rhongomyniad.
However, it all suddenly grew cold when Vali realized something. "Guys. I think we are stuck in place." Everyone stopped to look at him as the Vanishing Dragon chuckled. "Say, Bikou, we have been going back where we came from, right? To HQ, I mean." His friend nod killed all hope. "Then we should have already be back… which means…"

[We are already standing the dragon's claws. Oh, the irony.]

Slowly Bikou lowered his staff and they all felt the cloud had truly stopped moving. The Dimensional Gap on the other hand still looked like a constant mess of colors so if it was moving or not, none could affirm. Yet they still felt the power coming closer and closer until suddenly they were met with the sight of a giant dragon's head.

It was slowly going up until the Dragon of Dragon's was eye level with them only for him to keep rising until he was looking down on them physically and metaphorically. Great Red had raised himself so his chest was visible and they were forced to look up to stare at his sun-like eyes.

Like looking at a skyscraper in the middle of a town.
"Fay!" Altria, Arthur, Bikou, Kuroka and Add all shouted in panic.

"I am trying but he isn't letting us escape!" No matter what she did, Great Red's presence had somehow overwhelmed her magic and Ophis' power. Something only possible to him as the legitimate Ruler of the Dimensional Gap.

Vali grinned beneath his helmet and began to prepare for battle. "Great Red! The Strongest! I didn't expect to meet you so soon-" Then his challenge was cut short when the weight of the world slammed on his shoulders and pushed him on his knees. "What?"

The White Dragon Emperor wasn't the only one feeling a weight even if each it all had to deal with different degrees. Nevertheless the whole group felt something so heavy in their shoulders that it was impossible for them to move yet it was almost light enough to allow them to raise their heads.

Almost but just barely, like if the dragon was trying to stop them from prostrating themselves to him even if he couldn't help it because he didn't want to waste time and wanted to get things moving as quickly as possible.

They made him wait, after all.

"You!" A booming voice that sounded like a young man speaking through the loudest megaphone ever made echoed throughout the whole Dimensional Gap. Immediately everyone in the cloud covered their ears and screamed in pain making Great Red tone down his power a little. "You. Take her to the Underworld."

A red sphere of energy smoothly crossed Kuroka's barrier before gently placing a sleeping Asia in the middle of the group. They all looked at the resting nun before their eyes shifted back to Great Red then back again. Their eyes kept skipping between the Strongest and the Reincarnated devil several times to try and understand what was happening.

"What?" Add asked in disbelief, Arthur quickly lifted his sword when they all felt the weight had vanished to give it a better chance to talk. "Why the hell should we take her to the Underworld?!"
"Do it." It wasn't a request.

"But why? And why us?" Altria asked more diplomatically as she used Clarent to stand up. Several of the others were doing the same as Vali opened his wings and looked ready to fight.

Ready but not eager. 'Albion, be honest here…'

[We are going to be crushed before even touching Great Red. There is nothing, NOTHING, in our arsenal that can even harm that guy.] His Partner disappointment was palpable but the Original White Dragon Emperor knew he wouldn't attack after a warning like that. [This is the difference between us and the Strongest, Vali. Remember it well because if you want to become the Strongest that is what you need to surpass.]

"Just take her to the Underworld already." Great Red replied to Altria with a tone of impatience.

And feeling the danger, the platinum blonde woman remained diplomatic. "Great Red, while we wouldn't mind doing such quest we must ask-"
"Stop trying to butter me up and take her or else…"

It was at that moment Bikou proved he was Sun Wukong's descendant. "Or else what?" Nobody needed to tell him it was a big mistake, not when the monkey yokai found himself being crushed by something far heavier than his staff; Great Red's pure presence. "Aaahh!"

He was alone in that as well as while they all could feel the might of the True Dragon, they were unaffected by it as the Red Glorious God of Dreams wielded his power surgically to punish only the insolent one who dared to defy his decree.

Bikou felt himself being crushed little by little by the superior being's presence in a manner much like an industrial press would slowly flatten a truck and all his suffering was visible to his friends.

Who were quick to capitulate. "Fine!"

"We'll do it!"

"We will take her! We will take her!"

Their voices were as one and the moment they gave in to Great Red's demands, he stopped skishing Bikou. "Hmph."

With his job done the Apocalypse Dragon departed with a shift of his wings which helped everyone calm down. His body disappeared in the dimension of colors, his presence still felt even when the giant form wasn't even a dot on their eyes.

Yet they all still felt like they were under Great Red's watch. "Well, shit. That hurt like a mother-"
"What was that, Bikou?!" Altria questioned with fury.

"What the hell?!" Vali wasn't focused on his friend as much as he was processing the situation.
"Did you really try to call out the Great Red of all things?! Really?!" Kuroka looked ready to murder her fellow yokai.

"That was… Great Red… He is way stronger than Ophis…" Le Fay was shivering a little with fear yet her eyes held firm, cold and distant as if what happened wasn't really important.

Her brother was massaging her back while saying, "Bikou, next time you want to piss off the Strongest, do it in your own time."
"If you want to die so much, I can do it for you!" Kuroka added while holding her claws ready to rip her friend apart.

"Alright! Alright! I screwed up!" Shaking his head and taking a deep breath, the monkey yokai quickly recovered from the ordeal. "Maybe that was what it felt like being on Buddha's hand felt like?"

"No, your grandfather didn't notice. Not until it was too late and he was face to face with Budha again." Vali said, referring to Bikou's honorable ancestor as just his grandfather for simplicity's sake and due to familiarity. "That one… the palm of Great Red's hand… we all felt it, even when it was just you being crushed."
Speaking out loud, Albion reminded them of the danger. [He is still watching us.] While not fearful, the Vanishing Dragon was cautious. Coaching his Partner's body to the side, their eyes fell on Asia. [We should take her to the Underworld immediately.]

Looking at the former nun, Altria recognized her immediately. "That is Asia Argento from Rias Peerage." Turning to Vali, she added. "Part of the Red Dragon Emperor's group."
"I know. I remember." He remembered Rias, Shirou and a few others. Not Asia who he deemed too weak to be of interest. "How the hell did she get Great Red's interest?"
"Better question, why is she in the Dimensional Gap?" Arthur asked and nobody knew how to answer. At least not with absolute certainty.

Le Fay voiced what they were all thinking. "The invasion?"

"Extremely likely." Vali couldn't do anything about it due to the contract but dropping Asia somewhere wasn't really messing up anyone's plans. As far as he knew, anyway. "Better be safe than sorry. Kuroka, make sure she is fine."
The Stray Nekomata held Asia, gently letting the Bishop's head rest on her bosom. "Nyah, way ahead of you. Her vitals are normal and she doesn't have a single scratch." The nekomata's Ki flowed inside the former Holy Maiden before adding. "She's just asleep."

"Great news. We should get going before Great Red decides we are wasting time." Add argued and nobody could disagree with him. "Arthur! Take a swing! We're going to the Underworld via the express route!"
"Actually I think he wants us to use this…" Le Fay raised the Guiding Light and they all noticed the small red spark on the usually black jewel. "Maybe he has a route for us."
"Or a destination…" Altria deduced before looking at Vali. "If he sends us to the middle of the invasion, that is technically interfering even if we do nothing." She spoke out of worry for her friend who stood there silent for a few seconds. "Your call."
The Vanishing Dragon hummed before saying, "Either lose control of my body for a few weeks," because a True Hybrid like him was capable of breaking a magical contract and survive if just barely, "or dying by the Strongest who just filled a gem with as much mana as Ophis and nobody noticed. Choice is obvious. Fay, if you would be so kind?"
"Uhh… sure, I guess." Grasping her mystic code between her hands, the witch felt the spell working with barely a thought before revealing Guiding Light which flashed a bright red before a portal opened to reveal a sight of desolation and a couple of familiar figures. "Isn't that Mage Emiya? And Azazel?"

Everyone took a moment to process what they were witnessing as it was a scenery that spoke of mass destruction, perilous combat and death. Especially since they caught the familiar visage of a Juggernaut Drive at the distance, just red instead of the white they were used to seeing.

"Well, well, well. Looks like I am fighting someone today." Vali was grinning behind his helmet, they all knew it.

"I don't like how eager you sound." Arthur confessed without hesitation while throwing a glance at his sister.
Le Fay looked worried which spoke highly of her opinion about the Mage, even her tone was respectful when saying his title and name. "Why isn't he healing?" Altria, on the other hand, was furious about the present state of affairs and marched through the portal without hesitation.

One by one his friends went, yet Vali's eyes were locked on the creature who held a power opposite to his own. Ddraig's Juggernaut Drive wouldn't be an easy opponent as the hybrid could tell the Red Dragon Emperor would already start with several advantages. Mostly dozens of Boosts on top of the Original Welsh Dragon's powers.

'Can we get our Juggernaut Drive out before crossing the portal?'

[No. Portals to and from the Dimensional Gap aren't known to be the most stable. There is also the problem that the Red One's wrath isn't going to stall forever.] Albion replied from his Partner's soul as the young man took a step forward. With shame, he added. [In that state we are less than beasts. Creatures blinded by our resentment… Why are you so eager? I am pouring my heart out here!]

'A good fight is a good fight.' Vali answered with excitement as he crossed the portal.

…

It took a moment for the Red Raging Dragon of Domination to understand what was going on since his mind wasn't capable of comprehending how his hated Rival had suddenly showed up in his hunting grounds.

Inevitably the ones possessing Hyoudou Issei's body just roared again to let out his fury as the details didn't matter. What mattered to the souls of every single person stuck inside the Boosted Gear and Ddraig's wrath was that Albion was there.

Their enemy was there and they wanted to kill him more than anything, prompted by the many who fell to the Vanishing Dragon's hands, fire and claws. Their rage poured on the flames making them grow so tall that attacking was the only option the Red Dragon Emperor could take.

Dropping into all fours once more, the Raging Dragon charged straight towards his Rival who actually managed to surprise him by flying away instead of engaging in what should have been the collision of the century.

Vali wasn't a fool who would just trade blows against an insane Red Dragon Emperor considering how many Boosts he should already have. Both Shirou and Azazel had already been beaten and with that in mind, also for his friends' sake, the descendant of Lucifer looked to get distance before diving to the right.

Which was still too slow against an energized Raging Dragon who pivoted in the hybrid's direction with a kick of his tail. Too fast for Vali to escape without moving preemptively, the silver haired man still learned many things from his previous fight with Shirou. More specifically he learned how to deal with opponents who had the speed advantage.

That was why the red claws failed to touch the white scales and instead hit two dozen barriers worthy of blue magic circles as the Vanishing Dragon kept moving. "Heh! Going to have to try harder than that!" The only reply he got was a huge blast of red mana which was quickly shot down by a silver wave of energy. "Thanks, Ria!"
"No problem!" The blonde said while she and the rest of Vali's group began to spread around. Kuroka took a second to drop Asia on Shirou's arms before dashing herself. "Give him multiple targets!"

"Roger!" Arthur's sword pulsed with energy. "Let's go, Add!"
"Here is a big one coming!" A new blast of steel colored energy flew straight towards the Red Dragon Emperor who didn't bother to try and dodge.
Instead he kept charging towards the White One who was retreating and making several barriers on his Rival's way. "Grow Nyoibo!" Bikou commanded his staff, hitting the Raging Dragon's chest. His weapon would have broken had it not been a Replica of a Legend as the dragon's charge didn't stop. "Damn! This guy is tough."

Finally the Rivals met as Vali's last barrier broke. Ise's body threw his claws against the hybrid's head who ducked before unleashing a blast of Light point blank. It did nothing against the Red One's defenses and instead left the Vanishing Dragon open to a claw on his shoulder.

[Divide!]

Yet contact had been made and Albion's ability came into play.

[Boost!]

Instinctively all Red Dragon Emperors acted as one to compensate for the power reduction with their opposite and equal ability. Without a care about their reserves and determined to overwhelm their Rival, both sides began activating their signature power in a dance that had been going on for an eternity.

[Divide!]

Albion's Host used Divine Dividing to generate several extra magic circles to unleash a wave of energy to push his rival back.

[Boost!]

Roaring with fury, a wave of flames perfectly countered the white mana since the Raging Dragon already had its power doubled several times over.

[Divide!]

Gaining extra power himself from cutting his opponent's in half, Vali soared high in the air while joining his hands together, his fingers opened as his wristed connected to form a sort of maw.

"White Lighting!"

A bright flash of pure white Light blinked on the Vanishing Dragon's palms before suddenly hitting its target. The attack struck his Rival in the chest, his red scales breaking and melting due to the heat.

[Boost!]

But his recovery was swift and Ise's body reached the White Dragon Emperor faster than the latter could react. Indeed he didn't even have time to turn when the red tail hit his back and sent him downwards towards the chasm hiding everything from everyone else's view.

Despite how powerful the hybrid was, his body couldn't take any extra strength without going into Juggernaut Drive himself, something the Vanishing Dragons were sure their Rival weren't going to allow to happen.

[Divide!]

[Boost!]

Constantly the two dragons activated their abilities, one to overwhelm his Rival while the other worked to keep him in check because despite preferring to fight by himself Vali remembered he wasn't alone.

Kuroka's senses expanded while her eyes grew sharper and her tails danced with Ki as she raced on all fours while waiting for the Red Dragon Emperor to descend, something that was bound to happen because Le Fay had already been preparing a spell in the sky before Vali had flew up to attract his Rival's attention.

Which was why he moved upwards, counting on the witch's spells in case the Raging Dragon forced him down. As predicted it happened and the Red Dragon of Domination wasn't aware enough to notice the several magic circles above his head, vulnerable to the attack from above.

It came down as a spear of pure energy that slammed the Red One's back and kept pushing him until he crashed on the ground close by Kuroka's position. The nekomata jumped in as the dragon started getting up, her fingertips surrounded by purplish flames hit the red scales.

With barely enough strength to push the poison inside the dragon's system but her Ki was having troubles influencing him. 'This is different from Vali's.' Kuroka finished her attack by channeling much of her purple Fire in a single spot that made the dragon move slightly backwards. However it wasn't enough to do any damage, not internally nor externally. 'The energies inside him are fighting each other as well. With the well already poisoned, there is no point in adding to it!'

Sensing the danger coming the Stray Nekomata did a backflip, barely avoiding the furious dragon's fangs. From the palm of her hand she unleashed several blasts of Ki to keep him at bay but the Raging Dragon ignored them all and advanced.

"Multiplication!" Eight Bikous announced at the same time while they all charged at the insane dragon with their Ruyi Jingu Bangs hitting everywhere on his body.

Two of them made their weapons grow to the size of a train car to slam the creature back while the other six began sending blasts of orange Ki against the dragon who pushed both of the Replicas away and let loose a torrent of flames.

All versions of Bikou were hit and every single one of them suddenly burned into ash. Only for the original to drop behind the Red Dragon of Domination and hit the back of his head with all his strength. The dragon barely bulged and Kintoun quickly took its owner away from harm as the dragon's tail almost took his head.

Atop of his golden cloud the monkey quickly pulled some hairs from his head and blew them in his enemy's direction. Four more clones were formed without their weapons but their thumbs and indicators coming together. Ki flowed from their arms and formed a huge barrier, just in time to absurd a new blast of mana that blew up soon after.

That defense held on but it wouldn't be for long and it was about to fall apart one second after it was tested. If the Red Raging Dragon wasn't distracted by something then the monkey would be cooked alive.

"Mana Burst!" Altria arrived from the dragon's right, her Noble Phantasm shining with power as the woman brought it above her head. "Clarent Radiant Road!"

Silver mana exploded in the dragon's direction who quickly turned around to challenge the sword's power with his own. Despite Albion's Divides never stopping, neither did Ddraig's Boosts so his power and speed hadn't been diminished even with the White One's appearance.

That meant it was easy for him to challenge Clarent's power, something the wrathful dragon didn't hesitate doing so with a roar followed by a huge beam of mana that made the earth shake.

A powerful clash and an explosion of dancing lights resonated in the chasm just before the red overwhelmed silver. Altria quickly focused more mana on her legs and did a huge leap, saving her life as the attack devastated the area where she once stood. More than that, it opened another scar on the earth making the former Lilith tremble and the barrier waver.

However it was suddenly interrupted when the White Dragon Emperor dropped by his side with a huge quantity of Light channeled in his right hand. "Remember me?"
Another explosion flashed from the chasm before the earthquakes ceased, much of the Red Raging Dragon's upper body vanishing and bleeding from the hybrid's attack. Lucifer's Light wasn't something weak and Vali himself was strong so he was understandably surprised when his Rival survived a direct hit.

So surprised that he lost sight of his opponent's tail which hit his torso, ripping his scales and body apart. 'Hehe. Looks like he is immune to Light right now… That or he doesn't care.' Allowing his body to fly away from the creature, it didn't take long for the Vanishing Dragon to turn around and recover as his body slowly healed. 'Albion, more energy to defense. Another hit like that and I will be cut in half.'

[Best thing we can do is get some space and go into Juggernaut Drive.] His Partner commented as they saw how fast Ise's body recovered. [Or we just need to last a few more minutes. The way he is burning his mana isn't good at all.]

'And win like that? Sounds boring…' Vali was already making a concession by letting his friends help and he refused to compromise on anything else. 'We are going to win before he falls. Then he can die!'

Blue mana flared around the White Dragon Emperor as his Rival crossed the distance between the two with a half healed body, the Red One's claw aiming at the White One chest. It was a predictable pattern and the silver haired man already had several magic circles between him and the Pawn but that wasn't enough.

Not when he was already focusing mana on his hands to create a sword made of a deep and uncommon blue Light. "Witness this Emiya Shirou! First I will defeat him and then you!" The blade successfully cut through the red scales and made the dragon bleed more from a vertical attack. It was his new spell, a combination of draconic mana from Albion and the power of his lineage which created an advanced form of his Ancestor's Light. "The first step towards my next evolution! Blade of Lucifer!"

A perfect azure sword without any handle, markings or guard that took shape on Vali's hands suddenly grew more 'solid' by losing any excess. It was simply Light shaped as the image of a perfect blade which held no flaws, made only for aggression.

Thanks to the power Lucifer received from God and passed to his descendants, added to the Vanishing Dragon's natural aura which all his Hosts had, it grew as sharp as most Noble Phantasms and as hot as Michael's flames.

In a way that was the hybrid using all he had to reach the same level of power as the angel which was once called God's Favorite. When using his mana on that form, his focus grew to new extremes and his attacks gained a sort of Anti-Evil property because of Lucifer's Origin.

An Angel of the Lord and the Pride of Heaven.

The azure blade stabbed through the gem in the red dragon's chest going all the way to the other side of his body. In many ways it should have been a lethal hit but as Shirou discovered many minutes before the dragon's body was an 'illusion'. Before Vali could do anything else the Raging Dragon's claws managed to hit him again.

Only that time they hit the Divine Dividing blue wings which successfully weakened the blow enough that all it did was send Vali back. He chuckled and as the impact let his sword loose through his Rival's left shoulder bleeding him further. Yet his attack wasn't done as he held his Blade of Lucifer above his head and threw a stronger swing.

One that the Raging Dragon of Domination countered with a blast of red energy that made the skies bleed with their power. Both sides were thrown farther from each other but anyone could tell no dragon was out. Especially not the beserk one who roared first and began unleashing blast after blast of mana everywhere, looking for his enemy.

…

"Even without Juggernaut Drive, Vali is still keeping up…" Azazel didn't know how he should be feeling about the whole situation. Pride for his former ward, fear because the Red Raging Dragon was as powerful as ever or worried because his friend looked ready to get between the Two Heavenly Dragons. "Oi, Shirou!" He shouted to get through the explosions, his voice struggling to reach the Mage who gently held Asia in his arms. "We did all we could, okay! Don't even think about it!"

"He is going to die, Azazel…" For some reason, despite everything happening around them, the redhead's voice was as clear as always without any effort.

It was a phenomenon the fallen angel couldn't explain and would soon forget. "We did all we could… We did all we could!" He repeated once he saw the confusion on Shirou's face. "Let's just count our blessings now! Even if Ise is going to die, nobody else will!" He approached and looked at the Bishop on the Mage's arms. "Asia is also safe!"

'But what will she think once she learns that Ise is dead?' The Mage of Swords didn't dare to ask out loud. 'She will suffer because of it… all of them will…' Daring to imagine his friends' faces when they heard the news, especially after he dared to give them hope, almost crushed him. 'Rias… Akeno too… Even Xenovia once Irina cries…'

…

Back on the battlefield Bikou approached Arthur who jumped on his cloud before it accelerated further, escaping several of the Raging Dragon's attacks. The creature wasn't even aiming at them, or anyone for that matter, just releasing his fury while looking for his Rival.

"How many seals?" Wukong's descendant questioned while controlling his cloud and making sure they were far away from danger while looking for his other friends. He barely noticed Le Fay and Kuroka flying to the sides before hearing a response.

"Two down." Indeed Arthur's sword was pulsing with a majestic light and far more power than before. Yet it was far from its True Form. "It isn't fighting me on this. The conditions were met for several of them."
The monkey yokai nodded as he understood that weapon was very fitting against a creature whose only desire was destruction. "So we just need to buy you some time. Do you think Vali will mind if you steal his kill?"
"I care more for our survival, thank you very much." Pendragon's eldest child commented before jumping from the cloud to allow the yokai to fight as he wished.

Something Bikou wasn't really looking forward to. "When the Big Monkey hears about this I will be getting an earful." He mumbled as the prospect of facing an insane Red Dragon Emperor wasn't a pleasant one. "Grow and expand Nyoibo!"

His staff obeyed, expanding a bark tree's thickness while growing taller than a jumbo plane to hit the Red Raging Dragon and push him into the ground. He expected to at least damage the creature who just took the blow while standing tall. Worse, the berserk dragon's claws sank into Nyoibo and he spit a wave of fire towards its owner.

Despite that the yokai didn't lose his stride and began to slide his weapon's length towards his opponent. The flames approached quickly but he was undeterred and when they were about to hit him, the man jumped and his body began to shrink until he was the size of a huge bird.

A gold and brown peregrine falcon with red highlights on his feather took the monkey's place as he demonstrated another of his family's skills, one developed through training instead of blood; transformation.

It was a trick straight from the Legendary Monkey King who learned it in his journey to immortality, an advanced technique that very few people in the World could use. The 72 Earthly Transformations was originally taught by a Sage but Bikou had the honor to learn it from his Legendary ancestor, Sun Wukong, himself.

So his body could easily go from monkey to any animal of his choosing and even a few more exoteric creatures. His choice in that moment was considered the fastest bird of prey on Earth and with the help of his Ki he managed to evade the flames while diving towards the dragon.

Once close enough Bikou transformed into himself but in a more feral form, his hair covering more of his face, his limbs slightly longer, some of his teeth turned into fangs and his tail fully visible. The monkey yokai proudly displayed his true nature as Touki covered his body during a flip which ended with a double kick hitting the Raging Dragon's head.

Immediately the creature stopped spitting fire to roar again and try to catch the monkey who leaned backwards to not only escape a claw but also keep his hand on Nyoibo. The staff shrunk rapidly until it had returned to its more traditional size.

Once there Bikou slammed it on the ground, effectively jumping over the dragon's head and turning around to hit his back only to hit his side since the creature was already moving around to chase the yokai.

That move also sent his tail against the monkey who was hit to the leg and sent to the floor on his back. Their eyes met and the dragon spit more flames only for something to wrap around his throat and pull, sending the attack upwards.

A rope made of pure energy courtesy of Le Fay who, was using her magic broom and wand to hold back the dragon, had saved Bikou's life. The brunette saw his chance and ignored his bleeding leg to stand up quickly and strike several times with his staff all over the dragon's body.

Both knew the Raging Dragon wasn't going to stay still for long and so the monkey yokai shrunk his staff and turned into a hawk to fly away just as the witch's spell broke. A furious roar shot the blonde from the air but the danger didn't last long with Kuroka already advancing against their opponent.

"Ebony Melody!" Cursed Fire blew up around Ise's body as the nekomata hands and tails danced with magic and Ki. Jumping into a half spin she sent several blasts of her Element towards the dragon while closing the distance before scratching his head enough to draw blood. "Nyahaha! Deal with that!"

The Stray Nekomata jumped high and opened her bat-like wings, successfully evading the dragon while her flames exploded and tried to get inside his body from the wounds on his forehead.

If Kuroka's attack worked then her flames would turn into a powerful poison which would infect Juggernaut Drive from her claw marks and make his body fall apart. Even if her Cursed Fire didn't go inside his body immediately that didn't mean it wasn't wounding him. It would chip his body regardless.

A whole body covered with dangerous flames capable of weakening even High Class devils could affect even him unless something was done. If nothing changed then the curse would seep through his scales and harm even Ise's real body even if his energy was a mess. As far as the nekomata was concerned there wasn't a way to escape.

However escaping wasn't the only exit since red Fire exploded around the Raging Dragon's body in a conscient spell that everyone who watched Rias Peerage's Rating Games were already familiar with.

"So that is your Scarlet Armor?" Vali asked rhetorically as he came closer to the dragon and threw a swing with Blade of Lucifer. The Red One sensed his Rival approaching and focused his energy, Ise's Fire, on his left hand creating a huge claw of flames that clashed against the azure blade. "Impressive!"

[Divide!]

[Boost!]

Both Heavenly Dragon's began their traditional dispute of power by using their abilities at a faster pace than before. At least the Vanishing Dragon did, Vali and Albion working in tandem with Divine Dividing to affect their opponent. Ise's was still mostly a drone moving by memory and anger so his ability was used less and at a slower rate.

Only that the Red Raging Dragon of Domination still had a head start and the White Dragon of Supremacy was already fighting at maximum output. Unless Vali got some space and tried to unleash his own Juggernaut Drive, his power couldn't go any higher as the hybrid hit his limit.

Consequently it was only a matter of time before the Scarlet Mail surpassed Blade of Lucifer even if Ise wasn't stabilizing it. When that happened, Vali found himself being thrown back in a vortex of flames that pushed him around for a second before he broke free with his aura.

Immediately after that the Vanishing Dragon transformed his blade into a long spear while his wings sought to distract the berserk dragon with several magic circles. Which the Raging Dragon of Domination ignored and sailed forth towards his Rival, mantle of flames still surrounding his body.

But once again Vali proved his experience fighting against faster opponents by anticipating the move and creating a shell of azure Light that slowed down the creature. Enough so that he was free to roar and stab the center of the dragon's chest with his spear while pulling its mana apart, sending an explosive wave which repelled the Red One.

Once the Raging Dragon crashed on the ground he found himself attacked by Kuroka and Bikou again. One with claws and the other with his staff, both channeled huge quantities of energy for a combined attack that demolished the dragon's chest. While they saw Ise's body hidden beneath, neither was surprised nor particularly cared.

Their goal had been to make a huge chunk in the armor and retreat in favor of the next attacker which they did swiftly thanks to Kintoun, both of them jumping in the cloud as it passed by as a planned escape route.

Leaving the way open to Altria who arrived from an explosive charge, wind at her back and silver pulsing by her side as she brought Clarent from her hip towards the exposed devil with all its power to bear.

"Clarent Radiant Road!" The Noble Phantasm exploded with energy unleashing a silver pillar capable of destroying even a great dragon by itself.

However the Red Dragon Emperor's full might was another thing entirely and despite being stunned by the fast sequence the yokais threw his way seconds before it wasn't enough to fully break his defense.

In fact he was already regenerating when the blade hit, survival instinct saving Ise's life just because Juggernaut Drive demanded him to keep going. Had such a maneuver happened a few minutes prior when he had less Boosts than it would have been fatal for sure. Currently the Raging Dragon's healing was too fast for him to die in such a manner.

Yet Altria knew all that in advance.

Every single member of Vali's team understood all that perfectly. They knew the hybrid for years and had heard horror stories about the Juggernaut Drive from Albion. They had even spared against it a few times when Vali was growing used to it. Because of that there was an understanding that beating a berserk Dragon Emperor would be extremely hard.

But more importantly than understanding Juggernaut Drive was the experience they had by facing another, tamer, version of it. Strategies had been devised to make sure Vali couldn't win easily just because of his sacred gear, plans to stall the fighting, neutralize him and even kill him if necessary.

Most of those were already thrown out of the window as the Red Dragon Emperor possessed Boost instead of Divide and the creature controlling Ise's body had been using it freely for long enough that straight out killing him was difficult.
Fortunately for the group every single other strategy was still valid including having Altria blinding him with her Noble Phantasm while pushing him towards the skies where Le Fay would have been constantly preparing spell after spell.

Even the witch's first attack failing was part of her plans since it was always intended for her to make a dark silver magic circle above the pillar made by Clarent's light. "Take heed! Take Hold!" She recited as her spell absorbed much of the energy her sister had used. By that point the Raging Dragon had recovered from his impromptu flight but ignored the danger above his head. "And Reflect in Full!"

Then the flux of the witch's spell was reversed and all energy she received from Clarent exploded and shoved the dragon back down in an explosion of silver. Even then Le Fay wasn't done as three teal magic circles emerged behind that one with a wave of her wand before releasing more blasts behind the first.

A huge pillar of silver, an attack comparable with the Noble Phantasm's initial blast, illuminated the chasm and blinded several watching the fight. The energy kept pressing over the dragon while the youngest of the Pendragon's turned to her brother and saw that the young man was almost prepared.

Unfortunately their preparations alone failed as the Red Dragon Emperor was far stronger than Clarent and was able to burst out from the witch's spell and went after her. Much like Vali, she had several shields ready but the Red One turned them all to dust by just flying in her direction.

When the creature was a few centimeters from eating his next meal, the White One descended from the skies with six azure blades by his side. All his Light hit the red dragon and damaged his scales while Divine Dividing worked on stopping his charge. Yet the impact was strong and Le Fay found herself being thrown around the air without any control.

And the dragons danced as Vali used his Light to push Ise's body back while preparing another technique. "White Lighting!" One more focused on his nature and less refined but should be good enough to push him back again.

Only for it not to be as the Raging Dragon of Domination straight out ignored the blast and covered the remaining distance to shove his claws on the Vanishing Dragon's chest which only wasn't fatal because he noticed the danger giving him a millisecond to escape.

Against someone faster a hit was inevitable, Vali's upper chest was partially ripped apart while the claws actually got in his abdomen. Grasping the disproportional limb with both hands, the White Dragon Emperor made his azure weapons blow up for a hasty retreat.

It was no use as there was no way his Rival would let the source of his hatred escape with just that. All the Red Dragon Emperors wanted was to see the White One dead and so he did his best to get closer. Naturally that meant Vali had to keep getting away, both dragons flying backwards from the Vanishing Dragon's perspective.

Witnessing the situation, Vali's friends moved to the rescue, Bikou reacting first . "Grow Nyoibo!" Who used his golden cloud to approach faster than anyone else and delivered a powerful blow to the dragon's head. It wasn't enough to free his friend so he turned to the arms and shouted. "Expand!"

Suddenly not only was Ruyi Jingu Bang bigger than normal but it also became as thick as a pillar from greco-roman temples. With that extra size, its natural weight and deliberate use of Touki, the monkey yokai's next blow was much stronger. Despite that the dragon's claw didn't break easily which was a very bad sign.

[Divide!Divide!Divide!Divide!Divide!]

With his Partner in danger, Albion began to force Divine Dividing to use his ability much faster than usual. Because of how the Heavenly Dragon's fought they were always keeping up with each other but in that moment the White One was superior because he retained his mind.

[Boost!Boost!Boost!]

And upon sensing that shift the others Red Dragon Emperors began to burn more of Ise's lifespan to keep up with their Rival. In such conditions the Raging Dragon lost some of his power and it took a few instants for their abilities to be equal again.

Yet that wasn't the end of it because Bikou was there. "Toraaaaa!" By using all his strength the monkey yokai managed to break the dragon's claw and free his friend but the Red One was already preparing a huge fire breath to consume them both. "Grow! Nyoibo!"

Only for the Replica to suddenly go to its full size hitting the bottom of the chasm and stopping at the barrier isolating the Raging Dragon of Domination, almost shattering it again. When the fire was unleashed it worked as a perfect wall to keep both friends out of danger as Kintoun moved to collect them.

Vali was already healing himself but accepted the cloud's assistance because he needed to protect Bikou. "Get the staff! Now!" With that the Replica had suddenly shrunk to a manageable size just as the flames stopped leaving the Raging Dragon open. "White Lighting!"

Lacking the time to prepare anything else the Vanishing Dragon summoned several magic circles while shooting the main spell from his hands. Every single one of them hit their mark and opened several wounds on the Raging Dragon's body who was already gathering another blast on his throat.

"Clarent Radiant Road!" From below Altria let out another powerful swing of her Noble Phantasm that consumed the dragon's body, blinding him. Brining her arms back down, the King's Sword shone again. "Here is another one! Clarent Radiant Road!"

The second was far from effective compared to the first and the wounded Raging Dragon charged out of the pillar of light to let loose a ball of fire so big that it would have destroyed a quarter of a city, one that Altria couldn't easily escape.

But escape she did by swinging her Noble Phantasm down and unleashing an explosion strong enough to launch herself away. Yet her escape wasn't fast enough and her body disappeared inside the red light, reemerging a few seconds later with dozens of burns as she rolled on the floor.

Angry at that particular prey the berserk dragon kept dashing towards the platinum blonde only to be interrupted when a wheel of purple flames wrapped itself around its torso and remaining arm.

Kuroka's tails and hands held more of the Fire as she closed her fists and amplified the Ki trapping the Raging Dragon. Gritting her teeth she tried to keep the creature steady for just a few seconds but her efforts were worthless since the dragon was still far stronger than her, breaking free a second later.

A huge stream of fire flew in the Stray Nekomata's direction just for her to jump right to avoid it while creating orbs at the tip of her tails. Doing a flip mid escape she sent the projectiles not towards her opponent but the land beneath him. Stone and sand began to move on their own, rising in the shape of a giant fist to bring the dragon down.

He roared at the nekomata's creation before diving towards it at full speed to kill whatever it was. Except there was nothing to kill and he just destroyed a half made construct that would have lasted a few seconds at best anyway. More Cursed Fire, on the other hand, made itself known as it mixed itself with the mana on the land and jumped at the dragon like a geyser.

Who took the hits without putting up much of a defense leaving Kuroka to grin. 'He is finally slowing down.' Boosts and Divides were still being thrown around at every second, neutralizing Juggernaut Drive's potential making their job easier. However was still far stronger than anyone else present. 'Next up: breaking his wings and legs!'

The black haired woman jumped again and her feet were carried forward by her Fire as she rode it like a wave towards the Raging Dragon. Her tails produced more flames as her hands harnessed them into more compressed forms which she began shooting at the creature who roared in anger.

By that point the former Bishop was already used to the creature's fury and found herself unimpressed, especially since her attacks hit the mark and the dragon's other arm began to burn as his neck grew thinner.

Her confidence only grew. "Nyaha! Not so tough now, are you!" Jumping from her wave with a spin she commanded it to hit the dragon's chest as she opened her wings and aimed her next strike towards his back.

Yet underestimating Juggernaut Drive was her sole mistake. Just because it was being overwhelmed didn't mean it was less dangerous. Nor the fact the user was insane meant he was fully stupid. Instinct was still there and it offered the Raging Dragon solutions.

Such as dropping on all fours and unleashing the strongest roar he could while sending a tower of red mana towards the Stray Nekomata who was too slow to dodge. Her flames vanished, she lost her balance and was wounded in several body parts, her kimono almost falling apart.

Which wasn't as important as her life since the Raging Dragon used that much energy to also regenerate his body fully and while his power was somewhat diminished he still held the might of the Red Dragon Emperor of Domination.

Something he demonstrated by quickly tackling Kuroka, crushing her legs and left arm while his fangs approached her neck. The nekomata scream of pain was heard by everyone, Altria letting out a huge blast of silver to save her life. It destroyed the creature's right eye but wasn't enough to get him off the nekomata.

Which was when Vali came in.

If there was someone who would forever refuse to lose to the Red One it was the White One in any of his Incarnations. [Let's do this, Partner!]

"Burn!" A white fireball pushed the Raging Dragon to his feet and the hybrid shoulder tackled him while stabbing his body with one of his azure blades while another two grew from his wings. "Arthur!"
"Get out of the way, Vali!" The oldest of the Pendragon siblings no longer held a simple sword on his hand but a huge lance made of a material beyond human comprehension which was taller than either dragon and pulsed with as much power as either.

Six of Rhongomyniad seals had been lifted; the enemy was more powerful than Arthur, the one using the lance, Ise wasn't an Elemental, his comrades were courageous, the battle didn't involve personal gain, was not inhumane and it was to live.

Those were the promises and bonds from six of the Knights of the Round Table, conditions to unleash more power from the Lance at the World's End by returning it to its most powerful form.

Yet Arthur couldn't use it efficiently, he wasn't the true owner nor he had a horse to help him bring out the Noble Phantasm to its full capability. Nevertheless that was the strongest attack his group had and it could destroy nations if necessary. Yet not in his hands, not without a horse and not while his friend was in the way.

Rhongomyniad was a Noble Phantasm that could easily be called the strongest. Using it carelessly would have devastating consequences and he knew Vali wouldn't survive them. Which meant the White Dragon Emperor needed more help.

"Ghosts of the Past, hear my plea. Rest easy, lay to rest and let your anger fade…" Le Fay came back slowly with blood dripping from her forehead to send a spell that hit both Heavenly Dragons.

Hundreds of voices joined Ise's as he roared and the wrath within him refused to rest despite the attempted exorcism. It still proved itself to be an excellent distraction to give Vali time to jump away while sending several blasts distracting the dragon. A failure since the Raging Dragon just charged at him again forcing the White Dragon Emperor to raise several shields.

But then a hit came from the left, courtesy of Bikou who had healed some of his wounds and called forth an army of himself to join the fight. Over thirty monkey yokais raised their weapons and began to attack the creature from everywhere.

Since Nyoibo could grow or shrink at will they began to jump around and poke at the Raging Dragon like a sandstorm on a hot day. Their blows weren't as strong compared to when the fight began but they were still able to mess the berserk dragon up. Especially because several of the clones were focusing on his right side where the creature remained blind.

While they were at it, Bikou and four other clones rushed to rescue Kuroka while Vali made sure to stay on the Red Raging Dragon line of sight. Thanks to that the insane dragon almost forgot about the monkeys in a bid to reach his Rival. A loud roar actually got rid of several clones before he jumped at the White One again.

Instead of staying and fighting, the Vanishing Dragon rushed through the chasm to get as much distance as he could. Thanks to several Divides, which were still going strong to counter every Boost, his speed was greater than before. Didn't mean the hybrid was actually that much faster and he soon needed to turn around or die.

"Albion!" Pushing his wings forward, several magic circles and barriers stopped a new red blast. When he opened his sacred gear, the silver haired man already had his next spell prepared. "White Lighting!"

However his furious Rival had thrown a stream of fire after the blast of mana, memories and past rage pushing him to act with some semblance of rationality. The explosion from it wasn't enough to bother the White Dragon Emperor and if anything it bought him the opportunity to create a few more magic circles for defense.

Which arrived just in time as Ise's body demolished almost all of them except the last one, making Vali grin. "Tired?" Azure blades appeared on his hands. "So am I!"

Suddenly the Raging Dragon found himself without arms just as the Vanishing Dragon of Supremacy dashed forwards to finish the job and cut him in half. At least that was what he wanted to do but his eyes grew wild when he saw the green gem on his Rival's chest shining more brightly than before.

Then the hybrid found himself lost because of a bright flash of green that sent him several kilometers away, Scale Mail completely vaporized. For a few seconds at the very least since the man had no problems rebuilding his Balance Breaker after surviving that attack.

'I am so glad I am the White Dragon Emperor.' Without Albion's defense Vali knew he was a goner.

[We are getting out of position.]

'Arthur has a lot of range-'

[He only managed six seals.] The Heavenly Dragon had realized, making his Partner pause. [Even if that is an opponent worthy of Rhongomyniad, we aren't on Earth and human lives aren't in danger. This also isn't anything close to what could be called an honorable match either.]

Clicking his tongue, Vali focused his attention on the dragon charging at him more slowly than before. The fact his arms were still healing and he just recently recovered his eye showed the creature was hitting his limit.

[Boost!]

[Divide!]

Or at least would if Vali kept going and cutting his progress every time the Raging Dragon made some yet that was starting to cost the Vanishing Dragon. Huge reserves or not, he also had a limit, one he would like to apply better by using his own Juggernaut Drive but in his condition that wasn't advisable.

Still he had other cards to play, just not ones as reliable than those he was already using. "Back into the fire we go." Taking flight once more, he approached the Raging Dragon, suddenly turning upwards to deny him a fight while unleashing his white flames against his Rival.

From the corner of his eyes the White Dragon Emperor found Altria and Bikou approaching rapidly thanks to Kintoun. The monkey yokai realized the distance wasn't good and they needed to get back so he did an immediate turn. Of course the swordswoman at his back also noticed it, mana surrounding her Noble Phantasm.

Because it wasn't long before Ise's body turned in their direction to pursue his Rival again and with his speed it was clear Vali needed a few extra seconds to escape safely and it would be Altria's job to deliver them.

While the position was bad, she knew her friend understood the situation and so the swordswoman patiently prepared Clarent. The instant the White Dragon Emperor flew a little higher to expose the Raging Dragon, the blonde threw a strong slash towards the berserk creature.

It didn't carry all of her Noble Phantasm power to not risk her friend but the silver streak was still strong enough to explode brightly on her target's face. Then she threw another one and another one followed by a third and a fourth slash, all in quick succession. None of them were strong enough to fully stop the dragon.

But they all hurt and in quick succession they annoyed the creature enough that he tried to unleash a blast towards the golden cloud. Just as planned because Bikou also was expecting it and accelerated further to get away from the red explosion. And once they were in the clear, Altria began throwing slashes again and again.

Upon receiving another rain of attacks the Raging Dragon of Domination paused for a beat to glare at his Rival and the others interloping on their fight. Sure he couldn't think straight but the souls stuck in the Boosted Gear didn't like the situation and were growing increasingly aware of the new sources of anger.

A huge roar shook the air before an ocean of flames left the enraged dragon's maw. One that spread so fast that even Kintoun couldn't easily avoid prompting Vali to rush closer to his friends to protect them. His wings took most of the damage as Albion fortified the sacred gear but the attack wasn't done.

After fire came mana, a stream of mana strong enough to consume the trio. "Blade of Lucifer!"
"Clarent Radiant Road!" Fortunately both Vali and Altria were already prepared for something like that and by each other's side there was no danger of hurting their allies.

The azure and silver mana clashed against the red energy, the latter proving itself to be stronger than the former two combined and by a huge margin forcing the pair to improvise or die.

Quickly Altria pulled her sword closer to the White Dragon Emperor who spat out a white flame increasing the volatility of her attack. It worked but not in the contest, instead triggering a huge explosion that effectively paused the conflict because the berserk dragon wasn't expecting it.

Contrary to Vali, Altria and Bikou who finally managed to buy themselves a couple of kilometers. "He is still after us, isn't he?" The monkey yokai asked before shaking his head. "Never mind! He is powering up! Vali!"

"That isn't just his ability!" The hybrid replied as the whole chasm could hear Boosts and Divides going out in a rhythm. "He is pushing his body beyond any limit." Any other time and he would be laughing about fighting someone so strong. Yet the silver haired man could only feel annoyance. 'How is Hyoudou Issei still alive?'

[First time I am facing a devil with the Boosted Gear. They have lifetimes to burn.] Albion replied, quite intrigued by how the fight was proceeding. [If Hyoudou Issei was human, he would already be dead. Also, he must have been considerably strong to last this long. If you were half the man you were, you also would last this long. Impressive since he had been Reincarnated just a few months ago.]

'Almost a shame he is about to die.' Vali admitted that the thought of having a proper fight against his Rival, one on one, going all out and both at their best, suddenly grew appealing to him. Turning around he summoned twenty huge magic circles with his wings and hands before waving them forward to form a tunnel of a sort, one he knew the Raging Dragon would take. 'Hope the next Red Dragon Emperor lasts more than this one!'

Despite his thoughts the hybrid was extremely aware the danger wasn't over as the Raging Dragon of Domination collided against his walls without hesitation breaking them apart like tissue paper.

That was a huge problem, he was destroying them faster than anyone expected. "Bikou!" Altria called her friend's attention to their situation. "Distraction!"
"I can only make a couple more!" The monkey yokai warned while pulling some of his hair. When he threw it behind them eight clones quickly positioned themselves between Vali and his last defense.

All eight summoned their staves and began spinning them around to accumulate energy, Thunder and Wind gathering through Nyoibo's extension. Just as their target broke the last magic circle, they all sent their weapons forward unleashing a storm in the creature's direction.

The clones' Ki, while powerful, were just a fraction of the original, as most of their stats were for most things unlike Sun Wukong's. However that energy was still useful, mostly there to help them get a hit to repel their target which was successful. The second part of that strategy revolved around using their Replicas to send the dragon as far away as possible.

""Extend Nyoibo!"" Command given, the replicas of the Replica attempted to go to their maximum extension.

And they utterly failed to even stop the Red Raging Dragon who pushed through against the monkey yokai's strength and easily surpassed his clones before trampling them all in his onslaught, eyes locked in his Rival.

However the maneuver had worked brilliantly and the trio managed to buy themselves enough space to fly back to their original location where they hoped to trap the Raging Dragon long enough for the final blow.

Because Arthur could only shoot once.

…

"Don't!" When they heard Kuroka's scream of pain, Azazel knew them and there Shirou was about to get back on the fray and managed to grab his arm just in time to stop the redhead. "Just because your body is better doesn't mean you can fight!"

For all intentions and purposes a very rational argument, however, "I am fine." The redhead replied while brushing his friend off to go help the nekomata only for the fallen angel to grab his body. Despite the latter still being severely wounded and his grip quite weak, the magus stopped immediately. "Better than fine even."
Even if Shirou was able to lie Azazel knew that was true since he could feel mana pouring from the Mage's body like if he had dived into a ley line and walked out like anyone would a normal pool.

And that was after having used everything he had to survive Longinus Smasher.

"Since Altria arrived it is like I got a second wind." The Cadre could easily understand Shirou was actually referring to Avalon but that didn't make sense.

Azazel had witnessed Artoria using the sheath; he had watched her fight, bleed, heal and use her Noble Phantasms to their full capacity when warranted. Mana wise that didn't mean she recovered completely with a snap of her fingers. Exhaustion was still a problem otherwise she would have dealt with every threat the moment it appeared.

Caliburn was the thing that took away her sleep and her hunger while filling her with energy without end. Avalon stopped her from dying by its own means, keeping her healthy and even invincible as far as everyone was concerned. Yet there Shirou stood in front of Azazel, good as new as if he never fought in the first place.

Nevertheless the fight had happened and there were signs of exertion, not on the Mage but from his Mount; the Legendary pegasus whose mana was comparable to the Red Dragon Emperor and the gods was exhausted as evident by the fact his Ascension hadn't fixed itself just yet among other reasons.

Bellerophon's mana felt weaker because it wasn't behaving like it should, his aura flickering a little and the armor not restoring itself. Unless commanded the pegasus would always move to cover the Mage with his protection whenever able. Yet his presence was unstable, the armor still carrying the Married Blades' colors but mostly falling apart.

Shirou's mantle was torn, his wings clipped, his boots cracked, gauntlets shattered and the chest plate broke in half. The helmet also was gone, leaving both men to look at each other as Azazel tried to understand what was happening while the redhead showed not a single drop of concern.

Again that was the problem; the Mage of Sword lack of exhaustion was too unnatural even to the moonlit world and Avalon shouldn't be able to fix that like nothing. His main mana source in Bellerophon was tired as well and so it was only logical that the redhead shouldn't even be standing.

With his back straight and Asia on his arms, the redhead looked as the finest example of a man who went through a battlefield to rescue a maiden and was ready to do so again just because he could.

'Where did all that energy come from?' After a second of absolute confusion the Cadre finally questioned, accepting that Shirou somehow recovered enough to go another round against Juggernaut Drive. Which was possible as well because his Ascension was still active meaning the quality of his mana was still high. 'This isn't just any second wind. This is beyond that! Like if he gained a new reserve from somewhere…'

Something was off and the fallen angel couldn't help but grow suspicious of the event. Living as long as he did the man understood the World and how chaotic it could be. Which was why he couldn't comprehend how that was all possible, how could Shirou be standing up once again.

That was just too convenient to be random and implied a lot of things. 'External help? Is there another god- No, this isn't a Miracle. I would have felt someone interfering. Medusa didn't, Odin didn't and I can't feel any other god close enough to be responsible for the help.' Something wasn't clicking and the scientist in him demanded an explanation. 'Nothing happened externally so perhaps internally? Does Avalon have a function I don't know about? Or is it-'

Before he could keep pondering anything else the Scapegoat found Asia pushed into his arms. "Take care of her!" Shirou dashed towards the renewed battlefield after watching Vali push Ise's body away. EM appeared in his hand as he ignored his friend's call and landed close to the Stray Nekomata. "Hey, hey, hey. Stay awake. I know it hurts but sleeping isn't good right now."
Between the wounds Kuroka had and the berserk dragon still running around, that was the worst sort of place for someone to lose conscience. "Trying-" She gritted her teeth to bear the pain but having her arm and legs crushed was far from a pleasant experience. "It hurts- It hurts so-"
"Don't talk for a bit." Already EM was working on restoring the woman but it wouldn't do so alone thanks to Le Fay who landed beside her friend and pulled several magic potions from a magic circle with obvious intent.

Shirou had no idea what the colors meant but saw how Kuroka was given a red one to drink while the witch poured a blue and magenta one in her legs. Not only that but the blonde also used her wand to make a magic circle above the nekomata's chest. Giving the Mage a look, the girl nodded in gratitude upon detecting him fixing most of the internal damage.

"Can I get back there? I need to teach that punk a thing or two how to treat a lady, nyah." Already the playful tone was back even if she suspected her request wasn't in the cards.

"No more fighting for you today." Le Fay replied with a frown before clearing her forehead. Only then did she notice her hat missing but moved on fast to help her friend. "Just because we are restoring your legs doesn't mean you are ready to go again. At least a full day of rest is required to make sure everything is in order."
When Kuroka turned to him for a second opinion, Shirou just shrugged. "I just know the basics but fighting again after almost losing your legs sounds like a bad idea." Yes, he knew how hypocritical he was sounding and was grateful the women didn't know his previous condition to call him on it. "What is the plan?"

"What makes you think we have a plan?" The annoyed nekomata asked with a glare, not liking she couldn't fight again anytime soon.

"Because he isn't a fool." Le Fay answered before dropping her magic circle and drawing several other potions. Two were used to basically drench the nekomata making her meow loudly in surprise while another she passed to Shirou who raised a brow in surprise. "You must be tired too so that one will help you stay awake. Think about it like super coffee or something like it."
"Actually I am fine." The witch paused to look at the young man with cold eyes before the color returned to them with surprise. "Yeah, I know. Don't ask."
Since both were magicians the questions stopped there. "You better stay off the way in any case." Le Fay moved on while doing another spell to help Kuroka stand up. To no one's surprise except her own, the Stray Nekomata almost fell and Shirou had to catch her arm. "You don't want to watch your friend die, do you?" That was question made him pause.

The Mage of Swords could feel and see Arthur preparing the weapon whose story he couldn't read, he had watched how the newly arrived group had tried to pin the Red Raging Dragon of Domination in place rather forcefully, how their goal had been to confuse and distract him until the final blow could be delivered.

Logically that blow would come from Arthur and even if Shirou couldn't comprehend the Lance that Shines to the End of the World he remembered researching about it after the whole standoff during the Kuoh's peace talks.

How Michael, the Angel Closest to God, standed down before the threat of its use.

Even if Shirou hadn't done his due diligence and researched Rhongomyniad he could practically taste its radiance as its powerful essence filled the vast chasm with Holy Light capable of shining even those of an angel.

Its power wasn't as great as it should be but was still comparable to Longinus Smasher and could definitely kill Ise so long as it hit. Which was obviously everyone else's work to make sure it did as Arthur remained in place ever since Bikou dropped him at a distant part of the battlefield.

No longer he held his sword but a platinum-like lance, the form of Rhongomyniad that once took down Mordred Pendragon. The one which delivered the final blow in Camlann marking the end of a rebellion and kingdom. Its power was colossal even if it had seals in place to hold it back.

Much like the dragon who was their opponent, that Noble Phantasm could kill a god with ease. And despite having so much power on his hands, Arthur patiently waited to strike at the most opportune moment, one where he couldn't miss.

'If that thing hits Ise there is no turning back.'

"Don't go getting any ideas." Le Fay enchanted Kuroka's legs to help her stand up by herself while watching the magus with suspicion. Regardless of the debt she felt it was owed to him, the witch didn't fully trust the redhead in that situation because, "Juggernaut Drive is just too strong and we can't pull back punches to save your friend."
"If it was to kill him," Shirou stared right at the girl's eyes without hesitation, "I would have done it myself. Several times over, in fact."

Going all out with Ascension and Ascalon from the start would have assured Ise's demise before the insane Pawn ever got strong enough to be a threat but of course the redhead tried to go around such a method before being forced into a corner.

From the very beginning the Mage of Swords' goal was only to save his friend and the witch could acknowledge that much just by looking at his condition and the battlefield. The fact Longinus Smasher was used implied the furious spirits locked inside the Boosted Gear recognized a threat and tried to exterminate it with extreme prejudice.

While that was honorable, Le Fay couldn't care less about it if she tried. "And you failed. I am sorry but you failed." Her words were a slap on his face but that didn't make them less true. "Unless we find enough space for Vali to use his own Juggernaut Drive the only thing we can do is put your friend to rest."
"He won't just give Vali that much room either." Kuroka added with a serious expression as they all heard the loud explosions several kilometers from their position. "Every time Vali gets the upper hand, the Red One gets on his face, nyaa." Nervously she massaged her neck, remembering how close to death she was just a few moments ago. "Or his friend's face."

Le Fay's eyes grew cold again as she studied the pensive Mage who began to stare at the distance towards where the fight was at its strongest. She had a feeling that he could see things clearly regardless of obstacles.

'His eyes are different from mine and so they see a completely different view.' Concluded the witch, understanding he wasn't only going to try something, he needed to. That Emiya Shirou was truly a heroic type of person. "If you try to stop us," yet those types of people were easy to manipulate, "then one of us could get killed."All she had to do was put their lives on a scale. 'Hero types, the not condescending ones and those with societal morals, always chose the many over the few.' Upon seeing a sad look on Emiya's face, the witch knew her words had an effect. "That isn't an opponent we can just contain. Once he is in position everything will end without anybody else needing to die."
Shirou glared at the small blond, knowing exactly what she was doing. "Don't worry. I won't stop your plan."

Both Le Fay and Kuroka looked doubtful before the blond tilted her head with wonder. "You aren't lying… but you haven't given up either."
The sounds of battle began to grow louder as the combatants made their way back to that location. Slowly the Mage of Swords turned to the youngest of Pendragon siblings before nodding.

"You two better step back."
"Hey, you better not-"
"I already said I am not stopping you. Nor your brother." Shirou added upon sensing Rhongomyniad presence in his skin. The last moments of the fight were approaching and he needed a plan. "Whatever happens I promise you nobody is going to die."

Suddenly Le Fay found herself intrigued before flinching backwards as her eyes stared at Shirou. 'He really isn't lying… but that is… just insane.'

Having her own capability of discerning truths from lies, inferior to her friend's but good nonetheless, Kuroka couldn't believe what she just heard and hissed in anger. "Are you out of your mind? Your armor is in pieces and if your clothes are any indication you probably were about to die!" A close explosion kicked up a cloud of sand that managed to reach them. Danger was near. "Let Vali and Arthur deal with this. We killed bigger stuff."
"Sorry but I can't." Shirou replied honestly as his circuits began to warm up in preparation. "So long as I have a chance to save Ise, I am going to take it."

"Why?" Le Fay wasn't doubting him and curiosity finally won out.
"He is our friend." The Mage wasn't just referring to himself as his mind was still stuck on how sad everyone would be if that was truly Ise's end.

Finally the battle was back on everyone's sight as they witnessed Altria jump from Kintoun when Bikou began to circle around the Raging Dragon who was still trying to kill his Rival whatever the cost.

A huge flare exploded from Ise's body towards Vali who quickly raised his wings to block the blow. But because of that he had to remain stationary for a moment, giving the hunter time to reach his prey only for a silver slash to push him slightly off course. Thanks to that the White Dragon Emperor managed to take flight again while calling for more azure weapons.

'Should I be offended or flattered?' Shirou asked himself knowing the hybrid new methods had to be somewhat inspired by their fight. Those thoughts vanished a moment later as his mind ran dozens of calculations per second, his eyes jumping between the fight, Arthur and the women close by. "You two should leave."
"So should you." He rudely ignored Le Fay since there was little time to waste.

…

The Raging Dragon let out a huge breath of fire that consumed his Rival's weapons before charging a great quantity of mana on his chest. Everyone grew nervous that Longinus Smasher was being prepared once again but it wouldn't get that far. Not with Bikou diving from his cloud and aiming Nyoibo at that gem.

"Grow!" In less than the blink of an eye the Replica connected with the dragon's chest and forcefully unleashed the mana stored in there causing a huge blast that would also get the monkey yokai.

However his weapon had grown in two different directions and Vali was there to grab the staff and pull him out of danger, leaving their enemy to his own devices for a second. Only that notion was quickly cut down by Altria who used Mana Burst to shorten the distance between them before throwing another slash of mana and metal at the dragon's chest.

Ise's real body could be seen for an instant but the dragon's regeneration was working in overdrive by that point and it quickly vanished before Clarent could hit his chest. The Noble Phantasm struggled against the creature's scales for a second before the blonde woman pulled it off to then jump away with a gust of wind.

And the furious dragon unleashed a huge blast of mana where she once stood, throwing Altria around for a few meters before she managed to stop herself in a crouch. Fury unabated, the Raging Dragon was about to shoot another attack at the swordswoman before the Vanishing Dragon returned to his view.

Vali's magic circles blinked and several explosions covered his Rival before he closed the distance to cut him down with his azure sword, managing to get a wing off before the Raging Dragon's claws ripped apart his shoulder in a counter.

Not enough to bother the silver haired man who slapped his other hand on the Red Raging Dragon's chest. "White Lighting!" The spell failed to pierce the scales but opened them up enough to cover the white armor with blood. Then his body healed again. "Even for a Juggernaut Drive that healing is absurd."

[This fight has lasted too long. Many of his Boosts must have gone into healing.] The White One really wished they had space to show their real power but would content himself with defeating his Rival with a disadvantage then laugh at Ddraig's face whenever they met again.

Presently Albion's focus was on directing their wings so they could fly back to the sky leaving an opening for Bikou to send his weapon to attack once again. "Grow and Expand! Nyoibo!"

The equivalent of a sixteen wheel truck shoved Ise's body further in the chasm and in Arthur's crosshairs which he wouldn't stay for long as the dragon jumped over Bikou's weapon and launched a huge stream of energy towards the monkey.

Yet his cloud was already there taking the yokai away but the dragon reminded everyone of his rage by demolishing enough of the chasm that the barrier around it grew thinner as it shook against the dragon's power.

Fortunately he wasn't trying to escape and soon the attack ended as his gaze moved from the irrelevant prey towards his Rival again. A roar and a jump had the Raging Dragon colliding against the White One before trying to rip him apart. Only for Altria to jump behind the berserk dragon and stab his back, distracting him.
Giving enough time for Vali to bring his Blade of Lucifer to bear and slash his body but there was no hit since the furious dragon managed to grab his arm. Leaving the swordswoman to her own devices which was her stabbing the dragon repeatedly while holding his wing. Since Clarent was a powerful Noble Phantasm it wasn't long before she was bathing in blood.

Finally the pain was too much and the Raging Dragon used his tail to send his Rival away while trying to get rid of the blonde 'piggybacking' on him. With his huge distorted limbs he almost grabbed Altria by the head.

Almost. "Mana Burst!" A pulse from her feet was strong enough to launch the woman away as she twirled in the air to bring her sword back to an attack. "Clarent Radiant Road!"

The posture was off, the position was unfavorable and so Altria was sent farther than she originally intended but the silver mana crashed on the Raging Dragon with as much power she could hurl on him.

Nothing like that would be enough to stop the Raging Dragon of Domination but Bikou added to it by going above Ise's body and ordering Nyoibo to grow again and slam him on the ground.

To then give room for Vali to call several azure weapons as the sapphires and wings of his sacred gear formed dozens of magic circles to bombard his Rival. [That won't cut it.]

'But they must be growing frustrated at this point.' The hybrid replied as he could almost hear the whisper of his own predecessors trying to take over. However he was strong of mind and soul so easily suppressing his own Juggernaut Drive to not risk another cheap shot was easy. 'And once they are angry enough…'

[They will have to interfere more directly.] Everything was going according to plan.

Because it has always been clear that an insane Dragon Emperor couldn't defeat a sane one. Even the wrathful souls inside the Boosted Gear would eventually remember that once pushed enough to break through the fog of hatred. And when they did, they would have to 'join the fight' as well as they could.

It wasn't happening just yet as all the Red Raging Dragon did in response to the bombardment was roar again and unleash a tower of flames towards the skies. However there was progress since Scarlet Mail was used once again, proving something was changing.

'Little by little they stir…' All Vali's team thought in similar wavelengths as the furious dragon was forced to rely on his current Host's power instead of just brute force meaning it was only a matter of time before he did the same for older ones.

They just needed to keep pushing in the right direction so the trio attacked at once, Altria and Bikou keeping their distance as Vali enveloped his body with an aura full of radiance worthy of Heaven's most treasured angel.

Despite not being such, his bloodline afforded the power and using it defensively he dove straight towards the Red Raging Dragon of Domination while directing some of his Light into a new azure blade.

His Rival turned and used his tail to meet the weapon, losing it in the process but also directing the attack away from anything vital. The dragon showed more intelligence than he had before but it wasn't enough and the follow up spells pushed him back. Yet the berserk creature was starting to forget even the existence of pain and kept attacking.

In close quarters Vali was at a disadvantage so he began retreating as his neck was almost ripped open by a claw. Bikou used his weapon to redirect the attack enough to save his life which earned him the Red Dragon of Domination's attention only for white flames to immediately take it away.

The Vanishing Dragon channeled a huge spell from a magic circle before adding to his fire which the dragon broke through before throwing his own energy towards his enemy. Yet again the White Dragon Emperor escaped death by the skin of his teeth thanks to his armor and hybrid nature.

However his Rival's assault was never ending and when Vali tried to fly up again he had his stomach pierced by the berserk dragon's tail which had regrown. The silver haired man still stopped the worst of it by grabbing the appendage and holding it in place giving Altria the chance to come in and cut it off again.

That didn't stop the dragon who was already breathing fire in the duo's direction but the Vanishing Dragon was faster in calling a magic circle to hold the flames back right on the creature's face.

The action blinded him for a moment, giving Altria time to retreat again while Vali followed up with another attack. "White Lighting!" He made sure the white blast was bigger than the previous ones to push his Rival in position. "Now for Blades of Lucifer!"

Azure swords appeared and fell on the dragon, ripping his scales to shreds only for them to fix themselves up as he jumped over the rest of the attack and threw fire at his enemy which never reached for Nyoibo dropped in front of Vali and took the blow.

Giving the Vanishing Dragon somewhere to hide and arm himself with several magic circles to push back against the creature forcing him to a position where Altria could unleash Clarent freely just as Vali hid behind the pillar a second time.

When the Red Raging Dragon turned to get revenge, the White Dragon Emperor was revealed once more as Nyoibo shrank. Azure weapons flew towards the berserk dragon who countered them by suddenly turning and directing the attack he was preparing for the blonde towards his Rival.

A huge flash of light consumed the Vanishing Dragon but he managed to block most of it while failing to follow up with another attack leaving himself vulnerable. Fortunately Bikou bought him even more time by flying in and hitting the creature's head before making his staff grow to push their berserk dragon back.

"White Lighting!" Then he was pushed further by Vali whose white blast sent the unguarded dragon flying until he crashed on the barrier around the battlefield.

Everyone on that side witnessed Juggernaut Drive distorted but still mighty form which regenerated in seconds. They were few and would wish to forget the terrifying image every night for the rest of their lives as they thanked the stars the creature didn't notice them.

No, the Raging Dragon's only goal was to kill his Rival and the remaining prey, the ones who have been throwing him around and stopping his fury from being satiated. Despite that being impossible, the spirits inside the Boosted Gear were already aware something was stopping their rampage.

So they began to exercise more control over Ise's body, dismissing his Scarlet Mail and focusing on their own skills. First it was his skeletal wings which suddenly began to shine with its gems before channeling a huge ball of mana at their tips to fire it at their enemies.

The trio broke apart and the Raging Dragon's legs suddenly grew more muscular as he jumped towards his Rival whose wings managed to intercept a punch. Not the dragon's claws like he was using before but a proper punch that sent the Vanishing Dragon flying several meters away.

Pursuing the White Dragon Emperor was a spear made of flames that neither Altria nor Bikou could intercept. However a Blade of Lucifer did, the azure sword half of Vali's size cut the projectile in half to let it sail around him harmlessly thanks to his scales. A grin hid behind his helmet as the hybrid knew victory was at hand.

[Almost there, Partner! Now we hold on!] Albion knew those tricks, fought, died against some and had, over the years, taught his most recent Host all he could remember when it came to them.

Lessons the hybrid shared with his friends. 'He just needs to remember the right one.' A roar of fury filled the chasm once more as an even bigger Raging Dragon charged to meet his Rival.

Who reflected his actions with eagerness as his allies prepared to keep supporting him.

Fire, mana, explosions, the two dragons challenged each other at every moment and every step. The Juggernaut Drive gave the Red One an obvious advantage but the White One had his friends at his back to keep the worst at bay. The duo danced around the more powerful creatures, the blonde Noble Phantasm aways drawing blood with every hit.

'We are getting closer.' Altria could tell even without Albion's instruction as the Raging Dragon's movements got more refined and precise. Almost like the souls stuck inside him were sorting out what was the right move to make. 'Memories and anger. That is all the Juggernaut Drive is; memories and anger. Once we get the right memory,' her sword unleashed a wave of silver energy that was blocked by a red bubble around the dragon making her click her tongue, 'we can finish this. However…'

'When is he going to find the right attack?!' Starting to really run out of energy, Bikou landed several kilometers away from danger as he raised his staff and began to spin its tip towards the sky as his golden cloud positioned above the battlefield in a maneuver similar to Leviathan's Serpent of the End.

Just using completely different Elements as Kintoun was actually a technique born from the Daiotist arts and so its properties were far more than just water. In essence it was composed of energy, with a Core of its own which made it something akin to a mystic code but vastly superior.

Bikou made it grow in size until his cloud covered all the chasm since there was no chance his target would stand in place, not while the Rivals were trying to kill each other. Nevertheless that conflict gave him enough time to prepare properly, his Ki and youki joining the cloud's natural energy source for what was one of his strongest moves.

Yet one the monkey yokai wasn't going to use while his friend was on the line of fire. He needed an opening, needed for them to stop fighting which wasn't something likely to happen. Without pause the two kept going at it all around until Clarent's light broke them off again.

Opening the way for Bikou's next attack. "Strike! Kintoun!"
A lightning bolt left the cloud and hit the Red Raging Dragon of Domination, opening a new crater in the chasm. The strike lasted a single second and once done the creature was already glaring at the cloud and firing his own attack which effectively did nothing. Anyone with their correct mental faculties would know they had to attack Bikou, not his cloud.

Still the monkey yokai couldn't just throw another lightning immediately as he needed time to prepare another. So Vali took over the fight again, cutting the Raging Dragon's torso with an azure blade only for its body to stop the weapon just before it reached his gem. Glaring at each other for an instant, Fire accumulated in front of the helmet and the red dragon's maw.

The creature's claws also almost ripped the White One's arm off as their flames collided and the hybrid found himself retreating again and his Rival only didn't pursue because Altria dropped between them with a dash, cut below the dragon's arms and raced off again before Ise's body could do a thing.

His tail tried and failed to hit the blonde swordswoman who was already gone by the time Vali let out a huge White Lighting on his Rival, getting his attention again. The dragon charged as 'tears' of red mana jumped his shoulders towards the Vanishing Dragon who barely blocked them.

Both then unleashed their flames against each other one more time which gave Bikou the chance to let loose another lightning strike on the berserk dragon. Before the creature could react, Vali's flames made contact and his magic came next for a huge explosion. While Ise's body rose again, Altria came in to cut his back again, beginning the cycle anew.

…

'Almost there…' Shirou could tell the group's plan was coming together by watching how their fighting style changed and shifted while leaving the way open for Arthur at every moment. 'Juggernaut Drive is starting to adapt but that is exactly what they wanted. Only their teamwork is keeping something that should be a problem from actually killing everyone.' The Mage realized as he accounted for every action in the battlefield and his armor fixed itself. Bellerophon was still tired but the redhead sent his mana to help support their Ascension as the fight moved to its climax. 'They are changing places flawlessly, supporting each other's every action. If they were a peerage, I doubt there would be a team in the whole Underworld that could compete against them.'

Even only as just three fought they showed more skill than beings hundreds of times older, their teamwork fixing whatever glaring weakness any of them had. With that formation even Juggernaut Drive was being driven into a metaphorical corner where destruction alone wasn't enough to win.

The more it was driven into desperation instead of rage, the more of the former Red Dragon Emperors' power was drawn upon. 'Albion must know exactly what skill they want Ise to use.' Shirou concluded as the Vanishing Dragon let out a huge beam of energy on his Rival's back, blinding almost everyone watching. Not the Mage whose head was once again covered by his helmet albeit still not completely as his hair was exposed. 'And once he does what they want him to do, Rhongominyad is going to finish the job.'

More and more of his armor was fixed, his cloak was still in tatters but his arms and legs were covered again while a few Married Blades were Traced on his back. Compared to Bellerophon the Mage's reserves weren't that great but his second wind had been a good one and the pegasus had enough to work with.

They just needed a little time but that was against them. 'Juggernaut Drive or Rhongomyniad, one of those is going to kill Ise… Not on my watch.'

Because while the group had a plan and the Raging Dragon was mad with rage, the Mage plotted something insane. Shirou knew it wasn't his best idea ever but it was an idea that could save Ise's life. So he patiently watched the fight, waiting for when all the pieces would fall into place.

Problem was that Emiya didn't know exactly what he was waiting for so the only thing he could truly trust to carry the day was his speed and instinct.

…

Attack after attack fell on the Raging Dragon of Domination who could feel his power wane. The Host's lifespan was growing ever smaller and he couldn't Boost anymore, not with Divide countering every single time. Instinctively he could focus on healing rather easily to keep going but that wasn't going to destroy his enemies.

Especially the White Dragon Emperor who kept blowing him away to give his allies more chances to get more hits in forcing the Red One to waste more energy to fix his malformed body every time someone did too much damage.

Which happened repeatedly over the last few minutes. Far more than it ever happened before since the Boosted Gear's creation. If the souls inside the sacred gear could feel anything other than anger, they would be frustrated.

Never before had Juggernaut Drive lasted that long without either killing its target, its Host, both or everything around them. Ddraig's wrath once released should just consume everything until his flame faded, that was the Fate that had tied most of the Boosted Gear's Hosts from the beginning.

The Dragon of Domination roared at the skies with fury as his power exploded around him, repealing the lightning from the golden cloud and the slash from the silver sword. Pulling his arms upwards he gathered energy for a new attack. The memory of a mighty warrior channeling mana in his hands and slamming them down suddenly sprung into his mind.

Every move from the joints to the gathering of power was wrong but the creature managed to replicate the lost technique with brute force alone. A wave of red energy spread around the area and rolled around the chasm leveling everything on its path.
However it was easy to dodge; Altria and her brother just hopped over it while everyone else used their own means to fly above the attack without worries which just infuriated the dragon.

{Humm, things don't look to be going well.} Inside the desert of flame and death stood two red robbed figures who watched everything happening outside. Those robes were the same color as Ddraig's scales and completely hid their forms but the one speaking was considerably taller than the other with a masculine tone full of humor. {Never thought anyone could last this long against Juggernaut Drive.}

{Or that the old lizard's rage could last this long.} The other figure in the desolate land had a distinct feminine voice and an edge on her words. {Realistically it shouldn't be possible. How are we here?}

{Who knows? When I noticed I was just here after I died…} The tall one commented while watching the Raging Dragon roar and attack the White One once again. {Should we do something?}

While her face was hidden by the fire the man could see the woman clicking her tongue. {Can we do anything?} She asked while pointing towards the still inert Ise. {Doesn't look like he is in the mood. Also, this situation is too… exotic. I never had you around during my tenure.}

After a moment the man nodded in agreement before sitting down and let out a sigh. {Then we can only watch and wait. I wonder if our new found freedom will last on a new Red Dragon Emperor.}

Suddenly the woman pointed towards a huge flame close to Ise. {Looks like another of our 'siblings' is about to be used.} That was the best word she could come up with considering what was happening.

Some sparks and fire began to group up taking a humanoid shape, the desolate land gaining another resident with the same appearance as them if not slightly smaller than the woman. It was impossible to identify who they were as their body was bent over and they didn't raise their head.

Yet a scream could be heard all over Ise's soul, a scream that was joined by Ddraig's roar as the robbed figure began to burn. There was no pain there, only the rage typical of the Juggernaut Drive accompanied by the desire to get rid of all obstacles before it. To let destruction loose in the world.

As the new robbed figure burned, the two conscious ones saw the fire begin to burn brighter before joining with the flames in front of Hyoudou Issei's soul which showed the combat happening outside.

A memory began to play inside the fire for the equivalent of an instant both inside and outside Ise's soul. There was the image of a person running away from another iteration of the Vanishing Dragon before turning around and raising Boosted Gear to fire off several tiny blasts of mana.

Outside of Ise's soul the Raging Dragon started doing the same but at a greater scale, raising both arms and unleashing volleys of mana around it while turning his body to direct the attack wherever his prey was located.

An action that didn't last long both because there were no hits and because there were more pressing matters for someone blind by pure rage.

No, the Raging Dragon of Domination focus was always his Rival who sped around the attack for a few seconds while Altria went around, always aiming for the dragon's back. She tried to push her blade deeper but the red tail managed a good hit to her side which had her spinning in the air and bleeding from her torso.

Then someone caught her and Altria couldn't help but glare at her savior. "You…"
"Look, I know you are still angry…" Shirou quickly used EM on the woman while looking back to see the Red Raging Dragon chasing them. Fortunately for the redhead and the blond, the dragon was slower than before and the Mage could keep his distance even if his armor wasn't fully rebuilt and his wings were much shorter. "… Can you scream at me later?"
"Sure! Just turn around for a bit!" Altria ordered and he obeyed. Since they were flying there was no loss of speed as she raised her Noble Phantasm and shouted. "Clarent Radiant Road!"
Ise's body was once again consumed by silver light which bought the Mage enough time to drop Altria somewhere safe and rush around the red dragon together with the hybrid who was already getting in position.
"You are already up?" Vali asked while summoning his azure sword.

"Meh, mostly, I guess." Shirou called Kanshou and Bakuya, making it look like he was there to fight. "What sort of attack are you waiting for?"

"One that keeps him stationary!" As if to prove that was necessary both noticed the berserk dragon running in their direction.

Without uttering a word they split up while throwing slashes at the creature and cutting his body in several places before reuniting behind him. "Nice skills."
"I trained with the best." The Vanishing Dragon replied as his Rival slowly recovered and turned around. "You aren't planning anything stupid, are you?"

Shirou chuckled at the question. "Maybe I am, maybe not, Vergil."

"'Vergil'?"

"Just reflecting that I should have chosen 'Dante' as an alias." The Mage chuckled again while both dodged a stream of fire from the Red One who was struck by lighting a second later.

In his fury the creature attempted to gather the tallest blast of fire mixed with mana he was capable of, almost destroying the barrier if the four remaining combatants didn't quickly hit his body everywhere to stop the attempt, Vali almost taking his head again.

Black and white swords flew around draining more blood, silver strikes punished the creature constantly, lightning fell at every other moment and his Rival proved to be the greatest nuisance by always hitting at the most troublesome time.

Juggernaut Drive was being completely suppressed and that just made the souls inside it more insane. Memories began to burn at a rapid rate on the Red Dragon Emperor's consciousness, Ise just being able to barely process them before the flames spread further in his soul.

Several of his predecessors' techniques were useless against so many opponents capable of evading his power and the creature born from Ddraig's anger finally understood that. More screams echoed in the devil's soul until they suddenly grew silent as the fire began playing a more useful memory.

The memory of an attack so devastating that it had defeated a group of twelve led by a White Dragon Emperor in the past. That group was weaker than the one facing the Juggernaut Drive but that was fine since the technique would be used on a greater scale.

Without a thought the Red Raging Dragon of Domination dropped on all fours while his mana began to be absorbed inside his gems making everyone pause, especially the Mage of Swords who had a bad feeling.

"That almost feels like when he used his Longinus Smasher!" He tried to sound the warning.

Only for Albion to laugh out loud. [Kukuku HAHAHAH! But it isn't a Longinus Smasher! It is something different! Exactly what we were waiting for!] The Original Vanishing Dragon's words marked the end of the fight. [Time for another Red Dragon Emperor to bite the dust!]

Several in their group began to step back and raise their defenses as the red mana was channeled inside the gems all around the dragon's body. Especially the ones on his wings which began emitting several lights that exploded whatever they touched. Before those gained focus and turned into lasers that shot everywhere.

It was an effect that would be common on a night club of some sort but far more lethal as flashes jumped from the skeletal wings hitting everywhere without direction creating trails of destruction inside chasm.

Nobody tried to attack anymore, nobody could as there were thousands of beams of light going everywhere trying to kill everyone. And every single one of them had a power greater than Clarent's or most Noble Phantasms Shirou used. It was just utterly uncontrollable destruction.

Exactly what they were waiting for. "You better not die before the climax, Emiya." Vali commented while flying higher.
'So this is the attack they wanted?!' While Shirou imagined something equally dangerous, he was nevertheless focused, especially because every beam of light was almost as fast as he was. Yet they were thin which gave the four room to dodge even if their explosions were quite big. 'Which means now is his turn…'

Far away from the line of fire and every single explosion stood Arthur Pendragon.. Even that uncontrollable attack was out of reach and the blond didn't need to defend himself. His position was calculated, perfectly so.

An example of Albion's knowledge and his allies' planning.

Truly, despite their leader preferring to fight alone, Vali's group was basically designed to face powerful entities, more specifically the Heavenly Dragons. Anyone paying attention could see that when the fight began each of them had their own part to play be it as distractions or attackers.

All except Arthur who was the executor of the group; the final attacker with the duty to kill their target whenever nobody else was up for the task. For that reason alone he had been placed farther from the combat than anyone else, only the people behind the barrier could claim to be safer.

And during that time he prepared his Noble Phantasm without interruption or challenge because the Raging Dragon of Domination just didn't care about the huge mass of energy building up from the lance.

Rehearsed, that was the impression Shirou had about that group's strategy. Everything they did since arriving was in a way or another rehearsed. They knew exactly what to expect when facing a Juggernaut Drive which wasn't surprising in hindsight. Albion had truly prepared the group to kill Vali if necessary.

'Everything is in place.' Arthur felt the weapon on his hand pulse with power as everybody else in the battlefield moved all over the place to escape the dragon's final attack. 'Now I just need to aim.' Something harder than it seemed as his weapon wasn't just any lance. It was a Tower in the shape of a lance and the more power he unleashed the heavier it felt. 'Lance of the End, allow me to use your radiance once again.'

The man wasn't a fool, he knew the weapon wasn't his and that thinking otherwise would be inviting catastrophe. Just holding it wrong had once hit him with a feeling of despair and fear he couldn't describe. Yet it was his burden and one he took gladly because it was better for him to suffer than his sisters.

Either of them.

Azazel began to fly higher to escape the danger while Le Fay passed by her brother with Kuroka holding her waist as the witch's broom got them farther. Arthur kept his grip steady despite noticing that someone was getting a little too close to the line of fire for comfort.

Eventually the Mage got out of the way allowing Arthur to pour all his energy into the lance. "Sacred Lance… Rhongomyniad!" When the Noble Phantasm fired it was like a second great earthquake had been felt throughout the Underworld.

A pillar of gold almost as strong as Longinus Smasher but far more focused washed over all darkness as it made its way towards the Raging Dragon. Had Lilith still stood then the city would have been in no danger unlike with the dragon's fury. That was just how focused, how precise the lance's strike was.

Only Juggernaut Drive would take the hit and disappear, nothing else was on its way.

And that was exactly what Shirou was waiting for. "Last Stardust!"
Kicking himself into high gear the Mage of Swords unleashed his trump card one last time, burning half of the mana he had remaining to position himself in front of Rhongonyniad's attack while using the other half to Trace as many Married Blades as possible.

Accelerating to his limits the magus didn't use his swords to rebuild his wings but instead to make several extra layers to his armor while inclining his body forward in such a way that most of the attack would easily move past him and hit the right target.

While the rest of it would just hit Shirou's own body which he was positioning in a manner to protect Ise's real body. He was moving too fast for anyone to stop him, jumping into Arthur's crosshairs at the most optimal moment. Nobody could have predicted he would be insane enough to dive between Rhongomyniad and the Raging Dragon like that.

Regardless that was exactly what he did, several layers of swords breaking off into armor and filling his back just before the Lance That Shines to the End of the World finally struck. Like a stone on a river he directed some of the current with his back while being dragged by it, the rest making its way towards the Red Raging Dragon of Domination.

Who put up some fight, his last attack suddenly gaining focus and trying to stop Rhongomyniad with all it had but it was too late. Gold mana broke through every beam on its way and the dragon's body disappeared together with the Mage's. Both were lost into the Light of the End.

Shirou let the stream carry him forward as whatever mana Bellerophon had was used to keep Last Stardust going for a few milliseconds longer. His armor fell apart instantly with the remains of his wings and a few Married Swords being the only thing keeping the redhead alive.

The Raging Dragon suffered a similar fate, his head vanishing into nothing much like his arms and legs which really wasn't a problem. The attack wasn't complete, his core, that was Hyoudou Issei, was still safely stored thanks to a Mage's actions and with enough time Juggernaut Drive would fix itself up.

However, by the same token that Mage wasn't willing to give the dragon any more time to recover as his body sailed forth, boosted by whatever the pegasus had left to give and Rhongomyniad.

Swords and wings gone, Shirou's flesh began to disappear by the time he reached the dragon's body. Yet he was undaunted, the pain of having his body being turned to ash not enough to stop him as he focused on the last thing he recovered with his second wind.

Touki, the energy of his spirit, burned making him as tough as steel.

With Bellerophon's speed, his flaring Ki and Rhongomyniad making him go even faster, there was plenty of energy for Shirou to use when he hit Ise. From the dragon there was little left as the river of gold ate almost all of his scales so there was no further resistance.

And thanks to how fast Shirou was flying he managed to reach the torso before it fell into the gold mana, their collision blowing up what was left of the fake body while the Mage finally managed to take hold of Ise's unconscious form.

But they weren't out of danger yet and Last Stardust was starting to fade. 'One last push!' Emiya Shirou roared in his mind as his body began to fall apart while he did his best to protect Ise. The flesh from his back and legs was disappearing, each nanosecond bringing him close to death. 'There you are!'

Close but not quite and Shirou knew for sure that so long he drew breath there was one thing that would absolutely keep him alive regardless of circumstances. His plan, after all, hinged on using several specific methods for his and his friend's survival. People would cry if he died as well so that also was a priority.

For everything to work nicely he needed to get land close to a person at any cost which was difficult since to rescue Ise he had to move on a narrow straight line. So to save himself and finish saving the devil, Shirou focused as much strength as he could and Traced a small dagger that quickly blew up because of Rhongomyniad's attack.

It was on purpose, the thing was never meant to survive since it was a weak Noble Phantasm he got from Gilgamesh's Vault. However he had made it far more unstable so the chain reaction could be triggered quickly, fast enough to even affect him in Last Stardust and blow him out of the sacred lance's attack.

Both Shirou and Ise were sent flying safely away, the Pawn actually looking fine despite everything he had gone through while the Mage's body had lost several pieces of flesh and had bones poking out of his body.

The two crashed on the ground and rolled for a few meters as Rhongomyniad's attack unleashed a pillar of golden light that demolished the barrier around the battlefield. Not that the redhead cared as he found himself closer to the person he was aiming for.

"Are you out of your mind?!" Altria forgot all her enmity with the Mage as she rushed to help him. Dropping Clarent she pulled the Pawn from Shirou's body to give him some space and let out a sigh of relief when a bright light began to heal his body. "Finally… you are healing… Why is your healing factor so unreliable?"
"Hahaha! That is so funny!" Shirou didn't even feel his skin growing back or his bones returning to their proper place. 'Thank you, Avalon! Sorry your real owner doesn't realize your greatness.' Because that scabbard was the best healer in the Universe and nothing would ever change his mind. "Seriously, thanks for being here."
The platinum blonde woman tilted her head in confusion. "You are welcome?" Offering a hand, she helped the Mage stand up slowly as his energy was finally and truly spent. "Just so you know; that doesn't mean I forgive you for the last time."
"I am sorry that you feel like that… but I stand by what I did." Altria's grip was so strong that the bones in his hand broke. However Shirou didn't show it and didn't care much since she had a right to be angry while her presence would simply fix any damage automatically. "Thanks for the save, anyway. If I can do anything for you to-"
"Are you out of your mind?!" Azazel, still with Asia in his arms, landed close to them. "You just… what? Thought that ridding the sacred lance's attack was a good idea or something?!"

Shirou scratched the back of his head and avoided looking at the older man. "Hey, it worked."
"That isn't an excuse! By the Stars that was just the most stupid thing I have ever seen!" The fallen angel then turned around as the Vanishing Dragon and the rest of his friends approached. "Almost as stupid as fighting Juggernaut Drive without using his own, Vali!"
At the clearly accusatory tone the silver haired man could only shrug. "Circumstances got in the way of me preparing it." His Scale Mail vanished exposing the several wounds around his body. Nevertheless he approached his so-called Rival and looked at his sleeping face. "Can't believe he is still alive."

"Tch. Yeah, neither do I. Damn it, this day was shit." Azazel commented and Shirou couldn't help but agree. Then the Cadre looked at his former charge and his friends. "While I am thankful for all you did, you all should leave."
Playfully Bikou commented. "What? No heroic parade for stopping the big bad dragon."

They all knew the Scapegoat was right and that in their condition they had little to no chance of surviving the full might of the Underworld that could fall on their heads at any moment. Devils and fallen angels alike would soon get inside the chasm to investigate the situation properly and several people of interest still were capable of fighting.

Including Sirzechs Lucifer, someone Vali really wanted to challenge. "He has a point." Yet the True Hybrid knew he needed to rest and recover before fighting again. Even unleashing his Juggernaut Drive wasn't an alternative in his tired state. "But just to make something clear… Emiya Shirou, have I cleared up my debt?"

"Nyah? Seriously, Vali?" Kuroka asked whatever everyone else wanted too and yet her friend just chuckled.

For his part the redhead could only sigh. "Is that the only reason why you came to help? Or even helped Asia?"
"It was a happy coincidence." Arthur commented while holding Add on his left hand. The Mystic Code was silent and observing everything which surprised the members of Pendragon. "I really wanted to help to repay my debt to you for helping my sister but-"
"We don't have time to chat. We really need to go." Altria really didn't want to have that conversation. She also could feel some people starting to approach rather quickly. "Fay, a portal."
"I still need to hear his answer." Vali commented even as the witch raised the red Guiding Light again and before she even uttered a spell a gateway towards the Khaos Brigade HQ formed in front of everyone.

"What the-" It certainly caught the witch off guard.

"Ophis is going to be pissed…" Add finally said something even as his eyes were stuck on Shirou.

"Looks like Great Red has access to our hideout. Kikiki." Bikou commented, dropping a name neither Mage nor Cadre expected.

"Great Red?" Azazel was shocked but Vali ignored him.

It was clear his group wanted to leave but the Vanishing Dragon was looking at Shirou with a smirk which pretty made it clear why he insisted on knowing if the debt for his mistake was paid; the man wanted a rematch whatever the cost.

Since both Ise and Asia were safe because of their inference the only thing Shirou could say was, "Yes, we can forget you tried to make me kill you. Your honor is restored or something." The redhead concluded and the hybrid couldn't help but smile with glee. "Now go! We won't be having another match if the whole Underworld decides to finish the job."
"Fine by me. I got what I wanted." His business finished Vali was the first one to cross the gateway followed by Bikou who threw a small salute.

"Make sure I can talk with my sister the next time we see each other, nyah." Kuroka basically demanded as she jumped into the gate followed by Arthur who nodded with respect before departing.

Leaving behind only his sisters with the younger holding the older's hand. "Ria…"
"We are far from done, you and I." Altria suddenly said, her eyes full of resolve. "Before you fight Vali…"
"It is okay, I get it." Shirou fully understood that the thing between them was beyond any debt and if he didn't navigate things properly it could fully devolve into a grudge. He didn't want that to happen, Altria was a good person and a honorable warrior, if there was a way for them to settle everything peacefully he would take it. "If it matters… I am sorry. But I stand for what I said; you want Caliburn then you better be prepared to lose your Humanity first, really lose it… And I will stand in front of you to keep you honest with yourself."
Artoria's reincarnation knew the Mage of Swords had only the best intentions but the flame in her breast didn't diminish. "Next time I will really measure the man you are… If you are the one really not being honest with yourself."

With that she turned and, mirroring the last time they met, Le Fay was the last one to leave. Only that her eyes were different somehow, colder and more distant in a way the Mage couldn't fully explain. They still held gratitude from him watching over her sister but it was like her gaze was trying to penetrate his soul.

Their eye contact lasted only a moment before the witch nodded respectfully, a gesture the Mage reciprocated, and she then departed without another word, the gate closing behind her.

Promptly after that Shirou sat down on the ground and let out a sigh of exhaustion. "This day was too long."
"There have been longer ones in the past… and I see even longer ones in the future." Azazel commented while observing his friend. "How are you feeling?" Fortunately they still had a few minutes before people began arriving en masse. Many were still weary of the possibility Juggernaut Drive was just pausing for a bit, as impossibly that sounded. "Not going to die, will you?"
"Where did that come from?"
"It came from you suddenly getting an extra reserve of mana nobody knew about! Or perhaps because you threw yourself inside the sacred lance's attack! Or faced Juggernaut Drive without support! Take your pick!" Noticing he was screaming, the Cadre turned his head towards Asia, sighing in relief as the former nun still hadn't woken up. "Serious Shirou… if I was human that was a dozen heart attacks then and there because everything you did the last few minutes… was definitively suicidal." The Scapegoat gave his friend a look before asking again, "So… not going to die, will you? Not going to fall apart or shove a sword in the gut out of the blue?"
"I won't… We may not have stopped the invasion but at least… At least our friends are safe." Both men turned to Ise who looked to be sleeping quietly despite the destruction he unleashed.

There wasn't a single wound on his body and even his clothes were intact. Boosted Gear had gone back into his soul leaving his left arm bare as well. If they didn't know any better any of the two would claim the Pawn had just passed out after eating too much or something.

"Do you think he will remember anything? About all this?" Shirou asked solemnly before turning to Asia. "About her… 'dying'? Is that even the right word?"
Placing the Bishop beside the Pawn, Azazel also sat down in exhaustion. "She would be dead if not for Great Red… Why did he interfere now of all times?" Then he focused on the devils and shook his head. "Whatever the case, his whim stopped the situation from being worse but Ise isn't out of the woods yet."
Any further conversation died some individuals finally found themselves where the Mage and Cadre rested. Among them were Medusa, Odin, Rossweisse, Sirzechs Lucifer and Grayfia. The latter two were the ones Shirou most wanted to scream at yet he was too tired for it to matter.

All he wanted was to see if everyone he cared about was safe and to rest. Too many had died and he would guilt trip himself over that later.

The important thing was to mend the wounds the invasion caused which weren't few.

…..

Next chapter is going to be delayed a week because I am feeling an annoying pain in my left arm.

Also Fanfiction is acting out again as you can see if these letters are not in BOLD. Other errors on the text are probably also FF fault so I apologize.

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