BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
In the skies above Itogami Island, a flying fortress was unleashing dozens of projectiles made of concentrated magical power toward Yuri, who was facing the Hanging Gardens of Babylon all on her own.
Her black hair fluttered wildly in the wind as she performed sharp, swift maneuvers midair, and her crimson blood-red eyes gleamed with undisguised joy and excitement.
"You finally decided to let me out, woman," — Black March's irritated voice rang in Yuri's ears — "Because of you, I had to separate from Akira-sama, and now you won't even let me see him."
As Black March's voice echoed in Yuri's ears, a vision of a beautiful woman with long blonde hair and golden eyes materialized, clearly ignoring Yuri and staring downward—where Akira stood.
"..." — Akira gazed at the ghostly form of Black March and gave her a faint wave with a soft smile.
"Master!!" — Seeing Akira wave at her, Black March chirped in her sweet, melodious voice, hearts blooming in her eyes as she looked upon her true master whom she hadn't seen in a long time.
"You're unbelievably annoying." — Yuri muttered as veins popped on her forehead in irritation at Black March's behavior.
"Focus on the battle in front of you instead of staring at him like some love-struck idiot!" — Yuri shouted angrily as she spun through the air at blinding speed, dodging another barrage of magical projectiles that tore through the sky around her.
And with each evasive move, she left behind sparks of crimson light — her energy swirling, growing stronger as the battle intensified.
"But he looked at me! Did you see that?! He waved at me!" — Black March turned fully toward Akira below the fortress, sighing in admiration like a teenage girl seeing her favorite idol.
"You'll get us killed like this!" — Yuri snapped, tightening her grip around Green April, which quickly branched into several massive limbs — "Focus, or I'll kick you out of my body even if I have to tear your soul apart!"
"Fine, fine… no need to yell, you meanie!" — Black March muttered as she re-merged with Yuri, though not without casting one last glance at Akira, blowing him a cheeky kiss and a wink.
At that moment, a golden beam erupted from the top of the Hanging Gardens, condensing instantly into a massive spear longer than a skyscraper, and then shot toward Yuri at supersonic speed.
"Damn it!" — Yuri bit her lip and threw herself upward, twisting in the air at an impossible angle. Instead of dodging the spear, she wrapped the trunks of Green April around it and, with a swift motion, hurled it back toward the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
BOOOOOOM!!!
A thunderous explosion scattered the sea of clouds in the sky from its sheer force.
"Tch!" — Yuri clicked her tongue in frustration as she saw how the spear was stopped at the last second by a magical barrier that enveloped the flying fortress.
"Let's make a deal, woman," — Black March's voice rang again in Yuri's head — "I'll let you use my Ignition Power... but only if you help me obtain a full human form."
"Are you kidding me right now?!" — Yuri yelled as she dodged magical shards flying from the deflected spear's explosion, still soaring fiercely through the sky.
"I never joke when it comes to Akira-sama." — Black March replied with a serious tone, her voice filled with quiet determination — "Promise me you'll help me take on a human form, and in return, I'll let you use my Ignition Power to its fullest."
"..." — Yuri fell silent. She didn't respond immediately, but behind her, dozens of condensed magic orbs formed and intercepted the magical bombardment launched by the flying fortress.
"Interesting… let's do it." — Yuri grinned, a battle-hungry smile on her lips. While she was confident she could take down the stupid fortress even without Black March's power, it would take far too long — and she'd need a long rest afterward. Accepting Black March's deal was simply the smarter choice.
"Yes!!" — Black March cheered, her voice ringing like copper bells inside Yuri's mind. Then, with a more serious tone, she continued:
"Then prepare yourself. I'm unlocking the Black Flame Seal... Phase Two!"
Suddenly, the atmosphere changed.
The winds in the sky froze for a moment — as if the entire world had held its breath.
A glowing black-and-gold tattoo appeared along Yuri's spine, pulsing like a second heart inside her body. Her eyes blazed with golden fire that lit up her irises, and tongues of black flame erupted from her feet, spiraling upward around her like an infernal cloak.
"This feeling..." — Yuri whispered, her smile widening maniacally as she opened her arms to embrace the surging power — "...it's like I'm breathing for the first time!"
BOOM!!
With a single step on the air, the sky beneath her exploded, and she moved faster than the eye could follow, leaving a scorched trail behind her.
In the blink of an eye, she was right in front of the magical barrier — flames burning around her blade, now transformed into the Black Ignition Blade — a dual-edged sword radiating black energy fused with golden light.
"To hell with your fortresses… and your gods too!" — Yuri shouted as she swung her blade at the barrier.
CRAAAAAAAAACK!!
The barrier cracked.
"Impossible!" — Semiramis screamed from inside the fortress, watching through magical screens — "What is this ridiculous magical power and that even more ridiculous way of using it?!"
"At this rate, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon will fall any moment now..." — Semiramis muttered, biting her nails in panic. Without the Gardens, she would be utterly helpless against this monster.
"Who is this woman...? She's clearly not a Servant..." — Semiramis stared at Yuri's face through the magical screens and couldn't help but curse her luck for facing such a monster — "Is this… the end?"
BOOOM!
With a deafening roar, the flying fortress was split in half, black and gold flames spreading rapidly across it like a divine warning.
—
"Unfortunately, it seems your plan of waiting for your Servant's help has failed." — Akira said calmly as he gazed at the burning fortress, not even glancing at Izumi — "Still, I didn't expect Yuri to unleash this kind of power."
"Even if Semiramis had won against your Servant… I doubt we could defeat you, even together." — Izumi sighed in defeat, shrugging slightly with a hint of regret — "Now that I've lost, I'll withdraw from the Holy Grail War peacefully."
"I don't mind letting defeated Masters retreat. There's no need to kill them once they've lost their Servants. But..." — Akira spoke quietly, his beast-like red eyes staring coldly at Izumi — "You, I cannot let go. Not only did you kidnap demons and turn them into magic batteries, but the stench of filthy blood has been bothering my nose for quite a while now."
"Huh... why am I flying..." — Izumi thought as he felt weightless. He had planned to escape quickly, but in the next moment, he saw something that filled him with terror — "Wait, is that... my body?"
Pang!
With a dull thud, Izumi's body hit the ground, and his head landed several meters away — he had died without even realizing how it happened.
...
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