Allen walked slowly, until he was almost close enough to touch Anya.
At that moment, an arrow came whistling through the air, accompanied by a powerful gust of wind, and slammed into the ground right in front of Allen's feet.
"Don't come any closer, [Goddess's Chariot]," Emiya's voice came from afar, his eyes as sharp as blades, staring straight at Allen.
"Shirou!", Anya raised her head and called out with a voice full of surprise.
Allen's eyes instantly turned extremely dark. The cold sneer on his face vanished, replaced by a twisted fury.
In the next moment, Allen's figure disappeared.
Without any hesitation, the Amazon sisters immediately stood in front of Emiya.
However, the moment they crossed paths with Allen, the two sisters, already more than half exhausted, were sent flying in an instant.
In Emiya's field of view, the small cat person's figure suddenly closed in. The wind-swift movement made it nearly impossible for him to see clearly.
Allen's fist, carrying overwhelming power, enlarged rapidly in his vision, aiming directly at his face.
[[Oath Under The Snow] Skill effect activated]
The next instant, Allen's movement suddenly froze as if time had stopped.
Earlier, he had clearly attacked from the front, yet now he had somehow circled around, appearing eerily behind Emiya, his fist halting just an inch from the back of Emiya's head.
At the same time, a black longsword, [Futsunomitama], its tip also suspended just an inch from Allen's abdomen.
Emiya's breathing was rapid, cold sweat dripping from his forehead. He didn't turn around or look back at Allen, just gripped the sword in his hand tightly in reverse grip.
"Heh heh—", The cat person revealed a twisted grin, distorted by extreme fury.
He took three steps back, then—
BOOM!
Allen suddenly lunged forward. Emiya swiftly turned around.
The cat person's punch landed squarely on Emiya's shoulder. The immense force sent Emiya flying, and he barely managed to stay standing after staggering many steps, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.
At the same time, on Allen's armor, a long and narrow sword slash appeared on his chest.
Allen looked down, seeing that his chest was not injured, just the armor was cut open.
His eyes, filled with anger and distortion, gradually shifted into extreme silence.
At this moment, the Amazon sisters got up again from the ground and circled to Allen's back from either side of Emiya, crossing blades in preparation for a pincer attack.
Ais, riding the wind, her golden hair whipping wildly in the air, came rushing in from the other side of the town.
Up above, in the distant sky, an eerie gaze locked onto the cat person.
Allen raised his head, looked deeply at Emiya, then silently turned and left.
———
Tione looked angrily in the direction Allen had left and rudely cursed, "What the hell's his problem, that damned cat person, going crazy out of nowhere."
Her tone was clearly filled with fury, obviously very dissatisfied with Allen's sudden attack.
Tiona was also rubbing her shoulder beside her. She had just been elbowed by Allen, [Goddess's Chariot], and sent flying. Though not seriously hurt, she still felt stabs of pain.
Her eyes were also filled with anger. If Allen hadn't left so quickly, without a doubt, she would've fought that vice-captain of the Freya Familia to the death, even knowing full well his strength far surpassed her as a Level 6.
For the Amazon sisters, today had truly been a frustrating day. Since waking up, they'd encountered one strange event after another, making their heads spin.
First, the sudden appearance of those plant-type monsters. Then, the red-haired woman who attacked Ais.
After that, they even encountered a being similar to the corrupted spirit from the 59th floor. Though this one was weakened and no longer as terrifying as before.
There was also that person in a cloak, equipped with dragon scale armor, who fought alongside Ais, a first-tier adventurer whose identity they couldn't figure out, unbeknownst to them, actually a monster.
Weird things happened every year, but today there were just too many.
And what annoyed them the most was that Allen Fromel, [Goddess's Chariot], who joined the battlefield without warning, wiped out the monsters, then suddenly attacked Emiya.
Tiona: "I really hate to say this, but... is there something wrong with all the Freya Familia mentally?"
Emiya heard this and for a moment didn't know how to respond, "Uh... well…"
He recalled how, in the beginning, when Boss Mia, the former captain of the Freya Familia, was introducing him to the various Familia, she never recommended the Freya Familia.
Boss Mia had said that Emiya's mental state wasn't suitable for the Freya Familia... in fact, that was a polite way of putting it.
Emiya had also spent time living closely with the [Black and White Knights] Hedin and Hogni, and he could praise their character without reservation. Hedin and Hogni were genuinely good people.
However, to say there was absolutely nothing wrong with their mental state, Emiya really couldn't say that with a clear conscience.
He smiled wryly and walked toward Anya, who was curled up to the side.
"Are you alright, Anya?", Emiya extended his hand and asked with concern.
Anya lowered her head and softly said, "Thank you, Shirou."
Emiya pulled her up and helped her steady herself.
Tiona seemed like she wanted to say something else, but her sister Tione pulled her back, signaling her not to speak for now.
At this moment, Lefiya walked over, full of curiosity, and asked, "Miss Ais, who was that person fighting alongside you just now?"
Ais merely shook her head gently, saying nothing more.
She simply looked up, gazing at the false sky within the dungeon.
Far off, Wiene was floating in the air, watching them. She did not descend, merely observing for a moment before quietly turning and leaving.
Emiya looked at Ais, "Ais, that enemy... did you defeat her?"
Ais's expression turned slightly grim. She shook her head, "No. She escaped."
She recalled the battle just now. The red-haired woman's vitality was terrifyingly strong, almost to a ridiculous degree.
In the fight, both Ais and Wiene had severed one of her arms and a leg, and left countless fatal wounds on her.
However, no matter how severe the injuries, the red-haired woman could rapidly recover. Her vitality seemed almost infinite.
Even when Ais split her body in half vertically with a single slash, she could still support herself with one hand and continue moving.
In the end, a giant man-eating plant monster suddenly burst from the ground, swallowed the red-haired woman whole, and immediately vanished underground.
That red-haired woman wasn't even human. Compared to her, Wiene seemed less like a monster.
Emiya spoke, "In any case, let's return to the surface first. Whatever needs to be discussed can wait until we're back at the Familia."
———
Four torches crackled and sputtered, their flickering flames illuminating the stone altar. Ouranus sat upon the divine throne, deeply immersed in silence, almost blending with the stone chair.
His arms rested on the throne's armrests, his lowered hood obscuring most of his face, with only a pair of pale blue eyes peeking from beneath, gazing distantly at the stairs ahead. Loki had just left, leaving the altar in tranquil stillness.
After a moment, he slowly parted his lips.
"Fels."
His voice was deep and calm, echoing in the sacred space of the altar, like a summoning directed at the void.
"Yes, I am here, Lord Ouranus," The reply came from the shadows, beyond where torchlight could reach.
A figure wrapped entirely in black emerged from the shadows of the altar. The person wore a pitch-black long robe, with no skin exposed at all, as if darkness itself had taken form.
Their face was hidden under a hood, impenetrable to any light. Their gloved hands bore intricate patterns.
Fels's voice was low and neutral, lacking any gender markers, making it impossible to tell if it was a man or a woman.
If Ryuu were here now, she might recall a lesson from her travels, taught by Friana the Professor of the [Academy].
Fels, known as [The Sage], was a powerful mage and magic item craftsman, also the legendary inventor of the Philosopher's Stone.
This person existed in historical records, dating back hundreds of years.
Ouranus, sitting on his throne, lifted his head slightly and continued in a deep voice, "That one, among our 'allies', the newly born 'friend', have you met her?"
Fels nodded lightly and answered, "Yes. I met her once, introduced by Lord Lyd."
Ouranus's gaze didn't waver. After a brief pause, he asked again, "Your impression?"
Fels paused, as if choosing his words carefully, then said, "Very special. Among the already special Xenos, she is the most unique... and she's very strong."
Ouranus said nothing, quietly listening. Fels continued, "Her true form is the Vouivre. Her potential could reach Level 4, and both her Strength and Magic are exceptionally high for a dragon species. In terms of potential, she is the strongest of the Xenos."
If the talent gap between humans is like steel versus iron, then the gap between monster species is like the moon in the sky versus fireflies on the ground.
Wiene, as a Vouivre, starts off far beyond where many other Xenos end.
Ouranus remained silent, as if digesting Fels's assessment.
Fels went on, "More importantly, her talent in combat, her will, and her learning ability are all unparalleled... Her innate swordsmanship is simply beyond my understanding."
"'The unknown of the Lower World', 'The unknown of the dungeon'", Fels now understood why the gods always used those phrases.
"To be honest, she's strong to the point of being dangerous," Fels paused, his eyes dark and deep.
"Though it's hard to clearly state whether she can surpass that line, I believe she won't take long to grow to the level of a Level 7 [King]."
As a Xenos, Wiene doesn't possess the infinite potential of skills and magic like adventurers do. On the other hand, Xenos have the talent of devouring magic stones to rapidly increase their stats.
But gaining strength by devouring magic stones has its limits. For example, Lyd, one of the Xenos leaders, has strength equivalent to a Level 5 adventurer, but no matter how many stones he devours, it's hard for him to break through to Level 6.
Once they reach their limit, Xenos must rely on constant training and combat to improve. Compared to adventurers who receive blessings, it's much harder for Xenos to break through.
However, before reaching that limit, the speed at which Xenos grow is astonishing.
Most adventurers need a year or more to level up, but a gifted Xenos can reach Level 5 equivalent in just a few months.
And Wiene's potential and ceiling far surpass Lyd's. Not only that, she has shown innate battle instincts and the ability to learn quickly.
Fels lowered his head slightly, thinking for a moment before continuing, "Even now, aside from the two major Familia, no other force can restrain that Vouivre."
Ouranus asked, "Has the Vouivre killed any adventurers?"
Fels replied, "She's killed some poachers who hunted Xenos. Other than that, there are no records."
Ouranus nodded slightly, speaking calmly, "Then she is trustworthy."
Fels: "Understood, Lord Ouranus."
He seemed to recall something and added, "The Loki Familia is currently searching for dungeon entrances hidden in the city."
Ouranus's gaze remained deep as he said slowly, "Let them search. If such a thing truly exists, then it belongs to the enemies of the city."
"And after all, if the Loki Familia truly wants to do something, apart from Freya, NO ONE CAN STOP THEM."
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