The muffled sound of iron wheels gliding along the tracks filled the carriage.
The bullet train sliced through Japan like a silver arrow.
Kazuya sat by the window, his blue eyes fixed on the landscape that vanished and reappeared.
Beside him, Artoria Lancer rested her head against the seat, arms crossed, her calm gaze on the scenery. Her long golden hair swayed slightly with each sway of the carriage. She seemed at ease, though the faint smile at the corner of her lips betrayed her satisfaction at being there. On the seat across from her was Salter, who seemed a bit uneasy seeing a more "mature" version of herself beside her master... She remained silent...
In the row behind, Jeanne d'Arc and Jeanne Alter were engaged in their eternal routine of mutual teasing that sometimes happened. Well, they were good sisters...
"For the love of God, don't touch my hair again, you puritan bitch..." Jalter grumbled, crossing her arms with a furrowed brow.
"But it feels as rough as your personality, I couldn't resist scientific curiosity," Jeanne replied with an angelic smile and a mocking tone hidden beneath her serenity.
Further back, Ishtar and Ereshkigal were arguing about who would choose the hotel when they arrived.
"I'm the goddess of beauty, wealth, and supreme authority, so obviously I'm the one who decides!" Ishtar shot back, her red eyes sparkling.
"You decide nothing! I'm the one responsible for maintaining order!" Ereshkigal retorted, puffing out her cheeks with pure pride.
Asia Argento smiled awkwardly, chuckling softly at the chaos while hugging a travel pillow in her lap.
Skadi and Scáthach were nearby, both silent, but there was a tension between them, as always. Scáthach kept her eyes half-closed toward the window, while Skadi flipped through a winter fashion magazine.
"I hope this trip has more fights than sightseeing," Scáthach murmured, with that almost predatory smile.
"For the sake of your sanity, I hope there's an onsen. And that you decide to have fun for the first time in your eternity," Skadi shot back, not lifting eyes from the magazine.
Kazuya pursed his lips hearing all of them bickering. Fortunately, he had rented the entire train for the trip to Kyoto, which meant, besides them, there was no one else on board. And that, honestly, was a relief.
A bit of peace... finally.
Almost a week had passed since he achieved one of his goals of stealing two Longinus for himself.
And since acquiring [Telos Karma] and [Innovate Clear], he had dedicated nearly all his time to intense training with both. The effort paid off: not only had he achieved the Balance Breaker of both Sacred Gears, but he also surpassed the limit of [Alphecca Tyrant], reaching the advanced stage known as Balance Breaker: Abyss Side.
With a master like Scáthach, who knew how to deliver hellish training, and a legion of powerful Servants willing to provide him with real battles full of blood, pain, and sweat, that breakthrough was just a matter of effort and determination.
According to Azazel, the possibilities of Balance Breaker are divided into three main categories. The majority, including Subspecies variations, fall under the so-called Crest Side. The Crest Side is considered a form of empowerment, an evolution to the point of transformation, where the wielder and the Sacred Gear mutually affirm each other with pride.
But upon surpassing this stage, by fully merging with the power of the Sacred Gear and embracing the ego of both parts, the feared Abyss Side is born—a state where the boundary between user and weapon dissolves.
Finally, there's the X Side, a type of Balance Breaker so irregular and unpredictable that it doesn't fit into any other category. Its manifestations vary so absurdly that they're classified as exceptions among exceptions.
Basically, the Abyss Side represented absolute mastery over one's Balance Breaker, a state achieved by those who, dissatisfied with the initial form, sought to go even further. It was the result of complete fusion between the user and their Sacred Gear, taking it to a new transformation far beyond its natural limits.
And he had already reached this stage with [Alphecca Tyrant], and now he was dangerously close to achieving the same with his two new Longinus, [Telos Karma] and [Innovate Clear].
According to his Shishou, he was "absurdly talented" in this regard, to the point that, even without any advantage granted by [Fate Gacha], he would still be considered a remarkable force in this world. A monster by his own merit.
And coming from someone like Scáthach, that wasn't a compliment... it was a fact.
Speaking of which, Scáthach had returned about four days ago. According to her own words, she found a Land of Shadows in this world, though far inferior to the one she knew from her origin. Still, the most surprising thing was discovering that this local version was directly connected to the Dimensional Rift.
The Dimensional Rift, or Dimensional Gap, is the empty space that separates the three great worlds: Earth, Heaven, and Underworld. An absolute void, without time or space, where natural laws practically don't exist. In the original story, he remembered well, the Khaos Brigade used the Dimensional Rift as a route for their secret movements.
It was also the birthplace of Ophis, the Infinite Dragon God.
Originally, the Dimensional Rift was her home... until it was taken by Great Red, the Apocalypse Dragon.
It was said that nothing could survive in that place without the protection of magic, demonic power, or some equivalent force. Any living being that entered unprotected would be destroyed in seconds, consumed by the very "nothingness" that made up the Dimensional Rift.
Learning this was a pleasant surprise.
Scáthach had claimed the Land of Shadows in this world for herself, even if it was just a pale imitation of the original. Still, that territory now belonged to her, and with it came something even more valuable: direct access to the Dimensional Rift.
This opened doors.
Literally.
With this connection, she now had a route to the domain where Great Red resided, a rare and dangerous opportunity, but perfect for some of the plans he quietly harbored. Plans that, sooner or later, would require a meeting with the Apocalypse Dragon.
And now, she had a path.
But setting that aside...
Salter and Jalter had also successfully returned from the mission he had assigned them. The plan was simple: try to establish contact with the members of the Hero Faction and, who knows, bring them to his side.
Well... that was the original plan.
But, as he suspected, Cao Cao had his own ambitions, and they were quite different.
A direct descendant of the legendary historical hero, Cao Cao carried not only the name but also the conviction that it was his responsibility to destroy Demons, Fallen Angels, and Dragons—entities that, according to him, posed an existential threat to humanity. And as if that weren't enough, he was born with one of the most powerful Sacred Gears: the True Longinus. With it, he firmly believed he was chosen by the world itself to become humanity's true hero, alongside his comrades.
Like his ancestor, he had a gift for recognizing talent, especially among humans with Sacred Gears, and considered them valuable resources. However, his focus was clear: only humans. The Hero Faction didn't accept supernatural creatures in its ranks. For Cao Cao, the purpose of his faction was to test the limits of human potential, facing those who ruled in the heavens and hells on equal or better terms, from the bottom up.
His goals, at their core, weren't so different.
Both wanted to protect humanity, test its limits, and challenge the structures of the supernatural world. But, unlike Cao Cao, Kazuya didn't believe the solution lay in the complete annihilation of everything beyond human.
If that were his desire, he could have started long ago, from the moment he decided to protect people. Power and means were not lacking.
Not that he was claiming to be morally superior to the wielder of the strongest Longinus. Far from it. But the truth was, sooner or later, a conflict between the two was inevitable.
And, well… it happened.
According to what Salter and Jalter reported, Cao Cao made it clear he had no intention of becoming subordinate to anyone or even forming an alliance with someone who was friendly with Fallen Angels...
Well... as expected from someone who calls himself the Hero of the World.
But the real trouble started with Heracles, the descendant of the legendary Greek hero who, by irony of fate (or pure ego), bore the exact same name. He had the brilliant idea of belittling the two.
Two Servants who, by the way, weren't exactly known for their patience.
The result? An inevitable confrontation.
The Hero Faction, so confident at first, ended up retreating in a hurry or, as Jalter described with a cruel smile, "ran with their tails between their legs."
But... how exactly did this count as a victory还没
System: victory?
Well, the two had managed to capture Leonardo, the wielder of the Longinus [Annihilation Maker]. According to Jalter, it was a gift for him. She said she knew of his interest in it and decided to act on her own.
And what did Kazuya do about it?
In reality, he didn't have much personal interest in that Sacred Gear itself... but he also couldn't deny the absurd and dangerous potential it held. After all, the Annihilation Maker was one of the thirteen original Longinus, widely recognized as one of the biggest bugs in the Sacred Gear system, a weapon with world-scale power, perfectly capable of bringing the world to collapse if it fell into the wrong hands.
Known as the Creator of Annihilation, the Annihilation Maker granted its user the ability to create a virtually infinite number of creatures from shadows, shaped by their own imagination. The more creative and productive the user, the more powerful and diverse these creations became.
These creatures could even inherit specific abilities based on the type of being summoned—dragons, chimeras, golems, whatever. And, as if that weren't enough, the user could freely modify their abilities, as long as their mind could imagine the alteration.
Yes, definitely... a power he couldn't simply ignore.
Besides, the idea of recruiting him as a subordinate seemed good on paper—Leonardo had remarkable talent and a Longinus of absurd power. But Kazuya couldn't ignore the boy's past.
In the original story of High School DxD, Leonardo went through cruel situations. He was just a child, thrown into a world of violence, used as a tool of war. And perhaps that was why Kazuya would never be like Cao Cao.
He couldn't and wouldn't use a mere child as an instrument for his own ends.
It might be hypocrisy. Maybe even selfishness.
But at that moment, he chose to give the boy something no one else offered: a normal life. A happy life.
So, he erased his memories related to the supernatural world, arranged for a decent family to adopt him, enrolled him in a regular school, and ensured he had friends, laughter, and playtime—everything a child his age should have.
An ending that didn't seem grandiose. But for Leonardo, it was freedom.
And for him, that was enough.
Let them think what they wanted.
If they called him boring, a hypocrite, or even a villain disguised as a hero, justifying his actions by claiming he "took another Longinus for himself"...
He really didn't care.
He never cared about the opinions of others, especially those who only knew how to judge from afar without understanding what went on behind the scenes. If there was one thing Kazuya was learning more and more, it was that doing the right thing didn't always look right in the eyes of others.
In the end, the world he wanted to protect wasn't built on applause but on tough choices.
And if that meant carrying one more burden on his shoulders, so be it.
So yes, he stole Leonardo's Longinus. That happened about three days ago.
But back to the matter with the Hero Faction...
Cao Cao already knew about his alliance with the Fallen Angels, after all, that alliance had become public, along with his unexpected alliance with the Angels. In normal times, this would seem like a contradiction... but the supernatural world was far from normal lately.
In recent days, he had met with Azazel a few more times, usually to discuss Sacred Gears or simply to endure another surprise visit from Vali, who seemed determined to make "random duels" part of the routine.
He also spent some time in Heaven, alongside Gabriel, handling matters related to the alliance. Diplomacy, protocol, information exchange, and... some more personal conversations.
Alliance stuff, he supposed.
None of this pleased Cao Cao, of course. But pleasing the leader of the Hero Faction was never part of his plans.
Besides that, between daily commitments, intense training sessions, political matters, and leisure time with his Servants, he carried on with his routine calmly.
Still, there was something he had been deliberately avoiding.
He hadn't used his daily rolls in the [Fate Gacha].
Not out of carelessness, quite the opposite. He wanted to let them accumulate for a whole month. All this to make the most of his probability manipulation ability, which he was still training, ensuring that when he finally decided to spin [Fate Gacha], he would get exactly what he wanted.
The train slowed down gently, the lights of Kyoto Station appearing ahead. A female voice announced over the loudspeaker:
"We are arriving at Kyoto Station. Please ensure you take all your belongings."
Kazuya stood up, his eyes gleaming.
"We're here."
Artoria Lancer rose beside him, adjusting her navy-blue coat.
"Finally. I was getting bored."
Jalter snapped her fingers.
"Great. I want to know who I'll have to break this time."
Asia stood up with the travel pillow in her lap, smiling.
"Let's... let's do our best!"
Ishtar huffed.
"Of course we will. And I'm choosing the hotel afterward."
"YOU'RE NOT—" Ereshkigal began, but Kazuya raised his hand, interrupting.
"Argue later. First, let's get off in Kyoto."
Without waiting for a response, Kazuya stepped off first, feeling the immediate heat of the asphalt and the distant scent of aged wood mixed with cherry blossoms and incense smoke, the unmistakable aroma of Kyoto from his first life...
The sun shone brightly over the traditional rooftops, and soon after, the rest of the group disembarked in sequence.
The group crossed the bustling Kyoto Station platform. The cloudless blue sky made the heat even more intense, and the scent of aged wood mixed with the fragrance of flowers lingered in the air.
Kazuya adjusted the light jacket over his shoulders and checked his phone.
"The car's already waiting. Let's go."
Artoria Lancer walked beside him, her steps firm and posture impeccable.
"I want a hot bath as soon as we get there..."
"And wine..." Salter added in a dry tone, hands in her coat pockets.
"You're predictable!" Jalter huffed, carrying her small backpack slung over her shoulder. "I want to know if this hotel has video games or not..."
Ishtar followed close behind, her eyes scanning the busy streets while already getting distracted by accessory shop windows.
"I expect a decent suite, Kazuya. Don't even think about booking a standard room for me."
"No one here is staying in a standard room. And Jeanne, the hotel is five stars, it has everything you could imagine..." he said, shrugging.
Asia quickened her pace beside Ereshkigal, hugging her travel pillow.
"Have you all... been to Kyoto before?"
Ereshkigal smiled faintly.
"The master has... But this is our first time..."
While the two chatted, Skadi walked silently beside Scáthach, who didn't even bother hiding her bored expression.
"I hope the food's good," the winter goddess commented, distracted.
"If it's not, we can make the owner serve his soul on a plate," Scáthach murmured, her tone half-joking, half-dangerously sincere.
Minutes later, the group left the station and settled into the black vans waiting for them. The driver, a middle-aged man, gave a respectful nod before navigating Kyoto's streets.
Inside the car, the atmosphere was calmer. Kazuya watched the city pass by the window while Artoria rested her head on his shoulder.
"Want to go out later, or should we stay at the hotel?" she asked, closing her eyes.
"Rest first. Then we'll decide..." he replied softly.
Arriving at the hotel, a luxurious five-star building with a modern facade and traditional details, the receptionists greeted them with bows and restrained smiles, immediately noticing the unusual group.
"Good afternoon, welcome to Hōraikan. The suites are ready..." the manager announced, handing over the access cards.
Kazuya took them all, distributing them quickly.
"Artoria with me. The others can pair up as they prefer..."
"Obviously, I'll stay in my room with you later," Ishtar said with a wink.
"Me too," Jalter said, crossing her arms.
"Tch..." Salter turned her face away but didn't protest.
Ereshkigal and Asia exchanged glances.
"I'll stay with Asia..." Ereshkigal said with a half-smile and a slightly jealous look. But since it was her turn with the master yesterday, today was someone else's turn.
"All right!" Asia smiled, relieved.
Skadi approached Scáthach.
"Sharing with me, or would you rather sleep on the terrace like a stray dog?"
"Doesn't matter, as long as you don't snore..." the master replied, not looking.
The group headed up to their rooms.
Kazuya entered the main suite with Artoria. The space was roomy, with discreet tatami mats, minimalist decor, and a wide view of Kyoto's skyline.
"Finally, some peace..."
Artoria pulled him by the collar, smiling faintly.
"For now..."
He laughed.
And outside, the sun continued to shine steadily over Kyoto, as if the world out there was just a detail.
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(A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry I didn't post a chapter yesterday. I caught a pretty bad cold, I've got a fever and a headache, so I couldn't write very well. I'm still not fully recovered, and this chapter might not have turned out exactly the way I wanted.
About the story: I know Kazuya's pretty overpowered in this world, but since I'm planning to involve ExE later on, things won't be that simple. I'm also thinking about giving him the Second Magic so he can travel between worlds, like to Tensura or the original Fate universe. What do you guys think? Of course, it's something for the future, but I'd love to hear your opinions!)
________
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