Edward sighed as the inferno roared toward him. The sound cut clean through the field — a heat wave that melted asphalt and singed air. He looked up once, eyes flat.
"Seriously, what a drag." He said, like he was commenting on the weather.
Karna and Connor flinched at the calm in his voice. Ace, still trembling, stared at him with wet eyes.
Edward turned toward them, grinned, and then spoke in a way that made both of the kids gulp.
"Hey kid's , wanna see some dead bodies?"
They both shook their heads so fast it was obvious they meant it. Edward shrugged like he expected the answer.
"It's not optional I'm afraid." He chuckled.
The way he said it put weight in the air. Up close, Edward did not look like a joke. His grin stretched, but it cut into the scene like a promise. The mood changed. His laugh stopped feeling casual. It sank into the ground with them.
Then his expression shifted. The place went quiet in the way sea fall silent before a storm. A blood red aura enveloped Edward's body.
If before his aura was that of a dreadful repulsion, now it felt like pressure — heavy, cold, as if death was staring at you.
"If we are going to fight, let's make it a bloody one!" he said. He smiled wide like a man about to do something terrifying.
The world around them changed.
The moon turned red, slowly at first, then bright as a wound. The ground trembled. Eyes opened in the earth. Endless black eyes with fangs, not metaphorical. They looked real and hungry, staring up through cracks in the dust. The sight was ugly and bone chilling. It was as if something crawled under your skin.
Connor's stomach rolled. He had to look away. Ace managed to hold her ground longer, but even she swallowed hard.
Lex lost his face for half a second. He had authority, plans, machines, and yet his breath hitched.
"Caster, I strongly suggest you retreat before this escalates further." Lex said, voice tight. The command had the edge of someone who was scared of losing more than anything else.
Gilgamesh didn't look scared. He sneered at Edward, but his hands were not idle. He let the contempt show and shot back with anger, not fear.
" What happened Mongrel? Are you scared ?"
Lex answered quickly, steadying himself with intellect.
" Yes, I am terrified. This fear is is something so primal, I don't think he is messing around anymore. This fight won't help us with anything. And we have another Servant watching us. It's not wise to fight here now. Our true goal is the Grail"
Gilgamesh weighed the words. Pride held on for a breath. Along with the wisdom of Sha Naqba Imuru, he also knew unless he went all out with EA , he might not defeat Ruler.
Then He gave a low growl and then made a decision.
" Very well then. I'll humor you this once."
Before anyone fully relaxed, Edward stepped in. He didn't shout. He tilted his head, disappointed as if addressing a child who wanted to skip school.
"Did I permit you guys to leave?" he asked.
He sounded almost bored, until he didn't. The flat tone folded into cold.
"I thought you would be smarter than that Goldy. If you wish to leave, why not leave your head behind as an apology for wasting my time..."
Where he looked, the ground trembled.
Shadows crawled up through the dirt, black as ink and thick with teeth. They crawled like crawling things should not, swallowing light. The smell of old blood hit the air, rotten and sharp.
Gilgamesh exploded in response. The king's voice was filled with rage.
" You dare insult me, Mongrel! I shall destroy you till there's nothing left! " He was about to summon EA and fight to death.
Lex reacted in panic and command at once. He slapped his palm to the air, and the Command Seal flared.
" With my command seal , I order you. Gilgamesh, retreat from here with me to safety immediately!"
The DC-style Command Seal was absolute. Even Gilgamesh, a king who could defy gods, had to weigh the cost. He could refuse, but the risk was not worth it; the argument with Lex would come later. For now he allowed it.
Gilgamesh glared at Lex a beat, then the two vanished in a gold flash.
The sudden absence left a silence that felt like a held breath. The shadows pulled back. The stakes that had erupted earlier sank. The eyes that had been watching slid under the dirt again, closing like shutters.
Edward watched the receding darkness with a small, annoyed sound. "What a waste of time." He muttered.
He shook it off like a man brushing dust from his shoulder. Then he looked at Connor and Ace.
He shrugged, as if he had nothing better to do and everything in the world was small.
"Well, I'm off to take another enthusiastic walk through the woods. Scratch that, let's fly." He said, casual as ever.
He glanced at Connor and Ace, looked like he was searching for the right words. He scratched his chin and nodded sagely like he found something clever to say.
"Aight kids, eat your veggies and don't do drugs ! Peace out." He flashed a V sign.
Without waiting for their reactions, he turned to leave. He changed shape in a blink, and in one instant, he was a giant bat and he was gone, folding into the night sky.
Connor and Ace stood empty-handed, watching the spot where he'd been. For a beat neither of them moved. Then Connor spoke first.
"Umm, You can stay with us for now if you want Ace. I will protect you."
His voice had a new steadiness to it. It wasn't bravado so much as resolve. Ace looked at him. The expression she had for hours, grief mixed with burning anger, shifted to something that looked like grit.
"I want to kill Lex. He ruined my life, and now killed my only friend...." She said. The words came out raw. Her fingers curled into a fist and she ground them into her palms to stop shaking.
"Until this war ends ,we can work together. " Her words were simple, but they were filled with determination.
Connor deflated a little, a nervous laugh hiding pain. "Oh yeah. Alright."
Karna moved then . "We should head back now."
The three turned and walked away from the wasteland toward the base. Their steps were slow at first, measured by the shock. They kept their heads down, thinking of what they'd lost and what they still had to do.
They reached the shelter, a simple, patched-up place the mages had arranged. Karna walked ahead and settled them in.
"Rest," he said plainly. "Strength returns with sleep. We fight again tomorrow."
Connor nodded and sat down. The adrenaline had begun to disappear and tiredness took over. Ace didn't say anything and just curled up in the corner, trying not to let the sadness overwhelm her. She muttered softly. "Sorry Heracles, I couldn't save you, even though you saved me."
Meanwhile Edward flew over the forest. He thought of his daughter . A part of him, the small part that kept him human, felt annoyed.
"I swear I'll spank her till she can't sit if this continent sinks." He muttered to himself, half-laughing and half-vowing real punishment.
He angled toward a distant flash on the map, the place where his daughter was now fighting a poor drunk British magician.
The sky was still hot above Valhalla City. The war kept going. Men and gods burned and bled and made choices.
Down on the plain, Karna watched the horizon for a long time. Connor finally closed his eyes. Ace cleaned up and rested as well.
The night was not over. They had survived a handful of deaths and a handful more were sure to come. But for a moment they had a place to breathe before stepping forward again.
*****
The war in Valhalla City didn't burn in one place alone. While Edward clashed with Gilgamesh, another storm of violence unfolded further east, tearing through a district already hollowed by abandoned skyscrapers and empty streets.
The night split into two fronts. One was a battle of pure magic and muscle: Constantine struggling against Cassie. The other was the clash of legends: Achilles against Arjuna, two heroic spirits whose very existence warped the battlefield.
Constantine's lungs were burning. His boots skidded across the broken asphalt as a crater bloomed where he'd been standing seconds ago.
Cassie landed lightly at the center of it, her lasso glowing faintly at her hip, fists radiating golden light. She was calm but relentless, every step pressing him further back.
"Bloody hell," Constantine wheezed, ducking into a ruined storefront. "Girl fights like darn tank built to tear the world apart."
Cassie called after him, voice sharp, controlled. "Stop hiding, mage. You're only delaying what's coming."
He grimaced, muttering under his breath as his fingers traced runes in the dust. "Yeah, love, that's the bloody point." He slapped the floor, and shadows crawled upward, shaping into twisted hounds with fiery eyes.
Cassie walked forward, gaze steady. "Summons won't save you."
The first beast lunged. Cassie sidestepped, her fist snapping upward. Bone shattered, smoke exploded. She turned smoothly, lasso flashing out to cut down two more.
Constantine stumbled back as she tore through his defenses like paper. He created more distance between them.
A snap of his fingers, and three fire elementals burst from hastily drawn runes, clawing at her with tongues of flame.
She smashed through them with no hesitation, fists moving too fast for the human eye. Constantine swallowed hard, scratching at his cigarette with trembling fingers, not even managing to light it.
"This is not working…" he muttered under his breath, coat flaring as he rolled. "Why's it always the pretty ones who hit the hardest?"
"Cheap tricks," she said, shaking ash from her knuckles. "Is that all you have?"
"Oi, these cheap tricks kept me alive till now," Constantine shot back, dragging on a cigarette he'd somehow lit mid-chaos. "And trust me, I'm very invested in staying alive."
Cassie lunged again. Constantine cursed, diving for cover as a fist cratered the wall behind him. He threw out a talisman, glyphs exploding into chains of fire around her arms.
For a moment, Cassie strained, caught.
Then with one flex, the bindings snapped. Flames scattered like sparks in a storm.
Constantine froze. "Bloody hell.
she broke through like it was nothing. Who the hell is she !"
Cassie advanced again, her eyes hard but not cruel. "Why do you keep resisting? You're not a match for me. I'm trying to not blow up the city. But if you keep standing in my way, I won't hold back."
Constantine flicked ash, forcing a smirk. "Story of my life, love. Wrong place, wrong time, about to get flattened by a demi-god. At least you're easier on the eyes."
For the first time, Cassie hesitated—her lips twitching between annoyance and the urge to smirk. But she didn't break stride. She punched at his head. Constantine barely dodged and rolled away from the fist that smashed the ground into a crater.
"Right. This is gettin' out of hand." He glanced at his hand, feeling the familiar weight of darker spells pressing at the edges of his mind. Summoning an Archangel—he thought about it, seriously thought about it.
But even he knew the risks. Still, it was that or getting pulped by Wonder Woman Jr. in a bad mood.
"I better win the darn cup after all this mess." He muttered under his breath.
***
Not far from them, the real storm tore through the night.
Sparks of residual magic flickered along shattered walls, but the battle that now unfolded carried a tension all its own. Arjuna stood near a collapsed building, bow in hand, surveying the battlefield with his usual calm precision.
Achilles darted across the cracked streets like lightning, spear flashing in wide arcs. His armor glowed with the faint green aura of immortality, his shield strapped tight against his arm. Every motion was fluid, like a dancer's steps honed by war.
Each pull of Arjuna's string unleashed an arrow infused with blazing mana. They streaked across the night sky like comets, detonating with thunderous force.
Achilles laughed as he cut them down with sheer speed. Sparks flew, craters bloomed where arrows struck. "You've got precision, bow-boy! But arrows alone won't take me down!"
Arjuna's expression didn't shift. His eyes stayed cool, sharp, dissecting every move. "You are fast, Achilles. Perhaps the fastest. But speed alone cannot guarantee victory."
He loosed another volley, each arrow splitting mid-flight into a dozen more. A rain of death fell, forcing Achilles to weave and block, shield ringing under the onslaught. The hero grinned through it, the thrill of combat burning in his veins.
"Not bad!" Achilles lunged forward, spear slicing through the barrage. He closed the distance in a heartbeat, spear thrusting for Arjuna's chest.
Arjuna sidestepped smoothly, summoning a radiant blade formed from his bow. Their weapons clashed—bronze spear against divine light. Sparks exploded, the ground fracturing beneath them.
Achilles pushed harder, laughing. "Now that's what I'm talking about! Face me up close, like a real warrior!"
Arjuna's reply was steady, measured. "You mistake composure for weakness. I do not need to get closer to win."
Arjuna's eyes narrowed. With a flick of his wrist, a volley of arrows sang into the air, each one precise, each one calculating the gap between Achilles' speed and his own foresight.
Achilles twisted mid-stride, dodging, leaping, and slashing with his spear, its tip grazing the concrete where Arjuna had stood moments before.
"Fast," Arjuna noted silently, nocking another arrow. He released it, but Achilles deflected it with the back of his spear, sparks flying where metal struck magic-infused wood.
"Stronger than I expected," he added, shifting his stance, feet barely touching the ground as he danced around the incoming shots.
Achilles grinned, closing distance. "You think arrows can stop me? Let's make this interesting." He feinted a thrust to the left, then spun to strike from above. Arjuna's reflexes matched the motion, his bow spinning into a staff-like defensive position, parrying the blow with a resonant clash.
The sound echoed down the broken street, metal singing against divine-infused wood.
"You anticipate too well," Achilles muttered, recalculating. He lunged again, this time aiming low, trying to sweep Arjuna off his feet.
Arjuna leapt, spinning over the attack, releasing a flare of arrowlight toward Achilles' side. Achilles rolled through it, the light grazing his armor but leaving no mark.
"They're testing me," Achilles said, voice low and amused, more to himself than Arjuna. "I can feel it. Precision… discipline… human skill matched against demi-god reflexes."
Arjuna's response was measured. "Your speed is exceptional. But your range is limited. You are strong, yes—but even a lion can be led into a trap."
Achilles laughed, spinning in place, spear arcing through the air like a golden comet. "A trap, you say? Then let's see who traps whom." He leapt high, flipping over a toppled lamppost. Arjuna's arrow, guided by his eagle-eyed vision, grazed Achilles' shoulder, a reminder that even legends bleed.
"That's the first blood," Arjuna said softly. Not with satisfaction, but acknowledgment.
"You're serious," Achilles replied, shaking off the minor graze. "Good. I like that."
Their duel tore through the streets. Achilles pressed with relentless speed, spear thrusts a blur. Arjuna countered each one, parries and counters flowing with perfect precision. Neither yielded an inch.
For several minutes, the two circled, striking and parrying in a deadly ballet. Arjuna's arrows sang like whispers of fate, precise yet restrained, while Achilles' spear slashed and struck, exploiting any opening.
The ground between them crumbled, walls shattering under the force of their clashes, sparks of light and fragments of concrete flying in every direction.
Achilles took a moment to assess, eyes narrowing. "Your skills are impressive… but your divine presence is your source of strength. You rely on that too much."
Arjuna's hand hovered near his quiver. "I rely on foresight and technique more than divinity. That will not fail me."
Finally, Achilles stepped back, planting his spear into the ground. The air warped.
"Guess it's time to even the playing field. Let's see how you handle this!"
Achilles shouted as he launched his spear "Go Forth!
My Lance! My Conviction!
Diatrekhōn Astēr Lonkhē! "
The spear stabbed into the ground and vanished with a blinding light that made Arjuna shield his eyes.
Reality cracked. The cityscape melted away, replaced by a vast green battlefield under a burning sun. Rolling plains stretched in every direction, the air thick with heat and dust.
Achilles spread his arms, grinning. "Welcome to my stage! Diatrekhōn Astēr Lonkhē! A reality marble where gods have no power. Here, it's just us. Man against man!"
Arjuna looked around, unfazed. His voice was calm, almost bored. "Interesting. You would strip me of divinity. But you misunderstand one thing."
Achilles tilted his head. "Oh?"
Arjuna raised his weapon, eyes narrowing. "I do not need the gods to surpass you."
Achilles grinned. "Then prove it with you warriors pride."
Arjuna's calm eyes flickered, but he adjusted quickly. "Very well. Let's see who is stronger without gods or fate guiding them."
Then the clash resumed, fiercer than ever.
The first strike came without hesitation. Achilles charged with a speed that even the eye struggled to follow, fists aimed at Arjuna's torso.
Arjuna shifted, sidestepping fluidly, his own fists rising to block or redirect the blows. Every punch and strike made the ground crack, the sound ringing in the confined arena.
Achilles shot forward, faster than sound, fists thrusting in rapid succession. Arjuna matched him, each strike met with his own. The battlefield shook under the sheer speed of their exchanges.
Achilles was laughing even as sweat dripped down his brow. "You're good! Better than most I've faced! But I live for this, fighting head-to-head, no excuses!"
Arjuna's strikes grew sharper, forcing Achilles to block harder. His voice remained calm. "Your joy blinds you. A warrior who fights only for thrill is bound to fall."
"Maybe!" Achilles deflected a kick, spinning into a counter that struck Arjuna's shoulder. "But not before I show you my best!"
They clashed again, fists and feet, elbows and knees, every strike met with a calculated block or counter. The battle became a blur of golden armor and disciplined martial skill, dust and sparks rising around them as their physical blows shattered remnants of the cityscape.
Arjuna feinted left, then delivered a series of strikes aimed at Achilles' torso and ribs.
Achilles twisted, letting one punch glance off, ducking another, and finally spinning into a backhand that sent Arjuna skidding several meters back. The ground beneath Arjuna cracked, small fissures radiating outward from the force of impact.
"You rely too much on technique," Achilles said between breaths, advancing again. "Strength and speed can bypass it."
Arjuna's lips tightened. "Technique is what turns speed and strength into precision."
He lunged, using the momentum to strike Achilles' side. Achilles blocked with his forearm and headbutted him, both of them grunting as the force collided, radiating through the arena like a shockwave.
Blood dripped, but Arjuna didn't flinch. He loosed an uppercut at point-blank range. Achilles barely blocked with his guard, the blast sending him skidding back across the plain.
Achilles attempted a sweeping leg attack, trying to knock Arjuna off balance, but Arjuna leapt, spinning, and landed a blow to Achilles' shoulder, cracking armor plates.
Achilles staggered, but his grin widened.
"You're holding back," he said. "Come on, show me everything!
Arjuna's calm tone never wavered. "I do not need to. One mistake ends us both."
The two paused for a fraction of a second, breathing heavy, circling each other, fists up. Sweat and dust coated their skin. Despite exhaustion, neither showed fear. The reality inside Diatrekhōn Astēr Lonkhē was brutal, a true test of human limits.
Achilles adjusted his stance, eyes narrowing. "Fine. If you insist, I'll force your hand." He charged, faster now, a flurry of strikes that combined speed, strength, and pure martial instinct.
Arjuna countered with a fluid series of blocks and parries, each move designed to use Achilles' momentum against him.
The impact of each strike sent shockwaves across the arena, cracking stone, dislodging chunks of concrete, and leaving scorch marks from friction and energy of the collisions.
"You're strong… very strong," Achilles admitted, grunting as he was pushed back several steps by Arjuna's well-timed counter.
"You are not weak yourself," Arjuna replied, sidestepping and landing a precise blow to Achilles' midsection, twisting his ribs. Achilles staggered but caught himself on the debris, smirking.
Hours could have passed in the world outside, but inside the marble, every second was an eternity. Arjuna adjusted, timing his strikes, reading Achilles' body language. Achilles, equally skilled, used his battle-honed instincts to anticipate Arjuna's counters, feinting and striking in near-impossible rhythms.
Finally, Achilles' expression changed. He realized that despite his strength, he could not outmatch Arjuna's speed and precision with brute force alone. With a sharp grunt, he stepped back, eyes glinting with amusement and respect.
"You're good… better than I thought," Achilles said, catching his breath. "So we do this the hard way." He reached into his body's limits, muscles tensing like coiled springs, eyes sharp with resolve.
Arjuna mirrored him, bowing slightly as if acknowledging the escalation. "Then let's finish this."
Neither had magical abilities, neither had divine enhancements, and yet the intensity of their battle made the surrounding Valhalla City tremble. The dust swirled around them, chunks of concrete spinning through the air, creating a deadly obstacle field.
They locked fists in mid-air, grunting, muscles straining. Eyes met—mutual recognition of skill, respect, and sheer determination.
Achilles smirked through the pain. "Not bad, demi-god. Not bad at all."
Arjuna's expression remained calm. "Nor you, hero of Greece. This is what it means to be a warrior."
Achilles coughed up blood but grinned. " But it seems I'm reaching my limits. One last move to decide it. "
Arjuna smiled , wiping his own blood. "Very well. Let's settle this fight."
The two heroes rushed at each other with all they got left.
****
Meanwhile, Constantine was down to his last wards. He slammed another talisman into the pavement. A spectral serpent erupted, hissing as it lunged for Cassie.
She caught it by the jaws with one hand, divine strength cracking its form apart. Her golden lasso snapped forward, wrapping Constantine's arm.
She yanked, dragging him close. "You can't keep this up. Stop wasting both our time and surrender."
Constantine coughed, half-smiling despite the bruise forming on his jaw. "You know, love, if you weren't trying to kill me, I'd say you've got potential as a bloody hero."
Cassie's eyes flickered, conflicted. For a heartbeat, her fists trembled. "I'm not a hero. My dad is. I know better than being a hero. They never end up well."
Constantine paused. " Wait a minute, your dad's a hero ? Who are you really? A greek demi god.... But if your father is a Greek god, he's far from a hero I'm afraid."
He thought in his head. " With such brute strength, I won't be surprised if her dad was bloody Hercules.'
Then the ground shook again, the distant echo of Achilles and Arjuna tearing reality apart. Both of them turned briefly toward the sound as the reality marble disappeared slowly. Achilles fell to his knee while Arjuna stood bloodied, but victorius.
Achilles smiled weakly at Cassie. " Sorry master, looks like I have lost. This guy is too damn strong. This is the end of my journey it seems."
Cassie clenched her fists in anger as her divine aura started to break free. "Thank you Rider. You tried your best. If only I could help more..."
Despite knowing Achilles for only a few days, she found a friend in him. He was just like a boy version of herself. Reckless, hungry for battle, but not a savage bloodthirsty killer. She had fun hanging out with him and fighting together.
The Golden bracelets Edward crafted for Cassie to control and restrict her divinity to an acceptable level, started to crack. The mana around them started to condense and change texture. It felt more purer and ancient. Her eyes filled with light.
Constantine widened his eyes. "Oh fuck me in the arse, she's actually a full fledged goddess! What kinda shitty luck is this! Why would a goddess join the war!"
Edward who was rushing there almost fell down from the sky. "What the, is she awakening a new divine domain?"
The Grail War wasn't just one fight. It was a dozen storms colliding at once, each threatening to consume Valhalla City.
*****
Things will start heating up after this war. I have thought for a while about the length of the story. And I feel that it's better not to just drag it on , rather compress it and cover as much possible. Most of the world building and origins are already done. So it should be heading more towards the crisis stuff.
Next Arc would introduce the multiverse stuff, and then will come the blockbuster reveal in next arc. I'm particularly hyped about that one. I have been building towards that for so long after all.
Hang in there, it gets better.
Btw, guess who dies next week.... Or how many💀