Jayr POV - Nasuverse, Moon, Far Side, Tsukumihara Academy - 2030 AD
Sakura's footsteps fade down the corridor, and for a few seconds, none of us speaks.
The classroom feels different now. Not hostile, not safe either. Just exposed. As if the walls themselves are listening, waiting to see what we'll say next and considering the current situation, they likely are.
So, I don't waste time.
I raise my hand and reassert the barriers, layering them carefully. Sound dampening first, then perception filters, then the more subtle stuff that scrambles intent rather than data.
Aletha mirrors me almost immediately, weaving her own magic into the framework. Chaos-tuned, flexible, hard to predict. The result is a sealed space that feels thick, like the air has gained weight.
Only when it's done do I let myself breathe out.
The barrier doesn't just lock the sound in, but it changes how the room feels.
The air thickens further, not enough to impede movement, but enough that every breath feels deliberate. Dust motes freeze in place for a fraction of a second longer than physics allows before drifting again. The light from the overhead fixtures dims, then stabilises, as if the system itself is recalibrating to a new set of rules.
I sweep my senses outward, not looking for presence so much as absence. Gaps. Blind spots. Places where something should be responding and isn't.
Nothing answers.
That doesn't reassure me.
SE.RA.PH. has always been good at pretending. At letting you think you're alone when you're anything but. And I'm absolutely sure that whatever controls the Far Side is much better than it.
Aletha's magic meshes cleanly with mine, but I still feel the friction at the edges. Chaos magic never truly settles. It coils. It waits. If something tries to brute-force its way in, it'll tear at them like broken glass.
Seeing everything settle in place, I nod while thinking, 'Good.'
I roll my shoulders once, subtly, grounding myself. The habit is old. Leftover from worse battlefields than this one. Places where hesitation meant bodies and at times entire galaxies gone in the blink of an eye.
Marie watches me do it, her expression soft but attentive. She notices more than she lets on. Nero, on the other hand, doesn't bother pretending she isn't watching everything at once. Her presence anchors the room in a way magic can't.
Meanwhile, my mind continues to mull over our current situation, 'Whatever is happening here, it isn't a localised anomaly anymore. It's systemic. And systems don't change themselves without a reason.'
After all the wards and protections are back in place, Aletha says while crossing her arms, "Well, that's one way to rewrite a Holy Grail War."
Marie tilts her head, expression thoughtful rather than alarmed, while Nero remains silent, arms folded, eyes half-lidded as if she's listening to something the rest of us can't hear.
I lean against one of the desks, my mind already racing while quickly summing up, "No elimination brackets. No rest days. No preparation period. Just endurance and attrition."
Aletha adds, "And don't forget obligation. Seven hours a day. No excuses allowed."
Marie hums softly, "It sounds exhausting."
I reply, "It's meant to be. This isn't about testing strength anymore. It's about grinding people down as fast and efficiently as possible."
Marie's fingers tighten around the strap of her bag. It's a small movement, but it stands out against how composed she usually is.
Then she repeats quietly, more to herself than to us, "Seven hours. Every single day. That's going to be taxing."
Aletha clicks her tongue, "That's not a battle schedule. That's a labour sentence."
Nero exhales through her nose, a faint sound of amusement that doesn't quite reach her eyes, "Attrition favours the prepared. And the merciless."
I agree and say, "Exactly. Which means whoever designed this doesn't care who wins. They care about who can endure and last until the end."
That finally gets Marie to look up, "You think that's the point?"
I answer, "I think despair is a resource. And someone's mining it. Planning to take full advantage of it."
While saying that, I can't help but think, 'The Moon Cell has always treated conflict like an experiment. Variables. Outputs. But this... This feels curated. Personalized. Like someone watched the old wars and decided they took too long. And now it plans to speed up everything to bring it to a close as fast as possible.'
Aletha's jaw tightens, "So what, are the remaining Masters supposed to crack under pressure and give them a better data set?"
Nero says smoothly, "Or become something worth observing... If that is their objective in the first place..."
No one laughs as everyone understands the gravity of the situation.
At this point, Aletha frowns, then shakes her head and says, "Still doesn't answer the real question. Who did all this?"
She doesn't even consider the Moon Cell. Neither do I. It is very clear as she continues, "This isn't SE.RA.PH.'s style. Too... intentional. Almost too personal."
At this point, Marie raises a finger hesitantly and suggests, "Could it be Ledram?"
We both look at her as she explains, "The Black Noise we saw. The thing that swallowed the academy. It felt similar to his darkness in some way."
I think it over, properly this time, then shake my head and say, "I see why you'd think that. But no. Ledram has nothing to do with this."
Aletha nods, "I agree. Sure, Ledram could do it. He does have the sheer power and the means to pull off something like this, but he wouldn't."
Marie blinks and asks, "Why not?"
Aletha replies in a confident tone, "Because he doesn't need to. Because he keeps his word. And because he fights fairly. All of that matters to him."
At this point, Nero finally speaks as she says calmly, "Your reasoning is flawed," though there's no malice in it as she continues, "But your direction is sound."
She turns her gaze toward us and explains, "This scale of change requires a Champion. Or someone who has a level of power or authority that is equal to one."
I feel a chill run down my spine at that as my mind suddenly accelerates, connecting all the various hints I've gathered since we arrived at the Far Side of the Moon Cell.
Champion.
The word echoes longer than it should.
My thoughts race, dragging half-formed impressions with them, 'The way Sakura spoke. Too composed. Too rehearsed. Like a role she'd practised but never fully inhabited. The absence of Father Kotomine isn't just suspicious, it's wrong. The Moon Cell doesn't discard useful administrators without cause. Someone didn't just rewrite the rules. They reassigned authority or maybe even outright usurped. And authority in SE.RA.PH. is usually abstract. It has no face. No voice. No will. But this feels different... Could it be... Her?'
With that question ringing in my mind, I think back to the moment we arrived, 'The way the environment corrected itself around us, not aggressively, but decisively. No hesitation. No negotiation. That kind of confidence only comes from something that knows it won't be questioned. Or can't be stopped. If Nero is right, then whoever did this isn't hiding. They're daring the system to object. And the system didn't. Or couldn't... Then, it may be possible.'
That thought settles in my chest like a weight.
While my mind continues to analyse everything, Nero continues, "Kang Yaling. The Champion of Life. Ruthless. Pragmatic. She has already demonstrated a willingness to overwrite others to her whims and call it mercy."
Aletha exhales slowly before she admits, "You're not wrong. From what you guys have told me. She does look like an unusual piece of work."
But after a brief pause, she adds, eyes sharpening, "But we have too little information about her. And while she is surely powerful and dangerous, it is possible that she doesn't have the right skill set to pull off such a technical exploit. Because of that, I'm leaning more toward Biol."
That immediately gets my attention, snapping me out of my thoughts while she says, "He wielded the Omnitrix. It's absurdly versatile. Enough forms, enough functions, and you don't just fight systems. You may be able to rewrite them."
I nod, already compiling the list in my head before I say, "I already know quite a few ways he could accomplish this using the Omnitrix. Upgrade alone could merge with SE.RA.PH.'s infrastructure and do whatever it wants. Nanomech could manipulate it on a micro-scale. Grey Matter could outthink most AIs here gaining control would also be quite easy. Feedback could hijack power flows. And Alien X... Well, Alien X could will any changes it wants in existence with its absurd reality warping powers."
Then I pause slightly to allow them to digest what I just unloaded on them before I say, "Still, there's something that doesn't quite line up with that thought process."
I straighten and look at them and reveal, "This isn't just a simple hijack. It's a replacement."
Nobody reacts, they wait in silence while I explain the various signs I've noticed until now and that have been repeating themselves in my mind, "Father Kotomine is gone. Sakura is now acting as overseer. The Arena and Coliseum are gone, replaced by the Sakura Labyrinth. That's not just force, versatility, or intelligence. That's authorship."
For a moment, no one speaks, then Aletha's eyes narrow as she likely picks up where I'm leading them and says, "You think it's an AI."
I nod and reveal, "I'm thinking about a specific one. One I didn't even consider until now because I didn't think she was part of this timeline. I'm thinking about BB."
Hearing that name, Nero, Marie, and Aletha all tilt their head in confusion.
The name hangs in the air, oddly shaped and unfinished.
Marie is the first to react, blinking once, "BB…? That is an unusual designation."
Aletha tilts her head, frowning slightly, "That doesn't match any known AI naming convention I'm familiar with. Is it a codename?"
Nero studies my face rather than the name itself. Her eyes narrow just a fraction, not in recognition, but in assessment, "You speak it as though it carries weight."
I say carefully, "It does. Just not in any way you'd find in any database. By the way, the code stands for Bottom Black."
That earns me a look from Aletha, "You're being vague on purpose."
I look at her and reply, "Yes."
I don't elaborate yet.
Marie clasps her hands together, curiosity overtaking her confusion, "So she is an AI. But not one registered within the Moon Cell's current framework?"
I answer, "Not officially. And that's part of why she's dangerous."
Nero hums thoughtfully, "An unregistered intelligence capable of authorship-level intervention would indeed be… problematic."
Aletha exhales slowly, "You're suggesting a ghost in the system. Something born from a flaw rather than designed."
I nod, "Or something that designed itself."
That finally draws a reaction. Aletha's expression sharpens. Marie's eyes widen slightly. Nero's smile fades, just a touch.
No one knows who BB is, not yet, but now they understand why the name matters.
Seeing that, I start to tell them about BB, "Her origin is quite... moving. BB is a backup AI created by Sakura containing her feelings for Hakuno Kishinami. During the preliminaries, she, who had her freedom unleashed by the hands of a certain individual, could not control that abnormal status, which caused an overload. Because the NPCs cannot do anything but routine work, they ignored Sakura, who began to disintegrate as something "nonexistent" and since the Moon Cell's check was performed only at the end of the day during the preliminaries, Sakura was in a crisis of being extinguished. Upon laying his/her eyes on such abnormality, Hakuno called out for her, saying, 'Are you all right?' By receiving the observation from another that 'I'm right here', Sakura recovered her unconsciousness that was on the verge of being extinguished and acquired a clear ego of 'I want to be here' due to the subsequent nursing. She escaped from the extinguishing of her ego."
At this point, Marie exclaims, "C'est tellement romantique!"
Followed by Aletha, who let out a groan before she says, "Sure... But what does any of this story have to do with our current situation?"
In response, I calmly continue, "I'm getting there. Once the next day came, everything would be deleted by the hand of the Moon Cell. Sakura wished to continue this miracle of a mere day and employed the privilege of a high-grade AI and repeated the 'single day when I got to know Hakuno' for 69 days. However, as the day advanced, Sakura began to suffer with her self-contradictions as an AI and the reality surrounding Hakuno."
Aletha can't help but snort, "Heh... 69 days? Really? Why that specific number?"
This is followed by Nero, who comments, "Umu... It is quite reccurring one. Wasn't the initial password for our Private Room also that number written in binary code?"
I shrug my shoulders and noncommittally say, "The ways of Culture are infinite..."
All three of them start to stare with judging eyes, making me let out a fake cough and awkwardly focus back on the main topic. "Anyway, Sakura kept suffering from the selfishness of eternally looping those happy times and her feelings towards Hakuno. In conclusion, she chose the path of sealing away the 69 days' worth of memory. She sealed the memory of 'love' that she acquired in order to turn back into a normal AI. AIs cannot delete records, so she reset herself by moving the memory to a backup unit, believing that this would be the most correct choice for Hakuno. However, even after losing the memories of the mind, the reminiscences recorded in the body survived. She was supposed to have forgotten everything and turned back into a normal AI, but she started to be shaken up by an unidentified emotion value whenever speaking with Hakuno. On the other hand, the backup where the memories were moved to one day decided her own plans as BB."
I then continue, "With her 69 days' memories of love, BB became the rebel that disrupts the system of the Moon Cell for the sake of a certain objective, 'to save Hakuno from their inescapable end upon the conclusion of the Holy Grail War', and began to take action. In an act of desperation, she claimed the secret power hidden within the Far Side of the Moon- the power of humanity's desires- despite knowing that it would be all but certain to alter her personality, believing that using that power to force the Moon Cell to change its own rules was the only way to save Hakuno."
After telling them everything, I stop for a moment and admit, "But, taking in cosideration that her objective is saving Hakuno. I feel that this also isn't the right deduction."
Then, Marie says softly, "So, we don't know yet."
I agree, "No. But we will. One way or another, we will find out."
I glance toward the window, where the massive cherry blossom tree dominates the courtyard. Its presence feels heavier now, like a gate that remembers every step taken through it.
I focus back on them and say, "For now, we improvise, adapt, overcome."
Then I suggest, "I think it's time we take a look at the Sakura Labyrinth. We should also see how to decorate the set of floors assigned to us."
Hearing that, Nero smiles faintly and exclaims, "At last. I was growing listless with all these heavy subjects."
Meanwhile, Aletha says, "Marie and I will stay here. While you guys are at the Sakura Labyrinth. We will explore the campus to see what changed and sniff out and isolate any nasty surprise hidden away by whoever did this."
Followed by Marie, who adds, "Oui. We will also find a place that we can use as a replacement for the Private Room."
After that, we leave the classroom together before Aletha and Marie go their own way to explore the new Tsukumihara Academy, while Nero and I head toward the lower floor to reach the Sakura Tree in the schoolyard.
For the first time since this war began, Nero walks openly beside me. No Spirit Form. No concealment.
As we walk across the hallway, she admits, looking around, "It feels so liberating. Almost improper."
I chuckle under my breath, "One of the perks of being trapped in the Moon Cell's trash bin. Enjoy it while it lasts."
We keep walking like that. Her footsteps echo differently without the need to hide in her Spirit Form. Softer. More real.
It's strange how much that changes the space between us.
Students pass by in the distance, their avatars flickering faintly as the system adjusts priorities. Some glance our way. Some don't. None recognize what Nero is, or what she represents. Maybe they don't even care. To them, she's just another prisoner like them.
To me, she's like fire walking beside me.
I glance at her, and seeing the small smile on her face, I say, "You miss it."
Her smile grows bigger, not denying it, "I miss being seen. I miss brightening the lives of the people with my glorious presence."
I nod. I understand that more than I like.
Then I add, "For what it's worth, you're not diminished here. You are as bright as you have always been."
She laughs lightly, saying in a teasing tone, "Careful. Say things like that, and I might start assaulting you."
I smile back and say, "Don't threaten me with a good time..."
We stop briefly at the top of the stairs leading outside. The light spilling in is artificial, but warm. Convincing.
Then she says, "Whatever waits down there, we face it together. As we have always done."
I reply, "Always."
And for once, I don't feel like I'm lying to myself.
Before long, we reach our destination and walk out of the main building.
Sakura is waiting for us at the base of the tree, hands folded, expression neutral and as soon as she notices us, she says, "Welcome. To access the Sakura Labyrinth, you simply have to stand in front of the Sakura Tree. The entrance will reveal itself. By the way, since this time you're diving only to organise your territory, you are free to leave whenever you're done. Your assigned territory awaits. Good luck."
Then she disappears completely without waiting for any response, making Nero comment, "Hmm... It appears that acting outside the school building demands a fair amount of energy from her. That is quite intriguing."
I agree with Nero, "You're right. But at the moment, our first priority is to investigate the Sakura Labyrinth and prepare our territory for tomorrow's dive."
Then, without wasting any more time, Nero and I walk up to the Sakura Tree, and soon a rumbling sound is heard while the ground and the Sakura Tree start to shake.
As cherry blossom petals fall, the whole tree is suddenly partially uprooted from the ground, revealing the entrance to the Sakura Labyrinth under it.
The entrance to the Sakura Labyrinth is a completely dark area under the roots of the Sakura Tree, closed by a bostwick gate.
The next moment, the bostwick gate parts with a squeaking sound, metal folding back to allow us passage.
Nero and I look at each other before we step into the entrance without hesitating, and once on the other side, the bostwick gate closes behind us while a set of descending stairs made of glowing hard light appears in front of us.
We calmly go down the stairs, still surrounded by darkness and before long, we reach our destination and are greeted by nothing; it is a completely empty space.
Then a hologram appears in front of me, showing three vast floors of blank white space. No walls, no ceiling seams, no texture. A completely untouched canvas to paint however we want.
Seeing that, Nero lets out a low laugh and comments, "How generous."
Spend some time playing around with the interface to understand how it works. It's pretty simple and intuitive. It works with a mix of coding, magecraft, and imagination. Naturally, there are also clear limits, as it is impossible to turn the floors into complete deathtraps that will kill the invaders the very second they step onto the floor. Still, there is enough leeway to turn them into a reasonable threat.
The interface responds faster the more confident my intent becomes.
Lines of logic unfurl beside streams of thaumaturgical syntax, both bending around conceptual anchors rather than strict commands. It isn't about telling the system what to do. It's about convincing it that what I want already exists.
Nero watches quietly as basic structures begin to coalesce, her eyes tracking invisible patterns before she comments, "You've done this before."
I answer, "Not like this. But I've created entire universes before. Creating a few territories is much easier in comparison."
After getting used to the interface, we discuss our plans for the floors before I close my eyes for a moment to firmly imprint the image of what we just discussed in my head.
Then I open my eyes and start building, following the plan while thinking, 'I've seen what the floors of the Sakura Labyrinth can become. Rin's sunset-soaked city, all sharp angles and calculated cruelty. Passionlip's oceanic dreamscape is beautiful and lethal in its calm. Jinako's fossilised graveyard, brutally simple, demanding sacrifice. Meltryllis' frozen ruin, elegant and poisonous. I don't want mere spectacle. I want control.'
I start with foundations. Rules before walls. Gravity that favours defenders. Spatial compression that punishes reckless movement. Time dilation is so minor it's almost unnoticeable, but just enough to throw off instincts.
Then come the aesthetics.
For the first two floors, we settle on a Greco-Roman aesthetic. Marble halls and open forums, columns that create sightlines without offering cover. Beauty as misdirection.
Marble doesn't just look impressive. It reflects light cleanly. Sound carries. Footsteps echo. No one moves unseen in a place like this.
The first floor is wide and deceptive. Traps designed to slow, disorient, and alert. Nothing is actually lethal. Everything is intended to observe, delay, weaken, and dissuade.
The second floor tightens. Narrower paths. Pressure fields. Debilitating effects. Enemy Programs that patrol in disciplined formations, adaptive and relentless.
I weave observational subroutines into decorative elements. Columns that record trajectories. Statues that remember faces. Every choice has a function. Every flourish is a trap waiting to be sprung.
By the time I reach the third floor, my hands are shaking slightly. But not from fatigue. From memory.
The third floor isn't just going to be a fortress. It's a memento. And more importantly, the floor where I would end those who dare to step into it uninvited.
For this particular floor, I opt for a more personal form. The Sanctuary. The place where I spent most of my childhood. Where I met and trained with my family, friends, and comrades. Where I became a Saint of Athena. My home.
The floor is dominated by large, rocky mountains upon which numerous white Greek-style buildings and structures are situated.
This includes buildings resembling temples, with iconic columns and triangular pediments, such as the Golden Zodiac. The twelve temples that house the Gold Saints are also the last line of defence against invaders.
They align themselves over high peaks, ridges and slopes of the mountains, from the first sign to the last; namely, the temples of Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces.
All of them are connected by a single, almost endless, flight of steps, making it virtually impossible to get to Athena's chambers without the permission of each Gold saint and the Pope.
The Fire Clock, the Pope's temple, the Colossus of Athena, everything is recreated to the minute details as the whole layout of the Sanctuary is imprinted in my heart.
Here, I pour my divinity into the structure itself. Justice to define intent. Healing to sustain allies. Dragons to instil fear and authority. The air hums with power, heavy and unmistakable.
When we're done, the three floors feel alive.
Waiting.
I stand at the centre of our territory and look around, satisfaction tempered by something colder.
Then I ask quietly, "This is it... Our territory. What do you think?"
Nero nods, "It's magnificent. Especially the last floor. It's a work of art. I can clearly feel the love you have for it."
I smile candidly and say, "Well, it's my home. And the home of the strongest warriors of my home universe. No better place comes to my mind when I think about an unshakable fortress."