Sora had just slain one of the demons that emerged with her katana, yet she didn't stop for even a second. She kept running, slashing, and stabbing every one of the Ancient One's underlings that crawled out into the city. Even within her mind, she was still battling all the confusion.
Who was behind all this? And what was their real goal? She had promised Amelia Watson that she would uncover the truth. And when she finally eliminated every demon around her, a memory flashed in her mind—the moment she awoke in the recovery room, where that very promise had been etched with the beautiful detective.
Sora remembered when she first opened her eyes to find herself staring at the ceiling of a hospital room. Her entire body was numb, and the bandages wrapped around her arms, neck, and stomach were undeniable proof of the defeat she had suffered.
The silhouette of a girl stood by the window. At first, she thought it was A-chan, but when she looked more clearly, the figure turned out to be Amelia Watson.
"I finally realized why we couldn't stop the Ancient One that day, Sora-senpai." As if sensing Sora had awakened, Ame voiced her thought.
Curious, Sora immediately asked her for an explanation.
According to Ame's analysis, on the day they fought the Ancient One, there were too many things they had to do. Aside from stopping the rampaging monster, they also had to deal with hordes of the Ancient One's minions pouring out from the portals. Not to mention the need to evacuate civilians and protect them from the onslaught of those terrifying demons.
"If it had only been a battle between the seven of us and the Ancient One, we might've had a chance to overcome it all," Ame explained.
Sora shook her head as if to say that Ame was completely wrong.
"That's not why we lost, Ame-chan. The reason was me. If only I had summoned the 13 Knights of the Round Table, maybe we could've turned the tide." Sora lowered her gaze, blaming herself.
"Not summoning the 13 Knights at that time was the right choice, Senpai. Because if you had called them… the market district—no, the entire city—might have been reduced to rubble," Ame tried to reassure Sora that her decision had been the right one.
"Besides, the Ancient One's power that time was… overwhelmingly strong. Even stronger than before."
"What do you mean?"
Sora had no idea what Ame meant by "before," because as far as she knew, this was the Ancient One's first appearance in the last thousand years.
"I've witnessed the emergence of the Ancient One hundreds of times in alternate realities. That's how I know—something is very wrong with how it appeared this time." Ame revealed her pocket watch, which functioned as her time-traveling device.
"I think I'll continue investigating this mystery in other realities. But even so, there are still some questions left to solve here. Like who's behind the appearance of those portals, and what motive lies behind resurrecting the Ancient One."
"Leave that mystery to me," Sora said with confidence.
"You don't have to worry about us here. I'll handle things in your place."
Ame smiled sweetly upon hearing those words from her Senpai. After activating her time machine portal, she glanced back at Sora over her shoulder with a small laugh.
"That's the Sora-senpai I know. Well then, I'll be going. See you later, alligator."
And with that, Ame stepped into the portal and vanished right before Sora's eyes. Not long after, the door to the room opened. There stood Iofi and Cecilia, visiting her.
And it was because of that promise—that Sora couldn't afford to keep moving blindly without answers. There was also the issue of a traitor lurking within Holocorp itself. But while she stood there, lost in thought, a figure emerged. Hoshimachi Suisei, her long-handled axe resting against her shoulder.
"Seems like this city's gone completely wild since I left," Suisei said. Hearing her voice, Sora immediately turned to her and tried to smile, though it looked a bit weary and hollow.
"Good to see you again, Sui-chan," Sora greeted her. But demons from all around had sensed their presence and began closing in, their steps threatening, their hot saliva dripping from long tongues.
"You owe me an explanation, Sora-chan," Suisei spun her axe and took a battle stance, while Sora stood back-to-back with her best friend, katana ready to strike.
"Sorry for dragging you into this mess, Sui-chan. I'll explain everything once we're back at Holocorp."
A-D-V-E-N-T
Meanwhile, the members of the Justice unit who were fighting together gave everything they had. Liz slashed down each demon with her Thorn sword, ripping, tearing, and annihilating every creature of darkness that appeared—her swordsmanship graceful and deadly. Cecilia, for her part, struck with her spear of justice, delivering blow after blow with astonishing precision. As for Gigi and Raora, the two of them worked together in perfect sync—swift and agile—as if they themselves were the very wrath of justice incarnate.
From atop a tall rooftop, Mio, Pekora, and Akirose watched the fierce battle unfold. Pekora even let out a whistle when she saw the flawless coordination between Raora and Cecilia, as they quickly wiped out five shadow demons before rushing in to assist Gigi and Liz, who were beginning to be overwhelmed.
"Wow... those Justice girls are way tougher than they look." Mio impressed with her arms crossed, observing them closely.
"You're right," Akirose replied. "But besides Justice, I sense something even more interesting... I can feel Suisei's presence nearby." Her voice carried a tinge of unease as she spoke, using her dimensional abilities to scan the surroundings. Mio and Pekora exchanged glances—both aware that one of Holocorp's top knights had just entered the battlefield at the most unexpected moment.
"Damn it, the Ancient One hasn't even shown up yet, and Holocorp already sent in their best knight-peko!" Pekora growled in frustration, ruffling her own hair.
"Heh, it doesn't change anything," Mio sneered. "Our target is the Ancient One. And when it shows up... nothing will be able to stop it." Though her words were sharp, she gripped her upper arm a little tighter without realizing it.
Unbeknownst to the three of them, in another part of the city where several Holocorp squads were engaged in battle—specifically in front of Zeta, Ayame, and Lamy—a dark portal began to open. From within it surged a terrible aura—an overwhelming presence of suffering, death, and despair—coalescing into a single dreadful being.
The Ancient One had arrived.
A-D-V-E-N-T
Black mist danced like hellish soot upon the barren land surrounding the ruins of the Time Tower—one of the ancient magic pillars now reduced to rubble. The portal remained open, gaping like a wound carved into the skin of reality. Wild energy crackled, releasing the scent of metal, rot, and something beyond the explanation of science or magic, the stench of emptiness.
Three figures stood among the shattered stones and torn dead trees from the earlier magitek explosion. Vestia Zeta, Nakiri Ayame, and Yukihana Lamy had arrived too late to seal the portal. All they could do was watch as one of the demons was pulled away by the wave of power and rescued by the backup team. Now, the three stood against an entity they had never imagined could manifest in the real world. The Ancient One.
Her form resembled a dense fog shaped into a silhouette of a robed woman floating above the ground. Upon her head hovered a golden halo-like angels ring. She had no face. But from the figure and presence alone, Zeta, Lamy, and Ayame knew it was once Ninomae Ina'nis—though the two swirling voids where her eyes once were now devoured the courage of anyone who gazed into them. Her aura of ruin radiated like gravity, pressing heavily on their chests.
"No... Ina..." Zeta whispered through tears, her trembling hand reaching as if to touch the face of the friend who now resembled nothing more than a monster of darkness.
Lamy stood beside her, conjuring a shield of ice—yet tears streamed from her eyes as well. "That's not Ina. That's not the Ina we knew, Zeta. That's... the manifestation of a will."
Ayame, remaining composed despite the arrival of the Ancient One, stepped forward. She drew her twin katanas—Rakshasa and Asura—from her back. Her eyes closed for a moment, as if bracing her resolve. When they reopened, her red irises sharpened with fury.
"I don't care if you're a being or a will," she muttered quietly. "As long as you walk on this earth—I can cut you down." Her kimono fluttered in the dark wind, mirroring the fire igniting within her.
The Ancient One said nothing. She needed no words. With a single wave of her mist-like hand, the world seemed to freeze.
An overwhelming wave of pressure surged across the battlefield.
Zeta was the first to be thrown back. Her body slammed into rubble, blood trickling from her head as her vitals alarm blared like a funeral bell. Lamy tried to hold her ground, reinforcing her ice shield with spiritual energy, but it shattered in an instant. She too was hurled back, crashing into fractured debris.
Only Ayame stood firm, heel dug into the earth. Her white hair whipped in the storm, her demonic eyes beginning to blaze. Her breath was ragged, yet her grip on both blades only tightened.
"I... can't hold this much longer..." she hissed, then swung Rakshasa forward. Violet fire exploded from the ground.
"Zangetsuryū: Kyōkōban."
Demonic aura boiled from Ayame's body. Symbols of ancient hell emerged in the air, forming red and blue flaming rings around her. It was a power ancient—primal—born from the darkest depths of the world.
She vanished.
Suddenly, she appeared behind the Ancient One. One slash from Rakshasa struck the dense fog. A magical explosion followed, scattering layers of the mist like torn flesh.
Asura danced in her left hand, slicing horizontally with a shrieking whistle. Black blood—or whatever it was—splattered from the Ancient One's body.
But...
The Ancient One did not flinch.
Instead, from the wound Ayame created, hands of clawed mist sprouted and lashed out like living whips, chasing after Ayame from all directions.
She spun, cutting down five, six, seven claws. But the eighth pierced her defense, slamming into her stomach. She was flung into the air—then struck again from the side. Blood sprayed from her mouth as she hit the ground with a thunderous crash.
Zeta tried to rise, but her pistol and defense system were heavily damaged. Lamy, half-conscious, could only stare with blurry vision.
Ayame knelt. One of her katanas—Asura—had flown several meters away. Her breath was ragged, her shoulder bleeding. But her demonic eyes still burned.
"If I'm going to die... then I'll die with both blades in my hands..."
She reached for Asura again.
The Ancient One raised her hand and formed a hammer of condensed mist. A broken, static-filled voice echoed.
"ALL... SHALL RETURN TO THE BEGINNING..."
The hammer fell.
But just before it touched the ground—
A burst of blue light pierced the sky.
Time slowed. Invisible raindrops hung frozen in the air. The Ancient One's hammer stopped mere inches from Ayame's body.
Someone stood between them.
A tall, slender figure with long purple hair. Her white cloak flowed like a royal banner. In her right hand, a glowing hourglass staff shimmered in reverse. A golden mask veiled her face. Time pulsed around her.
Her calm voice twisted through the dimension.
"Enough destruction for one night. Let time... breathe for a moment."
Ayame's blurred gaze flickered. And that lady put away her mask.
"...Kronii...?"
The Warden of Time smiled faintly behind her mask.
"You've fought enough, Ayame-sama. Leave the rest... to us."
The mist froze. The Ancient One creaked, recognizing a threat from outside the timeline.
In the distance, another portal opened—revealing a woman with golden hair and red eyes, a massive hammer slung over her shoulder.
"Haaah... I still can't believe Ina was really consumed by the Ancient One," the woman sighed with a mix of disappointment and laziness.
"Kaela?" Ayame, shocked, recognized Kaela Kovalskia, the blacksmith from Unit H3RO, arriving alongside Kronii. She rose and hurried toward her junior.
Kaela glanced at the injured Zeta and rushed to support her teammate.
"You look like a total mess, Zet," Kaela teased, helping her stand.
"Why are you even here, Ela? Weren't you off enjoying your carefree life?" Zeta asked, puzzled.
"Yeah... if Kronii hadn't forced me, I probably wouldn't have come."
Meanwhile, Kronii faced the Ancient One directly, attempting to disrupt her presence with time-manipulation. But without warning—a carrot-shaped bomb dropped from the sky, catching Kronii off guard and forcing her to retreat several steps.
Moments later, three cloaked women descended from above, their hoods concealing their faces.
"First Suisei, now Kronii and Kaela... seems the chaos wrought by the Ancient One was enough to stir the strongest forces of this world into action."
Ayame, Zeta, Kronii, Kaela, and Lamy—struggling to stand—were all stunned to hear the voice of Aki Rosenthal from one of the cloaked figures.
"Looks like this is going to be very interesting—peko," added Pekora, removing her hood.
They were all left speechless.
The Ancient One remained silent behind the trio, yet her terrifying presence lingered—undeniably menacing. Mio turned, smiling contentedly at her.
"We've been waiting for you. If you don't mind... would you care to come with us?" she asked, her tone free of any threat, directed toward the darkened version of Ina.
"What are you planning?" Kronii suddenly appeared before Mio, eyes filled with fury and sorrow.
"This isn't Council business, Kronii. You'd best stay out of it." Mio walked past Kronii and patted the Ancient One's shoulder. Then, with Akirose's dimensional travel ability, they vanished.
Leaving behind Kronii, Ayame, Zeta, Lamy, and Kaela—silent, shaken, and stunned by the betrayal of three Holocorp members.