"By the power of the Red Command Seal—Saber, return to me!!"
At Kairi's shout, a stroke vanished from the Command Seal on the back of his hand!
"Damn it… did you really have to call me back now?!"
In the next instant, a crimson light burst forth beside him. From its glow stepped Mordred, armored and gripping her sword, wearing a distinctly displeased scowl.
"Master!"
But the moment her eyes fell upon the battered Kairi, her expression hardened into seriousness, fury blazing across her face as she turned toward Fiore.
"!"
Seeing Saber's return, Fiore immediately withdrew, her Mystic Code propelling her swiftly backward to put distance between them.
She knew the tide had turned against her. A pang of self-blame struck her heart—she should never have hesitated, never wasted time speaking to him. In the end, it was her lack of resolve, her hesitation. That weakness had doomed her.
I'm sorry… Shogun.
Apologizing silently to her Servant, she raised her arm, revealing the triple-bar Command Seal on her hand, intending to call upon the Shogun.
"By the Black Command Seal—!"
But before she could finish—
Boom!
With a thunderous step, Mordred appeared right before her, crimson eyes burning with murderous rage.
"!"
Fiore froze in shock.
"You're the one who hurt my Master, aren't you?! Then I'll pay you back in full!"
With a furious roar, Mordred's red-and-white blade surged with overwhelming mana, the very air and dust trembling with its force.
The sheer presence of it nearly stole Fiore's breath away…
"Jupiter: Tin arm of Protection, intercept!"
Abandoning her Command Seal chant, Fiore crossed her mechanical arms in front of her, forcing them into a defensive stance. She knew there was no escaping. Against the might of a Servant, her Mystic Code could never withstand such power… but it was all she could do to lessen the inevitable damage.
Crash!!
The impact of Mordred's blow was like being struck head-on by a massive freight truck at top speed. Even through her armor, Fiore felt her insides twist in pain as her body was hurled through the air.
Smash!
She slammed mercilessly into a distant concrete wall.
"Ahh!"
Her pack shattered under the blow, and her back was crushed by the brutal impact. Pain unlike any she had ever known tore through her entire body, ripping a cry from her lips.
Screech…
Her main control unit had broken. The four mechanical arms fell limp, powerless, unable to support her weight. Her body bounced slightly off the wall before sliding down.
Without the aid of her Mystic Code, her legs collapsed like those of a rag doll. Powerless, they bent inward as she slumped into the dust-covered ground.
Her vision blurred. A raw, tearing cough swelled in her chest.
"Cough… cough."
Clutching her ribs, she coughed violently, the metallic taste of blood spreading through her mouth.
Bright red trickled from the corner of her lips, trailing down her chin and staining her skirt.
Damn it… my back… it hurts so much.
She couldn't even straighten her spine. Her body trembled uncontrollably under the agony, her back feeling as though it had been shattered.
"Heh… that's all it took? Your fancy gear can't take much of a hit, huh."
Mordred lowered her sword, sneering at the broken girl slumped at the base of the cracked wall.
Kairi, meanwhile, watched Fiore's dimming eyes as though she were about to faint. He lit a cigarette, clenched it between his teeth, then picked up the shotgun she had knocked from his grasp earlier. Reloading it with care, he walked over and leveled the barrel against her sweat-soaked forehead, strands of hair sticking to her skin.
"Heh… tables turned, eh? This is what a magus' fight really looks like. Don't worry… I won't bother wrecking your legs. I'll give you a clean end."
Kairi smirked as he taunted her.
Fiore's blurred gaze tried to focus on the distant figures of two silhouettes. Fighting against the pull of unconsciousness, she felt no fear, no resentment… only guilt and regret.
Regret toward the Shogun… guilt for being nothing but a burden.
I'm sorry… Shogun… I… disappointed you… I couldn't… help fulfill your wish…
I'm sorry… that you ended up with a useless Master… like me…
Her expression was filled with sorrow. The heaviness in her head deepened, and drowsiness overtook her consciousness, dragging it further away.
"Farewell, Fiore Forvedge Yggdmillennia."
Click…
Kairi's finger tightened on the trigger.
Rumble…
But at that instant, dark clouds spread once more across the sky. The low, oppressive growl of thunder rolled, and raindrops began to fall, one by one.
Then more… and more.
Shhhhhh…
A sudden downpour cloaked Sighișoara in a veil of gray and mist. Both Kairi and Mordred turned their eyes briefly upward.
The abrupt storm was unnatural. Kairi's brows furrowed faintly. What he failed to notice was the way the heavy clouds above had begun to twist into a vortex, thunderlight gathering within.
"—! Master!!!"
An overwhelming sense of pressure instantly set Mordred on edge. Her body stiffened as every hair stood on end. Realizing what was coming, she yanked Kairi forcefully aside—!
But… it was a second too late!
BOOOOM!!
Like a thunder dragon, a colossal bolt of lightning crashed down from the heavens directly above Kairi's head!
"MASTER—!!!"
Mordred pulled with all her might, dragging him backward at the last possible moment.
"!"
Still half in shock, Kairi's body froze mid-motion. He hadn't even processed what had happened—still holding his shotgun up as if nothing had changed.
CRACK!!
A blinding flash swallowed his vision, and in an instant, something was torn from him.
Splatter!
Blood sprayed violently, sizzling into steam as the lightning consumed it.
Thud!
Kairi was dragged onto the soaked pavement, dazed.
"M-Master—ugh!"
Mordred's face twisted as her eyes locked on him.
Kairi followed her horrified gaze downward… to where his arm had been.
From the shoulder down, there was nothing. Only air.
A severed cross-section spurted blood furiously, dyeing the rain-soaked ground beneath him.
Then the agony came. A burning, consuming pain ripped through him, tearing away what remained of his composure.
"AAARGHHHHH!! AAAAAHHH!!"
He clutched the stump of his shoulder, curling in agony, screaming as the pain ripped his throat raw!
His severed arm lay nailed to the flooded earth, skewered mercilessly by a naginata wrapped in lightning—its flesh seared black, smoke curling upward.
As the storm's glow gathered, a violet figure emerged—kneeling in the rain, beside the Engulfing Lightning still driven into the ground. Bathed in crackling thunderlight, the Shogun rose to her feet. She spared only a cold glance toward the crippled Kairi before shaking the sleeve of her kimono with calm grace.
"Ughhh…"
Kairi could only groan, clutching his wound, already robbed of the ability to fight.
"Master!! You bastard!!! Pulling tricks like this?!"
Mordred's face twisted with rage, screaming at the Shogun, who regarded her with only silence.
"Ugh… cough…"
Perhaps stirred by the cold rain soaking her body, Fiore stirred faintly, consciousness creeping back. Through blurred vision, she lifted her eyes—just enough to see the Shogun's silhouette, radiant and terrible in the storm. A weak smile touched her lips, as though her pain eased just by her presence.
"Shogun…"
Her hoarse whisper still reached through the downpour.
The Shogun tilted her head slightly, her eyes softening for a fleeting moment as she glanced at the broken girl leaning against the wall. But her gaze returned swiftly to Mordred and Kairi—once more cold, once more merciless.
She ignored Mordred's shouts. Instead, she drew Engulfing Lightning from the ground, twirling it lightly before setting it behind her in a ready stance.
Meanwhile, a faint violet membrane spread around Fiore's body, shielding her from the mingling of stormwater and thunder.
The Shogun's amethyst gaze gleamed, arcs of lightning flashing at their center. Behind her, the outline of the Chakra Desiderata spun faintly into view, while thunderlight rippled across the drenched ground.
"Those who harm my people… shall be slain."
Her chilling, resounding voice carried over the storm, echoing through the rain-swept night.