Hearing Kagaya's hysterical warning, Ritsuka did not immediately retreat in panic at all. His combat instincts, honed in various battlefields of death, immediately took over.
"Artoria! Nobu! Get the others away from here right now!" shouted Ritsuka, giving the command.
At that very second, the lines of Magic Circuits lit up brightly across Ritsuka's arms. He moved as fast as lightning, spinning towards L, tightly gripping the shocked detective's shoulder.
"Brace yourself," Ritsuka warned briefly.
Responding to their Master's directive without a second of hesitation, Artoria Alter and Oda Nobunaga immediately executed the command. Using their physical strength as Servants that far exceeded the limits of human reason, Nobu snatched Koko and Valmet's bodies at once under both her arms. At the same time, Salter did the same by forcefully lifting Balalaika and Revy's bodies.
In just one powerful stomp of his foot, Ritsuka and the two Servants darted leaping backward, evacuating everyone and landing safely right by Kagaya's side.
After dropping their "cargo" to the floor, a combat formation was instantly formed.
Salter immediately darted back, positioning herself right in front of Ritsuka like a shield. The blade of Excalibur Morgan in her hand shone brightly with a very dense dark energy, ready to cleave anything that dared to approach her Master. At the same time, dozens of Nobu's rifles manifested again floating in the air, tightly locking the area around Zelretch.
Even though they were briefly shocked by being roughly transported at high speed, their instincts immediately kicked in. Revy, Balalaika, Valmet, and even Koko quickly adjusted their positions.
They simultaneously pointed their firearms at the same spot—right at the empty space tightly gripped by Zelretch's hand.
At the center of the siege, Zelretch smirked savagely.
"You better reveal your true form right now..." Zelretch threatened. "Or I myself will force you out with my power."
Along with that threat, Zelretch's pair of red eyes glowed brightly. His fangs slowly became visible, showing a glimpse of his true form as one of the Dead Apostle race.
Replying to Zelretch's deadly threat, an overly melodious and gently flowing voice suddenly broke the tension.
"It turns out... you are not human, huh."
Right after those words were spoken, an anomaly occurred. A rain of white feathers as white as snow began to fall from the empty air around them. Slowly, a silhouette condensed and materialized a human figure in their midst.
The figure had pure white hair that hung long down to his waist, tied loosely to the side over his shoulder. His pair of golden eyes shone with unnatural elegance.
His clothing was very minimal, consisting only of a plain white cloth wrapped around his lower half and exposing his pale, broad chest. His face was exceptionally exquisite—a perfect blend of handsomeness and beauty that blurred the boundaries of his gender.
However, the most intimidating thing about the figure was the three pairs of pure white wings stretching majestically on his back.
Seeing the heavenly entity, Ritsuka was not affected at all. To the young man who had gone through various hells in Singularities and Lostbelts, this unnatural aura of beauty meant nothing. Furthermore, after being teased and made into a plaything too often by certain Incubus and Succubus in his past, Ritsuka's mentality had developed an immunity against charm magic and high-level brainwashing.
However, the same did not apply to the ordinary humans around him.
L, Koko, Valmet, Balalaika, Revy, and even Amane, Kagaya's wife, instantly froze.
Their eyes were glued, their breaths caught. They were lulled by the heavenly illusion, staring blankly like sinners facing a savior god.
Realizing the danger of that charm, Ritsuka immediately acted.
"Snap out of it, all of you!" Ritsuka roared loudly.
His shout was intentionally infused with a strong wave of magical energy, shattering the illusion in the air and instantly jolting the consciousness of those ordinary humans.
"What?! Who exactly is that creature?!" shouted Valmet, who just regained her senses. While panting, the eyepatch-wearing woman hurriedly aimed her weapon straight back at the winged figure's face.
On the other hand, Balalaika unconsciously let her cigarette drop from her lips. Her sharp eyes stared intently at the figure's back. "Those are wings? And there are three pairs on his left and right... Is he some kind of angel?" Balalaika muttered, still shaken by the mythological existence before her eyes.
In contrast to Balalaika's awe, Koko actually clicked her tongue roughly.
"Great. Now we actually have something far worse arrive here," Koko snorted cynically, her face implying immense disgust. "Honestly, I am much more willing to be friends with that old vampire than having to deal with this holier-than-thou winged creature."
Hearing Koko's complaint, Revy smirked mockingly. "Why? Are you afraid of being judged by him immediately because of your pile of sins, Arms Dealer?"
Koko snorted softly, her eyes staring sharply at the winged figure without fear. "Shut your mouth. All of us in this gathering are sinners."
"He is not an angel at all! I can feel an incredibly dense aura of darkness from him!" Kagaya exclaimed.
Kagaya's body trembled violently, cold sweat drenching his temples. "Ritsuka! Whatever happens, do not let him touch you! I don't know his exact intentions, but my instincts are screaming that something very bad will happen if he manages to do so!"
Ritsuka heard Kagaya's warning clearly, but he didn't avert his gaze in the slightest. His emerald eyes stared sharply at the six-winged creature whose right wrist was still tightly gripped by Zelretch.
"Just as Kagaya said earlier... you are clearly not an angel, right?" hissed Zelretch coldly. "Behind that holy appearance of yours, I can smell a very dense scent of blood from you. Are you a vampire, or some kind of blood-sucking race?"
The exquisitely faced creature stared at Ritsuka for a moment, then glanced towards Zelretch. His golden gaze implied a bizarre sense of awe.
"You... it turns out you are not one of my creations or my children, huh?" the creature muttered to Zelretch. His tone of voice sounded very soft, as if analyzing a work of art. "You are a blood-sucking race from another dimension... and you are truly very strong."
After concluding Zelretch's identity, the creature looked back at Ritsuka. His lips curved, carving a very peaceful and soothing smile.
"Calm down, O Child of Man. I just feel a little curious about your existence. I have absolutely no intention of messing with you," he said in a melodious tone that could lull anyone. "Let's start over. Let me introduce myself, my name is Shi—"
That polite speech was suddenly cut off. The creature's golden eyes widened in shock.
In just the blink of an eye, Ritsuka had teleported and was right in front of his face. In the young man's right hand, a holy sword coated in gold and sea blue—Excalibur Proto—was drawn.
Without the slightest hesitation, Ritsuka immediately swung the sword radiating dense holy energy straight at the winged creature.
Feeling the threat if his skin were to be touched by the sword of light, the creature's survival instincts reacted beyond the limits of reason. In a split second, he manifested a layered magic barrier in front of his body.
BOOM!
The explosion of light energy clashed hard, creating a shockwave that swept through the entire mirror room.
The impact of Ritsuka's sword clash successfully repelled the creature's body. He was pushed back roughly in the air, but his three pairs of white wings immediately flapped strongly, maintaining his balance until he hovered gracefully again without touching the floor.
The creature looked down, staring at Ritsuka from above with a smile that had not fully faded from his beautiful face.
"Oh my..." he muttered casually, as if he was just greeted instead of attacked. "Fierce Child of Man, why did you suddenly attack me?"
"I don't care who you really are," Ritsuka hissed coldly, his eyes sharpening. "But your fake smile, your tone of voice, and your holier-than-thou attitude... really reminds me of the bastard I hate the most."
Right after throwing that hate-filled sentence, Ritsuka dashed again, lunging at the creature without wasting a single second.
Seeing Ritsuka's sword slash sweeping in, the creature didn't panic. He only muttered softly, "Scythe."
That very second, two giant pure white scythes manifested from the empty air on his left and right, moving crosswise to block the path of Ritsuka's sword.
CLAAANG!
The clash of weapons was deafening. Ritsuka was stalled in the air, his sword clashing strongly with the two white scythes. Realizing he couldn't break through that defense alone, the young man immediately shouted giving an order.
"Artoria! Nobu! Immobilize him, but don't kill him!" shouted Ritsuka amidst the clash of power.
Responding to that command, dozens of Nobu's long-barreled rifles immediately surrounded the creature from all directions, locking onto every blind spot to immobilize him. However, the same did not apply to Salter.
Artoria Alter had suddenly manifested right behind the back of the six-winged creature. Instead of intending to immobilize him according to the order, an incredibly dense aura of darkness erupted from her sword, preparing to level everything in front of her to dust.
"EX-CALIBUR... MORGAN!!!" roared Salter unleashing her peak attack.
Hearing the name of that mass destruction attack shouted in an enclosed room, Ritsuka turned pale. "You idiot! Sensei, help!" Ritsuka yelled calling his teacher.
"I've handled it," replied Zelretch in a casual tone.
Even before Ritsuka realized it, a giant mirror portal, Kaleidoscope, had opened wide right behind the creature's wings. The dimensional portal acted like a cosmic vortex, welcoming and absorbing the entire shot of the deadly pitch-black energy pillar from Excalibur Morgan, then throwing it away into another dimension.
Even though the main explosion was successfully absorbed, the shockwave and air pressure generated from the remnants of that energy swept through the whole room very strongly.
L, Koko, Balalaika, Valmet, and Revy had to cover their faces so as not to be blown away.
Everyone in the room fell silently frozen, shaken by the scale of power they had just witnessed.
"That power just now... is already comparable to a tactical nuclear warhead," muttered Koko with a trembling voice.
"It's very clear the scale of destruction won't be able to be covered up with just a cliché excuse like a 'gas explosion'," chimed Balalaika. Her sharp eyes now shifted, staring at Ritsuka's back who had just landed smoothly onto the mirror floor. "And that kid... is an existence who can command and control mass-destruction monsters like them..." she muttered.
Meanwhile, the winged creature who was previously very close to the center of the energy explosion seemed to widen his golden eyes.
He slowly reached out his hand, touching the remaining particles of Excalibur's dark energy floating in the air that hadn't been fully absorbed by Kaleidoscope.
"This energy... is filled with very pure hatred and curses," the creature muttered in amazement, completely ignoring his life that was just almost lost. "But, how is it possible for a child of man to be able to control and use energy this dirty?"
CLANG!
Salter's steel boots clanged loudly as she landed smoothly onto the mirror floor.
Seeing his Servant turn to look at him without the slightest guilt, Ritsuka instantly disappeared from his position. In the blink of an eye, the young man had darted and stood right in front of her.
"Master—"
SMACK!
"Ouch!" Salter winced softly, reflexively holding the top of her head.
Ritsuka had just landed quite a hard reprimanding blow with his fist right on top of Salter's head.
"You idiot! What were you actually thinking?!" Ritsuka scolded with veins of annoyance clearly printed on his temples. "Did you eat too many burgers and junk food that your brain got this stupid, huh?! I told you to immobilize, not annihilate! Even that crazy attack just now could have killed everyone in this room!"
"Forgive me," muttered Salter. She lowered her face, radiating a gloomy aura because of being scolded. "I just thought... it's much safer if we just kill him directly without wasting time. My instincts told me that the winged creature is a real threat to your safety, Master."
"No excuses!" Ritsuka cut in firmly. The young man raised his hand and pointed to an empty corner. "Go over there, sit on your knees, and reflect on your fatal mistake right now!"
"But, Master, what if he—"
Ritsuka raised his palm in the air, giving a signal to be quiet. He stared at the Servant with narrowed eyes. "Artoria."
Hearing that warning tone, Salter immediately shut her mouth tightly. "Alright..." she obeyed resignedly.
With unsteady steps like a fierce puppy that had just been scolded by its master, Salter walked towards the corner Ritsuka pointed out. She folded her legs and sat on her knees there with her face looking down at the floor, reflecting on her mistake in silence.
Witnessing the surreal sight before his eyes, Zelretch chuckled softly while clapping his hands.
"Wow. You really succeeded in taming a black lion perfectly, huh. As your teacher, I am truly proud of you, my Disciple."
"This is all your fault too, Sensei! She became like this because of your doing!" Ritsuka grumbled tiredly, rubbing his face in frustration.
After regulating his breath again, Ritsuka turned his body towards the front. He saw the beautiful six-winged creature had now landed gracefully not far from his position.
Right as Ritsuka prepared to take a step forward to face the unknown entity, Kagaya walked over to him. He immediately stopped Ritsuka by patting his shoulder gently.
"Listen to me very carefully, Ritsuka," whispered Kagaya in a very serious and dark tone. "Whatever happens... do not ever believe a single word spoken by that creature."
"Calm down, Kagaya. I've often dealt with people like him in the past," Ritsuka answered in a flat tone, his eyes never leaving the winged figure.
The ordinary humans in that room—L, Koko, Revy, Balalaika, and Valmet—now stood at a fair distance but could still hear their conversation.
Kagaya was slowly guided back by his wife, Amane, to find a safer spot. Zelretch had also stepped forward, standing in silence not far from Ritsuka.
By the Master's side, Oda Nobunaga stood firmly like a guard, the muzzles of her rifles constantly aiming sharply locking onto the creature. Meanwhile, in the corner, Salter was indeed sitting on her knees and lowering her face according to her punishment. However, the sword Excalibur Morgan appeared firmly planted in the mirror floor right next to her knee—ready to explode and be drawn anytime if that creature dared to touch her Master even a fingernail's worth.
"What kind of creature are you really?" asked Ritsuka briefly and coldly.
The young man planted the tip of Excalibur Proto's blade onto the mirror surface. He then rested both his hands on the pommel of the holy sword's hilt, standing with a challenging and intimidating posture.
"Do you not intend to apologize first for attacking me one-sidedly earlier?" asked the beautiful creature with a feigned sad smile, trying to play the role of a victim.
Ritsuka did not respond at all. He only answered him with a piercing sharp glare.
Seeing his tactic didn't work, the creature's smile slowly returned to normal. "Very well, if you insist..." He sighed softly, then flapped the three pairs of pure white wings on his left and right sides very gracefully. "You can see for yourself from my form, can't you?"
"If you mean you want to be recognized as an 'Angel', you better keep that sickening lie to yourself right now," Ritsuka cut in mercilessly.
The young man's tone of voice grew heavy. "I have faced Angels directly. I have even been judged and felt their wrath. And let me tell you one thing..."
Ritsuka narrowed his eyes. "Even though you might come from a different dimension or universe, I can feel very clearly what is hiding behind those white wings of yours. This aura and the smell of your blood do not belong to a holy entity at all. You are much more like a vampire or a blood-sucking monster. So, I repeat my question for the last time..."
Ritsuka flowed his magical energy, making the blade of Excalibur Proto hum threateningly.
"Who are you really?!"
"Your world apparently also has Angels, huh? Could they possibly be—"
"Don't try to change the subject!" Ritsuka cut in firmly with a loud voice.
The young man stared straight with an unforgiving gaze. "Just answer my question from earlier! Who are you? Who exactly are you?! I am not asking your name, but I am asking your true identity as an existence!"
Hearing that rough shout, the beautiful creature's forehead wrinkled slightly. He was clearly not used to being ordered or yelled at by humans at all.
However, he was forced to suppress his displeasure deeply. His golden gaze fell on the holy sword blade planted firmly under Ritsuka's hands.
His instincts screamed loudly, telling him a fact: that glowing sword is the natural antithesis to his existence. If he were to be directly hit by that sword's slash, then he wouldn't just be injured, but instantly annihilated without a trace.
Realizing he did not have an advantageous bargaining position, the creature finally gave in.
"Very well, if you keep insisting on demanding the truth..."
The creature took a long sigh. His peaceful smile slowly faded, replaced by an expression that felt far more ancient and dark.
"Your previous words were very accurate, Child of Man," the creature continued in a soft tone that now exuded a deadly aura. "I am indeed part of the blood-sucking race. Or more accurately... I am the First Progenitor, the origin of the entire vampire race that exists in my world."
He slightly bowed his head, and his three pairs of white wings moved slowly, as if lamenting his own fate.
"I am an entity who was once in a very high place, but now am nothing more than a Fallen Angel exiled and punished by God for my unforgivable deeds in the past," he explained, staring stra
ight into Ritsuka's emerald eyes.
"And as for a cursed entity like me... you can call me by the name Shikama Doji."