The air is thick with burning cursed energy. The school courtyard has been reduced to a graveyard of broken stone.
"DON'T HURT YUTA!"
Rika—the Queen of Curses—roars, her massive form manifesting a blinding orb of curse energy.
She fires a beam of pure destruction meant to erase everything in its path.
SHIIIIING!
But the attack is intercepted mid-air. Standing behind a shimmering Golden Barrier are six Shrine Maidens, their white and red sleeves fluttering in the wind.
Their hands are raised together in perfect unison, their combined defense forming an impenetrable golden barrier that blocks the cursed energy beam.
The blast hits the shield, triggering a massive shockwave that shatters everything in the vicinity, yet the barrier holds firm against the onslaught.
Behind the maidens stands Miko Yotsuya. She is no longer the girl from the past; she has grown into a beautiful woman, though her face is currently a mask of hesitation.
"Stop... Stop, Yuta-kun," Miko says, her voice steady despite the hesitation. "Don't make me do this."
A few meters away, Suguru Geto stands amidst the rubble. He has Maki Zen'in by the back of her neck, lifting her off the ground like a broken doll. She struggles, her feet kicking uselessly in the air, but his grip is like iron.
"We can continue fighting," Suguru says, his voice smooth and calm. "But you shouldn't want your friend to die, right, Okkotsu?"
"Wait! Don't hurt her!" Yuta screams, his eyes wide with desperation as he looks between his captured friend and the monster Rika behind him.
"Good," Suguru purrs, a dark glint in his eyes. "Now, do as I say and release Rik—"
"Hey, hey, Suguru..."
A new voice cuts through the chaos, dripping with lazy sarcasm.
"Why are you making the boy choose between two of his girlfriends? Can't he just have a harem?"
The battlefield goes still. Suguru's eyes widen. Miko's breath hitches. Everyone turns toward the sound—looking up at the silhouette standing on the edge of the rooftop, framed by the pale winter sun that is about to set.
The figure stands there on the edge of the rooftop, clad in a black leather jacket and black jeans that emphasize his lean, muscular frame. Standing at 6'4", he looms over the chaos below.
His hands are buried in his jacket pockets, and the glint of his ear piercings catches the pale winter light as he casually blows a bubble with his gum.
POP.
The small sound rings out unnaturally loud in the sudden silence of the battlefield.
"Long time no see, Suguru... Miko-chan," I say, looking down at my former friends from the height of the rooftop, a frown forming on my face. "But I can't say I'm happy to see you guys right now."
"Emiya-kun..." Miko says, her voice trembling.
"Where have you been, all this time?" Suguru says, his voice losing its edge as his eyes widen in genuine shock. "You vanished right after the Star Plasma incident—dropping out and fleeing abroad without a word."
His grip on Maki's neck loosens ever so slightly, likely too shocked to see me here after ten years.
"We thought you had given up on being a jujutsu sorcerer," Suguru continues.