148 See you soon?

On another part of the battlefield.

Within the underground mall of Misaki Town.

"Interesting? Perhaps a little, but not much. Isn't that right, Vlov Arkhangel?"

Standing atop a frost-covered floor, Roy grasped Vlov Arkhangel's neck with his frozen arm. His icy blue eyes stared at him coldly, devoid of any emotion.

As for the frost unleashed by Vlov Arkhangel, it had already dissipated into nothingness in mere moments, leaving behind only a faint scattering of ice crystals in the air. Compared to the overwhelming force he had unleashed earlier, these remnants seemed laughably insignificant.

"You... what did you just... how did you do that?"

Vlov Arkhangel, hoisted into the air by Roy's grip, was clearly at a loss.

Moments ago, he had unleashed his power, flooding the surrounding area with a bone-chilling frost that should have consumed everything, including Roy. Yet, the current scene defied all comprehension.

He couldn't understand it. He couldn't accept it.

He didn't know what it was, but in the instant his frost erupted, he thought he saw a light... a radiant, white world flickering faintly behind Roy.

What was that...?

"High-Speed Divine Words!"

"Heaven Hymn, instant activation!"

The moment the frost surged forward, Roy made an immediate decision and deployed his Reality Marble.

Through the instant activation of his Reality Marble, Roy transferred Vlov Arkhangel's unleashed glacial frost and deadly cold to another self-contained world, minimizing the potential casualties caused by Vlov's devastating power.

Although both Vlov and Roa had been wreaking havoc on the city with flames and Dead Apostle attacks, their destruction was largely confined to surface-level structures. Subterranean areas such as malls and parking garages had become makeshift sanctuaries for survivors.

Roy's Mystic Eyes allowed him to perceive the color and state of souls. His heightened senses confirmed that at least a thousand survivors remained in the underground sectors. If the frost had spread unchecked, it would have transformed all life below into frozen statues in an instant.

However, activating a Reality Marble in this location would drag many survivors into its domain. The dense concentration of aether in the replicated Age of Gods environment would suffocate them within moments.

While he could limit the Marble's range as much as possible, at least dozens if not hundreds of people would inevitably be caught in the expansion and killed.

Saving everyone was an impossible task. The most pragmatic choice would be to sacrifice a portion of the survivors to trap Vlov within the Marble, thereby saving the rest.

Yet the situation presented a grim trolley problem with no perfect solution.

This time, it was Roy's turn to choose.

Logic dictated that sacrificing the few to save the many was the best course of action. He could avenge the victims later by tearing Vlov apart.

But if he resorted to such measures, how would he differ from Emiya Kiritsugu in his darkest moments?

Roy had never been one to weigh lives on a scale. No one had the right to measure the value of a human life. Even faced with this dire predicament, he resolved to save everyone, no matter how improbable.

So…

Confronted with the encroaching frost and glaciers, Roy made a daring and audacious decision.

He activated his Reality Marble with a radius of three meters, covering only himself and Vlov Arkhangel. Then, setting strict parameters in his mind, he controlled its duration to less than one second. Before the Marble could drag others into its domain, he forcibly terminated its operation.

"High-Speed Divine Words!"

"Reinforcement Magecraft - Five Senses."

"Mystic Eyes of Soul Binding."

"Heaven Hymn, radius two meters, duration set to 0.2 seconds."

The white world of the Marble unfolded at Roy's feet, piercing through the frost unleashed by Vlov Arkhangel with a blinding radiance.

Yet, just as it was about to expand further, engulfing its surroundings, the white domain contracted rapidly before exploding into nothingness.

The faint white glow glimpsed through the frost earlier by Vlov Arkhangel had been Roy's Reality Marble in action.

Roy successfully neutralized Vlov Arkhangel's glacial assault and saved all the underground survivors. But this reckless method came at a cost.

Grasping Vlov's neck, Roy attempted to channel his magical energy for a finishing blow. Yet, a sharp pain surged from deep within his mind. The conflicting actions of massive magical energy output followed by an abrupt halt caused strain in his magical circuits.

His body faltered, his icy blue eyes bleeding profusely.

Sensing Roy's sudden decline, Vlov Arkhangel, though confused, instinctively seized the opportunity. With Roy's grip weakening, he raised a trembling hand, gathering power to escape.

"Killed so many… and you still think you can run?"

Blood streaming from his eyes, Roy's voice was filled with fury. Despite the damage to his circuits and the toll on his body, he refused to let this murderer flee.

Not even the faintest possibility of escape would remain for Vlov.

Roy raised his fist, black flames and crackling lightning surging around it. Though his circuits were strained to the breaking point and blood poured from his eyes and nostrils, he funneled every last ounce of power into his strike.

This man deserved to burn in hell.

"You won't get away!!!"

Sensing imminent death, Vlov Arkhangel screamed in desperation.

Their powers collided simultaneously... Vlov's hastily gathered magical energy against Roy's relentless fist.

Boom!!!

The detonation of magical energy echoed, followed by the gruesome sound of flesh being torn asunder.

Vlov Arkhangel's final frost dissipated as Roy's fist, wreathed in black flames, lightning, and seething rage, struck his head with overwhelming force.

His skull shattered instantly.

As charred flesh met blazing fire, a sickening sizzle filled the air. Vlov's lifeless body collapsed into the frost below, his headless corpse consumed by Roy's black flames, erasing any chance of resurrection.

The nineteenth seat Dead Apostle Ancestor, Vlov Arkhangel, was dead. His crimes were paid in full.

...

Meanwhile, on the other side.

Both Arcueid, who was in pursuit, and Roa, who was fleeing in desperation, felt the death of Vlov Arkhangel.

Arcueid was elated. She had always believed in Roy's ability to eliminate that lunatic, but even she hadn't anticipated it happening so quickly.

The speed with which Vlov had been defeated... barely over ten minutes... shocked even Merem Solomon.

Merem was well aware of Vlov Arkhangel's power. Even among the Dead Apostle Ancestors, Vlov's destructive capabilities placed him among the most formidable.

For such a being to be dispatched in such a short span of time? The sheer terror of Roy's strength was undeniable.

Merem now realized just how reckless his earlier attempts to test Roy had been. It was akin to dancing on the edge of a blade... utterly suicidal.

At that moment, Roa, having also sensed Vlov Arkhangel's demise, abruptly stopped running. Turning to face his two pursuers, he smiled.

There was no sadness nor joy in his expression, neither mourning nor relief at Vlov's death. Instead, his face was marked with derision.

That fool, Vlov, had been utterly manipulated by Roa's lies... both before and now.

A simple deception had turned someone who sought revenge against him into a mere tool, one Roa had used to wear down his pursuers. And even in death, Vlov had remained oblivious to the fact that the promise Roa had made to him was a complete fabrication.

To Roa, such a pawn wasn't worth mourning. If anything, he was grateful.

Seeing Roa halt, Arcueid was momentarily surprised. But recalling her own countless encounters with his deceit, she decided not to give him any opportunity to speak.

Activating her Marble Phantasm, she summoned a storm of sharp Black Keys around her. They streaked toward Roa like deadly missiles, while her delicate hand morphed into razor-sharp claws, ready to strike him during any attempt to evade.

But...

Thud!!

Thud!!!

Countless Black Keys pierced Roa's body effortlessly. In an instant, he was riddled with wounds, lifeless and motionless, as if his very soul had been extinguished.

Arcueid's prepared claw strike became unnecessary, leaving her and Merem uneasy.

No evasion. No resistance.

This man, who had been fleeing at full speed moments ago, now stood still, allowing himself to be killed.

"Hahahaha, Arcueid, Merem, you're quick, as always. But my goal has already been achieved. This worthless body? Consider it a gift."

Roa's voice echoed from his lifeless corpse.

"Roa!"

At the sound of his voice, Arcueid lunged at the corpse, tearing it apart in a fury, reducing the already disfigured remains to shreds.

"It's useless, Arcueid."

"This body has outlived its purpose. Destroy it all you like; it makes no difference. But this time, I've won. See you soon…"

See you soon?

What did that mean?

Merem inspected the remains closely. He was certain that the body was dead... Roa had indeed been killed.

Could it be that he had already found another vessel for his reincarnation?

See you soon...

Could he mean...

"What?! See you soon? What is that supposed to mean?" 

But Merem's expression darkened with realization.

If Roa's next move was what Merem feared, and if he succeeded, they were all doomed.

"Princess! Go back to Roy! Roa's target is him! His next vessel is Roy's body!"

Merem shouted, his urgency undeniable. "Vlov Arkhangel was just bait... a trap to injure Roy and lower his guard!"

Roy…

"What? That bastard's target is Roy?!"

Arcueid's eyes widened in horror.

The thought of Roy being in danger transformed her into a blur of motion. Like an arrow released from a bow, she launched herself toward Roy's location with unparalleled speed.

...

On the other side.

Roy exhaled deeply, finally confirming the death of Vlov Arkhangel.

Lifting a hand, he rubbed at his still-bleeding eyes, muttering softly as he activated healing magic to stabilize his injuries.

"Ah...!"

"…Rrrgh!"

The sudden sound of raspy growls echoed from the collapsed ruins beneath him.

Moments later, several maddened Dead Apostles emerged from the debris, lunging toward him with frenzied abandon.

Dead Apostles Again?

Seeing the low-level creatures, Roy frowned but remained composed. Even in his weakened state, these small fry posed no real threat.

Activating the Volumen Hydrargyrum, arcs of silvery light streaked across the air, effortlessly cutting down the attackers in one swift motion.

But almost immediately, more Dead Apostles crawled out from the rubble, their grotesque forms illuminated faintly by the moonlight.

"Is this never going to end?"

As he prepared to channel his magical energy for a wide-range attack to finish them all at once, a shadow darted out from the darkness, closing the distance between them with alarming speed.

Thud!

In an instant, the Volumen Hydrargyrum shifted into a blade of silver in his grasp, piercing the would-be assailant cleanly through its chest.

But as he looked at the face of the impaled Dead Apostle, he froze.

A grin.

The creature's face was twisted in a mocking smile.

"Nice to meet you."

Hiss!

A sharp pain pierced Roy's head, a blinding, unbearable ache that made him instinctively clutch his temples.

Amid the cacophony of Dead Apostles' growls, a taunting voice echoed in his mind, drowning out all other sounds.

Through sheer willpower, Roy drove the silver blade of Volumen Hydrargyrum to dispatch the remaining Dead Apostles, clearing the area of immediate threats.

But his vision blurred, and the world around him began to spin.

"My brain… It's still recovering from the severe damage earlier. Even my Mystic Eyes won't activate."

"To think I left myself open like this… What a mess."

Closing his eyes, Roy allowed his consciousness to sink deep into his mental realm, ready to confront the uninvited intruder who had infiltrated his mind.

___

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