Without turning her head, he asked in a low voice. She gripped the Sword in the Stone tightly, her eyes fixed on the enemy suspended in mid-air. Her expression was one of intense gravity; even from the sheer pressure of the opponent’s aura, she could feel that their strength was impossibly great, certainly on the same level as a Heroic Spirit… no, perhaps even above one.

At the very least, the monstrous, overwhelming tide of demonic energy and death qi was something the Heroic Spirits did not possess. The mere pressure was enough to keep her heart pounding; this was not an opponent one could easily dispatch.

"N-No… I'm fine, thank you," Rin Tohsaka managed, her face pale and fluctuating between colors. In that split second, she’d barely had time to react before being frozen solid by terror. Had ABER not arrived in time, she likely would have lost her life.

Of course, this couldn't be blamed on incompetence. Despite being a genius magus, she was, ultimately, just a normal human. The oppressive aura emanating from the Level 3 Walker was something even ABER couldn't completely shrug off, let alone Rin.

Confirming Rin Tohsaka was safe, ABER focused all her attention on the enemy in the sky, her body tensing as she lunged forward fiercely… The enemy being airborne was troublesome; the inability to fly was a disadvantage for her, but—

She instantly reached the spot directly beneath the Level 3 Walker, slamming the Sword in the Stone hard onto the ground. The very space seemed to tremble, and an irresistible pressure radiated outward from her in all directions, pushing upward and outward…

King's Prestige—Noble Phantasm Unleashed.

The gray-robed figure frowned slightly as his initial strike proved ineffective. He looked at ABER with a trace of confusion, just as he was preparing to attack again, when suddenly he felt the surrounding space violently convulse. The entire area seemed on the verge of collapse, making it impossible to remain airborne. Caught completely off guard, he crashed heavily downward, finally landing half-kneeling on the ground with a loud thud.

"Y-Your… what kind of rule is this?" he asked in utter shock, staring at the girl before him.

"The Law of the King," ABER stated calmly. She left an afterimage where she stood and shot toward the opponent with lightning speed. The Sword in the Stone carved a blinding arc of light.

As King Arthur, no one was permitted to look down upon her; no one could stand above her; no one could refuse submission in her presence… The imagined Heroic Spirit, the imagined power—this was the Noble Phantasm possessed by White ABER—King's Prestige. It didn't simply intimidate with aura; upon its release, every being could only meet her on the same horizontal plane.

"Damn it."

The Level 3 Walker cursed, rapidly retreating backward, but ABER’s speed was too great. In the blink of an eye, she was upon him. The Sword in the Stone cleaved down; the sharp wind sliced his face, and with a zzzaak, his gray robe was severed first, revealing a ghastly, pale, corpse-like shriveled face.

With a screeching cry, a smile more grotesque than a grimace stretched across his face. His withered hand swept upward, and a surge of dark demonic energy erupted from the depths, rushing toward ABER…

Meanwhile, the moment the "Black Dragon" nearly swallowed Rin Tohsaka whole, Loo almost had a heart attack. Finally, at the absolute last second, ABER descended like a comet, slicing the "Black Dragon" into oblivion. Only then did he truly sigh in relief, though lingering dread still gnawed at him. Had ABER been a step slower, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

Seeing the enemy held by ABER provided Loo some measure of reassurance. He rushed swiftly to Rin Tohsaka's side. "Rin, that guy won't give up on the World Heart inside you. You’d best hide somewhere distant for now."

Loo spoke tactfully. Given Rin's strength, she simply couldn't participate in a battle of this high caliber. No, forget participating—even staying put was dangerous. He knew exactly how terrifying that Level 3 Walker was. He couldn't rest easy leaving her here.

"Yes, I understand." Though slightly unwilling, Rin Tohsaka knew that staying would only be a hindrance. She nodded and turned to leave, just as a group of people ran up from nearby: Misaka Mikoto, Accelerator, Misaki Shokuhou, Misaka Mizeri, the Sisters... The sudden appearance of the Level 3 Walker had been earth-shattering. The moment he appeared, the others had sensed it too, but their speed clearly hadn't matched ABER’s; they had only just arrived.

"Loo, what is that…" Mikoto was the first to speak, staring at the man fighting ABER in the distance with utter shock. From that person, she vaguely sensed a profound fear, and the World Heart within her resonated.

"...he's a Walker. He forced the host of a World Heart to their death, and then crossed dimensions to this world to seize it. Our current situation is extremely perilous…" Loo’s expression turned grim. As he spoke, he carefully tucked away the World Heart in his hand. This item absolutely could not fall into the enemy's hands.

"Though I don't grasp the specifics of what you mean, still…" Accelerator flashed his signature villainous grin. "In short, he’s an enemy, right?"

"Yes, an enemy with whom it must be life or death…"

BOOM!

Just then, a thunderous sound erupted from the center of the battleground, instantly drawing everyone's gaze. Hundreds of meters away, rolling black mist surged upward like a tidal wave, reaching dozens of meters high, pressing down upon ABER with the might of annihilation.

"Hah!" With a sharp cry, ABER stood her ground, utterly fearless. Gripping the Sword in the Stone with both hands, she cleaved forward fiercely. A tangible beam of sword energy shot from the blade, piercing toward the black fog tide… Compared to the towering black mist wave, ABER looked pathetically small, yet the aura she radiated was even more ferocious and dominant.

The dazzling light completely overshadowed the black mist, appearing as radiance rising from the darkness. Zzzzzzz… The sword energy hissed and flashed like lightning. When the two forces collided, after a pause of barely three seconds, the sword light pierced right through the black fog, shattering it completely.

Although she had blocked the opponent's attack, those three seconds were just enough time for the Level 3 Walker.

(Darn it, world rules are truly incomprehensible. Analyzing them is such a hassle.)

Grumbling internally, he raised his right hand high and chanted loudly: "Endless spite roar, Hell, heed my command, the name Sigr! Descend upon this world, Evil Spirit Throne—Nine Nether Bone Dragon!"

As his words faded, the sky suddenly cracked open with a sharp sound, revealing a massive fissure. A skeletal dragon, easily twenty meters long and ten meters high, flew out from within…

"ROAR!"

The sound shook the plains, a thunderous roar that nearly pierced the eardrums. Even ABER was momentarily stunned by the sudden change.

Bang… Boom!

The ground trembled uncontrollably the moment the Nine Nether Bone Dragon landed. The Level 3 Walker, Sigr, immediately leaped onto its back and began to laugh maniacally. "Hahahaha! My mount has arrived! Now, what can you do? You… all deserve to die!"

As the word 'die' left his lips, as if to punctuate its master's declaration, the Nine Nether Bone Dragon opened its ghastly white maw, roared at the heavens, and brought its bony claw sweeping down toward ABER with tremendous force.

Clang!

She immediately raised the Sword in the Stone to meet the blow. The two forces clashed, sending sparks flying, emitting a sound like ringing metal striking metal.

Her expression shifted slightly. The indestructible Sword in the Stone had failed to sever the dragon’s bone. Just how hard was it?

Gritting her silver teeth, ABER flashed past underneath the bone dragon. The Sword in the Stone spun in her hand like a whirlwind, hacking heavily at the dragon’s four limbs…

"Crap, there's no time to explain!"

Less than ten seconds had passed since ABER cut through the black mist tide. The moment the Nine Nether Bone Dragon appeared, Loo’s expression changed drastically… He had seen this creature before, in the images transmitted by the Heart of Corruption. In terms of raw power, it was nearly equal to a Level 3 Walker—terrifyingly strong. Especially its bones, which were likely several times harder than the world's toughest steel. Even ABER’s Sword in the Stone might not be able to cut through them easily.

Without another word, Loo instantly channeled over a billion volts of electricity, charging toward the battlefield like a cannonball…

…

"What is that? Is this the end of the world?"

Looking at the distant battlefield, Shirai Kuroko couldn't help but gasp, seemingly unable to process what she was seeing. Standing beside her were nearly ten other girls: Saten Ruiko, The Last Order, and the other Misaka Sisters. Apart from the regular Sisters, almost every face was etched with fear and worry.

"Misaka cannot just stand by; Misaka is determined to fight, Misaka 10030 states her resolution."

"Agreed. Misaka shares this thought. Misaka 10031 seconds this opinion."

"However, with the strength of the Misakas, we cannot offer any real help," Misaka 10032 pointed out the crucial issue.

"There is only one thing the Misakas can do…"

"Misaka, Misaka also wants to try her best…"

"...Then let us combine the strength of all the Misakas and fight together," Misaka concluded.

…

"What is going on?"

Standing beneath the open sky outside Academy City, Mugino Shizuri felt complex emotions—a touch of nostalgia mixed with unease. Ever since her last battle with Loo, she had felt adrift, as if she had lost something, yet perhaps gained something too. But… what was it, exactly?

Thinking this, a voice suddenly echoed in her mind… She felt someone calling to her?

"Who is calling me? Go? Go where? I don't necessarily have to go."

The voice in her head grew clearer. Mugino Shizuri listened to it and began walking in one direction, her pace quickening…

Academy City.

"I understand. Your determination has reached me clearly. Therefore… I will fight alongside you."

A gentle, bespectacled girl walked down an empty street, speaking to herself. Her figure flickered, seeming sometimes ethereal, sometimes solid, like a projected image.

As her steps moved forward, a halo appeared above her head, and simultaneously, a set of purple wings sprouted from her back. Then a second, a third, a fourth… dozens of purple wings burst forth from her back.

To protect her friends. To protect the promise made with her friends.

Kanzaki Kaori—no, at this moment, she should be called Shu-Zan Kanzaki.

The Angel of Science, imbued with a resolve she had never known, spread all the purple wings on her back and flew toward a certain direction…

P: I’m already trying my hardest to write, as I still have my job. Even at this pace, I sleep less than six hours a day, so I hope everyone can offer support through monthly passes, subscriptions, etc.