In a room shrouded by powerful barriers, an old man sat across from a woman with long brown hair, bangs framing her face, and piercing blue eyes.
"Any reason he's still in this world?" the woman asked, her gaze fixed on the old man.
"No," he replied simply.
"No?" she echoed, her tone sharper. "He's already manipulated time twice, and he's been here less than three days."
"There's nothing I can do about him," the old man sighed. "He's far stronger than anyone in this world. After seeing how he rewound time without Gaia interfering, it's clear they can't touch him either."
The woman fell silent, staring out the window, absorbing his words.
"Gaia has already sent someone to watch over him," the old man continued. "For now, we have no choice but to leave him be. As long as he doesn't wake up Type ORT, there's nothing to worry about. He's made it clear he doesn't care about this world."
"Vampire Princess of the Dead Apostles..." the woman murmured, tapping her finger thoughtfully against the arm of the sofa.
"Do you think he could defeat Type ORT if it wakes up because of him?" she asked after a moment.
The old man paused, recalling their first encounter with the foreigner, and how effortlessly he'd replicated Gilgamesh's *Ea*, a noble phantasm that could tear reality itself.
"Hmm... he's more than capable," the old man said finally. "But the real question is... would his fight leave anything of Earth intact?"
"What about the others?" the woman asked.
"I've already told them to stay clear of Fuyuki City, so don't worry—they won't do anything reckless like they usually do."
Hearing that, the woman finally stood up. "Alright, just make sure they don't act stupidly. You know how those magi can be. I still want to explore this world before it's destroyed."
The old man chuckled. "I agree. I still want to observe the parallel universes."
With that, the woman disappeared, leaving the old man alone in the room.
He remained silent, staring at the jewel on his staff before muttering to himself, "Tohsaka Rin and Tohsaka Sakura... So, everything went wrong when Sakura didn't become a Matou like in the other timelines."
The old man then stood, walking toward the place where he usually monitored other timelines, all the while keeping an eye on the foreigner and his unpredictable actions.
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Emiya Shirou… the adopted son of Kiritsugu Emiya, taken in after the great fire that nearly consumed all of Fuyuki City. The memory of that night was still etched in his mind—the unbearable heat, the suffocating smoke, and the searing mud that seemed to stick to his skin as he wandered through the ruins of his home. Kiritsugu had saved him from certain death, but that rescue came with a weight Shirou could never shake off: the dream of becoming a hero of justice, just like his father.
*Bam!* Shirou was thrown back as Rei effortlessly kicked him away.
"Come on, Shirou, if that's all you've got, there's no way you'll save your girlfriend," Rei said calmly, his voice carrying no malice but a cold indifference.
Shirou struggled to get back on his feet, clutching his stomach where Rei's kick had landed. The pain surged through his body, but he refused to give up.
"Hahhh...hahhh... Again!" Shirou braced himself, steeling his resolve, his breathing ragged but determined. Concentrating hard, he muttered under his breath, "Trace...ON!"
But before he could act further, something small and hard hit him square in the head.
"Ow!" Shirou exclaimed, rubbing his forehead as he looked around to see Saber, who had casually thrown a pebble at him.
"Stop saying that, Shirou!" Saber scolded him with an exasperated look. "Rei already told you to stop saying 'Trace On' every time you use your power."
"Yes, exactly. As I've mentioned before, you don't need to say it anymore," Rei chimed in, shaking his head slightly, amused by the situation. "I've already modified your body. Just imagine the weapon you want, and it will materialize. No more chanting."
It had been several days since Rei had enhanced Shirou's body, repairing and fortifying his magic circuits. But that wasn't all—he had also strengthened Shirou's **Origin**, deeply embedding the concept of **sword** within him, amplifying his power using a Primal Beast's essence. The transformation had granted Shirou a much greater capacity to manifest powerful weapons.
"Just say the sword's name!" Rei urged, watching Shirou's struggle to adapt.
"Excalibur!" Shirou shouted, and immediately, a brilliant golden light enveloped his hand. Saber's sword, the legendary Excalibur, materialized within his grasp, glowing with an awe-inspiring radiance.
The weight of the weapon felt different this time—lighter, more natural in his hands. The power coursing through him from the sword felt overwhelming, but also exhilarating. Shirou could feel the connection between him and the blade, and for the first time, it didn't feel like a burden to carry such a powerful weapon.
Saber crossed her arms, watching closely. "Much better, Shirou."
Rei, meanwhile, gave a satisfied nod. "Now let's see if you can actually handle the sword's or if you're just going to burn yourself out."
Shirou, after summoning Excalibur, charged at Rei again with renewed determination. However, despite his efforts, Rei effortlessly dodged each of his strikes, countering with precision that left Shirou stumbling. No matter how hard Shirou tried, every attack was met with graceful evasion or a swift counter. Minutes turned into half an hour, and yet, Shirou couldn't land a single hit.
Finally, Shirou collapsed to the ground, panting heavily, his body drenched in sweat. "Hahhh... I can't even land a single hit," he muttered, exhausted after hours of training.
Rei glanced at him, his expression unchanging. "Not bad, though. Your body still can't quite replicate Saber's sword style, but you're improving. It's good enough for now."
Rei then turned his attention toward Saber and Echidna, who had been watching the entire exchange. "What about you two? Neither of you interested in giving me a challenge?" he asked casually, a small smile tugging at his lips.
Saber stood up and began walking towards Rei. "Sure, I'd like to give it a try."
At the same time, Echidna, still observing, asked with curiosity, "How many abilities do you even have?"
Rei shrugged lightly, as if the question were trivial. "That's pretty random, but... I have a lot. From the Primal Beasts I've created, I can resurrect the dead, restart the world, control minds, manipulate fate, bestow powers onto others... I can basically do anything." His tone was nonchalant, as if these immense capabilities were no big deal to him.
Shirou, now sitting and trying to catch his breath, looked at Rei in astonishment. "Are you... basically a god in your world?"
Rei glanced at him, shaking his head. "God? No. I'm just an Astral. Most Astrals can do what I do, but they don't use Primal Beast powers like I do. Their pride prevents them from relying on such beings."
"Astrals..." Saber interjected, intrigued. "So there are others like you in your world?"
"Yes, there are more like me," Rei confirmed. "But the number of Astrals can't increase anymore. Even though we possess near-omnipotent abilities by creating Primal Beasts, they've lost the ability to reproduce."
Shirou raised an eyebrow, confused. "Wait... what?"
Rei chuckled softly. "That's right. The Astrals may seem like gods, but even with all their power, they're bound by certain limitations. Like the inability to reproduce and having emotions."
"But that's only true for the Astrals who remain in Estalucia. Any Astral who leaves that place and enters the Sky Realm, their bodies adapt, and they regain the ability to reproduce," Rei clarified.
"I see," Saber murmured, gripping Excalibur as she prepared to face Rei. Shirou quickly stepped aside, making sure not to get in the way of their duel.
Just as Saber was about to make her first move, someone entered the dojo. Bazett Fraga McRemitz stepped inside, looking around.
"Oh, you're already awake, Bazett? Is your body still feeling weak?" Shirou immediately asked, noticing her arrival.
"No, my body's much stronger than it was yesterday," Bazett responded, her gaze now fixed on Saber and Rei standing opposite one another. "Did the two of you just start?"
"Yeah," Shirou answered.
"I see, then I'm not too late," Bazett said before sitting down quietly by herself, her attention now fully on the imminent fight between Saber and Rei.
Two days ago, Bazett had finally regained consciousness. At first, she was disoriented and extremely cautious, even lashing out to attack anyone in front of her. She had even engaged Saber in a brief fight when Saber stepped in to protect Shirou.
Before the situation could escalate, Rei appeared, sensing Saber's mana all the way from the Tohsaka mansion, and he had swiftly intervened to stop the battle.
After a tense explanation and some time, Bazett had calmed down and learned the truth about what had happened to her and Kirei. Now, while she was staying here to recover, she found herself intrigued by Rei's training session with Shirou, curious to see what would happen next.
"Can I make a request, Rei?" Saber suddenly asked.
"A request? Sure, tell me," Rei replied, curious.
Saber hesitated briefly before gathering her resolve, meeting Rei's gaze with unwavering determination. "Can you use your full power?"
"...What? My full power? Are you serious right now?" Rei asked, clearly taken aback by the bold request.
"Yes. I want to see just how wide the gap between us truly is," Saber declared, her voice firm.
"What are you saying, Servant Saber?! Do you even understand the gravity of what you're asking?!" Echidna shouted, visibly alarmed by Saber's reckless request.
"I know exactly what I'm saying, Princess Vampire, and I'm still going to ask him!" Saber retorted, unwavering.
Before Echidna could continue her protests, Rei raised his hand, signaling her to stop. Seeing this, Echidna fell silent, waiting for Rei's response.
"Are you really sure about this?" Rei asked again, his expression growing more serious.
"Yes, I'm sure," Saber confirmed, her grip tightening on Excalibur.
Rei seemed to ponder for a moment, tapping his fingers against his arm before letting out a sigh. "Alright."
He tapped his foot lightly on the floor, and a powerful gust of wind erupted from where he stood, swirling around them, quickly filling the room with a strange, dense energy.
Echidna immediately sensed that something was different—her usual connection to Gaia was gone. She shot up from her seat and moved toward the door to check outside.
"Don't open it, Echidna," Rei warned. "My power is still copying the entire world. If you open that door, you'll get sucked into Limbo and be trapped."
Hearing his warning, Echidna stopped in her tracks, reluctantly returning to her seat without another word.
"A copy? You mean you're copying the entire world right now?" Bazett asked, clearly surprised.
"Yes," Rei responded. "The creatures of this world wouldn't survive my power, so I've moved us to a mirror world where we can do this safely."
With the mirror world in place, Rei distributed artifacts to everyone present, each designed to protect them from the overwhelming pressure of his full power. The room buzzed with tension, and now all that was left was for Rei to unleash his true strength.
"Get ready, Saber," Rei said, his voice carrying a weight of finality.
Saber, hearing this, steeled herself. She held Excalibur firmly in hand and ensured that Avalon was active, ready to face the true power of an Astral. The air was thick with anticipation as the showdown began.
"Seven trumpets," Rei muttered, and twelve wings enveloped in a purple aura instantly appeared from his back.
His body was immediately covered in a blue aura, making it impossible for them to see his appearance any longer.
The moment Rei activated "Seven Trumpets," the air in the dojo became so heavy and suffocating that everyone could feel an overwhelming pressure, as if the very atmosphere was compressing them. Saber, Echidna, Shirou, and Bazett all froze in place, their instincts screaming at them that something far beyond their comprehension had emerged. The intense blue flames surrounding Rei's body burned so brightly that they could no longer see his figure clearly—only the vague outline of his wings stretching outward, flickering in the blinding light.
Saber, though prepared, gripped Excalibur tightly, feeling the weight of Rei's unleashed power. Her Avalon was already activated, yet the pressure still bore down on her, testing her resolve.
Rei, glancing at his clenched fist and the brilliant glow surrounding him, spoke calmly through the blinding light. "I can only do this for a short time, Saber. Watch closely."
With that, the blue fire flared even brighter, making the entire room shake with its sheer force.
"Celestial Fusion... Absolute Nothing," Rei whispered, and in an instant, the blinding light intensified to an unimaginable degree. The entire mirror world, the space he had created, stopped. Time itself froze. Saber, Bazett, Echidna, and Shirou all stood frozen in place, unable to move, locked in a suspended state as if time had ceased to exist.
Everything was at a standstill—except for Rei.
He focused inward, feeling the shift in his body. His gaze moved to his left hand, watching the transformation as the blue aura surrounding him morphed into a pure, deep purple. The overwhelming power surged through him, and he reached up to touch his head, sensing the aura change as it radiated from him in waves.
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From his eyes, two streams of intense blue flames shot outward, illuminating the space around him and casting long, eerie shadows. The frozen world shattered, and time resumed once more, unleashing a violent gust of wind that roared through the dojo.
The others, though protected by the artifacts Rei had provided, were nearly overwhelmed by the force. The artifacts glowed fiercely, struggling to shield them from the pressure of Rei's true form. It was as if the very fabric of reality was being torn apart by the sheer power emanating from him. Even Saber, with Avalon activated, could feel the immense difference in their strength—a chasm that was unfathomable.
The atmosphere was thick with Rei's power, his presence alone bending reality around him, and all they could do was endure.
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