Dream of The Beginning

Few moments earlier.

When Yu moved separately from Ryan. She went toward an apartment building located not that far from domain of the Clock Tower.

Her eyes glowed with slightly purplish color as she gazed at the entire building.

Within her sight, countless crisscrossing lines of mana were interwoven from the top of the building until the bottom. No parts left untouched by those lines.

It was to be expected, after all that building was the lodging for many magus. To maintain their secrecy, each of them should have added protection spells on their own room.

That was the usual conduct for magi... unlike a certain man who just had the abilities of magi, yet did not have the pride nor pursuit of a magi.

"This ability is really useful. It is a pity he is unaware of its true value."

At that moment, Yu was borrowing Ryan's innate Heaven's Gaze as she used it to look at the structure of entire building, trying to find the weaker spots among the protection spells placed on it.

Although, it was not that Ryan did not consider using his innate eyes as such. After all, when one had absolute force, using more tricks was meaningless as one decisive strike was enough to end it all. However, it would be a different story if there was an occasion which would demand him to utilize it.

"...found it."

When she finally saw an opening, she immediately vanished. She darted toward the apartment building like a flickering shadow. Then, she kept walking, striding through various boundary spells with ease without triggering any of them.

When she arrived in front of a certain room, her face turned abnormally cold as she gripped her twin swords tightly.

"..."

Under the shade of dimly lit hallway, Yu had slipped into that room as she melted into the shadow.

Inside the apartment room, there was a man who was focusing on his own experiment. At that moment, he suddenly felt a cold, sharp chilling sensation on his back.

Puchi!

Blood was dripping slowly on the floor as Yu pulled out her sword from his body. Despite his fast reaction by shifting his vital organs sideway through magecraft, however, that man still suffered a grievous injury after her vicious assassination.

"Hinako...Akuta? No. You are not her. Who are you?" That man appeared befuddled when he saw his assailant. He appeared to know her, but he could sense that something was different about her from the person he knew.

"...you know, what I hate most is not that kid who killed me in the Lostbelt. Nor it's myself who is living fine in this world. No. If there is someone I hate the most, it would be you, Lev.

"Or, would you prefer it if I call you Demon God Pillar Flauros?"

His pupil constricted when he heard what Yu had just said. As it was a secret only he was supposed to know, and no others should be able to have knowledge of it.

"...I see. So, you come for that person within me... I guess this is fine too, as I am already tired of holding him back."

A resigned look appeared on Lev as he breathed with some difficulty. Although he managed to protect his heart from her fatal strike, but her sword still managed to graze it and destroyed his lungs along the way.

"Is that your last words? Very well. You can go to the afterlife now, Lev."

When Yu was about to sever his head at that instant, Lev suddenly opened his eyes fiercely. His face became ferocious as though he had become an entirely different person.

"Wait! Are you Gremory or Sitri? Regardless of who you are, we come from the same source. Cease this madness! Shouldn't you be helping me to complete the mission given by our King instead?!"

Yu was startled seeing Lev Lainur's sudden change that her sword missed the crucial timing.

"What kind of nonsense are you spouting now?"

In reply to Yu's look of surprise, 'Lev Lainur' laughed coldly as he got himself up.

"Are you playing dumb? It is useless to deny it. You, too, bear the mark given by our King in your soul."

What the heck this guy is saying?

Yu was thinking like that as she swung her sword fast like a lightning strike. This time, she will surely cut his head open.

But, 'Lev' seemed to have anticipated her movement as he backed away, placing himself just slightly away from her attack range.

"Why are you still doing this? Do you want to rebel against our King?!"

Several spheres of imaginary numbers space appeared between them, separating Yu and 'Lev' at that instant. A spatial distortion suddenly exploded beside Yu, trying to pull and trap her inside it.

Even then, a fiery conflagration burned fiercely from her body, repelling that suction force. Its intense heat burned down those spatial spheres into fragmented lights. 

'Tch.' 

"Looks like words won't go through you. Very well. You need to be punished to let you know your place! 

"I will show you why our King chose me to be responsible for the incineration of this Era!" 

'Lev' laughed grimly in extreme anger. After Yu repeatedly attacked him, and not minding his words for the slightest, 'Lev' was truly furious now. 

Inside his vision, there was no more the supposed ally who had helped him to rid his vessel's original consciousness. She was highly likely a traitor who wished to put him to death. 

As for his infiltration into the Mage's Association, he could do it again AFTER putting her down. He would not let such traitor to obstruct the grand plan of his King! 

Black tentacles started to quickly grow from his limbs, stretching as far as filling the entire room for the starter. 

"Ah... I really should fix this habit of mine...should've finished him with all my power earlier. Damn! Now this is getting troublesome!" 

Yu cursed to herself as she saw 'Lev' was transforming into an abomination of Demon God Pillar. His reach had not only covered the entire room, but it was also gradually encroaching toward the entire building. 

She decided to retreat first to assess the whole situation in details. If she rushed there now, there was a high chance she would just become small fertilizer for that abomination. She needed stronger power to crush that 'thing'. 

"Argh! What's this cursed abomination?!" 

"Whose sick joke is this shit?!" 

"Damned hell!" 

"Activate the guardian golem, apply the highest defense protocol. Eradicate the incoming ene- kuahhk! No! Just a bit more...!" 

Crimson flower of fire bloomed with its splendor as Yu Miaoyi was clad in fiery raiment and her twin swords turned red-hot in that instant. She went straight to that abomination like a flaming arrow trying to pierce the sky. 

At same time, screams of despair and furious roars echoed throughout the apartment building as 'Lev' absorbed the entire place into his own body. 

Within just a matter of few seconds, a towering black pillar with many scarlet eyes growing on its body had replaced the entire apartment building. 

BOOM! 

A red light was shot out to the distance, crashing into the opposite building. Few seconds later, Yu quickly rose up from the rubbles as she carried a bone-chilling killing intent within her gaze. 

When she looked up again at the Demon God Pillar 'Lev' had become, Yu Miaoyi gnashed her teeth in anger as she looked how he was looking down at her with scorn and...a needless pity. 

'Tch. He'd really laugh on me when he sees me like this later.' 

"Realize your insignificance and return to your original task. Else, you will die here today." 

'Lev', or Demon God Pillar Flauros to be exact, stated indifferently toward Yu Miaoyi. At this form, even his voice or his gaze bore magical energy signature similar to a Servant's B-rank normal attack. 

For Yu who had lower magic resistance than Artoria or Ryan, she could feel how her insides were shaken just by hearing the Demon God's voice and withstanding his gaze. 

However, amidst that towering figure who stretched as high as the sky, a young man had soundlessly arrived in front of it, he was standing in between Yu and the Demon God Pillar Flauros. 

"Yo. Those are some scary words to say to my woman. Aren't you just getting ahead of yourself, Flauros?" 

All of sudden, an inconceivable sight appeared within the vision of that Demon God Pillar. Something which should not be possible to happen, yet it still happened right in front of his eyes. 

"Our–…" 

"Now, now. Looks like I am not that late, right, lady?" 

"…laugh all you want. Tsk." 

"Why would I?" 

But, gotta say that she's quite cute when she is embarrassed... 

Ryan was smiling lightly to himself when he realized that the one she was after just now was not her past self, but it was Lev Lainur. Although the situation had become quite big now, it didn't bother him one bit. He preferred this outcome instead of seeing Yu trying to kill Hinako Akuta of this worldline. 

"Well. I am in quite a happy mood now, so I shall finish you painlessly, big guy." Ryan looked at the Demon God Pillar with a grin as he crackled his hand slightly. 

"Let this serve as a proper warning for anyone who watches this too. [Six-Paths of Samsara]." He raised his hand toward Demon God Pillar Flauros, as if he wanted to reach out to something on it. 

A wheel of light with six different aspects in it had materialized before his hand. It rapidly expanded into a vast sphere, engulfing the entirety of Demon God Pillar Flauro within its boundary. 

A sense of crisis like he never felt before started growing within Flauros' heart. Disbelief, shock, and grief were swirling fiercely within his mind. For the first time since his creation, a despondent feeling had appeared inside him as he roared toward Ryan, 

"Why?! What did I do wrong, my King? Please, let me die with the knowledge of my sin at the very least!" 

Ryan did not know why Flauros would suddenly spout those nonsenses, but his hand wouldn't falter. 

"…return to the cycle of samsara." 

His gaze was indifferent as he stripped everything composing the existence called as "Demon God Pillar Flauros"; be it his flesh, soul, or magical energy, and sent them to Path of Samsara, grinding them to dust until nothing remained. 

Those who were lucky enough to witness that moment were petrified, terror-stricken to the depth of their being. As they laid their eyes on that magic sphere, they instinctively felt that their life was not in their hand anymore. 

It was as if a great hand had grabbed the thin string which was their lifeline; and despite that hand did not do anything to them, they could feel that that hand only needed to lightly pluck on those 'string' to reap their life. 

The six Lords who were watching from the distance also couldn't help trembling slightly at that thought. 

"How? Can you handle it, Lord Trambellio?" 

"...forget it. Even you should also feel it; 'that' is already beyond the realm of magecraft, Madam Inorai." 

"Whether that is the Sixth or not, it looks like he really has the capital to back his arrogance." 

"You are unexpectedly being quiet, Lord Animusphere. What's wrong?" 

"...No. It's nothing much. I just didn't expect him to get a hold of such powerful means. Looks like I have underestimated him by far." 

Faint smile seemed to appear briefly on Marisbury before he became expressionless again. 'It is unexpected, but you have helped me once again, Lev.' 

"Then pray tell, who is he? All this time it seems to me that you are already aware of his existence." 

"Too much curiosity is not good, Lord El-Melloi II. But, very well. Although, you might find out about it later, I will tell you now. 

"That young man is the foster son of Emiya Kiritsugu– the winner of Fourth Holy Grail War. And now, he is likely the winner of Fifth Holly Grail War." 

"..." 

Another silence reigned among them when Marisbury finished his sentence. Their gaze returned to the young man at the distance as various thoughts filled their mind... 

And, it's done... Huh? 

The moment Demon God Pillar Flauros was decimated, Ryan could feel a familiar energy was flowing into him like a trickle. 

At same time, his EP which had been stagnant for quite a long time finally had an increase. 

[Essence Point: 2.8 -> 7.9] 

This increase was noticably happening after Ryan killed Demon God Pillar Flauros. It couldn't be helped that some ideas started to appear in his mind. 

'...seems like the Demon God Pillars have something I need. Well, isn't this nice?' Ryan had a wicked grin on his face as he thought about it. 

He might not in urgent need of Essence Point right now, but also having some saved up would not hurt. Now that he knew he could replenish his EP through other means, he would definitely try to collect some EP along the way. 

After all, what he sought was not only the EP gained from hunting the Demon God Pillars, but also the adventure to get them. 

As he was immersed in his thought, a familiar voice reached out to him, "I thought who were doing such ruckus, but it turned out to be you. Gah. Why am I so unlucky to meet you again..." 

Yu Miaoyi looked quite exasperated as she saw Ryan after she just decided to watch the ruckus as it happened not far from her residence. 

However, when she arrived at the site, the battle had come to an end fast. She also didn't expect to meet that despicable man again so soon... 

"Ah, lady, you're not angry that I have killed your prey, right? Huh, wait, don't tell me–!" It finally occured to Ryan that the Yu Miaoyi in front of him was wearing different clothes from the one he remembered. And he remembered that he purposely stood in front of her, so how could another one appeared in front of him without him noticing? 

"Hey, who is that woman behind you...! Who the hell are you?!" 

At that moment, Yu Miaoyi or Hinako Akuta as she was currently known, felt her back tingling the moment she saw another her standing silently behind Ryan. She took a step back as her mana surged. At that instant, she had prepared herself for any incoming battle. 

Yet, she only saw that that woman who looked like her had quietly arrived beside Ryan. That woman smiled mysteriously as she spoke to him, 

"It is different from how I picture it to be..., but this is fine too. Now, won't you 'kill' her already, Ryan?"