Starting Out in the Multiverse, Transforming into Fu Hua at the Start

The Flower Magician pointed at the monkey-like Demon Beasts in the distance.

"I understand! Mash! Anna! Let's go!" Ritsuka said, looking at the two of them.

Though Anna was supposed to be a Servant summoned by the Counter Force, she did not resist the boy's commands. After spending this time together, she had more or less acknowledged him, and they had formed a contract.

You should go get some practice too. Fu Hua had no intention of passing up an opportunity for Amber to gain combat experience.

Since her master had spoken, Amber naturally had no reason to refuse. With a single step, she overtook the three from Chaldea and arrived before a Demon Beast. One punch sent it flying. Its organs and bones shattered, yet there was barely any visible change on the outside.

Fu Hua nodded slightly at the sight.

To cultivate the complete Tai Xu Sword Qi, the Xuanyuan Sword was an indispensable part. If one only cultivated the Sword Form and Sword Soul, the Xuanyuan Sword was not strictly necessary, but for Sword Intent... there was currently no weapon more suitable than the Xuanyuan Sword.

But Amber's circumstances were somewhat different.

Her current body was at her own peak, with her Five Aggregates fully realized. With her physique and the guidance of Feathered Dust, she had mastered Tai Xu Sword Intent in merely ten days or so, even without the Xuanyuan Sword.

Sword Intent was not a martial art, but a change produced through the mutual Resonance between the Xuanyuan Sword, True Qi, and oneself. Once one grasped Sword Intent, one could transform True Qi into tangible things, such as flames or flowing water. What form it took depended on the user.

The power attacking the Demon Beasts now belonged to Amber herself, not to this body of Fu Hua's.

Amber's Sword Intent manifested as vibrations. Just like this—upon making contact with a body, it could directly attack the far more fragile internal organs within. However, due to the vast gap between them, it had incidentally shattered their bones as well.

Though the body's influence on the mind could not be denied, this child... might be even more talented than I had imagined.

As Fu Hua pondered, Amber had already cleaned up every Demon Beast in sight, and everyone regrouped.

"Amazing! I couldn't track that speed at all, and those techniques were so exquisite!" Ushiwakamaru, who had leaped down from the city wall, stared at Amber with sparkling eyes. "As expected of an Immortal from the legends of Shenzhou!"

"You flatter me. I've merely lived long enough," Amber replied modestly.

Fu Hua had no objections to that. Leaving Kevin and the other Flame-Chasers aside, even Cheng Lingshuang, the most talented among her disciples—if Lingshuang had taken her place, even Fu Hua could not imagine what heights she might have reached.

With fifty thousand years of Divine Sound continuously improving her Honkai Energy adaptability and control, coupled with her talent for martial arts and her temperament...

She is not "empty," but "full." She asks nothing of you, me, or this world.

Compared to Su, Lingshuang might have been more like a true living Buddha. The side effects of Sword Heart simply did not exist for Lingshuang. Such a disposition was unprecedented, and even the Herrscher of Reason had called her a "true monster."

Looking at Amber, who reminded her of her former disciple, Fu Hua sighed.

She was not someone who enjoyed reminiscing about the past, but remaining in Feathered Dust all day had indeed made her feel somewhat stifled.

Tonight, I'll train Amber some more. There were many reasons for doing things that way yesterday, but seeing a beloved disciple improve so rapidly overnight was still gratifying.

In reality, everyone had already discussed their tactics. The Demon Beasts had recently been launching organized attacks, as though a new commander had appeared. However, the evacuation and rescue of Nippur City could not be delayed. Thus, Leonidas arranged for Ushiwakamaru and Benkei to head to Nippur City from the east. At that time, the Demon Beasts would certainly launch an attack.

Taking advantage of that opportunity, Chaldea's group would enter Nippur from the west, open the city gates, and temporarily bring Nippur's citizens back to the North Wall frontline.

As for Amber, she remained in a semi-free state of action.

After all, Amber was not Gilgamesh's subordinate but an ally. Leonidas naturally could not order her around, so he could only ask her to protect the civilians when the time came.

There was no need for him to ask. Amber was not some enemy of humanity. Naturally, she would prioritize the lives of the people.

The next day arrived quickly. Perhaps Fu Hua had found her conscience, or perhaps it was because they had a mission today, but she did not beat Amber as viciously as yesterday. She stopped after only half a night, then answered her questions about cultivation.

Fu Hua was a strict master. Amber knew that well, and she also understood the concern hidden beneath Fu Hua's severity. So even when she wanted to retreat, she gritted her teeth and persevered.

Feelings reciprocated by both sides always made getting along easier. Moreover, Fu Hua could hear Amber's thoughts, and Amber's unwavering trust at all times warmed her heart even more.

After another day of training, Amber and Chaldea arrived inside Nippur.

However, the plan encountered an obstacle from the very beginning.

It was not merely that the enemy commander seemed to have seen through their plan and left a number of Demon Beasts here. More terrifyingly, those Demon Beasts had been left inside the city rather than outside it.

That meant the Demon Beasts had already entered Nippur.

After quickly clearing out the Demon Beasts, the silent Amber finally spoke. "There are no survivors left in this city..."

I'm a little conflicted now. I don't want to pad things out, but I'm afraid everyone won't understand if I don't write out the original plot. It's frustrating—I'm stuck here.

The main issue is that Demon Beast Frontline was not the right choice. Fate/Grand Order's plot is too complete, and I keep worrying I'll be gilding the lily. There isn't much worth changing. 1

Still, getting to this point means the hardest part to write is over.

Please vote! Please support me! Everyone's support is also what motivates me to keep updating! 1

Amber: Not Even Close to Fu Hua

"No survivors... huh?" Ritsuka looked at the ground in disbelief.

Bloodstains covered the area by the gates, even stretching all the way into the distance.

Amber felt nauseated. She had been honing her skills by killing Demon Beasts before, but compared to the sight before her, the level of stimulation was entirely different. If before had merely been the level of ketchup spraying everywhere, then this scene was practically a living hell.

Especially now that her five senses had become sharper, the stench of blood flooding her nostrils made her frown in discomfort.

Fu Hua had not expected an evacuation mission to turn into a scene like this. She was indeed a strict master, and she did hope Amber could undergo some stimulation and setbacks to temper her mind, but that did not mean she wanted to force a seedling to grow.

This kind of scene was still too soon for Amber.

"There should still be over two hundred residents in Nippur..." The soldier helping Amber and the others spoke with a trembling voice.

"Let's follow the bloodstains first..."

Merlin spoke in a heavy tone. He felt they needed to investigate, to find out why the residents had vanished.

The soldiers had no better idea. Or rather, they were all clinging to a sliver of hope. What if this gray-haired woman was wrong? What if there really were survivors hiding inside the houses?

Following the bloodstains, Chaldea's group arrived before the plaza.

"You are..." A figure with long green hair stood in the middle of the plaza. Beside him were countless drag marks, and naturally, those marks were stained with human blood.

"Welcome to Nippur, everyone from the Demon Beast Frontline." Gogh wore a malicious smile upon seeing the group. When he saw Fu Hua, his smile stiffened for an instant before quickly returning to normal.

"Where did the residents go?!" Ritsuka shouted at Gogh.

"Isn't it obvious... Ah, right. You don't know anything yet."

Gogh sneered. "Humans are of extremely high value as nourishment for the birth of Demon Beasts. Surely you understand now."

"You bastard!" The soldiers cried out in fury, then formed up and charged at Gogh.

"Old Humanity is nothing more than a bunch of foolish, weak little wretches." Gogh did not take the furious soldiers seriously at all. Those obsolete products had no value in continuing to exist, and he did not even deem them worth another glance. His gaze remained on Chaldea the entire time. "Forget it. Mother's awakening is still some time away, so I might as well play with you."

As his words fell, several ape-like Demon Beasts they had previously seen within the city—creatures capable of climbing the city walls—charged out from behind the houses and pounced on the soldiers approaching Gogh.

They were fast, far faster than the ones they had dealt with in the city before!

But Amber was even faster. In the blink of an eye, she appeared beside several soldiers. Facing the Demon Beasts about to kill them, she curled one hand in a grasping motion, bringing their movements to a halt before dragging them in front of herself.

As Amber threw her punch, invisible vibrations exploded inside one Demon Beast, then spread to the second and third creatures touching it.

In just an instant, the four Demon Beasts lost their lives and slammed heavily into distant buildings.

"Hmph, you really do have quite a few tricks." Gogh's wary gaze settled on Amber. "But after seeing it so many times, I can already see through your movements. This time, I'll collect the price for your previous offense, guardian of Old Humanity."

The moment he finished speaking, several more Demon Beasts appeared and surrounded Chaldea's group. The ground split open with a crash, and a massive lion-like Demon Beast burst from beneath the earth.

"Be careful! These Demon Beasts are different from last time. Even among Tiamat's children, they rank among the highest class! Don't let your guard down!" Merlin warned, though his eyes never left Gogh's movements.

It wasn't that you could see through my movements because you'd watched them so many times. I've just gotten weaker, okay?

Amber silently rolled her eyes at Gogh's words.

The first two times had been the Navigator fighting for her. Now she was fighting herself, so there was obviously some difference.

Gogh had no intention of listening to Amber reply. In an instant, a large number of chains shot out from the ground.

Though he had said he could see through Amber's movements, there was no reason not to limit her mobility. It was simply a pity that she had no Divinity.

Not only from the ground, but many chains also extended from Gogh's sleeves, all shooting toward Amber.

Against those Demon Beasts, Amber's half-baked beginner Sword Intent was naturally useful. But against someone at Gogh's level, there was no need for it.

Black flames ignited around Amber in an instant. They resembled an ink-wash painting, yet possessed astonishing heat, melting the chains aimed at her before they could reach her.

Gogh's expression immediately darkened. This woman had not used that move during their last encounter.

Still, he did not think the fight was impossible. Though those were Chains of Heaven, there were differences even among Chains of Heaven. The true Chains of Heaven was his own body. The ones shot at Amber were merely magical constructs created through his innate skill, imbued with a portion of the concept of the Chains of Heaven.

Since that level of power was insufficient, he only needed to increase his magical output and create higher-quality constructs.

Following Gogh's thoughts, the ground suddenly collapsed into a sizable basin, sinking the entire plaza. Yet after absorbing so much magical energy, Gogh created only three chains, which shot toward Amber from different directions.

But in doing so, he left himself completely open.

Amber charged forward without hesitation and threw a punch at Gogh's face.

Gogh remained calm. Under the high concentration of magical energy, his entire arm transformed into an azure blade, which met Amber's fist head-on.

"I told you, I've already seen through your movements!" Gogh finally smiled as the magic-generated chains caught up to Amber, stabbing toward her body.

Bang!

The blade, which could cut Lazurite apart like tofu, struck Amber's fist as though a plastic knife had hit concrete—no, worse than that.

At least a plastic knife could leave a faint scratch, but Amber's fist did not even have a white mark on it.

Of course. Though it was impossible to tell, Amber was actually wearing gauntlets—Hundred Birds Ask Heaven, merely concealed.

The chains behind her were close at hand. Amber kicked Gogh away, the immense force making him cough up another mouthful of blood. Then her hands traced arcs like flowing silk, redirecting the three straight-flying chains in another direction.

Seizing that opening, Amber pursued Gogh again.

"Damn it!" Gogh felt he had lost all face. The azure blade in his hand slashed down.

With his body forged by the gods, even a simple swing should have been enough to deal with most enemies. Yet before Amber, that blade-wielding motion suddenly seemed like that of a child full of openings. After enduring Fu Hua's brutal beatings for two nights, Amber even suspected he was deliberately exposing weaknesses.

Easily dodging the azure blade and sending Gogh flying with another punch, Amber could not help but wear a strange expression.

No wonder he kept playing bullet hell. So he was bad at close combat.

Out of goodwill—and perhaps with a little desire to look cool—Amber spoke.

"If the form lacks form, and the intent lacks intent, go train some more."

"Pfft!" Gogh spat out another mouthful of blood.

Please vote! Please support me! Everyone's support is also what motivates me to keep updating!

Beast Goddess

"Looks like I underestimated you..."

Gogh wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and looked at Amber again, his expression somewhat twisted.

"No matter how many times we do this, the result will be the same." Amber said, "It has nothing to do with emotion or luck. I'm simply stronger than you."

"You really know how to talk...!" Gogh's face darkened further. Even now, he did not believe he would lose. As a clay doll crafted by the gods, so long as he had a sufficient supply of magical energy, he possessed limitless stamina and immortality that allowed him to regenerate instantly as long as he was not killed in one blow.

No matter how powerful she was, could she really defeat an enemy like him in a battle of attrition? He possessed the Holy Grail, effectively granting him infinite endurance, and he never tired.

With that thought, Gogh guided the chains again. This time, he no longer intended to attack directly. Having failed several times, he realized they were of little use against her. Rather than hoping the chains would work, it was better to use them to interfere with her movements.

Then he rapidly retreated.

Though he was extremely unwilling to admit it, he had to acknowledge that her close-combat ability far surpassed his own. If he continued fighting her at close range, then even if he could eventually wear her down, he certainly would not have an easy time in the process.

The best approach was to take to the sky and engage in guerrilla warfare.

But that presented another problem. As a clay doll, he could only restore himself continuously while both feet stood on the earth. If he fought a chase battle, one mistake could lead to serious trouble.

So, he could only retreat and fight at the same time, shameless as it was.

But it did not matter. Since he had already sealed her Space Movement, mere speed would not be enough...!?

Gogh's rapidly retreating body suddenly lurched, and he stared in disbelief as the scenery that should have been moving forward instead flew backward through his vision.

"This works on me too!?" Looking at Amber's grasping hand, Gogh naturally recognized the move. It was the technique she had used to save the Old Humans from the Demon Beasts' attack. But as everyone knew, due to differences in mystic rank, the same move could have vastly different effects on different people.

This was more than merely effective—it was absurdly effective. Its effect on him, a divine construct, was no different from its effect on those low-ranking Demon Beasts.

At this distance! Damn it—! Watching the distance between himself and Amber shrink until she was right before him, cold sweat almost broke out on Gogh's brow.

Unlike Gogh, who was sweating bullets, Amber only found this punching bag quite convenient.

Inch Punch: Heaven Splitting.

Bang!

Black flames exploded from Amber's fist. The scorching heat made even Chaldea's group, fighting nearby, feel a wave of heat crash over them. The enormous shockwave left the already cracked plaza even more ruined. Gogh felt as if his internal organs were about to be displaced—though he did not actually have internal organs.

Even worse, his body, which should have repaired itself instantly, encountered an inexplicable obstruction. Some strange force was interfering with his healing!

After being sent flying another hundred meters and smashing through more than a dozen buildings, Gogh had completely lost the will to keep fighting.