Kyon's Helplessness

Gaia spoke calmly, her gaze fixed on Koizumi without the slightest trace of emotion.

"He is merely a weapon. There is no need for us to intervene."

The girl called Yukari frowned slightly, but said nothing.

Alaya nodded, then vanished from the place alongside Gaia.

The girl called Yukari glanced at Koizumi, shook her head with a bitter smile, and said, "A weapon... Isn't it a little too early to define him like that, Gaia?"

Everything before Koizumi's eyes was hazy. He could not help rubbing his eyes, and once his vision cleared, he immediately realized where he was... a pure white space, with himself floating in midair.

Yet there was a girl before him who felt strangely familiar. If she was not Remilia... then who was she?

"You..." Koizumi had barely spoken when the girl before him pressed a finger to his lips.

"My name is Yakumo Yukari. My class is Ruler. Like the Remilia you met before, I am a Servant... Though this form of mine is far too weak compared to my true self, if I were to use my full power, it would be far too much of a cheat."

The girl—Yakumo Yukari—said with a smile.

"Servant... The young mistress..." At the mention of Remilia, Koizumi could not help feeling sorrowful again.

"Do not worry. You will meet again. She was only a Servant, not her true self. There is no such thing as true death for a Servant." Yakumo Yukari spoke calmly, rekindling hope in Koizumi's heart.

As long as there was still a chance to meet again! Koizumi thought.

Seeing the change in Koizumi's expression, Yakumo Yukari merely smiled faintly and said nothing more.

The next moment, a gap opened before Yakumo Yukari. It was a rift filled with eyes.

"This is..." Koizumi froze slightly, but before he could react, Yakumo Yukari directly pulled him inside.

"Do not worry. I will not harm you."

Yakumo Yukari said this with a smile, but Koizumi somehow felt that she was not entirely trustworthy.

After passing through the horrifying gap full of eyes, Koizumi's vision suddenly brightened.

This was a place brimming with futuristic technology. The instruments before him alone were enough to leave Koizumi dazzled.

"This is..." Koizumi muttered as he looked around.

"Chaldea... Hmm... It should be called Simulated Chaldea. It is exactly the same as the place where the Fujimaru Ritsuka you know resides. It is a new space I created, and everything inside simulates the place called Chaldea. After all, their equipment is indeed very useful." Yakumo Yukari spoke calmly, her tone full of praise.

"It feels really out of place for you to be using this stuff..." Koizumi could not help commenting.

"That is true. A youkai using high technology certainly is quite a jarring sight."

Yakumo Yukari did not deny it and merely nodded lightly.

"Alright, little Koizumi, sit down for now. What comes next is heavy, and there is a great deal of information. I will explain it all to you slowly." As she spoke, Yakumo Yukari produced a folding fan from nowhere.

Then, with a flick, she opened the fan and used it to cover her mouth, an inscrutable look filling her eyes.

"What do you mean? Do you know something about me?" Koizumi was extremely agitated, but that was only natural. He knew nothing about himself other than his name. Now that he finally had a chance to learn about his past, how could he possibly let it slip away?

At that thought, Koizumi's gaze subconsciously fell upon the Command Seals on his left hand. There were still two remaining.

If possible, Koizumi would not hesitate to use a Command Seal to force her to tell him about himself.

Yakumo Yukari took in Koizumi's every move, then gently shook her head and sighed.

"I do not know much about your past either. After all, you summoned me as well. All I know is what you need to do next, so I may have to disappoint you."

"Also, using Command Seals on me would be useless. Command Seals have great binding power over Servants with low Magic Resistance, but for me, even using all three at once would not have much effect."

Yakumo Yukari's words immediately dispelled Koizumi's thoughts. Whether she was telling the truth or not, if he used them, he might end up falling out with her. That was what his instincts told him.

Volume: Prosperous Illusory Empire - Imperial Capital

Prologue: Traitor Akame

Within the forest, a figure raced forward at incredible speed, two swords hanging at her waist.

Looking closely, she was a red-eyed girl dressed almost entirely in black, save for the red bracers on both hands.

The girl ran at an astonishing speed, so fast that ordinary people could not possibly catch sight of her.

Her breathing revealed just how anxious she was. Beneath her otherwise impassive expression, a faint hint of worry could be seen.

The next moment, a rustling sound came from behind her. The girl was startled, but she did not stop running. She merely placed her right hand on the hilt of one of her swords.

Several figures suddenly charged forward at tremendous speed. Among them, a long-haired girl wearing some sort of gauntlets rushed at the red-eyed girl with an angry expression, her right fist striking without hesitation.

Boom!

The girl only drew her sword a fraction, raising its blade before herself to block, yet the punch still sent her flying. Her feet slid backward, and she barely managed to steady herself. Judging from the marks on the ground, she had still been forced back several meters.

Feeling the power within her opponent, the girl could not help revealing a bitter smile.

"Even Sister Korr can force me back... This enhancement ability really is..."

"Stop right there!!!!!" At the roar of the long-haired girl in gauntlets, the red-eyed girl's expression sharpened. Without hesitation, she drew one of the swords at her waist and took up a ready stance.

In an instant, the red-eyed girl was surrounded by four people. None of them underestimated her, and it was clear that this red-eyed girl was strong enough to make them all take her seriously.

"This really is... Sister Korr, Nahashu, Tsukushi, Pony..."

The red-eyed girl immediately smiled bitterly, but there was not the slightest relaxation on her face.

As their former companion, she undoubtedly knew best just how strong they were.

Though facing her old friends left her feeling conflicted, if it truly came down to a fight to the death, this red-eyed girl would not hesitate in the slightest, because—she had a reason she could not die here.

With a flash, the red-eyed girl appeared before one of the imposing men. The katana in her hand slashed out without hesitation, and in the blink of an eye, countless cold flashes filled the air.

Seeing his former teammate display such strength with his own eyes, even he could not help being slightly shocked.

"Trash, I never thought you had been holding back all this time!"

The man said this as the weapon in his hand—the Water Dragon Sword—met her attack without hesitation.

Against an opponent of this level, he had no time to consider whether he should hold back just because they had once been friends.

"Nahashu, I do not want to fight you. Take Sister Korr, Tsukushi, and Pony and leave now!"

The red-eyed girl shouted, but the boy named Nahashu did not waver in the slightest.

"Do not joke around, Akame! We have not settled Grimm and Guy's deaths with you yet! You killed Grimm and Guy, then killed Father, and even stole an Imperial Arm from the Empire. What exactly are you trying to do? Are you betraying the Empire?"

"I..." Akame froze slightly. The scene of Grimm and Guy dying by her hand flashed through her mind, pain appearing on her face before being covered by resolve.

"I have something I need to do. Do not stop me—"

As she spoke, Akame forced Nahashu back with a slash, then sheathed the katana in her hand and swiftly switched to another katana wreathed in an ominous aura—One-Strike Kill - Murasame.

"This Imperial Arm is called One-Strike Kill - Murasame. I do not want to use it to hurt you. Leave now, and do not follow me!" As she spoke, Akame pointed Murasame at them and slowly backed away.

They had all heard of Murasame. One-Strike Kill - Murasame was a Demon Blade in the truest sense. Anyone cut by it would be infected with curse poison through the wound and swiftly die. There was no cure.

The weapons Nahashu and the others wielded were Shingu. Their effects and abilities were not particularly powerful, at least nowhere near Akame's Murasame. Furthermore, Akame had another weapon—Shingu: Kiriichimonji.

Shingu: Kiriichimonji did not possess the unavoidable death effect of an Imperial Arm, but wounds cut by its blade could never heal.

"I never thought Akame could be compatible with an Imperial Arm. It is truly unbelievable," Tsukushi could not help saying.

"What? I want to see whether Imperial Arms are really that amazing!" Pony pouted in dissatisfaction and charged forward without another word. Her speed was actually even faster than the others'.

"Trash, get back!" Nahashu's expression immediately changed. Having just fought Akame, he knew perfectly well how powerful she was. If Akame had used an Imperial Arm rather than a Shingu earlier, he might already have been finished.

As if she had not expected Pony to rush over, Akame's expression changed slightly as well.

Akame hurriedly gripped the hilt with her left hand while her right hand grasped Kiriichimonji's scabbard. Without hesitation, she drew Kiriichimonji. She had only used Murasame to make them wary, but she had not expected to forget about Pony.

Pony had always been a little slow on the uptake. Even after seeing Akame draw an Imperial Arm, how could she possibly retreat so easily?

Akame shifted slightly and passed Pony by. However, at the instant they crossed, Akame's Kiriichimonji scabbard struck Pony in the abdomen. The powerful impact sent Pony flying.

Cornelia froze slightly, an unreadable glint flashing in her eyes before she caught the flying Pony.

"Akame..."

Cornelia muttered to herself. If Akame truly was as she thought, then that strike should have killed Pony. Yet Akame had merely sent Pony flying with Kiriichimonji's scabbard and had not even intended to hurt her. Had Cornelia really been wrong?

Akame put away her weapons and looked over the group with a complicated expression.

"Do not follow me anymore..."

Akame spoke calmly, then vanished from everyone's sight in a flash.

"When did Akame become so strong..." Tsukushi could not help saying. Within the group, she had been closest to Akame, so Akame's betrayal had undoubtedly hurt her the most. Yet she could not understand it at all. Everything had been fine only a few days ago, so why had Akame suddenly chosen betrayal?

There was another, even more important question. Why had Akame's strength suddenly surged to this extent?

The Akame of the past had been no match for Nahashu, yet the current Akame could easily suppress even Nahashu.

Could it have been the enhancement from the Imperial Arm? But Akame had not used an Imperial Arm just now.

Nahashu and the others fell silent, especially Nahashu. He was the one who had most clearly felt Akame's power.

"Are we still going after her?" Pony looked at the others, though she was mainly looking at Nahashu.

Nahashu was undoubtedly their leader, and most of them followed his judgment.

"Let us go back..." After a long while, Nahashu finally spoke.

Cornelia and the others nodded, then left with Nahashu.

Sensing the disappearance of the four auras behind her, Akame secretly sighed in relief and continued hurrying forward.

She still had many things to investigate and did not have time to remain here any longer.

As for what she needed to investigate, it was already obvious.

For example... the Empire itself...

And... Kurome's current whereabouts...

And... what exactly was going on right now...

However, reality seemingly would not allow her to do so.

After crossing the forest, an icy blue figure made Akame freeze, followed by a wave of shock.

Why was she here? Had she come specifically to block Akame's path? No, according to Akame's memories, she should have been...

Why was she here? Why did she have such a nostalgic expression? Why, why, why...

Too many questions filled Akame's heart, but there was only one thing she understood now—

—the person before her was her enemy—

"—Bury!!!!!!!!!!"

Without hesitation, Akame drew Murasame and charged toward the icy blue figure before her.

Koizumi Driven into Helplessness

Just as people decayed, nations would one day head toward destruction as well. Even the Imperial Capital, prosperous for a thousand years, was now nothing but a corrupt hell on earth. Monsters wearing human skin ran rampant in arrogant defiance—

A gentle breeze blew, warm sunlight covered the earth, and the grass sprouted tender new shoots beneath its rays.

A new day had arrived. The gates of the Imperial Capital opened, and the residents of the prosperous metropolis began working for their livelihoods. All kinds of people walked through the streets, while recruitment grounds were packed with those hoping to rise through the ranks.

There were two particularly strange shops in the Imperial Capital. One had Hakurei Amulet Shop written above it and sold all kinds of protective charms. It was said that simply carrying one could keep a person safe. The other sold masks, with Noh Masks written on its signboard. It was clearly a shop that made and sold Noh masks.

But then again, neither shop owner had apparently ever bought anything before, because—

What kind of bizarre shopkeeper would write the goods they sold on the signboard without adding something like "Shop" after it?!

At this very moment, Koizumi stood between the two storefronts, feeling incredibly helpless.

He glanced at the shops on either side and did not know what to say.

Was he not supposed to resolve Singularities? Why was he fighting in such a strange place...

Yakumo Yukari had explained the current situation to him. He was in a place known as the Type-Moon World. Across the Type-Moon World's many parallel worlds, countless unnecessary possibilities had emerged, and some of them contained a Holy Grail, a sacred relic. The Suppression Force had gathered these possibilities into Singularities. What he needed to do was recover or destroy the sacred relic called the Holy Grail within those unnecessary possibilities, resolve the distortions, and return parallel worlds that had deviated from their proper paths to the right track.

Put simply, branches had emerged from the world's original timeline. These branch worlds were unnecessary to the original world, so Koizumi was responsible for putting them back on track.

Yakumo Yukari had told him this was work entrusted to him by the Suppression Force. In the process of completing these missions, he would surely come to understand his identity and recover all his memories of the past.

For the sake of his memories, and of course, to survive, Koizumi had to complete these tasks.

As for surviving... Was that not obvious? The world would not shelter someone with no value.

So regardless of his reasons, he had to resolve these Singularities. It was no different from before.