Kyoto had never been as alive as it was that dawn. Paper lanterns still swayed in the streets, tourists laughed in lines at izakayas, and groups of students returned home talking loudly after karaoke...
But in seconds, that normalcy was ripped away from everyone.
The scarlet sky that opened above the city drew the first screams. Some who had woken early for work thought it was just a strange aurora, or perhaps out-of-season fireworks. But soon, silhouettes began to form, immense, grotesque, filling the skies like clouds of flesh and hatred.
Curious gazes turned into horrified ones.
"Is… is this a movie? Some kind of hologram?!" someone shouted, trying to rationalize.
But the illusion shattered the moment the first roar echoed. It wasn't the sound of a machine or a loudspeaker. It was visceral, so deep it vibrated in the bones, making children cry and adults fall to their knees.
And then, amidst the monsters, one of them raised its hand before everyone.
Gigantic, with curved black horns and eyes like erupting embers. With an almost blasphemous calm, it bit its own finger. Thick, dark blood dripped, falling like drops of fire.
Each drop, upon touching the air, twisted. Flesh molded, bones grew, and soon dozens, then hundreds of smaller versions plummeted in free fall.
Clones.
They crashed onto streets, rooftops, and busy intersections. The impacts shattered asphalt, cracked concrete, and flipped cars in seconds. But worse than the impact was what came next.
One of the clones landed right in the middle of Shijō Avenue, crushing three cars under its feet. People ran in all directions, but not fast enough. The demon opened its mouth, revealing blade-like teeth, and bit into a screaming woman, tearing her in two before everyone.
Blood splattered over those running, and panic exploded.
"Run! Run!!"
Other clones landed on buildings, piercing walls with sharp claws. In an izakaya, customers were still trying to understand what was happening when the side wall was torn open, and one of these creatures reached in, pulling two people out like rag dolls. Their screams lasted only a second before turning to silence.
At Kyoto Station, dozens of clones invaded the platforms. People tried to board trains that were going nowhere, crushing themselves against closed doors. Children were pushed, mothers screamed for their kids, and amidst it all, a demon charged through the tracks, tearing train cars like cardboard.
The air filled with the smell of iron and smoke. Alarms blared, but no one heard anything beyond the screams and roars.
In the Gion district, where tourists walked through narrow streets lit by lanterns, the clones fell like a rain of death. One grabbed a couple holding hands and twisted them in opposite directions, as if it were just a game. Another tore off an elderly man's head and hurled it onto the rooftops, laughing in a guttural sound no one would ever forget.
At every corner, the scene repeated: ordinary lives brutally interrupted. Uniformed students torn apart before they could comprehend what they saw. Workers trapped in traffic jams turned to ashes along with their burning cars. Entire groups of people crushed under claws that descended like guillotines.
Kyoto, which minutes before had pulsed with life, was now a theater of horror.
Some still tried to resist. Police officers fired their guns at the monsters, but the bullets ricocheted as if they were nothing. Firefighters attempting to save civilians trapped in burning buildings were devoured before even reaching the ladders.
One clone ripped an electric pole from a street and stabbed it into the ground, impaling three people at once, leaving their bodies dangling like broken marionettes. Another, in an almost childish cruelty, tore off the arms and legs of still-living victims, tossing them back and forth just to hear their screams.
In the Kamo River, dozens of bodies already floated, dragged by the current, while clones walked along the banks, throwing others alive into the water as if it were fun.
The chaos spread faster than any evacuation could contain. Sirens didn't stop, but they were useless. Hospitals were invaded, ambulances turned to scrap in seconds.
And amidst it all, ordinary citizens, people who had never even dreamed of the supernatural, understood the bitter truth: this wasn't war, it wasn't a natural disaster. It was the end of the world, happening before their eyes.
A mother, holding her son's hand, ran down a side street trying to escape. But a clone landed in front of them, blocking the way. The boy cried loudly, and the demon, curious, tilted its head as if examining a toy. Then, it simply crushed the small body under its foot, while the mother went mad with despair. The monster's laughter echoed through the deserted street.
Further ahead, a group of students returning from karaoke hid behind a toppled vending machine. They clutched their phones, trying to call for help, but the signal was gone. When they thought they were safe, a claw pierced the machine, pulling two of them out. The others only saw the bodies flying before running off in tears.
Kyoto burned in flames.
The red in the sky reflected on the streets, in the terrified eyes of those still breathing.
The demons were in no hurry. They moved like predators who knew victory was assured. They toyed with their prey, destroyed buildings for fun, spread terror as if it were their natural language.
And from above, the true demon who had created the clones watched everything with cold eyes, like an artist admiring his work. Its gaze settled on a specific spot near a hotel.
One of them advanced toward a child, each step making the ground tremble.
The little girl, trembling, had nowhere to run. Every instinct told her this was her end.
Suddenly, an arm appeared between her and the monster. Mordred was there, appearing out of nowhere as if she had emerged from the air itself. Her right arm, partially covered in armor, intercepted the demon's strike with an impact that echoed like muffled thunder, CLANG! And the monstrous blade was stopped by an arm clad in gleaming steel.
"Hah!" a defiant, insolent voice laughed: "What a pathetic scene, bullying a kid? I expected more…"
Mordred stared at the demon with sparkling eyes, half her body already covered in armor. Red lightning ran like electric veins over the metal, reflecting the fury only she could carry.
She glanced quickly at the small child trembling behind her.
"Hey, kid. Run as fast as you can. This trash is mine…"
The child, still shaking, swallowed hard and stumbled down the street, disappearing into the ruined alleys.
Mordred clenched her fists, her armor completing with a metallic roar, and a crimson cloak flared behind her like a war banner.
"Time to end this clown show."
The clone let out a furious roar but had no time to attack again. The sword was raised, and the air ignited with red lightning.
"CLARENT BLOOD ARTHUR!!!"
The strike pierced the creature's chest like an inevitable sentence. The monstrous body shattered into light and ashes, its scream of pain mingling with the thunder that exploded through the skies.
Meanwhile, not far away, a deadly dance unfolded. Musashi moved with almost supernatural grace, her two blades slicing through space in clean, perfect lines. Each step, each spin, each cut was a painting drawn in demonic blood.
"Hmph! You're just brute meat with no technique," she smiled, cleaving another clone in half: "This is turning into a warm-up…"
She appeared where the danger was greatest, cutting down creatures before they could reach civilians, moving as if she were omnipresent. With each strike, more people were saved, more screams silenced.
The two weren't the only ones who appeared to save people; Kazuya, who had already foreseen what would happen, had made his preparations and called several Servants from Chaldea to aid in the battle!
A vibrant shout echoed through the burning streets:
"Umu! How could the Empress let such a grand stage go without her presence?"
Nero Claudius appeared, her red blade gleaming with each theatrical spin. With a single slash, she severed a clone's head, spinning in the same motion to pierce another. Her eyes sparkled with excitement, even amidst the carnage.
"What a spectacle! I, Nero Claudius, will bring the flame of glory upon these despicable beasts!"
Elsewhere, an ethereal, intoxicating laugh resounded through the smoke.
"Ara ara… such a rush to die you all have… You dare attack Yasaka's city, my dear friend…"
Shuten Douji walked through the wreckage, the air heavy with the intoxicating scent of sake and poison. Her blade barely needed effort, each swing cutting three, four clones at once, their bodies falling like broken dolls. Her smile was both charming and terrifying.
"What a fun party… blood, screams, and despair… Heehee, keep screaming for me, isn't it delicious?"
In another part of the city, a black thunderbolt fell upon an entire intersection, melting the asphalt and the grotesque bodies of the clones. From the smoky shadows, a figure emerged, black dress billowing in the wind and a dark sword in hand.
"Tch… insignificant creatures," said Saber Alter, her voice cold as steel: "Attacking civilians like this, if it's destruction you desire… then you'll have it in abundance…"
With a single motion, Excalibur Morgan unleashed a beam of purple energy that devoured an entire battalion of clones, reducing them to ashes in seconds. Her roar drowned out the demons', imposing a forced silence on the streets.
But she wasn't alone.
A venomous, cruel, and vibrant laugh echoed through the flames.
"Heh… Die! You annoying, disgusting demons!"
Jeanne d'Arc Alter, wreathed in flames, advanced through the ruins wielding her banner like a scythe. Each strike tore through space, reducing clones to piles of smoldering flesh. Her infernal fire spread, incinerating dozens at a time.
"I'll crush you down to the last one… and when nothing but dust remains, I'll still be laughing!"
Meanwhile, a tremor shook the skies. A golden glow and a whirlwind formed, as if the sun itself had descended upon Kyoto. A female shadow pierced the clouds, feathered golden wings spread wide, and with each flap, gusts of wind crushed demons against the ground.
"¡Olé!" a vigorous voice rang out like a goddess's shout: "Today, I, the onee-san, Quetzalcoatl, fight for the festival of life, and no monsters can stop it!"
She descended in a meteoric kick, the impact crushing a clone into the concrete, opening a crater that cracked several city blocks. The others recoiled, but Quetz laughed, rising in an agile spin.
"Come on, all of you! I'll dance with each one until the end!"
.
.
.
.
.
The human city wasn't the only one under attack.
Urakyoto, the hidden city of youkai, had never faced such calamity.
The barriers that kept the place concealed shattered like glass, and the demonic creatures passed through effortlessly, as if the ancient seals were mere fragile curtains.
The narrow streets of the city were overtaken by the same scarlet sky engulfing Kyoto. The mystical lanterns that usually glowed softly exploded one after another as the demons' shadows reached them. Youkai homes were crushed under colossal feet, and the screams of families echoed among the temples and gardens, now in flames.
At the city's center, Yasaka emerged in her golden kitsune form. The flaming aura emanating from her body illuminated the surroundings like a rising sun, but the glow barely held back the growing darkness. Her nine tails flickered like war banners, and her amber eyes, filled with fury and despair, fixed on the enemy towering before her.
The demon was colossal, over fifty meters tall, its horns spiraling black toward the corrupted sky. Its skin was blackened gray, covered in symbols pulsing like living wounds. The monster opened its mouth, and a roar exploded like thunder, cracking Urakyoto's ground into hundreds of fissures.
"Everyone, protect the city! Evacuate the civilians!" Yasaka ordered, her voice reverberating like flaming thunder. The magical power in her words brought courage even to the most fearful warriors.
A subordinate, in spiritual armor, stumbled forward, holding Kunou by the shoulders. The little fox was crying, her tear-filled eyes reflecting the flames around them.
"Lady Yasaka! What should we do?!"
Yasaka didn't take her eyes off the monster. She knew what had to be done, even if each word was like a blade piercing her heart.
"Take Kunou to Chaldea!" she shouted, her tails expanding in golden flames. "Now! Don't look back!"
"M-Mother!" Kunou sobbed, reaching out for her. But Yasaka, with a firm look and held-back tears, only shook her head.
"Go, my daughter! Survive. I'll find you… no matter the cost."
The subordinate gritted his teeth and dragged Kunou away, despite her protests. Yasaka couldn't afford to weaken.
She raised her hands, and her nine tails rose with her. Urakyoto's sky lit up as giant magical circles opened behind her, summoning flames. The heat was so intense that the air distorted, and even the smaller demon clones hesitated for a moment.
"This is my people's home. You will not defile it with impunity!"
The golden kitsune unleashed a torrent of fire against the colossus. The impact lit the entire sky like a golden aurora, consuming the demon's chest in sacred flames. The creature roared in pain, stepping back, but it didn't fall. Instead, the flames were swallowed by black holes that opened in its skin, absorbing the energy like ravenous mouths.
Yasaka's eyes widened. "Absorption…"
The demon laughed, a guttural sound like crumbling rocks. Its colossal hand descended toward the kitsune, each finger larger than a tower. Yasaka spun in the air, her tails forming a shield of flames to block the blow. The impact was so brutal that the shockwave toppled entire temples behind her, crushing dozens of youkai homes within a hundred-meter radius.
She staggered in the air but held firm. Her body trembled under the strain, but determination shone in her eyes.
"As long as I stand… Urakyoto will not fall!"
However, the city was already crumbling. Smaller clones from the other demon floating with its companions leaped from rooftop to rooftop, tearing kitsune and tengu warriors from their posts. Guardian spirits were pierced by claws, dispersing into fragments of light that faded. The spiritual walls protecting the city were toppled like toys. The ground filled with ashes and blood, and screams echoed until they were lost in the roar of the apocalypse.
Kunou, being rushed away, still looked back, seeing her mother alone against the monstrosity destroying their home.
At that moment, the demon's colossal arm descended like thunder, ready to crush Yasaka once and for all. Every muscle in her kitsune body trembled under the imminent impact. She tried to dodge, but the blow was too fast, and the ground was already giving way beneath her feet, cracking like glass.
The moment the monster struck her, she was flung back with inhuman force. Her tails' flames partially extinguished, and deep cuts ran across her body. Blood dripped, staining the ground and dust red. Her kitsune form vanished, involuntarily reverting to human, fragile and vulnerable. Her eyes still burned with determination, but pain and despair now dominated every breath.
"No… I… can't…" she murmured, swallowing hard, as the world seemed to darken around her. The demon's roar echoed over the rubble, each vibration reminding her that the end was near.
And then, the sky tore open in a brilliant, icy glow.
Kazuya appeared. In an instant that seemed outside of time, he surged forward with unimaginable speed, crossing the distance between them as if reality itself bent. Before the demon could react, he enveloped Yasaka in his arms, holding her like a fallen princess.
The aura emanating from him was relentless. Dark purple magical energy enveloped Yasaka, and in moments, her human body was restored. Wounds, broken bones, burns—everything vanished. She was whole again, perfect, as if the fatal attack had never touched her.
Her eyes opened, filled with disbelief, and strength coursed through her body again.
"K-Kazuya…?" she whispered, still unable to believe what she saw.
"Shh… it's okay now, sorry for the delay… I was dealing with some complications…" he said calmly, as if all the destruction around them was a mere trivial detail: "You're not going to die here. I wouldn't allow it."
The demon, realizing its mortal blow had no effect, rose, furious. Its eyes fixed on Kazuya, and it roared with a force that shook the ground. But Kazuya didn't flinch. He stepped forward, still holding Yasaka in his arms, and casually raised his right finger, pointing directly at the colossal creature.
A dark, absolute glow appeared at his fingertip. It was an energy sphere reminiscent of Satoru Gojou's Hollow Purple, but infinitely more intense, dozens of times larger, thousands of times more powerful. The air seemed to vibrate with the concentrated force, and reality itself began to warp around the energy.
"This… will erase you…" Kazuya said, with an almost blasphemous calm, as if dealing with an annoying fly.
Before the demon could react, the sphere expanded with absurd speed, engulfing everything in its path. The impact was catastrophic. The energy instantly obliterated the smaller clones and, in seconds, the colossal creature was erased from existence, as if it had never been. An absolute silence fell over Urakyoto, broken only by the sound of the wind and the crackling of the surrounding ruins.
Yasaka, still in his arms, looked at Kazuya, speechless.
Kazuya calmly gazed at the Super Demons in the sky. All that was left was to deal with them…
_____________________
(A/N: This chapter was the starting point of the war between Kazuya and Rizevim. I wanted to show how the invasion impacted Kyoto and Urakyoto, making it clear just how great the threat to come really is. At the same time, I brought in the Servants, each leaving their own mark on the battle, and of course, the moment when Kazuya appeared to turn the tide.
It was a necessary chapter to establish the scale of this war. From here on out, the pace will only get faster.
As for the gaps in the drama — "what was Kazuya doing," "why didn't he save everyone in the city," and so on — those answers will be revealed as the war unfolds.
Thank you for reading up to this point — in the next chapter, we'll see how Kazuya and the Servants face off directly against the Super Demons!
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