The Dream Ends, Decision to Enter
After all that, there is a certain force that push Ruko to woke up with his heart already moving faster than his thoughts, breath shallow, muscles tense, the faint sense that he had been running moments ago even though his body hadn't moved. For a few seconds, he just stared upward, blinking, letting the ceiling come into focus. The world felt wrong in that familiar way dreams left behind, like something important had already happened and he'd arrived late to his own life. He exhaled, slow and controlled, and rubbed his face with one hand. Just a dream, he told himself. Another crisis playing itself out in his head. He was getting good at those.
Then the ground trembled. It wasn't strong enough to throw him off balance, but it carried weight. A deep vibration rolled through the air, followed by distant shouting, metal clashing, and the unmistakable sound of magic detonating far beyond the walls of Axel. Ruko sat up immediately, the sleep burning away. That wasn't imagination. That was a battle forming. He stand up just as another tremor hit. Adventurers were already running through the streets, weapons drawn, spells half-cast, faces tense with urgency. Something big was happening—big enough that hesitation had already been left behind.
Kazuma appeared beside him, rubbing his eyes and look at Ruko like the world hadn't just started shaking. "Please tell me this isn't another one of those 'end of the town' situations, and don't tell me what i think i see when you fall." he said, already sounding unmotivated. Before Ruko could answer, someone landed lightly in front of them. A theif. She looked at Kazuma different when she wasn't joking—focused, sharp, straight to the point.
"No time to ease into this," she said. "A Mobile Fortress is approaching Axel and we need to stop it." That got everyone's attention instantly. The theif continued without pause. "Adventurers spotted it early and started attacking. They've managed to damage parts of the outer structure, but it's still moving. If it reaches the city, Axel won't hold for a catastrophe." Aqua gasped dramatically. "A Mobile Fortress?! That's, like, super bad! Why does this always happen here of all places?" Megumin's eyes lit up with dangerous excitement. "A fortress… so big that it moves…?"
"Don't," Kazuma said immediately. "Just—don't." The thief ignored them and kept going. "Time is limited. The damage created weak points, but they won't stay open. If we're going to stop it, we need to enter inside now, before it repairs itself." Ruko stayed quiet, not listening or notice her. The dream enter sat heavy in his mind. Mobile Fortresses weren't designed to be boarded. They were ancient weapons, layered with magic and mechanisms meant to overwhelm anything nearby. Going inside wasn't bravery—it was risk management with bad odds.
Kazuma sighed, shoulders dropping. "Wait don't let me guess. We're really about doing this." "We are," Chris said. "Together. You have an ability that can exploit the damage." Kazuma grimaced. "I was hoping you wouldn't say that and why me." They moved quickly, joining the flow of adventurers heading toward the outskirts. The fortress came into view soon after—a massive moving structure of metal and stone, joints grinding, magic humming through its frame. Spells exploded against it like sparks against a mountain. Some adventurers were retreating, injured. Others were still pressing forward, determined to slow it down no matter the cost.
The thief led them to a damaged section near the lower structure. Cracks ran through reinforced plating, mana leaking out in unstable waves. "This is one of the weak points," she said. "Hurry It won't last long." Kazuma stepped forward reluctantly. "Alright, alright. I get it." He pressed his palm against the damaged area and activated Drain Touch. The reaction was immediate and violent. Mana screamed as it was pulled away, the metal warping, the structure groaning like it was in pain. The weakened section collapsed inward just enough to form a narrow opening before the fortress tried to seal itself again.
"Now!" Thief shouted. They didn't hesitate. The moment they crossed inside, the world changed. The roar of battle outside dulled, replaced by the echoing hum of internal mechanisms. The air felt heavy, thick with layered magic. Light pulsed along the walls in unfamiliar rune patterns, reacting to their presence like a disturbed system waking up. And then the fortress responded. Corridors shifted. Walls slid. Floors angled slightly as the structure began reorganizing itself to isolate the intrusion.
"Hey—wait!" Kazuma shouted as the path ahead split. In seconds, chaos took over. Adventurers were scattered in different directions as passages sealed and reformed. The noise multiplied—clashes, spells, shouting—echoing through metal halls that didn't seem to follow normal logic. Ruko found himself moving forward automatically, instincts keeping him steady as the fortress closed behind them. He glanced back just in time to see the entrance seal completely, the outside world cut off in an instant. "No retreat. Only forward."
The paths ahead divided again, pulling the group apart whether they liked it or not. The fortress wasn't just defending itself—it was sorting them. Ruko steadied his breathing, eyes sharp, posture calm. "This thing doesn't want us together," he muttered. And somewhere deep within the moving structure, the Mobile Fortress continued to shift, its internal veins guiding each intruder toward a different fate as the battle truly began.