Ch.20 One Vs All

The village was engulfed in flames. Houses burned as fire danced wildly through the air. In the middle of it all, Sarah fought fiercely against Lance and Maxim, steel clashing in a storm of heat and fury. From atop the town hall building, Blake stood silently, watching the chaos unfold below. The sound of swords and spears echoed through the burning streets.

Lance came flying through the air, crashing hard into the wall of a nearby house. He spat out blood, groaning in pain.

"*Spit*... How the hell is she still so strong? This should've been easy!" Lance snarled, clutching his wounded side.

"Hey! Stop complaining and help me here!" Maxim shouted, swinging his weapon as Sarah's attacks grew even stronger—each blow faster and heavier than the last.

"Don't be stupid! How am I supposed to fight someone who's a total monster?!" Lance yelled back, but still pushed himself up, rejoining the fight with a grimace.

Near the entrance of the village, Shirou ran full speed toward the inferno. As the sight of fire consumed his vision, his eyes widened in shock.

"What…" he breathed out, frozen in disbelief.

A flashback hit him—memories of the first time he met Eliza, the same burning sky, the same screaming voices, the same flames that marked the beginning of the war.

He entered the village, his steps quick and desperate as he ran toward the orphanage. The streets were slick with blood. Corpses littered the ground. The smell of burning flesh filled the air. Every turn revealed more death—every corner soaked in red. No one was left alive.

Soon, he reached the orphanage. His eyes filled with horror as he saw the building engulfed by fire, half of it already reduced to smoldering ruins.

"Chris… Cherry…" He stepped forward slowly, fear gripping him tighter with every step. Bodies lay scattered around him—burned, broken, unrecognizable.

His fear turned to dread as a dark aura seemed to surround him. The deeper he went, the more familiar faces he began to recognize among the dead.

"Alica… Dake… Jack…" His voice trembled. "Sabrina… Vanessa… where are you all…?"

He stumbled through the debris, his legs shaking, his breathing ragged. Then he came upon them—his friends. One by one.

First, Dake's body. Then Jack's. Then Sabrina. Vanessa.

Before he could blink, thunder split the sky, and the rain poured down in heavy sheets. Blood on the ground began to wash away, forming streams that looked like rivers of red.

Through the downpour, Shirou's eyes caught sight of another body—a headless figure lying in the mud. His breath froze. He recognized the clothes, the weapon, every detail that told him exactly who it was.

His legs gave out. He fell to his knees and pulled the body into his arms, trembling.

"Oi… this is some kind of joke, right? Why…" His voice cracked. "Why is this happening again…?"

His breath came in quick, uneven gasps. "Just like… the last time…"

Flashes of memory tore through his mind—visions of the demon castle, the bodies of those he loved, everyone who tried to protect him, falling one by one. The faces of the demon, the generals, his own mother… all fading away.

"Mom… What should I do…?" he whispered, his tears mixing with rain.

As he knelt in anguish, lightning flashed across the burning sky—and then he heard it.

"Shi…rou…"

His eyes widened. He turned toward the sound. Vanessa's body twitched weakly on the ground. Shirou's heart raced as he dashed toward her, scooping her into his arms.

"Vanessa! Don't worry, I'll—"

"Tha…nk godness…" she whispered, her voice trembling. "You're safe… that makes me… relieved…"

"Hey! Don't talk, please. You're losing too much blood, I have to—" He pressed his hands desperately against her wounds, trying to stop the bleeding.

"Ali…ca…" she gasped weakly. "They took her… with them… Chris… Mother Sarah…"

"Don't worry… I'll save them. I promise. Just stay with me, okay?" Shirou said, panic and grief in his voice.

Vanessa smiled faintly through the pain. She reached out a shaking hand and brushed his hair gently, her touch trembling as she gathered the last of her strength.

"Don't… worry… I'm fine… but…" Her voice broke as tears mixed with rain. She hugged him tightly, clinging to him. "I… don't want to die… I don't want to leave…"

Her grip weakened. Her body went limp in his arms.

Shirou trembled, holding her close. The rain fell harder, washing away the blood from his hands.

"Don't… worry… I promised I will…" he whispered.

He laid her gently on the ground, eyes burning with sorrow and anger. Then, without another word, he turned and ran deeper into the village, disappearing into the storm.

Back in the Village

Maxim thrust his rapier toward Sarah's heart, but she effortlessly deflected it with a smooth swing and spun to kick his back, sending him stumbling forward.

Before she could regain her stance, Lance dropped from above, spear aimed at her head. Sarah sidestepped in a blur, then leaped upward. Grabbing Lance by the neck mid-air, she slammed him into the ground with startling strength.

She landed gracefully, her sharp gaze fixed on Commander Brown.

"I don't know what you're planning, Commander Brown," she said, her tone cold. "But you've slaughtered innocent villagers…" Her fist clenched. "And Chris… I will never forgive this."

With a burst of fury, Sarah launched herself at Brown — but two figures emerged behind him.

It was Zenjo and Styx.

Zenjo closed the gap first, his punch crashing forward with tremendous force. Sarah crossed her sword to block, the impact shaking the air as she skidded back, boots carving lines into the dirt.

"Whaaa… still strong as ever," Zenjo said, smirking as he dropped to the ground.

"Did you find it?" Commander Brown asked, still not turning around.

"Yes," Styx replied, tossing an unconscious — Alicia — to the ground.

"Good. Go help them," Brown ordered.

"Understood."

As Styx joined the battle, Sarah found herself surrounded by four pillars — Maxim, Lance, Zenjo, and Styx. Her calm never faltered. Her face was void of emotion, almost hollow.

She inhaled deeply.

Zenjo charged again with a thunderous punch, the ground cracking beneath his feet. Sarah dodged, flipping behind him. From her left, Lance thrust his spear, but Sarah seized his arm mid-air, twisted, and sent him flying backward with a sharp kick to his ribs.

From above, Styx swung her scythe in a deadly arc. Sarah hurled a rock she had picked up moments ago, knocking the weapon out of Styx's hands.

Maxim seized the opening and lunged, his rapier flashing. Sarah pivoted midair and swung her sword in a wide arc — the blade whistled, releasing a sharp sonic shockwave that sliced through the air. Maxim barely leaped back in time, the shockwave carving a gouge through the ground where he had stood.

Dust swirled.

Sarah landed silently amidst the chaos, her eyes like cold steel.

Zenjo roared and came again, trying to grab her. Sarah met him mid-swing, kicked his arm aside, and drove the hilt of her sword into his chest. The impact sent him crashing through a wooden wall.

Styx tried to recover her scythe, but Sarah flicked her wrist — a crescent slash of energy flew out, slicing through the weapon's shaft.

"You still don't understand," Sarah said, walking forward as her hair fluttered in the wind. "You can't stop me."

She vanished in a blur, reappearing before Maxim. He barely had time to raise his blade before her strike shattered his rapier and sent him sprawling.

Lance struggled to stand, clutching his broken spear. Zenjo climbed out of the rubble, gritting his teeth.

Zenjo grunted as he climbed out of the debris, blood trickling down his cheek. "Damn… she's faster than before!"

Sarah was already on the move. With a sharp twist, she kicked a broken stone wall — the fragments exploded outward like bullets. Maxim tried to shield himself, but the shards tore across his armor, forcing him back.

Lance steadied his spear's broken shaft and lunged again. Sarah pivoted, blade flashing. The tip of her sword caught the spear mid-thrust, splitting it in two. She stepped inside his reach and elbowed him hard in the gut; the air left his lungs as he collapsed to one knee.

Zenjo roared again and launched himself forward, fist glowing with energy. The impact cracked the earth as Sarah flipped backward, avoiding the strike by centimeters. She landed on her hands, pushed herself up, and spun—her foot connecting with Zenjo's chin. He flew back, crashing into Styx, who had just picked up her damaged scythe.

The two tumbled together, stunned.

Sarah barely paused. She knelt, pressed a palm to the ground, and her sword shimmered with silver wind. She slashed—four arcs of compressed air erupted, weaving through the smoke. Maxim barely avoided them, but his coat was torn and a thin line of blood traced across his cheek.

He grit his teeth. "She's playing with us!"

Styx spun her scythe to block the incoming wind, but Sarah was already gone — appearing behind her. With a precise strike, she sliced through the curve of the scythe's blade and spun again, her sword grazing Styx's shoulder.

Blood splattered the dirt.

Zenjo charged one more time, his massive fists swinging like hammers. Sarah ducked beneath one, slid between his legs, then jumped behind him, slamming a heel into his spine. He stumbled forward — straight into Maxim's path.

Sarah took the chance. Raising her sword high, she channeled power through it until the air vibrated. She swung down — a rippling shockwave blasted outward, engulfing all three attackers.

The ground split apart. Dust and rubble engulfed the battlefield.

When the haze cleared, Zenjo, Lance, and Styx were down — bruised, bleeding, and struggling to move. Maxim tried to push himself up, sword shaking, but his arm gave out.

Sarah stood in the center, breathing steadily, her blade gleaming in the fading light. There was no triumph in her eyes — only cold resolve.