May 4th, 2012, Land of Oz, Evening.
Makoto followed Vali and the still-sputtering Bikou through an archway of living marble, and the world opened before him into impossibility.
An ancient Greek city sprawled under a violet sky, its architecture lifted wholesale from the pages of history and myth.
Marble temples and dwellings rose from carpets of emerald vegetation, their white surfaces catching the ethereal light and throwing it back in soft, golden hues.
Cobblestone roads wound between the structures like silver rivers, each stone worn smooth by centuries that could not exist in this manufactured dimension.
The air carried the scent of olive groves and sea salt, though no sea was visible—only the rolling hills and the perpetual twilight of the violet heavens.
'This place... it is identical to Delphi,' Apollo breathed, his psychic voice carrying a weight of recognition and something approaching nostalgia. 'The layout, the proportion of temples to dwellings, even the placement of the roads. These wizards have reconstructed it with painstaking accuracy.'
'Mhhh,' Loki murmured, his tone speculative. 'You believe these human magicians might offer prayers to you Sun God? Apollo? Very useful indeed, if true. A connection to exploit.'
'Apollo is also the God of Prophecy and Divination,' Kohryu pointed out. 'For wizards—those who traffic in foresight and hidden knowledge—his patronage would be a natural choice. The reconstruction may be an act of devotion as much as aesthetics.'
Bikou made another attempt to speak, his muffled protests still audible behind Vali's unyielding palm. The monkey yokai's eyes bulged with theatrical indignation, his arms waving in elaborate, incomprehensible gestures.
Vali maintained his grip with the implacable patience of someone who had performed this exact maneuver many times before.
They halted before a three-story apartment building, its stark white stone seamlessly integrated into the settlement's Grecian character.
Balconies adorned with flowering vines overlooked the cobblestone street, and warm light spilled from several windows, suggesting occupancy.
Vali finally released Bikou's collar. The monkey yokai staggered forward, catching himself on his toes before spinning to face his captor with exaggerated outrage. He coughed dramatically, spitting onto the cobblestones.
"Ugh, Vali! You didn't have to strangle me the entire way here!" Bikou rasped, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Tastes like I swallowed a toenail soaked in dragon bile!"
Makoto studied the building with quiet curiosity. "What is this place?"
"Our base of operations," Vali replied flatly, releasing Bikou fully. "The Wizards of Oz provide it as part of our arrangement. There are numerous vacant units. You may select any unoccupied apartment for your use."
Before Makoto could respond, Bikou's arm snaked around his shoulders with the familiarity of an old friend. The monkey yokai's grin returned in full force, any indignation apparently forgotten.
"Forget the housing tour—we can do that later! Time for the main event!" Bikou declared. "Coliseum first! And Vali! We're dragging Arthur along whether he likes it or not!"
Vali exhaled through his nose—not quite a sigh, but adjacent to one. He flicked his fingers, and a faint magic circle materialized before him, carrying his summons to their absent teammate.
"Perfect!" Bikou crowed, already steering Makoto toward a distant structure visible above the rooftops—the curved upper tiers of what could only be an arena.
"Vali's absolutely terrible at introductions, you understand. Let me enlighten you properly! Our merry band consists of: one knight, one witch, one nekoshou, and me—the star of the show!" He paused mid-stride, squinting at Makoto with sudden assessment. "Though, damn, you're as chatty as Vali. Pair of statues, the two of you. No wonder he gets along with you so well."
'He is not incorrect,' Messiah commented within Makoto's mind, a pleased note coloring his tone.
Bikou shrugged expansively. "Eh, you'll fit right in!"
The Coliseum, when they reached it, was a faithful recreation of its Roman namesake filtered through Greek sensibilities—massive, awe-inspiring, constructed of the same luminous marble that characterized the entire settlement.
Rows of seats curved around an arena floor of packed sand, currently empty save for the afternoon shadows stretching across its surface.
They descended to the arena floor, their footsteps crunching against the sand. Within moments, Vali was joined by a figure emerging from the tunnel on the opposite side—Arthur Pendragon, walking with the measured precision of someone who counted every step as preparation for combat.
"Hey Arthur! This is Makoto Yuki!" Bikou announced, presenting Makoto with the theatrical flourish of a circus master unveiling his star attraction. His hands swept wide, framing Makoto against the violet sky.
Arthur Pendragon adjusted his wire-rimmed glasses, a single blond lock of hair curving over his brow like a perfectly placed comma. His posture radiated rigid control, almost corporate in its precision—but the sword at his hip, Excalibur Ruler, gleamed faintly through its leather sheath, promising a more combative nature beneath the composed exterior.
Without excessive ceremony, Arthur offered a light bow, his blond lock falling to obscure his face as he bent. He straightened and extended his hand in a firm, measured handshake.
"I am Arthur Pendragon," he said, his voice carrying the cultured weight of old bloodlines and older responsibilities. "It is a genuine pleasure to meet a fellow Holy Sword user, Makoto Yuki."
'Holy Sword user?' Apollo repeated, confusion evident. 'What is he—'
'The Star apparently did not restrain himself when describing the Universe,' Kohryu observed dryly.
'He is likely referring to the Deus Xiphos,'Yoshitsune suggested. 'It is the only blade the Universe has wielded in this world that would merit such classification.'
'The sword this blond carries on his belt,' Lucifer interjected, his attention fixed on Excalibur Ruler. 'It stirs something in my memory. A familiar resonance.'
'Excalibur,' Yoshitsune confirmed.
'Excalibur...' Odin's murmur was barely audible, weighted with something that might have been memory or might have been warning.
'Dindin?' Loki's voice sharpened with immediate, predatory interest. 'Tough memories surfacing, brother? Care to share with the class?'
"The pleasure is mine," Makoto replied aloud, returning Arthur's handshake with equal firmness.
Bikou bounced on his heels, his golden staff twirling between his fingers like a baton. The motion was rapid, almost too fast to follow, a physical manifestation of his impatience. "Alright! Enough with the pleasantries—let's fight!"
Arthur adjusted his glasses with a sigh, the dying sunlight flaring briefly across the lenses. "Bikou, please. You are being insufferable."
He turned to Makoto, his tone softening to something almost apologetic.
"My apologies, Yuki. What my companion means, though his delivery leaves much to be desired, is that I would also welcome a sparring session. If you are willing."
"Exactly what I said!" Bikou threw his hands up in exaggerated exasperation. "But nooo, I'm the rude one!"
Arthur's smirk was barely perceptible, a ghost of expression that flickered and vanished. "Presentation matters, Bikou."
Vali had positioned himself against the arena wall, arms crossed, his posture radiating the peculiar stillness of a predator at rest. His gaze tracked the exchange with what might, in someone else, have been called amusement.
'You are enjoying this,' Albion noted dryly within Vali's consciousness.
'Immensely,' Vali replied inwardly, and for once, the ghost of an actual smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
A sudden gust of wind swept through the arena, scattering sand in spiraling eddies. All eyes turned skyward as a figure descended on a sleek silver broomstick, its surface gleaming like liquid mercury in the fading light.
Le Fay Pendragon's robes fluttered around her like sapphire wings, the fabric catching air and slowing her descent. Her wide-brimmed wizard's hat nearly escaped her head entirely; she snatched it at the last moment, revealing chestnut curls tangled and windswept from her flight.
"Mr. Vali!" Le Fay called out, hopping from the broomstick with practiced ease. Her boots crunched against the sand as she tucked the broom under one arm.
"Is that—" She spotted Makoto and froze mid-stride, her eyes widening to comical proportions. "Oh! He's the one everyone's been buzzing about!"
Vali nodded once. "Makoto Yuki. Le Fay Pendragon."
Le Fay beamed, clutching her hat to her chest before scurrying forward to stand before Makoto. She executed an awkward, slightly wobbly bow.
"A pleasure to meet you, Mister Yuki! I'm Le Fay, Arthur's sister!" She shot her brother a playful glare. "A-Arthur's told me absolutely nothing about you, which means you're either fascinating or terrifying. Possibly both!"
Arthur cleared his throat with pointed delicacy. "Le Fay, we were... occupied."
"Right, right, I apologize!" Le Fay twirled a strand of chestnut hair around her finger, embarrassment coloring her cheeks, before shaking herself back to composure. "So! Are we fighting or what? I brought popcorn! Just as a precaution, of course!" She produced a small paper bag from somewhere within her robes, holding it aloft like a trophy.
Bikou whooped with approval. "See? She gets it!"
'Chaotic little girl,' Loki chuckled within Makoto's mind. 'This will be entertaining.'
Makoto's gaze traveled across his audience: Bikou's manic, barely contained energy; Arthur's poised, calculating intensity; Le Fay's awkward yet genuine curiosity. Vali watched from the shadows, silent and assessing.
"Fine," Makoto said simply.
Le Fay scurried to Vali's side with the enthusiasm of a child granted front-row seats to a spectacle. Her oversized wizard hat slipped again; she adjusted it absently, her wide eyes fixed on the arena where Makoto now stood opposite Bikou and Arthur.
"Mr. Vali," she began, her voice hushed with awe. "You said Mister Yuki is incredibly strong. What do you think will happen?"
Vali didn't glance at her. His gaze remained locked on Makoto, analytical, measuring. "They don't stand a chance. He won't even need to call upon Odin."
'Agreed,' Albion's voice echoed in confirmation, his tone matter-of-fact.
Le Fay's jaw dropped. "O-Odin!?" she stammered, clutching her hat as though it might anchor her to reality. "You mean the chief god of the Norse Pantheon? That Odin?"
"The same," Vali replied flatly, as though he had just commented on the weather.
Le Fay's mind raced visibly behind her wide eyes. A strange, almost reverent smile curved her lips. Her fingers twitched at her sides, itching for parchment and quill.
"Runes... primordial magic... the All-Father's wisdom..." she muttered, her cheeks flushing with intellectual excitement. "The possibilities... the applications..."
Then, with a visible effort, she wrenched herself back to the present. She turned to Vali, eyes shining with barely contained hope. "Mr. Vali, do you think... maybe... Mister Yuki might teach me something? About Odin's magic? Even a small rune? A single word of power?"
Vali sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose with the weariness of someone who had fielded approximately ten thousand similar questions from the young prodigy. "I don't know. You would need to ask him yourself. But where is Kuroka?"
Le Fay blinked, momentarily derailed. "Oh! Right. She's probably still sleeping. You know how she is," Her gaze immediately drifted back to the arena, her curiosity reignited. "But, Mr. Vali, do you think—"
"Le Fay." Vali's voice was firm but not unkind. "I do not speak for Makoto."
She flushed, nodding rapidly. "Right, right. Sorry. I just... it's Odin, you know?"
'What manner of magic does Odin truly command?' Le Fay wondered, her mind spinning through possibilities. 'Could I learn it? Would he teach me? The runes alone—if I could master even a fraction of their power...'
The thoughts cascaded through her consciousness like falling stars, each one brighter and more intoxicating than the last.
On the arena floor, beneath the violet sky of a manufactured world, Makoto Yuki faced his first challenge among the members of the White Dragon Emperor's team.
The game continued.