"Let's start." Words left my mouth as I stepped forward, closing the distance with my sword angled toward her.
Artoria tightened her grip on her weapon in response.
Clang.
One moment we stood ten feet apart... the next, that gap was negligible, our swords colliding in a burst of sparks.
[Ultimate Analyst] stirred.
Her muscle movements were cataloged. The torque of her shoulders was analyzed. Her next action was calculated.
I swung my blade at the precise point [Ultimate Analyst] determined would be unblockable, my calculations concluded she would be 0.47 seconds too late to intercept.
Yet...
Clang.
Steel met steel once more. My analysis had been proven wrong. It took but a moment to deduce the anomaly...
It was her [Instinct (A)].
I moved faster in response.
The tempo of our battle escalated, the speed of my swings climbing to an exaggerated pace.
Diagonal slash. Horizontal cut. Vertical slice. Thrust.
However...
Clang. Clank. Clang. Clank.
Artoria's blade arrived "late" every time, yet she continued to block my attacks perfectly.
I altered my footwork, oscillating between countless variations to break her rhythm.
She adapted instantly. Her center of gravity shifted, her hips and core drawing strength from the ground to stabilize her defense.
Our swords collided in a whirlwind of steel. Every swing of hers was blocked; every swing of mine was parried.
Sword fought against sword.
[Ultimate Analyst] clashed against [Instinct (A)].
I deduced her future. She peered into mine through intuition.
Present fought against present.
Future fought against future.
I aimed a strike at her blind spot, yet her sword was already there to greet it.
She launched an attack from just beyond my field of vision, yet my sword was waiting for her.
We moved around the surrounding lawn incessantly, our blades intersecting in a ceaseless conversation.
Crimson eyes and emerald pupils remained locked onto one another.
Clang. Clack. Clung. Clack. Clang.
If my sword was Ultimate, hers was King.
We continued to move.
We continued to converse.
We continued to fight.
I did not know when night fell.
Time passed without my notice—a phenomenon that only occurred when things were not... boring.
...
..
.
Deep Night.
Dinner.
"Master! What is this!? How can food taste... taste... so delicious!?" Artoria exclaimed, sitting at the dining table, having just taken a bite of her Carbonara.
She didn't even wait for a reply, continuing to dig into the pasta with gusto. Her golden ahoge twitching like the tail of a golden retriever.
Medea sat beside her, focused entirely on her own meal, ignoring the clamoring King of Knights next to her in favor of the delicious pasta on her plate.
I sat opposite both of them, watching them eat with enthusiasm as I brought a small bite of pasta to my own mouth.
Hm? It was slightly better than before.
But how?
The ingredients were the same, the cooking process indistinguishable, everything was similar to before... yet, why did it taste slightly better?
I looked ahead once again at both Artoria and Medea enjoying the meal.
Confusion flashed in my gaze for a moment.
Was it them?
...
..
.
After dinner.
"So, Medea... did you obtain the intelligence on Matou family I requested this afternoon?" I questioned once we had finished.
Artoria held a curious glint in her eyes at my inquiry.
"I have it here, Master." Medea snapped her fingers, and a compact magic circle flared to life, causing Artoria to tense beside her in wariness.
A folder materialized from it, which Medea handed to me across the dining table.
"Human evil never ceases to amaze me, Master." Medea said as she passed the file, her face twisting in disgust.
I gestured for Artoria to relax and stand beside me.
She complied, rising from her seat to flank my seated form.
I opened the folder and began to scan its contents, allowing Artoria to read along with me.
Her expression shifted rapidly; curiosity turned to shock, outrage, and finally settled into righteous fury.
"Master!!" Her voice was steel, her elegance forgotten in the face of her wrath.
"I know." My voice did not fluctuate, but deep within my blank crimson eyes, embers of something I had never felt before began to burn.
Was this... anger?
How... novel.
"Let's go. Medea, watch over the base." I spoke to both of them as I rose from my chair. My steps led us to the garage, Artoria following without question.
A grey cloth was draped over a shape standing within.
... It was time.
I pulled the cloth aside to reveal the beast lying dormant beneath.
A Yamaha YZF R1, painted a void black, met my gaze. Countless dormant circuits ran along its frame, Its engine and components augmented both magically and mechanically to go toe-to-toe with any phantasmal species.
Artoria watched as I mounted the bike, my black coat and pants harmonizing perfectly with the machine.
Click.
All one hundred and twenty of my magic circuits ignited. Outlines of innumerable emerald green circuit grids flared across my body.
The beast beneath me growled to life. Green circuitry, mirroring my own, traced across its form.
[Ultimate Biker] surfaced a moment later.
I pulled the throttle.
VROOOOOOM!
The roar of a dormant beast awakening reverberated throughout our garage.
I called out to Artoria beneath the incessant roar of its exhaust.
"What are you waiting for? Hop on."
Artoria complied without question, mounting the seat behind me and wrapping her arms around my waist.
The garage shutter slid open moments later.
The bike beneath us howled.
And...
We were gone in an instant.
...
..
.
A black blur tore across the Fuyuki night, weaving past vehicle after vehicle.
100 mph. 120. 130. 140. 150...
Our surroundings dissolved into pure speed as I maneuvered through traffic, continually pushing the throttle.
160. 180. 200. 220. 250. 300...
The engine was revved to its absolute limit.
Our speed continued to escalate...
VROOOOOOOOOOM!
...
..
.
I am coming... Zouken Matou.
No... we are coming.
...
..
.
***
[200 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter]
Hello, everyone. If you're enjoyed this story till now and can't wait for more. You can come and support me on P@tr3on. We are 5 chapters ahead there.
Or you can continue to wait here for more chapters daily.
I appreciate you all either way.
Take care.
[P@tr3on = [email protected]/Not_Aaryan]
...
[Ultimate Bike Gang Leader]: Mondo Owada's Talent. As a flawless Biker Gang Leader, Izuru possesses several skills related to this talent including physical strength, endurance, motorcycle knowledge and leadership.
[Instinct (A)]: It is the ability to instantly identify "the best personal course of action" during combat. At Rank A, it is essentially in the realm of predicting the future. Through this ability, it is possible to negate the penalties inflicted by visual and auditory interference to a certain extent.
...
[Author's Thoughts]
So... cool, right?
As for that insect Zouken? He's about to be bodied straight into the afterlife.
...
Thank you for reading.