"So those two appeared out of thin air? And the one who escaped summoned the meteor?"
At the Tohsaka residence, Rin knelt on the tatami mat, gazing at Shirou Emiya and Artoria seated across a low table.
Shirou, his arms and shoulders wrapped in bandages, nodded as he explained the events.
"Yes, they called each other Darkness and Reincarnator."
Artoria, now in a white fitted top and a blue knee-length skirt—a gift from Rin—held a teacup and sipped quietly.
"But why does the title Darkness sound like a villain? Do you believe what he said at the end?" Rin frowned. The name alone made her wary.
Reincarnator was equally perplexing; neither Rin nor Shirou linked it to the Reincarnators from novels or manga, though such works did exist in the modern world.
"Whether he was telling the truth or not, at least that Reincarnator isn't a good person. Summoning a meteor while disregarding hundreds of thousands of civilians in Fuyuki City is unforgivable," Shirou said, clenching his fists in anger.
Had Artoria, Cú Chulainn, and Nameless not intervened, the city would have been annihilated.
"From that perspective, what Darkness said might be true. The Reincarnator's methods are cruel. He disregards life, tramples innocents, and has massacred people in the past. He's a dangerously mad individual!" Rin pinched her chin, processing the information.
Despite his fearsome reputation, Darkness had actually protected Artoria and cooperated against the Reincarnator, making him, at least in comparison, far more reliable.
"So where did these two come from? Are they Heroic Spirits as well?"
"Unclear. They seem human, but not quite ordinary," Shirou replied, shaking his head.
"One thing is certain—Darkness isn't hostile toward us. Reincarnator, however, shows no concern for civilian life. Perhaps cooperation is our best option," Rin concluded.
The discussion was interrupted by a sudden appearance far from the city. In a suburban area, a figure slammed into the ground, raising a cloud of dust.
"Damn it, 10,000 exchange points just gone."
Li Chong stood, blood at the corner of his mouth, his expression dark. A light screen appeared before him, visible only to him:
Li Chong
Male, 20 years old
Main God Space: 1013 Reincarnator
Level: Lv.20
Remaining Exchange Points: …
Skills: Eight Inner Gates
This advanced taijutsu from the Naruto world unlocked immense strength by opening channels that normally restrict chakra. Fully opening all Eight Gates, known as the Eight Inner Gates Formation, multiplied power dozens of times. The technique was temporary, and opening all gates would fatally damage the user.
Gate One – Opening: Front Lotus
Gate Two – Healing
Gate Three – Life: Reverse Lotus
Gate Four – Hurt
Gate Five – Closing
Gate Six – View: Morning Peacock
Gate Seven – Shock: Day Tiger
Gate Eight – Death: Evening Elephant
Ultimate Mystery: Night Guy
Heaven Concealing Star: Summons a meteor over 100 meters in diameter. Its size depends on the user's strength.
Teleportation Talisman (Used): Instantly teleports 100,000 meters away. Costs 10,000 exchange points.
Worldview: The Holy Grail is a legendary artifact that grants any wish. The Holy Grail War is the ritual to obtain it. Seven Masters are chosen by the Grail, each contracting with a Servant, seven Heroic Spirits, forming seven competing groups. Only one group can claim the Grail.
Shirou Emiya, adopted by Kiritsugu, accidentally summoned Saber-class Servant Artoria Pendragon and was drawn into the Fifth Holy Grail War, Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works.
Mission One: Ensure the Grail appears and destroy it. Reward: 10,000 exchange points. Penalty: 20,000 points deducted from lifespan if failed.
Mission Two: Protect the Child of Destiny from Darkness within six months. Reward: 50,000 exchange points.
Mission Three: Hunt Darkness. Reward: 100,000 exchange points.
Note: Darkness is a residual virus from the myriad worlds, hunting Children of Destiny, Reincarnators, and Transmigrators.
Li Chong scowled at the screen. His deliberate savings of 20,000 points had been cut by the Teleportation Talisman.
As a Reincarnator, he had completed many missions, cultivating chakra, mastering the Eight Inner Gates, and summoning Heaven Concealing Star. Though he had wanted to learn other ninjutsu, most were too costly in exchange points. To earn points, he needed to complete these three missions.
The first mission was tedious: ensuring the Grail appeared and then destroying it. The second and third missions, however, offered 150,000 points combined—a fortune to him. Darkness' appearance made the missions intriguing.
Lucien had appeared, confirming his suspicion: this was the Darkness referenced in the mission. Li Chong would not let him escape; 150,000 points were at stake.
He envisioned acquiring Shinra Tensei next, combining it with Eight Inner Gates for close combat, Heaven Concealing Star for long-range, and eventually obtaining ocular techniques—all without relying on the Rinnegan, Byakugan, or Sharingan.
Yet Darkness exceeded expectations, using Kamehameha. Compared to Dragon Ball, Naruto's world felt insufficient, but Li Chong's arrogance only deepened. He respected only the strong and relished ultimate combat. Mastery of the Eight Gates was just the beginning.
_____
Want to read the next chapter early? Get exclusive advanced chapters on my Patreon! Support the story and join here: patreon.com/Zphyr ✨