Chapter 4: An Abnormal Type-Moon

Stepping up the stone staircase resembling ancient pillars, they finally reached the top of the city wall.

The moment the view outside the wall came into sight, Kasumigaoka Utaha instinctively held her breath.

When they entered the city from the wilds earlier, her mind had been in chaos, too preoccupied to pay attention to the surroundings. It was only now, standing here, that the world unveiled even a small part of its horrifying truth.

And just this small glimpse was terrifying beyond words.

Outside Fuyuki City, a vast expanse of pitch-black land stretched out endlessly.

Everything her eyes fell upon looked as though it had been scorched by a great fire. The earth was charred black, with not a single blade of grass or tree in sight. Only darkness covered the land. Even the sky above was a murky, clouded color. The entire world seemed drained of all but the bleakest shades.

This land appeared utterly lifeless.

Desolate, barren.

Utterly hopeless.

As she gazed at the scene, Kasumigaoka felt a heavy weight press against her chest, as if a massive stone were crushing her, the scent of burning flames lingering in her lungs, making it painful to breathe.

"Don't stare at it for too long."

Roy noticed her increasingly irregular breathing and gently placed his hand over her eyes.

"This land has been cursed. Just looking at it can make you feel unwell. Prolonged exposure could even lead to mental disturbances... In simple terms, madness."

Kasumigaoka couldn't help but shiver.

So, the city guards had truly saved their lives by bringing them back to safety.

"But that's not the biggest danger," Roy said, lowering his hand as Kasumigaoka regained her composure. He pointed toward a certain direction beyond the city walls.

"Look over there."

Kasumigaoka followed his gaze.

In the distance, accompanied by terrifying roars, several massive, monstrous beasts appeared over the horizon, charging toward the city wall with terrifying speed. The ground trembled beneath their thundering steps as if it were crying out in pain.

"Are we really safe here?"

Unable to suppress her worry, Kasumigaoka blurted out her concern.

Those beasts, though not quite the size of elephants, were far more muscular than lions. Could the stone walls truly withstand such a powerful onslaught?

"No need to worry. These walls have stood for nearly ten years. Creatures like these can't break through them," Roy reassured her, waving off her concern with a calm, collected demeanor.

His unwavering confidence brought Kasumigaoka a small sense of relief, easing the tension in her heart.

She turned her attention back to the monstrous beasts.

'So, these are magical beasts?'

Before long, the creatures reached the base of the wall. But just as they approached, the walls shook violently, followed by the sound of cannon fire. A flash of light streaked across the sky, and the beasts were sent tumbling.

"The wilderness is a forbidden zone for humans. Almost no one dares to live out there. One of the main reasons is the abundance of dangers like these. Magical beasts are just the beginning. If you run into evil spirits, cursed entities, or even those corrupted Servants… then you're in for real trouble."

Roy raised his hand, and with a flick of his fingers, glowing runes appeared in the air, forming intricate symbols.

Whirr!

In an instant, flames ignited from the runes, forming a wave of fire that rushed toward the magical beasts.

Within moments, the creatures were engulfed in the roaring flames, their agonized howls fading as they collapsed one after another.

"So remember, Utaha, someone like you—an ordinary person—should never leave the safety of the city walls without a Magus like me accompanying you. No matter what anyone says."

"Yes, I understand."

Kasumigaoka stood there, staring at the blazing flames, dazed for a long time before she slowly regained her senses.

It really was magic.

To conjure flames from mere symbols—such a power was far beyond anything technology could achieve!

"Magus… Lord?"

"Was that magic you used just now?"

Roy's display of power had caught the attention of the city guard. The captain himself came to the top of the wall, offering Roy a deep, respectful bow, his eyes filled with sincere admiration.

"I was just taking a look. You all may continue with your duties," Roy replied dismissively.

"Yes, sir."

The captain's response was firm and energetic.

Even though they had their orders, the guards couldn't help but shift their attention to Roy and his magic, fully entranced by the Magus's abilities.

To avoid interfering with their duties, Roy led Kasumigaoka away from the wall.

"Lord Roy, did you say the walls have been standing for nearly ten years?"

As they descended, Kasumigaoka followed behind him, her curiosity piqued.

From their brief conversation earlier, she had learned a bit about Roy's personality. He seemed approachable, which gave her the courage to ask her question.

"So, what was here ten years ago? Were there no walls, or were there different forms of defense?"

"Sharp observation."

Roy nodded approvingly.

"Ten years ago, there were no walls here because the world wasn't like this."

"Ten years ago, in 1994, the world was still quite normal—probably not much different from the place you came from. Even if there were differences, they were within the acceptable range of parallel worlds. But everything changed ten years ago."

"That year, on one fateful night, a massive curse was unleashed without warning, spreading across the entire world in a short period of time. Not just Japan—the whole world burned for a year straight. And when the flames finally died down, the world was left in this state."

"More than ninety percent of the world's population was wiped out. Governments collapsed, and it became impossible to live outside. The few survivors built a handful of base cities amidst the ashes, shielding themselves with massive walls and the mysteries of magic. Since then, humanity has been hiding within these cities, barely clinging to survival."

"Take Japan, for example. Today, the entire population is less than a million, scattered across four base cities. This city, Fuyuki, is one of those four."

As they walked onto the cobblestone streets of the main city, Roy gazed at the dark sky, the scorched earth, and the murky sea, feeling a deep sense of melancholy.

Though he was familiar with the lore of the Type-Moon universe, this version was unlike any he had ever encountered.

What Type-Moon world had ever turned out like this?

'My Type-Moon world is seriously messed up.'

Following Roy, they soon arrived at his home.

It was a large traditional Japanese-style residence with a spacious courtyard. In addition to the main hall and master bedroom, there were several other rooms—enough to accommodate more than ten people. There was even a storage room in the corner of the front yard. Even in the past, in a normal version of Fuyuki City, this would have been a luxurious estate befitting a wealthy landowner.

As they stepped into the courtyard, Kasumigaoka's gaze instinctively swept over the nameplate by the gate.

The pristine white plate was neatly engraved with two characters: Aozaki.

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