Setting the Stage

The duel between Lorelei and Artoria had been scheduled for noon so, after idling in the waiting area for around half an hour, it was nearing time for the battle to begin. At this point, the only thing they were really waiting for was the arrival of Solon or, in this case, Aoko Aozaki. Without someone to officiate the event, it could not proceed so, while waiting for her arrival, Vahn passed the time by talking with Zelretch while Artoria was tended to by Gray and Gareth.

It wasn't until a few minutes before the duel was scheduled to begin that Vahn's perception picked up on an aura that he couldn't make sense of. It felt simultaneously ancient and cold yet, at the same time, gave off a very youthful and sunny vibe. He was a little surprised by the contrary nature of the aura but, as it was something he could look into at a later date, he decided not to mind it. Instead, he looked toward Zelretch and, understanding his intent, the old man gave a curt nod before lightly tapping his cane against the ground. In the next moment, his figure had vanished from the waiting room, leaving behind a few ripples in Space-Time.

With Zelretch's departure, Vahn rose to his feet and approached Artoria to help her stand. She had been in a meditative state in preparation for the coming battle so, when she opened her eyes, Vahn was able to see a silver glow flickering across her irises. It was quite the sight to behold and, if not for the fact he was afraid her focus was be affected, he wouldn't have been able to resist giving her a kiss or two.

Artoria seemed to understand his intent as, for a brief moment, the focus in her eyes faded away as she looked up at him with a smile. Vahn habitually returned her smile and, though his gauntleted hands might not be the most comfortable, he cupped her cheek before resting his forehead against hers. They stayed like this for more than a minute before Vahn pulled away and stated in a confident tone, "Your actions today will usher in a new Era for this world. I believe in you, Artoria..."

After inhaling audibly through her nose, Artoria's smile became more radiant as she placed her hand against his breastplate and whispered, "Believe in us...I do not carry this burden alone. Ever since our first meeting, we have walked this path together."

With her words finished, Artoria gave one last smile before turning away with a far more serious expression on her face. She gave off the impression of someone who had lived an entire lifetime on the battlefield, a stark contrast to the loving woman that had been present moments prior. Vahn had a thoughtful look on his face as he watched her retreating figure but, throughout the sequence of events, his smile had never faded.

Though it shouldn't be necessary, Vahn sent a mental command to Scáthach, telling her to follow along with Artoria to prevent any kind of subterfuge. If the enemy decided to pull something at the last moment, he didn't mind going to war against the entire Association.

Before anyone realized it, Scáthach's figure had vanished from the periphery of the room as Vahn turned to address his companions with a smile. He primarily directed his gaze towards Gray, Fenrir, and Gareth as he calmly stated, "Regardless of the outcome of this battle, we stand together. While it may be difficult to uphold in the future, everyone within the Empire is an important member of my family. I will not tolerate others machinating against my loved ones so, if the Association seeks War, we must be prepared."

In response to Vahn's words, Gawain, Galahad, and Gareth all gave proper Knight's salutes while Kenshin and Lakshmibai just smiled back at him. As for Fenrir and Gray, the former had the same resolute expression as always while Gray, understanding the meaning behind her Master's words, couldn't help but smile, even as her eyes developed a layer of moisture. Then, so as not to embarrass herself, she wiped away the budding tears before adopting a resolute expression of her own...

---

While Vahn was giving his motivational speech, Zelretch had a ragged expression as a woman with red hair and lapis-lazuli eyes stared back at him with a confident smile on her face. Though she was only 165cm tall, her expression made it appear as if she were looking down on the 185cm tall elderly man. With her peculiar choice of garb, her mature appearance was present for the world to see and, if Vahn were present, he would have placed her three sizes at 90/56/88, giving her a figure that the majority of women would envy.

Similar to Nobunaga, Aoko liked to wear casual clothes that gave her a more 'wild' and unrestrained appearance. Today, she was wearing a pair of blue jean shorts that were frayed at the ends, almost as if they had been cut from a pair of pants. She had a sleeveless white that accented her rather large breasts while, around her a neck, an ornate metallic choker with a blue gemstone was present. What stood out the most, other than her inordinately beautiful appearance, were the complex runes that had been engraved on her exposed arms like tattoos. She also had a black glover on her right hand that ran up the length of her elbow while, completely her outfit, she had on a pair of black, military-style boots.

As if playing the part her clothes had presented, Aoko was basically grinning at Zelretch as she said, "Long time no see, Jewel Bastard. Have you broken any more students since the last time we met?"

Zelretch snorted in response to Aoko's taunting words, stating in an aged tone, "I find myself lacking the time to dedicate to rearing another student. I'm certain you have been rather busy yourself...tell me, Ms. Aozaki, has the nature of your Magic changed in the last five months...?"

Knowing what Zelretch was getting at, Aoko's expression turned more serious as she stated, "There have indeed been some changes. I'm assuming that man is the cause...?" At this point, most of the major players around the world knew of Vahn's existence so, as the Head of the Aozaki family, one of the most prominent Magus lineages in the modern era, she was obviously aware of him as well.

Without beating around the bush at all, Zelretch stated in a solemn tone, "That man comes from the Outside..."

This time, Aoko's eyes widened in genuine shock was, better than most, she knew exactly what he was talking about when mentioning the Outside. Her Magic gave her direct access to the Root and, if she wanted to, it was possible for her to come into contact with it whenever she wanted. If she didn't have so many things anchoring her to the world, she would have given in to the ever-present urge to find out what was on the other side.

After collecting herself, Aoko adopted her usual confident expression as she mused, "It seems I'm going to have to meet with this so-called Emperor. If he is really from the Outside, he should be able to answer a few questions of mine."

Zelretch gave a curt nod and, remembering Vahn's words, explained, "That man is undoubtedly an Emperor. You should not go out of your way to antagonize him. As for a meeting, that is something that can be arranged. The Sage Emperor has extended an invitation to you. If you have no other pressing matters to attend, there will be an important discussion taking place in the next couple of days. The Director and myself will also be present and, as it has been quite some time, I would ask that you consider the matter seriously, Ms. Aozaki."

Crossing her arms, an action that caused her breasts to stand out even more, Aoko answered in a non-committal tone, "We'll see. I've heard some pretty shady rumors about that man, including that he is already in cahoots with the Director. I'd rather not be trapped in a room with three of you old monsters at the same time."

Though he knew it was dangerous to do so, Zelretch couldn't help but laugh in response to Aoko's words. He wasn't sure what kind of rumors she had heard but, considering the propaganda spread by the Noble Faction, they were undoubtedly slanderous. Aoko obviously knew better than to treat the rumors of the Association seriously, as she had been a victim of them herself in the past, but that didn't mean she ignored them completely. Until she met with Vahn and got a feel for his character, it would be very difficult to convince her to meet on any terms but her own.

At this point, the scheduled time for the duel had already come and gone but, being two of only five Mages/Magicians, Aoko and Zelretch had the freedom to arrive at their leisure. Since it was their first meeting in a few years, they decided to make polite conversation for a bit while slowly making their way over to the arena. Along the way, anyone who saw them was considerably shaken, causing them to head in the complete opposite direction.

As a result of the duo's leisurely pace, the entire arena was aware of Aoko's presence by the time she had finally arrived. This included Lord Barthomeloi who, already feeling bothered by the presence of the 'unknown' Magus at Vahn's side, nearly called off the duel on the spot. No matter how confident he was in his own family's power, he wasn't foolish enough to believe he could take on two wielders of True Magic at the same time. Aoko, in particular, was the one opponent he would rather not face as, despite very little being known about the Fifth Magic, it was considered second only to the First.

Despite wanting to call everything off, Lord Barthomeloi looked toward Lorelei before saying in a cold tone, "Do not hold back. Do not try and show off. End this battle as quickly as you can."

Without arguing at all, Lorelei nodded her head in understanding before answering in a courteous tone, "Yes, my Lord." After this, she gave a polite bow before turning away to make her way down to the arena. Along the way, she looked at everyone present in the room like an Executioner eyeing a group of death row inmates. Though there was no shame in lowering her head to her grandfather, they had seen her be struck. Thus, as far as Lorelei was concerned, they were all living on borrowed time.

After making her way down one of the private corridors that provided access to the VIP viewing room, Lorelei slowed the pace of her steps until she came to a complete stop. Then, no longer able to restrain her frustration, she punched the adjacent wall with enough forced to shatter the surface and cause the magic crystals serving as light sources to fracture.

Though her conditioning made it impossible for her to even contemplate baring her fangs towards her grandfather, the fact that Aoko had appeared incensed Lorelei to no end. While she was called the 'Queen', having no peers that can be directly compared to her, it was an indisputable fact that Aoko was stronger than her. When the latter was around, calling Lorelei the Queen of Mages was less of a compliment than it was a mockery. Because of this, Lorelei had always hated Aoko as, while the latter existed, she would always be the second most powerful female Magus...

---

When Aoko appeared within the arena, the crowd went wild in much the same way as when Vahn's party first arrived. This caused Aoko to roll her eyes but, as she took considerable pride in her figure and lived by the creed: 'regret nothing', she didn't really care how they reacted. So long as none of them were foolish enough to make brash remarks and catcall her, she didn't mind if they eyed her like a group hungry wolves stumbling across a wayward lamb.

After being handed a microphone that looked like a magic crystal on the end of a metal pipe, as the Mage's Association was pretty strict about not using advanced technology, Aoko struck a dauntless pose before shouting, "Hey, everyone! I hope you're all excited about today! It isn't every day that you get to witness a battle between the 'Queen of Mages' and a Legendary Heroic Spirit~!"

Though it wasn't discernible to everyone, the more perceptive members in the crowd heard the extra emphasis Aoko placed on Lorelei's title. In truth, Aoko didn't really put Lorelei in her eyes but, as the latter had caused her a fair amount of trouble in the past, she also had no love for her. Since she had yet to meet with Vahn, Aoko was automatically inclined to root for Artoria. Lorelei's comeuppance was long overdue and, if not for the trouble it would cause her family, Aoko would have taught the 'Blue-Blooded Bitch' a lesson a long time ago.

After waiting for the crowd to settle down a bit, Aoko had a big grin on her face as she exclaimed, "I don't normally do things like this but I decided to do the Director a favor by hosting today's duel. Before that, there is something I want to make very clear to all you bastards scheming in the stands. No matter how you try to spin things, I've already been informed of the terms for the duel since the arrangements were made. This duel is to address a perceived grievance between the Barthomeloi family and the Empire. There were no wagers made that require any person or artifacts to change hands. You can shove your schemes up your asses, okay~?"

In response to Aoko's words, several people from the Noble Faction began to shout while, elsewhere in the stands, everyone else had an 'as expected' reaction. Though they could not speak out about it, every commoner student knew the methods used by the Noble Faction. They controlled the spread of information, both inside and outside of the Clock Tower. In most situations, they would never take the group's words at face value but, as they also lacked the power to oppose the machinations of the established powers, they could only lower their heads in silent acceptance of their fate.

Aoko wasn't worried about offending the Noble Faction as, with her family's territory being located in Japan, there weren't many amongst them who would even try to scheme against her. If they had the courage to do so, they would also need the conviction to confront the Fifth Magic, something only the Three Monarchal families could reasonably manage. Now that they had been petitioning her family for support in the upcoming battle against Angra Mainyu, Aoko felt like taking a stance against them since she knew there was nothing they could do but grit their teeth and bear it, just like the commoners they looked down upon.

Ignoring the outcries of the Noble Faction, Aoko pulled a small pocket watch out of her short's back pocket before checking the time. She showed an expression of mock surprise before exclaiming into the microphone, "Oh, wow! We're actually super behind schedule, aren't we~!? Well, without further ado, let's get this show on the road! Let's see..."

Since Artoria was the party being challenged, it was proper to introduce her first before introducing her opponent. Aoko had been given a small script that showed various talking points, including one that told her to introduce Lorelei first. This was obviously another scheme by the Noble Faction as it made Artoria seem like the challenger going by the usual order of events.

After understanding the bias behind the duel's organization, Aoko crushed the piece of paper before exclaiming, "Representing the mysterious Aldrnari Empire is none other than the Legendary King of Knights, now Empress of the Aldrnari Empire, Artoria Pendragon~!"

Lorelei had been preparing to make her entrance so, hearing Aoko's outburst, her faced turned dark in an instant. The only thing keeping her calm at this point is the assurance that, when all of this was over, her family would have cemented its image as the most powerful of the Three Monarchs. With this in mind, she began to open and close her fists to remain calm, waiting for Aoko to introduce her so she could bring this farce to an end.

When she heard her name called, Artoria rose from her kneeling position in the wing before making her entrance onto the battlefield. Her arrival caused a stir to pass through the crowd and, while some seemed to have forgotten Vahn's earlier words, the majority of people present were simply in awe of her dignified aura. They had all heard that 'King Arthur' was going to be one of the contenders in the duel but, while the rumors about her being a female had already circulated, this was the first time it the truth really resonated with most people.

After reaching her designated area in the field, Artoria raised her right arm and, much to the surprise of the crowd, began to gather a phenomenal amount of mana. Though she could summon it without the fanfare, Artoria knew it was important to put on airs when presenting oneself to the public. Thus, with an inviolably noble disposition, she pulled [Excalibur] out of thin air. When it appeared, silence had descended upon the crowd while some, especially those hailing from the British Isles, had a very strong urge to kneel. After all, while Artoria may be a beautiful woman and an Empress, she was also the 'Once and Future King of England'...

Artoria continued holding [Excalibur] high for several seconds, allowing its holy light to wash over the crowd. When the light began to die down, she brandished the blade in a flourish before setting the tip against the ground, both hands resting on the pommel. Though she was very petite, she suddenly seemed like an immovable mountain in the eyes of everyone present, Nobles included.

Despite being the Fifth Magician, even Aoko could only stare at Artoria with awe clearly visible on her face. This caused her to momentarily blank until Artoria turned her silvery eyes towards her and gave a small nod. As if she had been given leniency, Aoko came back to her senses before coughing awkwardly to ease her embarrassment. Then, causing an oppressive and wrath-filled aura to spread through the arena, she brought the microphone up to her mouth before stating in a dismissive tone, "Lorelei, stop wasting time and get out here. You were the one to challenge Her Majesty so why are you dawdling...?"

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Believe in us...','The Fifth Magician's Eccentricities','RIP Lorelei's brain. That aneurysm xD...')

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