Fate: But This Is Not Solomon I Know!

Eure, Normandy — Eastern front of the [Great Book]

The sky was pitch-black. The sun, burnt to ash, hung in the heavens like a smoldering corpse, casting down dark flames that scorched the land into cracked, blackened earth.

The hellish scene pushed Nero and Taigong Wang—who had just escaped from the previous battlefield—into a full sprint, streaking across the warfront like two blazing stars.

At the heart of that scorched abyss—

A figure clad in obsidian armor, like the god of death himself, was gripping the neck of a young girl with soft pink hair, dressed in a pure white ceremonial gown.

She struggled. Her eyes burned with hatred, like a beast cornered. Sparks of electricity burst across her body—but did nothing.

"Hmph. This farce... ends now." Tezcatlipoca's voice was like grinding stone, as cold and heavy as a divine axe.

[THUD—!]

He hurled her to the ground with brutal force. The impact echoed through the scorched plain. Light began to leak from her body—her spirit form breaking apart.

She reached out toward Gekido—her sword, lying just meters away among the ashes. But the distance felt... infinite.

"...Why...?" She sobbed, eyes rimmed red, her expression a shattered mix of sorrow and loneliness. "…All I wanted… was a friend…"

And then— She vanished.

Leaving behind only Gekido—lying still like an unnamed grave amidst a ruined battlefield.

Tezcatlipoca stood in silence, staring at the void for a moment. Then he turned, eyes narrowing at the [Great Book] suspended in the sky, exhaling a long plume of smoke that seemed to come from deep within his bones.

"…Tsk. Damn book…" He took one last drag from his cigarette. Smoke curled around his face like a ghost at noon.

—Just then.

"Oh? Tezcatlipoca, I take it you're finished here?" A familiar voice drifted in, light as wind but sharp as a blade.

Taigong Wang approached calmly atop his Pixiu, hand resting lightly on his divine whip. His expression was calm—but a flicker of tension gleamed in his eyes.

"Hmph." Tezcatlipoca tossed the cigarette and crushed it underfoot. "That brat was ridiculously tough. Her attacks hit like cannons, her defense felt like a damn fortress. One more round and I might've lost it."

"Is that so?" Taigong Wang gave a faint smile, gently patting him on the shoulder. "Good work, Tezcatlipoca."

"Umu! Umu!" Nero stepped forward, hands on her hips, face once again lit up after the fight. "If that's settled—let's go reinforce Charlemagne at Calvados!"

"Huh? Not going to check on Chaldea?" Tezcatlipoca raised an eyebrow.

"Ah, that?" Taigong Wang waved dismissively. "Romulus and Sir Noah already went ahead. Only Charlemagne and his knights need backup now."

"I see…" Tezcatlipoca nodded slightly, eyes like polished stone narrowing. "Then let's go. It's time we ended this farce Solomon calls a 'Holy Order'."

Without another word, he followed Nero and Taigong Wang—toward the next front.

On the horizon—red and gold flames blazed bright.

Calvados — the next stop of fate.

---

Manche, Normandy — Western front of the [Great Book]

[BOOM—!!]

Dust surged. Earth and stone exploded in all directions.

Ritsuka, Mash, Jeanne, Jeanne Alter, Lancelot, and Bedivere gasped for breath amid the smoke-drenched battlefield. Sweat drenched their brows. Their bodies ached and trembled. But none of them could take their eyes off the lone enemy ahead—

A knight clad in dark blue armor, standing silent like a statue in the storm.

Vlad III.

What they felt wasn't just fear — it was the crushing despair of helplessness.

"Damn that power…"

Lancelot gritted his teeth, knuckles white as he gripped Arondight, eyes burning with tension.

"Lancelot… hold on… just a bit longer… maybe… reinforcements will come…"

Bedivere staggered to his feet, trembling so badly he could barely stay upright.

"I'm going to burn you alive!!"

Jalter roared, slamming her black flag into the ground to hold herself up, eyes wild like a rabid beast.

"Ha… Ha… Is everyone… still alright…?"

Jeanne turned with a weary gaze, her breath ragged but her spirit unbroken.

"Mash! Are you okay!?"

Ritsuka turned to her.

"I-I'm fine… Master…"

Mash's voice trembled, her legs giving out — but she still clung tightly to her shield.

They never expected— That the guardian of this region would be Vlad III, under the Berserker class, now reborn as Kamen Rider Durendal.

Vlad plunged Kaiji into the earth, one hand resting lazily on the hilt like leaning on a cane. His gaze was calm — unnervingly calm.

"Well?"

His voice was cold, flat.

"Still want to play?"

"You—BASTARD!!"

Jalter screamed, summoning a hailstorm of black flame spears from the sky, launching them wildly at him.

[Kaiji Masshou!]

—Time compressed.

Everything slowed as if slipping into the void.

Vlad strolled leisurely through the frozen rain of spears, lifted Kaiji—

[Ocean Sankoku Tsuki!]

[Kaiji Issatsu Tsuki!]

A deep blue water slash tore through the smoke, flying straight at Jalter.

"Look out!!"

Jeanne cried, throwing herself in the way.

[BOOM!!]

Both were blasted backward, smashing through the stone wall of a nearby building.

"Lady Jeanne! Jalter!!"

Ritsuka and Mash shouted in panic, dashing to their side.

Vlad was unmoved.

"Now then… just the rest of you."

He turned, yanked Kaiji from the ground—

And hurled it at Ritsuka.

[BOOM—!!]

A thunderous crash.

—A massive ship descended from the heavens, crashing between them like a divine wall.

"…Huh?"

Vlad narrowed his eyes.

"Noah!!"

Ritsuka lit up, eyes wide.

Grand Rider — Noah hovered in the air, cape flaring, one hand on his sword's hilt. His back blazed with radiant light, like the first dawn of the world.

"We meet again, Vlad."

His voice was calm—like the silence before a tidal wave.

"Grand Rider Noah…"

Vlad smirked beneath his helmet.

"So you're back… for another beating?"

He twisted Kaiji into sword form, bloodlust rising like a wildfire.

[Kaiji Bessatsu!]

[Tsurugi Koku!]

He lunged like a thunderbolt.

Noah blocked, then countered with a swift kick to the ribs, trying to drive him back—But—

[Kaiji Masshou!]

Time froze again.

Vlad warped behind him, slashing across Noah's back.

[Sai Kaiji!]

Time resumed.

"Guh—!!"

Noah was flung backward, crashing into a charred tree, tumbling to the ground before staggering upright.

"Damn it… That damn time-hacking power…"

He gasped, blood spilling from his mouth.

"That's what you get for standing in Master Logos' way."

Vlad grinned cruelly, resting Kaiji on his shoulder like a trophy.

But—

Noah stood tall, eyes gleaming. He gave a wry smile.

"Let go, Vlad. It's over."

"…Huh? What the hell are you—"

[BOOM BOOM BOOM—!!]

Columns of radiant spears rained down from the sky, exploding with divine fury.

Vlad reacted instantly—

[Kaiji Masshou!]

Time froze once more.

He looked up—Romulus was descending like a divine meteor, a demigod wrapped in burning light.

[Yari Jikoku!]

Vlad shifted Kaiji into trident form, unleashing wave after wave of water slashes to intercept.

[Sai Kaiji!]

Time snapped back.

Romulus blocked, forced back slightly in midair—but his eyes never wavered.

He raised his hand and unleashed another barrage of divine light-spears that tore the sky asunder.

"Hmph! Pointless!!"

Vlad roared, slamming Kaiji into the ground.

—Time reversed.

Every wound. Every explosion. Every impact.

Erased.

"Again with that damn power…"

Ritsuka clenched his fists, voice shaking.

That time-reversal—was what made him untouchable.

"ROMA—!!"

Romulus roared, divine radiance erupting from his form.

"Nine Lives — Roma!"

Ninety-nine light spears tore through the air like a divine storm.

Vlad dodged most of them. But—

"Gah—!!"

He froze.

A sword—pierced straight through his heart from behind.

"Arondight!!"

Lancelot stood behind him—when did he get there? Eyes blood-red, arm trembling from the thrust.

"You… backstabbed me…?"

Vlad coughed blood, clutching Kaiji.

"A knight's honor… where is it…?"

"Honor?"

Lancelot grinned darkly.

"All I care about… is beating you!!"

[BOOM—!!]

The next wave of Romulus' spears detonated across the battlefield, engulfing both in a blinding sea of light.

Smoke billowed. The ground was scorched black.

When the light faded—

"Kh… kh…"

Vlad staggered. His armor cracked open, chestplate shattered.

"You bastards… again…"

He knelt, panting. Even Kaiji trembled in his hand.

Then—

"We're not done yet!!"

Noah raised a hand skyward, voice thunderous.

Noble Phantasm — unleashed!

"The storm is over. Ark, illuminate the land.

I am Zohar, progenitor of the world to come…

Joy shall turn to hope…

Noah's Ark!"

BOOM—!!!

A colossal ship descended through the clouds, dragging a radiant tsunami with it.

An apocalypse of light surged toward the battlefield.

Vlad tried to drive Kaiji into the ground to reverse time once more—

But he was too late.

[CRASH—!!!]

The tsunami slammed into him.

His body crumpled beneath the godlike force.

Armor shattered.

Kaiji was flung far away, buried in the dirt like a tombstone.

"Kh… kh…"

Vlad collapsed, his form dissolving into glowing motes of mana.

"You… I'm not… done yet…"

His voice echoed, then faded into nothing—lost in the wind.

Only pale magical mist remained, swirling away like ashes from a dying fire.

"Phew…"

Ritsuka and Mash slumped to the ground, covered in blood and sweat.

"Feels like… my body's in pieces…"

Mash murmured, breathing hard against her shield.

"Ah! Lady Jeanne! Jalter!"

Ritsuka jolted up, rushing to their side.

Both had only fainted—no fatal injuries. He exhaled in relief.

"If either of them had returned to the Throne of Heroes… I'd have been murdered by Zoth-senpai and Avengers…"

He held his head, groaning.

"Father!!"

Mash turned—

But all she saw was fading light.

Lancelot was already vanishing. No words. No resentment.

Because he'd chosen to self-destruct to pierce Vlad, his spirit was now breaking into motes of ether.

Mash bowed her head, choking back tears.

"Goodbye… Father…"

Romulus stepped forward—still a god among the battlefield's ruin.

Arms crossed, he surveyed them.

"You all alright?"

His voice rang firm, steady.

"We're… okay…"

"Just a little tired…"

Ritsuka and Mash nodded.

Romulus smiled slightly, eyes turning east.

"Then…"

He tilted his head toward the horizon.

"It's time… to strike the final target. The province of Calvados."

"Aye!" ×4

All answered as one—eyes lit with renewed resolve.