Several days had passed since their successful hot spring project, and Sakura was eagerly anticipating her trip home to the harbor. Marisa had been boasting about their accomplishments, including the creation of the hot spring and the renovations to her home, and Sakura was excited to invite her friends to join her.
However, Sakura was hesitant about inviting Shirou to the trip. Shuten pointed out that it might be awkward for him to be the only male among a group of females, and Sakura reluctantly agreed. Instead, she invited her sister Rin Tohsaka, who initially protested and acted tsundere, but Sakura was able to navigate the situation using what she learned from Ibaraki and eventually convinced Rin to come along.
"So, when is your current guardian going to arrive?" Rin asked impatiently, despite the fact that they had only been waiting for a minute or so.
"If it's Mordred-neechan, she should have arrived by now or be already waiting for us," Sakura said, feeling a little worried that something might have happened to Mordred.
Rin was secretly looking forward to meeting Sakura's new guardians, but she refused to show it. She was only going to meet them because she wanted to ensure Sakura was in good hands, not because she cared about spending time with her or anything like that. And it certainly wasn't because she wanted to enjoy the beach or the hot spring or anything.
"Oh! There it is!" Sakura exclaimed with excitement as she saw a familiar car in her line of sight.
"Wow, that's quite the car," Rin remarked, her eyes widening at the sight of it. "Sakura, your new guardian must be quite well-off to have a car like that."
Sakura smiled and nodded in agreement, "Yes, she is. She's very kind and generous, and she always makes sure that we have everything we need," Sakura replied, feeling grateful for her new guardian's care.
The car came to a stop before them, and the tinted window slowly rolled down, revealing the figure of Shuten disguised as Oda.
"Please, Sakura, come aboard. And, if I'm not mistaken, you are Rin Tohsaka, correct?" Shuten greeted them, offering Sakura a ride and addressing Rin's identity. Rin, startled, quickly regained her composure.
"Uh-huh," Rin responded, her guard up as she sensed a strong magical presence emanating from Shuten. She looked over at Sakura, but couldn't sense any magical energy coming from her.
"Please don't worry, I am also a magus, but we don't have any intention of causing harm," Shuten reassured Rin, aware of her ability to sense magical energy.
"Rin-neechan, please believe me. They're not bad people," Sakura pleaded with a pout, hoping to convince her.
"Relax, Sakura. I'll keep you safe," Rin reassured her as they both settled into the backseat. She adjusted her posture, making sure she was comfortable and ready for the ride.
Shuten couldn't help but think to herself as she observed Rin and Sakura sitting in the back seat, "But Sakura is currently stronger than you, Rin." Despite Rin's magical abilities, Shuten was aware that Sakura possessed a unique talent to completely conceal her magical energy, making her appear as an ordinary civilian.
"Oda-neechan, why didn't Mordred-neechan come with you?" Sakura asked curiously, remembering that Ibaraki was always with them.
"Well, regarding Mordred, she mentioned some important things to tackle today, so it's possible she may end up being late," Shuten explained, remembering Ibaraki's plans for the day. Today was the day Ibaraki intended to confront Altrogue, a True Ancestor, alongside Yukari, and they had been preparing for it for some time now.
"Ehh, really? I had no idea," Sakura responded, sounding genuinely surprised by the news. However, she decided not to dwell on it too much, instead choosing to trust in Ibaraki.
Sakura glanced over at Rin, who appeared to be lost in thought, and smiled reassuringly at her. Despite the seriousness of the situation, Sakura hoped that they could enjoy a light and peaceful moment together before things got too intense.
Sakura's smile seemed to have a small effect on Rin, who smiled in return before turning serious once again. She had some questions in mind and decided to talked to Shuten, who was sitting in front of them.
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In this strange and distorted world, filled with endless rows of tubes and laboratory equipment, Altrogue's body was violently thrown backward, slamming into and shattering several nearby tubes and instruments.
"Ha! Is that all you've got? And what's with that passive way of attacking?" Ibaraki said, feeling distinctly irritated by Altrogue's underwhelming response. She had expected a much more powerful and aggressive reaction from a True Ancestor, not this weak and indirect display.
"I refuse to hurt you..." Altrogue said calmly as she brushed aside the debris that stuck to her body. Despite Ibaraki's aggressive posturing, Altrogue remained resolute and calm, almost unruffled by the chaos and destruction around her.
"Listen to me, Altrogue. If you're not going to fight me seriously, then I don't want to feel your presence or see you again," Ibaraki said with a stern and serious tone. She had no patience for those who couldn't stand beside her, willing to fight for what they believed in.
Ibaraki gazed at Altrogue, noticing the surprise on her face. Seizing the opportunity, she decided to push her a little further.
"You should've known by now, Altrogue. I have multiple lovers," Ibaraki stated bluntly, feeling no remorse for breaking the news to her.
As Altrogue showed a sad expression but didn't react much, Ibaraki continued, "But do you know what they have that you don't have?"
Ibaraki paused before breaking it to Altrogue, feeling a sense of bitterness and pain rise in her chest. It was tough to admit, even to herself, but there was a certain something that Altrogue lacked, something that made their past relationship unfulfilling.
"They're quite different from you, Altrogue," Ibaraki said with a hint of bitterness, recalling how Altrogue had always tried to please her despite her selfish behavior. "They can be angry at me, upset with me, even act like a different human being. Unlike you, who just went along with everything I did, every second of the day."
Ibaraki's words seemed to hit Altrogue hard, leaving her silent and blank. But Ibaraki refused to back down, adopting a ruthless and uncompromising tone.
"Tell me, Altrogue. Do you still wish to be with me? Or should I be the one to force you to forget about me?" she asked, the words crisp and cutting.
"Very well," Altrogue responded, summoning a spear made of blood and imbuing her crimson eyes with a piercing intensity. "It seems I have to prove myself worthy of you once again."
Her voice was firm and determined, filled with a fierce conviction born out of a desire to win Ibaraki's love and trust back. Altrogue had changed as well, but in a different way from Ibaraki. She had learned from the past, grown stronger and more powerful, all in the hopes of standing alongside Ibaraki as an equal, not just a follower.
Ibaraki's smile transformed into a feral grin as she summoned her bone sword, ready for a fierce battle.
As they clashed, exchanging blows with precision and force, it became apparent that the two were evenly matched, neither one able to gain the upper hand. Despite this, Ibaraki fought with a sense of wild energy, her great sword sweeping through the air with surprising speed and grace.
Altrogue, on the other hand, utilized her bloodline limit, overwhelming Ibaraki with a flurry of strikes and power. However, to her surprise, Ibaraki's surroundings became filled with dancing embers, the air buzzing with intense energy that made it difficult for Altrogue to maintain her focus.
Altrogue gritted her teeth and decided to unleash all of her abilities, determined to land at least a single hit on Ibaraki. But to her dismay, all of her bloody mist was ineffective against Ibaraki, whose body seemed to radiate with an intense, scorching heat.
Despite this disadvantage, Ibaraki refused to back down, her determination visible in her unwavering gaze. She knew that giving Altrogue any sort of handicap would defeat the purpose of their lesson, and so she continued to face her head-on.
Altrogue created a massive blood pool and hundreds of chains, attempting to surround Ibaraki and gain the upper hand. But Ibaraki's shout of defiance broke the chains surrounding her, unleashing a wave of fiery energy towards Altrogue.
As the battle between Ibaraki and Altrogue intensified, Altrogue decided to use her ability of the Crimson Moon to try and knock out Ibaraki momentarily. However, Ibaraki's high defense proved to be a stalwart opponent, shaking off the attack with ease.
To Altrogue's surprise, Ibaraki suddenly burst into flames, transforming into her Surtr form. "I guess you fucked up," Surtr said with an apologetic smile, her voice dripping with confidence and power.
Altrogue's expression shifted, now realizing the extent of Ibaraki's abilities. She had clearly underestimated her former lover, and it was now clear that she would need to push herself even harder.
The intensity of the battle grew tenfold as Surtr picked up speed, her movements becoming more fluid and dangerous by the second. The sound of clashing weapons and crackling energy filled the air as they danced around each other, each maneuvering to gain the upper hand in the fight.
Altrogue saw Surtr charging towards her with her large sword, ready to strike her with deadly force. But to her surprise, Surtr's form began to destabilize and started to dissipate into the air, revealing Ibaraki standing in front of her once again.
"Argh!" Ibaraki coughed up black blood, her body struggling to keep up with the transformation into Surtr. She knew she had made a mistake, and the injuries to her soul would take time to heal.
"Anyway, sorry about that," Ibaraki said apologetically, but with a grin on her face, "but let's continue, shall we?" Without hesitation, she grabbed her bone sword once again, her hunger for a proper battle undiminished by her temporary setback.
Altrogue chalked up the previous phenomenon as a missed scene and shrugged it off, focusing on the battle at hand. However, several minutes had passed, and she still couldn't land a hit on Ibaraki.
Determined to do something, anything, Altrogue decided to shoot a very weak blood magic attack at Ibaraki. To her surprise, Ibaraki just accepted it with a smug expression on her face.
Feeling a bit sheepish, Altrogue couldn't help but giggle at the situation. "I won, I hit you," she said with a grin, drawing a sudden loss of color to Ibaraki's face. Their spar had always consisted of the one-hit-and-you-lose rule, and Ibaraki was not used to being caught off guard like that.
"I see your habit of accepting attacks because you wont be killed is still there," Altrogue said with a small smile, feeling a hint of guilt from using that rule.
She realized that it wasn't fair to Ibaraki, and that she needed to push herself harder in order to truly stand on her own two feet. The fact that Ibaraki was still holding back only made the need for further training even more apparent.
"Seriously?!" Ibaraki exclaimed in frustration, the memories of her past defeat resurfacing in her mind. She had been defeated by Altrogue's weak attack due to her own overconfidence, a mistake she had never forgotten.
In the past, Chang'e, now known as Altrogue, had been Ibaraki's mentor and taught her how to fight with a sword. They would occasionally spar, but Ibaraki had always felt that her past self was incredibly inexperienced compared to her present self. She was no sword master but her flames had always been enough to back her up.
Despite her numerous sparring sessions with Chang'e, Ibaraki couldn't help but remember that her former mentor's hits were always soft and non-dangerous. As a result, it had become natural for her to think that getting hit even once would mean a game over for her.
"Fine, you win this time," Ibaraki huffed, a hint of irritation in her voice. However, the corners of her mouth turned upward in a small smile, acknowledging Altrogue's victory.
"But there will be a next month test," she added firmly, determined to be better prepared for their next challenge.
"Sure, next time I'll win again," Altrogue said with a small smile, determined to become stronger so she could win by a larger margin. She realized that she needed to train from the basics and hone her skills, so she could truly stand on equal footing with Ibaraki.
Altrogue chastised herself for relying too much on Fou and not dedicating enough time to training herself. She couldn't just rely on her natural abilities or previous experience, but instead had to push herself to be better every day.
"Hey, do you want to join me and relax in a hot spring?" Ibaraki asked Altrogue with a teasing grin, the excitement of their battle still lingering in the air.
"Sure, I wanted to see your bare body anyway," Altrogue responded without any shame, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
Ibaraki rolled her eyes affectionately, realizing once again that Altrogue was a hopeless pervert when it came to her. "Sometimes I forget that you're such a pervert when it comes to me," she deadpanned, but with a small smile on her face.
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Though I am feeling quite tired and sleepy, I am happy to deliver the promised chapter to my readers. Thank you for your continued support, and I hope that you enjoy this chapter despite my fatigue.