Thanks for the invitation. I'm in Type-Moon, inheriting the legacy of Zi-O.

"Damn it—that guy's strength is ridiculously high..." Nian Zhuo shook his head, trying to shake off the dizziness in his body. "I didn't expect to get hit by a combo before I could even withstand a single blow... It's incredibly pathetic." He tried to pick up his gun and sword again, but his hands were trembling.

"Hey...! Nianzhuo! Are you alright, Nianzhuo?!" Mary's anxious voice came from the communication device on Nianzhuo's wrist. "It shows that your body status has turned red. Can you still stand up...? Hey! Answer me, Nianzhuo!" Her voice even sounded like she was crying as Mary anxiously called out her Servant's name.

"It's okay...it's okay...I'm fine." After a while, Nianzhuo responded to Mary with difficulty, while also gripping the trembling blade tightly. "But...I can't stop right now—" He raised his head, his vision obscured by blood but still able to see.

The girl with the shield raised, the giant wielding double axes, the orange-haired girl giving instructions, and the two girls constantly drawing their bows and nocking arrows were still fighting. Even Orion was wielding a wooden club to interfere with Heracles's attack.

But that won't work. Even if Asterius's strength and agility could match Heracles's, the difference in skill could not be overcome... not to mention he was injured.

"Aaaaah—!" Mash struggled to hold onto her shield, enduring the full force of Hercules' axe strikes again and again, even her hands were bleeding from the shock of the immense force.

"Damn it... How can we possibly deal with someone like this—Eureka, watch out!" Biting her thumb, Ritsuka anxiously watched the Servants rushing to meet the attack. While she was thinking of a countermeasure, Hercules suddenly picked up a box next to her and threw it at Euryale.

"Ah...!" Fortunately, Artemis, who had been protecting Euryale, reached out and pulled her away. Otherwise, if the little goddess had been hit by the box thrown by the berserker, she might have fainted.

"You can't win! Hahahaha! How could you possibly win!" On the Argo, Jason was still shouting wildly, "Hercules has experienced all the battlefields and fought against all kinds of monsters! Yet this man has never been defeated, and finally even reached the realm of the gods! This is Hercules!" Especially when he saw Hercules throw that ignorant armored hero aside, Jason was extremely pleased.

"You second-rate trash are not even in the same league. As nobodys, all that awaits you is to be easily torn to shreds!" But then, Jason's gaze towards Heracles was filled with disdain. "However, as a Servant, he lacks two things: wisdom and character. Right now, he's like a ferocious wild dog, hahaha! He deserves it!" Jason felt an unprecedented sense of satisfaction as he gloated over his companion's misery.

Then, he raised his voice again toward Drake's Golden Stag, staring at Artemis, who was guarding Euryale.

"Hey! Listen up, you guys! Hey Archer over there, hand over Euryale right now!" With a wave of his hand, Hercules, who was fighting, suddenly stopped attacking as if sensing something. "...As long as you do as I say, I won't incite Hercules to attack you. So, what do you think of that person who seems like a Master?" Jason even felt he was being too kind, looking at Ritsuka, whose eyes were filled with tears.

"Shut up, you damn scum!" For the first time, Ritsuka cursed. Facing the enemy who had severely injured Nencho and was still leisurely mocking her, she gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. "I will definitely defeat you, we will definitely defeat you!"

"..." Jason stared at Ritsuka's determined eyes for a while in silence, then waved again.

Then, Hercules, who had been motionless, suddenly moved and charged at Fujimaru Ritsuka with his axe blade raised.

"Master...!" Mash's exclamation rang out from the side, finally blocking Ritsuka's path just before the axe blade was about to fall.

However, due to inertia, he was unable to exert any force to stop the berserker's slash and was cut down on the ship's deck by Hercules' sword.

"Haha, is that so! Is that so!" Jason laughed gleefully, waving his hand to stop Hercules' actions once again. "You are very brave! Young lady! I like you very, very, very much! And you have such a lovely Servant!" Staring at Ritsuka and Mash's faces, Jason showed a very satisfied expression.

“Very good! Very good! You’re like a hero, woman!” He even put his hands to his mouth and exclaimed in a monotone tone, “Wow! So cool!” Then, the next moment, his expression turned impatient.

"—Seriously, a bunch of scum have gotten so arrogant. You can bring your Servants, but can you just disappear right now?" Jason gritted his teeth in resentment, looking at the pale purple-haired girl standing beside him. "Medea! My dear Medea!"

"Yes, are you calling me, Master?" The girl looked at him with a sweet smile, her eyes full of doting affection.

"You know my wish, Medea!" Jason said impatiently, pointing at Ritsuka and the others. "I want you to blast those guys to pieces! Just like you tore your brother apart!" But then, as if realizing he had said the wrong thing, Jason quickly corrected himself.

"Ah, don't worry, don't worry." He stroked Medea's head reassuringly. "I've already reflected on my actions! I'll never betray you again!"

"Tear your brother apart with five horses?" The girl called Medea looked at Jason in confusion, a shy blush appearing on her face. "Master, you sometimes say strange things." But then, as if the blush had never appeared, the girl raised her staff.

“But yes, that’s right. Lord Jason is just that kind of person.” The girl closed her eyes and said in a satisfied whisper, “You are just that kind of person now. So I won’t think too much about it. As the first disciple of the goddess of magic Hecate, I, Princess Medea, will surely grant your wish.” Then, the girl set up a spell under her feet and flew to the bow of the Golden Deer.

“Whoa, I know that.” Artemis recalled Jason and Medea’s conversation, glancing at Orion. With Heracles motionless, there was no need to worry about an attack; it was better to gather more information. “That’s what they call domestic violence, right?”

"No, no, no, that's worse than domestic violence!" Orion exclaimed, looking on incredulously. "Those two didn't even seem to be looking at each other!"

Jason believed that Medea was destined to become his wife, a tool to realize his dreams.

Medea believed that Jason was still the same Jason who had taken her off the island, just as she remembered him.

They were both looking at each other, yet neither of them was truly looking at the other.

But Chaldea won't care about these kinds of emotional issues (dead fish eyes).

The berserker, who had been motionless for a long time, suddenly revealed a fierce glint in his eyes.

"And Hercules!" Jason shouted angrily, watching the berserkers spring into action. "You too, get out there! I'll be here watching your battle!"

“…Sending his wife to the front lines, yet he doesn’t fight himself.” Mashu couldn’t help but glance at Nencho, who had collapsed in the cabin behind her, before shifting her gaze to Ritsuka. “Um… Master, could this person be…”

“Without a doubt, Mr. Nianzhuo is a hundred times better than him.” Ritsuka raised an eyebrow disdainfully, her eyes filled with disgust as she looked at Jason. “Without a doubt, he’s a scumbag.”

“Ha, that’s quite a joke.” Jason then waved his hand, and Hercules, who had just awakened, immediately went berserk. “…Kill them all! Hercules!”

"There are even more despicable scumbags in this world than I am," Orion nodded in admiration, while instructing Artemis to quickly leave. "The world is indeed vast, and Greece is so small."

Then, the girl standing at the bow of the ship stood side by side with Hercules, smiling as she looked at the group of people who were standing guard in front of her.

A few points of light flickered from the cabin where Nianzhuo had collapsed.

Past and Future: Yourself in the Mirror

A purple-haired girl who called herself Medea gently swept her staff across the ship's deck.

Then the ship's deck began to shake, and the purplish-black skeleton materialized into a human form, holding a broadsword and standing in front of Mash and the others.

"Wait a minute, Hercules." The girl smiled and tapped the roaring berserker. "Let me test their strength first." The berserker immediately calmed down at her tap, his golden eyes, representing reason, looking at the girl. Then Hercules stepped back.

"Then, go, my summoned servants." With a gentle wave, the dragon tooth soldiers summoned by Medea charged towards Mash and the others with a terrifying clanging of bones.

"Whoa... What is this thing? Is it a dead man's bone...?" Drake was still a little panicked, but after realizing that one shot could shatter a Dragon Tooth Soldier, she relaxed. "Really, is that all...?"

"Don't let your guard down, Captain Drake!" Mash brandished her shield. Thanks to Ritsuka's emergency healing magic, her wrist injury had healed somewhat, and she easily smashed three Dragon Fang soldiers to pieces.

Meanwhile, on Asterius's side... the behemoth was wielding his two great axes, cutting grass among the dragon tooth soldiers. His durability and strength were so great that even with his hands injured, it was unlikely that these dragon tooth soldiers could break through his defenses. The air swept away by the axes alone was enough to shatter the bones of the dragon tooth soldiers.

However, sometimes quantitative change can indeed lead to qualitative change. From beginning to end, the girl just stood there smiling, waving her staff and constantly summoning dragon tooth soldiers, but Mash and the others could not do anything to her.

“There are so many Dragon Fang Soldiers alone…!” Mash kept repeating the process of smashing the Dragon Fang Soldiers in front of her, smashing them again and again.

“A familiar created from dragon fangs…” Artemis was all too familiar with the scene before her. “This is truly Hecate’s specialty!”

“So that’s how it is… Oh! Artemis, watch out!” After warning the silver-haired girl to dodge the attack from the dragon-tooth soldiers behind her, Orion looked at the pale purple girl with a look that seemed to confirm something. “It seems that the dazzling girl is probably really Medea!?” He wanted to touch her chin, but Orion sadly discovered once again that his arms were too short to reach her chin, so he had to give up in the end.

“…Something’s not right…Shouldn’t Medea be more…” Recalling the image of the woman named Medea in his memory, Orion still couldn’t be sure that the dazzling girl was the same as the person in his memory. “Should I say she was more unfortunate, or more gloomy…?” While he was thinking, another wave of Dragon Fang soldiers was completely shattered by them.

"I need a lot more materials." As if by magic, the girl tapped her staff lightly on the floor, and even more Dragon Tooth Soldiers than before twisted and appeared on the ship. Seeing Mashu and the others' still eager expressions, the girl smiled gently. "However, before you're defeated, the ship will probably sink under the weight of the Dragon Tooth Soldiers, right?"

Because they had to be immersed in the battle, Mash and Drake didn't notice that every time the Dragon Fang Soldiers were summoned, the ship's mast would get closer to the sea surface. If the girls continued like this, Mash and the others would only end up falling into the sea with a bunch of Dragon Fang Soldiers for nothing.

"Ugh, these bastards!" Drake kicked a Dragon Tooth soldier to pieces, holding his sword in one hand and constantly pulling the trigger of his musket with the other. "So annoying, get out of my way!" In addition, seeing Euryale still trying to attack Medea, Drake didn't care about respect and yelled at her.

"Hey! Euryale! The enemy's target is you!" Drake pointed to Asterius, who was busy mowing down enemies, and said with great reassurance, "Quick, go and stay with Asterius. Nianzhuo hasn't reacted yet, and you're only safe with him right now!"

“But…!” Looking at Drake and Mash who were surrounded by them, Euryale wanted to say something.

"Alright! Lady Euryale, we will definitely break through these Dragon Fang Soldiers again!" Ritsuka's energetic voice broke through the Dragon Fang Soldiers' barrier. "Don't worry, just wait for us by Asterius's side."

"Don't worry," Asterius said haltingly, shielding Euryale behind him and nodding to Mash and the others who were surrounded.

"How can I not feel at ease?" Euryale still refused to give up and looked at Ritsuka with concern. "You all step back..." But before she could finish speaking, Asterius put Euryale on his shoulder.

"Ah... what are you trying to do?!"

"Wait a moment, Master and everyone! The second wave of attacks is coming!" Seeing Medea's staff gently swung down, a group of dragon-tooth soldiers, like an army of the dead, charged towards Mash and the others once again.

"Huff...huff..." Lying in the cabin, Nian Zhuo felt his breathing finally calm down, and even his vision began to gradually clear. "My God...I should stand up now—ugh!" Unexpectedly, just as Nian Zhuo, who thought his body was fine, was about to stand up, his chest made a cracking sound, accompanied by a familiar sharp pain.

"Damn it... Is it because of poor circulation here now..." Nian Zhuo clutched his chest tightly, cold sweat beading on his forehead again. "Hey, system, are you there—uh!" Before he could finish his sentence, Nian Zhuo pressed his chest again.

"Of course, host. I'm here." The system's emotionless voice echoed in your mind. "But host, I must remind you."

"What... I know I'm in a bad state right now." With difficulty breathing, Nianzhuo leaned on his sword and struggled to his feet.

"...If the host insists on taking another hit from that berserker, you will die instantly." The system's voice was as precise and deadly as a semi-diagnosis report. "Your spirit core is already nearly half broken and seems irreparable. If you continue like this, only you will die."

"Okay, okay... I understand, but I'm not fighting that big guy right now." Gripping the Time Gun Sword tightly, Nian Zhuo saw Mash and the others fighting fiercely. "There are still people waiting for me, so I will never fall!"

“Then! We’ll use this one!” Nian Zhuo put the Ghost watch back into his pocket, then fumbled for the Zi-O II watch, which shimmered with dark gold and white.

"This is the result of my indomitable struggle with 'myself'!" Nianzhuo turned the knob and split the dial in two.

“Zio——!” “oiZ——!” Multiple clock wheels appeared behind Nian Zhuo, making his blood-stained face glow.

But what happened next was even more surprising. As if time had reversed, the blood flowing from Nianzhuo's head began to flow backward, and the wound began to heal.

A dark golden time wheel emerged from the clock behind him, enveloping Nianzhuo's body in layers.

“Hey—” Nianzhuo turned around and saw someone’s voice behind him.

For the first time, someone who looked exactly like her appeared in front of her.

"Are you—me from the Mirror World?" Looking at the school uniform on the other person's body, Nian Zhuo seemed to understand the other person's identity. "Ha, thinking about it, this is actually the first time we've met. I never thought I would look like this..." Looking at the huge crack in his chest, Nian Zhuo smiled helplessly.

“Yes, you look really disheveled.” He laughed too, but then became serious. “Even though you look disheveled, you are still the way I’ve always dreamed of.”

"Enjoying adventures with everyone, dreaming about the future with certain people, and also—" 'Nianzhuo's gaze seemed to leave this place and see the golden cup that he once possessed here.

"Ha—" Unexpectedly, Nianzhuo burst into laughter upon hearing these words, his eyes filled with the same envy that Nianzhuo hadn't expected. "It's true that a well-fed man doesn't know the hunger of a starving man. I'm also envious of you, myself in the mirror."

“Envious of…me?” He tilted his head curiously.

“At least, you’ve had a peaceful and happy life for over ten years with your family.” Nian Zhuo closed his eyes and smiled at 'Nian Zhuo'. “Since we’re in the same boat, why don’t you try this?” Nian Zhuo stretched out his hand and pointed to Hercules, who had driven him into such a desperate situation, on the deck behind him.

"Let's try to fight him together? I've wanted to do that for a long time in that world." He laughed carelessly.

"Okay, but can you still hold on?" Although he was also very curious and eager, he still felt a little uneasy when he saw the wound on Nian Zhuo's chest with its patterned appearance like shattered glass.

"Relax, relax. More than that, I'd like to show you a real fight." Nian Zhuo said nonchalantly, then pulled his reflection in the mirror over. "Ready? Here it comes!"

Subsequently, the armor of Zi-O II was equipped on Nencho.

The only difference is that this time, Nian Zhuo's purple armor on his face flew out from the clock representing the Mirror World.

"This is... my (our) adventure!" Nian Zhuo bumped fists and gripped the Time Limit Sword in his hand.

"It's yours now!" Then, in his mind, Nian Zhuo loosened his grip on the sword hilt.

"Leave it to me!" Then, she was grabbed by 'him', his eyes shining with golden light.

"Drink—!" Without hesitation, he raised the Limit Sword above his head, and 'Nian Zhuo' exhaled scorching white steam.

Golden glints wrapped around his wrist, gradually draping the entire blade in a golden veil.

"Mash! Ritsuka! -- Everyone, get out of my way!" Mash and the others, who were still being attacked by the Dragon Fang Soldiers, were pleasantly surprised to hear the familiar voices. However, they couldn't even turn around because the intense magical fluctuations coming from behind them made them realize what Nencho was doing.

"This way!" After glancing at the Dragon Tooth Soldiers, Drake found a relatively quiet spot, raised his flintlock pistol, and unleashed a golden laser, just like the one Nian Zhuo had seen the first time, instantly clearing out all the Dragon Tooth Soldiers in a straight line.

"This way!" Drake shouted to Mash and Ritsuka behind him, and successfully charged out along the path cleared by the Dragon Fang Soldiers.

"This is my first sword strike!" The blade, wreathed in golden light, swung down, engulfing the Dragon Fang soldiers on the entire ship's deck in a blinding flash.

"Phew... So this is the power of Zi-O II." 'Nianzhuo' said casually, shaking his hand.

However, Nianzhuo in reality was almost scared out of his wits.

"Holy crap—what was that just now—" Looking at his own hand, and then at the golden light on his hand in the mirror, Nianzhuo seemed to understand something. "Wait, are you that overpowered? Isn't this kind of golden light slash something only GiriGiri Slash can do? You just casually unleashed a powerful attack?"

"Ah... I think it's alright." The 'self in the mirror' seemed indifferent, mentally swinging the Limitless Sword in her hand. "Speaking of which, this is quite fun. Why don't you give it a try?" As she spoke, she handed over the blade.