Shirou, who returned from the Fairy Kingdom

"boom------!!!"

The chains became a fuse, and the flames that shot out from Shirou's palm were amplified and exploded at the blade at the end.

The black crocodile was blasted to pieces by the flames, its original shape unrecognizable, becoming a charred, burning corpse.

Is it all sorted out...?

Despite having defeated such a powerful familiar, Shirou felt no excitement whatsoever.

Then, lying in the snow, he saw a strange sight.

The charred corpse of the crocodile familiar he had killed turned into a black liquid, which then flowed back to Nero Chaos like slime and disappeared into his coat.

Shirou: "…………"

The corpse was eaten?

No... could this be...?

Shirou suddenly remembered the name on the Black Death Apostle newspaper—Nero Chaos.

This name doesn't sound like it was used in human times, so its meaning is...

"!!"

Shirou seems to understand why he chose the surname "chaos" for himself.

He quickly scrambled to his feet in the snow, but just as he was about to retaliate—

"Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah!"

Feeling neglected, Flöf leaped up and pounced on Shirou.

He held his massive lance high, pointing the tip, which was radiating absolute zero, straight at Shirou's heart.

The Dead Apostles' actions could be described as flawless.

Even the most skilled warriors would be captivated by his flawless yet swift and fierce movements. This was the level of martial arts that Flov had accumulated over hundreds of years of life, a level that was beyond human reach!

A colossal steel spear, powerful enough to shatter the very laws of the planet and leave no trace in this world, that was none other than the "Blood Ring of Principle" inherited by Flöf Arhanger, which would soon pierce the boy's body before he could react—

However, it does not.

Shirou blocked the attack with his burning twin blades, then kicked the vampire who lunged at him in the chest.

Floff screamed as he flew out.

"Tsk...!"

Shirou stood up, panting.

Sensation in both arms became sluggish.

Upon closer inspection, it was clear that his arm had been severely frostbitten during the parry.

The "Blade of Chaos" is unaffected because it is burning with hellfire, but Shirou's body is now that of an ordinary high school student, and he cannot withstand that freezing air at all.

This is the "Principle of Blood Ring" of Dead Apostle Twenty-Seven.

The physical laws (texture rule) are similar to the "fairy realm" of fairies or the "power" of gods.

However, this is a force created solely for killing and for destroying human history.

"That's really tenacious."

Nero Chaos's steady voice rang out again.

The once boundless white world of ice and snow is now transformed into a dark army of beasts.

All sorts of wild beasts (animals) appeared, with enormous sizes that defied the laws of nature—

Rhinoceros, lion, tiger, leopard, elephant, crocodile, shark, eagle, deer, snake, wolf, scorpion, centipede, stag beetle, wasp...

They possess the prototypes of animals in nature, but that's all they share.

With their jet-black bodies and bloodthirsty eyes, each one possessed power equivalent to a fantasy species, and this power continued to grow in the darkness behind Nero Chaos.

Shirou had heard that, due to the limited capacity of human genetic information, the maximum number of familiars that can be controlled by a human body is only about thirty. If it is a fantasy species, even just one or more will cause the capacity of human genetic factors to explode.

Even among the Dead Apostles, only a few are capable of commanding multiple familiars.

However, the man before him seemed to possess countless powerful familiars.

"You just told Mr. Flov that you are good at attrition warfare, right?"

Nero Chaos sneered, "Then I'll play along... Just how long can you survive against my beast army?"

Shirou adjusted his breathing and assumed a fighting stance.

Although my arm is frostbitten, it's not a big problem. It can be healed by swinging the "Chaos Blade" a few times.

The problem lies with Nero Chaos.

Shirou saw the crocodile he had just killed.

It's not new; it's the same one as before.

Incredibly, it returned to Nero Chaos's body after being killed by Shirou and was instantly revived.

Therefore, Shirou deduced that killing all these black beasts would be pointless.

As long as Nero Chaos, this Dead Apostle, exists, he can continuously revive the beast familiars within him.

And to kill Nero Chaos—

If Shirou is not mistaken, the man before him possesses immortality that is among the highest even of the Twenty-Seven Ancestors.

We must deal with him and Flov as soon as possible, otherwise Tohsaka and the others will freeze to death in this icy wasteland.

Shirou thought for a moment and devised a battle strategy, but—

"Aren't you guys taking me way too lightly?"

The voice echoed in everyone's minds.

"This is my territory. If anyone should be killed, it should be me, Nero Chaos."

……

……

That was—a rose in full bloom.

Due to the "freezing" effect of the Blood Ring, the area within a radius of several thousand meters has been transformed into a harsh world of ice.

At temperatures of minus 100 degrees Celsius, it would be impossible for any flowers to bloom.

However, roses, more evocative than blood, quickly covered the vast white snowfield, one after another.

A beautiful woman appears on the battlefield where Shirou and the Dead Apostles are fighting.

A beautiful face with gorgeous curls, deep red eyes, pale skin, and a sensual body.

Dozens of roses were floating around the woman—she was the train manager Shirou had met the previous night.

Rita Rogéan, the fifteenth of the Twenty-Seven Dead Apostles.

Shirou narrowed his eyes: The atmosphere... has changed?

Rita Rogéan walked gracefully, leaving high-heeled footprints in the snow.

"You, an ancestor, have dared to trespass into my territory—"

"Nero Chaos, unlike those newcomers, you're a veteran of the 27th generation. You shouldn't make such a basic mistake."

With a playful expression, she said, "Are you planning to wage war against me?"

High-ranking vampires all possess their own territories and cities, and this is especially true for the Twenty-Seven Ancestors who are kings.

It is not uncommon for Dead Apostles to kill each other and fight for territory, but they usually avoid each other's territory.

As the "Eye-Collecting Train" travels along the European ley lines, it will try to avoid the territories of other ancestors—

This is because the magic train itself is Rita Roggie's territory.

Nero Chaos and Flöf Arkhangel actually trespassed on her territory to conduct a hunting game, an act that was tantamount to a declaration of war.

"Stop talking nonsense, Rita Rogéan."

Nero Chaos scoffed, “That train is your territory, that’s true, but the land outside the train doesn’t belong to you.”

Are you suggesting that every region your train passes through—the whole of Europe—is your territory?

Rita Rogéan snorted and crossed her arms, saying, "That's how it seems to me. I remember informing you, didn't I?"

"Who's going to listen to your nonsense?"

Nero Chaos said, "And White Wings already informed you beforehand that they were going to hunt down the holder of the 'Crimson Moon's Eye' on your train."

Instead of directly intruding on your train, they moved the hunting grounds to the wild; that's already giving you a great deal of face, even at the cost of a Child of the Fuhai Forest.

The Black Dead's tone was threatening, as if to say, "Don't push your luck."

"Yes, yes, it's true that I was notified in advance. The King of the Dead Apostles really knows how to make things difficult for people..."

A hint of murderous intent flashed across Rita Roggean's beautiful face: "I was the one who was attracted to his eyes first."

"..."

Shirou kept quiet about his acquaintance with Rita Rogan, minimizing his presence and listening to the conversation silently.

it is as expected.

Rita Rogéan sent the invitation in order to make Shirou's eyes a commodity.

She seemed to have no intention of possessing those eyes—

She simply believed that Shirou was no longer qualified to keep it, so she wanted to "help" him sell it.

If what Nero Chaos said is true, and this really is a "Rainbow" level Mystic Eye that Shirou was completely unaware of... then he is indeed wasting a precious resource, and it's no wonder Rita Rojan is angry.

However, Rita Rosean's plan failed.

Another faction among the Twenty-Seven Dead Apostles also set their sights on Shirou and planned to take advantage of him when he came to Europe to attend an auction.

This is probably the real reason why Rita Rocheanne had a tryst with Shirou last night and let him escape.

Even if Shirou is a failed collector of Magic Eyes, it's better than having them snatched away by ordinary people who know nothing about art.

However, Shirou did not heed her advice, which led him into the vampires' trap.

Nero Chaos said, "Once we obtain those eyes, you will receive the corresponding reward."

"It's not about the pay," Rita Rogan shrugged.

"You killed the guest I invited onto the bus—"

If word gets out, where will I put my face?

Unlike the knight Flöf who murdered his master and seized the throne, and Nero Chaos who became a Dead Apostle through research, Rita Rogan is the most typical noble vampire among the Twenty-Seven Ancestors.

She inherited the status of the twenty-seventh patriarch and the estate, including the castle, from her blood relative's dead disciple.

The self-proclaimed artist and extravagant young lady of the dead cannot accept the fact that she may become a laughing stock in the future.

“…What do you want?” Nero Chaos asked.

“My request is simple: I will kill him myself,” said the Rose Maiden.

After a moment's thought, the Black Dead Apostle nodded: "That's not a problem, but why...?"

Rita Rogéan looked at the red-haired boy not far away and revealed a bewitching smile.

"You can take his eyes, but I want his soul—"

I want to make him my servant (slave).

------------------

PS: To better align with the Tsukihime R setting, this book features a significant performance boost to the original Nero, the "wooden stake monster."

Volume 6, Chapter 288: Alice: Don't treat the Winter Saintess like a battery pack! TAT

"Wake up... wake up!"

Luvia slapped Rin Tohsaka across the face.