> "Lisephyr, where are you going?"
Emiya Shirou suddenly appeared from the shadows.
Lisephyr was startled, but upon realizing who it was, she patted her modest chest and tried to regain her composure.
> "You scared me, idiot."
She paused, then added with a playful grin,
"Wanna explore Albion's Second Layer with me?"
Shirou was just as curious about Albion as she was, but seeing how mischievous and stubborn this little tsundere could be, he decided to tease her a bit.
> "Not interested. You should head back. I've heard the Second Layer is really dangerous."
Truth be told, he was planning to explore it alone.
> "Coward!"
Lisephyr made a face at him and darted ahead.
Shirou frowned—and immediately followed her.
---
❖ Second Layer – Odvena, the Vein Corridor
This section of Albion stretched from 10 to 40 kilometers deep. Known as Odvena, it was a vast web of magically infused passageways.
No one knew whether these circuits were remnants shed from dragon corpses or part of the earth itself—
But they formed enormous magical veins no mage could damage or disrupt.
As a result, excavations had to navigate around these veins, resulting in a sprawling, labyrinthine corridor network.
Researchers believed these circuits were remnants of magecraft once used by fae, when they transferred Fairyland into the inner world.
The area was home to near-divine Phantasmal Species—
Chimeras, shadow-born serpents, giant worm swarms the size of Mage's Association trains, and creatures bearing Mystic Eyes.
Each zone presented a different terrain—
Lush jungles, misty frozen plains, rivers of molten lava, acidic underground lakes, or mountains crackling with lightning.
And even after seeing all that, people would still be told:
> "You've seen less than 1% of Albion."
---
> "Lisephyr, wait!"
Shirou called out.
He hadn't expected her to be so bold.
Or perhaps… she was just reckless and sheltered.
It made sense.
She was a genius magus, the beloved heir of the Animusphere family, one of the Twelve Lord Houses.
She had grown up surrounded by praise and indulgence—protected, idolized, never exposed to danger.
---
The corridors twisted and branched endlessly.
Fluorescent crystals glowed along the walls, bathing the surroundings in an ethereal light.
It truly felt like a world apart from the surface.
To her credit, Lisephyr wasn't dumb—
She had marked the walls along the way to leave a trail.
> "See? Aren't I a genius?"
She puffed her chest with pride, beaming at her trail of markings.
> "Yes, yes, genius lady.
Now let's go back. This place really is dangerous."
Shirou's tone was a mix of sarcasm and the kind of voice you use to calm a child.
Leaving trail markers? Come on.
Anyone with a brain would think of that. Well… maybe not an idiot.
---
Lisephyr, thrilled by the novelty of it all, looked around with curiosity sparkling in her eyes.
> "You're such a coward. I'm a genius magus! I'm not afraid of anything!"
Truthfully, she was afraid of venturing into the Second Layer alone.
But with Shirou here, her fear had eased.
Maybe he wasn't so bad after all.
---
> "So much mana…"
Shirou muttered.
The air was saturated with it—dense, pulsing energy that even he found overwhelming.
Before long, the tunnel opened into a wide clearing, scattered with rocks and debris.
It looked like a collapse had occurred.
> "Watch out! Something's coming!"
Shirou suddenly tensed and shouted.
The next second, a massive beast appeared.
It was over twice the size of an adult human—
Razor-sharp fangs, crimson eyes, a long lizard-like tail, six clawed limbs, and bluish scales covering its muscular frame.
> "Damn! It's a magical beast—it's spotted us!"
Lisephyr's legs trembled.
But instead of freezing, she grabbed Shirou's hand and bolted in the opposite direction—
Her fear overridden by instinct.
Even in danger, she didn't abandon her classmate.
Shirou was briefly moved.
> This sharp-tongued little gremlin… she's still just a child. A kind one, at that.
---
But the beast was fast.
Too fast.
It roared and lunged after them with terrifying speed.
There was no way two children could outrun it.
They'd be torn apart.
Lisephyr shoved Shirou behind her, raised her arm, and began chanting.
Her magic crest lit up as she extended her palm forward—
A spear of mana shot forth like a bolt of lightning.
It pierced the beast and knocked it aside.
> "We're safe!"
Lisephyr breathed a sigh of relief.
> "No… this is the worst part."
Shirou said grimly.
Lisephyr blinked—then her expression froze.
The blood drained from her face.
They were surrounded.
Dozens of magical beasts now encircled them, eyes gleaming with hunger.
> "I told you… this place is off-limits for you."
Shirou said calmly.
> "Now's not the time for lectures—we're totally screwed!"
Lisephyr snapped, her eyes filling with tears.
She truly regretted entering the Second Layer.
But regret wouldn't save them now.
One of the beasts suddenly lunged at Lisephyr.
She heard Shirou's voice behind her:
> "Projection."
A flash of steel.
Blood sprayed.
The beast's head hit the ground.
Shirou stood beside the corpse, magic circuits glowing, clutching a silver longsword far too big for his small frame.
> "Shirou… you…"
Lisephyr's eyes widened in shock.
She couldn't believe what she was seeing.
But there was no time for questions—
The scent of blood had driven the beasts into a frenzy.
They charged.
> Slish!
The sword tore through flesh again and again.
Shirou's mana surged.
Through his circuits, he activated basic body-enhancement spells.
His strength and speed skyrocketed.
Beasts fell one by one under his blade.
Their claws and fangs couldn't touch him.
Lisephyr was speechless.
> He's like… a knight.
A child knight—wielding a sword, cutting down monsters.
---
> "Don't just stand there—move!"
Shirou yelled.
They followed the trail marks and escaped the Second Layer, sprinting through the corridors.
Along the way, dark mana began leaking from Shirou—
The faint presence of All the Evils of This World.
The beasts sensed it.
They hesitated.
Then retreated.
They could smell something far more terrifying than themselves.
They knew instinctively—
To go any further meant death.