Fate/Ultimate Antagonist

[102] Chaos!

"Well, isn't this Aatrox? It's been 2,500 years. The World Ender seems rather deflated."

The trio of magus, now Reinhard's most trusted confidants, stood in the apartment, staring at the blood-soaked greatsword before them.

Both Waver and Morgan wore serious expressions, standing behind Reinhard with hands poised on his shoulders, ready to activate teleportation magecraft at any moment. After all, this was a vanguard of the wandering star, an alien being that invaded Earth 14,000 years ago.

When Reinhard explained this to Waver and Morgan, it stretched their understanding of magecraft and the Root to the breaking point. Alien civilizations and Machine Gods were beyond their traditional knowledge, and the figure of 14,000 years felt overwhelmingly distant... Morgan's own 1,500 years seemed trivial in comparison.

This time, Reinhard hadn't brought back a troublesome woman but a troublesome sword, embedded deeply in his heart... literally.

The presence of Aatrox made Morgan feel an unexpected surge of danger. This opponent was far more formidable than the rivals she was used to dealing with, who only fought for Reinhard's affections.

Reinhard, with his black hair, lay nonchalantly on the sofa, fully aware that Aatrox wouldn't harm him. After all, it was stubbornly loyal.

"Damn, you really are..."

Hearing Reinhard's taunt, the sword trembled weakly.

Aatrox was not in good shape.

After attaching itself to Reinhard, it had barely managed a few words before slipping into a deep, weary slumber.

When Reinhard woke up, Aatrox had not.

So Reinhard spent three days nourishing it with his own magical energy, though the modern ether paled in comparison to those of the Age of Gods. He eventually fed Aatrox 500cc of his blood, which finally stirred it.

"Ah... Finally, I've had my fill of happiness. Your blood has a family taste."

Reinhard couldn't help but laugh.

"What the hell do you mean family taste? I'm not your mother."

"You don't understand... I've been through so much... Kratos."

"Use a different name. We're not in Greece anymore." Reinhard smiled. "I'm called Reinhard now."

"Reinhard... World Tree? Imaginary Tree? Kabbalah Tree of Life?" Aatrox seemed confused, glancing at Reinhard in a daze. "Your existence... is it occupying the timeline?"

"What nonsense. That's my real name. Where did you get the impression my name was related to a tree?"

"Ah so no? One of the civilizations I destroyed had data on that although the spelling was different." Aatrox was surprised. "I thought you picked it deliberately... I must say, it's a good name."

"Explaining my affairs to you would be too complicated... let's talk about you first."

Reinhard smirked at the sword.

"How did you end up being sold off as a commodity, Aatrox? It's like a fallen elven knight, disgraced and lost."

Such piercing words would have enraged Aatrox in the past, making it lash out. But now, it only glanced tiredly at Reinhard and then stared blankly at the ceiling, offering no rebuttal.

...Really?

Reinhard chuckled, amused by the notion of Aatrox as a fallen knight. It seemed even the World Ender could be worn down by life.