FGO/KONOSUBA: GOD BLESSINGS ON THOSE WONDERFUL HEROES

[F] Her Name Is Aqua

As I stand in the middle of the ruins, my head spins from the realization-I'm back in Japan. But this Japan is unlike anything I ever imagined. The once-familiar skyline is now a chaotic mess, with buildings crumbling, fires raging uncontrollably, and a smoky haze that blots out the sky. Everything looks apocalyptic, as if an endless war has swept through. My heart races, and I can feel the heat of the flames licking at my skin.

Then I feel something soft and warm pressing against my chest, breaking my moment of panic. I look down, and there, clinging to me with big, round eyes is a strange little creature-small, white, and with the kind of cuteness that almost makes you forget the world around you is falling apart. "Fou?" I mutter, staring at the furry little critter, confused. It looks up at me, tilting its head as if it understands my bewilderment, and lets out a soft squeak.

"Wait...what am I doing here? And what's going on?" My mind races, desperately searching for answers. This can't be real. Am I back home? But why is Japan like...this?

Suddenly, a light bursts to life on my wrist, snapping me out of my thoughts. I glance down and realize the band on my left hand is glowing, and a familiar voice crackles through it.

"Kazuma? Kazuma, do you read me?" It's Dr. Roman! My heart leaps with hope, my body flooded with a sudden wave of relief. "Doctor!" I shout, almost laughing in disbelief. If he's here, then maybe there's some explanation behind all of this madness.

But just as I prepare to fire off a hundred questions, I hear a note of terror in his voice. "Kazuma, listen to me! You need to get out of there, now! Run!"

The urgency in his voice throws me into a panic. "What?! Why?! What's going on, Doctor?"

But before he can answer, I hear a piercing roar echoing from somewhere behind me. My whole body freezes as an intense, inhuman growl vibrates through the air, and the very ground trembles beneath my feet.

"Run, Kazuma!" Dr. Roman yells again, louder this time, his voice filled with fear I've never heard from him before. I feel the blood drain from my face as a sense of dread settles over me.

Just as I turn around, a colossal shadow fills my vision. It looms over me, towering like a nightmare come to life, its sheer size making me feel like an insect in its presence. My mouth goes dry as I take in the details-the massive, hulking figure standing before me, wielding a weapon so large and crude that it's hard to tell if it's an axe or a massive slab of stone with a sharp edge. The weapon seems as ancient and brutal as the figure itself, a tool of raw destruction.

Then I catch its gaze-two burning, red eyes that pierce straight into me, as if they can see everything, every weakness, every fear. They glow with an unholy intensity, fixed on me like a predator eyeing prey. My heart pounds so hard that I can feel it hammering in my ears. I can't move, paralyzed by that awful stare, and I feel as if my very soul is being laid bare to those red eyes, filled with a terrible, ancient power.

Through the band on my wrist, I hear Dr. Roman's frantic voice muttering, almost to himself, "Spirit Origin: Heracles." The words barely register, but they strike a faint, terrified chord. Heracles? The hero of Olympus? The demigod of unmatched strength and relentless fury? I know the name from mythology, but hearing it here, in this context... What does Dr. Roman mean by "Spirit Origin"? Is this thing really Heracles? And how could it be in front of me like this-an ancient hero of myth, now transformed into a living weapon of destruction?

The figure lets out a deafening roar that reverberates across the ruins, the sheer force of the sound knocking the breath out of me. I can feel the vibrations of its voice in my bones, and my blood turns to ice. There's no mistaking it now. This isn't just some strange creature or illusion. This is Hercules, but twisted, reborn in some form I don't understand. And every instinct I have is screaming at me to run.