Chapter 8: A Bloody Proposition
After the intense battle with Beowulf, Riya and Muramasa realize their camp is no longer safe. Their presence has been exposed. Without hesitation, they gather what little supplies they have and retreat to a nearby town: Sighisoara. A town of crumbling streets, old stone, and the eerie whispers of ancient magic—perfect for hiding in plain sight.
They find a modest, abandoned apartment and settle in for the night, both tense but exhausted.
As Riya drifts into sleep, the dream world pulls him under again.
This time, it's Jack the Ripper who appears.
But she is not the childish specter like usual.
This Jack is a mature, alluring woman, cloaked in darkness and danger. Her eyes shimmer with amusement and something far more predatory.
Jack offers a deal:
If Riya wants to "connect" with her and unlock her strength, he must first prove himself by committing an act of cold-blooded violence. Kill a random magus — someone tied to this twisted Holy Grail War — and she will willingly bind her soul to his.
Riya wakes with a heavy heart, grappling with the moral weight of the task ahead.
Meanwhile, at the Yggdmillennia stronghold, chaos brews:
Spartacus, the Berserker of Red, has broken free of his handlers' control and charges blindly toward the Black Faction's castle.
The Yggdmillennia clan, caught off-guard but acting swiftly, manage to immobilize the mad warrior, with Darnic plotting to twist Spartacus's rage into an asset for their own side.
Elsewhere, hidden observers watch:
Achilles, the Rider of Red, smirks at the madness unfolding.
Beside him, Arash, the Archer of Red, simply narrows his eyes, silent and unreadable.
Back in Sighisoara, Riya, restless and disturbed, wanders into the small, cracked mirror hanging in the apartment.
As he pulls his shirt up to splash water on his face, he freezes.
Reflected in the mirror, sprawling across his back, are dozens of Command Seals, fanned out like wings of red light.
Each one pulsing with a quiet, terrifying power.
Muramasa, noticing his shock, steps closer and frowns deeply.
"It seems," the swordsmith murmurs, "that the Grail itself has recognized you.
You aren't just a Master anymore. You're from this point on a Ruler."
And Riya, standing half in shadow and half in light, realizes that the war is about to change — and he is the reason why.