Altering Waves

Wrath

— HP: 15,800
— Attack: 1,390
— Defense: 1,000
— Crit Rate: 99%
— Crit Damage: 280%

She closed her eyes and let the numbers settle into her bones.

Artoria flexed her fingers around the hilt of Excalibur Morgan. The corrupted blade thrummed with violet-black energy, as eager to test its newfound power as she was. A single twist of her wrist sent ripples of Havoc mana skittering across the ground.

"Hm," she said softly, tone flat and unreadable. "This definitely isn't all there is."

Before she could delve deeper into the shifting patterns of her power, a voice drifted through the ruined courtyard—soft, familiar, and utterly unwelcome.

"Artoria."

She didn't turn immediately. The name hung in the humid air, carrying half-forgotten laughter and sharper echoes of betrayal.

"Mei Yun," she said at last, voice cool. "I wondered how long it'd take you to find me."

In that instant, the flicker of violet light around her armor steadied

Artoria stood motionless among the shattered pillars, Excalibur Morgan's corrupted edge still humming at her side. Rain dripped from her hair, but she paid it no mind. Before her, Mei Yun emerged from the mist, shoulders squared, eyes wary.

"You left me to die," Artoria began, voice low but unshaken. "Why?"

Mei Yun's lips quirked in a faint, apologetic smile. "I did what I had to. The mission came first." She paused, glancing beyond Artoria's armored shoulder. "But there's something you should know... about a Rover."

At the name, Artoria's heart skipped. "A Rover?"

Mei Yun nodded. "Rumor says he's arrived in Jinzhou. a drifter who turns up in every conflict. They say he..." Her voice trailed off, as though the memory hurt. "He's familiar to me. Like I'm meant to find him."

Artoria's grip on her sword tightened. "You expect me to trust you after—"

"I don't expect anything," Mei Yun interrupted, her tone calm but urgent. "Just... you'll want to meet this Rover. You'll see why."

Artoria's gaze flicked to the violet glow of her Tacet Mark, then back to Mei Yun's steady face. She took a careful step forward. "I have questions."

Mei Yun opened her mouth to answer—but before she could speak, a hulking figure materialized between them, arms crossed: 

Calcharo, a towering enforcer of Jinzhou's Vanguard. His armored plating shone faintly under the rain.

"Step away from her," Calcharo rumbled. His voice was gravel and iron. "No more chaos tonight."

Artoria's eyes narrowed. "This doesn't concern you."