Danmachi: The Multiverse Portal

Thank you all so much for your incredible support this week!

—•——•——•——•——•——•—

One arrow struck another in midair.

The instant both projectiles shattered, the street outside the Snowfield Police Department erupted into violence.

Rethusa drew her sword and led the Artemis Familia forward. They had only about half as many people as Clan Calatin, but that didn't matter once the fighting started.

Alexandre Dumas's Noble Phantasms had made the twenty-eight officers stronger—boosting their bodies, armor, and weapons past normal human limits. Still, borrowed power had its limits against women who had spent years hunting monsters.

A corporal lasted less than ten seconds before one of the huntresses kicked him clean off his feet.

"What the hell?? Chief Orlando's people are losing!" The officers behind the perimeter stared in disbelief.

Clan Calatin had glowing shields, enchanted weapons, and bodies strengthened by Magecraft, but they were still being pushed back. Some policemen reached for their sidearms, ready to help.

A sergeant reacted first. He lunged over and kicked the nearest pistol aside before its owner could raise it.

"Did none of you hear who those women are? THE ARTEMIS FAMILIA! FOLLOWERS OF ARTEMIS, THE GREEK GODDESS OF THE MOON!" he barked.

Most of them didn't know what a Familia was when Rethusa introduced herself, but they used their smartphones to look it up. A quick search told them everything they needed.

"They came right to our front door and challenged us. If you shoot at them now, even if we win, our department will never hear the end of it." The sergeant pointed at the fight. "Put the guns away! All you can do now is cheer!"

"..." The surrounding officers exchanged uncertain looks.

Then someone raised a fist.

"GET BACK UP!"

"DON'T LET THEM WIN IN FRONT OF OUR OWN STATION!"

Within seconds, the police perimeter had transformed into a roaring audience!!

—•——•——•——•——•——•—

"Did you hear that? Get off the ground and stop embarrassing yourselves!" Orlando shouted as he knocked Rethusa's blade aside.

Several members of Clan Calatin got back up, faces red with embarrassment.

They had mana, Noble Phantasms, more people, and support from Snowfield's government—but the Artemis Familia still pushed them around. Even the younger huntresses attacked without hesitation, moving like people who had fought for their lives countless times.

Clan Calatin's weapons were stronger.

The women wielding ordinary steel were not.

Realizing this hurt, but it also motivated the fallen officers. They gripped their weapons tighter and jumped back into the fight, not wanting to be embarrassed in front of everyone.

Alexandre Dumas watched the battle through the police surveillance system and wiped a bead of sweat from his brow.

"Good grief... Those women are monsters."

They were living humans and demi-humans, not Servants, but Dumas knew what would happen if he went out there himself. He was a Caster, not a close-range fighter.

Against a whole Familia of experienced huntresses, that difference would be clear.

"They'd carve me into pieces before I finished introducing myself—"

Then there was Artemis.

Dumas couldn't see the Goddess clearly on the cameras, but he could sense she was nearby. A Divine Being was watching over those women, and if he showed himself now, he might get shot with an arrow before he could even react.

"Where did Orlando find trouble like this?" He suddenly sensed a new Servant approaching the battlefield, making no effort to hide.

"Oh... That's bad." Dumas's smile vanished.

He grabbed his phone and called Orlando.

Outside, Orlando had just pushed Rethusa back when his phone started to vibrate. He moved behind one of Clan Calatin's shield bearers and answered, never looking away from the huntress.

"What?"

"Bad news, brother..." Dumas's voice was no longer playful.

"...Someone else is after you."

Orlando had barely heard the warning when a surge of mana swept across the intersection, tangible enough to make the air feel thick.

Rethusa and Orlando reacted at the same time.

"REGROUP!"

Both sides pulled back. Clan Calatin gathered around Orlando with shields up and ranged weapons ready.

The Artemis Familia formed a tight circle, keeping their mages and archers safe at the back.

A cloaked figure dropped from the rooftops.

The Zealot landed on the asphalt between the two groups, her dark robes snapping in the wind.

Rethusa's eyes sharpened.

"You again."

She hadn't expected the Assassin from the opera house to appear again so soon.

"Foreigners." The Zealot's gaze swept across the Artemis Familia before settling on Orlando and his officers. "Heretical magi."

She had watched the fight from above and could easily see the difference between the two groups. Clan Calatin's artificial Noble Phantasms were strong, but their users couldn't match the Artemis Familia... The huntresses were quicker, better coordinated, and much more used to fighting stronger enemies.

That wasn't why she had come.

Saber and his Master remained targets, but Orlando Reeve also possessed Command Spells and stood at the heart of Snowfield's distorted ritual.

He would have to die as well!

The mana coming from Jester Karture still disgusted her, but her twisted Master didn't leave her powerless. Even without her Noble Phantasms, her body and blades alone were enough to kill magi.

—•——•——•——•——•——•—

The ordinary policemen watched the new arrival in stunned silence.

A third faction had just joined the street fight.

Snowfield was having one hell of a night.

Orlando kept his grip tight on his weapon. "What are you after, Assassin?"

"I'm here for you." The answer came without hesitation.

Rethusa and the others moved even faster than the Zealot. Each huntress grabbed a potion from her pouch, pulled out the stopper, and poured the liquid over her wounds.

Cuts closed, bruises faded, and sore muscles healed in seconds. Even the wound Orlando had left on Rethusa's shoulder disappeared right in front of him.

Orlando stared at her. "You had something like that this whole time?"

To a modern magus, those potions were like treasures from the Age of Gods. They healed faster than most Magecraft and seemed to have no side effects.

The Artemis Familia used them like ordinary field supplies.

Rethusa rolled her restored shoulder, then turned toward the Zealot with a fierce grin.

"Assassin, let's finish what we started."

Their fight in the opera house had ended before either side could really go all out. Now, with their wounds healed and plenty of space on the open street, they were ready.

The Artemis Familia was ready for another round.

"You intend to fight me as well?" The Zealot said.

"Of course." Rethusa raised her sword. Clan Calatin stood on one side and Assassin on the other—yet her confidence never wavered. "The odds are still in our favor."

"..." The Zealot's face grew darker. She hadn't thought these women would focus on her so eagerly. Even worse, their real Goddess was probably watching from close by.

Before anyone could make the first move, slow applause sounded from among the police—

CLAP!

CLAP!

"Well, well..."

A man walked out from the crowd, smiling like the whole scene was set up just to entertain him. "I only came to enjoy the show, but now my adorable Servant seems to have become everyone's favorite target."

Rethusa recognized him from the military photographs.

"The Dead Apostle."

The vampire who had lost several lives to hidden soldiers the night before had finally appeared.

"A Dead Apostle?" Orlando's attention snapped toward the newcomer.

He knew what that meant: ancient vampires who had turned their backs on humanity and hunted the living.

But what was one doing inside his police line?

The stranger spread his arms and bowed with a showy flourish.

"Oh? You already know what I am? Then introductions should be easy." He lifted his head, his grin widening. "My name is Jester Karture—Master of the lovely Assassin."

Then, almost proudly, he added:

"And, yes, a Dead Apostle."

"..." The Zealot showed no surprise. August had already told her the truth. She had spent all day looking for Jester, but the vampire had hidden too well. Now he had stepped into the open and was finally within reach.

Her Master—the heretic who had deceived her...

He could die first!

WOOSH!

The Zealot disappeared, then flashed back into view right in front of Jester, her dagger already slicing toward his throat.

Jester didn't flinch. The Command Spell on his hand ignited.

"By my Command Spell, leave this place, my adorable Assassin."

—•——•——•——•——•——•—

BULK UPLOAD OF 5 CHAPTERS IF WE HIT 900 POWERSTONES THIS WEEK!!

....

~ Every 300 Power Stones = Bonus chapter!

~ 40 Advanced Chapters Available on my Patreon!

https://p-atreon.com/dragonnx

(Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)