Minamiya residence, in Rozen's room.
Sensing that his magic power, which had finally recovered a bit recently, had returned to a usable level, Rozen first sighed—then promptly used it all up without hesitation.
"Heroic Spirit Summoning."
Rozen raised his right hand, activating the glowing light of the Magic Crest.
In the next moment, responding to Rozen's summon, a stream of light particles gathered in front of him and gradually took humanoid shape.
A girl with brown skin, mysterious markings branded on her flesh, wearing exotic attire, her head veiled like a bride's, and short refined white hair now flowing as long straight snow-white locks—appeared from within the light and entered Rozen's view.
It was a figure he hadn't seen in a long time.
A presence he still longed for.
Though her skin was brown, she left an impression of white—a girl who slowly opened her eyes, letting a pair of ruby-like pupils shimmer in the air.
The boy and girl locked eyes instantly.
"Altera."
Rozen called her name.
"..."
Altera didn't reply. She only continued to gaze at Rozen, a faint ripple surfacing in her ruby-like eyes.
Though it had been a while, the girl remained as cold, indifferent, and sharp as ever.
Only after a brief moment did her crimson lips part slightly.
"Looks like while I was building my own Grand Servant-class Saint Graph, you went through quite a bit."
That was her statement.
No formal greeting. No joyful reunion.
Only such bland and ordinary words. If not for the slight ripples in her gemstone eyes, Rozen might have doubted whether this girl possessed any emotions at all.
Fortunately, her eyes never left him—remaining focused on Rozen from beginning to end—conveying one thing:
She was not without inner feelings.
Rozen smiled.
"How's it going?"
He didn't answer her question—instead, he softly posed his own.
"Did it go smoothly?"
Hearing this, Altera remained silent for a moment, then nodded.
"I've already absorbed the Holy Grail, reforged this vessel, and raised the limit of my Saint Graph. Now, this body should be capable of matching a Grand-class Servant."
Not a Grand Servant—but comparable to one.
That was Altera's current state.
Rozen said nothing more. He directly examined Attila's status.
Class: Saber
True Name: Altera
Alignment: Chaotic · Good
— Parameters —
Strength: A+
Endurance: A
Agility: A+
Mana: A++
Luck: A
Noble Phantasm: A++
These parameters were exactly the same as before Attila had gone dormant—completely unchanged.
That was only natural.
The elevation to Grand-class doesn't change ability parameters; it boosts the output of the Heroic Spirit themselves, allowing them to manifest closer to their original essence in the Throne of Heroes and unleash far greater power than normal Saint Graphs.
In short, the vessel's capacity for power had increased. She was no longer bound to the specifications of a standard Servant.
So while Altera's parameters appeared unchanged, the power she could now wield was undoubtedly far stronger than before.
Of course, while her ability parameters remained the same, there were changes in her skills.
— Class Skills —
Magic Resistance: B
Nullifies magic with a chant less than three verses. Even high-level and ritual magecraft would have difficulty damaging her.
Riding: A
Capable of operating any beast or vehicle not ranked as Phantasmal or Divine.
Divinity: B
While not possessing divine blood, she is regarded as divine due to her conquest over Europe and was thus feared as a manifestation of divine wrath. She earned the title Scourge of God, granting her a high level of divine aptitude as a Heroic Spirit on Earth.
— Personal Skills —'
Scourge of God: A
Leads cavalry forces to ravage the battlefield. A great hero who established an empire spanning from West Asia, Russia, and Eastern Europe to Gaul after countless battles and victories. Her terrifying battle presence earned her the name Scourge of God across Europe, feared even to this day.
In battles involving multiple combatants, her instinctive combat sense is greatly enhanced. She gains bonuses when using anti-army Noble Phantasms or responding to enemy anti-army attacks, effectively devastating enemy forces.
Perfect Construct: Ex
A flawless body in biological terms. Temporarily raises Strength rank. No matter how many calories she consumes, her basic design (physique) remains unchanged.
Civilization Erosion: Ex
A skill that activates unconsciously. The object in her hand transforms into the optimal form based on her current state.
"Optimal" doesn't mean excellent—it refers to what she personally desires most.
Astral Emblem: —
A unique pattern engraved on her body—an enigmatic marking exclusive to Altera, the Colossal Giant and Vanguard of the Wandering Star.
A civilization-destroying, giant transformation ability—the fundamental design of the Vanguard. She can absorb and convert the life, structures, and concepts she has personally destroyed into information, using it to grow in size.
Though she has regained her original strength, it remains sealed. Once awakened, she will transform into the true enemy of civilization, reclaiming her real form and ushering in the destruction of the ancient world once more.
This was Altera's current set of skills.
Compared to before, there were two major changes.
One was the evolution of her former
Of course, this change was understandable.
Compared to the second change, however, it was rather ordinary.
Rozen's attention was instantly drawn to a particular skill when he saw it.
"Astral Emblem...?"
This skill must have evolved from her old Star Emblem, right?
Rozen still remembered what it used to be.
Star Emblem: Ex
A unique marking engraved on her body, the result of a high-level technique. Not a generic tattoo, but a mysterious sigil that belonged solely to Altera.
The higher the skill rank, the greater its power. By channeling mana through the sigil, it enhanced the ability of any body part.
While not as explosively powerful as Mana Burst, it consumed little mana and had high efficiency. It also granted a pseudo-Instinct effect.
Unfortunately, the skill was incomplete. Its true power and name remained hidden.
Back then, it was just a skill similar to Mana Burst, with the added effect of Instinct—nothing more.
But now, for some reason, when he looked at the evolved version of the skill, Rozen felt an uneasy shiver in his heart.
"Once awakened, it will become the true enemy of civilization, reclaim its true form, and bring about ancient destruction once again…?"
Rozen stared hard at this skill—then shifted his gaze to Altera.