"Clang!"
With a resounding crash, at one corner of the battlefield, two figures were blasted apart, forced back over a great distance as shockwaves rippled outward, scattering dirt and rubble.
"Mother!"
Just as Kingu was about to press his attack, he heard Gorgon's scream. His expression changed instantly. Without hesitation, he turned, ready to rush toward her.
But his opponent was not about to let him leave so easily.
"Stay right here!"
Artoria [Alter] raised her holy sword without a shred of hesitation, its jet-black radiance blazing forth.
"BOOM!"
In the next moment, as Artoria [Alter] swung her blade, a column of pitch-black light erupted, surging straight toward Kingu.
By this point, Artoria [Alter] had already unleashed her Noble Phantasm more times than she could count.
After all, her Master was Rozen, whose mana supply was virtually inexhaustible. With such power behind her, Artoria [Alter] was even more reckless than if she had the Holy Grail—she could unleash her Noble Phantasm infinitely, burning the very earth away.
An Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasm at rank A++, fired without limit—its sheer terror was self-evident.
Thus, even against an opponent with power rivaling Enkidu—or perhaps even surpassing him—one stronger than the King of Heroes, Gilgamesh himself, Kingu still found no advantage under such relentless might.
What's more, Artoria [Alter]'s own strength was formidable. Having become Rozen's contracted Servant, her Saint Graph had long since been pushed to its normal limit, reaching the pinnacle of strategic-class Servants, stronger still than even most irregular Servants.
Therefore, against her merciless barrage of Noble Phantasms, Kingu had no spare energy to worry about the other battlefield. He could only hurriedly unfold rippling golden portals, from which countless chains burst forth, spiraling together into a tornado of iron links that met the oncoming black beam.
"Rumble!!!"
The ground baked under the scorching storm of mana, the pillar of black radiance lancing skyward, streaking into the heavens as it split the battlefield open.
"Truly frightening."
From atop the city wall, Merlin watched with a wry smile.
"The reversed Holy Sword already leaned toward destruction by nature. Add in limitless mana, and its power is catastrophic. And yet the King unleashes it repeatedly without hesitation… I just hope this land isn't burned to ashes."
After speaking, Merlin turned his gaze elsewhere.
"The other fronts are nearly decided as well."
Indeed, the battle across the field was almost over.
With Rozen's many familiars and Servants joining the fray, the tide had shifted completely.
The demonic beasts, under the assault of Mash, Hassan of Serenity, Ryougi Shiki, Ishtar, Jeanne [Alter], and the mass bombardment of thousands of dragonkind, had nearly been wiped out.
"It's hard to believe… that the arrival of a single man could turn the entire war like this."
Having regained a measure of stamina and mana, Nobunaga stood beside Merlin, watching the battle draw to its end, voicing her amazement.
Indeed.
Not long ago, she and the others had fought desperately for days just to hold the demonic beasts at bay, unable to force an end. Yet the moment Rozen appeared, the tide shifted to this one-sided victory.
"His power is far beyond what I once glimpsed with Clairvoyance…"
Merlin murmured thoughtfully.
"With each Singularity, that Master grows markedly stronger. One has to wonder what he has gone through—and what you've done for him, Romani Archaman."
Shaking his head after the thought, Merlin looked back toward the front.
There, the final battle was nearing its conclusion.
"Let's go take a look."
"Right!"
Exchanging a glance, Merlin and Nobunaga leapt from the city wall together, heading forward.
At the same time, Mash and the others finished their battles and converged toward the front.
So too did Artoria [Alter].
"So you've fled after all?"
Lowering her holy sword, its black radiance still flickering faintly, Artoria [Alter] stared into the sky.
There, Kingu's body—smoking and bloodied—flew off into the distance.
Without hesitation, Artoria [Alter] shot off like a cannonball in pursuit.
And so, everyone began converging in a single direction—
Toward the source of Gorgon's anguished cries.
"Ugh…! Ahhh…!"
Amid the frozen wasteland, Gorgon clutched her severed arm, howling in agony.
Blood streamed endlessly from the wound, dyeing the ground red.
She longed to banish the pain, to heal the injury.
With her immortality and the Holy Grail's blessing, such a wound should have healed in an instant.
But not this time.
Struck by the harpe, her injury could never recover.
Especially for Gorgon.
For that weapon had been crafted to slay her, and against her it was many times more effective than against anyone else.
The realization filled Gorgon with both terror and despair.
And this was only the beginning.
"Hah!"
Having severed Gorgon's arm, Anna pressed her advantage, sprinting across the frozen serpents toward her foe.
"This ends now!"
She raised her scythe once more, swinging it down toward Gorgon's heart.
But at that moment—
"Watch out!"
Rozen's warning rang from behind her.
"—!"
Anna's heart jolted. She jerked her head to the side—
And there it was.
One serpent had broken free from the ice, lunging with gaping jaws at her.
"Don't get cocky, you immature goddess!"
Gorgon roared with hatred as the serpent's maw gathered immense mana.
Then it fired—
A torrent of power engulfed Anna.
"Aaahh!!!"
Anna screamed in agony.
Bathed in the searing flood of mana, her body smoked and burned, blood spilling from countless wounds.
And yet—even so—Anna clenched her teeth, enduring the pain. With a final cry, she brought her scythe down with all her strength.
"Splurt!"
The blade tore through Gorgon's flesh, piercing straight through her body.
"——!"
Agony racked Gorgon. Her eyes widened, pupils contracting, as her life force drained away.
"You…"
She stared at Anna, still wreathed in the burning torrent of mana, unable to believe she had sacrificed herself to deliver that final strike.
Thanks to it, Gorgon's heart had been pierced. And Anna's Saint Graph, scorched beyond repair, had only moments left.
Yet Anna smiled at her.
"You are me, and I am you. We were never meant to exist in this era."
Her voice was soft—half relief, half sorrow.
"Let's disappear together."