"Even you have become the subordinate of the King of Magecraft?" Fujimaru Ritsuka's expression was solemn as if she believed that Alaric had succumbed to the same state as Lev—parasitized by a Demon Pillar.
Otherwise, Alaric would never have sided with the King of Magecraft.
"Sir Alaric, why are you doing this?"
Not only Fujimaru, but Mash, Romani, and Da Vinci also couldn't understand Alaric's actions. Mash even directly asked, "Do you have some kind of reason for this?"
After Alaric suddenly disappeared, although they successfully retrieved the Holy Grail, they could never trace Alaric's whereabouts. Shortly after returning to Chaldea, they arrived at this final singularity—the Temple of Time.
In terms of time, Alaric shouldn't have been separated from them for long. Could he have sided with the King of Magecraft in such a short time?
Would the Alaric who wished for the continuation of the future submit so easily to the King of Magecraft?
Mash didn't believe Alaric would surrender so quickly—her first instinct was that there must be another reason.
When Mash spoke, Da Vinci and Romani finally detected the presence of a second life form within this space-time domain.
Before Fujimaru and Mash entered the Temple of Time, Chaldea had only observed one entity—a complete lifeform collective.
Whatever existed within, they were all part of a single complete lifeform—until the appearance of Alaric.
["No, Sir Alaric hasn't become a Demon Pillar. He is assisting the King of Magecraft, Solomon, of his own free will!"]
Realizing this, Romani spoke decisively.
Hearing Romani's words, Alaric nodded and smiled. "This is just a normal career movement. Uruk shut down, so I had to find another job. That's only natural, right?"
"So, are you here to stop us from defeating the King of Magecraft, Solomon?"
Having composed herself, Fujimaru spoke in a low voice. "If that's the case—then we are enemies."
This was the final step. No matter what, they couldn't back down.
Even if Alaric was standing in their way, they would never allow it!
Seeing Fujimaru's determined expression, Alaric chuckled.
He knew all too well—these two girls would never stop because of such an obstacle.
But this wasn't a trial they could overcome through sheer willpower alone.
"If you cannot even defeat me, how can you hope to challenge the King on the Throne?"
Leaning on his sword, Alaric sighed and shook his head. "Forget about challenging that King—you won't even be able to make it past the Demon Pillars. As you are now, you simply aren't capable of it."
"Fujimaru, how many Servants can you summon at once? Can you take on seventy-two Demon Pillars?"
Before he even finished speaking, Alaric suddenly swung his sword behind him—directly at the Demon Pillar, Flauros!
Slash!
In an instant, an abyssal black light erupted, completely evaporating the Demon Pillar Flauros behind Alaric—leaving not even a trace behind!
The sudden event left Fujimaru momentarily stunned, but then she smiled. "Sir Alaric, you…"
"So you were a spy all along!"
Upon witnessing this, Mash's expression lit up with excitement, as if she had finally figured out why Alaric had opposed them.
Looking at the two excited girls, Alaric slowly shook his head. "Watch carefully—this is what the seventy-two Demon Pillars truly are."
The ground cracked apart. The Demon Pillar Flauros rose once more, appearing the same as before. Its crimson eyes fixated on the young man standing before it.
Completely unguarded, as if striking him down would be easy.
"A new Flauros has been born—"
Witnessing the rebirth of the Demon Pillar, Mash's expression turned grim.
A Demon Pillar rising again from the ground…
"Could it be that this entire land is…?"
Fujimaru, also staring at the reborn Demon Pillar, suddenly recalled Da Vinci's warning from earlier.
This entire space was filled with the spiritual foundation of Humanity's Evil. And their observation of this domain had only ever detected one lifeform.
Almost simultaneously, the pale blue barrier began flickering, accompanied by a low rumbling.
["Wha—what just happened? What was that impact just now?"]
Feeling the ground shake violently, Romani quickly asked the other staff members. The monitoring personnel, who were tracking the data, rapidly reported, ["It was an external impact! The second offensive theory's damage rate has exceeded 60%!"]
["The northern observation room has fallen!"]
["The observatory rooftop is under extreme pressure!"]
["Only five minutes until collapse! If the rooftop is breached, the control room's existence proof will be lost!"]
["Chaldea is entering a bubble state—it's being absorbed by the Temple of Time!"]
["The pseudo-spiritron computation precision is leaving the observable domain! The strength of the offensive theory is dropping!"]
Within mere seconds, a flood of emergency alerts came in. Processing them rapidly, Romani shouted, ["Cut all power supply except to the central system! Redirect all core power to the offensive theory system and Chaldeas! No matter what, we must keep the control room operational! Leonardo, how are the resources in your workshop?"]
Understanding the severity of the situation, Romani even set his sights on Da Vinci's private stash. The control room had to be maintained at all costs.
It was the very proof of Fujimaru and Mash's existence.
["I'm already transferring everything into the supercomputer for spiritron computation. For now, I'll use my private stash to cover the gap!"]
Having already begun her work, Da Vinci replied, ["But this is just a drop in the bucket! Romani, Chaldea is being attacked by Demon Pillars—six, seven, eight! Eight Demon Pillars are surrounding Chaldea! Even if I go out, I don't know if I could take one down with a suicide attack!"]
["This won't solve anything! We must eliminate the singularity before Chaldea collapses!"]
The emergency at Chaldea severed Romani's communication. Though Fujimaru didn't know exactly what had happened, she was certain it wasn't good.
And then, almost simultaneously—
"Hmm? You're using me as an example?"
The intelligence-gathering Flauros immediately understood the purpose behind Alaric's sudden attack and burst into laughter.
"Hehahaha! I am a god of immortality! We are endless, for everything in this space belongs to us!"
"Come forth! Show yourselves!"
As Flauros laughed wildly, the ground beneath them trembled violently with an earth-shattering roar!
The earth surged upward, revealing an overwhelming sight—Demon Pillars, everywhere!
The sky and land alike were completely overtaken by Demon Pillars!
"All of this… are Demon Pillars?!!"
Seeing this, Fujimaru's expression grew heavy. A single Demon Pillar already possessed immense power. With this many, plus Alaric—
'Is this… unwinnable?'
Though she didn't want to admit it, Fujimaru had to recognize the overwhelming gap in strength.
She had to acknowledge this difference before she could begin the battle!
Watching Fujimaru's stubborn expression, Flauros laughed wildly.
"As long as this land exists, as long as this throne stands, we shall never perish! If you wish to kill me, you must destroy all seventy-two of my kin. But how could you possibly have the firepower or the army for that?"
"There is no such force left in this world! You haven't cornered us—instead, you've willingly walked into your own grave!"
"Hahaha! This is nothing more than moths flying into the flame! You went through all this trouble just to die!"
"Senpai, we've lost contact with Chaldea. What should we do next?"
Mash clung tightly to the Round Table, feeling lost and uncertain, wanting to seek Fujimaru's opinion.
Could they win?
Not only had Fujimaru realized the overwhelming gap between them and their enemy, but Mash was also painfully aware of the despair this difference brought.
"Prepare for battle—"
Fujimaru's breathing grew heavier as they locked eyes on the Demon Pillar Flauros and the knight standing before it—Alaric.
"Hahaha! I underestimated you all!
I never expected you to still have the courage to fight me at this point! But it's enough. I fully understand your unyielding spirit, but the days when such determination could carry you through have long passed!
The last Master, the last human, Ritsuka Fujimaru! We sincerely thank you, for you have brought us the most wonderful entertainment!
You laughed off the rebellion in the First Singularity, the passion of the Second, the adventure of the Third, the exploration of the Fourth, and the march of the Fifth! Ah, though the Sixth and Seventh Singularities were less amusing—despite some individuals appearing who could have been our allies—let's just forget about that.
In any case, your battles have been truly entertaining, especially because they were utterly meaningless! This futile struggle, this desperate fight that still leads to nothing but despair!
We hold it in the highest regard.
So thank you—and goodbye!
Along with Chaldea, let your journey end here!"
With each word spoken, a surge of magical energy threatened to engulf the land—a situation so dire that no battle was even necessary.
Even if Flauros did nothing, it seemed as if Chaldea's end had already arrived.
Alaric simply watched the scene unfold in silence. The Chaldea's journey appeared to be reaching its conclusion. Forget saving humanity—they might not even reach the throne.
"Ugh—"
Breathing heavily, Fujimaru clutched her chest, staring at Alaric and the seemingly endless swarm of Demon Pillars behind them. Her voice carried a hint of helplessness:
"Did we fail after all?"
They had restored eight Singularities, and endured countless adventures, only to fall at the final hurdle.
With their failure, human history would come to an end. The world's seven billion people would cease to exist. Everything Fujimaru knew would be completely incinerated.
I refuse to accept this…
"No, calling this meaningless would be the real joke. Aren't you giving up too soon?"
At the brink of despair, starlight bloomed.
Alaric's expression momentarily stiffened as he noticed the radiance, seemingly unable to comprehend why it had appeared—
A Servant Summoning Ritual.
A saintly voice laughed gently from above, descending as brilliant starlight:
"Your battle has been a long journey through human history, yet never once did you despair, because countless encounters awaited you.
Even if this star itself has become a battlefield of the Holy Grail War;
Even if everything on this land has turned to ruins long lost to time;
Even if the path ahead is filled with innumerable powerful foes;
You have never given up, always gazing toward the sky, refusing to let anyone else determine the outcome.
And that has not changed.
Now, come—fight, Master.
This is our story—our battle to reclaim the future, is it not?"
As the starlight descended, the Demon Pillar Flauros behind Alaric began to tremble, even letting out a cry of shock:
"Why? Why? You have not disappeared, so why are we the ones crumbling?"
Beep! Beep!
A faint blue light flickered once more. On the screen, Romani Archaman grinned brightly:
["All eight Demon Pillars have been eliminated! We did it! As expected of Da Vinci! You're amazing! But seriously, what trick did you use?
If we had such a dangerous secret weapon, I wish you had told me about it beforehand!"]
["No, it wasn't me. I haven't done anything yet."]
Da Vinci's expression was serious as she stared intently at the spiritual response displayed on the monitor.
The starlight that had fallen before Alaric slowly faded, revealing a sacred banner fluttering in the wind.
"For thousands of years, humanity has flourished since the Age of Gods came to an end.
After the fall of the divine era, humanity became the dominant species on Earth, shaping the future of the stars, and engraving their legacy upon them.
To this end, we have nurtured knowledge, created resources, and guided countless lives.
The principle that ensures humanity's continued survival, determination, and prosperity—
The grand chart of human civilization.
In the world of mystery, this is known as Human Order.
And Chaldea has dedicated itself to its protection, regarding it as their highest mission."
As these words were spoken, Chaldea finally detected the unfolding Servant Summoning Ritual.
["Is this a dream? Or is the observation device malfunctioning? Summoning rituals are activating across the Singularity, despite the lack of catalysts or summoners—simply through the threads of fate alone!
Spiritual responses at twenty… thirty… forty… and still increasing!
Fujimaru, this is—"]
Romani was nearly blinded by the overwhelming surge of spiritual readings, completely at a loss.
"Ah… everyone is here—"
Fujimara gazed, breathless, at the distant figure of a lone girl.
At the same time, the starlight that had scattered across the land ignited battles everywhere, while communications between the Demon Pillars echoed behind Alaric.
[Demon God Baal]: "Eastern neural network—burning. Enemy Servants continue to increase."
[Demon God Gaap]: "Western autonomous network—damaged. Enemy Servants confirmed at twenty-four."
[Demon God Ose]: "—Insignificant. No matter how many gather, they are but human extensions. They are not like us, a collective entity, but mere individuals forced to fight alone.
Exterminate. Annihilate. Purge. Servants are no match for us.
The cause of our defeat—"
[Demon God Baal]: "Eastern neural network—destroyed. The first to eighth pillars—unable to maintain normal function."
[Demon God Gaap]: "Western autonomous network—destroyed. The twenty-sixth to thirty-third pillars—unable to maintain normal function."
[Demon God Raum]: "Basal structures—damaged. I propose we retreat from this domain."
[Demon God Ose]: "—What is happening? Why are we being overwhelmed?
Why do humans, who refuse to understand one another, now stand united?"
The Demon Pillars, unable to comprehend the phenomenon, questioned—
Why?
Why do you, who live such wretched lives, choose to cooperate?
The girl standing before Alaric, shielding Fujimaru, the savior of France, the Saint, answered their confusion:
"Yes, we are indeed beings shackled by our desires. Even after becoming Heroic Spirits, that has not changed.
No—precisely because we are Heroic Spirits, we will never distort our beliefs.
But—there are still those who believe in us.
Even after witnessing countless Heroic Spirits, and countless conflicts, they still trust that we are heroes.
If we cannot respond to that trust, to that call, what right do we have to call ourselves Heroic Spirits?
O Lord! Grant me the strength to wield this banner once more—not just to save a nation, but to save the world!"
Her impassioned cry echoed through the Time Temple.
Raising her banner high, the Saint declared her final proclamation:
"Listen, all Heroic Spirits gathered in this domain, warriors of unimaginable strength!
Even if you were once enemies, even if you hail from different eras with no connection to one another—trust your comrades with your backs!
Not to stop the incineration of humanity, but to pave the way forward for our Master!
My true name is Jeanne d'Arc!
In the name of the Lord, I shall be your unshakable shield!"
As she called out, a grand meteor shower of dazzling radiance descended from the heavens.
It was the most brilliant rain of shooting stars Alaric had ever seen in his life.
One after another, radiant streaks of light emerged from the void—
A great magical ritual, the Servant Summoning, activates freely throughout the Time Temple.
Its existence—
nothing more than the delicate threads of fate left behind by a certain girl's countless journeys and countless encounters.
Ah, how beautiful it is.
It is the true starlight of humanity, the very bond that this girl represents.
Watching this scene, Alaric couldn't help but shed tears.
Only through numerous adventures and countless meetings could such a connection be forged.
Alaric gazed at the falling meteor as it struck the earth, from which Heroic Spirits emerged to battle the Demon Pillars that inhabited this domain. Though many were destroyed, the rate at which new Demon Pillars emerged surpassed that of their destruction!
The final battle, spanning the entire Temple of Time, erupted in an instant. It was not only the manifestation of the girl's bonds but also the entirety of human history's crusade against the very entity that stood at the end of humanity's foundation!
Encouraged by Jeanne, Fujimaru Ritsuka took a deep breath, then fixed her gaze on the knight standing before Jeanne and asked,
"Are you still going to fight us?"
Hundreds of Servants had appeared within the Temple of Time, among them those who could rival Alaric—some even surpassing him.
For Alaric, there was no longer any need to continue this battle.
Even now, Fujimaru still believes in Alaric's desire to save humanity.
Alaric would surely fight alongside them.
Moved by that thought, Alaric grasped the holy sword embedded in the ground and pulled it free.
A mere counterfeit was meaningless before Heroic Spirits.
Dark magical energy radiated from his body, wrapping around the false holy sword, making its blade even sharper and more resilient.
"But it's not enough, Fujimaru Ritsuka—
this alone is far from enough!"