"Based on the witnessed covenant, I shall bear witness to the birth of a new celestial body—the restoration of humanity."
Tap. Tap.
Without a moment's hesitation, Alaric strode forward with his sword in one hand, moving swiftly towards the Holy Maiden of Salvation and the last Master of Humanity, Fujimaru Ritsuka, who stood behind her.
A declaration filled with amusement followed:
"The being that will bring about humanity's destruction sits upon the Throne of Light. The moment its third Noble Phantasm is completed, it will be able to rewind time to before this planet's birth and replace it entirely.
What you must defeat is such an existence. Of course, I don't believe you can defeat it in your current state.
Therefore, if you wish to reach the throne, you must not only overcome the obstructions of the many Demon Pillars but also defeat me."
Gazing at the Holy Maiden before him—who bore a striking resemblance, or rather an uncanny similarity, to Artoria—Alaric's smile did not waver.
"Jeanne d'Arc, the Holy Maiden.
It's a pleasure to meet you. Though we stand on opposing sides, I still deeply respect you."
"O visitor from afar, though your path is different, you still bear the heart of a knight who seeks salvation!"
With her flag raised like a spear, Jeanne's eyes burned with determination as her clear, resolute cry rang out:
"We shall forge a path for our Master! All obstructions ahead shall be removed by our hands!"
"Then let us fight!"
No more words were needed—intentions were spoken through the clash of blades!
Boom!
With a sudden stomp, Alaric shot forward like a black streak of light, tearing through the air and stirring up a violent storm!
But just before he reached Jeanne, a flash of silver-white light intercepted him at an even greater speed!
Clang!
The crisp sound of swords clashing echoed across the cosmos, accompanied by a surging wave of draconic energy.
The cold gleam of a blade reflected in both warriors' eyes—mirrored in Alaric's golden dragon-like irises was a figure he had seen before, a dragon-slaying hero once summoned under Fujimaru Ritsuka's command.
Yet this time, he was not a mere Shadow Servant—he had fully materialized as a true Servant.
Siegfried!
His holy sword, Balmung, radiated an aura that unsettled the draconic blood within Alaric.
A hero blessed with the legend of dragon-slaying—his very existence, his body, his weapon, all were manifestations of that fabled deed!
"A pleasure to meet you for the first time, Siegfried."
As their gazes met, Alaric grinned widely and unleashed an explosive force, knocking Siegfried's sword aside with a single strike!
A hero sung of in the Nibelungenlied, an invincible warrior—his skill was naturally formidable!
Even as Alaric deflected his blade, Siegfried instantly stabilized his stance, ready to fight once more!
Meanwhile, as Siegfried kept Alaric occupied—
"Mash, let's go!"
Seeing that Alaric had been held back, Fujimaru gave the order without hesitation.
"Our goal is to reach the throne!"
"Understood, Senpai!"
Mash quickly withdrew her gaze from Alaric and prepared to lead Fujimaru Ritsuka toward the Throne of Light.
But at that very moment, the Demon God Baël took action.
"Activate! Activate! The Nine Pillars that govern the molten forges—Jéphas, Bútis, Barchin, Séleos, Púlson, Morax, Impos, Ayni!"
At his command, the Nine Demon Pillars erupted from the ground, blocking Fujimaru and Mash's path!
"Senpai, confirmation—Nine Demon Pillars detected!"
Mash, who had just begun to move, immediately stopped, while Fujimaru prepared to summon reinforcements.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
A flurry of sword strikes, as swift as a storm, tore through the air, rapidly closing in on their position!
Even a warrior blessed with the legend of dragon-slaying struggled to hold Alaric in place alone!
With the Nine Demon Pillars ahead and a relentless enemy closing in from behind, Fujimaru Ritsuka knew—
This was a moment of crisis, a pincer attack from both sides!
But then, Jeanne spoke once more.
"Leave it to us! This battlefield, and that man, we shall hold them back! Compared to that wicked witch, the Demon Pillars and this visitor are nothing to fear!
Now is the time for the Orleans Anti-Dragon Alliance to repay you for your deeds in Orleans!"
A noble young woman appeared beside Jeanne, smiling as she spoke.
"That's right, Jeanne!
And—Vive la France, Fujimaru Ritsuka! I'm so happy to see you again!
Come, Amadeus! Come, Sanson!"
The bonds of the First Singularity, The Hundred Years' War of the Evil Dragons, had gathered once more.
As the newly arrived Servants stood beside Fujimaru Ritsuka, memories surfaced in Alaric's mind—
[Marie Antoinette]
Queen of France, from the Habsburg lineage.
A noblewoman as ephemeral as a dream, a symbol of the aristocratic rule of Europe.
[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart]
A musical genius among geniuses.
A man gifted with divine talent, whose compositions would echo throughout history.
[Charles-Henri Sanson]
The fourth-generation executioner of the Sanson family, responsible for carrying out sentences during the French Revolution.
All of them had appeared in the First Singularity…
Was this the gathering of fate?
How exhilarating!!!
Boom!
A slash of dark radiance struck Siegfried with absolute force—his Armor of Fafnir, capable of resisting B-rank attacks, shattered instantly!
Siegfried was sent flying, unable to recover in time. A streak of black light shot past him, heading straight for the fleeing Fujimaru and Mash!
But just before Alaric could advance further, a searing blaze erupted at his side, engulfing him instantly!
The flames raged at thousands of degrees, yet they were soon consumed by the rising darkness.
Buzz!
A black sword slash tore through the flames, and as Alaric emerged, he saw his attacker.
A green-haired maiden in a kimono, elegant and composed.
[Kiyohime]
A woman who, through the power of love, transformed into a dragon in the legend of Kiyohime.
Beside her stood another figure, an idol-like girl—
[Elisabeth Báthory]
The infamous Blood Countess, the prototype of the vampire Carmilla.
"Two more Servants…?"
Alaric swiftly expanded his senses across the battlefield, instantly detecting the presence of numerous heroic spirits—
A total of fifteen Servants, all connected to dragons, all originating from the First Singularity!
A normal Holy Grail War involved only seven Servants, yet here stood fifteen. What kind of spectacle would such a battle create?
Alaric's gaze swept across the battlefield, recognizing the Servants locked in combat with the Demon Pillars—
Saint George, Chevalier d'Eon, Martha, Vlad III (whom he had encountered once before), the Phantom of the Opera, Gilles de Rais… and—
A Berserk Lancelot.
Despite having fallen into madness, that was still undoubtedly Lancelot.
"Don't think about leaving, sir Knight!"
Elizabeth Báthory made a "yeah" gesture with her hand, grinning as she opened her small mouth:
"Ahhhhhh—!"
A surging sonic wave materialized into tangible ripples, rapidly expanding until it covered the dozens of meters in front of Alaric. Even the ground composed of the Demon Pillars was lifted, sending fragments of rock flying!
Faced with this sonic assault, Alaric neither dodged nor evaded but simply swung his sword in a reverse grip. A crescent-shaped slash tore through everything, even severing the very sound itself, as it flew toward Elizabeth Báthory!
Tap, tap!
The sound of footsteps erupted behind him, accompanied by the howling of strong gales. A billowing flag transformed into a spear, sweeping toward him in a powerful strike!
Clang!
Sensing the incoming sweep, Alaric raised his sword to block it, stopping the flag-spear just inches from his body. His gaze met that of the holy maiden.
The attacker was none other than the Saint of Salvation—Jeanne d'Arc!
If Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mash Kyrielight were to continue forward, they had to hold Alaric back and eliminate the nine Demon Pillars!
The battle reignited. As they worked to destroy the nine Demon Pillars, a total of four Servants engaged ALaric in combat!
Siegfried and Jeanne d'Arc fought Alaric in close-quarters combat, while Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who had been standing at a distance, played a requiem.
A requiem for Alaric's departure.
Even though he was only held back for a few seconds, Alaric lost sight of Fujimaru and Mash!
Seeing that they had disappeared, Alaric lost interest in dueling Jeanne and the others. The magical light behind him flared, instantly transforming into multiple gateways!
Mimicking the attack from the treasury of the oldest hero king, Gilgamesh, Alaric unleashed his version of Gate of Babylon—a technique that used projections or pure magical constructs to fire multiple armaments!
At his current power level, Alaric could sustain at least a thousand gates!
In an instant, the gateways formed, hanging in the sky above the Temple of Time like dark celestial bodies. From these stars, armaments grew—each identical in form, all taking the shape of that sacred sword—
Excalibur, the Sword of Promised Victory.
Though merely imitations, under Alaric's magical amplification, even Heroic Spirits couldn't afford to ignore them!
Boom!
Hundreds of dark Holy Judgments materialized in a flash, their power amplified further by the True Ether permeating the Temple of Time.
In a single moment, it was as if divine retribution had been decreed!
Almost simultaneously—
Jeanne once again prayed for the Lord's power.
"O my banner, protect my comrades! My Lord is here!!"
Jeanne's Noble Phantasm, born from the holy flag she wielded in life.
Within a 10-meter radius centered on the flag, all allies received the blessing of the angels, granting them protection. Jeanne's EX-ranked Magic Resistance acted as physical defense, shielding them from harm.
The radiant white brilliance enveloped all the Servants, sparing them from the disaster of Holy Judgment.
However, this act also cost Jeanne and Siegfried their chance to pursue Alaric.
The moment the Holy Judgment descended, Alaric had already reached the gateway. He waved at Jeanne with a casual farewell before turning with a carefree flourish, stepping into the next domain.
Leaving this battlefield to Jeanne and the gathered Heroic Spirits.
"That Knight is truly something else—"
Knowing that they could no longer chase him, and with the Demon Pillars still needing to be dealt with, Jeanne could only sigh.
Having evaded Jeanne and the others, Alaric swiftly entered the domain that Flauros referred to as the Information Room. The nine Demon Pillars had already manifested and were locked in battle with various Servants.
And then—Alaric spotted Fujimaru and Mash, approaching the next gateway!
Boom!
A black meteor streaked through the air, ignoring the Demon Pillars and Servants alike, heading straight for Fujimaru!
"Hmm!"
But before it could strike, a brilliant red silhouette blocked Alaric's path.
A tyrant emperor, identical in appearance to Artoria Pendragon yet exuding an entirely different aura, stood in his way. Her golden hair shimmered as it swayed over her forehead.
She held a longsword and, in a clear, melodious voice, declared:
"Umu! I may not fully understand what's happening, but I must fight for my contractor—"
The instant Alaric laid eyes on this tyrant emperor, her true name surfaced in his mind.
[Nero Claudius]
A self-proclaimed beautiful ruler in male attire. Though an egotistical and willful individual, her cheerful, innocent, and childlike nature made her a beloved ruler despite her tyrannical reputation.
Her full name was Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, the fifth emperor of the Roman Empire.
A notorious tyrant whose life was riddled with conspiracies and poison.
Not only Nero Claudius, but the other Servants battling the Demon Pillars also came into Alaric's view.
Boudica, Spartacus, Jing Ke, Emperor Caesar, Romulus, the War God Attila, and numerous Roman soldiers.
For a moment, Alaric was distracted by the presence of Romulus, the founding emperor of Rome. But he quickly refocused on the tyrant emperor before him.
In terms of Spirit Origin, Nero Claudius was already an exceptionally powerful existence.
But what truly astonished Alaric was—
The presence of a dragon.
Even though she had manifested as a Saber-class Servant, and her bloodline did not contain dragon heritage,
Alaric could feel it—a presence worthy of being called the Red Dragon.
After a brief moment of thought, Alaric deduced the reason.
In 50–60 AD, during the height of Rome,
Emperor Nero suppressed all religious factions and defied the Roman Senate.
Because of her actions against the Senate and persecution of Christians, she became known as a tyrant.
Her infamy led people to associate her with the Beast of 666 from the Book of Revelation, as well as the Whore of Babylon...
"Nice to meet you—and goodbye!"
With battle fervor surging, Alaric grinned and declared:
"No one can stop me!"
"Umu! Such spirit, knight!"
The tyrant emperor, Nero Claudius, laughed heartily:
"Excellent! I like you!"
Before her words even faded, they had already clashed, their battle igniting instantly.
The three-colored Sword of Mars was something even Alaric couldn't withstand head-on!
The third adventure;
The fourth revelation;
The fifth march...
The countless experiences from past Singularities now bore fruit.
In this Temple of Time, beyond human history and time itself,
The radiance of humanity shone at its fullest brilliance.
Following the footsteps of Fujimaru and Mash, Riye engaged in battle after battle with numerous Heroic Spirits, fulfilling his desire to cross blades with legendary figures.
Though fully aware of what lay ahead, he still stepped into the domain of the Star of Awareness.
There, he did not immediately chase after Fujimaru and Mash—
Because he was stopped by the figure squatting before the gateway.
"Alaric, been a while, hasn't it?"
The rebellious knight, Mordred, rested her greatsword on her shoulder, flashing her sharp fangs in a bold grin.
"How've you been lately?"