Noble Phantasms, as the trump cards of Servants, not only possess decisive power but also come with varying degrees of preparation time.
Among all Noble Phantasms, the one with the fastest release speed is undoubtedly Knight King Artoria's Sword of Promised Victory—Excalibur.
Although the artificial Holy Sword blessed by the Holy Spear has a slightly slower release speed compared to Excalibur, the difference is minimal.
As for the power of the Holy Sword, it is not constant.
The Holy Sword wielded by Artoria is considered the strongest Holy Sword precisely because of the strength of its wielder.
Similarly, the weapon wielded by Alaric is also capable of advancing toward the pinnacle of power.
A torrent of light roared, transforming magical energy into a final, slashing radiance that swept across the land, instantly engulfing the approaching Penthesilea.
"Arghhhh!!!"
With a piercing roar came an even greater surge of divine energy.
To resist the torrent, Penthesilea, who no longer had time to dodge, was forced to unleash the majority of her divine energy to counteract it.
The surging divine energy clashed against the dark torrent, creating a momentary balance between the two forces.
But this was merely a fleeting brilliance.
Penthesilea, revered as the Queen of the Amazons, possessed high divinity and unmatched valor, yet even she was forced to confront her limits before this overwhelming torrent.
The limits of her strength, the limits of her life.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The torrent, spanning hundreds of meters, raged across the wilderness, its light boundless and unstoppable.
A rising black cross dominated the underworld, proclaiming its presence to the world.
When the torrent dissipated, the distorted, heat-ravaged wasteland revealed only two figures.
One was a person holding the Holy Sword, and the other was Queen Penthesilea, who had lost an arm and could barely maintain her stance.
Her once pristine skin was now gone, replaced by large, horrifying scars of exposed, mangled flesh, as if her skin had been forcibly peeled off.
Panting heavily, Penthesilea's remaining eye regained a glimmer of rationality as she glared at the culprit not far away.
Thanks to her high-level divinity (rank B) and ample magical energy, Penthesilea generated divine energy that neutralized most of the light's destructive power.
Furthermore, her resilient demigod physique, known for its extraordinary endurance, allowed her to barely survive the final light that should have completely evaporated her.
But that was all.
Now, Penthesilea had undoubtedly lost the ability to continue fighting.
Though this was an undeniable fact, Penthesilea had no intention of giving up, adhering to the convictions she upheld in life.
A warrior should meet their end in such a manner.
A fair and honorable battle, unmarred by disdain or external interference—
"Prepare yourself, Penthesilea."
Alaric, unwilling to spare Penthesilea, strode toward her with resolute steps, his cold killing intent seemingly chilling the air, as if winter itself had arrived.
"You damned bastard—"
Gritting her teeth, Penthesilea watched Alaric approach, desperately trying to move her body. But to survive the final light, her spiritual foundation had begun to collapse.
Her accumulated injuries had reached their peak, and without any means of regeneration, there was no way for her to recover her combat strength in a short time.
Or rather, there was no future for her at all. The collapse of her spiritual foundation was irreversible; she was merely clinging to a thread of life.
The power Alaric displayed was far beyond her expectations. Even Penthesilea was astonished by the sheer level of his magical energy, which was undoubtedly on par with that of a great hero.
Her thoughts did not last long, for when Alaric arrived before Penthesilea, their gazes met.
"Before I kill you, can you tell me about the City of Water, the City of Blinding Dust, and this wild dog you mentioned?"
While observing from the air with Astolfo, Alaric had noticed three distinct architectural sites: a coastal city, a city of Eastern-style design, and a golden altar that seemed to represent Amazonian culture, with Penthesilea as its figurehead.
From her words, it was clear that Penthesilea knew something about the other two sites and the forces occupying them—at least the identities of their leaders.
"You are the victor; you naturally have the right to claim this as your spoils of war."
Penthesilea, who did not feel humiliated by her defeat, instead regained her composure due to Alaric's attitude, and slowly shared information about the other two factions.
After speaking, Penthesilea closed her eyes and, under Alaric's watchful gaze, returned to the Throne of Heroes.
Thus, the Queen of the Golden Country, Penthesilea, exited the stage.
Having obtained intelligence about the remaining two factions, Alaric turned and headed back to join Fujimaru Ritsuka and the others in the small town.
...
"What should we do next—?"
Fujimaru Ritsuka and their group, still engaged in battle with the relentless Amazon soldiers, received news of Alaric's victory from Mash.
As an unofficial Chaldean member, Alaric was fortunate to receive support from Chaldea, such as communication devices.
This allowed Alaric and Fujimaru Ritsuka to exchange information even when separated.
"If Penthesilea wasn't lying, there's a resistance force composed of men, and their leader appears to be a Servant."
While hurrying to the town, Alaric's expanded senses detected a new, unfamiliar spiritual response.
Undoubtedly, this was the second Rider-class Servant Alaric had observed in the town.
However, based on Penthesilea's testimony, the Golden Country did not have a second Rider-class Servant, which meant—
...
At the same time:
From a corner of the town, a group of male soldiers charged out, even assisting Fujimaru Ritsuka and the others in fighting against the Amazon soldiers.
Quickly understanding the situation, Fujimaru Ritsuka directed d'Eon and others to join forces with the resistance army to defeat the Amazon soldiers scattered throughout the town.
When Alaric entered the town, he saw the defeated Amazon soldiers, the resistance army liberating men from various corners, and a tall man standing beside Fujimaru Ritsuka and the others.
The man, about 1.8 meters tall, wore a highly antiquated captain's uniform and carried a curved blade in his hand.
His unrestrained aura exuded evil, freedom, and greed.
Without a doubt, he was a Servant. The only question remaining was his true name.
[Christopher Columbus]
Born in the Republic of Genoa (modern-day northwest Italy), Columbus was an Italian explorer and navigator, one of the main figures of the Age of Exploration, and a pioneer of geographical discovery.
During the Age of Exploration, Columbus was the first white man from the Christian cultural sphere to reach the Americas.
He conceived the idea of a westward route around 1480. However, he faced significant difficulties in securing funding and sponsorship, eventually setting sail in 1492.
In 1492, Columbus finally crossed the Atlantic with his flagship, the Santa Maria, along with the Niña and the Pinta.
Before his restless crew could mutiny, they arrived in the Americas, discovering the island of San Salvador.
Upon reaching his destination, the first thing Columbus did was loot valuables from the local indigenous people and enslave them. No one could stop Columbus, who had discovered a new world.
Columbus soon embarked on his second voyage, continuously discovering new islands.
Alaric, who instantly saw through his true name, didn't hide it and instead openly asked, "Columbus, what is your purpose in liberating men?"
["Huh, is this gentleman Columbus?!"]
Mash, visibly surprised, was also shocked by Columbus's true name. Before Alaric returned, Ritsuka Fujimaru had already met Columbus but didn't press further when the latter dodged the question with reasons such as memory loss.
However, Alaric effortlessly revealed Columbus's true identity and no one doubted this truth.
Alaric's ability to discern the true names of Servants had already been professionally certified by Da Vinci.
It wasn't through analysis of clues or behavior but simply through recall.
["So, Christopher Columbus—"]
As a historical figure of the 15th century, Da Vinci remembered Columbus vividly.
"Oh, so my name is Columbus?"
Columbus did not show any panic. His reaction to Alaric's revelation of his true name was merely, "Oh, is that so?"
Columbus's calm response caused no particular stir. Even though his true name was exposed, he still claimed to have lost his memory and couldn't recall things like the true name of his Noble Phantasm.
"This doesn't matter, Miss Fujimaru. Let's split up now."
Paying no further attention to Columbus, Alaric turned to Ritsuka Fujimaru and said, "The resistance forces represented by Columbus are the main power against the Amazon soldiers. Now that their queen is absent, the suppression of the Amazon forces should be much easier."
Columbus was indeed suspicious, and even his identical excuse of memory loss reminded Alaric of a certain shady old man, but this wasn't much of a concern for Ritsuka Fujimaru, who had Servants by her side.
Columbus was no big deal—Ritsuka Fujimaru could handle him.
What Alaric needed to do was find the Demon Pillar and the origin of this singularity as quickly as possible.
The City of Water and the dazzling City of Dust were both in the range of suspicion.
There was no need for Alaric to repeat the information, as plans had already been discussed via communication before his return.
According to observations from Penthesilea and the small town, all Amazon soldiers were women, forming an authentic matriarchal society, with men naturally reduced to the status of prisoners.
This situation had to be resolved first.
But Alaric didn't plan to take action himself. Instead—
"The Amazon Queen has been defeated, but her subordinates remain. Let's split up. You'll liberate El Dorado, and I'll head to the City of Water."
Riding the armored cavalry vehicle, once again.
"Leave it to us!"
Understanding Alaric's plan, Ritsuka Fujimaru didn't object. The division of tasks Alaric proposed was undoubtedly efficient.
If the highly mobile Alaric were to explore the underground world slowly alongside Ritsuka Fujimaru, it would undoubtedly hold him back.
And Ritsuka Fujimaru was never a weakling. Though physically fragile, her strong heart and willpower allowed her to stand on the ground today.
As the unparalleled Master of Chaldea, who had defeated countless calamities and restored the foundation of humanity, Ritsuka Fujimaru's strength was something even Alaric could not underestimate.
A person with immense power but lacking interpersonal connections, and a Master lacking strength but possessing a heart for connection—perhaps this was a wonderful encounter.
"Call me if anything happens! I'll come right away!"
Waving his hand, Alaric decisively stepped on the gas pedal. With the roaring of the Alter Armored Cavalry, flames erupted from the exhaust pipes, propelling the vehicle forward.
...
The Chaldea team split up, and Alaric, now traveling alone, raced toward the City of Water.
The boundless wilderness was teeming with hordes of magical beasts. As someone boldly passed through, it quickly turned into a chase.
Alaric left the magic boars far behind. Crossing the endless wilderness, he eventually saw the vast ocean on the horizon—and the city standing tall by the sea.
["There's the city, Sir Alaric!"]
Still in communication with Alaric, Mash said, ["It looks like a European-style seaside town!"]
["Oh, the sea. Speaking of which, shouldn't we take a vacation around June or July?"]
Seeing the ocean, Da Vinci, who appeared relaxed, chuckled, ["After all, this is the last stretch of work."]
"If you ask me, we need swimsuits, and—"
As Alaric sped along, a gust of cold wind rushed into his mouth mid-sentence. Though it had no particular effect, it left him feeling oddly interrupted.
Amid this casual conversation, Alaric successfully approached the seaside town.
Unlike the towns in El Dorado's vicinity, most of the people in this City of Water seemed to be—
["These are pirates, right? Definitely pirates!"]
Having experienced the Third Singularity, Mash immediately said, ["Sir Alaric, this seems to be a pirate town!"]
As Alaric stepped into the city, he adjusted the eyepatch on his face and tightened his wild pirate captain outfit, which was strikingly similar to Columbus'.
["Huh?"]
It was only now that Mash seemed to notice Alaric's flawless disguise. She blurted out, ["Sir Alaric, when did you change your outfit?! Amazing!"]
["Just now!"]
Da Vinci, smiling, chimed in.
"Come to think of it, I do have talent for this."
Stroking his projected beard, Alaric, with a fierce expression, strode boldly into the town. His tall stature perfectly suited the outfit.
Coupled with an aura forged through countless battlefields—one that even Ritsuka Fujimaru and others found a bit intimidating—
Alaric's disguise allowed him to blend seamlessly into the city.
Alaric called this his Super Transformation Mode.
But aside from this Super Transformation Mode, what caught his attention was the Servant signals within the town.
An unexpected number—there were two Servants here.