"We're moving."
Scáthach gave a low, urgent prompt.
Shiomi rose in response, stepping across the fractured, floating stones of the sundered temple, heading toward the gate that led to the King of Magecraft.
"Melting furnace, engaged. Bypassing enemy Servants. Targeting the Master. Commencing extermination."
One of the Demon Pillars spoke in a refined, elegant tone.
Though Chaldea had more than one Master present, everyone knew exactly who the target was.
Shiomi didn't need to look to feel it—the Demon Pillars' eyes were locked on him. He raised his hand, quickly weaving a counterspell.
A sharp whistle—then a red spear shot forward, striking the Demon Pillar that had taken aim.
"Don't bother with these grunts. I'll clear the way for you!"
With a shout, Scáthach gripped her second crimson spear and hurled it like a meteor into the Demon Pillar's body. The resulting explosion tore clean through it.
"Oh wow, master's putting on quite the show!" Cú Chulainn's voice rang out suddenly. "What do you say, want me to lend a hand, little brother?"
Still running, Shiomi saw Cú Chulainn land beside him, keeping perfect pace.
"You could try not helping—see if master doesn't come after you for it." Shiomi grinned and launched a large-scale spell, blasting aside a Demon Pillar that had blocked the most direct path.
"Ugh… That's what makes juniors such a pain. Always throwing master's name around to pressure people," Cú Chulainn quipped, then dashed forward, following in the wake of Shiomi's spell.
More than one Demon Pillar blocked the path ahead, and with them came familiar figures—Medb, Fergus, Diarmuid, and Fionn—all former enemies.
But there were also allies once recruited by Scáthach, like Li Shuwen and Tesla, fighting alongside them now.
Shiomi didn't need to worry about dodging or diverting—he just had to trust in the Heroic Spirits who had broken through the Temple of Time's barriers and descended here with him.
"My body is wind, lightning, and flowing water—unstoppable, unmatched. Acceleration spell, activate."
He landed on a rock and chanted softly. The moment his foot stepped forward, the stone shattered beneath him as he launched into a streak of light, tearing across the battlefield and slicing through the Demon Pillars' writhing tendrils.
Twenty-four Demon Pillars tried to intercept him. Not one laid a finger on him—his movement was too fast, too fluid, like wind and lightning combined.
So the Demon Pillars changed tactics, unleashing a barrage of spell arrays ahead of him, forming a net of attack spells dense as starlight, completely sealing off the path.
"...Tch."
Shiomi was forced to halt, casting a defensive spell.
Then, the brilliance of a Holy Sword, its True Name unleashed, carved into the battlefield, shattering the magical siege.
"Tenkei! Keep moving!" Artoria charged toward the Demon Pillars, with seven or eight Knights of the Round Table close behind her.
"Don't waste the effort our king spent clearing the way. Move it," Agravain said coldly.
Shiomi glanced at him. "Didn't think even you'd show up."
"The will of the King is absolute. And this battle… holds a justice beyond question."
With that, Agravain let out a roar. Ignoring the toll on his spiritual core, he unleashed his strongest Magecraft—the same spell he had used against Morgan back in the Camelot Singularity.
The gathering shadows surged forth as a phantom army, charging the Demon Pillars. Though no match individually, they came in endless waves, relentless and unyielding.
"Artoria!"
Shiomi froze the Demon Pillar's tentacles with a burst of glacial Grand Magecraft, then swept Gungnir through the air, shattering them all in an instant.
Understanding Shiomi's intention, Artoria compressed the power of the Invisible Air to its limit, unleashing a storm strong enough to tear through every obstacle ahead.
Behind that raging wind came a vacuum from the reversed airflow. Riding the gust like a hawk on the updraft, Shiomi soared forward, piercing through the path of shattered Demon Pillars and swirling debris, surging further into enemy lines.
But just because his allies had carved a path didn't mean Shiomi would overlook the Demon Pillars' interference.
After breaching the second layer of defense, he didn't press forward immediately. Instead, he summoned the red spear into his left hand, gave it a sharp spin, and hurled it with full force toward the mass of writhing Demon Pillars.
A streak of crimson shot into the sky and then exploded like a supernova, illuminating the battlefield below.
The red spear became a deluge—an overwhelming rain of destruction rivaling even the density of the Demon Pillars' spell barrages. Each strike triggered an explosion, ravaging everything it touched.
Cries of agony echoed from the Demon Pillars beneath the onslaught.
"You're really petty, my husband."
Morgan landed behind him.
"Maybe I was just waiting for you," Shiomi replied with a light smile.
"I'll stay here. Someone needs to lead the children and clear out the regenerating Demon Pillars," Morgan said, standing back-to-back with Shiomi.
Her hands moved subtly through the air, but with the commanding presence of one who could summon storms with a flick.
Dark clouds swiftly gathered above the otherwise empty sky of the Temple of Time, thick mana beginning to surge in response.
"Intelligence Room, begin proceedings."
"Notify all units: incineration protocol—commence."
"Control Tower, ignite the signal."
"Armory, resupply."
"Sanctuary of Life, prepare for declaration."
"Twilight has come."
One Demon Pillar after another spoke in turn, their voices rising in urgency as Shiomi continued breaking through layer after layer of defense, forcing them to recognize just how dangerous he was.
He had to be stopped. No matter what, they could not let him through.
Their king had failed to kill him. They could not allow this man to reach the king's presence.
All seventy-two Demon Pillars began exchanging thoughts, increasing their alert level to the maximum.
"Silence, Demon Pillars. None of you have the right to halt my husband's steps. Only the man who calls himself the King of Magecraft may speak here."
Morgan waved her hand coldly.
In contrast to the casual gesture, a vast spell—nearly Noble Phantasm-level in scale—crashed down upon the Demon Pillars trying to block the way. Her resolve was even more unflinching than Shiomi's.
"Such dramatic firepower. Are you sure you still have mana to spare?" Shiomi caught her wrist, and a Command Spell vanished from his hand.
Morgan gave him a gentle smile and nodded, signaling with her eyes.
Sakura, Caren, Gray, and Mordred landed nearby, ready to support Morgan in holding this section of the front line.
Nitocris, Hassan of the Cursed Arm, and Hassan of the Hundred Faces also arrived in succession.
Shiomi gave a silent nod and turned toward the door just ahead.
Bathed in radiant light, the gate led to the inner sanctum—the throne at the heart of the Temple of Time. Without hesitation, Shiomi stepped through.
...
Unlike the outer battlefield cloaked in cosmic gloom, here the ground beneath his feet was soft grass.
At the center of the mountainous glade stood a lone throne—and seated upon it, a man stared down at Shiomi.
...
For more chapters, feel free to follow me on P@treon.
(100 Chapters Ahead)
[email protected]/PinkSnake