105 Meteors Falls from the Sky
At this moment, Artoria stepped forward, placing her hand beside the boy's, and together they grasped the Holy Spear glowing with golden light.
The girl, as King Arthur's counterpart from another world, represented spirit and soul; and Shirou's current spirit foundation was essentially cultivated as King Arthur's flesh.
At this moment, the two hearts connected, and the same will fused—spirit, soul, and body forming a single whole—and at this moment, the Holy Spear recognized them.
The boy and girl overlapped their hands, raised the Holy Spear, and shouted together:
"This battle shall be the battle to save the world!!"
[Holy Spear, Anchoring]
[Shining to the Farthest Spear, Rhongomyniad!]
The six seals opened, and the Holy Spear transformed into a dazzling golden light, shooting toward the pillar of the demon god, instantly enveloping its enormous body.
If the demon god pillar had spent three thousand years thinking of ways to destroy the world with its 'spear body,' then this light was the very origin of that spear-body concept.
Even just a fragment of the power of the "Anchor of the Storm" used to stabilize the world displayed unprecedented and overwhelmingly magnificent might.
Magnificent, holy, golden light shot into the sky, instantly covering all of Shinjuku—or rather, tiny Shinjuku could not contain such dazzling golden light. At this moment, the world seemed to consist of only one color.
The light illuminated the dark earth, the pale faces of humans, and hearts long shrouded in gloom…
"Woof?" The white dog ran out from the hamburger shop.
"Is… is this the sun?" The locals stared in awe at the light.
"Ah, God, is this the light of hope?" The destitute ruffians and mercenaries dropped their weapons and knelt to the sky.
Those who had survived by committing evil or barely scraping by, upon seeing this brilliance, all shed tears simultaneously.
At this moment, people finally remembered that the world was not just a dead gray wasteland. The sky was blue, the lakes were blue, leaves were green, and flowers could be so colorful.
The dazzling light lingered high in the sky for a long time, transforming into fluorescent snowflakes that drifted down.
This was the last proof of those supreme mysteries from ancient times manifesting in the human world; it was the light cast from the Tower of Radiance standing at the world's end. Everything had ended.
Before this world's light, the demon god pillar, who had sought to destroy the world, could not resist. Its massive body had begun to crumble and dissipate.
Shirou and Artoria emerged together from the brilliance.
The boy now emitted a faint glow as well; the pseudo-spirit foundation within him had unleashed its final strike, reaching its limit.
"Farewell, my little sister. I hope you find happiness in this world. Farewell, my partner in this world… since that anomaly, I've fallen into slumber again, yet I never imagined I could see your face again, Shirou." The knight 'Kay' residing within the Holy Spear spoke softly, returning to the world he originally belonged to as the light faded.
Inside the tower, the demon god pillar trembled. Its colossal body shattered, vanishing little by little from this world.
The demon Baal, whose life had been sustained by phantom grudge and negative energy for 3,000 years, finally met his end.
"Hahaha! I still lost, didn't I? I really am going to die! Gudako! I admit your strength far surpasses ours! Humiliation, frustration, anger—these are all I've felt these three thousand years. But! Your death was already destined!"
"What did you say?" Gudako asked in astonishment.
"Hahahahahaha…" The demon god pillar vanished amidst its manic laughter.
Three thousand years ago, the remaining demon god pillar finally met its death.
"Is it over…" Moriarty sighed softly.
"You're over too! Bastard! How dare you betray us!" Jeanne glared angrily.
"No, it's you and this planet who are finished." Moriarty said quietly.
"What's happening?" Shirou asked.
"Wha—Meteors over Shinjuku!" Da Vinci shouted in alarm at the observation.
High in the sky, a meteor broke through the atmosphere, burning with scorching flames, falling toward Shinjuku.
The Demon Bullet Shooter, seven bullets forged by demons: the first six always hit the target, and the seventh, cursed by the devil, will inevitably launch toward the shooter's dearest person.
The seven bullets Moriarty fired had now become meteors. Sensing his life in danger, they were activated.
But even so, the devil's bullets would not fire according to Moriarty's intentions.
"Enough… you're truly evil to the bone. This is like committing evil even at the cost of yourself. Are there really people who do evil recklessly just to do evil?" Shirou, understanding everything, frowned at Moriarty.
"Yes, young man, you are perceptive. Evil people come in two types: those who harm others for self-gain, and those who harm both others and themselves. I am the latter," Moriarty said, laughing self-mockingly.
"The first six bullets cannot drive the meteor. Only the seventh, powered by the devil, can forcibly transform the meteor into a bullet.
But to hit the target, Baal and I had to gamble—erasing my memory, developing virtue, and fighting alongside Master Gudako—all for that minuscule chance."
Shirou looked at Moriarty and said, "You, having lost your memory, helped Gudako, risking your life to save her. She gradually became the most important person to you. So now, the reason the meteor is flying toward the spear is none other than Gudako."
Moriarty spread his arms and shouted, "Exactly! The Master is undoubtedly excellent. Your goodness and justice are beautiful! Even someone as evil as me is moved. But just as sometimes poison is used to counter poison, I, to destroy good, shall use good against good!"
"Evil heresy!" Artoria felt deep anger. Such meaningless revenge—what purpose could it have other than destruction?
"You're right—heresy, demon path, criminal Napoleon. I am James Moriarty! There are five minutes until the tower loads the demon bullets. As long as Sherlock Holmes doesn't interfere, my calculations will not fail. Everything is finished!" Moriarty declared.
"Jeanne, please take care of Gudako." Shirou said.
"Shirou? You mean to destroy that meteor? That's powered by demonic energy. It's too difficult, especially in your weakened state." Jeanne grabbed him.
"No problem. When I made the contract, I promised not to deceive you, right? Trust me—once the meteor is resolved, I'll come back." Shirou smiled lightly at the silver-haired girl.
"Enough, shut up. Assault girl, we'll handle the meteor. You stay here and protect Gudako." Artoria interrupted, glaring at Jeanne.
"Cold-blooded woman! I know that already!" Jeanne glared back.
"Gudako, I promised Mash to protect you, but now the situation is urgent. The meteor will be dealt with by me and Artoria's holy sword. If anything else comes up, you'll have to handle it yourself, alright?" Shirou asked the girl.
The orange-haired girl did not hesitate, answering directly: "Okay! Please take care of it, Shirou-senpai, Artoria."
"Good!" Shirou patted her head approvingly, then looked at Moriarty: "You won't try to harm Gudako again, right?"
"Of course not. At this point, I no longer need to do unnecessary things. Hahaha! Young man, struggle if you want!" Moriarty waved his hand, laughing.
"Ah! Then I'll struggle for you!" Shirou said, turning toward the rooftop.
The meteor descended at tens of thousands of kilometers per hour, friction igniting flames around it. The stones burned red, trailing gray smoke, forming a line several kilometers long.
Shirou and the blonde girl climbed the rooftop, standing at the edge, looking up at the terrifying meteor.
It is said that 60 million years ago, in the Late Cretaceous, a massive meteor fell to Earth, causing the extinction of the dinosaurs.
Of course, this meteor is much smaller, affecting only the local area, but here, the world is essentially just Shinjuku.
Moreover, this is no ordinary meteor. Powered by demonic energy, destroying it is not easy, and even if broken, the falling fragments could devastate Shinjuku.
"Senpai, the meteor will hit the tower in 100 seconds!" Mash via Chaldea's holographic projection counted down.
"Forced transfer… still impossible!" Da Vinci asked nervously.
"Trying! The demon bullets make teleportation even harder!" an employee replied.
"Shirou, this is your one chance. Don't mess up. You handle the blast, I'll clear the fragments." Artoria said, gazing at the rapidly falling meteor.
"Leave it to me. Before, it might have been too difficult. But now… demons, watch me kill you!" Shirou said.
To break the meteor, he needed all three: Mystic Eyes, Mana, and a Reality Marble.
But now, with the boy empowered by the Holy Grail, nothing could stop him.
Standing on the rooftop, he gazed at the sky, back straight, reciting:
I am the bone of my sword.
Steel is my body, and fire is my blood.
I have created over a thousand blades.
Unknown to death, nor known to life.
Have withstood pain to create many weapons.
Yet, those hands will never hold anything.
So as I pray,
Unlimited Blade Works
The Reality Marble unfolds.
It is a red wasteland filled with countless swords thrust into the ground.
On the distant horizon, flames flicker and dance.
The darkened sky is filled with massive gears turning overhead.
All of it appears exactly as the boy had seen in his past life.
But in the next moment, behind the boy appears a sacred light.
There lies a green land with a lake, and a city where people live…
And finally, it becomes a great, blue planet.
This is the new insight the boy gained from his second life, now manifesting in his inner world.
The wasteland, flames, and gears transform into great walls,
Walls that protect all of this.
The boy stands upon the wall, and behind him, the beautiful planet floats in the sky.
Then, the Mystic Eyes activate.
Rainbow-hued eyes lock onto the meteor in the sky,
Detecting the black, twisted shadow hidden within—
The very incarnation of a devil.
Observation, analysis—
In that instant, the devil's weakness is laid bare before his eyes.
Its true form is Samiel,
A devil from the legendary Wolf's Gorge in Germany,
Who delights in toying with humans,
Making all manner of bargains in exchange for their souls.
Trace On!
In the space surrounding the boy,
Treasures manifest one after another—
Golden and silver swords, weapons glowing with strange brilliance,
Famed arms from history,
As well as peerless weapons long buried in the ancient past.
Hundreds of treasures in total,
Every single one imbued with properties especially effective against demons.
Hundreds of treasures instantly shoot forth,
Targeting the most fragile point of the meteor's structure,
Piercing deep inside.
"Uwaaaa!!"
The devil's shadow lets out a wail of agony before vanishing completely.
And then—Broken Phantasm!
Hundreds of treasures erupt in blinding light at the same moment,
Shattering themselves to unleash all the magical power and faith they contain,
Exploding like high-powered bombs.
"Ten seconds until the meteor hits the tower's peak!"
"Leave it to me!"
The blonde-haired girl was already prepared,
Her body radiating golden light.
She raised her holy sword high,
And at the instant the meteor in the sky shattered, she swung toward it.
"—Hammer of the vile king. Aurora reversal. Drink in the radiance…
Sword of Promised Victory, Excalibur Morgan."
The meteor fragments in the sky are swallowed by the Noble Phantasm,
And in that moment, silence falls over the surroundings.
In Chaldea's control room—
"The meteor… confirmed completely destroyed!"
An operator reports excitedly.
"That's amazing! Shirou-Senpai! Miss Artoria!"
Mash's image appears in the 3D projection, speaking.
"Well, I just handled the explosives.
The one who truly saved this place was Artoria. Thanks."
Shirou says with a gentle smile toward the blonde-haired girl beside him.
"There's no need for modesty!
Your performance just now was very good!
You'd even qualify to become my knight—
I suppose I could give you a little praise."
Artoria replies with a light smile, lowering her holy sword.