"Clang!"
The brilliance of the Holy Grail blazed like a sun in the midst of the Black Sea, casting infinite radiance that illuminated all of heaven and earth.
Kingu presented to Tiamat the seventh Holy Grail—the very one that had brought about the birth of this Singularity, and which the Mage King Solomon himself had delivered into this era.
Tiamat ceased her cries. Her gaze lingered upon the golden urn, and for a fleeting moment, as though aware that her final vestiges of self were about to vanish, her eyes turned toward Rozen.
From those eyes, Rozen once more saw sorrow—longing.
"Come, Mother. The time has come to release the seal, to reveal your true form."
With fervent devotion, Kingu let the Holy Grail drift from his hands, floating toward Tiamat.
Tiamat averted her gaze, and as if resigning herself to her fate, she quietly closed her eyes.
Seeing this, how could Rozen not know what must be done?
Release the seal?
"Did you think I would allow it!?"
Rozen's hand shot up.
"Come forth! The third Beast Vassal—Al Meissa Mercury!"
Without hesitation, Rozen summoned the most ferocious of the Beast Vassals that resided within his blood.
"Roooar!"
"Roooar!"
The next moment, two identical dragon roars rang out as a massive, twin-headed dragon of molten silver appeared above Rozen.
The argent beast descended instantly, pouncing toward Kingu with overwhelming speed, fangs gaping wide.
With that one bite, even the very air and space themselves were swallowed into its monstrous maws.
Against such a dimensional predator—one that devoured even the fabric of space—no weapon, not even the strongest Noble Phantasm revered as a divine instrument, could hope to endure without being torn apart.
So long as no one interfered…
"Zana-O Ruritan—Midori: Amatsurugi Shukuho!"
At that instant, a flash of radiant steel, thin as a gale yet sharper than any blade, cut through space and struck one of the dragon's heads.
"Splurt!"
With a savage tear, one of Al Meissa Mercury's heads was lopped clean off.
Then—
"Mumyo Sandan—First Thrust!"
Another voice rang out as a streak of light pierced through space, as swift and deadly as a cold arrow.
"Splurt!"
The other head of the twin-headed dragon was run through, bursting apart before dissolving into pure mana.
Though a Beast Vassal that could only be suppressed by overwhelming mana, Rozen's third Beast Vassal, Al Meissa Mercury, had both heads severed and was erased in an instant.
"…!"
Rozen's eyes narrowed sharply, turning toward the edge of the Black Sea.
That slash had come from there.
"Who's there!?"
Ishtar shouted in fury, raising her hand and firing volley after volley of beams of light toward the source.
But two figures abruptly vanished, dodging the attack with uncanny precision. As though by teleportation, they reappeared at Kingu's side.
At that very moment, Chaldea's instruments finally registered the readings.
"This… this Spirit Origin reaction—!?"
"No way…"
"How could this be…"
Roman, Da Vinci, and Olga Marie all cried out in disbelief.
Rozen turned again, his pupils contracting as his expression darkened.
"You…"
Ishtar too fell silent.
For the sight before them shook them to the core.
"Already forgotten us so soon? How cruel."
A wild, frenzied voice rang out.
"…Hmph."
A cold, merciless voice followed—laden with killing intent so dense it froze the heart.
The owners of the voices—whether in appearance, stature, or aura—were exactly as Rozen and Ishtar remembered.
One clad in revealing armor.
The other in a fitted kimono and scarf.
Both wielded katanas, radiating the sharp aura of pure warriors.
Their figures, their auras—there was no mistaking them.
"Ushiwakamaru… Okita…"
Yes.
Ushiwakamaru.
Okita Soji.
The two who stood there were none other than Ushiwakamaru and Okita.
They were alive.
But now, madness and corruption emanated from them. Their skin had blackened as though cursed, their entire beings steeped in a horrific aura.
"It has been a while, Lord Rozen. It seems you've fared well."
Ushiwakamaru spoke, her tone and expression twisted with malice and savagery. Her eyes burned with frenzy—gone was the carefree, naive girl, replaced by the feral menace of a beast.
"…"
Okita remained silent, her gaze frigid. She looked not upon the living, but as though staring at a corpse. No trace of her former cheer remained—only the ruthless gaze of a killer.
The two bore no resemblance to the comrades they once were.
With their cursed forms, how could Rozen not understand?
"They've been blackened…?"
Ishtar clicked her tongue.
Yes.
Ushiwakamaru and Okita had been blackened—corrupted by Tiamat's black mud.
Now, they stood as Tiamat's puppets at Kingu's side: one grinning with madness, the other ice-cold and merciless.
The next moment, both vanished from sight.
"—!"
Rozen focused, his cloak flaring outward to shield him.
"Clang!!!"
Almost simultaneously, Ushiwakamaru and Okita reappeared before him, blades crashing down against the raised cloak, sparks erupting in dazzling bursts.
They had attacked with no hesitation, no warning—striking directly to kill.
"You two…!?"
Ishtar roared in fury, turning and unleashing another barrage of beams toward them.
"Ha!"
"Hmph!"
Ushiwakamaru and Okita retreated like specters, weaving between the blasts as if anticipating them. Each beam struck only the sea, erupting into massive explosions.
"Order!"
Rozen too retaliated, scattering talismans that transformed into streams of light, racing after the two.
"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Explosions erupted in a relentless chain once more.