Bzzzz—!
In an instant, a terrifying radiance of magical power ignited from the tips of the monstrous deity's hair.
Purple-red brilliance replaced all vision. Caught in its direct glare, both Masters and Servants reflexively shut their eyes.
BOOOOM—!!
A chain of deafening explosions rang out, the kind that made people clutch their ears in agony. The scorching shockwaves and destructive force generated by the blasts instantly turned the area into a true inferno.
The dust in the air was completely swept away, replaced instead by searing currents of superheated air, along with the sulfurous stench of molten metal and lava.
"Cough, cough... what is this?"
Standing in front of Rin Tohsaka and Shirou Emiya, shielding them behind her, Saber raised her head. As she looked at the familiar white light screen before her, an expression of disbelief flickered through her eyes.
Nostalgia, confusion, and bewilderment—various emotions surged through her heart.
"Mash!" Ritsuka Fujimaru shouted.
"Senpai..."
Standing at the very front of the group, Mash advanced against the torrent, holding her massive cross-shaped shield high. The pure defensive field she had deployed was desperately resisting the seemingly endless flood of magical energy!
Countless dazzling beams rained down, colliding with the shield and scattering sparks in all directions.
Thick, heavy magical cannons converged into pillars of light that seemed to connect heaven and earth. Compared to Selene's colossal demonic form, Mash's slender and fragile body appeared pitifully small and helpless.
Rin Tohsaka and Shirou Emiya stared in stunned silence at the indescribably terrifying and overwhelming scene before them.
Even though they were elites among their peers, they had never experienced anything on such a scale. For a moment, Selene's bone-chilling killing intent made every hair on their bodies stand on end, and the fear of death expanded wildly in their hearts.
"Hah!"
Gritting her teeth, Mash's violet hair whipped wildly in the wind. Under the immense pressure of the magical bombardment, the solid ground beneath her feet shattered inch by inch, and her body was forced to slide backward uncontrollably.
Crack... crack...
The pure white light barrier had already begun to fracture. Her violet armor emitted strained creaking sounds, unable to withstand the pressure. Every cell in her body trembled under the violent magical reaction, producing a tearing pain. As numbness spread through her limbs, Mash instantly understood.
With her current strength, even if she gave it everything she had, the gap between herself and this chaotic evil god was still far too great.
But—"Even so—!"
Raising her shield high with both hands, Mash bit down on her lip and shouted, "I refuse to accept death, evil god!!"
"I stand upon the seat of calamity—that is the homeland that heals all wounds and all hatred—"
A surging azure light of magical power gathered in Mash's hands. Sacred radiance suddenly lit up the fortress emblem upon her cross-shaped shield.
"Manifest—Lord Camelot!!!"
In the next instant, a sacred light hundreds of meters wide extended outward from Mash's shield. It took the form of a radiant, fantastical castle.
Pure white walls gleamed brilliantly, as if carved from a single block of marble—like a heavenly castle where elves might dwell, sacred and pure.
Looking at that shining castle, Saber murmured in a dazed, pained voice, "Camelot..."
The Castle of White Walls—Camelot. It was the castle of glory for knights. Once, this magnificent golden castle had drawn heroes from all corners of the world, all yearning to join it and become Knights of the Round Table.
It was the faith she once fought for, the kingdom she once protected with her life.
And also... her shattered dream.
"Evil god, the one who should fall... is you!!!"
BOOM—!
With the girl's cry, the castle of white walls transformed into a massive, indestructible shield. Not only did it repair the crumbling defensive field, it surged forward under her control, crashing directly toward the evil god who stood unmoving, unleashing continuous attacks.
"Interesting. You've got quite the nerve, little girl."
"A defensive Noble Phantasm against evil—that's what you're relying on, isn't it?"
Mash's Noble Phantasm, Lord Camelot, used the core of Camelot—the Round Table where the knights once sat—as the ultimate shield.
Its strength was said to be directly proportional to the user's will. As long as the user's heart did not yield, it would never collapse.
Moreover, it was an extremely rare Anti-Evil Noble Phantasm, with an unprecedented rank of B+++.
Against someone like Selene, who possessed a composite Saint Graph—both Beast and anti-hero—the amplification effect was maximized to the fullest.
"Then let's test it head-on. We'll see whether your shield is tougher—or my spear is sharper."
"Fission."
Tilting her head slightly, Selene's smile faded. Within her crimson eyes, a faint golden cross-shaped halo pattern emerged. The dark red lines between the scales across her body began to react violently.
From the end of her thousand-meter-long serpent tail, magical power gathered like a nuclear fission chain reaction, slowly lighting up the darkened sky.
It was as if a dark red light strip was being ignited, extending endlessly. Starting from the smallest scale at the tip of her tail, the glow rapidly spread along the entire length of her body, from far to near, all the way to her waist.
A low, ominous hum echoed faintly in the air.
The terrifying magical particles diffused throughout the atmosphere. Every breath felt unbearably heavy.
RUMBLE!
Selene merely let her tail lightly touch the ground, yet the sheer weight of her body still caused the earth to tremble. The rumbling spread outward like an earthquake.
Bzzz...
When the oppressive red light finally extended to her back, three pairs of enormous wings that blotted out the sky suddenly spread open, stirring a violent reversal of atmospheric currents. As the torrent of magical power illuminated every feather along their veins—
"Try blocking this again!"
Even though Selene believed her tone was calm, only slightly rising compared to her usual demeanor, in her colossal divine form, her voice became a savage roar like thunder, shaking the atmosphere itself.
Naturally, at Selene's size, stepping into human society was like entering a city made of toy bricks. Any movement she made would generate unimaginable aftershocks.
In an instant, the massive magical power transformed into crimson-black spears of light, erupting forth and forming pillars that pierced the heavens. Like meteors streaking across the sky, they created a brilliant galaxy, illuminating the night and dyeing the entire sky in a blazing purple-red.
In the next moment, an endless barrage of light pillars crashed down upon the colossal shield formed by the Castle of White Walls.
BOOM BOOM BOOM—!!
Driven by Selene, the overwhelming surge of magical power shook the atmosphere as it violently crashed toward the region enveloped by the Castle of White Walls.
Whoosh—!
It was as if countless dazzling meteors were descending from the heavens, like a celestial river overturning the sky, roaring as it surged forward!
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Even the residual heat from the light spears alone scorched the land they brushed past, instantly turning the ground into a sea of molten lava. Yet even that flowing crimson magma was further incinerated and evaporated by the aftershock of the spears!
In just an instant, the Castle of White Walls, spread across several hundred meters, was completely engulfed by the overwhelming cascade of light. More than half of it shattered, leaving only an area less than twenty meters around Mash still barely holding—and even that was visibly shrinking.
Some of the explosive sparks splashed into the Mion River. Fireballs spread outward from their points of impact, erasing everything in their vicinity within the blazing light.
The Mion River Bridge, which had endured countless disasters, was not so fortunate this time. Struck by the scattered crimson beams, it was severed in an instant. Molten metal dripped down into the river with a steady sizzle, emitting sharp hissing sounds.
RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE—!
"What do we do?! What do we do?! Where the hell is Archer—did he run away?! Ah, we're dead, we're dead, we're dead! Aaahhh...!"
Grabbing her twin tails in panic, Rin Tohsaka frantically scanned the terrifying scene of magical bombardment around her, only to immediately abandon the idea of summoning Archer with a Command Spell.
Forget it—Archer's flimsy body would just get him killed too!
At that moment, a familiar voice echoed in her mind. "Rin, you're not badmouthing me again, are you?"
"Archer! At a time like this, you're still joking?! So why are you contacting me—planning to switch Masters? Or are you begging me not to drag you over here with a Command Spell to die?!"
"Good grief... how frightening, Rin. At this point, there's only one way to get all of you out of there..."
"Let's hear it."
...
Meanwhile, unless they were blind, the residents of Miyama Town in Fuyuki—who had awakened amid the tremors, explosions, and widespread power and water outages—had long noticed the abnormal situation unfolding in the direction of Homurahara Academy.
BOOM!
BOOM BOOM!
BOOM BOOM BOOM!
First came the heavy, thunderous sounds like a Titan beast moving, followed by explosive blasts like massive bombs detonating.
Their bodies went numb, their limbs weak—this was the common reaction of ordinary people when faced with a glimpse of the true world, overwhelmed by absolute terror.
A gigantic creature over a hundred meters tall and more than a thousand meters long—such a sight was far too shocking for humans of the early 21st century (PS: the Fifth Holy Grail War takes place in 2004). In the face of such a catastrophe, ordinary people could do nothing but panic and flee.
As they ran, the residents of Miyama Town never imagined that simply watching the chaos would eventually drag them into it.
Separated by the Mion River, they had once felt fortunate that the explosions, deaths, and murders occurring in the Fuyuki New City Station area did not affect them. After all, better others than themselves.
But they hadn't expected this side had been "saving up for something big"—and now something far worse had arrived...
"Each of those charged magical blasts is equivalent to an A-rank Noble Phantasm attack! Ritsuka, be extremely careful!"
From the communication bracelet, the panicked voices of Da Vinci and Doctor Roman rang out urgently.
In truth, no reminder was needed. Ritsuka Fujimaru already knew—if he took even one of those blasts head-on, he would be finished.
The more critical the moment, the calmer one must be.
Taking a deep breath, the teachings of Leonidas, the Guardian of the Absolute Demonic Front, resurfaced in his mind. Gritting his teeth, Ritsuka forced his eyes open with determination.
"Mash!"
Calling out, he dashed forward in a single stride, placing his right hand on Mash's back. He channeled magical energy into her while supporting the dark purple armor on her back.
"Senpai, don't come over! Get out of here!! The Noble Phantasm can't hold much longer!" Mash shouted desperately.
"It seems my spear is sharper after all. Your resolve isn't strong enough—your defense has flaws. You haven't drawn out the true power of this treasure."
With the triumphant tone of a villain, Selene continuously attacked the girl's resolve with her words.
"Oh? The human behind you—that's the one you love, isn't it...? I see. Because of him, you're afraid. You don't want to die. You don't want to lose him—you want to stay by his side. That's why you lack the courage to face death."
"Mm..."
Her deepest fear exposed—and by her greatest enemy—Mash's amethyst eyes filled with sorrow. It was true—she didn't want to leave her Senpai, and because of that, she couldn't fully unleash the unbreakable nature of her Noble Phantasm.
Grasping the great shield together with Mash, Ritsuka said firmly, "It's okay, Mash. Even if we die, we'll face it together..."
"Talking about death now is way too unlucky!"
At that moment, Rin Tohsaka, having steadied herself, stepped forward. Forcing her composure, she even dared to meet Selene's gaze. "Hey—you over there claiming to be a benevolent god. You keep your word, right?"
At that moment, Shirou Emiya noticed something carefully—Rin's right hand now only had two Command Spells left, and it seemed both had already been used.
"What do you mean? Of course I keep my word."
Go on—entertain me. Selene was curious what kind of "surprise" this unreliable young lady was about to produce.
"Then it's settled. Since you're a kind deity, you wouldn't slaughter innocent civilians, right?"
"Naturally. What's the fun in killing ordinary people? Manipulating you magi, toying with your wishes—that's where the real entertainment lies."
"Good. Emiya, Fujimaru—get ready to leave," Rin said with a satisfied nod.
"Huh?!"
This time, not only Selene, but even Shirou Emiya and Ritsuka Fujimaru were left doubting themselves.
Leave?
"Of course!" Crossing her arms, Rin declared with overflowing confidence, "Archer!"
In her heart, she screamed: Archer, don't you dare mess this up! Otherwise not only will I lose face, I'll lose my life too!
"Hm?" At that moment, Selene seemed to sense something and turned her head. "A Reality Marble?"
"Hah! As if I'd let you succeed."
In an instant, a prismatic glow flashed across Selene's eyes as her Mystic Eyes of Petrification activated. "Turn to stone—"
"ROAR—!"
At the very moment Selene targeted Archer's hidden position, the previously silent Berserker—who had been carrying the unconscious Illya—suddenly let out a furious roar. Transforming into a blur, he hurled himself forward like a projectile, colliding directly with the magical imprint before Selene's eyes.
In that instant, Selene's aim faltered—but countless fine cracks spread across Berserker's body. He turned to stone and shattered into pieces upon the ground.
"Berserker!"
Shirou Emiya shouted as he held Illya. He had seen it clearly—before Berserker handed Illya over to him and left, his lips had formed the words: "Protect her."
In the next instant, both Berserker—who had fallen as fragments of stone—and Selene's massive form vanished into thin air!
"It worked!!"
"Fujimaru, I don't know who you people really are, but staying alive comes first!" Seeing this, Rin Tohsaka didn't bother explaining further. "Saber, take us out of here, now!"
"Archer can't hold her for long!"
...
Crack—!
The hazy mirror-like layers shattered into drifting snowflakes as the Reality Marble collapsed. Selene reappeared at the original location—but by then, Rin and the others were already nowhere to be seen.
"Your Majesty, you let them go on purpose, didn't you?"
After a while, standing upon Selene's shoulder, Durandal observed the faint smile on her face and spoke thoughtfully.
"Was it that obvious?"
"Not really. It's just that I understand Your Majesty better. That Archer's Reality Marble might be able to trap you for a short time, but if you truly intended to kill them, it would only take a bit more effort. He probably wouldn't even have had the chance to finish chanting his Noble Phantasm."
"Your Majesty's disdainful arrogance—facing a mortal's all-out attack without defending or dodging, treating it like a cat playing with a mouse—I imagine that perfectly matches what they believe a god should be like."
Selene chuckled. "So you're saying my improvised opening performance was fairly well done?"
"Why?"
Lifting Durandal onto her palm, Selene explained in a rather cheerful mood, "Bianka, those four human Masters—don't they just look like ordinary magi with little use?"
"...Yes." Durandal nodded.
Setting aside Rin Tohsaka, Ritsuka Fujimaru, and Illya—whom she didn't know—Shirou Emiya was the only one she had briefly interacted with while touring Homurahara Academy. In her eyes, he was simply an overly kind good person, an ordinary individual in the broadest sense.
Perhaps he had some potential as a warrior—but that was all.
Based on the information she had gathered so far, and due to the gap in knowledge between her and Selene, Durandal couldn't quite understand Selene's reasoning.
"Appearances can be deceiving. It sounds absurd, but how can you be sure none of them will become heroes—or vessels for descending gods?"
"They'll become heroes? Or even gods? In such a short time?"
Durandal was puzzled, her large blue eyes filled with confusion.
I'm not a bureaucrat, Your Majesty—don't try to trick me...
Selene laughed. "Reality is just that absurd. Apply the right amount of pressure, and the next time we meet..."
She paused, then shrugged her wings with a smile. "That half-baked magus might become a qualified warrior. And that unreliable little girl is even more exaggerated—she has extremely high compatibility with multiple deities. As for Chaldea's last Master, you'll witness what a Servant-style human wave tactic truly looks like."
It really was absurd. Looking at the situation as a whole, Illya—who appeared to have the highest qualifications as a Master and the strongest magical foundation among all past Holy Grail Wars—was actually the weakest one. (PS: Not including the spin-off Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya)
"I'll give them the appropriate pressure—a small push. At the same time, I'll give them the chance to gather allies and recover. Whether they can seize that opportunity... ah, no, they must seize it."
"Otherwise... heh, the temple of the Demon God King Goetia will merge with this world, and humanity will be incinerated."
"No matter how great the pressure, they have to endure it. Otherwise, they'll be the ones who die—and everything they've worked and sacrificed for will be meaningless. The human history of this universe will be burned to nothing."
"Oh..." Faced with the sudden flood of unfamiliar names and concepts, Durandal wore a blank, dazed expression.
"I am the greatest enemy they will face before confronting the so-called King of Mages, Solomon... at least, that's how it needs to appear to them."
Lev treated Selene as an ally, an important piece in preventing Chaldea from interfering with his plan to restore the Age of Gods.
But despite his respectful attitude, Selene knew very well that if she were defeated and killed, Lev likely wouldn't feel much at all—he might even curse her a few times before making use of what remained.
To him, Selene was merely a backup plan for the descent of the Age of Gods—a spare option, an insurance policy for Solomon's resurrection. If it succeeded, even better. The revival of mystery brought by Solomon's return would overlap with the resurgence of magical energy—Honkai energy—from foreign gods. Double the outcome, double the joy.
And if it failed? It didn't matter. Wasn't she—Selene—supposedly powerful?
In Lev's calculations, for Chaldea to hold her back or defeat her—Selene, who possessed a triple Saint Graph of herself, Gorgon, and Tiamat, combining the traits of a divine king, anti-hero, and Beast (Humanity's Evil)—they would have to pay an unimaginable price.
By the time they reached the throne within Solomon's Grand Temple of Time, they would likely be heavily weakened, on the verge of collapse. With such a battered force—how could they possibly defeat Solomon?
Lev: Hahaha... this plan is flawless—absolutely unbeatable!!
But at the same time, Selene thought: You're using me—but I'm using you just the same.
Throwing a match? Anyone can do that.
I'll fight Chaldea—yes, I'll fight them hard. Make it spectacular, the bigger the better. Slaughter recklessly—but I'll deliberately hold back. Not only will I leave them a few strong opponents, I'll even secretly support them.
When it comes to drawing out the potential of those favored by the world, Selene was extremely experienced.
That included, but was not limited to: harming those they loved, destroying what they cherished, trampling their ideals, acting with utter disregard for life—being a threat to humanity's survival simply by existing, even going so far as to attempt human extinction.
Once these traits were revealed, Selene refused to believe that any "ally of justice" wouldn't explode with growth—awakening their potential, rapidly increasing in strength, fast-forwarding to tearing apart Servants... and eventually even challenging Goetia.
Cough... Though tearing apart Goetia was probably unrealistic. As for Goetia... Selene suspected that it would ultimately depend on a certain doctor at Chaldea, who, upon witnessing humanity's brilliance, would no longer be able to stand aside and would choose to sacrifice himself.
Hearing all this, Durandal looked at Selene's massive, strikingly beautiful face. Suppressing her complicated thoughts, she asked, "So Your Majesty means... a forerunner for the king?"
"Ah, a forerunner for the king."
Selene couldn't help but laugh. It was quite fitting—Lev treated Selene as a 'forerunner' for King Solomon, while Selene in turn treated Chaldea as her own 'forerunner.'
Nodding slightly, Selene said softly, "But who truly is the 'forerunner for the king'... that remains to be seen."