Rumble—!!!
The explosive shockwave from Mount Enzou nearly flattened several surrounding hills. The sky was filled with massive chunks of shattered mountain rock flung outward, streaking across the heavens like molten meteors under intense friction, falling toward all directions.
In an instant, the sky was engulfed by crimson fire tornadoes—oppressive and scorching—as if the blazing hurricane sought to tear everything apart.
This city, once modestly known in the mystical world as the site of certain Eastern summoning rituals, now trembled like a withered leaf caught in a raging inferno.
Across the scarred city horizon, as though eager to prove themselves before the supreme deity they worshipped—the God-Empress of the Empire—the Sangheili legions intensified their assault into a frenzy.
Under such a volcanic, apocalyptic disaster, even the Servants who were steadfastly protecting part of the villa district while maintaining both aerial and ground defense could clearly sense it—the alien army, whose advance had slowed under heavy firepower suppression, suddenly became restless.
Especially for those like Lancer Cú Chulainn and Saber Artoria, who had previously clashed with the Sangheili legions—the change was even more apparent.
For instance, those short alien creatures resembling "hermit crabs"—earlier, whenever the tall Elite warriors with four-part jaws around them were killed, they would comically let out "gurgling" noises and temporarily lose coordination.
Because of that, Lancer Cú Chulainn had deliberately targeted those four-jawed ones.
But as this terrifying tremor sweeping across all of Fuyuki City struck, Cú Chulainn suddenly realized—this "prioritize killing officers" strategy no longer worked.
"That woman—I will kill her with my own hands!"
His thoughts interrupted by the terrifying tremor from Mount Enzou, Gilgamesh glared at the smugly retreating Senti, utterly furious.
If he had known this woman had no sense of honor, why would he bother with a duel? He should have just ganged up on her.
The more he thought about it, the more stifled he felt—but he had to endure. Protecting Ritsuka Fujimaru and the composite summoning magic circle within Rin Tohsaka's ruined residence was the priority. For all he knew, that woman might be using a diversion to lure him away.
"Hmph!"
Gilgamesh stepped past the Heroic Spirit Emiya Shirou. Golden ripples instantly appeared behind him, and countless high-grade Noble Phantasms were extravagantly launched in all directions like arrows, venting the fury Senti had provoked.
Blades, spears, swords, and halberds turned into golden streaks of light, colliding continuously with the falling "meteor rain" from the sky. From time to time, Sangheili atmospheric aircraft were shot down, resembling a grand and magnificent fireworks display.
Fragments and debris stirred up massive clouds of dust across the ground, plowing through everything within sight.
Boom!
The air detonated as scorching flaming slashes exploded outward. Within just a few breaths, several beetle-like Sangheili aircraft disintegrated under the sweeping strikes of the golden divine spear.
"Ruler, Jeanne d'Arc of the Catholic Church, even Black Saber Siegfried and Lancer of Black Vlad III... To think we are allies this time. Fate truly is unpredictable."
Once enemies fighting for their respective masters over the precious Greater Grail, now summoned again and standing side by side—Lancer Karna couldn't help but feel a sense of irony.
At the same time, his movements never ceased. Golden flames wrapped around his entire body as his spear swept out fiercely—Mana Burst: Flame!
In an instant, all the Sangheili aircraft surrounding him, along with their attacks, were completely annihilated.
From the shattered remains of the small mobile craft, the stout and ugly Grunts screeched as they burned, dissolving into purplish-red particles of mana before even hitting the ground, all converging in a single direction.
"Alien species..."
Floating midair, Karna followed the flow of converging mana and gazed toward the colossal deity rising from the ruins of Mount Enzou across the Mion River. A red glimmer flickered uncontrollably within his azure eyes.
"A god-king class... So that is our enemy this time..."
As the son of the sun god Surya—and having become one with him after death—Karna possessed the highest level of divine affinity. Yet from that chaotic deity resembling a "Beast," he sensed a solar divinity even greater than his own—or even his father's.
"A deity with a human upper body and serpent tail... wait, this aura—it feels familiar..."
Even across the Mion River and half of Fuyuki City, as he gazed at the two eyes beneath that colossal face—rising like crimson moons—Karna's thoughts seemed to stall, and an inexplicable sense of familiarity surfaced.
"Crimson diamond-shaped pupils... a golden cross-ring..."
Suddenly, a figure clad in silver-white armor appeared in Karna's mind, and realization struck instantly.
"It's her—Rider?!"
Because he had once fought Rider Selene and had been exposed to traces of her Saint Graph aura, the mutual attraction between Saint Graphs—combined with subtle influence from the planet's Counter Force and even the Root itself—led participants of the Romanian Holy Grail War like Karna to respond immediately to Ritsuka Fujimaru's summoning.
Except for Jack the Ripper, the amalgamation of evil spirits who had been completely purified and sublimated by Selene and could no longer be summoned after collapsing, the others had all answered the call.
Just as Karna's exclamation fell—
Rumble!
The ground trembled once more.
If the earlier shockwave from Mount Enzou could be likened to a moderate earthquake of magnitude 4 to 5, then what came now felt like a catastrophic quake exceeding magnitude 8.
As far as the eye could see, the entire city shook violently, like grain tossed in a sieve—rising and falling endlessly. Skyscrapers collapsed like building blocks, and whether boulders or rubble, everything swayed helplessly upon the ground.
Even though Ruler Jeanne promptly deployed her battle flag, ordinary humans like Waver Velvet and Ritsuka Fujimaru still clutched their chests, struggling to steady themselves.
Rumble!
A massive serpent tail burst forth. With a single twist, the city was leveled and rivers severed. Amid boiling tides of mana, the earth churned violently.
Then—Humm—!
The shadow spread her wings, vast enough to blot out the sky. Purple-red crystalline fragments scattered from her wings like a deadly, dazzling mist.
Her head seemed capable of touching the heavens. With wings fully spread, the enormous serpent-bodied divine form dominated everyone's field of vision, imposing an overwhelming sense of pressure.
"Hey, hey, sis... this time, our opponent is still that big—uh, that deity, huh..."
Clad in a black underlayer and a silver Greek-style light armor engraved with olive leaf patterns, his physique was lean yet powerfully built, every muscle honed to perfection and radiating a battle-tempered sharpness. A long scarf wrapped around his neck, its vivid crimson reflecting his personality.
Resting a black-shafted, silver-bladed long cross spear on his shoulder, the handsome young man scratched his short grass-green hair in frustration, his golden eyes turning toward the strong and beautiful huntress beside him in complaint.
"Sigh, what a troublesome job. Just my luck... tch, I almost feel like heading back already."
At first glance, he had already recognized it—that aura, that overwhelming dominance... Instantly, the memory of being brutally beaten for running his mouth back then surfaced in his mind.
"Achilles, that's enough. Complaining, retreating, avoiding—none of that suits your style."
"Haha, as expected of you, boss. But don't be so serious. This is just pre-battle relaxation to help me focus better. After all, our opponent is that hot-tempered god. I don't want to end up like last time—beaten to death because I let my guard down."
"To think that our opponent this time is Her Majesty... and in this apocalyptic beast-goddess form, no less. I am truly... honored."
Standing atop layers of overlapping black stakes, the bloodstained Romanian duke let out a sigh. Though his iron will would never allow surrender, Vlad III—who had personally witnessed Selene's overwhelming power—truly did not wish to stand against her if given the choice.
"Do what we can, and leave the rest to fate."
"A pity the timing of my summoning is off. Master, my abilities require time before they can fully manifest."
Supporting Ritsuka Fujimaru—whose stomach churned violently from the tremors—the Assyrian empress, wrapped in an intricate and luxurious black gothic dress that exuded a languid yet alluring aura, gazed toward that figure so different from her memories. A fleeting trace of deep hatred flashed through her slit-pupiled silver eyes before vanishing.
"Master, if we are to deal with Her Majesty in this form, I will require your assistance. Only by completing the mana core and allowing the Light of Wisdom (Golem Keter Malchut) to grow to a sufficient level will we stand a chance against such divine power."
Beneath a golden mask, the puppet master Avicebron spoke in a flat, mechanical tone. With a light snap of his fingers, the ground churned, and one giant stone golem after another surged forth from the shattered earth.
...
At this moment, as Selene assimilated the body of the Demonic Beast Goddess Gorgon, though she still retained a human upper body and serpent tail, her long dark-purple hair—flowing like a waterfall—began gradually shifting into silver-white.
"All familiar faces, I see."
"Karna, Lord Vlad... and the rest of you, we meet again."
Standing across the river, with all tall buildings that once blocked the view now collapsed, Selene curled her lips slightly, as if genuinely enjoying this reunion with old acquaintances, and spoke leisurely.
"Though the most important guest has yet to arrive, how could I not warmly entertain familiar faces? Allow me to make this stage even more dazzling."
Humm—!
Without warning, the tips of Selene's hair lit up. The gaps between her scales flared with brilliance as streams of purple-red light flowed within them. Under the accumulation of immense magical power, even the soil and rubble beneath her melted and evaporated.
As her claws came together, a red flash gleamed in her eyes. The next instant, the blinding energy gathered before her cleavage—so bright its color became indistinguishable—erupted violently, shooting straight into the heavens.
In an instant, the sky was pierced through.
Zzzzt—!
Even then, the sky remained covered by a dim purple-red canopy. At the center of the converging magical energy, sharp cracking sounds rang out repeatedly, like shattering glass.
Gradually, under Selene's continuous infusion of magical power, the luminous veil darkened—deep crimson turning nearly black, like a layer of foul mud spreading across the sea.
The next moment—Crack—!
As if answering Selene's call, a black, water-like circular void appearing above Fuyuki rapidly expanded.
The rippling purple-red film covering it grew brighter and increasingly distorted, beginning to spiral. Within the blur, the illusion of a temple-like structure faintly emerged.
...
Elsewhere, Chaldea.
"Is this also a form of modification?"
"Not sure—but we absolutely cannot let her succeed. Da Vinci, take a look at this first."
As he spoke, Romani Archaman pressed a control on the command console. In response, the pseudo-Earth environment model beneath the platform—CHALDEAS, the massive globe at the center—suddenly changed.
Hummm—
Beyond the large observation window, as the rings surrounding CHALDEAS began to rotate, the previously blue model of Earth shifted dramatically. Disturbing, eerie patches of light rapidly spread across its surface.
If the Earth model were likened to a living organism, then these purple-red patches resembled a terrifying virus spreading along its vascular system.
Using the planet's mountains and ley lines as its framework, it rapidly expanded across the entire surface of the world.
At the command station, Romani's expression was grave, his gaze focused as his hands moved swiftly across the console, keys clattering in rapid succession.
Projecting the detailed simulation onto the central screen, he pointed at the spreading patterns and said, "These corrosive magical energies are spreading from Fuyuki City as the center, expanding along the underground ley lines and transforming the planet. There's no doubt—she's materializing a divine-era territory from another world!"
"Territory creation... turning an entire planet into her personal magical workshop to restore the Age of Gods. What can I even say... as expected of a ruler from another dimension. That's an outrageous scale."
Standing beside Romani, Da Vinci clicked her tongue, speaking with difficulty.
The entire surface of the globe emitted ominous patterns that looked ready to burst at any moment, instilling a deep sense of dread.
Watching the split-screen display, each time that terrifying demon god released even a thread of magical power into the "black hole" in the sky, the level of corruption on the pseudo-Earth model increased further—especially the faint image of that temple...
Romani clenched his teeth and declared sharply, "Da Vinci, contact every force we can mobilize. This will be the final Singularity."
"Ritsuka! This isn't the time to hesitate—don't waver. At any cost, stop her!!"