The aurora shimmered beneath the night sky, and even though they were separated by several miles, the two Servants—Karna and Jeanne d'Arc—could not ignore it.
In the instant their gazes turned toward the same point, an arrow was released.
It was a brilliance akin to the pinnacle of the heavens.
Even though its entire form was pitch black, it was brighter and more dazzling than the night sky itself, as if it had become the sole existence of this moment.
What exactly was the arrow that pierced the heavens? Its true nature was unclear, but to Jeanne and Karna, it was a blow as powerful as a Noble Phantasm!
Before even a fraction of a second could pass, the aurora had already reached Jeanne's position.
"A Noble Phantasm?!"
Jeanne's expression shifted slightly as she gripped her flag with both hands, using her EX-class Magic Resistance to confront the arrow that seemed to pierce the heavens head-on!
Not far away, Karna activated his golden armor to resist the arrow.
Dodging the attack, it seemed, was not within their range of options—was it pride, or simply unwillingness?
The aurora descended, enveloping a range of hundreds of meters with its terrifying radiance.
Boom!
Wrapped in magical energy comparable to divine authority, the power of this projected arrow reached an astonishing degree—to Jeanne and Karna, it was fully within the realm of a Noble Phantasm!
Even Heroic Spirits would be injured by such an attack!
The ground cracked and heaved. From the arrow burst forth an aurora as beautiful as a falling meteor, radiating arcs of pitch-black light. Each arc contained destructive magical energy.
In an instant, the temperature soared to tens of thousands of degrees, melting everything it touched and transforming the earth into an ocean—a sea of death made of molten lava.
That destruction was but the prelude to the night before the battle, marking the opening of this grand war.
The atmosphere twisted, and terrifying heat permeated the surroundings, transforming the area into a land devoid of life.
"This is…"
As the aurora faded, Jeanne, unharmed, gazed solemnly at the source of the attack in the distance.
Even just the sight of that pitch-black aurora gave her an ominous feeling.
A long-range attack—was it the work of an Archer Servant?
For some reason, unease stirred in Jeanne's heart.
Not far away, Karna, also unharmed, remained composed as he remarked, "An Archer of the Black Faction, perhaps?"
As a member of the Red Faction, Karna naturally knew the identity of his side's Archer. Thus, the attack must have come from a Servant of the Black Faction.
But that fact did not hinder him. Clad in his golden armor, Karna had no fear of attacks from other Servants.
Karna did not act immediately; instead, he gazed into the distance. As someone who had reached the pinnacle of strength, he could sense the incredible power of the source of the attack.
If the Black Faction's Archer continued such overwhelming strikes, even he might not be able to kill Ruler here.
"Go, Saber!"
A sudden voice issued a command, and the charging warrior raised his blade toward Karna.
Clang!
Sword clashed against spear, and the resulting force sent the magical energy surrounding Karna scattering outward, causing waves to surge in the molten hell around them.
With a faint tinge of crimson in his eyes, Karna glanced at the man struggling against him and said calmly, "It seems you are Saber of the Black Faction."
As he spoke, Karna cast a glance beyond the molten hell at the blond-haired man. Though the man possessed flight magecraft, he dared not approach the hellish battlefield and instead merely commanded his Servant, Saber, to attack.
The silent knight did not reply to Karna's words. After their clash yielded no results, he withdrew and positioned himself in front of Jeanne, seemingly intent on preventing Karna from attempting to kill her.
"Ruler! I've come for you!"
The blond-haired man, Gordes Musik, the Master of the dragon-slaying hero Siegfried, stood in the distance and shouted, "Please, come over here!"
Jeanne, however, did not move toward Gordes. Instead, she stood firmly in place and responded coldly, "The Saber and Master of the Black Faction, is it?"
"Exactly!"
Gordes shouted back, "My name is Gordes Musik Yggdmillennia! And you, Lancer of the Red Faction! I saw it! You're trying to kill the Servant who presides over the Holy Grail War—such an act is a flagrant violation of the rules!"
Just as Karna was aware of Jeanne's presence in Romania, so too were the Masters of the Black Faction. In response, they had dispatched both a Master and a Servant to deal with her. Unlike Karna, who sought to eliminate Jeanne, the Black Faction aimed to rescue her from Karna and potentially form an alliance.
"I do not deny it."
Karna, still composed, glanced at Siegfried and Jeanne before replying to Gordes: "Of course, if the Black Faction has appeared, then I shall start with you.
Whether it's Saber or Archer."
As one of the strongest, Karna had unshakable confidence in his victory.
Even against two enemies, he could defeat them.
"What Archer?! Just submit to Saber and Ruler's judgment!"
Still brimming with excitement, Gordes shouted, eager to take down Karna.
"No. If you wish to fight here, I have no objections—but I will not interfere. Rest assured."
Jeanne, her expression serious, spoke firmly: "The Lancer of the Red Faction seeks my life, while the Saber and Archer of the Black Faction wish to duel him. As Ruler, I must safeguard the rules of this battle."
Before she finished speaking, Jeanne, Siegfried, and Karna simultaneously turned their gazes toward the direction from which the arrow had come. Another aurora was approaching.
"Really? You won't interfere?"
A faint voice accompanied the descending aurora.
Traversing several kilometers, Alaric, carrying Tiamat, slowly landed on the ground.
"A Divine Spirit Servant?!"
The moment Jeanne saw Tiamat, her previously composed expression changed dramatically. This was nearly impossible. The Fuyuki Greater Grail, as the pinnacle creation of the Einzbern family, had its limits.
Could a regular Saint Graph even accommodate the manifestation of a Divine Spirit?
Jeanne didn't need to think to reach the answer. Yet, Alaric and the girl in his arms were genuine Divine Spirits. Even if their Saint Graphs couldn't fully reach the level of a god, Jeanne recognized her true name—
The Primordial Goddess—Tiamat!
Not just an ordinary god, but the manifestation of a supreme deity?!
Impossible!!
Waves of shock surged through Jeanne's heart. Even when facing Karna, she had remained calm, but this situation left her shaken.
Unaware of Jeanne's inner turmoil, both Karna and Siegfried also turned their attention to the uninvited guest. As warriors, they could sense the fighting spirit emanating from Alaric.
Step, step.
After setting Tiamat down, Alaric casually glanced at Karna, Siegfried, and Jeanne.
Finally, his gaze settled on Karna.
Karna, the hero who gave away everything. Though his fame was not among the highest, his strength was undoubtedly top-tier. He was one of the strongest to ever exist.
A hero on par with Gilgamesh, possessing power capable of rivaling the King of Heroes.
To Alaric, Karna was one of the few who could truly stand in his way.
Having missed the chance to engage in a proper battle with Gilgamesh last time, Alaric had felt regret. But now, he encountered another hero of equal caliber.
How could Alaric possibly remain still?
"I plan to kill all of you. Any objections?"
Clad in knightly armor reminiscent of Lancelot's, his face obscured by a helmet, Alaric's unrestrained gaze forced Karna to take him seriously.
At these words, neither Karna nor Siegfried reacted, but Gordes immediately shouted in anger: "Saber, kill him first!"