A series of pitch-black Gates of Judgment unfolded instantly, launching arrows of light upward to clash with the divine arrows, neutralizing them in midair.
This caused the rain of light to be intercepted mid-flight, with not a single arrow crossing the boundary!
At this moment, Alaric paid no attention to these harmless Noble Phantasms. Instead, he focused entirely on transforming the magical energy stored in his holy spear into a torrent of light. Even without the massive amplification from the Age of Gods, the resulting power and scale were still astonishing.
Even with Alaric deliberately holding back, the attack reached the level of an Anti-Army Noble Phantasm at rank A. Much like Mordred's Noble Phantasm, the torrent surged forward in a straight line, roaring toward Yggdmillennia.
The dark torrent resembled a pillar of light toppling the earth, like a towering wall or heavenly moat, severing the battlefield in two.
It became the sole radiant spectacle on the battlefield, annihilating all matter in its path. Everything was consumed by the aurora and absorbed as part of its driving force.
It was like the miracle that unfolded in Fuyuki that day—the manifestation of humanity's authority.
The plundering and alteration of the stars were symbols of this authority.
The sudden torrent disrupted all the magi within Yggdmillennia's castle. Stretching across the battlefield for over a kilometer, it seemed unstoppable.
Not only was the earth annihilated and absorbed, but every magus and homunculus that came into contact with or brushed by the aurora was silently burned, becoming fuel for the torrent's advance.
Even the Lord Impaler could not halt its progress. Vlad III, who had barely escaped Karna's grasp, could only watch helplessly as the aurora pierced through Yggdmillennia's castle.
The castle, Yggdmillennia's stronghold and home to numerous magus workshops was naturally fortified with countless defensive and counter-intrusion measures.
But before the aurora, they all seemed laughably fragile.
Unless a Reality Marble was deployed, Yggdmillennia had no means of defending against this Noble Phantasm.
Boom!
The unrelenting torrent of light engulfed half the castle, evaporating all spells and constructs within it.
The apocalyptic scene was reflected in the eyes of the boy. It was not just the destruction of the castle—it was also the death of his kin.
One? Three? Forty?
The boy had no way of knowing how many of his kin had perished in the torrent.
The only thing he could be certain of was this: it was the work of a devil.
Gritting his teeth in grief and rage over the death of his kin, the boy quickly turned to lead the remaining survivors away from the ruins. But at that moment—
Out of the corner of his eye, the boy caught a glimpse of a knight's figure falling from above—the knight who had once saved him from peril.
"Rider?"
The events unfolding in Yggdmillennia were unknown to Alaric, and he had no interest in them.
He deliberately chose a less populated section of the castle to unleash destruction, tearing apart Yggdmillennia's castle and the surrounding ground. This revealed the Greater Grail, hidden underground, to the world.
Seventy years ago, Darnic had forcibly ended the Holy Grail War by employing Germany's military. During the transfer of the Greater Grail by German forces, Darnic had seized it.
Seventy years later, the pinnacle of the Einzbern family's craft had finally returned to the world.
Gazing distantly at the radiance of the Greater Grail, Alaric lowered his holy spear.
He looked toward the airborne Hanging Gardens, rapidly approaching Yggdmillennia's castle. Under Tiamat's control, the Gardens would soon arrive directly above the castle ruins to secure the Greater Grail.
At that moment, Alaric's opportunity to claim the Grail would come.
Moreover, as he glanced skyward at the Hanging Gardens, Alaric raised an eyebrow slightly.
Karna's magical energy surged relentlessly, as though he were locked in combat with Tiamat.
Karna, the Hero of Charity, was the son of the Sun God Surya. Even though he had not manifested as a Rider-class servant but as a Lancer, he still possessed multiple Noble Phantasms.
[Kavacha and Kundala: O Sun, Become Armor]
This powerful defensive Noble Phantasm was fused with Karna's physical body and radiated the brilliance of the sun.
It was a golden armor and earrings granted by Surya in response to Kunti's plea to protect her son when she feared becoming an unwed mother. Because the armor was made of light itself, even the gods found it nearly impossible to destroy.
The armor drastically reduced all hostile interference—be it physical attacks, magecraft, curses, or any other concept—such that Karna only suffered one-tenth of the damage he would otherwise endure.
With this Noble Phantasm, Karna boasted the greatest physical defense in this Holy Grail War. With sufficient magical energy, he could even heal fatal wounds.
This rendered him nearly invincible.
His second Noble Phantasm was [Brahmastra: O Brahma, Cover the Earth], an Anti-Army weapon gifted to Karna by Parashurama, the Brahmin with the Axe.
Since Karna had manifested as a Lancer rather than an Archer, the divine bow had transformed into a divine spear. Even at rank A, it possessed enough offensive power to allow Karna, with his Strength rank of B, to pierce through Siegfried's Dragon-Blood Armor through sheer skill.
Finally, there was the ultimate strike that even Liyé viewed with apprehension: [Vasavi Shakti: O Sun, Abide by Death].
An EX-ranked Anti-Divine Noble Phantasm.
It was a single, overwhelming spear of light, capable of defeating even gods.
This thunderous spear of annihilation was bestowed upon Karna by Indra after he had taken Karna's golden armor. Indra, impressed by Karna's noble character, felt compelled to repay him with this weapon.
Vasavi Shakti manifested in exchange for Karna's golden armor, trading his immense defensive power for the ultimate Anti-Divine weapon.
The spear of light, uncontrollable even by the king of the gods, was stained with Karna's blood as it unleashed a single purifying strike. It obliterated all forms of defilement.
Its power was such that it could annihilate any single existence—be it living beings, inanimate objects, magical beasts, phantasmal beasts, divine beasts, humans, shields, armies, fortresses, barriers, or even gods. Nothing could withstand it.
The only thing capable of opposing it was the world itself. Neither gods nor anything else could destroy the world. Even if all things, including the gods, were annihilated, the world itself would persist. In other words, as long as something was protected by the concept of the "world," it could not be pierced.
But that was not a major concern—
Whether Karna currently had enough magical energy to unleash this ultimate strike remained uncertain. Furthermore—
Gazing at the Hanging Gardens, as if he could glimpse the goddess's beauty in battle, Alaric curled his lips into a faint smile.
"Tiamat is invincible."
...
While Alaric marveled at the goddess, Shirou, still standing at the edge of the Hanging Gardens, withdrew his gaze and activated a Command Spell once more.
"By the power of my Command Spell, Rider, kill that man—"
Through the connection with the Servants, Shirou's voice echoed in the ears of the Red Faction Servants. On the current battlefield, aside from Karna, who had been summoned away by a Command Spell, it was Achilles who received the latest order.
"Oh? Big sis?"
Amid his battle with his mentor, Achilles suddenly turned his head, gazing toward the area where the rain of light arrows fell. What was that aurora flickering in that region?
The torrent of light, akin to a Noble Phantasm, naturally entered Achilles' field of vision. However, the power displayed by the aurora posed no real threat to him.
Achilles, who possessed the "Small World Enclosing the Heavens (Achilles Cosmos)", comparable to "The Seven Rings that Cover the Fiery Heavens (Rho Aias)", could defend against Noble Phantasms targeting individuals, armies, fortresses, nations, or even gods. Yet, Achilles saw no reason to intercept this wave of light.
Not only Achilles, but even the great sage Chiron, who was battling him, stopped fighting after using his Clairvoyance to glimpse the figure who had unleashed the aurora.
Looking at his disciple, Chiron asked, "He isn't your Master on the Red side, is he?"
"Hm?"
Achilles, holding his spear, raised an eyebrow slightly and replied, "I don't know him. Isn't he one of yours?"
As he spoke, Achilles began to move.
Achilles, who only had C-rank Magic Resistance, did not possess the power to resist a Command Spell. Once Shirou used a Command Spell, Achilles' subsequent actions were already determined.
Looking at Chiron, his mentor, Achilles spoke as he walked, "Teacher, are you going to continue?"
Hearing this, Chiron, who had long since lowered his weapon, shook his head and replied, "Next time, I won't let you off."
After saying this, Chiron vanished into the forest under the night sky, sprinting toward the Yggdmillennia Castle.
Alaric's attack had too large an area of effect—so much so that even Chiron's Master, Fiore Forvedge, narrowly avoided being struck. This forced Chiron to abandon his fight with Achilles.
The Master's safety was of utmost importance.
Furthermore, there was the uncertainty surrounding Alaric's identity and origin. Although Chiron had numerous speculations in his heart, it was not the time to verify them now.
Of course, verifying this would not bring much benefit to Chiron anyway.
After confirming that Alaric was still alive, Chiron understood that this individual lacked the myths and legends that could reveal any weaknesses.
As Heroic Spirits, they were tied to countless legends, myths, and deeds. These tales granted them immense powers and abilities but also sealed their fates.
Their weaknesses were well-documented in the world. For example, the great Greek hero Heracles, died from the Hydra's poison—even as a Heroic Spirit, the Hydra's poison remained a deadly threat to him.
As the saying goes, "Blessings and curses come hand in hand."
Alaric, however, bore none of these weaknesses. After all, his journey had only just begun.
Watching Chiron leave, Achilles suddenly turned around and began heading toward the place where the aurora had burst forth.
Boom!
With just a running start, gales roared, causing the forest to tremble and sway.
Achilles' "Comet Form (Dromeus Cometes)"—a constantly active Noble Phantasm that activates when he dismounts from his Chariot—was now in full effect.
This Noble Phantasm, manifested from the legend of "The Fastest of All Heroes", granted Achilles unparalleled speed.
Though Achilles had to expose his vulnerable heel as his weakness, few Heroic Spirits could track his movements at full speed.
It was for this reason that Achilles was hailed as the fastest hero in human history.
His speed was unmatched by anyone!
Even on a battlefield as vast as this one, he could cross its entirety in an instant!
Due to his rapid movement, the shockwaves from repeatedly breaking the sound barrier formed ripples in the air that carved into the earth, radiating outward in all directions.
In the blink of an eye, Achilles crossed the entire battlefield and swung his spear at Alaric!
The spear strike, carried with godlike speed, possessed power rivaling that of a Noble Phantasm!
Buzz.
Almost simultaneously—perhaps even a fraction of a second earlier—the Gate of Judgment unfolded with the earth-shattering sound of destruction.
From hundreds of pitch-black portals, countless beams of light shot forth toward Achilles from all directions. Beneath his feet, steel-like chains surged from the earth, and the ominous Chains of Heaven, brimming with godly magical energy, sealed all possible escape routes.
No way up, no way down!
Relying on his instincts and the warning from his sharpened senses, Alaric had already prepared his response the moment Achilles began his charge!
This was a hero on par with Karna—there was no reason for Alaric to let his guard down!
"Impressive, huh? This guy!"
Achilles laughed heartily, his voice full of cheerful admiration. Though he paid no mind to the beams of light aiming for him, the magical chains did catch his attention.
But even these posed no real threat!
With his "Brave Hero's Undying Flower (Andreias Amarantos)", Achilles was invincible unless facing an opponent with divine attributes!
The storm-like winds did not stop as the heroic warrior, wielding his spear, instantly severed the false Chains of Heaven. Even with magical energy empowering them, they could not hold him back!
The oncoming beams of light were detonated in advance by his spear and the surrounding gales!
However, this action gave Alaric the opening he needed! Achilles was incredibly fast—even with preparations in place, Alaric barely managed to intercept him.
Truly worthy of the title of the fastest Heroic Spirit, but this did not change the tide of the battle!
With gemstone-like eyes, Alaric saw faint, almost nonexistent lines of death tracing Achilles' body. These lines flickered in and out of existence as if they weren't truly there.
Only the death line at Achilles' heel stood out clearly—vivid and unmistakable.
Achilles, blessed with immortality by his mother, the goddess Thetis, held a degree of invulnerability. Without divine attacks, his only weakness was his vulnerable heel.
Alaric, being a mortal, lacked divine attributes, and targeting Achilles' heel was no easy feat. After all, Achilles, as the fastest Heroic Spirit, was nearly impossible to hit without specialized Noble Phantasms that guaranteed accuracy.
But for Alaric, this was not a problem.
The Holy Lance Rhongomyniad fell into his hands. As an A++-rank star-forged weapon could completely bypass Achilles' Undying Flower defense.
Due to its A++ attribute, Achilles' defense could not provide any damage reduction against it!
The pitch-black aurora began to spiral up the holy lance, imbuing it with immense, unparalleled power.
With a simple, unadorned thrust, Alaric provoked Achilles into countering with his spear.
Clang!
The clash of the spear against the spear unleashed a massive shockwave, and for a brief moment, Achilles' expression showed surprise.
Indeed, Achilles, as a hero who could rival Karna, had earned the title of the fastest hero.
But in terms of pure strength, the victor was Alaric!
"Are you ready for this?"
Closing the distance, Alaric grinned at the legendary hero he was meeting for the first time. "You're going to die!"
"Hah! This won't be boring, then. What's your name?!"
Fired up, Achilles scanned the man before him and his strangely-shaped Holy Lance Rhongomyniad. Even without knowing its true name, he could sense the weapon's extraordinary nature.
"Knight of the Round Table—Alaric!"
Holding the holy lance in one hand, Alaric charged forward, his overwhelming fighting spirit burning like a raging inferno.
Unlike Servants, who required their Masters' mana to sustain their battles, Alaric, being alive, possessed the unique advantage of self-generated mana and the ability to utilize his abilities comprehensively.
While Alaric could not surpass or even match Achilles in every way—after all, Achilles was a legendary hero who could contend for the title of the strongest—he was no less formidable in this battle.
Although Alaric today can be ranked among the heroic figures of the Age of Gods, he still cannot compare to those who stood at the peak during their lifetimes. However, Alaric's advantage lies in his absolute freedom—he is unbound by the constraints of a Saint Graph and can fully unleash his power!
Not only that—
Splurt.
A spray of blood blossomed as the Chains of Heaven brushed past Achilles, leaving a faint wound on his shoulder like a razor-sharp blade.
In the instant he felt the pain, even Achilles was taken aback.
Something was wrong. For someone like Alaric, who lacked divinity, the only way to harm Achilles should have been through Noble Phantasms or similar means. But could these chains truly be considered Noble Phantasms?
Achilles glanced at the seemingly ordinary Chains of Heaven and immediately determined that they were mere magical projections.
The only variable was the magical energy light entwined around the Chains of Heaven, something akin to divine energy.
As someone who was also a hero of the Age of Gods—one who could even stand among the great Greek heroes—Achilles knew all too well what that magical energy signified. After all, he could wield divine energy in battle.
Pure magical energy comparable to divine energy could be considered an achievement in the use of magic.
To merely rely on magical energy and yet rival divine energy was not simply a matter of raw power—it was a force capable of countering mystery itself.
If such an attack could shatter the Unfading Flower, it was only natural.
These fleeting thoughts raced through Achilles' mind. While he was surprised by Alaric's pure magical energy, what he truly felt was a growing anticipation for the battle.
Merely obtaining the ability to injure him was still a far cry from defeating him!
Even if Alaric's attacks could meet the requirements to break the Unfading Flower, they would still need to surpass the level of Achilles' divinity to have any real effect; otherwise, their power would be proportionally diminished.
With his C-rank divinity, Achilles' Unfading Flower would reduce damage from D-rank attacks by 75% and E-rank attacks by 50%.
A storm of battle was surging, creating a terrifying spectacle that engulfed the entire battlefield.
Emerald-green winds raced ceaselessly across the plains, roaring like turbulent waves and unleashing storms in every direction.
And their only purpose was to disrupt the knight standing at the eye of the storm!
The knight, unmoving like a celestial anchor, calmly wielded his holy spear while tracking Achilles' figure. In the skies above, the countless Gates of Holy Judgment momentarily paused their volleys, continuously adjusting their aim to strike at Achilles' seemingly untrackable silhouette.
A long second passed, and then the knight finally moved. He transformed into a streak of aurora, chasing after the gale that always stayed ahead.
Countless steel dragons sealed off a hundred-meter radius, while the Gates of Holy Judgment fired once more, raining down beams of light like writs of indictment.
Clang! Clang!
With unparalleled speed and godlike martial prowess, Achilles destroyed every incoming Chain of Heaven. Avoiding the holy judgment, he launched a spear strike at Alaric that was as swift and violent as a whirlwind!
Even with magical energy enhancements, Achilles' raw strength still could not match Alaric's current state. But his speed was unmatched—so fast that Alaric could do little more than follow in his wake.
Combining his divine martial skill with his speed, Achilles' rapid spear thrusts layered upon one another like a towering wall, bearing down on Alaric with crushing force!
Even before the attacks landed, the wind pressure generated by the strikes was as sharp as blades, capable of piercing an ordinary human body!
Boom!
Guided by instinct, Alaric found the single genuine strike amidst the towering wall of spear attacks.
No matter how fast they were, they were still just fast. The true Meteor Spear was singular.
Within this apparent barrage of attacks, only the very first strike posed a real threat. After all, Achilles, unlike a spear master who had reached the domain of magic through pure skill, could not create a phenomenon of multi-dimensional refraction to produce multiple true Meteor Spears in a single moment.
As long as the initial strike was disrupted, the rest of the spear attacks were nothing but illusions.
Like a streak of aurora, the Rhongomyniad struck directly at the Meteor Spear, unleashing a power Achilles could not resist. The force was so immense that the Meteor Spear was knocked from his grasp!
Buzz.
The moment the Meteor Spear left his hand, numerous small Gates of Holy Judgment appeared around Achilles.
Splurt!
The judgments fired from these tiny openings left several wounds on Achilles' body, his crimson blood spraying like blooming flowers.
Even though Alaric couldn't catch up to Achilles, he was still able to block all of Achilles' attacks and even land counterstrikes, causing no small amount of damage.
But to Achilles, these were superficial wounds, not enough to hinder his movements!
"Got you!"
Alaric suddenly reached out, his fist wrapped in overwhelming magical energy, and swung it fiercely at Achilles!
At such close range—even Achilles couldn't completely evade!
"Don't be so sure!"
Achilles grinned. Even unarmed, he was no less formidable. Having been trained by the great sage Chiron, he possessed extraordinary close-combat skills. Furthermore, his countless battlefield experiences had honed his divine martial mastery to perfection.
But even with such confidence, Achilles felt a chilling sense of danger surged through his heart.
'Something's wrong!'
Urged by this sense of peril, Achilles abandoned the idea of directly countering the strike and instead withdrew. But it was too late!
Even though the punch didn't land directly on him, the fist's magical energy grazed him, and the resulting wind pressure left deep gashes across his body!
Boom!
With a single strike, the plains exploded violently!
Centered on Alaric, the plains within a range of tens or even hundreds of meters collapsed into countless fragments, which defied the laws of physics as they surged upward.
Amid the flying debris, Alaric and Achilles leaped and weaved through the air, using the fragments as footholds.
The steel dragons danced among the debris, leaving more wounds on Achilles as they struck!
Alaric relentlessly pursued Achilles' speedy form, as if determined to cut him down on the spot!
"Hey, hey, now, this is getting a bit ridiculous!"
Barely avoiding another devastating blow, Achilles was visibly stunned. He could see that this punch hadn't consumed much of Alaric's energy, nor did it seem to be a trump card like a Noble Phantasm.
Was this level of attack for real?
Achilles raised his hand to summon the Meteor Spear, which had been knocked away. Fighting Alaric without it was proving troublesome. He also noticed that Alaric wasn't just aiming for his heel—he was also targeting other seemingly insignificant parts of his body.
Although he couldn't determine Alaric's intentions, his warrior's instinct told him that he couldn't let Alarc succeed.
Every deliberate action had an impact. The places Alaric targeted weren't vital organs but rather inconsequential parts.
'It must be the effect of those mystic eyes—Eyes of Death Perception?'
Achilles began speculating about the power of Alaric's mystic eyes. From the beginning of their battle, Alaric had activated the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, and Achilles had naturally noticed their presence.
But with the protection of the Unfading Flower, he had dismissed the threat of this non-divine ability. Yet, judging from Alaric's actions, it seemed the Mystic Eyes could indeed influence the battle.
This meant Achilles could no longer ignore those eyes.
The wild winds and flying debris harmonized into the symphony of a hunt, but even this couldn't stop the dialogue of the heroes.
"What are your eyes?"
As he recalled the Meteor Spear, Achilles laughed while weaving through the debris. "Care to tell me?"
Buzz.
The comet spear, like a flash of emerald lightning, was about to streak past Alaric's side and return to Achilles.
But—
Clang.
The Chains of Heaven, already anticipating this, shifted their target, forcing the comet spear to pause for a split second. And it was at that very moment that a large hand firmly grasped the spear.
Clack.
"Is your spear just like you?"
Alaric, who had intercepted the comet spear with overwhelming force, gripped it tightly in one hand. With just a glance at the spear's body, he located the lines of death on it.
The comet spear was a gift from the great sage Chiron during the wedding of Achilles' parents. Its material was the same as that of Chiron's bow and arrows.
Not only that, but the comet spear could also create a domain specifically for one-on-one duels between heroes—a grand magecraft capable of rivaling a Reality Marble.
However, because Achilles was not summoned in the Lancer class, he lacked some abilities, such as the curse of wounds that could not be healed.
Furthermore, aside from the effects corresponding to its Noble Phantasm, the comet spear did not possess any indestructible properties. Thus, there was no guarantee that it could not be destroyed.
But—
"Forget it. Take it back."
Alaric released his grip on the comet spear, allowing it to return to Achilles' hands.
"Oh? You were about to destroy my Noble Phantasm just now. Why didn't you do it?"
Achilles, now holding the comet spear again, raised an eyebrow and asked, "I could tell—you could destroy my comet spear. So why didn't you?"
Achilles had observed all of Alaric's actions just now. With his sharp observational skills, it wasn't hard for Achilles to notice that after glancing at the comet spear, Alaric had adjusted his fingers, as if he had located a fatal weak point capable of destroying the weapon.
Combined with Alaric's repeated adjustments to his attack positions earlier, Achilles concluded that Alaric likely possessed Mystic Eyes of Death Perception.
The initially presumed Mystic Eyes of Life could not perceive the weak points of non-living objects. If that were the case, Alaric would not have been able to destroy the comet spear using his Mystic Eyes. However, the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception could achieve this.
"Someone's coming."
As the aurora surged, the scattered rubble around Alaric was completely obliterated. And in the newly exposed field of vision—
A fully armed girl named Mordred pointed her blade at him.