Rustle.
The sound of soles grinding against fine sand was left far behind, and the breeze stirred by his running lifted his unkempt, shoulder-length short hair.
The butler's outfit, now fitting snugly, began soaking with sweat. Those limbs, once frail and delicate, were now bursting with unprecedented strength.
Since his birth, the boy had never run like this before.
Not only because he never had the opportunity, but more significantly, because his body couldn't sustain such exertion. As a homunculus, he was never meant to be perfect.
Even though the same technology was used, Yggdmillennia's homunculi were far from the works of art produced by the Einzberns. The homunculi born in their workshops were all flawed, with most unable to even survive outside their nutrient tanks.
Their organs, the basic foundation of life, were underdeveloped, designed solely for generating magical energy.
The boy, however, was an exception. Though emaciated, he was capable of surviving in the outside world. His aptitude for magic was even comparable to Yggdmillennia's patriarch, Darnic.
Furthermore, after receiving Siegfried's dragon heart, the boy's body matured and was further strengthened, allowing him to live as an ordinary human.
The problem of a homunculus's short lifespan was no longer an obstacle for the boy. What awaited him should have been a bright and ordinary human life.
But the boy had not given up on his kin. Long ago, when confronted by Alaric, he had given his answer:
"I want to save my fellow homunculi with my own hands."
With this belief in his heart, he delivered on that promise.
During the great battle between the black and red factions, the boy successfully liberated his kin trapped in the workshop, which consequently led to a decline in the magical energy supply for the black faction's Servants.
But that was a matter for later. After rescuing his fellow homunculi, the boy witnessed the fall of the knight.
To the boy, that knight was like a benefactor.
The knight who had taken him out of the castle, the knight who had promised to save him...
He couldn't just stand by and watch him die.
With that thought in mind, the boy unhesitatingly began running, putting everything on the line as he charged into the battlefield of no return.
At one point, the clash between Alaric and Achilles nearly swept the boy into its chaos. The pressure of Achilles's movements cut into the boy's body like blades, leaving him with numerous bloody gashes.
Alaric's terrifying attack raised a towering wall of earth before the boy, making it seem as though the very ground itself had risen to block his path.
Even so, the boy did not stop. He continued searching for an opportunity, trying to find the fallen Astolfo.
This desperate effort was interrupted by Mordred's arrival. To forcefully repel Mordred, someone gathered tens of tons of earth, transforming it into a driving force.
The power of this strike was the pinnacle of what the battlefield could witness.
Mordred could not withstand the blow. As the force tore through her, the heavy armor covering her entire body shattered, exposing her slender frame.
The raging wind that followed blinded the boy, forcing him to raise his hand to shield his fragile eyes from the flying debris.
It was a storm-like spectacle. When the winds finally subsided, the boy saw the man standing amidst the ruined earth.
His pure white hair was tied into a ponytail, and beneath his black, form-fitting short-sleeve shirt was a robust and muscular body. The mere sight of him conveyed an overwhelming sense of power.
His cold, pale skin was streaked with traces of blood, adding a chillingly fearsome air to his already stern expression.
It was this man who had punched Mordred away.
Such thoughts stirred in the boy's mind.
The boy, of course, knew who the man was. To him, that man was as much of a benefactor as Astolfo.
And the moment Alaric's gaze fell upon the boy, the boy gathered his courage and shouted:
"My name is Sieg! I have been reborn in the name of the hero Siegfried!"
"Next time we meet, I hope you will tell me your name!"
The words from the previous night echoed within Sieg's heart. He wanted to tell Alaric the name that now belonged to him — to honor the hero Siegfried and to affirm his own rebirth.
"Sieg. That's a good name."
Hearing Sieg's introduction from afar, Alaric smiled faintly. However, he didn't engage in a battlefield conversation with Sieg. Instead, Alaric directly asked:
"But now isn't the time for catching up, Sieg. What are you planning to do?"
"Can you tell me where Astolfo is?" Sieg asked nervously. He had witnessed the earlier battle and wondered if something had already happened to Astolfo.
"They're already here."
Without paying further attention to Sieg, Alaric turned his gaze to the other side, where the girl named Frankenstein stood, with Astolfo behind her yelling incessantly.
"No, no, no! You can't go over there right now, ahhhh!"
Astolfo desperately pulled at Frankenstein, trying to stop her from what seemed like a suicidal move. The scale of the battle between Alaric and Achilles was at its peak, far beyond what they could interfere with.
But the frenzied girl couldn't be reasoned with.
Even the Master in the castle had lost their composure due to Alaric's sudden attack, completely failing to notice the mental instability of their Servant.
All these factors compounded into the scene before them: Alaric, Achilles, and the others noticed Frankenstein and Astolfo entering the battlefield.
Meanwhile, Mordred, who had been struck by Alaric earlier, was still lying on the ground, unable to recover from her injuries.
"Oh? The Black Rider and Black Berserker?"
Achilles, carrying his meteor spear, raised an eyebrow. Though the Command Spells were forcing him to fight Alaric, it wasn't impossible to restrain himself. Having fought Alaric for so long, the spell's effect had weakened.
This allowed Achilles to halt his attacks and stop engaging with Alaric.
"Oh no, the Red Rider?"
Dragged onto the battlefield by Frankenstein, Astolfo immediately spotted Achilles and Alaric. His mouth dropped open, and he cried out in dismay:
"You can't be serious!"
There was no escape now — this was the only thought in Astolfo's mind.
After Alaric killed his phantom steed, Astolfo lost his strongest weapon. His Noble Phantasms — La Black Luna, Universal Magic Guide, and Trap of Argalia — had little offensive power.
Against close-combat specialists like Alaric or Achilles, they were completely ineffective.
Although Astolfo could use his Magic Book to defend against Alaric's Gate of Judgment, he was utterly powerless against other physical attacks, let alone countering them.
In the end, Astolfo was not a first-rate Servant. His abilities were undoubtedly second-rate.
However, the diversity of his Noble Phantasms made him somewhat useful in battle. But when faced with Saber-class enemies, the overwhelming difference in strength would inevitably lead to his defeat.
And now, without a doubt, this was one of those situations where he would be crushed.
Astolfo only wanted to run, but Frankenstein wouldn't listen to him at all. And then —
"Why are YOU here too?!"
Upon seeing Sieg, Astolfo let out another wail. How could they possibly escape now?
"Rider?"
Finally spotting Astolfo, Sieg didn't have time to say anything before Frankenstein's hoarse roar became the battlefield's only sound.
"!"
Carrying Bridal Chest, Frankenstein's body erupted with lightning. The surging arcs of electricity greatly enhanced her fragile body, propelling her at high speed toward Alaric.
Before even approaching, the high temperature generated by the electric arcs distorted the air around Alaric, as if waves of heat were surging forth.
Faced with Frankenstein's assault, Alaric paid little attention to it. Instead, he tilted his head slightly, glancing in the direction from which Astolfo and Frankenstein had come.
The saintly maiden known as Jeanne d'Arc was on her way.
As the Ruler of this Holy Grail War, Jeanne not only acted to maintain the rules of the conflict but was also a formidable force in her own right.
Though not on par with heroic figures like Karna, she was still a top-tier Servant of the next level.
Moreover, Jeanne possessed Command Spells capable of forcibly uniting Servants from both the Black and Red factions. If Jeanne were to turn hostile toward Alaric, it was highly likely she could rally both factions' Servants to besiege him.
Alaric, however, did not seem overly concerned about this. It wasn't just confidence in himself—there was also his faith in Tiamat. But—
Step. Step.
Taking two steps forward, he ignored the greenish-blue lightning. The surging current, which could reduce a human body to charcoal, coursed over his body but failed to penetrate his flesh.
Without even using magical energy, he relied solely on his physical body to withstand the electric current as if it were nothing.
His arm shot out like a dragon. Between his suddenly spread fingers, the lightning flowed through the gaps but left no trace behind.
What seemed like a mere passable strike to Achilles was, in Frankenstein's eyes, an unavoidable, certain hit. Even as she intensified the release of electricity, she couldn't stop Alaric's hand from engulfing her entire field of vision!
Smack.
Alaric's single hand gripped Frankenstein by the throat, lifting her off the ground. The Bridal Chest she held in her hands was tightly bound by the Chains of Heaven, which extended layer upon layer from the void.
As a Servant, Frankenstein was simply too weak—so weak that she could only act as a low-tier Servant in this Holy Grail War. Her only highlight was her Bridal Chest, which was almost like a second-class perpetual motion machine.
Other than that, there was nothing about her that could attract Alaric's attention.
Just as Alaric seized Frankenstein, a clear, lively voice rang out:
"Trap of Argalia!"
Astolfo, wielding a golden spear, charged forward, using Frankenstein's figure as cover to thrust his spear at Alaric!
Momentarily distracted by the bright, gender-neutral voice, Alaric glanced at the androgynous-looking young man approaching.
Astolfo—the twelfth Paladin of Charlemagne, son of Duke Aymon of England, and a future heir to the throne. Despite his beauty, which was beloved by all the Paladins, he was considered the weakest among them in terms of combat ability.
The spear he carried was a specialized lance with a conical shape, designed for mounted combat. It was originally the lance of the knight Argalia from Cathay. This golden spear had the magical ability to knock down anyone it touched.
Argalia had used this lance to defeat all knights of his level in jousting tournaments, including Astolfo. However, one knight, after being unseated, refused to surrender and instead drew his sword. Forced into a sword fight, Argalia was ultimately defeated and fled.
Argalia had over-relied on the power of the spear, so when defeated, he made a vow to offer his sister Angelica to the victor. Realizing her brother's predicament, Angelica disappeared, and during the ensuing chaos, Astolfo borrowed Argalia's spear in his usual carefree manner, saying: "Oh, there's a spear here!"
Naturally, Astolfo went on to win numerous jousting tournaments with the lance, which explained why he retained it as a Noble Phantasm when summoned as a Servant.
A fleeting memory of this spear flashed through Alaric's mind, but he chose not to clash directly with it. Instead, he used Projection Magecraft to construct the Chains of Heaven to restrain Astolfo's movements.
The pitch-black Chains of Heaven shot out from the void, rushing toward Astolfo—only to be intercepted at his surface and dissolve into specks of light.
"Luna Break Manual!"
Astolfo shouted the nonsensical name of the Noble Phantasm while holding the golden spear in one hand and a magical tome in the other, continuing his charge. This caused Alaric to raise his eyebrows slightly.
The magic tome in Astolfo's hand was undoubtedly a Noble Phantasm, and Alaric knew a bit about it.
It was a magical text granted to Astolfo by the witch Logistilla. The tome contained instructions for breaking all forms of magic. As a passive Noble Phantasm, simply holding it bestowed Astolfo with A-rank Magic Resistance.
By invoking its True Name and deciphering its contents, it could potentially break even Reality Marbles or grand-scale magic. However, Astolfo had entirely forgotten its True Name and had given it the random name Luna Break Manual. Only on a crescent moon night could he recall its true identity.
Against Astolfo, who possessed A-rank Magic Resistance, the Chains of Heaven constructed with Projection Magecraft were utterly ineffective.
This highlighted why magi found it so difficult to deal with Servants who possessed high levels of Magic Resistance, such as Saber or Lancer.
But—
'Indeed, these superficial chains created by Projection Magecraft are useless against your A-rank Magic Resistance. But if you think I rely solely on Projection Magecraft, you're mistaken.'
The corners of Alaric's mouth curved upward. In an instant, he restructured the Chains of Heaven, abandoning the Projection Magic foundation and instead generating them purely from magical energy. To Alaric, Projection Magecraft was merely a convenient tool—it was far from being his only means of constructing weapons or launching attacks.
The transformation of the Chains of Heaven went unnoticed by Astolfo. What he did notice was that the black chains now ignored his A-rank Magic Resistance, slithering like serpents to bind his limbs. They snaked under his arms, across his chest, around his neck, and behind his back, even restraining his hands holding the Noble Phantasm, forcing them above his head.
From his waist, the chains coiled downward, encircling his legs clad in black thigh-high socks, leaving visible marks on his delicate skin.
Finally, the Chains of Heaven hoisted Astolfo into the air.
"Eh?! Eh?! Ehhhh?!"
Astolfo, utterly baffled as to why the chains, which had no effect earlier, were now able to restrain him, looked anxious and flustered.
If the chains had simply ignored his Magic Resistance, that would have been one thing. But why had they suddenly become effective after proving useless? Why?!
Astolfo couldn't comprehend it at all. Furthermore—
Struggling against the Chains of Heaven, Astolfo twisted his slender body, which, despite being as delicate as a maiden's, lacked the strength to break free. Even with his C-rank monstrous strength, he couldn't escape.
The harder he struggled, the tighter the chains became. The constriction grew more intense, causing Astolfo to feel increasingly uncomfortable. A faint blush spread across his cheeks.
"Rider!"
Seeing this, Sieg couldn't stand idly by any longer. He rushed forward, intent on rescuing Astolfo. But Alaric wasn't about to give him the chance.
"Sieg, if you're determined to save him, then prepare to fight me. You will die."
Alaric turned his gaze to Sieg. To fill the Greater Grail with magical energy, the souls of Servants were necessary. Thus, most of the Servants from both factions couldn't survive.
The Red Berserker Spartacus, the Black Assassin Jack the Ripper, and the Black Saber Siegfried had already been eliminated. If Alaric could deal with Achilles, Astolfo, and Frankenstein, that would make three more Servants gone.
The resulting magical energy would be more than sufficient—nearly reaching the standard completion level of an ordinary Holy Grail War, which only required the souls of seven Servants.
Sieg, unaware of Alaric's thoughts, hesitated in the face of the cold warning. He stopped in his tracks, staring at the bound Astolfo. Uncertainty clouded his mind.
Was it fear? Or simply an inability to decide?
"Is that how it is?"
Sieg recalled the warning from the previous night—"The power to participate in this war, and the immense obstacles standing before you."
He had already been aware of it.
Gaining strength, facing obstacles.
What exactly was strength? Sieg still didn't understand even now, but he could sense the immense power coursing through his body—a trace left behind by the hero known as Siegfried.
And the obstacle—
If this was the obstacle Sieg would have to face, then—
"I will defeat you and save Rider!"
Sieg, with empty hands, began to show a more mature resolve in his gaze. "If you fail, I ask you to spare Rider!"
"You'll die—"
Hearing Sieg's declaration, Alaric's expression remained largely unchanged, though the corners of his lips curled slightly. "Sieg, are you not afraid of death?"
Before the words were fully spoken, arrows rained down from the sky—not from Atalanta's bow, but from Chiron, the great sage, launching a long-range strike!
Even a strike imbued with divine energy would injure someone like Alaric!
"Is it the teacher again?"
Achilles looked up, watching the rain of arrows fly over his head. However, this time, he was not within the range of attack.
As an outsider to the scene, Achilles seemed more interested in seeing what kind of drama would unfold between Alaric and the others.
As for the task entrusted to him by Shirou, Achilles wasn't in a hurry. After all, the battles wouldn't end any time soon.
Alaric, however, looked at the rain of arrows. Only a few were aimed at him; most of them were locked onto—
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The arrows descended and shattered the Chains of Heaven that had restrained Frankenstein and Astolfo, allowing the two Servants to regain their freedom.
Astolfo, still shaken, didn't even have time to say anything before Frankenstein charged toward Alaric to continue her attack!
As for the reason for the battle, Frankenstein no longer understood. Was it the illusions that kept appearing before her, or the orders of her Master?
Frankenstein, who shouldn't have come to this battlefield, had been drawn here by those inexplicable illusions, her restless, frenzied heart unable to find peace.
She needed to vent—
Faced with Frankenstein's attack once more, Alaric, no longer holding back, used his hand as a blade and, in full view of Astolfo and Sieg, pierced through Frankenstein's chest.
Splurt.
Scarlet blood bloomed like a flower, staining her pure white dress.
"Grrr!!"
Even with her chest pierced, Frankenstein hadn't completely died. She roared, clutching Alaric's arm tightly.
Far away in the castle, Frankenstein's Master—Caules Forvedge—finally sensed her will at this moment.
The resolve to eliminate the threat that was Alaric.
Because of the earlier sudden disaster, Caules had been too flustered trying to protect his sister, Fiore Forvedge, and had failed to notice Frankenstein's rampage, let alone the dire situation they were now in.
But when faced with Frankenstein's determination, he couldn't entirely ignore it.
This wasn't just a mindless rampage but a genuine decision born of her thoughts—
"By the Command Seal, I order you, Berserker, to release your Noble Phantasm;
By the Command Seal, I order you again, Berserker, to achieve victory!"
"Blasted Tree!"
The monster girl known as Frankenstein clung tightly to Alaric's arm, preventing him from escaping or avoiding the Noble Phantasm's range.
With all her restraints removed, she released the entirety of her electric energy in one explosive burst!
Crackle.
Green lightning erupted from Frankenstein, exploding outward.
The towering tree of lightning illuminated the entire night sky—a brilliant, fleeting light, like a flower blooming for but a moment.
The lightning's explosion engulfed not only Alaric but also Sieg and Astolfo, who had been trying to approach.
But—
"Watch out!"
Sieg rushed forward, using his own body as a shield to protect Astolfo.
Boom!
When the explosion subsided, a deep crater several meters wide appeared in the ground. From within it, a heavily injured but still-standing Alaric emerged.
A B+-rank Anti-Army Noble Phantasm was not something even Alaric could take lightly.
However, as he stepped forward and took a breath, the wounds inflicted by Frankenstein began to vanish within seconds.
It was as if they had never existed.
Taking the damage was one thing, but recovering from it was another.
Twisting his neck, Alaric quickly spotted Sieg, whose back was charred, and Astolfo, who had suffered only minor injuries.
Focusing on the green energy dots glowing on Sieg's body, Alaric rubbed his chin and muttered, "Strange. Why can't I do that?"
Had Sieg, an ordinary human, died under the effects of Frankenstein's Noble Phantasm?
The answer was no. Not only was Sieg still alive, but in Alaric's eyes, he had also gained something new.
The Blasted Tree unleashed by Frankenstein had been a Noble Phantasm activated at the cost of her own life. After its release, fragments of her heart (a perpetual motion machine) had a certain probability of embedding themselves in another body, potentially creating a second Frankenstein.
Alaric had been wondering if he could obtain this for himself.
It seemed that wasn't possible. Still, if Sieg did have this, it could prove quite entertaining.
What kind of wish had the girl named Frankenstein harbored at the end of her second life?
Her lingering thoughts would now be entrusted to—
Pinned beneath Sieg, Astolfo quickly scrambled to check Sieg's condition, ignoring Alaric completely. His voice trembled as he said, "Hey, hey, hey! Don't die on me!"
In his current state of mental instability, Astolfo was acting entirely on emotion. But as for Sieg, his intended target—
"Sieg?!"
A distant voice, filled with shock, rang out. The late-arriving Jeanne d'Arc immediately spotted the gravely injured Sieg.
Jeanne hurried to check Sieg's condition. After confirming that his life was not in danger, she finally relaxed, as did Astolfo.
Afterward, Jeanne stood up and turned her gaze toward Alaric and Achilles, who were standing in the distance. Recognizing Achilles as the Red Rider, she turned to Alaric and demanded, "Explain the actions of Tiamat and the current situation."
The magical energy waves from Tiamat's battle in the Hanging Gardens could not escape Jeanne's notice.
Tiamat's involvement was secondary, but the Sea of Life and the presence of the Red Master in the Gardens were matters Jeanne could not overlook.
For the Holy Grail War, the irregular existence of Tiamat was a violation of order, and as the Ruler, Jeanne was duty-bound to resolve it.
But now Jeanne was more interested in learning about the Red Faction's Master.
If she hadn't misread the situation, Alaric had come down from the Hanging Gardens, which meant he must have been in contact with the Red Faction's Master.
Jeanne should be able to obtain relevant information from Alaric.
"This is a secret, you know. It's not yet time for you to find out."
Seeing Jeanne enter, Alaric no longer had the intention to fight. He glanced at the distant Hanging Gardens and the castle of Yggdmillennia. With a slight smile, he said, "Or rather, you'll soon find out. You and Kotomine Shirou should both take your seats as losers and watch this final performance unfold."
With that, before Jeanne could fully understand the meaning behind Alaric's words, she noticed a purple pillar of light descending from the skies above the Hanging Gardens, enveloping the Greater Grail, now exposed to the outside world.
Within that pillar of light, gravity itself seemed to be disrupted, and the object known as the Greater Grail was lifted into the skies!
"The Greater Grail?!"
The moment Jeanne saw the Greater Grail, her expression changed slightly. The Greater Grail being in the possession of the Yggdmillennia clan already disrupted the rules of the Holy Grail War. And now, it had been taken by the Red Faction—
With that thought, Jeanne immediately understood why Tiamat had entered the Hanging Gardens. She exclaimed, "You planned all of this for this very moment?!"
Gazing at the Greater Grail as it slowly ascended into the Hanging Gardens, Jeanne noticed that a few individuals had taken the opportunity to board the aerial platform. However, this was of no concern.
The things that existed in the Gardens now were not so simple.
"I'm going to claim my victory."
Before his words had fully settled, Alaric unfolded wings of steel behind him. Without saying another word to Jeanne, he glanced briefly at the still-unconscious Sieg before decisively transforming into a beam of light and darting toward the Hanging Gardens.
This action, however, made it impossible for Achilles to remain still. Laughing loudly, he said, "Looks like things are about to get interesting!"
As a Servant of the Red Faction, Achilles naturally wouldn't let Alaric enter the Hanging Gardens so easily!