Noble Phantasm: [Crown · Light of Wisdom (Golem Kether Malchut)]
The Noble Phantasm of the Black Caster, Avicebron.
This is not something forged during his lifetime; rather, it is a crystallization of his boundless dreams, transformed into a Noble Phantasm. It is a Reality Marble that mimics the "First Human (Adam)", endowed with life.
Apart from its inherent strength and potential for growth, this Noble Phantasm requires a specific entity to act as its core—a "furnace" to power it.
If the core is a skilled magus or someone with exceptional magical circuits, the golem's strength will also increase. However, Servants are generally unsuitable for this purpose.
This is because, for the Noble Phantasm to fulfill its original purpose—creating paradise—it must remain in the world for an extended period. If a Servant is used, the magical circuits integrated into the golem will vanish the moment the Servant is destroyed.
That said, if the purpose shifts to a temporary but immensely powerful combat force, using a Servant as the core is theoretically viable. However, Avicebron considers this kind of "temporary use" to be blasphemous and would never approve of it.
Of course, this concern does not trouble Kotomine Shirou. His only objective is to prevent potential interference by Jeanne d'Arc.
As for the conditions to complete the Noble Phantasm, Avicebron has his plans.
At the moment when Avicebron and Kotomine Shirou reached an agreement, Roche Frain Yggdmillennia—who had been following Avicebron all along—voiced his confusion.
"Teacher, what do you mean?"
Roche Frain Yggdmillennia, though only thirteen years old, is a renowned golem user. He respects Avicebron, another golem user, as a mentor and senior. Their relationship is closer to that of teacher and student than Master and Servant.
Thus, Roche could not understand—
Why would Avicebron abandon him, his own Master?
Before Roche could react, a golem rose from behind and restrained him. It clamped down on his hands and covered his arms, eyes, nose, and mouth like liquid.
With his senses blocked and his movements restricted, Roche could neither use magecraft nor Command Spells. At this moment, he was as helpless as a lamb being led to slaughter.
From Avicebron's perspective, the core of the furnace not only needs to meet strict quality requirements but also must be suitably compatible. Ideally, the mental structure of the core should resemble that of the golem's creator—in other words, someone mentally similar to Avicebron himself.
In the Yggdmillennia faction, no one is more suitable for this role than Roche Frain Yggdmillennia, Avicebron's own Master.
Once the transfer of Mastership was complete and Avicebron officially became a Servant of the Red Faction, he prepared to leave.
However—
"By the power of a Command Spell, I order you, Avicebron: after completing your Noble Phantasm, stand by and refrain from taking any further action. Wait for the growth of the Noble Phantasm."
To ensure that Avicebron would not act recklessly, Shirou decisively used a Command Spell to impose restrictions.
Avicebron paused for a moment but paid no further attention to Shirou.
To him, nothing else mattered; all that mattered was the completion of his Noble Phantasm.
If he had not formed a contract with Sirou, he would not have been able to succeed even if Roche had been used as the core. Without the ability for Independent Action, Avicebron would have quickly vanished after severing his connection to Roche.
He needed a new Master—
Watching Avicebron leave, Shirou let out a sigh of relief and turned to Karna, saying:
"I'll leave Ruler to you. Make sure she doesn't encounter Caster."
Now that Semiramis was gone, Shirou could no longer conceal Jeanne's presence. However, he could have Karna delay her long enough.
Unless Jeanne used her Command Spells as a Ruler, it would be impossible for her to bypass Karna.
Furthermore, given the current urgency of the situation, Shirou believed that not only Jeanne but even the Black and Red factions—and perhaps even the Mage's Association—would not stand idly by.
The devastation caused by the aurora's expansion, which had carved out tens of thousands of square meters of land, was escalating. What had started as a mere encroachment was now outright plundering.
The crater-like gouge in the earth was spreading outwards from the aurora's center, even burrowing deeper underground.
It was as if the aurora sought to emulate the final dragon by hollowing out the inner layers of the planet.
If this continued, the resulting damage would be nothing short of a natural disaster.
Shirou was confident that even the Mage's Association would intervene if this persisted. The arrival of the Red Saber and her Master, Kairi Shishigou, was proof enough of this. After all, Kairi was a Magus hired by the Mage's Association.
"No problem," Karna said with his usual calm demeanor. "I will stop Ruler."
Though Shirou was not Karna's original Master and had seized Mastership through illegitimate means, Karna still acknowledged him.
Or rather, Karna was indifferent to whom he served.
After Karna vanished into spirit form, Shirou turned to the silent Atalanta by his side. Achilles had earlier left on his own to converse with Chiron.
Now, with Karna gone, only Atalanta remained by Shirou's side.
Noticing Shirou's gaze, Atalanta glanced sideways and asked, "What is it that you want?"
"There's a small matter I'd like you to handle—"
Meanwhile—
In Yggdmillennia's castle, Gordes had gathered all the homunculi and stabilized their fragile lives. He immediately began constructing a new mana supply line.
This time, not only the Black Servants but also Red Servants like Karna, Achilles, and Atalanta were included.
Karna and Achilles, in particular, were Servants of the highest caliber even in their normal states. With sufficient mana, they could unleash their full strength.
At that point, even Vlad III, once the pinnacle of the Black faction, would not be able to match them.
Although he had never been able to do so in the first place.
While Gordes worked tirelessly, Fiore Forvedge Yggdmillennia sat in her wheelchair with her brother, Caules, observing their visitor chatting with Chiron.
At this moment, they learned the true name of this hero—Achilles, the great hero, and Chiron's disciple.
Chiron and Achilles discussed not only their pasts and personal wishes but also analyzed information about their only remaining enemy. Both of them had prior encounters with Alaric.
"That goddess has seized the Hanging Gardens. Storming that fortress will be no easy feat," Chiron remarked.
He recalled Shirou's earlier words. Not only had Assassin been taken, but the Noble Phantasm Hanging Gardens of Babylon had also fallen under the control of Alaric's Servants.
Moreover, the goddess had descended into the Gardens, creating an incredibly strong force.
Shirou had revealed the goddess's true name—Tiamat.
The primordial mother, the creator goddess Tiamat.
Despite differences in mythology and culture, both Chiron and Achilles understood the immense power of this goddess.
Faced with this goddess's descent, Alaric's Servants, numerous magical beasts, and the entire Hanging Gardens, even Chiron found the situation daunting, let alone Achilles.
After learning of the Gardens' situation, Achilles abandoned his earlier plan to storm them and instead regrouped with Shirou and the others.
Ultimately, they accepted Jeanne's mediation and chose to join forces against their common enemy.
"How do you plan to enter that Garden?" Achilles asked, pointing to the distant fortress.
Because of Tiamat's actions, the Gardens had stopped several kilometers away, but if the aurora's expansion continued, the castle itself would be in grave danger.
From Achilles' perspective, aside from Astolfo, who is also a Rider, the Black Faction does not seem to have any Servants capable of flying.
"Please rest assured, we are working on resolving this issue," Fiore Forvedge said with a smile. "It shouldn't take much longer."
"Oh! Teacher, if there's no other way, I can carry you up!" Achilles grinned and gave a thumbs-up to his teacher, Chiron.
Seeing this, Chiron, fully aware of Achilles' growth, smiled faintly and said, "I look forward to that day."
Meanwhile, Jeanne d'Arc, who had been allowing both the Red and Black Factions time to prepare, noticed Karna approaching as well as Avicebron leaving his workshop. She sensed that something was afoot but could not yet draw any conclusions.
On another matter—
Jeanne looked into the distance, her expression uncertain. A Chevrolet Corvette was speeding across the battlefield toward the castle at full throttle.
What surprised Jeanne even more was the driver of the car — Mordred, the Knight of the Round Table! She was the final Servant of the Red Faction, the Saber of Red.
A few minutes later, when Mordred brought the car to a halt and joined her Master, Kairi Shishigou, to meet with Jeanne, she explained the Mage's Association's stance on the conflict:
They supported eliminating those who had seized the Holy Grail.
As for assistance, since it was impossible to prepare anything capable of countering the fortress-like Hanging Gardens in a short period, the Mage's Association decided to collaborate with Romania's national forces to provide technological aids such as fighter jets.
Hearing this, Jeanne breathed a sigh of relief. After all, figuring out how to infiltrate the Hanging Gardens had been a nagging concern for her, and now it seemed to be resolved.
After an excited Mordred charged into the castle to explore, Jeanne finally had the time to address Sieg.
However, before she could speak, Sieg, sensing her intentions, interrupted her.
"Please, Ruler, do not stop me. I am now a Master, a participant in this war. I have the right to remain here." Sieg slowly raised his hand, and the crimson Command Seals on it declared his identity.
"Master?" Jeanne was stunned at the sight of the Command Seals. She immediately turned to Astolfo and asked, "Rider, have you become Sieg's Servant?"
"Well, my Master died, after all," Astolfo said with a shrug and a cheerful smile. "I could survive for two days on my own, but Sieg didn't want that."
Seeing Sieg's firm attitude and the undeniable evidence of his status as a Master, Jeanne had no choice but to abandon her attempts to persuade him. "Please take care of yourself," she said.
Now that Sieg had become a Master, Jeanne knew it would be improper for her to provide him with too much assistance. Such actions would violate the rules, and as the Ruler, her priority was to maintain the integrity of the Holy Grail War.
At the same time, by the lake outside Yggdmillennia's stronghold, Avicebron finally cast the opening stone. His creation, the giant imbued with the homunculus Roche Frain's magical circuits, began to take form. As Roche's consciousness merged with the giant, the long-prepared barrier was finally activated.
The Noble Phantasm Golem Kether Malchut was now in motion. With the revival of the giant, a new paradise had begun to take shape.
The emergence of the giant immediately caught Jeanne's attention. But—
"You cannot stop this, Ruler," Karna said, stepping in front of Jeanne with his divine spear in hand. His expression was calm as he relayed Shirou Kotomine's reasoning.
"Caster's Noble Phantasm is the key to countering the goddess Tiamat. The paradise it creates, along with the Sea of Life, is our best chance to go on the offensive.
If you abandon this Noble Phantasm, you are abandoning victory. Will you persist, Ruler?"
Shirou Kotomine had carefully crafted this argument for Karna to use against Jeanne. While Karna had little interest in rhetorical tactics, he dutifully conveyed Shirou's message.
For Jeanne, as the Ruler, this was an effective strategy. Shirou understood that while confrontation had been his approach before, a well-reasoned argument could now achieve his goals without conflict.
Jeanne fell silent, contemplating Karna's words. Having previously entered the Hanging Gardens, she had witnessed the terrifying power of the Sea of Life, a substance no Servant could safely touch. However, to allow Caster's Noble Phantasm to grow unchecked would be to create another threat.
After much deliberation, Jeanne finally agreed. Karna's argument was persuasive, especially given the need to counter the divine entity that had overtaken the Hanging Gardens.
With preparations on all sides nearing completion, the reconstruction of the homunculus mana supply system was successfully achieved under Gordes' relentless efforts. Fiore Forvedge also used Yggdmillennia's vast financial resources to secure an airport, where Romanian fighter jets and jetliners could be stationed.
Mordred, with her B-rank Riding skill, eagerly claimed a MiG-21 LanceR fighter jet. However, dissatisfied with the "Lance" designation, she used spray paint to rename it "Saber."
Chiron, Jeanne, and Atalanta boarded larger passenger planes, while multiple fighter jets drew the firepower of the Hanging Gardens' defenses. Achilles, Karna, and Astolfo, who all possessed the ability to fly, entered the Gardens directly. Astolfo, however, still struggled to unlock the full potential of his Noble Phantasm Luna Break Manual, as it required the moon's full light.
Meanwhile, Avicebron's giant continued its ascent—
"Wow! This is amazing!" Astolfo exclaimed as he circled the massive construct on his summoned hippogriff. "Master! Master! Look at that!"
Sieg, holding onto Astolfo's slender waist, braced against the fierce wind as he gazed at the enormous figure in the distance.
The thought struck him: how insignificant humanity is. This idea lingered in his mind, unshakable.
The giant was a towering gray colossus, its earthy tones giving it the appearance of the land itself. Green ring-like structures adorned its back, gleaming like armor. Its bright emerald eyes radiated wisdom as it stared at the obsidian greatsword embedded in the ground as if awaiting something.
From an initial height of fifteen feet, the giant grew to thirty, then sixty, then one hundred twenty, and finally two hundred forty feet. In a mere six hours, it reached a towering one thousand feet, standing immovable upon the earth.
A boundless paradise spread across the land, with flowers and grass stretching endlessly. The dense magical energy in the atmosphere seemed to harken back to the Age of Gods.
By the time Jeanne and the others reached the airport and prepared to board their planes, dawn had arrived.
With the rising sun on the horizon, the fighter jets roared to life. Their engines spat flames, sending shockwaves through the air as they accelerated, leaving a trail of sonic booms.
"Boom!"
"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!"
Mordred shouted excitedly, completely ignoring the pressure of acceleration. "This thing is awesome! Master!"
"Ah, uh…" Kairi Shishigou, glued to his seat, found himself unable to respond to Mordred's enthusiasm.
A thick wall of tension had formed between them.
All they could do was watch as Mordred accelerated crazily, reaching maximum speed, and charging toward the airborne Hanging Garden.
It wasn't just Mordred's departure; dozens of passenger planes and warplanes stationed across the entire airport also took off one after another, all heading toward the sky-bound garden!
Meanwhile, Karna and Achilles, both possessing flight capabilities, charged forward with an indomitable momentum, opening the way for everyone else.
Before them, the vast sky seemed fleeting and narrow.
"Hahahaha! Looks like it's time to see who's faster!"
Achilles, riding his immortal war chariot, laughed loudly, the chariot beneath him whipping up a wild gale to pave the road ahead, galloping across the skies as if parading.
The usually silent Karna, seeing this scene, revealed a faint smile and said, "Then let's find out."
With that, he abruptly amplified his magical energy output, causing the blazing flames that engulfed him to burn even brighter, lighting up the dawn itself!
The Hanging Garden, which should have been distant and unreachable, now seemed within arm's reach for these great heroes.
The flickering flames of dawn belonged to the benevolent hero Karna, who, with the magical energy supply from Gordes's artificial mana reserves, unleashed divine flames without restraint!
The howling winds tearing through the heavens belonged to the great hero Achilles, who, similarly empowered by a supply of magical energy, drove his immortal chariot recklessly forward!
Yet, the very moment these two heroes approached, the defensive mechanism surrounding the Hanging Garden, Tiamtum Umu – The Black Coffin of Ten and One, was instantly activated!
Not only was the Black Coffin activated, but the magical formations embedded within the garden also triggered automatically, launching their attacks without warning against Karna and Achilles!
Having already encountered these formations once before, Achilles immediately recognized their attack patterns. Without hesitation, he drove his chariot straight through them, crushing them head-on.
"Ora ora ora! Bring it on!"
Achilles, brimming with excitement, spun his Meteor Spear in hand and laughed loudly. "This isn't nearly enough!"
Karna, on the other hand, showed no sign of excitement. He simply swung his divine spear, its roaring flames slicing through incoming light projectiles and consuming the Black Coffin along with them.
Yet, the sheer number of Black Coffins was overwhelming. Even if Karna destroyed one, more light projectiles continued to surge toward him!
But—
The golden armor spinning wildly in front of him effortlessly blocked all the light projectiles, which carried power on par with anti-army-class attacks. With ample magical energy fueling him, Karna's defenses had reached the pinnacle of this war.
At this moment, no attack could faze him!
Not only that, but Karna also possessed peak offensive capabilities, making him a versatile fighter.
As vanguards, the two heroes not only needed to breach the Hanging Garden first but also had to destroy the defensive formations!
However, as Karna destroyed one of the Black Coffins, a strange screech echoed from within the Hanging Garden. Alongside the buzzing sound of flapping wings, dozens of black monstrosities emerged from the garden!
Their speed rivaled that of Karna and Achilles!
"What?!"
Both Karna and Achilles immediately noticed the approaching creatures. But these were unlike anything they had encountered before. Even Karna, who had previously fought within the garden, had never seen such monstrosities!
Almost simultaneously, Jeanne, observing the scene, revealed the true name of the creatures:
They were called—Children of Tiamat—Lahmu!
Spawned from the Holy Grail's mana reserves, these Lahmu were identical to the demonic beasts that had once appeared in Mesopotamia, now created specifically to deal with intruders!
The arrival of Karna and Achilles provided the perfect opportunity for the Lahmu to debut.
Seeing the dozens of Lahmu, Karna quickly made a decision—simply relying on magical energy output would be too slow!
From a distance, Achilles noticed Karna's actions and shouted, "What are you planning?"
"Weapons are unnecessary. A true hero slays with their gaze...!"
Karna's expression sharpened as he focused his energy. From his eyes burst a blinding, radiant light—an overwhelming divine brilliance that even ordinary Heroic Spirits could barely withstand.
Noble Phantasm – Brahmastra!
The sudden eruption of light beams exceeded the reaction speed of the Lahmu swarm, instantly piercing and vaporizing several of them!
Seeing Karna's successful strike, Achilles displayed an even more ecstatic expression, charging directly into the Lahmu swarm.
He couldn't afford to lose the spotlight here!
"Dromeus Komētēs – The Immortal Chariot of Storms!"
Decisively unleashing the true name of his Noble Phantasm, Achilles whipped the reins and drove his chariot straight into the Lahmu, crushing them underfoot!
As an A-ranked anti-army Noble Phantasm, the sheer force generated by the chariot's movement turned it into a massive meat grinder.
However, the Lahmu were far from ordinary creatures. Faced with Achilles' charge, they displayed surprising strength. While individually inferior to Karna and Achilles, their overwhelming numbers were a significant advantage!
Spreading out, the Lahmu made it impossible for Achilles to catch them all.
Achilles lacked powerful wide-range attacks like Karna's. As a Rider, his Noble Phantasms were designed to enhance his speed, not maximize his destructive output.
While Achilles lacked such capabilities, Karna did not—
"Brahmastra Kundala – Oh Brahma, Curse Me!"
Karna unleashed another Noble Phantasm, channeling divine energy into his spear, Brahmastra, and hurling it toward the Black Coffins and Lahmu!
By imbuing the spear with his divine flames, Karna dramatically expanded the already vast attack range of the anti-army, anti-country Noble Phantasm Brahmastra, transforming it into an attack comparable to a nuclear weapon!
With this single strike, even half of the Hanging Garden could be obliterated!
The divine spear, imbued with radiant divine energy, swept across the battlefield with unstoppable force. The Lahmu scattered in retreat, unable to resist, but the Black Coffins had no means of escape.
In an instant, the spear struck one of the twenty-meter-long Black Coffins, unleashing a blinding explosion of light that engulfed the surrounding coffins as well!
BOOOOOM!!!
The terrifying explosion bloomed like a second sun, its dazzling brilliance overwhelming the battlefield.
The shockwave, visible to the naked eye, roared across the Hanging Garden, sweeping over both Achilles and Karna and hurtling toward the allied forces approaching from behind.
This single strike affected an area spanning hundreds of meters.
When the dazzling wave of light finally subsided, only five Black Coffins remained, now repositioning themselves in front of Karna and Achilles.
The divine radiance unleashed by the spear had utterly destroyed six of the Black Coffins in an instant, evaporating them entirely.
Not only that, but large portions of the Hanging Garden near the coffins had collapsed, with countless beautiful structures crumbling and sinking into the black tide below.
While many of the Lahmu survived by retreating, they were no longer a threat to Karna and Achilles.
But—
Suddenly, black lightning streaked across the battlefield as the Lahmu burst forth with a speed that even Karna had to take seriously!
Their strength was equally astonishing, causing Karna to nod in acknowledgment.
'Worthy of being the offspring of the primordial goddess.'
Empty-handed, Karna swiftly struck down a Lahmu in front of him, summoning his divine spear back to his hand to deal with the others.
And then—
A dragon roared.
From the depths of the Hanging Garden emerged a red dragon, atop which stood an enigmatic girl.
Her fiery red hair danced in the wind, her pale skin marked by crimson patterns beneath her simple armor, and the massive sword of dragon scales in her hand shimmered with a scarlet glow.
"Oh?"
Seeing the crimson dragon and the girl, Karna's expression shifted slightly. From a distance, Achilles exclaimed in surprise, "Was this one made by Tiamat too?"
To Achilles, the girl atop the dragon seemed like one of Tiamat's creations, though something felt off about her.
Was this the twisted humor of a god?
Meanwhile—
"Cool! I want one too!"
Mordred's smile didn't last long; it quickly faded with the appearance of the Red Dragon.
No one paid much attention to Mordred's outburst. Or rather, her Master, Kairi Shishigou, seemed somewhat concerned, but after noticing Mordred's expression, he wisely chose to keep his mouth shut. Instead, he quietly used magecraft to reinforce himself, watching as Mordred desperately accelerated the fighter jet.
And in a hidden corner, unknown to anyone—
Gurgle, gurgle.
The once calm black tide began to stir, spreading from its initial ripples until it transformed into surging waves as if something was about to rise.
This phenomenon occurred even before the entity fully awakened.
In the endless darkness, a black-haired young man slowly opened his eyes.