The battle outside the Hanging Garden continued. The moment the crimson dragon girl appeared in this world for the first time, she captured everyone's attention.
The reason was simple: her appearance bore an uncanny resemblance to someone else, and the terrifying magical energy radiating from her was impossible to ignore.
With a gust of wind, the crimson dragon left the Hanging Garden and entered the same celestial realm as Karna and others.
Crimson electrical arcs surged and leaped, heating the already disrupted atmosphere once more.
No one paid much attention to the anomalies caused by her movement, but the crimson dragon girl, wielding a giant sword, was an existence Karna and Achilles could not overlook.
"My name is Karna. What is yours?"
Pointing his divine spear at the girl, Karna spoke loudly, attempting to make her respond. His voice echoed so powerfully that even the heavens seemed to resonate.
"I have no name. Neither my father nor my mother gave me one,"
The crimson dragon girl, with a lively yet calm expression, glanced at Karna, Achilles, and even the allied forces approaching from the distance, and said, "If I must have a name, then call me—'Crimson Dragon.' I am the child of the primordial god, the creator of life, Tiamat, born from the Dragon's Blood."
Without mentioning the existence of the crimson dragon she referred to as her father, she pulled the massive sword embedded in the dragon's back.
The dragon beneath her spread its wings, which spanned only about a dozen meters—far from the scale of those during the Mesopotamian era. But this did not mean the crimson dragon girl was weak.
On the contrary, most of the resources had been poured into her humanoid form, making her strength comparable to that of Karna's current level!
As for her appearance in this world, the reason was simple.
Born from Tiamat and Alaric's union, her life's blueprint had already been recorded by Tiamat. To Tiamat, recreating the crimson dragon was merely a matter of sufficient resources.
And when Aurora greedily extracted land and resources to send back to Alaric, Tiamat obtained enough to create the crimson dragon.
Unlike Lahmu, which were collective magical beasts, the crimson dragon, with its exceptional individual strength, received more of Tiamat's attention.
Setting aside these reasons, the girl standing before the world was—
"If you wish to enter the garden and meet Mother, then you must defeat me."
Crackle.
Crimson electrical arcs surged. The crimson dragon girl, holding her sword in one hand, spoke calmly, her words matching Karna's earlier challenge in their weight and tone.
The rising dragon's aura roared across the skies, so fierce that even Mordred, who had yet to arrive, could sense the unsettling presence of the dragon.
Not only Mordred but Chiron and Atalanta, standing outside their aircraft, had already drawn their bows, both aiming at the dozens of Lahmu and the crimson dragon girl!
As Archers, their combat style was naturally centered around ranged assaults.
And at this distance, their targets were well within their range!
The fierce wind howled, pressing Atalanta's emerald-green dress tightly against her figure, accentuating the contours of her youthful vitality.
Her wild, flowing hair danced freely in the wind, but Atalanta paid no mind, gripping her Celestial Bow tightly. Her slit-like pupils locked onto her prey!
"Grant me your blessings, Apollo and Artemis, to deliver this calamity!"
As her chant progressed, the surging wind and overwhelming presence fully displayed Atalanta's wild nature, as though this moment was a reenactment of the mythic hunt for the Calydonian Boar.
"Phoibos Catastrophe!"
The arrow of light was released, streaking through the vast heavens, reaching the highest skies beyond even the Hanging Garden's reach!
Its plea was directed to the heavens!
The divine radiance shone brilliantly like the sun descending upon the earth!
A vast azure-green Southern Cross stretched across hundreds of meters in the boundless sky, enveloping the unmoving Lahmu and the crimson dragon within its light!
Meanwhile, from another distant aircraft, the great sage Chiron unleashed dozens of arrows simultaneously, each targeting the Lahmu and striking with precision!
The battle resumed, but this time, its scale surpassed the earlier extermination of the Black Coffin by Karna and Achilles!
With the crimson dragon's roar, a horrifying crimson thunderstorm erupted from its mouth, charging straight towards the Southern Cross!
Every descending arrow of light was shattered, leaving none untouched. Even the divine cross formed by gods was destroyed in the process!
As for Chiron's arrows, though they pierced through the Lahmu's defenses, they failed to deal fatal damage!
Even arrows imbued with divine energy could only achieve so much!
"So painful, so painful, so painful!!!"
Yet this attack provoked the Lahmu swarm into a frenzied counterattack. Their eerie cries overlapped, and accompanied by the buzzing winds, countless black streaks of light surged toward Chiron's aircraft!
"Not happening!"
Seeing this, Achilles grinned and decisively turned his chariot to charge at the encroaching Lahmu!
As Achilles sprang into action, Karna faced the approaching crimson dragon head-on!
The crimson dragon girl, finally moving, leaped into the air, defying gravity as she closed the distance between herself and Karna. Then she swung her massive sword at him!
Clang!
The giant sword clashed with the divine spear, unleashing a sword cry that tore through the skies and stirred a visible shockwave, with sword energy spreading over a hundred meters!
Even though Karna had an abundant supply of magical energy and his power had reached a fearsome level through his magical energy release, in terms of raw strength, the crimson dragon girl was not inferior!
This strike alone caused Karna's expression to shift slightly.
It wasn't just her strength that surprised him. More importantly, he saw a familiar shadow in her.
Beyond her physical resemblance, the crimson dragon girl also bore a striking similarity to someone else in her martial skill, although with her unique flair.
Her wild swordsmanship, combined with the strength of a dragon, instantly forced Karna into full combat mode!
The divine flames he unleashed clashed with the crimson lightning!
The flowing lightning, carrying immense power, was so strong it could even pierce through divine flames!
Born of Tiamat, the girl possessed a portion of divine nature—this could even be called divine lightning!
In an instant, crimson lightning and divine flames collided dozens, even hundreds of times. The resulting radiance overshadowed the sun, casting the surrounding skies into a seemingly eternal night.
Even as Karna unleashed his divine spear with magical energy, the crimson dragon girl retaliated with crimson lightning of equal magnitude!
When lightning and divine flames intertwined, storms were born.
A ferocious scarlet storm spread rapidly, cutting through the Hanging Garden and even slicing apart the glowing aurora in an instant before finally dissipating!
But this did not stop the crimson dragon girl and Karna's battle!
The terrifying clash continued within the storm. Witnessing this, Siegfried held his breath, unable to even think.
Because a roar resonated across the heavens and earth.
"Roar!"
As the crimson dragon girl single-handedly held Karna at bay, the crimson dragon beneath her broke past the defensive line formed by Karna and Achilles, diving toward the approaching aircraft and warplanes.
Rolling thunder crackled along its wings, transforming into lances of light. Mimicking Karna's earlier Noble Phantasm, Brahmastra Kundala, the lances erupted with force!
Though these lances couldn't match the power of a Noble Phantasm, they were still devastating for the aircraft. What's more—
The still-active Black Coffin once again unleashed a dazzling radiance!
Noticing this, Karna decisively hurled his divine spear. The spinning sun wheel intercepted the massive sword swung down by the crimson dragon!
Wielding the sun wheel, Karna feared no attack!
The undying blade, now a light lance, instantly pierced through the Black Coffin before it could fully activate, shattering the twenty-meter-long construct in moments and continuing its trajectory to strike another target!
But the crimson dragon girl wouldn't allow Karna such an opportunity. Seeing the sun wheel's impenetrable defense, she decisively hurled her giant sword, transforming it into a lightning spear that chased after the divine spear!
At the same time, the several lightning spears crossing the heavens reached the warplanes!
Against the incoming lightning spears, even Chiron and Atalanta appeared helpless. There was no time to evade or change course, leaving the lightning spears to strike directly!
Atalanta, attempting to prematurely detonate the Thunder Spear, fired a series of arrows, all of which were completely evaporated by the blazing lightning. Even arrows imbued with divine energy, like those of Chiron, could not withstand the existence of the Thunder Spear.
However—
The saint, holding her flag, stood alone at the forefront, using her EX-level Magic Resistance to forcibly block the incoming Thunder Spear!
The dazzling crimson lightning roared towards her, but before it could reach her, it was severed by an invisible force, whistling past her sides without even affecting the passenger plane below.
Boom!
Although the plane beneath Jeanne was protected, several others in the distance—including those carrying Chiron and Atalanta—suffered catastrophic damage.
This forced Chiron and Atalanta to retreat.
Meanwhile, Mordred, who was already piloting a fighter jet, avoided the Thunder Spear's attack with incredible maneuverability, though it nearly caused Kairi Shishigou to be thrown off.
This scene was deeply imprinted in Sieg's mind as he rode behind Astolfo on the Hippogriff, weaving through the battlefield in search of an opportunity to enter the Hanging Gardens. However, the battles between Karna and the Crimson Dragon girl, as well as Achilles and the Lahmu swarms, coupled with the presence of the Crimson Dragon, left Astolfo and Sieg wandering aimlessly.
"I can't find an opening, Master!"
Astolfo shouted in frustration, "Unless Lancer and Rider deal with those guys, it looks like we can't get in!"
As the vanguard, Karna and Achilles needed to resolve most of the threats before ensuring a safe advance to the Hanging Gardens without casualties.
But the current situation alone was already overwhelming for Astolfo.
The aftermath of Karna's battle with the Crimson Dragon girl was enough to make Astolfo's heart race just watching, let alone approaching.
At that moment, braving the fierce winds, Sieg clung tightly to Astolfo and shouted, "Rider, take me there! I'll deal with that dragon!"
"Huh? Master, are you serious?"
Astolfo, already puzzled as to why Sieg was so determined to follow him, was even more confused by Sieg's intent to fight the Crimson Dragon and his confidence in doing so.
"Trust me!"
Gripping his heart tightly, Sieg had made his decision. He was determined to overcome these trials to meet that person!
Seeing Sieg's resolve, Astolfo stopped asking questions and immediately shouted, "Then hold on tight! Hippogriff!"
Without hesitation, Astolfo unleashed the true name of the Hippogriff beneath him, which let out a sharp cry.
An invisible force enveloped Astolfo and Sieg, and in an instant, they vanished from sight!
The magical beast Astolfo rode—Hippogriff—was a creature born from the union of a griffin and a mare.
With the upper body of a griffin and the lower body of a horse, it was a phantom beast that "should not exist." While it was weaker than griffins of the Age of Gods, its charge attack could rival A-rank physical attacks, and it could fly at speeds of 400 kilometers per hour.
However, its true trump card was not its devastating charge but a hidden ability called Dimensional Leap.
Upon releasing its true name, the Hippogriff let out a sharp cry, and both the beast and its rider would take on a blurred form, disappearing from all forms of observation—even reappearing in a completely different location.
Not even attacks powerful enough to obliterate gods could harm it in this state!
As its name suggests, Hippogriff: The Otherworldly Phantom Horse was an existence so ambiguous that even its very presence was uncertain. The more its power was unleashed, the stronger the recognition of it as a "non-physical existence" became.
This meant that it transcended dimensions and erased its presence.
However, because Astolfo, as the rider, was a physical being, he would pull the Hippogriff back into reality whenever it began to vanish completely. This caused the effect to last only for an instant.
Thus, in the blink of an eye, Astolfo and Sieg reappeared directly above the Crimson Dragon!
Without any hesitation—despite glimpsing the Reverse Side of the World where phantom beasts resided during that brief dimensional leap—Sieg paid no attention to it.
Instead, he decisively leaped from the Hippogriff, gripping his left hand tightly. A strange Command Spell glowed brightly as Sieg shouted:
"By the Command Spell, I order my body—manifest, Siegfried!"
This was something Sieg had understood clearly upon awakening the previous night. Having received Siegfried's heart—the Dragon Heart—it fused with Sieg's magical circuits and mana, manifesting in a unique incarnated state. With the fragments of Frankenstein's Noble Phantasm used to revive him, a miracle had occurred: the Dragon-Slaying Command Spell.
Using this Command Spell, Sieg could summon the dragon-slaying hero for a brief moment!
Buzz!
The radiant light was so brilliant that even the heavens could not overshadow it. Though fleeting and false, it was a manifestation of self-realization.
This light, a testament to a hero's resolve to overcome trials for a brighter future, flickered in the eyes of the saint. She knew exactly whose light this was, but at this moment, she chose not to interfere.
This determination was not something she could defile.
As the dazzling light faded, a tall, white-haired man appeared on the battlefield.
It was someone thought to have long exited the stage—a figure many knew as Black Saber, Siegfried!
The winds roared, but the once-painful gusts now felt powerless. With enhanced vision and hearing, Sieg could perceive far more information than before.
The surging mana coursing through his body felt infinite. Even without a connection to the homunculus supply system, it was as if he had unlimited mana at his disposal.
But that didn't matter.
At this moment, Sieg was neither excited nor worried about this power. His purpose was singular—
Fixing his gaze on the Crimson Dragon, which had already raised its head to meet his, Sieg shouted:
"I'll kill you—to meet him!"
The false dragon-slaying hero swung his holy sword toward the Crimson Dragon!
With Siegfried's anti-dragon capabilities, there was no doubt he was the Crimson Dragon's natural enemy!
With Sieg's entrance, Jeanne and Mordred's passenger plane and fighter jet finally had the opportunity to cross the battlefield and head toward the Hanging Gardens!
Mordred, who was no longer interested in lingering on the battlefield, suppressed her emotions and avoided looking at the Crimson Dragon girl fighting Karna, charging straight toward the Hanging Gardens!
Meanwhile, in an unknown location—
Gurgle, gurgle.
Amidst the surging seawater, a black-haired man slowly rose. Crimson patterns, like flowing blood, snaked across his natural body, resembling chains binding his mortal flesh.
His once pure-white hair now fell in black strands, reflecting the original color of life. The damage caused by forcibly harboring dragon blood and the further fusion of that blood—leading to life force depletion—had now been completely repaired, returning him to his prime.
As the man emerged from the water, a pair of small, white hands gently wrapped around his neck from behind. The goddess, having returned to her destined form, floated lightly, her flowing blue hair shimmering like the sea, radiating the colors of life. For a long while, she remained silent behind him, until, watching the black sea begin to fade, the man softly said:
"Thank you, Tiamat."
"Mm-hmm, no need to thank me, human."
Resting her chin on his shoulder, the goddess smiled gently, her eyes curving into crescents.
"This time, it was very dangerous."
Though her tone was calm, both of them knew the peril they had faced.
Recalling his name, the man—no, Alaric—slowly raised his hands. The crimson patterns snaked like serpents across his limbs and torso.
These were not just external markings—Alaric knew exactly what they were.
They were chains, set by Tiamat to ensure the stability of his body. Though they limited his maximum output, it was unimportant to the current Alaric.
The fact that his body had not collapsed was already the best outcome. Even now, Alaric still felt lingering fear from the earlier incident. Without Tiamat, he would have undoubtedly faced the forced materialization of his soul.
Indeed, soul materialization.
Even if the Greater Grail lacked sufficient resources to fully materialize Alaric's soul into physical form, merely opening a crack was enough to set everything into motion.
What flowed out from the soul quickly exceeded the physical body's limits. The otherwise intangible and ethereal found direction through this crack, forcefully achieving a recreation of the Third Magic.
As for the missing resources, they were drawn from the world itself to sustain the process.
The subconscious activation of Aurora—the same miraculous phenomenon that triggered the end of the Fourth Holy Grail War in Fuyuki City—was even more pure and domineering than the authority of humankind.
To survive at the cost of destroying the world is an unchangeable instinct for self-preservation.
Of course, before that could happen, Alaric himself would suffer a destructive blow, overwhelmed by the massive influx of information, possibly even experiencing memory loss.
Fortunately, that was all in the past. The intervention of the Primordial God Tiamat changed the course of events entirely.
Bathed in the Sea of Life, and with the goddess's authority preventing the collapse of his body, Tiamat's vast magical resources—even those stolen from Aurora's reserves for soul materialization—were used to stabilize Alaric's form.
The result was this body: a perfect template. It was born at this very moment.
Feeling the surging power within, Alaric's expression remained composed as he slowly clenched his fists.
The strength of the body was crucial—that was beyond question. Alaric had always cared about this before, but the unexpected events of today served as a sharp reminder.
From the Sixth and Seventh Singularities to leaving the Temple of Time, after witnessing destruction three times, Alaric had experienced growth to some extent.
This growth was indescribable, but Alaric could confirm its existence.
However, in the years that followed—despite a long five years passing—Alaric had not noticed similar growth. No matter how hard he tried, he could not achieve that kind of growth again.
Even with the continuous accumulation of techniques and knowledge of magecraft, none of it affected the foundation of his body. It was as if he was missing something more fundamental than magical energy—something Alaric had never consciously realized.
During his various adventures, Alaric had gained something within himself that he could not fully comprehend. But now, he was certain—he had undergone a metamorphosis.
With Tiamat's help, Alaric had achieved something that should have been impossible.
To Merlin, this transformation would have seemed distant, if not outright impossible, to accomplish.
The shift from Embryo to Juvenile Form had now been successfully realized by Alaric.
This was Alaric's unique Original Sin, unrelated to the seven great evils of humanity, akin to something exceptional like Angra Mainyu.
The proof of his self-continuation had already manifested. Consequently, Alaric successfully obtained something from his soul while preserving his physical body.
Although the road ahead remained long, Alaric had taken the most critical first step.
Despite this, Alaric felt no joy, as if it were simply an ordinary matter, or perhaps something inevitable.
Tap. Tap.
As he began walking through the fading Sea of Life, Tiamat continued to cling to him like a ghost, following closely behind as Alaric moved toward the exterior of the Grail.
In the distance, the Winter Maiden stood amidst a sea of flowers, watching as the guest departed. The Third Magic, which the Einzbern family had pursued for two thousand years, had almost been fully realized in that man's hands.
At this moment, Alaric stopped in his tracks, glanced sideways, and made eye contact with the saintly maiden who stood aloof from the world.
"I still have one wish you haven't fulfilled, it seems."
"The relevant information on the Third Magic will, of course, be provided," replied the Winter Maiden, Justeaze Lizrich von Einzbern, her expression calm. "However, as it stands, the Greater Grail has limited resources, and—"
"I'll give them to you."
Raising his right hand slightly, Alaric channeled his magical energy through the conduit Tiamat had previously constructed, pouring it into the Greater Grail once more, birthing a colorless power of promise.
Ordinarily, a single individual's magical energy would be insufficient to meet the Grail's demands. After all, even the ley lines required sixty years to gather enough energy to activate a Holy Grail War.
But this time was different. The wish itself was not a grand one—merely the acquisition of information. Thus, the magical energy required would not be excessive. Moreover—
What Alaric provided was not his magical energy but the resources derived from Aurora, which had been extracted from the land. These resources were injected into the Greater Grail, granting it renewed power.
In simple terms, as long as the land could continually be harvested, Alaric could use the Greater Grail indefinitely.
"Then, as you wish."
The saintly maiden, fulfilling her final duty, spoke softly as radiant light enveloped Alaric once more.
Meanwhile, outside the Greater Grail, the Assyrian Empress Semiramis raised an eyebrow as she observed the unfolding magical phenomena, watching the battles outside her Hanging Gardens through her spells.
Although she could not assist Jeanne d'Arc and the others in entering the gardens, Semiramis could still spectate the battle.
And—
"You're still alive, huh, Caster?"
Semiramis cast a glance at the man beside her—William Shakespeare—who looked simultaneously nervous and excited. Hearing her remark, Shakespeare immediately responded with animated gestures:
"O Empress of Assyria, you cannot imagine the countless perils I have braved to stand by your side!"
"Alright, alright. I don't have time to argue with you right now. I don't know why he spared your life, but that's none of my concern."
Waving him off, Semiramis interrupted Shakespeare's impassioned speech and resumed her magical search for Kotomine Shirou's whereabouts.
Shakespeare, however, was not one to hold his tongue. His gaze turned fervent as he looked at the Greater Grail and the dazzling Aurora that pierced through heaven, earth, and humanity.
"Ah, what a beautiful sight this is—utterly—"
Clank. Clank.
Suddenly, chains shot out and tightly bound Shakespeare, even gagging his mouth to silence his endless chatter.
"Hm?"
Semiramis, sensing something amiss, immediately stood up, her expression turning to surprise as she noticed the sudden disappearance of Basmu.
Semiramis knew full well that Basmu was a divine beast placed here by Tiamat to keep her in check. Yet now, it had been withdrawn?
Not only that, but the Sea of Life that still occupied the core of the Hanging Gardens was also dissipating, and control of the Gardens was being returned to her.
Wasting no time, Semiramis canceled the Black Coffin Ritual the moment she regained control of the Gardens, halting her attacks on Jeanne d'Arc and her companions!
At this time, Jeanne and her allies were already on the verge of reaching the Hanging Gardens.
After Semiramis canceled the Black Coffin and left behind only minor interference spells, a thunderous explosion erupted. Flames and crimson lightning tore through the Gardens, creating waves of destruction. Although her magic shielded her from the damage, the sight of her ravaged Gardens made Semiramis frown slightly.
Hawk cries echoed through the wild Gardens. Figures riding the hawk appeared in the sky—
"We've arrived! We've arrived!" Astolfo shouted, panting heavily, as Jeanne and Sieg leaped off the hawk's back.
Almost simultaneously, Mordred's loud questioning voice resounded, accompanied by the sound of walls crumbling:
"Where's the target? Where?!"
Unlike Jeanne, who charged directly through the battlefield, Mordred had waited for Sieg to hold off the Red Dragon before making her landing with her Master, Kairi Shishigou. As a result, her arrival was slightly delayed compared to Astolfo and the others who could perform dimensional jumps.
Not long after Mordred arrived, Atalanta and Chiron also entered the chamber where the Greater Grail was located.
"Teachers, you are fast!"
Achilles, who had been delayed slightly by the Lahmu swarm while riding his Undying Chariot, smiled and said, "Ah, ah, those Lahmu were tough! Without the teacher's help, I think it would've taken me quite a bit longer!"
If it weren't for the Immortality and Chiron's long-range sniping, he wouldn't even know what could resolve these creatures.
Buzz.
The flashing bolts of electricity and fire were still clashing, and the sound of sword energy roaring only came to a halt when it reached the Greater Grail.
The heavily scarred maiden of the Red Dragon, holding a broken sword, stood before the Greater Grail, staring resolutely at the coalition of heroes assembled before her.
She did not retreat. However, a slight sense of regret lurked in her heart—this time, it seemed she would not be able to see him again.
Jeanne d'Arc, arriving with her banner in hand, swept her gaze over Semiramis and the still-bound Shakespeare. Finally, her eyes locked on the floating Greater Grail and the radiant aurora emanating from it.
This was the source of all calamities. She did not see Alaric. Had he gone to the interior of the Grail?
Jeanne was not the only one. Sieg, unable to locate Alaric, also gazed at the Greater Grail, which he was seeing for the first time and the dazzling Aurora.
Within that brilliance, what exactly lay hidden?
Tap, tap.
Clear, crisp footsteps began to echo, causing all the gathered Heroic Spirits to tense. The source of the sound was unmistakable—
A man emerged from the Greater Grail—or rather, from the Aurora—his hands in his pockets. Behind him, a goddess gently embraced him, her expression drowsy, as if she might fall asleep at any moment.
The white-haired man was no more, as though reborn anew.
This realization spread to the hearts of everyone who had seen him before as if it were an unbelievable miracle.
It was merely a change in hair color, yet it seemed as though he had been given new life.
"Alaric, what kind of wish did you make?!"
Without any pleasantries, Mordred, seemingly already fully aware of Alaric's intent, raised her kingly sword and pointed it at him, shouting, "Answer me honestly!"
"I must ask you to cease the fulfillment of your wish. This violates the laws of the Holy Grail. If you refuse, then we must bring you down!"
Jeanne d'Arc, her expression solemn, declared firmly, "Mr. Alaric, do not persist in your delusion!"
"Mr. Alaric—"
Finally seeing him again, Sieg's expression was dazed, as though he didn't know what to say. H
"Do you know? I've always been worried—worried about a certain possibility because I was completely powerless to stop it."
Alaric looked down at the gathered Heroic Spirits, his gaze eventually resting on Sieg, and spoke slowly, "But now, it's different. Although it was a bit of a gamble, I succeeded—"
Alaric, now transformed into a Larva State, had successfully mastered the special ability taught to him by Merlin—Independent Manifestation. This ability allowed him to manifest in the modern world unaided, granting resistance to enchantments, as well as immunity to attacks involving parallel worlds, time reversal, or even fate-induced instant death.
With this ability fully in his grasp, Alaric had achieved yet another remarkable feat.
Buzz.
The atmosphere rippled, and a divine spear capable of anchoring the surface and depths of the planet fell into his hand. No longer an empty vessel, the circulating power within declared its brilliance—it was a genuine star-forged weapon.
Then, with a faint smile, Alaric made his proclamation:
"Although it might sound exaggerated, to all of you here and now—I am invincible."