"Hey, hey, hey?? Are you serious? This guy is way too overpowered!"
Riding the immortal war chariot, Achilles stared in astonishment at the light blade behind him, as though it was splitting the world in half. The starlike brilliance wasn't a magical phenomenon but the true sky revealed by the pitch-black aurora as it cut through the heavens.
It was as if a corner of the universe had manifested here and now.
What appeared through the fissures was the true form of reality, the sheer majesty of the aurora.
That pitch-black aurora, absolutely dark and terrifying, had gained the concept of mass by cutting away part of the planet. Even though it still existed as light, the blade of light it produced carried enormous weight when it struck.
Yet this mass applied only to its opponents. To its user, it offered no resistance—it was as if they were merely swinging their arm.
The blade of light swung downward at an incredible speed, slashing at the vast earth below. Even the flickering flame licking at the edge of the sword couldn't move an inch.
Despite his extraordinary defenses, Karna, the Hero of Charity, found himself under unprecedented pressure. Not only could he not completely deflect the light blade, but he was also unable to escape from the immense weight pressing down on him.
The consumption of his magical energy raced toward the limits of what the artificial human was capable of supplying!
This overwhelming spectacle was reflected in the eyes of all who watched, leaving Jeanne d'Arc with a sense of powerlessness.
Before this moment, no one had ever thought aurora could be weaponized. Just the top-tier firepower of Rhongomyniad, the holy spear wielded by Alaric, required Jeanne and her allies to push themselves to their limits to withstand it.
And now, this unimaginable blade of light—
Not just Jeanne, but also Sieg and Astolfo, seated atop the Hippogriff, were left slack-jawed as they stared at the light blade that cleaved straight down into the earth.
The tail of light seemed to slice through the entire sky, and just its descent stirred up a storm.
In the blink of an eye, the blade spanned dozens of kilometers, pressing Karna down as it struck the ground. The horrifying scar left by the sword extended for tens of kilometers, carving out an entire rift in the earth!
Visible shockwaves surged outward from the fissure, roaring to either side. Everything in their path—buildings, structures, mountains, trees, even the earth itself—was forcibly uprooted.
Explosions erupted, and the soaring waves of light carried such intense heat that they vaporized everything in their path. It was a scene like a natural disaster.
Watching this, Shirou and Semiramis, riding on the immortal war chariot, fell silent.
Time and again, Alaric managed to unleash such astonishing firepower and strength.
Even Atalanta's expression was one of pure shock.
Not even in their lifetimes could they achieve such a level of destructive power. This level of devastation was something only a great hero could match.
Perhaps only Heracles could rival him?
Beside her, Chiron's expression was grim. Based solely on the power Alaric had displayed so far, even if several Servants joined forces to fight him, they would struggle to gain any advantage.
Unless they could call upon the dormant primordial giant—
The Noble Phantasm created by Avicebron, Crown: The Light of Wisdom (Golem Kether Malchut), was unable to reach this height due to the elevation of the Hanging Gardens. Its battlefield was the earth below, which gave a clearer sense of what needed to be done next.
"Rider! Let's keep moving forward!"
Sieg shouted resolutely, refusing to let the sight of Karna and the terrifying aurora slow him down. "We can't stop here!"
"Huh? Whatever you say, Master!"
Seeing that Sieg hadn't lost his fighting spirit, Astolfo immediately responded, "Hippogriff, Phantasmal Beast of the Sky!"
While Astolfo used dimensional jumping to try to return to the Hanging Gardens, the immortal war chariot still raced through the stormwinds toward the same lofty target. This wasn't about whether they still had the will to fight—it was a problem they had to solve to continue forward.
Buzz.
As Astolfo, riding the Hippogriff, returned to the Hanging Gardens, Alaric released the aurora from his grasp.
Unbound, the aurora slowly dissipated before Jeanne and the other's eyes, as if its full power had been spent in that single strike.
This sight brought a collective sigh of relief from Jeanne's group. If the aurora could be used repeatedly, it would have been a catastrophic blow to them.
Even now, facing that blade of light was an immense challenge.
"Welcome back. It seems you've come to a decision?"
Having successfully unleashed the light blade, Alaric stood with a pleased expression, smiling as he gazed at Jeanne, Sieg, and the others, including Achilles, who arrived moments later.
"There's nothing more to say. Get ready for a beating!"
Having witnessed the aurora that split the heavens, the long-silent Mordred leaped down from the Hippogriff, raising her sword of kings to point at Alaric. "This is not the behavior of a knight of the king. The collateral damage you've caused to civilians is unforgivable."
"I was careful, though. I don't think I hurt anyone," Alaric said, stroking his chin before suddenly narrowing his eyes and smirking at Shirou and Semiramis, still on the immortal war chariot. "Are you planning to dismantle the Hanging Gardens?"
Indeed, the Hanging Gardens were a Noble Phantasm with Semiramis as their core. To dismantle the Gardens, they would either need overwhelming firepower or Semiramis's death.
However, Semiramis herself could sever her connection to the Gardens, which explained why Alaric had previously captured her.
Alaric could understand why they would want to dismantle the Hanging Gardens. For Semiramis, it was the best battlefield, but giving it up was necessary for their plan to succeed.
Realizing this, Alaric didn't stop Semiramis. Instead, he turned to the others and said, "It seems there's nothing more to discuss, is there?"
"Please stop. This wish is wrong!"
Finally, Sieg stepped forward, his unwavering expression causing Alaric to drop his smile.
Facing this boy who, like him, struggled to survive, Alaric saw a reflection of his own younger self. And so, he responded with the respect the situation demanded.
"Sieg, you've made your choice. My path was decided long ago."
Glancing at the dragon-shaped Command Spells on Sieg's hand, Alaric, clearly aware of how close Sieg was to death, continued, "At this point, words are meaningless. What you want lies behind me. If you want it, defeat me."
As his words faded, the Hanging Gardens began to collapse with a roar.
Already damaged, the Gardens were barely sustained by their remaining power. But with Semiramis's intervention, even that fragile balance was lost.