Under the intervention of Semiramis, the Hanging Gardens disintegrated at an astonishing speed. The most striking sign of this collapse was the ground beneath Alaric and the Greater Grail crumbling directly! The laws of inversion seemed to lose their effect at this moment, allowing gravity to reclaim both Alaric and the Greater Grail.
Alaric, however, showed no reaction to this, letting the wild winds howl past him as he stared at Sieg falling alongside him. Alaric declared, "Sieg! This is the first battle between us, and it will also be the last! Show me—everything you've got!"
With arms wide open, Alaric laughed out loud, the blue hair of the goddess behind him flowing in the fierce wind, shining brilliantly like radiant seawater.
The boy falling alongside him, Sieg, fixed his determined gaze on the laughing man.
Sieg's encounters with Alaric had not been many, but they had left a deep impression on him, forming a kind of obsession.
After all, the reasons for the battle between Sieg and Alaric were not numerous. Other than this obsession, it was because Alaric's unleashed Aurora posed a grave threat to the world.
Although it had not yet shaken the foundation of humanity, it was only a matter of time.
The purpose of Sieg, Jeanne, and their allies was simply to stop the spread of the Aurora and prevent the Greater Grail from granting an even more terrifying wish.
The Aurora that could cleave the world existed at the cost of carving away the very fabric of existence. This alone was enough for Jeanne and her comrades to stand against it.
Facing an enemy of the world, this alone was justification for battle.
But for Sieg, it was more than that. He could feel it—Alarics desire to live and stride toward a brand-new future.
Yet Sieg could not comprehend Alaric's actions. Therefore—
"By the Command Spell, I order my body: Manifest, Siegfried!"
Without hesitation, even if the path ahead led to self-destruction, Sieg invoked the second Command Spell for the Dragon Slayer.
The hero who slays dragons appeared before Alaric once again, but this time, an even more overwhelming surge of magical energy surpassed the strength of their initial confrontation.
Transformed into Siegfried, Sieg's eyes were resolute. He used the fragments of the Hanging Gardens as stepping stones and charged toward Alaric with ferocious determination!
At this moment, only battle could convey the words Sieg wished to speak!
As Sieg moved, the other Servants, including Jeanne, also sprang into action!
Atalanta and Chiron, as Archers, dashed forward simultaneously, spreading to either side as they drew their bows and unleashed a rain of arrows toward Alaric!
Achilles, riding his immortal war chariot, seized the moment while his magical energy was still abundant and charged at Alaric with all his might!
Astolfo, atop his noble hippogriff, held the spear [Trap of Argalia], ready to exploit an opening and strike Alaric during the chaos.
Meanwhile, Jeanne and Mordred dismounted from their steeds and rushed directly toward the Greater Grail and Alaric.
Mordred's eyes were locked solely on Alarc. Their previous conversations had not swayed her blade. Her goal here was clear: defeat Alaric!
Jeanne, on the other hand, sought to avoid both Alaric and the red dragon girl, aiming instead for the Greater Grail, intending to destroy it in one decisive blow!
In Jeanne's current perspective, the perpetuation of the Aurora was undoubtedly a product of Alaric's wish through the Greater Grail. Only by destroying the Grail could all of this be stopped.
As for Semiramis, having lost the Hanging Gardens, she was once again in a weakened state. She could only remain on the immortal war chariot with Shirou, following Achilles into the fray.
The union of so many heroes against a single foe was an extraordinary sight.
Heroes from different eras, nations, and legends join forces at this moment to battle a common enemy—
To Alaric, this was nothing surprising.
Watching this scene, Alaric finally put away his smile.
Having successfully transformed into his infantile form and achieved Independent Manifestation, victory was already within Alaric's grasp.
What remained was merely tying up loose ends. Yet Alaric was also curious to test the extent of his newfound strength.
Although Tiamat had limited his maximum output to maintain the stability of his body, the current power he wielded was still incomparable to his previous self.
Even under such restrictions, Alaric could feel it—his strength had surpassed all previous limits.
Hum!
The pitch-black Aurora around him shimmered faintly, distorting the world in rings. The incoming arrows, upon contact, were forcibly deflected, unable to harm Alaric.
Even the divine energy and magical flows imbued in the arrows were forcibly siphoned away upon contact with the Aurora, fueling its power instead!
"What about this move?!"
Seeing that the magic surrounding Alaric had twisted the trajectory of the arrows, Achilles drove his immortal war chariot straight toward Alaric!
Boom!
Faced with the stomping hooves of the immortal horses, Alaric neither dodged nor evaded. Instead, he grasped the Aurora and delivered a direct punch!
The gale was pierced through, and in the instant, the horse's hooves collided with his fist, they were bent backward with sheer force!
Even the divine immortal steeds, imbued with godlike resilience, appeared fragile before the Aurora. Their legs were shattered by the punch, sending them and the chariot flying backward!
Though named immortal, the steeds were only so in myth. As Noble Phantasms, they had long lost their invulnerability, possessing only Servant-level durability.
But in front of Alaric, even this durability was meaningless!
The terrifying shockwave from their clash erupted outward, scattering countless fragments of the Hanging Gardens in all directions. This left Sieg and the others with no foothold, offering them only one final chance to attack Alaric!
Slightly later than the immortal war chariot, Sieg and Mordred broke through the shockwave between Alaric and the chariot. Risking the danger of falling, they swung their blades at Alaric!
Without a moment of hesitation, this was a battle where Sieg staked his very life. He sought to prove himself to Alaric—
"The evil dragon shall fall, severing all light and shadow!
World, your time has come—"
"To bring you down—[Phantasmal Greatsword: Balmung]!!"
As the true Ether within the blade was unleashed, the holy sword's magical energy ignited in an instant.
The golden radiance of twilight burst from the holy blade, a sword aura that posed a lethal threat to any being with dragon blood—
An EX-class anti-army Noble Phantasm, enhanced further with anti-dragon properties, its power against Alaric exceeded even many anti-fortress Noble Phantasms!
At the same time, Mordred unleashed the true name of her sword—the wicked blade that once destroyed her father king: [Clarent Blood Arthur]!
Scarlet lightning and twilight sword energy erupted simultaneously, creating a breathtaking spectacle.
In response, a certain someone raised their hand and unleashed a weapon of their own. The holy lance Rhongomyniad materialized in an instant, completing its release at the utterance of a single phrase:
"Holy Lance, anchor unleashed."
The light that shone was older than twilight, more overwhelming than crimson lightning. The End of the World appeared once again before Mordred and Sieg.
[Holy Judgement]!
At this moment, Alaric finally revealed the brilliance of a light capable of rivaling the Lion King's Holy Judgement.
Even when faced with the combined might of the twilight sword aura and the enhanced anti-dragon strike, the End of the World proved unshakable.
The collision of these three Noble Phantasms produced waves of light that stretched for thousands of meters, layer upon layer intertwining.
Even as the three combatants were pushed back by the overwhelming energy, the outcome was clear: Mordred and Sieg would be annihilated by the End of the World before their attacks could break through.
This was not a battle of equals—it was a one-sided domination.
Yet on this battlefield, Mordred and Sieg were not the only enemies.
The voice of a knight wielding a long spear rang out clearly:
[Trap of Argalia]!
A magic spear capable of forcing its opponent to fall charged directly toward Alaric!
Not only Astolfo but also Jeanne d'Arc, who had lost her footing, decisively changed directions and suddenly hurled her flag in an attempt to interfere with Alaric's Noble Phantasm release.
But—
Buzz!
Whether it was that treacherous magical spear or Jeanne's flag, as they approached Alaric, both were forcibly deflected by the ring of aurora surrounding him.
It seemed that only a certain level of power could break through the defense constructed by this aurora ring. Neither Astolfo nor Jeanne alone was capable of achieving this.
However, the activation condition of Trap of Argalia does not require physical contact. Even magical armor can trigger its effects!
And that ring-shaped aurora happens to meet the required conditions!
But how could Alaric, who was already in a falling state, "fall again"?
"Hmm?"
Feeling an irresistible force strike him, Alaric raised an eyebrow. Though he was high in the sky, his body tilted backward as if he were lying down on flat ground.
This outcome naturally interrupted—or rather, deflected—the release of his Holy Spear.
Without the suppressive force of the Light of the End, the Illusory Balmung and Clarent, even though most of its power had been consumed, still roared toward Alaric!
Sizzle!
Terrifying heat surged, instantly evaporating the surrounding air. In Alaric's view, it struck straight into the aurora encircling him, rapidly consuming his magical energy.
However, before the aurora was completely broken, most of the twilight sword energy and red lightning was deflected, roaring past Alaric's sides and leaving two dazzling trails of light streaking toward the horizon.
Meanwhile, the aurora ring formed by Alaric's magical energy was rapidly draining the magical energy carried by the two Noble Phantasms, sustaining itself in the process!
It was akin to the second-class perpetual motion mechanism of Frankenstein, now demonstrated in full effect!
But the speed at which the aurora drained energy had its limits. Once that limit was breached—
Boom!
As the ring of light shattered, Alaric's vision was engulfed by dazzling radiance. When the twilight-colored sword energy truly reached him, it erupted with unimaginable power, even surpassing the simultaneous release of the Clarent!
Buzz.
In that instant, the gleaming sword edge flashed in the firmament, slashing through heat, light, and magical energy to end the torrent surging at Alaric.
Originally intending to personally withstand the Noble Phantasm to test his growth, Alaric changed his strategy when he considered Tiamat behind him.
Having failed to seize the opportunity, Sieg's expression grew serious, while Mordred spat in frustration as they, like Alaric, fell downward.
In the vast expanse of sky with nothing to stand on, they were utterly unable to fight effectively.
Achilles, driving his Immortal Chariot, also found his mobility diminished after one of his divine horses was forcefully slain by Alaric. Even if he were able to fight now, it wasn't Achilles' wish.
The reason was simple—
Buzz!
Amid the rumbling atmosphere, the reactivated Gates of Holy Judgment filled everyone's field of vision like stars scattered across the sky.
It was an area-wide attack that no one could avoid!
But—
"Haah!"
Sieg, once again unleashing his Holy Sword, swung his sword energy not at Alaric but toward the activated Gates of Holy Judgment.
Thanks to the second-class perpetual motion fragment he possessed due to Frankenstein, Sieg could continuously absorb magical energy from the air and reuse it, embodying the performance of a perpetual engine.
This enabled him to enhance his body with magical energy to reach an Overload state, providing a magical energy conversion rate sufficient to repeatedly fire the Noble Phantasm Phantasmal Greatsword: Balmung!
Not only that, this incredible enhancement activated Sieg's magic circuits at an astonishing speed. Although it placed a heavy burden on his body, the dragon-blooded heart within him and the Holy Shroud gifted by Jeanne the previous night allowed him to sustain this activation.
In short, Sieg could draw abundant magical energy on such a battlefield, making him effectively possess infinite magical energy.
Repeatedly firing Noble Phantasms was no issue at all!
Faced with the incoming anti-army Noble Phantasm, even Alaric's Gates of Holy Judgment were no match, shattering one by one in the face of the twilight sword energy.
Seeing this, Alaric laughed:
"Splendid! Sieg!
But surely, you've noticed it by now, haven't you? That thing!"
At this moment, even without Alaric pointing it out, everyone whose attention had shifted due to the pause in the battle finally noticed what lay behind the Greater Grail.
The pitch-black aurora still stood tall upon the earth, as if it had never left.
Though it did not extend into the boundless sky, it was still an astonishing pillar of light.
Without a doubt, this was the same phenomenon as the light blade that had earlier struck down Karna—even that light blade was merely a fragment of the aurora.
The aurora Alaric had unleashed was only half of its full form!
That previous strike alone had forced Karna underground, unable to emerge even now. If another strike were aimed at them, what would happen?
Jeanne dared not ponder deeply, nor could Sieg and the others afford to think it through.
"Hm?"
At that moment, Alaric, sensing something, glanced downward toward the earth.
The rapidly approaching black dot was no ordinary object—it was a massive obsidian greatsword, hundreds of meters in length. Its sheer mass was unimaginable.
It was no exaggeration to compare it to a mountain!
The kinetic energy it generated from falling thousands of meters from the sky made it akin to a meteor, hurtling straight toward Alaric. If not for his ability to fly, Alaric would undoubtedly be crushed by this obsidian greatsword in an instant!
Yet the greatsword itself was secondary. What truly caught Alaric's attention was the giant who had hurled it.
Even from a great distance, the primordial giant's towering form was palpable—Avicebron's ultimate golem, Crown: Wisdom of Light (Golem Kether Malchut), had already spread a world named Paradise across the ground.
It awaited Alaric's return to the earth to unleash a thunderous assault!
And that wasn't all—
"How are you still able to use magecraft?"
Sensing the activation of magecraft, Alaric's expression grew perplexed. Even the approaching obsidian greatsword was momentarily ignored as he turned in astonishment toward Semiramis on the Immortal Chariot.
Semiramis, who had received numerous buffs in her Hanging Gardens and reached a near-top-tier Servant status, would normally enter a weakened state upon leaving the Gardens.
This was what confused Alaric—how was Semiramis still able to wield magecraft?
As he harbored such doubts, Alaric noticed it.
The man beside Semiramis, Kotomine Shirou, whose Command Seals on his hand were glowing with brilliance.
"Used a Command Seal? So the magecraft being cast is...?"
Understanding the situation immediately, Alaric realized that Shirou had used a Command Seal to free Semiramis from her weakened state. As for how long this state would last, Alaric had no way of knowing.
But the duration didn't matter. What intrigued Alaric was the magecraft Semiramis had used—
Circles of light appeared, enveloping Jeanne, Sieg, and the others, freeing them from the effects of gravity and allowing them to stand with unparalleled agility in midair.
And the moment they escaped the effects of their fall, Sieg, Mordred, and those on the Immortal Chariot—such as Chiron and Atalanta—launched another round of attacks after breaking free of the threat posed by the Gates of Holy Judgment.
Jeanne resumed her charge toward the Greater Grail, and with her speed, it would only take a few breaths for her to reach it!
In response, Alaric simply snapped his fingers and smiled.
Buzz!
As Alaric's words echoed out, the falling Greater Grail emitted a dazzling radiance, enveloping everyone, including Alaric.
No one could escape!
When the brilliance before their eyes faded, what appeared before Jeanne and the others was an unimaginably vast plain. Countless flowers and grasses stretched endlessly toward the horizon—
No, it wasn't just the horizon. Behind Alaric and the Greater Grail stood a magnificent pillar of light.
The aurora created by Alaric continued to exist as if it were embedding itself into the planet for eternity.
"Dimensional Leap?"
Jeanne's expression tightened. She immediately realized that Alaric had used the Greater Grail to make another wish, one akin to Astolfo's Noble Phantasm, Hippogriff, which possesses a dimensional leap.
This was how Jeanne and the others were able to descend thousands of meters from the high heavens back to the surface in an instant.
But why could Alaric communicate with the Greater Grail and make wishes with just a snap of his fingers? Furthermore, what was the purpose of Alaric's wish this time?
To bring them all to the ground for battle?
No matter Alaric's intentions, Jeanne became increasingly aware of the urgency to destroy the Greater Grail.
Alaric's ability to wield the Greater Grail was far too fluid; even after making the first wish, he was somehow able to make a second one.
Judging by this, Alaric seemed capable of using the Greater Grail multiple times to make wishes.
As if sensing what Jeanne was thinking, Alaric said calmly, "It's very simple. I want to ask all of you to exit the stage."
PS: If only Alaric is Fang Yuan. He can just kill all of them be done with it.