Before the sentence was finished, Yan Qing suddenly sprang into action. Instead of attempting to overpower Salter and the others, he dashed straight for Ritsuka Fujimaru with incredible speed. With Yan Qing's extraordinary quickness, he reached the unarmed Ritsuka almost instantly!
Appearing once more before Alaric, Yan Qing knew that escaping unscathed was nearly impossible.
The one who had instantly killed both Berserker and Rider would not spare him!
As Yan Qing moved, Artoria Alter and Jeanne Alter also sprang into action, though they were a step slower. However, the black Chains of Heaven materialized from the void, blocking Yan Qing's path forward.
Even though Yan Qing's fist shattered the Chains of Heaven in an instant, it still slowed his escape.
Step. Step.
The assassin's path was limited to three steps—three steps to the line of death.
He had inherited the assassination arts of the Old Man of the Mountain, a divine skill of walking in the shadows. It had no name, existing only to kill.
The blade he swung caused no disturbance, only emitting the fragrance of death.
It was not a strike held back—it was an ultimate killing blow.
Few, save for great heroes, could escape such a sword.
It could be called the pinnacle of human martial arts. Years of honing through countless battles had tempered Alaric to a certain threshold. Any further advancement would bring him to the level of great heroes like Siegfried.
Under the influence of such martial arts, the blade destined for death met no resistance—
As the holy sword pierced through the lines of death, the arrival of instant death caused Yan Qing to lose consciousness. He collapsed not far from Ritsuka Fujimaru.
Despite this, Ritsuka Fujimaru did not show fear or panic but instead looked resolutely at Yan Qing as he dissolved into particles of light.
Thus, the Assassin of Shinjuku was eliminated.
"A beautiful strike, as expected of my knight."
Artoria Alter, possessing the divine martial skill, naturally saw the unparalleled brilliance in Alaric's strike.
Had it not been an assassination but an honorable duel, such a sword technique would still possess a dignified and majestic quality, even bearing traces of Sir Lancelot's style.
Over time, Alaric had learned from Lancelot, as well as parts of the techniques of Gawain, Mordred, and even Tristan. Though he could not claim mastery or even proficiency, he had grasped the essential points.
To remain among the Round Table Knights of the Holy City was to be a Servant of the highest caliber, and Lancelot was among the strongest of knights.
Not only that, but Alaric had also gained the assassination arts of the Old Man of the Mountain. Although his time studying them was short, he had still grasped a portion of their essence.
It was this accumulation of skills that gave rise to the breathtaking strike Artoria Alter had just witnessed.
"Tsk—"
Jeanne Alter, unwilling to express her thoughts, glanced disdainfully at Artoria Alter, who had not only praised Alaric but also cast a fleeting glance her way. "What are you looking at?"
"I see jealousy, Brute Girl."
Artoria Alter, clearly amused, had no intention of letting Jeanne Alter off the hook.
After Alaric's strike, she was certain that the battle was decided. The power Alaric had demonstrated so far was enough to crush all the Servants in Shinjuku. Unless Moriarty prepared to unleash a meteor capable of destroying the planet, there was nothing that could threaten him.
As Yan Qing disappeared, Alaric casually released the holy sword in his hand. Though it was an artificial holy sword created through the blessing of the Holy Lance, its core was still a projection weapon that Alaric had conjured. Its essence remained a transient, false object and thus dissipated.
Not far away, the Hornets that had been preparing to attack Alaric and the others witnessed Yan Qing's demise. After exchanging glances, they scattered in all directions, decisively abandoning their attack on Ritsuka Fujimaru and the group.
To Alaric and the others, this was a trivial matter.
With Yan Qing, the Assassin of Shinjuku, dead, not to mention the earlier deaths of Phantom of the Opera and the Lobo, as well as the uncertain fate of Emiya Alter, the Phantom Alliance had completely disbanded. Only the evil Moriarty, entrenched in the tower, remained.
At this point, nothing could stop Alaric from reaching the Tower.
This fact was clear not only to Alaric but also to Moriarty and Holmes.
"I need to change my clothes—"
Fidgeting with her formal attire, Ritsuka Fujimaru looked slightly awkward and laughed. "This doesn't seem very practical for action."
"There's no time to waste; we need to pick up the pace," Alaric said with a smile. "This is practically the end of the world now."
Ritsuka pouted but still followed Alaric with a sweet smile.
...
Shortly afterward, Alaric, Ritsuka Fujimaru, Artoria Alter, and Jeanne Alter left the golden hall and successfully rendezvoused with Moriarty and Holmes, who had been waiting outside.
Upon leaving the golden hall, communications with Chaldea were restored, allowing Mash to glimpse Ritsuka Fujimaru in her formal attire before she could change out of it.
["You look beautiful, Senpai."]
Mash's gentle expression was full of praise, while Da Vinci added with a smile, ["Wow, Ritsuka, you look stunning tonight. What a shame you're not wearing a dress I made."]
As a genius artist, Leonardo da Vinci had absolute confidence in her aesthetics.
Though Ritsuka Fujimaru did look great tonight, Da Vinci believed she could have taken it to the next level.
"As expected of the genius of all trades—"
As Ritsuka's stylist for the evening, the super-criminal James Moriarty smiled and said, "But I won't lose in this regard! Dressing up my daughter is a superpower of its own!"
After a single bout of styling, Moriarty seemed to have placed himself in a peculiar role.
Holmes cast Moriarty a glance but did not shatter his current delusion. Instead, he turned to Alaric and said, "If we're preparing to storm the Tower now, there are a few things to keep in mind.
"Moriarty, who has merged with the Magic Bullet, could probably manipulate even meteors falling from the sky. While we don't know when he'll reload or fire, we mustn't let such a scenario occur."
If Moriarty intended to destroy the world, he would undoubtedly use meteors—
["After all, meteors don't fall so easily. Based on my investigation, the only meteor to fall in Japan in 1999 weighed just 136 grams in Kobe. Using that to destroy the planet would be a bit far-fetched."]
Da Vinci, who had not stopped her investigations, provided relevant information. If Moriarty intended to manipulate meteors, it would be an impossible feat in this era.
"You're right, uh… Mr… Miss… Da Vinci?"
Holmes, uncertain of how to address Da Vinci, hesitated briefly before finally settling on "Miss."
Da Vinci, unconcerned, replied, ["Call me whatever you like."]
After this little interlude, Holmes voiced his judgment:
"Although Moriarty rarely takes action himself, I tried sparring with him earlier and discovered something."
"As I thought, it's this awareness, isn't it? I was wondering why you were watching me shoot."
Moriarty, with a knowing expression, asked, "What exactly do you mean?"
"When you use that overwhelming multi-target weaponry, you don't need to aim deliberately on a technical level, do you?"
Holmes explained, "It's like shooting at will, where you can hit the target under any circumstances."
"That's correct. As long as I can shoot, I can hit."
Moriarty even showed a hint of pride as he added, "It's to the extent that I can hit a target even with my back turned to the enemy. I almost have no memories of shooting during my lifetime, yet I can hit so easily."
"In terms of shooting, there's no difference between bullets and missiles. The Evil Moriarty likely possesses power far beyond such weapons. Just the thought of it is terrifying," Holmes said, his expression becoming serious.
"If even the meteorites confirmed to have struck Earth in 1999 can be used as magic bullets, perhaps that's the scope of his power."
"That's truly incredible."
Even Alaric squinted slightly, realizing that if this was the case, Moriarty's power could be described as possessing overwhelming firepower.
Haphazardly throwing around meteorites—what kind of superhuman firepower is that? The sheer mass and kinetic energy would be enough to crush most mysteries.
Not just Alaric, but Da Vinci and Ritsuka Fujimaru were also shocked by Holmes' speculation.
Holmes continued speaking without pause, addressing the group's stunned expressions:
"In 1999, a small asteroid named Bennu was observed. It is a carbonaceous asteroid with an average diameter of 500 meters. According to analyses, it will approach Earth several times between this era and the next two hundred years.
"Based on my hypothesis, could he be planning to use this asteroid as a bullet?"
"Can a Phantasmal Spirit's Noble Phantasm achieve such a feat?"
Alaric raised his hand to ask, "Phantasmal Spirits may have Noble Phantasms, but aren't their effects generally weaker? How is Moriarty different—"
"That's correct," Holmes nodded. "Phantasmal Spirits indeed possess Noble Phantasms similar to Heroic Spirits, but their abilities are much weaker after being summoned as Phantasmal Spirits. However, the concept itself remains unchanged."
"As long as there is sufficient magical energy, it becomes feasible. By merging with a Heroic Spirit to enhance their spiritual foundation—"
["Could they even reach the level of incorporating celestial bodies into the concept of a bullet?"]
Even Da Vinci, a genius in all disciplines, was coming to realize for the first time the true power of concepts.
When supported by sufficient magical energy, the power of concepts could achieve feats beyond standard limitations.
"So, what are we waiting for?"
Realizing the extent of Moriarty's power, Alaric turned slightly and looked at Ritsuka Fujimaru, who had just changed back into battle attire. Smiling, Alaric said, "Let's bring this adventure to a close."
With Ritsuka Fujimaru's return, the group did not linger any longer and began advancing toward the Tower.
When they were about tens of meters away from the Tower, Alaric suddenly stopped.
"Sir Alaric, what are you doing?"
Ritsuka Fujimaru, curious, watched as Alaric dismounted from his motorcycle. The others were similarly puzzled by his actions.
Holmes and Moriarty, however, sensed something very ominous. Moriarty, in particular, felt a growing sense of unease.
"Just cut it down. If we go in, won't we be stepping right into the enemy's territory?"
Alaric's expression was one of astonishment. Knowing full well that the enemy intended to destroy the world, why would they willingly enter the tower that represented the enemy's domain?
Wouldn't that be suicidal?
Not to mention the unknown environment—what if other factors disrupted their plans?
"Cut it down?"
Ritsuka Fujimaru dismounted, confused by Alaric's words.
Behind them, Artoria Alter and Jeanne Alter were equally perplexed.
Having confirmed the Tower as a definite threat, Alaric had come up with a corresponding plan—a bold attempt.
Of course, if this were a normal, human-related world, Alaric wouldn't consider such a plan, as the cost would be far too great.
But since this was a meaningless city, it provided Alaric with an appropriate stage—
"Collapse, and be contained, as proof of the principle of continuity."
Under everyone's watchful eyes, an expansive aurora began rapidly consuming the earth, the city, and all its magical energy.
A slender beam of aurora ascended into the sky, splitting the heavens.