"What is this—"
Fujimaru Ritsuka instinctively held her breath, her expression filled with shock as she watched the rapidly spreading light. Everything the light touched, except for humans, was completely obliterated—or rather, shaved away by the light.
The ground, the buildings, the magical energy—everything Fujimaru Ritsuka recognized was vanishing.
Skyscrapers that once stood tall in Shinjuku disappeared entirely within just a few breaths. The world of nothingness expanded, leaving a blank space with a diameter of hundreds of meters in the blink of an eye.
It was as if Fujimaru Ritsuka was standing in a world of pure white. No trace of anything human-made could be seen, as though they were reliving the miracle that appeared during the Fourth Holy Grail War in Fuyuki.
But this time, there were no blooming fields of flowers—only a single beam of light.
A light unleashed by Alaric's own hands—a light that grew by shaving away the world.
As the aurora-like light grew, the sky and the earth were slashed apart in its wake.
The blue, spirit-like aura was not the light emitted by the aurora itself, but rather the fractured sky split open by the light, revealing the truth of this independent world's pitch-black heavens. Through the cracks, the true form of a magical blade—bestowed with the title "Emperor of Slashes"—could be seen.
"Is that… a sword?!"
Even Artoria Alter, the wielder of the Holy Sword, showed a rare moment of emotion. The aurora that split the sky appeared to be an incomparably long blade of light.
If it were merely a Noble Phantasm, it would be easier to understand. But Artoria Alter quickly realized that the aurora's existence was sustained by absorbing the surrounding matter.
If simply forming the aurora required this much, what would happen if the aurora were to strike?
"Huh? Are you blind?"
Jeanne Alter immediately retorted, unable to grasp the scene before her. "How could that be a sword? If it is, isn't it ridiculously oversized?"
"Miss Artoria Alter is correct. That is a sword—the Sword of Star."
With a solemn expression, the great detective Sherlock Holmes stared intently at the radiant aurora that ascended into the sky. The surrounding blue void reflected the essence of an unknown world.
["Is this his full power now?"]
Even Da Vinci, far away in Chaldea, wore an unusually grave expression. She didn't doubt that Alaric might attempt to strike at Fujimaru Ritsuka, but she also couldn't ignore the threat Alaric posed.
The act of shaving away the world might not mean much to magi, but the extent of the shaving was crucial.
Was it limited to the land? Or did it encompass much more?
Unable to remain idle, Da Vinci immediately called upon the other staff to observe the singularity.
Meanwhile, Mash, still standing before the monitor, wore a sorrowful look. Even without Galahad's power, she seemed to retain a certain level of perception.
Even across an unfathomable distance, she could still sense a hint of loneliness.
The path that separated one from others, the absolute isolation of the self, where no other human being could accompany them—a feeling of utter solitude.
And at the center of everyone's attention, the one holding the aurora remained calm, showing no sign of excitement.
The formation of the aurora required no special preconditions—only self-sustainment and the ability to shave away the world. The amount of matter shaved away determined the scale of the aurora.
Perhaps the aurora wielded by Alaric could only be called a seed. Once planted, it would grow roots, sprout, and eventually bear fruit.
However, this wasn't an unrestricted expansion. Everything depended on Alaric's individual qualities as the source and the influence of environmental factors.
If not for this world, deprived of the influence of the Counter Force, Alaric—who lacked possession of the Holy Grail—might not have been able to manipulate the world in this way.
Of course, magical energy and authority were indispensable.
Yes, authority.
At this moment, Alaric possessed something that could be called authority.
It was the foundation of his current power. If one were to categorize it under the authority of beasts, Alaric himself preferred to call it—Nega Genesis.
Was this principle born from Alaric, or was Alaric born because of this principle? No one could explain the exact cause and effect.
What exactly was the true effect of Nega Genesis? Even Alaric didn't know. The only thing he was certain of was that it was a path of solitude.
Perhaps, as Mash had observed, it was the path of absolute selfhood—a road where no second person would ever accompany the one who walked it.
As the aurora reached a certain limit, Alaric, gripping the light, began to move.
Just as Artoria Alter had marveled in the golden hall before, his swordsmanship was near perfection. If it were a direct and upright attack, it could be described as righteous and majestic.
The dazzling blade of light, hundreds of meters long, was on par with anti-army Noble Phantasms in scale—though it didn't match Karna's legendary strike that once felled the heavens.
Due to its unique nature, it might even be classified as an EX-rank anti-army Noble Phantasm.
The aurora, like a blade, fell toward the spear-like tower with astonishing speed.
The white atmosphere howled from both sides of the aurora, stirring fierce winds and roaring booms. Within the chaos, the spear-like tower was cleaved in two, and a figure emerged.
As the spear-like tower was split and collapsed, the aurora in Alaric's hand gradually shrank until it disappeared into his palm.
But Alaric knew that this was merely an external display. The matter and everything else consumed by the aurora had not returned to the world—it had been absorbed by him.
After all, consuming such a large amount of matter in one go was far too inefficient.
A normal Noble Phantasm release consumed only a negligible amount of magical energy while causing far greater destruction than this aurora blade.
If the ether in the atmosphere and ley lines could be considered the blood of the planet, then what Alaric was consuming was the planet's blood and flesh. The energy converted from such pure mass was staggering.
To use it merely as a light blade for attack was overkill.
But even Alaric couldn't determine what purpose the aurora had served afterward. He didn't feel any stronger—
It was as though it had truly disappeared.
Without dwelling too much on this question, Alaric clapped his hands and looked toward a middle-aged man who had leaped out of the collapsing spear-like tower. The man bore an uncanny resemblance to the virtuous James Moriarty.
Perhaps he could be called the Evil Moriarty?
Not only Alaric, but even Fujimaru Ritsuka and the others noticed the middle-aged man standing with his back to the ruined tower. Yet, compared to this Evil Moriarty, Fujimaru Ritsuka was more concerned with the astonishing display Alaric had just demonstrated.
Seeing the aurora dissipate and the surroundings remaining as a world of nothingness, Fujimaru Ritsuka asked, "Sir Alaric, was that a Noble Phantasm just now?"
What kind of Noble Phantasm could produce such an effect?
"I don't know either. It's weird and strange."
Alaric shrugged, offering no further explanation to Fujimaru Ritsuka. Perhaps, as he said, he didn't fully understand it.
After the brief interlude, Alaric, Fujimaru Ritsuka, Sherlock Holmes, and the others began to approach the Evil Moriarty, who stood amidst the empty field.
"Why are you here?"
The obsession of three millennia stood before him. The man who called himself Evil Moriarty ignored humanity's final Master and instead fixed his gaze on Alaric, his voice rising uncontrollably.
"Why are you here?!!!!"