"Hey, Merlin, do you think a Caster-class Guinevere could qualify as a Grand Heroic Spirit?"
"Mmm, she's still a little ways off from my level. But if she could fully master that Noble Phantasm of hers, she might just have what it takes to touch Grand status."
"And what about my foolish little sister?"
"Having regained her Scabbard and now able to unleash Excalibur's Holy Sword of the Planet form... she's undoubtedly a half-Grand. In her current state, she's more than enough to strike down the present-day Gilgamesh."
Within Avalon, the two spectators who already knew the outcome continued to discuss the war's progress.
Above Fuyuki City, the Sword of Rupture whipped up a spatial storm, while the restraints on the Holy Sword of the Planet continued to release, one by one.
Following Guinevere...
Bedivere: "The King is always right!"
Lancelot: "The target is not a Faerie. Just to be clear, I'm not a Faerie!"
Mordred: "Father! It's Father! It's been so long, Father! I'll release the restraint right away!"
Kay: "My sister... if I don't agree, the next time I see Guinevere, she'll bury me in chores, won't she? Fine, I acknowledge it! This is a battle for survival!"
Agravain: "My King, I apologize for failing to ensure Mordred's kingdom endured longer. But I will set aside that regret for now. If you are fighting to pursue your own lasting happiness, then I acknowledge this as a battle for your truth."
The Holy Sword's Thirteen Restraints corresponded to the thirteen Knights of the Round Table, including the King of Knights herself. To unleash the Holy Sword's full power, only seven of these restraints needed to be released.
With Guinevere's acknowledgment, followed by Bedivere and the other four knights, only one final restraint stood between Excalibur and its full might.
And this final seal, the King of Knights could break herself.
"This is a battle to save the world! The corrupted Holy Grail must not fall into the hands of chaos and evil!"
Though the seven Knights seemed to speak at length, their thoughts were transmitted in an instant. Just a fraction of a second after the King of Heroes began to gather his power, the King of Knights gained full access to the Holy Sword of the Planet.
And as she began her chant...
"This is the Breath of the Stars, the brilliant torrent of life..."
...the Ever-Victorious King was about to unleash her sword of certain victory.
At this moment, the Holy Sword ascended, joining the King of Heroes' EA as an EX-Rank Noble Phantasm. One was a blade that sundered heaven and earth; the other, a blade that vanquished enemies of the planet.
If their wielders were alive, the outcome of such a clash would be uncertain, depending on their individual power output. But since both were merely Servants—extensions of the Planet's Counter Force—the latter had no reason to lose.
To oppose Excalibur in this form was to first face the Planet's Denial.
The brilliant, radiant light surged forward relentlessly, swallowing the spatial rifts created by EA's wind pressure. It continued its advance until it engulfed the King of Heroes, then pierced straight through to the heavens.
In that instant, Guinevere's illusory rain curtain shattered, and the full moon behind the clouds once again shed its gentle, veil-like light.
A few seconds later, Irisviel, still inside the car, felt the King of Heroes' soul vanish, confirming his withdrawal from the battle.
With the "Enemy of the Planet" eliminated, the Holy Sword's restraints returned, sealing its power from EX Rank back down to A++.
Panting, the King of Knights flew back to Guinevere and Irisviel, her restored sword in hand. Her gaze held admiration for Guinevere, and after they exchanged a knowing smile, she turned to Irisviel with concern, asking...
"Irisviel, has Kiritsugu Emiya contacted you? Does he need help?"
"No. Guinevere's advice to bring heavy weaponry was already the greatest help he could have received."
According to Guinevere and Irisviel's suggestion, Maiya and the maids were supposed to rest at the castle. But Maiya couldn't stay still. Though her health was a fragile illusion, she was still able to move freely, ready to once again risk her life for her beloved Kiritsugu.
However, she would no longer need to sacrifice her life.
Under the surveillance of familiars and cameras, Kirei Kotomine had never followed the King of Heroes to Mount Enzo. He had simply remained within the Holy Church, waiting for Kiritsugu Emiya's arrival and ready to use Command Spells to support the King of Heroes at a moment's notice.
When the King of Heroes unleashed the King's Vault on a massive scale, Kirei used three Command Spells. When the King of Heroes attempted to clash head-on with the Holy Sword of the Planet using his EX-Rank power, Kirei used another three.
But the result of all six Command Spells was the same: he "witnessed" the King of Heroes lose to the King of Knights' sword and scabbard.
Standing in the church, gazing at the statue of the Lord, Kirei couldn't utter a single word of complaint. He knew that if he didn't give up now, death would be his next visitor.
Yet, how could he possibly give up, especially with Kiritsugu Emiya now standing just outside the Holy Church's gates?
Would Kiritsugu Emiya enter? Of course not. He wasn't foolish enough to step into Kirei Kotomine's home turf.
He had arrived by car, having acquired even heavier weaponry over the past two days.
If Kirei refused to come out and continued to wait inside the church, Kiritsugu would call him out with the RPG slung over his shoulder.
Guinevere had reminded him that while Kirei Kotomine was an Executor, he wasn't an opponent who required the Origin Bullet to be killed. Conventional heavy weapons were more than capable of ending his life.
The RPG exploded, shattering the church's main doors and blowing them inward. Kirei Kotomine could only turn around, his face contorted in an ugly grimace.
He knew full well what kind of man Kiritsugu Emiya was, yet he had still underestimated his shamelessness. He never imagined Kiritsugu could acquire such a devastating weapon in the Far East, where firearms were strictly prohibited!
Handguns and submachine guns were one thing; even a sniper rifle that could be disassembled for transport was acceptable. But...
"Kirei, this is the second shot."
Kiritsugu Emiya had raided the nearest military base. If it weren't for the unwanted attention it would draw, he would have brought a tank or a fighter jet.
"Kirei, the times have changed."
Kiritsugu had no desire for small talk after what Kirei had done to Maiya. While Kiritsugu could set aside his emotions to weigh the scales of justice, he was still a man of deep personal feelings.
But as Kirei Kotomine charged forward through a hail of heavy machine-gun fire, carving a path with his Black Keys, it was Maiya who delivered the final blow. She had arrived on her own, dragging a sniper rifle with her, and it was she who buried him.
And Kirei Kotomine, until his death, never understood what kind of person Kiritsugu Emiya truly was, nor what his wish was.
At this point, on the surface, the Holy Grail War was left with only the Einzbern faction.
Lighting a cigarette and exhaling smoke, Kiritsugu didn't spare a glance at Kirei's shattered head. He ignored the faint, struggling sounds from within the church. After regrouping with Maiya, they left immediately, needing to rush to Mount Enzo to conduct the ritual to summon the Holy Grail.
But as their car drove further away, the struggles within the church ceased. The exposed corpse of Kirei Kotomine, its destroyed tissues and blood, began to writhe as if alive, converging back into the gaping wound.
Kiritsugu Emiya did not yet know that merely blowing Kirei's head off was no longer enough to kill him.
For this final battle, Kirei had prepared more than just Command Spells.