By the time Shirou and the others rushed to the outskirts of the Fortress of Millennia, the "Red" Berserker had reached his limit.
No... he had surpassed that limit long ago.
Spartacus, the hero of rebellion, had endured, endured, and continued enduring every pain inflicted on him. All that remained now was to release it all at once.
"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Berserker's scream was a mixture of agony and joy.
Ruler, who had not understood what Shirou meant by "stealing the Holy Grail amid the chaos," finally understood when she saw the scene before her.
"Is Berserker trying to destroy everything nearby...!?"
At this very moment, the Magi of the "Black" faction had to be in complete chaos.
No one could have expected "Crying Warmonger" to be such a vicious Noble Phantasm.
His body, transformed by the enormous Mana he had accumulated, was no longer bound by any contract.
Even a Heroic Spirit with Magic Resistance A could only resist the effect of a single Command Spell, and even using all three would no longer work on him.
Command Spells were "restraints imposed by superior upon subordinate." To Spartacus, the hero of rebellion, even under normal circumstances it would take two Command Spells to make him obey an order.
The "Red" faction's plan was to lure Spartacus near the Yggdmillennia clan's castle and detonate him there. Ideally, they would wipe out the enemy Masters in one stroke. Failing that, they would at least destroy the castle's outer walls.
Their plan had gone extremely smoothly.
Spartacus was unstoppable now. His self-destruction would blow away every structure on the surface nearby.
Jeanne watched Berserker run wild.
She was certain Spartacus was about to unleash his greatest strike, which would also be his last.
He would likely vanish after using up all the Mana that allowed him to exist in the present world.
If this was the path chosen by the Heroic Spirit Spartacus, then as the overseer, Ruler would not stop him.
However...
"Huh?"
Jeanne blinked.
Spartacus suddenly changed direction. He stopped charging toward the castle and instead came rushing toward her and Shirou.
"Wh-what's going on?"
Mordred cried out in surprise as well.
Shirou was just as confused.
Then he remembered being chased by Spartacus two nights ago and vaguely realized what was happening.
Was it a matter of aggro?
For the hero of rebellion, there had always been an oppressor, a target, that had to be defeated.
At the beginning of the Holy Grail War, that target had been the lord ruling Trifas, in other words, the Yggdmillennia clan.
Then, in the forest, he had encountered a new oppressor. Though the priority was lower than the enemy Masters, Spartacus had still immediately marked Shirou, who possessed the "King" attribute, as a target.
But Berserker actually had an enemy whose priority ranked even higher than a King-class Heroic Spirit or an enemy Master.
That enemy was the oppressor who held the highest authority in this Great Holy Grail War, Ruler Jeanne d'Arc.
"Huh? I... I'm Berserker's target!?"
Spartacus veered off course and charged roaring toward Jeanne and Shirou.
"...You really know how to cause trouble," Mordred teased.
"I'm very sorry about that!" Jeanne puffed out her cheeks.
"Get ready to run."
Shirou said this to Jeanne, but she stood rooted in place.
"What's wrong?"
"I... cannot run. Berserker sees me, the mediator of the Great Holy Grail War, as an enemy that must be removed. His Noble Phantasm can release accumulated Mana in any direction. If I flee, innocent people nearby may be caught in the blast."
The Holy Maiden's expression was grave.
Since Berserker had chosen her as his target, the only thing she could do was bear the full force of his wrath.
"Artorius, 'Red' Saber, please retreat at once. Leave this to me..."
As she spoke, she gripped the pure white holy banner tightly in both hands.
The "Red" Berserker crushed the earth beneath his feet. Even though he had already lost all human shape, he still wore a smile.
Spartacus's mind was filled with intoxicating joy, drowning in a dream of destroying tyranny and overthrowing authority.
As long as oppressors existed in the world, he could not stop his own joy and rage.
And now, having gained a second life, he was about to unleash the most magnificent strike of that life.
The pain of his entire body being remade was eating away at his mind, but that too would soon end.
This was not as simple as an all-out attack. It was the ultimate destruction, something that could only be obtained by offering up everything he was as a sacrifice.
"...Ahh."
At the moment of death, Berserker regained his reason and let out a blissful sigh.
He did not care how hideous his body had become. The masochistic gladiator who had devoted his life to rebellion finally swung a blow that staked his very soul.
At the same time, Jeanne was ready to release the True Name of her Noble Phantasm, raising the banner that symbolized the Holy Maiden high with both hands.
"My God (Luminosite)... Hm? Artorius?"
Shirou wrapped one arm around Jeanne's waist and tucked her under his arm like a child.
"Wait... what are you doing? Put me down! Do not interfere with my True Name release!"
Jeanne struggled on instinct, flailing her arms and legs.
When she looked again, she found that Mordred was also tucked under Shirou's other arm.
Unlike Ruler, who was resisting with all her might, however, the legendary Rebel Knight was now as obedient as a kitten, letting the red-haired boy carry her without protest.
"...There."
Shirou looked up at the dawn sky.
Jeanne followed his gaze and finally saw the flaming figure floating high above.
"The 'Red' Lancer!"
"Looks like he plans to wipe us out along with Berserker..."
Shirou paused, then looked at Mordred. "Prepare to release 'Avalon.'"
The girl nodded blankly. "Ah, yes... Huh? Wait. I'm the one releasing the scabbard?"
Mordred's eyes widened in shock.
"Yes. I just placed the scabbard inside your body. I can't free my hands right now. Ruler is too heavy, so you'll have to release it. I'll grant you permission to use it..."
"I am not heavy at all! Artorius, put me down! Uuuuh! Now I'm really angry!"
He seemed to have stepped on a landmine, because the Holy Maiden made an even bigger fuss. Shirou ignored her.
"I... I can't do it... Father..."
For an instant, Mordred looked afraid.
"No. You can."
Shirou looked into her eyes and said, "If you are the child of King Arthur and Morgan, then you can absolutely do it. Prove it to me, Mordred."
"Ugh...!"
The blonde girl bit her lip.
Then the hesitation vanished from her face. With tears gathering in the corners of her eyes, she gave Shirou a firm nod.
"I understand, Father... I'll do my best!"
Meanwhile, on the other side.
Karna leaped up from the ground, raising the divine spear wreathed in flames and burning red-hot above his head.
"Here I go. Brahmastra!"
The divine spear he hurled moved at the speed of light and carried the destructive force of an avalanche, piercing straight through Spartacus's grotesque giant body.
In the next instant, Berserker's body, like a mountain of flesh tumors, cracked apart and emitted light.
The sky, which had just welcomed dawn, was filled with the blazing radiance of the sun, stealing everyone's sight.
...
"Guh...!"
Jeanne landed hard on her backside.
"Could you not have been a little gentler!?"
She glared furiously at Shirou.
It was all over.
The back-to-back Noble Phantasms of the "Red" Berserker and the "Red" Lancer had left the Fortress of Millennia half-destroyed and swept the surrounding battlefield clean.
Even so, despite that terrifying torrent of violence, the three who had been closest to it were unharmed.
After Shirou transferred the right to use the scabbard, Mordred successfully released "Avalon."
"It really worked..."
Mordred stared in disbelief at the golden scabbard in her hands.
"Fa... Father!"
She looked at the red-haired boy in wild joy, while he turned his face away and said flatly, "Well done."
"And stop calling me 'Father'... I'm the King's Stand-in, Artorius, not the Arthur you think I am."
"Got it, Father!"
"..."
Meanwhile, the "Black" Masters hiding inside the Yggdmillennia castle had also lived through a disaster.
Fortunately, the place where they had been observing the battle had not been directly struck by the aftershock, but just a dozen meters away, everything was already in ruins.
"What the hell is wrong with tonight!? Damn it!"
Gordes slammed his fist against the wall in despair.
Their clan leader, Darnic, had become a vampire and was now missing.
The Berserker they had captured had been used by the enemy and turned against them, resulting in the Fortress of Millennia being half-destroyed.
On top of that, the army the Yggdmillennia clan had spent decades building had been almost completely wiped out in the explosion.
The only survivors were probably the homunculi who had been standing by in the rear, or those who had sensed something was wrong and fled.
Although every Heroic Spirit aside from Siegfried and Vlad III was still alive, the Yggdmillennia clan's prospects in this war had already been cast under a shadow.
And yet, that was not even the worst of it.
The Hanging Gardens were now hovering directly above the castle.
If the Empress, mistress of the Gardens, were to release the cannons surrounding the fortress, "The Eleven Black Coffins," the Magi inside the castle would be slaughtered in an instant.
But she did not.
From the very beginning, she had never taken the enemy Masters seriously.
"You tiny Magi, open your eyes and watch carefully. This is the true height of Magecraft."
Semiramis laughed aloud, spreading both arms as she released her spell.
With a boom, a fierce wind burst from the bottom of the aerial fortress.
The powerful tornado-like gale connected to the center of the castle like a conduit.
Earth and rubble broke apart in the storm and were sucked upward.
More than two-thirds of the castle had already been destroyed. Its exposed stone foundation had shattered, and the golden Greater Grail could now be seen floating in midair.
"...Unbelievable."
Jeanne recognized the Grail as genuine at a single glance.
What she could not believe was that the "Red" faction was trying to pull it out.
This was a war fought over the Holy Grail.
If the "Red" faction ultimately won, then she could have expected the situation to develop like this, but only after the Great Holy Grail War had reached its proper conclusion.
Why would they take such an enormous risk to recover the Grail before the outcome of the war had even been decided?
Just then, a gust of wind lifted Jeanne's hair.
By the time she realized what had happened, she saw that it was not wind at all, but Shirou shooting into the sky like an arrow loosed from a bow.
...
"What!?"
Semiramis's eyes widened.
After an entire night of hard fighting and countless difficulties, she had finally laid eyes on the Greater Grail she had longed for.
It was right there before her, yet the "Black" Saber had rushed out.
The red-haired boy was flying toward the Greater Grail in a straight line. At this speed, he would snatch it away before the Hanging Gardens could recover it.
"I see. Flight through 'Mana Burst'..."
Father Kotomine stroked his chin with interest as he watched Shirou on the screen.
After Jeanne sensed Spartacus's movement and left the Hanging Gardens, he had finally been able to return to their base.
"Still, without knowing our plan in advance, responding this quickly should be impossible. Is it truly only a coincidence?"
"That hardly matters...!"
Semiramis bit her red lip and raised a hand, ordering the Hanging Gardens to attack.
The eleven pitch-black coffins encircling the floating fortress turned their muzzles and fired powerful magical bullets.
Had Shirou not already known how they attacked, Semiramis might have shot him down.
Unfortunately for her, he had already experienced that attack once before.
The light cannons specialized in suppression were not suited to striking small targets. As long as he focused on evasion, he could dodge them even with "Mana Burst."
And so, under Semiramis's furious, humiliated gaze, Shirou took the Greater Grail floating in midair right in front of everyone.
"It isn't over yet...!"
Semiramis refused to give up. She ordered the Black Coffins to fire an even denser barrage while increasing the suction from the bottom of the Gardens.
Perhaps the Grail was slowing Shirou down, because one magical bullet struck him squarely in the back.
For a Saber with "Magic Resistance" ranked A or higher, a single magical bullet was not enough to inflict serious damage.
But its sheer kinetic force still sent the boy clutching the Grail plummeting toward the ground, smoke rising from his body.
"Artorius!" Jeanne cried.
"Saber!" Manaka cried.
Just then.
"All right~~~ Here I go!"
Along with a sharp, birdlike cry, a phantom that did not exist in reality tore across the sky.
The "Black" Rider flashed past on the back of a Hippogriff, spreading both arms wide to catch Shirou as he fell at terrifying speed.
"Are you okay, Saber?"
Astolfo looked down at the boy lying in his arms.
"Yeah. You saved me."
Shirou probably would have been fine even after free-falling from several hundred meters, but there was no telling what would have happened to the Grail.
"Won't your Master have something to say about you doing this?"
When Shirou asked that, Astolfo tilted his head and thought for a moment.
"Ah... crap! When I get back, my Master's going to lock me up again... Well, whatever!"
In a single second, his gloomy look turned into a cheerful smile.
"You saved that child earlier, so I owed you one~♡"
With that, the "Black" Rider gave Shirou a flirtatious wink.
"..."
Seeing the two flirting on horseback, Manaka's and Jeanne's foreheads twitched faintly.
...Who is this woman?