In the end, Shirou reached a certain understanding with the "Black" faction.
It was not an "alliance," but a tacit agreement of "non-aggression."
For Shirou and Mordred, it would not have mattered even if they had to make enemies of everyone else.
But from the standpoint of protecting the Master, cutting the number of enemies in half certainly made things much easier.
"There's something I've wanted to ask since the moment I walked in."
"Go ahead."
"Why haven't I seen your Caster?"
Shirou asked curiously, "Did he fall in last night's battle?"
"No, regarding that…"
Fiore looked troubled. She seemed to hesitate over whether she should reveal their internal situation to Shirou and the others, but Caules did not think that deeply and blurted it out.
"Caster defected."
"Huh?"
"Last night, Caster secretly left the castle and still hasn't returned.
He secretly went to the 'Red' Assassin's Sky Garden… our familiar has already confirmed that much.
Considering the large amount of resources he took from the workshop, we believe he has defected to the 'Red' faction."
An image surfaced in Shirou's mind: the young Father smiling as he extended his hand, persuading others to join him.
Had Caster lost confidence in Yggdmillennia because Lancer went on a rampage?
"Hey! Why didn't you tell us something this important sooner!?"
Mordred angrily grabbed Caules by the collar.
Jeanne was just as stunned. One of their key combatants had apparently defected to the enemy, yet the Magi of Yggdmillennia were still hosting a banquet and receiving guests as if nothing had happened.
"If we had shown it too early, we would have been put on the back foot during the negotiations that followed."
Shirou looked into Fiore's eyes and said calmly, "So before I agreed to your demands, you couldn't allow word of Caster's defection to leak out under any circumstances… right?"
Fiore nodded with a smile.
"Tch…!"
Mordred clicked her tongue and let go of Caules's collar.
Shirou looked around the hall, then asked, "Did Caster's Master defect as well?"
Fiore shook her head and explained, "Only Caster defected. He severed his connection with our Magus… that is precisely why we concluded he had betrayed us."
"Caster severed the connection with his Master by himself?"
Jeanne's brows drew together slightly. Was it even possible to do something that violated the rules of the Holy Grail War like that?
Jeanne had heard of Noble Phantasms that could forcibly alter or usurp a Master's authority, and her own Ruler's Privilege could accomplish something similar. But…
Caster Avicebron should not have been capable of that. Was it someone from the "Red" faction?
Fiore also swept her gaze around the room. "I had the Homunculi tell Roché to come attend tonight's dinner. Where is he…? Caules! Find Roché. Right now!"
The girl's expression changed abruptly.
Because of the trust and understanding between the siblings, Caules did not ask any questions. He immediately set off with the Homunculi to search for him.
A terrible premonition rose in Fiore's heart. Earlier today, after Roché learned that Caster had defected and severed their connection, he had seemed wrong somehow.
Roché might be a genius Magus, but in the end, he was still only a thirteen-year-old child.
He admired and worshiped Caster from the bottom of his heart. Even as his Master, he called him "Professor."
A mind like that was far too easy to exploit.
Even if he were told that Caster had betrayed him, he would likely think the adults were lying to him, desperate to see the "Professor" one more time and ask him the truth.
"Master, have you heard Darnic-sama explain the details of Caster's Anti-Army Noble Phantasm, 'Golem Keter Malkuth'?"
"I heard it was a gigantic golem, and that it requires a 'Core' to activate. Other than that…"
"The 'Core' is a Magus."
Fiore was rendered speechless. Chiron continued in an even tone.
"Caster originally intended to use Gordes-sama as the 'Core.' I heard it from Darnic-sama, so there is no mistake."
"Wha-wha-wha-what!? Me?"
Gordes let out a shriek, his face deathly pale.
Shirou said, "Then the one Caster chose as the 'Core' is most likely his Master.
Not just anyone can serve as material for the 'Core.' The quality of their Magic Circuits and Magic Crests probably has to be assessed as well.
After weighing everything, he abandoned Gordes and chose Roché, whose Magecraft aptitude was superior."
"Guh… Sorry for being useless trash!"
Fiore's expression was grave. "Do you believe Roché was lured out by Caster and has already met a terrible end?"
"Yes, that is very likely. And… since this was something he could only accomplish with help from the 'Red' faction.
Once his Noble Phantasm is complete, I do not think I need to explain what comes next."
At that moment, the floor of the hall suddenly shook violently, and rubble fell from the ceiling just as it had the night before.
"What happened?"
"The enemy is attacking!"
Everyone hurriedly evacuated the room and made their way to the outer edge of the castle walls.
And there, they saw it: a giant standing beneath the starry sky.
"Are we too late?" Shirou frowned.
"That couldn't be the Noble Phantasm… 'Golem Keter Malkuth,' could it?" Fiore stared with her mouth open.
One look was enough to understand that "it" was completely different from every golem they had seen before.
It existed on an entirely different level from any golem Roché or the "Black" Caster had ever created.
...
Caster had once witnessed hell.
Humans locked in endless conflict. Villains who freely plundered the weak.
The world was utterly repulsive.
Why could humans not stop fighting?
How could humans commit such ugly acts so calmly?
Why were humans, created by the supreme and benevolent God, so imperfect?
Caster searched for the reason.
In the end, he found the answer in texts older than the Bible.
The reason humans continued to fight.
It was because the first humans who once lived in Paradise had committed original sin and been cast out of Paradise.
Human souls, having fallen into the material world, could only decay with time.
If left alone, humanity would repeat its conflicts forever. Then what should be done?
The answer was simple.
If there was no longer a Paradise on earth, then he would create one himself.
In life, Caster poured his entire being into creating the perfect golem, only to die before his wish could be realized.
But even in death, that obsession did not fade.
Not through an all-powerful wishing machine, but with his own two hands, he would fulfill his dearest wish: to build a true paradise on Earth.
I will be the one to end this hell.
So, Roché.
My Master. The first beloved disciple I have taken in this life.
Please, never forgive the one who killed your Professor.
...
A giant more than ten meters tall stood there, his entire body formed from wood, stone, and soil. He looked as though he had taken the greatness of nature itself into his body, a sight that inevitably called a god to mind.
When his feet stepped onto the earth, the ground ravaged by Spartacus seemed to sing in praise of the giant, transforming from barren wasteland into a lush expanse of grass and trees.
Any tree the giant touched immediately bore fruit. The fruit ripened, fell to the ground, and at once grew into new trees.
Not only that, but birds and beasts that should have been kept outside by the Barrier of the Fortress of Millennia appeared from nowhere.
Like insects drawn to light, the birds and beasts were attracted to the giant. Without the slightest hesitation, they clung to him, then were broken down into pure energy to sustain him.
They did so willingly. Even mindless Beasts yearned to attach themselves to him.
On top of that, the surrounding environment, including the earth itself, had come alive. A faint scent of honey drifted through the air, and merely breathing it into one's lungs filled the body with an overwhelming sense of happiness.
"Behold. This is the Garden of Eden."
Standing on the giant's shoulder, Caster spread his arms wide. Even with his features hidden behind a mask, his ecstasy was almost tangible.
"This is the Primordial Human sought by all Kabbalists, Adam Kadmon.
This is the true nature of 'Golem Keter Malkuth,' the power to rewrite the world into paradise through nothing more than its existence.
And the world it rewrites is none other than the land once bestowed by God, where the first humans, Adam and Eve, lived.
Fighting and killing will cease to exist. Meaningless wars and dull societies will come to an end. The world will become a true paradise, guh!"
A single golden beam shot from afar and pierced Caster's chest.
With his lungs burned through, he lost his voice at once and tumbled from the giant's high shoulder.
"Saber!"
There was no need to ask who had launched the attack. Jeanne stared in surprise at Shirou, who had drawn the Holy Sword.
"Sorry, but I couldn't listen to a madman's nonsense any longer."
Shirou frowned. "'Paradise' isn't some place that drives people insane. Besides… when you get down to it, that thing is just a Noble Phantasm, isn't it?"
Caster struggled to his feet.
Avicebron had been frail and sickly in life, and even after becoming a Servant, there was no way he could endure a strike from the Holy Sword. Clearly, Shirou had deliberately avoided his Spirit Core.
"That is correct… just as you said, this is a Noble Phantasm."
Caster healed his wound with Magecraft as he spoke. "Saber… you spared my life because you intend to use me to stop the First Human, don't you?
Unfortunately for you, my mission on this earth is already complete.
Now that this Noble Phantasm has been activated, I have no regrets."
The Caster was lying.
He desperately wanted to see what "Paradise" would look like.
But since he himself had become an obstacle to the fulfillment of that dream, he had no choice but to cast himself aside first.
To achieve his dream, Avicebron had betrayed and sacrificed his Master.
That was an undeniable fact.
Whenever he thought of Roché's trust in him, and of the boy begging for mercy at the end, Caster's chest clenched with pain.
So he chose to accept the retribution for betraying his Master without resistance.
"'Keter Malkuth'! I leave the rest to you. If it is you, then surely you can create paradise upon this earth! Save the world, humanity, and our people!"
Avicebron decided to merge into the giant's body, just as his Master had, and become its source of energy.
If it absorbed a Servant, a being with such immense Mana, its power would surge once more.
Naturally, Shirou noticed that as well.
"Mordred! Don't let him die!"
"Got it!"
Mordred turned into a streak of crimson lightning and charged forward.
First, she slashed at the giant's calf, throwing it off balance. Then she forcibly yanked Caster away as he was in the middle of merging with the giant.
"Wait! What are you doing!? Stop!"
Avicebron struggled desperately.
"Golem Keter Malkuth" was a Noble Phantasm with the attribute of infinite Growth Potential.
Merely existing there allowed it to grow stronger with the passage of time, without any upper limit, until it assimilated the entire surface of the planet.
However, infinite Growth Potential also meant it was not completely invincible.
If Avicebron himself did not become fuel for Adam Kadmon, the giant's initial power would be much weaker.
Mordred gave Caster no chance. She dragged him back as easily as if she were carrying a chick.
"Want to die? Not that easy. I'm going to make you watch your masterpiece turn into scrap with your own eyes."
"Are you a devil!?"
Shirou's face was expressionless, but the emotion beneath it was overwhelming.
Everyone present understood. He despised Caster from the bottom of his heart.
After handing Avicebron over to Frankenstein for safekeeping, Mordred came to Shirou's side and stood beside him with her sword in hand.
"Hey… Fiore."
Shirou looked back at the acting head of the Yggdmillennia clan.
"Ah, yes? What do you need?"
"For now, that thing is still a Noble Phantasm of the 'Black' faction, so I want to confirm something."
"…Yes."
With his back to the girl, Shirou asked his question.
As he spoke, he turned toward the golem, and with his back to me, asked.
"Even if we completely destroy that thing, that's fine, right?"
The activated Adam Kadmon had long since surpassed the bounds of the Great Holy Grail War.
When Caster said it would "destroy the old world and create a new one," that had not been empty boasting.
Inside that colossal body, more than ten meters tall, was preserved a Principle capable of returning the surface of the planet to its primordial state.
And yet, Shirou's words and the sight of his back gave Fiore a strange sense of encouragement.
The girl, already exhausted in both body and mind by what had happened with Uncle Darnic and Roché, suddenly found her confidence returning.
As the provisional leader of Yggdmillennia, I have to pull myself together!
"We're counting on you, 'Black' Saber! Please help us defeat that giant!"
"Understood. I'll turn it into scrap metal right away. Watch closely… Tch, Ruler, why are you pinching my waist?"
Jeanne puffed out her cheeks and turned her face away in a sulk.
"Nothing. I just thought the two of you seemed awfully in sync… hmph."
And so, the battle began.
Shirou and Mordred faced it head-on, while Archer and Rider provided ranged and hit-and-run support across the battlefield.
Adam Kadmon possessed far more than just a gigantic body and the overwhelming power that came with it.
Chiron's arrow aimed at its eye was blocked, proving that it also possessed Agility surpassing that of a Heroic Spirit.
But that made no difference to Shirou and the others. Led by the Rebel Knight at the front, the two of them launched attack after attack against the golem.
"Hey, hey, hey, what's wrong, big guy!? You're moving way too slow! Even that bastard Merlin's golems were better than this!"
The Red Saber, wreathed in Crimson Lightning, charged forward, took a stance with her sword aimed at the golem's torso, and slammed into it with tremendous force.
As the golem's massive frame swayed, Shirou slashed at the knee joints of its human-shaped body, further weakening its mobility.
Their coordination was seamless, almost flawless.
While the golem staggered under their fierce assault, Astolfo, riding his Hippogriff, dove down from above.
He used his Noble Phantasm against the giant's leg.
"'Trap of Argalia'!"
With a rumble like an earthquake, the golem lost the ability to stay standing and dropped to one knee.
Mordred would never let such a perfect chance slip by.
The True Name Release that had been interrupted twice since the battle began was finally unleashed without restraint.
"'Clarent Blood Arthur'!!"
Crimson lightning wrapped in pitch-black Mana smashed the giant's head apart with ease.
"…Phew."
Just as everyone thought it was over and let out a breath of relief, Ruler, who alone had never lowered her guard, shouted a warning.
"No, it's not over yet!"
The golem swung its massive arm, sending Mordred flying as if struck by a typhoon, then slowly rose to its feet again.
To everyone's shock, the head that should have been vaporized had regenerated in an instant.
As the "Savior," Adam Kadmon also bore the mission of guiding those who suffered.
Simply by existing, it could rewrite the laws of the world. It was one who had tasted the forbidden fruit and obtained the radiance of wisdom.
"Don't think that was enough to destroy my Adam!"
Pinned to the ground, Caster screamed and struggled with all his might.
"Your attacks are useless! As long as the Original Human continues to exist, it will keep remaking the world!
Its power and regenerative ability will rise rapidly with every passing moment! You cannot stop the Savior!"
"Shut up! Don't get in Daddy's way!"
Frankenstein angrily delivered a soccer kick to Caster's head, finally sending him into a baby-like sleep.
"So, Jeanne… did you notice anything? I'm out of ideas here. Can you use your Monstrous Strength to beat it in a sumo match?"
Shirou fell back to Ruler's side. The Holy Maiden glared at him with a grave expression.
"This is no time for jokes, idiot Artorius. Wait… could that be…"
Jeanne stared at the giant, whose wounds continued to heal under Chiron's arrows.
"I think… that must be 'God's Blessing of the Earth.'"
The Holy Maiden finally understood why her faith had wavered the moment she saw that giant.
The holiness and majesty radiating from the golem were not false.
It truly was a "Creation of God" from the origin system of the Christian faith.
A beautiful, sublime, noble giant, the Savior, filled with glory.
It would not have been an exaggeration to say she wanted to bow her head and kneel before it. Merely gazing at it from afar gave the feeling that her soul was being cleansed.
Can I truly deny its existence and stop its salvation?
Just as Caster had accused, are we humans not the ones who bear "sin"?
"…Ah."
Jeanne's lips trembled violently.
She knew very well that the giant could not be allowed to run rampant upon the earth.
Humans were indeed foolish. They did have many flaws. Even so, they were beings who deserved to be loved and protected.
And yet…
At that moment, Jeanne felt her hand gently clasped.
"Artorius…!?"
***
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