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The air shimmered as another one of Solomon's rings glowed, and suddenly, a massive pillar erupted from the ground. This wasn't your average pillar, though—it was adorned in all sorts of eerie eyes. Definitely a Demon God Pillars. The one-eyed giants in the area sensed the danger and weren't having any of it. They let out powerful roars and started hurling attacks at the pillar. The eyes on the pillar had no choice but to divert some of their attention to fend off the giants.

The eerie eyes on the Demon God Pillars converged, unleashing a piercing beam of light aimed directly at the giants. It seared the giants' shoulders, but these giants weren't succumbing easily. They planted their feet on the ground, and their wounds healed rapidly. Then, wielding their massive stone clubs aloft, they struck the Demon God Pillars with tremendous force.

With a resounding "boom," the force of the blow made the Demon God Pillars wobble. Its eyes dimmed a bit, and the previously coordinated magical cannons went haywire. This put Shirou and the others on high alert, making them jump into action to bolster the its defenses.

Merlin spoke up, "This isn't working. We need someone to defend the Demon God Pillars so it can focus on eliminating the one-eyed giants."

Shirou was increasingly concerned. Those one-eyed giants were causing significant disruption for the Demon God Pillars. In a perfect scenario, the seventy-two Demon God Pillars would serve as powerful artillery platforms, capable of controlling the battlefield.

However, both he and Solomon were stretched thin. Solomon had to remain seated on his throne to manage the Demon God Pillars and oversee the temple's operations. Meanwhile, Shirou had his hands full coordinating the overall situation.

Karna spoke, "Whether they are Counter Guardians or Heroic Spirits, we should all go all out."

He looked at Shirou and calmly stated, "Even if I hadn't spoken up, you would have said the same thing eventually. You've already treated us as labor."

Something clicked for Shirou; Karna reminded him of Gilgamesh. While Gilgamesh's sharp tongue often provoked people into wanting to punch him, Karna had a way of cutting straight to the heart of the matter, which could be equally jarring.

Shirou responded, "You're right. That is precisely what I intended to say."

Emiya and Kiritsugu exchanged a glance before admitting, "Taking down those monsters won't be easy even for Counter Guardians like us."

"No need to worry!"

Shirou turned to King Solomon and said, "Apologies, Solomon, but I'm going to borrow your territory for a moment."

Solomon looked genuinely surprised.

Shirou unsheathed Caliburn and drove it into the ground beneath him. Light began radiating out from where he stood, sweeping across the entire temple almost instantly. Before anyone could blink, a subtle glow emanated from him, bathing the entire area in its luminance.

Solomon, Gilgamesh, Merlin, Scathach, Karna, Arjuna... the light softly enveloped everyone.

And it wasn't just them. As the light radiated outward from Shirou at the center, even the seventy-two Demon God Pillars started to glow faintly.

"What is this?" Kiritsugu couldn't hide his surprise.

The Demon God Pillars itself seemed puzzled as it looked down at its newly radiant form and mumbled, "So, even I can emit light?"

King Solomon stared at the glow enveloping him and murmured, "Beautiful..."

Karna nodded approvingly, "With this, there should be no problem."

[Imperial Privilege EX]!!

Centered on himself, he bathed the entire temple in his light. Within this light zone, he granted some innate skills to everyone—Heroic Spirits, Counter Guardians, and even the Demon God Pillars!

[God Slayer C]!

[God Slayer C]!

[God Slayer C]!

Be it the Demon God Pillar, the Heroic Spirits, or the Counter Guardians, everyone was now armed with three stacks of [God Slayer C]!

He could sense it—the one-eyed giants that were emerging from the ground carried a faint trace of divinity!

With a flourish of his cape, he called out, "Let the magi handle the sky, and the warriors take care of the ground!"

Scathach and the other Heroic Spirits scattered, moving to different parts of the temple. Meanwhile, Shirou, Merlin, and the others focused their attention upward, unleashing their power upon the sky.

This temple was King Solomon's second Noble Phantasm—a Rank A Noble Phantasm, to be precise, and also his Workshop. It was not only incredibly durable but also equipped to gather and amplify power.

The temple was constructed by King Solomon over three thousand years ago, eliminating the need for additional construction or maintenance. However, summoning the seventy-two Demon God Pillars was an entirely different matter; it placed a significant strain on magical energy. This situation left Shirou somewhat concerned about whether Solomon's reserves would be sufficient.

King Solomon picked up on his concern and reassured him, "You don't need to worry about my mana reserves. The temple is self-sustaining. As for the mana required to summon the Demon God Pillars and activate the Noble Phantasm, your subordinates have provided ample support."

Shirou nodded, keeping his focus on maintaining the Tower of Light's power output. He also continued to amplify the innate skills he had bestowed, extending them across the entire temple.

Inside the Temple of Time, a fierce battle was unfolding. Armed with three stacks of [God Slayer C], the Demon God Pillars were locked in a titanic struggle against the one-eyed giants. Demon God Pillars towered dozens of meters high, resembling massive spire that seemed to bridge the gap between heaven and earth. However, the one-eyed giants, having emerged from the ground, proved to be formidable opponents. Standing tens of meters tall and possessing a tank-like build, they formed an insurmountable wall.

The clash between these two colossal forces was nothing short of terrifying!

Eyes on the Demon God Pillars glimmered with faint light, coalescing into formidable magical focal points. With a surge of power, these were unleashed at the one-eyed giants.

"Boom, boom, boom, boom—"

Boosted by the triple stack of [God Slayer C], the impacts shattered the bodies of the one-eyed giants. But these behemoths weren't down for the count. With just the stumps of their legs still on the ground, they regenerated at an alarming rate. Roaring in defiance, they lifted their massive stone hammers and rock axes to strike back at their foes.

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

The earth itself seemed to tremble under the immense force of the clash between the Demon God Pillars and the mythical giants.

Elsewhere, in the ruins of the city, dragonkin soldiers were methodically dismantling the black humanoid creatures, causing havoc in every direction. This was yet another face-off, but one that resulted in a slaughter!

The battlefield raged, extending to every corner of the temple grounds.

Karna and the other Heroic Spirits had spread out, aiding the Demon God Pillars in their onslaught against the one-eyed giants.

Similar to figures from Greek mythology, these one-eyed giants were nigh indestructible. Standing firmly on two legs, they proved impossible to kill. Regardless of how their bodies were shattered by the Demon God Pillars, they'd regenerate almost instantly to strike back.

These one-eyed giants were not just unkillable, they were also incredibly strong. Their heavy blows connected with the body of the Demon God Pillars, making the massive pillar quiver with the impact.

However, Karna saw through the situation with a single glance. With a swift move of his spear, he cut off the legs of the one-eyed giant, leaving its upper body suspended in the air. At that moment, Baal, one of the Demon Gods, stepped in. Focusing a beam of light, Baal effortlessly eradicated the giant.

Just as the giant's legs began to regenerate by using the power of the earth, Karna swung his divine spear again, reducing them to ashes.

Baal commented, "This giant was no match for me, Baal! Even if you humans hadn't shown up, I would have finished it off soon enough."

Karna looked at Baal and said evenly, "Downplaying the giant's strength doesn't make you look better, especially when you've missed finding its weak spots. Cut it out; putting down your enemy doesn't elevate you in any way."

Baal blinked, clearly caught off guard, and shot Karna an embarrassed glare.

Was this human for real? Didn't he know how to save face for others? If they weren't on the same team right now, Baal would have totally zapped him with an eye beam.

Karna looked straight at Baal and said, "Give it up. In a real fight, you can't beat me."

Baal: "..."

Ignoring him, Baal turned his gaze away and gathered his eye beam to fire it at the sky.

Moving away from the area Baal was guarding, Karna almost immediately ran into Arjuna, who'd just emerged from another part of the temple. 

Their faces were both unreadable. 

Arjuna broke the silence, "I've taken down two giants. How about you?"

"Just one," Karna answered.

A subtle smirk crossed Arjuna's usually stern face. "Heh..."