C354

"Crackle, crackle, crackle—"

The sound of crackling filled the air, resonating through the surroundings.

The colossal scales shattered, unveiling the hidden truth beneath as the Celestial Court crumbled.

Galahad's concern was palpable as he asked, "My King, are you okay?"

But it wasn't just Galahad who displayed worry; everyone's gaze shifted towards him, their expressions filled with concern.

A youthful smile graced Shirou's face as he reassured them, "Don't worry, I'm perfectly fine. You all protected me!"

"Oh, my King..." The words escaped choked voices, tears threatening to spill over.

After an arduous journey spanning over 1,500 long years, they were at last reunited with their beloved King. Despite his incomplete form, he remained the Eternal King, reigning over all creation. His mere presence overwhelmed them, stirring deep emotions within their hearts.

They reminisce about the memories of the bygone years and their adventures on horseback with their King beside them.

Yet, it was not merely his reappearance that stirred their souls. They sensed a fundamental difference between their king and their ordinary existence as Heroic Spirits who had passed away.

He was alive!

A living, breathing human!

Their King had not yielded to the passage of time. He continued to exist in this world, a fact that moved them beyond words.

What could evoke a greater sense of joy in their hearts?

Emerging from the ruins, Astraea appeared disheveled, her once majestic divine armor now in ruins and her divine radiance extinguished. Even the ominous aura that once enveloped her had been shattered.

"This can't be... How did this happen?" she whispered to herself in disbelief.

Her pitiful condition was not inflicted by others, but rather by the consequences of Gawain's Noble Phantasm, which reflected her own Noble Phantasm back at her.

The retribution she had planned for Shirou had backfired, causing her to bear the full brunt of it herself!

How ridiculous it was.

"Are you gonna keep fighting, neesan?" Young Shirou asked.

She remained silent.

How ridiculous it was. The very god tasked with overseeing humanity had found herself cornered by the very beings she was meant to judge. In this moment, she felt the weight of the world's disdain as the King of Men looked down upon her.

"Seems like you still want to fight," he sighed, projecting Caliburn into his hand. "Well then, I won't hold back!"

"Zap, zap—!"

A surge of thunderous magical energy crackled from the sword, but this time it wasn't the familiar pale blue; it was crimson thunder!

"Here it comes!"

"Is Eternal King going to unleash another Noble Phantasm?"

The crowd stood in awe, their gazes locked on the little kid standing amidst the battlefield, his sword crackling with crimson thunder.

Was this the return of a legend?

No, it was the imminent slaying of a god, unfolding right before their very eyes.

How many people in history had been fortunate enough to witness such mysteries, such extraordinary feats? They couldn't afford to let this opportunity slip through their fingers.

One by one, their eyes widened, fearing they might miss even the tiniest of details.

Waver felt a chill run down his spine, beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead. "Are there... more Noble Phantasms at his disposal?"

There are way too many Noble Phantasms!

Doesn't that seem a bit unfair?

Right then, Waver couldn't help but feel incredibly lucky that it was Caster Fujimaru Shirou who showed up in the Fourth Holy Grail War, and not the Eternal King. Can you imagine how different things would have been? Would the Fourth Holy Grail War have been as amazing as it turned out to be? Would Waver and the King he served have developed such strong bonds?

Shirou hoisted Caliburn high into the air, the crimson thunder crackling within its blade.

He shouted with a youthful voice, "When the Red Dragon unfurls its wings, this sword—"

"Crackle, crackle—"

The ground stirred up a swirling red tempest.

Galahad, Scathach, Ywain, and every single named soldier erupted with a torrent of crimson magical energy. It was as if a majestic red dragon was about to unleash its wings and take flight.

It was growing stronger...

Continuing to grow in power!

Astraea could clearly see that those people, those soldiers, were being infused with the essence of the "dragon" concept, and their individual abilities were soaring to new heights.

Astraea, disheveled and bruised, couldn't help but take a step back, her hand reflexively reaching for her shattered scales.

In that moment, a primal fear gripped her.

But she still held a trump card, her second Noble Phantasm—[Iam Redit et Virgo: Let Order Be Returned Here!]

This was the embodiment of her authority as the Goddess of Justice, with the power to restore everything to its original state.

However, using this Noble Phantasm would signify her complete defeat!

Even Astraea herself would be sent back to the beginning by this Noble Phantasm!

But if she didn't use it now...

"Don't act recklessly, neesan," Shirou smiled, "Your Noble Phantasm has no effect on me."

"You... How dare you underestimate me?" she clenched her teeth.

"No, not at all. It's just that in my reign, even gods bow before the King!"

Though his words carried a soothing tone, she perceived a different thing.

"That is...!!!" Astraea's eyes twitched.

Due to the King's depleted magical energy, many were unable to materialize in the present world.

Through her divine eyes, she beheld the sight behind the King. A formidable army, so vast that even the bravest would feel a chill down their spine when viewing it from above!

And there, standing before the immense army, were the knights. Knight of the Sun, Knight of the Lake, Knight of Judgment, Holy Knight, Knight of Lamentation, Knight of Loyalty, Knight of Heaven, Magus of Flowers... Countless towering phantoms of humanity, positioned behind the King, stared intently at her.

An army that sent shivers down one's spine, with powerful knights and magi, hundreds of thousands of eyes were staring at her!

A chilling aura, filled with hostility and murderous intent...

Even gods trembled in the presence of such power!

Without a doubt, those unseen knights and armies were the ones capable of slaying gods!

Shirou finally grasped the truth: Gods were beneath the King.

Glancing at his own magical energy, he noted, [Magical Energy: D].

When he was first summoned, his magical energy had been at level C. However, after using his Noble Phantasm, it had dropped to a mere D.

After a moment's contemplation, he decided against activating the second stage of his first Noble Phantasm.

The incantation stopped, and the red thunder enveloping Caliburn dissipated, vanishing into the ground beside him.

Despite having enough magical energy for a brief activation of the second stage of his first Noble Phantasm, he decided against it. He didn't want to take things too far and bully his opponent.

Astraea's voice dripped with hatred as she questioned him, "What do you think you're doing? Why aren't you using your Noble Phantasm? Are you trying to humiliate me?"

"Oh, no, not at all, Astraea-neesan. You're incredibly strong. If I don't give it my all, I won't stand a chance. It's just that I'm running low on magical energy, so I can't activate it anymore."

"Do you think you can humiliate a god? My divine eyes can see the truth of this situation!"

Fury twisted Astraea's face, while the divine radiance behind her took on a dark, sinister aura, as if it could consume everything in its path.

Her disheveled form exuded a thick, black mud of anger and sin. Within this black mud dwelled all the malice and evil of the world.

But it wasn't the evil of humans. No, this evil had been birthed by the very gods themselves.

This wasn't the typical evil borne from human actions, but rather the malevolence of the gods directed at humanity itself!

It was an undiluted, pure form of divine evil!

The onlookers trembled with fear.

"What is this?!"

"No... Stay away! If it touches you, you'll die! You'll definitely die!"

Panic gripped the atmosphere, rapidly spreading in all directions.

"Protect the King!" Galahad's voice boomed, and the surrounding soldiers swiftly rallied, positioning themselves as shields to protect Shirou.

Astraea's expression was seething with fury as she declared, "Humanity, become sacrifices to the endless curse!"

"Greed, hypocrisy, envy, pain..."

The curse emanating from the black mud was potent enough to send shivers down one's spine and induce convulsions with a mere whiff.

It was a pure and unadulterated malice.

Malice from the gods!

In the face of this impending doom, Shirou's response was a gentle smile, as bright as the sun.

Initially taken aback and alarmed by the gods' evil, the soldiers found solace in their King's reassuring smile.

The King was smiling.

And with that realization, they understood that everything was firmly under the King's control.