[61] *****

Standing atop the mountain range.

Taigong Wang crouched under the shade of a tree, fishing with his shadow, gazing into the distance at the fortress city shrouded in eternal night, feeling somewhat amazed.

"What a fellow... This is already the prototype of a vast domain. If it goes further, it would be considered a grand magecraft... replacing reality with a 'Reality Marble' composed of mental landscape."

"His magical energy, even from such a distance, makes me palpitate... Old Man, he's just a step away from becoming BEAST."

Recalling the various experiences of the past two months.

The fishing rod in Taigong Wang's hand swayed, emitting a sigh.

"Heroes are not free to choose their destiny. Alas, lamentable, regrettable..."

"He wants the people on the island to survive as much as possible, but alas, fate often does not comply with our wishes, and circumstances have pushed him into this situation today."

"No... He actually had a premonition, didn't he? He chose this path himself."

Beside the man, the burly figure of the King Assassin remained silent.

The azure flames flickered in his eye sockets, and after a long time, he let out a deep hum.

"The evening bell tolls..."

They had been in this singularity for two months now.

While waiting for Chaldea to advance, the two Grand Servants gathered information through various means.

Now, they naturally understood what had happened on this island.

The final age of the gods is fading away.

The remaining richness and beauty of Britannia are but fleeting remnants.

This is the fortune of countless future humans, but the sorrow of the generations on this island.

In this singularity, as the last will of Britannia, the Vile King Vortigern is actually about to successfully project the Holy Lance and bring back the Age of the Gods.

This could be considered a complete overturning of human history, and something that the Counter Force could never allow to happen.

The Vortigern of human history did not reach this point, but the variable that led to this is...

"That variable is you, Son of the White Dragon..."

Looking at the person at the top of the castle.

Taigong Wang muttered to himself.

This time, as a Grand Caster, he was summoned to this singularity by the Counter Force, gaining the skill Clairvoyance EX.

However...

"It's strange, my Clairvoyance can't even see him."

Taigong Wang now only uses the most basic far-sight, which is his naked eye's vision.

If he activates Clairvoyance EX, and observes everything in this world through its authority, the figure of that person will disappear from his field of vision.

"Interesting... fascinating."

Taigong Wang shook the fishing rod in his hand, and ripples seemed to spread in the shadow.

"This is not something that can be achieved by the spiritual transfer or rayshifting, nor does it have anything to do with Goetia or the summoning by the Counter Force."

"He's not a person of this era... No, even saying that is not accurate."

Taigong Wang pondered for a moment.

"It should be said... 'Nonexistent.'

"He is someone who should not exist."

"Hmm..."

First Hassan tilted his head.

"...Foreigner?"

"No... Old Man. Even if it's a Foreigner, there should be traces of its existence... Outer Gods wanting to descend on this planet must attach themselves to a spirit, which will be imbued with Gaia's aura."

Taigong Wang shook his head.

His voice sounded excited.

"Even the Clairvoyance can't see the essence of his soul. Perhaps... he's a product leaking from Tao."

Tao.

Also known as... Root.

The Perfection, The Truth, The Vortex of Chaos, The Outside of the World, All Causality...

Different cultures have different names for Root.

According to the hermit's understanding, it is also...

"The Akasha Records."

First Hassan pondered slightly.

"Yes, you understand, don't you, Old Man..."

"Vortigern is insignificant. This person... Alvin Pendragon, is the purpose for which we were pushed here by the old men."

Swish.

Taigong Wang raised the fishing rod.

A 'shadow,' just like that, he 'fished' it up from the distant fortress city, thousands of meters away.

He reached out, and his fingertips gently lifted the thin, almost invisible shadow.

Clearly a shadow, yet it flickered like flames.

Just a moment of contact.

Hiss...

Taigong Wang's fingertips suddenly emitted a faint hissing sound.

The skin of his fingers began to slowly wither and shrivel.

"Wow~ This thing can even scorch my soul..."

Bang...

A dark purple flame quickly surged in Taigong Wang's palm, dispersing the shadow.

After extinguishing the flame.

He vigorously slapped his palm and sleeves to make sure the thing was completely gone, before finally heaving a sigh of relief.

Sucking on his own fingers, Taigong Wang showed a relieved expression.

First Hassan just silently watched him.

"So familiar, the aura of the abyss..."

"Tsk tsk~ That's right... That kid is your kind, Old Man."

Sucking on his fingers.

The skin on his fingertips finally returned to its plump state.

Taigong Wang then wiped the saliva off his armor.

"Not only did he touch the concept of 'death,' but his magecraft also carries the effect of scorching souls..."

"You don't mind, because you're half-dead already."

"But I, particularly dislike such troublesome things..."

"Or should I say, our saint graph is not enough to deal with that person... He is the last glimmer of the Age of Gods, and even with the addition of the team below, it's still difficult."

"We need more Grand Servants, and Counter Guardians..."

"... To ensure a hundred percent correction rate, the counter force will definitely send more people."

"What a spectacle... It's been a long time since we've had such an exciting battle."

Anticipating the subsequent situation.

Taigong Wang's purple eyes opened slightly, then he looked with interest at the top of Londinium's tallest tower, at the man who was universally feared, Alvin Pendragon.

"Alvin Pendragon... Who are you really..."

"... No, what are you, exactly?"

In a trance, as if sensing something.

The silver-haired youth slightly turned his gaze and looked straight back.

Taigong Wang immediately closed his eyes and held First Hassan's hand.

The figures of the two seemed to ripple like water mirrors, and in an instant, they were transported to the blind spot in the field of vision behind the mountain.

"Oh my, oh my~" Taigong Wang covered his heart and chuckled.

"I almost got caught, what a terrifying guy..."

"...That's not even the most terrifying thing, gentlemen, be cautious of the strange sword in his hand."

Crimson petals fell from the sky.

The figure of the Magus of Flowers quietly appeared behind the Grand Servants.

Both turned back as if sensing something.

As Grand Servants or each other's candidates, they were all familiar with each other.

Seeing Merlin's face, his closed eyes and blood flowing from his eye sockets.

First Hassan made a sound of acknowledgment and remained silent.

A teasing expression appeared on Taigong Wang's face involuntarily.

"Merlin, how did you end up in such a sorry state?"

At the words, Merlin could only smile bitterly. "What do you think?"

"Oh~ No wonder."

"I thought this era of Britannia was your territory... why am I, as a Grand Caster, summoned, while you, didn't come along?"

Taigong Wang burst into laughter, unable to contain himself.

"Hahaha..."

"...I see, it's because you're blind!"

He knew the temperament of this half-incubus.

He liked to make fun of others, but now he had become the number one target of ridicule.

Merlin, who had lost Clairvoyance, no longer had the qualifications to be summoned as a Grand Caster, effectively being kicked out of the Grand Caster candidate.

"Why jest, Fisherman."

Merlin smiled and said, "I may have lost Clairvoyance, but if you're not careful, you might end up in a similarly miserable state."

"We're just projections of the Counter Force, blind or not."

Taigong Wang chuckled, sounding unconcerned.

Indeed, they were summoned and projected by the Counter Force, and this body was merely molded by it.

Even as Grand Servant projections, being summoned as 'agents' was a kind of limitation on their abilities.

It was like scooping a bucket of water from a pool, unable to exert their full strength.

The so-called Grand Servant were just slightly larger buckets.

Or rather, they were specifically designed for dealing with the BEAST.

Normally, they wouldn't end up as Grand Servant projections.

However, although they couldn't exert their full strength.

The advantage of doing so is... since it's just a projection, there's no remorse even if it's damaged.

"Heh..."

At Taigong Wang's response, Merlin couldn't help but chuckle.

He didn't really want to remind these two, but he was worried that negligence in defeating Alvin would lead to failure.

"Even if it's a projection, so what? Go try it, that sword can directly attack the essence of your Heroic Spirits."

The smile on Taigong Wang's lips froze for a moment.

First Hassan's armor made a clacking sound.

"...There can't be such a weapon."

Taigong Wang's tone became solemn.

"Breaking through the Heroic Spirits is equivalent to penetrating the barrier of the world and Throne of Heroes."

"Do you think I'm blind?"

Despite his own suffering.

Hearing the other's incredulous tone, Merlin couldn't help but feel somewhat satisfied.

"My illusions... were pierced by his sword, injuring my body in the inner sea of the planet."

Such an effect...

Taigong Wang and First Hassan glanced at each other.

That's right.

If that were the case, it might actually be possible to damage their essence on the Heroic Spirits through the projection.

"What kind of sword is that? Some sort of British holy sword?"

Taigong Wang had noticed the strange spiral sword on the opponent, but unable to recognize it, he thought it was just an ordinary British holy sword.

After all, there were too many sacred swords in Britain, they couldn't count them even if they used both hands and feet.

"Even if it's the Excalibur, which is free from thirteen restraints, wouldn't be able to penetrate the Heroic Spirits like that."

Merlin shook his head, frowning.

"I can't identify that holy sword... No, that's not even a holy sword, and it's not even a sword that should exist in this world."

Such words caused both Grand Servant to fall into contemplation.

Recalling the figure of that person, Taigong Wang smiled slightly.

"A person who shouldn't exist, wielding a sword that shouldn't exist... It's like a bug in the world, truly an intriguing fellow."

First Hassan's armor clattered as he took a step and strode toward the fortress city below the mountain.

"A familiar aura."

"He is an Assassin who has touched my domain."

"In that case."

"I shall go and meet him."

"Oh~ I can't let you have all the fun, Old Man. It's useless to play relatives, seeing is believing."

The man with long hair and the burly Assassin descended the mountain step by step.

Although their steps seemed light, they seemed to traverse hundreds of meters in an instant.

Gazing at the large shadow in the center of his grayish-white vision.

Merlin's smile remained frozen on his face, but there was no longer a hint of gentleness.

Instead, he seemed somewhat chilling.

"Struggle, and then meet your unshakable end."

"This is the unwavering fate you will face, Alvin Pendragon."

...

"Is it my imagination?"

Faintly sensing that someone was spying on him, Alvin glanced in that direction, but the wilderness was empty.

"No... it's not my imagination. My instincts never fail."

These past few days, the feeling of being watched had become increasingly strong and frequent.

Alvin understood that more and more people were keeping an eye on him. But what did it matter if they watched him?

In the eternal night spiral city, it was his domain.

Vaguely, it seemed like he sensed something.

Alvin's pupils contracted slightly, and he dissolved into the darkness, instantly appearing in the lightless hall.

A robust silver-haired old man sat calmly on the throne, surrounded by clusters of blood-red crystals.

A pitch-black knight stood before the throne, his iron-gray eyes slightly lowered, expressionless as he gazed at the strange figure in the skull-mask below the steps, also shrouded in darkness.

The other's presence was deeply concealed.

If not for this realm of eternal night where shadows were his senses, Alvin would have found it difficult to detect.

An... Assassin?

In the eye sockets of the strange figure, blue flames flickered, and his aura was ghostly.

A deep and solemn voice emanated from beneath the skull mask, resonating like the tolling of a bell.

"Oh, son of the White Dragon..."

"We have no intention of being your enemies."

"But your father defied the world, and the age of gods cannot continue. By the divine decree, I shall take his life."

As the voice trailed off, the shadows in the hall converged like flames, enveloping and obscuring the entire throne where Vortigern was seated.

This was Alvin's response.

"No matter who you are."

The silver-haired youth spoke calmly,

"Take one more step forward, and you'll die."

After a moment of silence, the old man of the mountains lightly raised his foot and stepped forward...

Hiss.

A burst of dim sword light shot out from all directions, piercing through the body of the Assassin.

The figure of the strange man swayed for a moment, then dispersed.

It was an illusion.

"Good speed."

Clang.

The intersecting and annihilating sword lights flashed abruptly in the hall. In an instant, the two had exchanged blows more than a hundred times.

Silence.

Calm.

The sensation of the opponent's sword was what Alvin felt.

...A familiar feeling.

Despite concealing his aura like an assassin lurking, this strange figure did not seem like an Assassin at all.

He wielded a giant sword, opening and closing it grandly. With every slash and thrust, he aimed directly for Alvin's vital points, always penetrating his weakest defenses.

But... Alvin understood that the opponent was indeed an assassin.

Because his sword was imbued with 'death.'

As an Assassin among Knights, Alvin was extremely familiar with it, that was the pinnacle of death.

The pinnacle of assassination.

Combined with the skull mask, the opponent's identity was obvious.

This was the Assassin among Assassins, the King of Assassins.

First Hassan, the Old Man of The Mountains?

Recalling the class of Assassin in the Holy Grail War, Alvin instantly understood the opponent's identity.

This person was not born in Britannia.

So, to stop himself, had the mechanism of the Holy Grail War been activated... summoning them to this era?

Excellent... then, die!

Boom.

A majestic shadow surged from his body, covering and shrouding the entire hall.

Under the domain of perpetual night, his magical energy was truly endless.

Clearly an assassin but playing with a greatsword...

What is an assassin?

To kill everyone you see is the best assassin!

"Smart. Extravagant."

A precise evaluation was given.

With a sudden swing of his sword, the old man of the mountains cleaved through the surging shadows like a surging wave.

However, those flickering shadow flames slightly adhered to his armor, emitting a sound akin to corrosion.

It had no flesh, and it hardly had any vital points, that was correct.

However, Alvin, holding the Firelink Greatsword, was now most proficient in burning souls.

As they wore each other down, the ghostly flames in the eyes of the Assassin seemed to flicker slightly, becoming somewhat weakened.

"Good. You've already understood the true meaning of assassination."

Being able to kill people is what makes a good assassin.

A watery ripple behind the old man of the mountains suddenly opened up, supporting his collapsing body as he retreated.

A smiling man, draped in a black cloud robe, emerged from the ripple. He gently brushed his sleeve, causing a circle of purple flames to ripple out, slightly dispersing the thick shadow in the hall.

"...Alvin?"

Taigong Wang stared at the silver-haired youth's face, momentarily feeling somewhat distracted.

At this distance, he could feel the captivating charm even more.

This reminded Taigong Wang of the bewitching fox that had plunged nations into calamity.

However... in this situation where the world was his enemy, it seemed more like the tyrant who defied the world.

Ah...

The more brilliantly blooming the flower of evil, the more beautiful it appeared.

He then spoke.

"Be more calm. I am called Taigong Wang, and your actions are distorting the human history."

"We are sent here by Counter Force, sent to repair this singularity."

"Do you know, Alvin..."

"...You are on the brink of becoming a BEAST..."

"When that time comes, we will have no choice but to subdue you."

"Even if you manage to stop us, more and more Counter Guardians will be summoned and descend upon this place. They will all want to kill you, and once it reaches that point, everything will truly be irreversible."

"Be rational. We don't actually need to be enemies with you. Just kill Vortigern..."

Boom!

A massive, earth-shattering black beam of light suddenly shot out from the tip of the Firelink Greatsword, rushing towards the faces of the old man of the mountains and that 'too much talk' man.

A wry smile appeared on the too much talk man's face.

He shook out a decree from his sleeve, igniting it with two fingers. The surging purple flames all over his body surged out like money, slightly resisting the annihilating breath of the beam.

"Hmm, Old Man. We have encountered the worst situation. His transformation into a BEAST is inevitable now. This person's determination is beyond our ability to persuade."

The figures of the two men disappeared into the ripples of water.

Boom!

The massive black beam of light poured straight down, silently engulfing and devouring the pillars and walls of the castle, directly piercing through the buildings and houses of the external city, creating a thousand-meter hole.

Cracks began to spread.

The ceiling above began to tear apart inch by inch, collapsing, disintegrating, and collapsing layer by layer, with no hesitation...

The entire castle collapsed with a resounding crash.

...

Looking at the enormous gates before them, it seemed to welcome the arrival of the knights.

Oppression.

Standing before the gates of Londinium, everyone felt a strong sense of oppression.

Within the city, darkness shrouded the atmosphere like hell, contrasting with the bright sunlight outside, creating two completely different worlds.

A gate.

Separating the mortal realm from hell.

The deathly silence reminded everyone of the danger within Londinium. With the Celtic army stationed at the gates of this fortress city, no one dared to step forward.

...Except her.

Artoria walked directly, without hesitation, towards the gate, raising her hand with a slightly trance-like expression and touching the shadow of the gate.

Her hand entered the shadow.

Her figure followed suit, melting into it.

The slightly cold touch.

It was reminiscent of his sword.

Behind Artoria, the Avalon emitted a faint light, enveloping her entire body.

The defense of Avalon, shielding her from all darkness.

"Wait for me, Alvin."

Without looking back, she walked slowly towards the central castle of the city.

"Lily, I'll go with you."

Kay followed suit.

The moment their figures disappeared into the shadows, the burning sensation made him show a somewhat uncomfortable expression, but Kay endured it.

The two figures gradually moved away.

"Artoria-san...!"

Mash extended her hand and called out but received no response.

Seeing the city, something seemed off about the situation.

The determined expression on her face...

...Like that of the king.

"This won't do, Senpai, we must follow them immediately!"

Mash exclaimed anxiously.

"This must be the crucial point! We need to find King Arthur's heart knot!"

Looking at the faintly appearing silver arm seal on her arm that only she could see, Ritsuka bit her lip.

Bedivere-san, I will not disappoint your righteousness...

"Fou! Mash!"

"...Wait a moment, both of you guests."

Behind them came a deep call.

"As Knights of the Round Table, how can we let guests charge ahead?"

A purple-haired Knight of the Round Table clad in exquisite armor approached, it was Lancelot.

For some reason, ever since they first met two months ago, he felt an unusual fondness for the purple-haired girl before him.

As a demi-servant, Mash naturally knew that the man before her was Galahad-san's father.

But how could she explain this complicated relationship?

Galahad-san has already returned to the Throne of Heroes, and what remains on her is nothing but a saint graph and Noble Phantasm.

Chaldea is here to repair the Human Order, not to disrupt it, the less interference with history, the better.

In the Round Table here, there is also that Bedivere-san.

But at this moment, both sides are just strangers. The knights do not recognize the Chaldea team, only knowing them as honored guests of the king.

"As Knights of the Round Table, how can we let guests risk their lives? How can we let the king go alone?"

Although Lancelot was unruly, his loyalty to the king was unmatched among the Knights of the Round Table.

He turned back.

"Fellow warrors, stay here, you have no obligation to sacrifice yourselves. Knights, if you fear death, stay here, the king does not ask it of you. If you are willing to follow, if you are still a Knight of the Round Table, then charge with me! Let's exterminate the dragon that defies the natural order!"

The undamaged Arondight in his hand suddenly burst into a faint blue light, dispersing the dense, oppressive shadow slightly.

Leading the increasingly spirited Knights of the Round Table, Lancelot decisively launched the charge, leading the knights forward.

"Mash... let's go too."

Looking at her resilient kouhai.

The last Master of Humanity stepped into the gates of this eternal night spiral.

In an instant.

The vision suddenly darkened.

Then... the chill.

A chill rose slowly from the depths of their hearts.

Although Lancelot's sword had slightly dispelled the burning shadow, it couldn't dispel the haze shrouding people's hearts.

Ritsuka raised her head, looking at the dark clouds swirling strangely in the dark sky.

These dark clouds seemed to oppress people's hearts.

Just at this moment...

A sense of relief washed over their hearts.

The shadows that pervaded the entire city began to sway and then surged towards the central castle under the eternal night spiral.

Clang.

A resonant clash of metal rang faintly from the hall.

Everyone looked at each other in astonishment.

"Someone... is fighting the son of the white dragon?"

For a moment, everyone stopped, then...

"Danger! Lily, don't get close!"

A sudden palpitation surged in their hearts.

That was the instinctive fear as living beings.

Kay reached out, suddenly grabbing the golden-haired girl who had already stepped onto the castle steps, pulling her back continuously.

In the next moment.

Boom!

A massive beam of pitch-black light, like the breath of a world-destroying dragon, suddenly erupted from within the castle, blasting a thousand-meter hole in the city's buildings.

The ground of the entire street rippled like waves.

Wherever the breath passed, buildings collapsed, houses torn apart.

Everything in its path was completely pierced, shattered, and turned into fragmented debris.

Kay stared blankly at the scene.

The Chaldea team stared blankly at the scene.

All the knights stared blankly at the scene.

Was this... the monster they could fight?

The magnificent castle in the center of Londinium began to tremble violently, cracks spreading from its walls...

Crack.

Giant debris from the building began to tilt and fall.

"Wait! Lily!"

Kay grabbed the golden-haired girl on the stairs, pulling her back suddenly, pulling her back continuously.

The entire castle collapsed like an avalanche, the piles of building debris crashing to the ground, emitting a deafening roar.

The billowing dust, like a surging tsunami, surged in all directions.

In just a few minutes.

The once grand castle had turned into ruins amidst the dust.

In the silence.

The shadows began to flow.

The haze that pervaded the horizon was swept away by the surging, pitch-black shadows, clearing it in an instant.

Crash.

The final battlefield emerged.

It was a vast ruin with only remnants of walls and debris, and there, upon the dais, sat the throne of the silver-haired old man.

Before the intact throne,

Stood a figure.

Clad in armor stained pitch black.

As if shrouded entirely in shadow.

He wielded a spiraling, spiral greatsword, his figure akin to a captivating vortex.

Regardless of gaze or sunlight.

Any light that fell upon him seemed to be devoured.

As if a hole in the world had opened.

An icy, inhuman fear pervaded everyone present.

Time seemed frozen in amber.

Artoria gazed at him in astonishment.

The man raised his hand, slowly removing the black helmet.

Revealing the bewitching, captivating visage of the man.

Like an oasis hidden in a desert.

All desires for beauty erupted forth, and people worshiped him fanatically as if possessed.

Alvin Pendragon.

But there was no smile at this moment.

The silver-haired youth spoke indifferently, yet his words resonated in the hearts of everyone present.

"Wishing to kill my father."

He spoke each word.

"Then, you must step over my dead body first."

The black knight stood before the throne.

Alone, yet seemingly an impregnable barrier like the last line of defense of Britain.

Below the steps of the great hall,

The Knights of the Round Table, gripping their swords, began to tremble and step back.

Artoria stared blankly at the man.

Though he stood right in front of her, it seemed as if she couldn't utter a word.

Their distance drew closer.

Yet kept growing farther apart.

...Meanwhile, Kay continued to flee with her.

As a knight, the ancestral sense of duty made Kay feel...

Ritsuka grabbed hold of Mash's hand, starting to retreat. Even they, who were most familiar with battle between heroic spirits, seemed to feel it.

This was a battlefield they could not participate in.

A tremendous sense of oppression descended...

"..."

The man with long hair and the burly assassin stood on the battlements of the fortress, silently watching the scene below.

Suddenly.

Taigong Wang lifted his gaze, looking at the increasingly gray clouds above his head.

In the clouds, faint flashes of lightning darted like electric serpents, and there seemed to be a glow flowing like molten lava.

"It's coming."

The old man in the mountains buzzed.

Taigong Wang also revealed a wry smile.

"Yes, the Holy Lance is about to be projected."

"The counter force will have to be exerted to the fullest."

As if sensing something.

Alvin lifted his head, gazing at the endless horizon.

The brilliant sunlight seemed to continuously magnify before his eyes.

A familiar sight.

Hiss.

Space seemed to tear apart, rippling with fine ripples.

In the center of that field of view was an incomparably dazzling, brilliant sun, as if transformed into a pure light spear, annihilating everything along the way and shooting towards them, piercing through the throne of Britain.

In an instant...

The tip of the spear abruptly stopped.

The black knight raised his hand, grasping the shaft of the light spear.

The trembling tip of the spear was barely an inch away from the old man's face.

As the temperature was too scorching, the entire arm of the silver-haired youth kept decomposing, yet it kept repairing in the surging shadows.

This time, he couldn't dodge.

The one wielding the spear was much more terrifying than Percival.

But...

"Get... out of my way!"

With all his might, Alvin activated his light devouring power, shifting his arm slowly to deflect the attack of the light spear.

Boom!

The spear tip crashed to the ground, and a burst of intense light erupted, obliterating a district of Londinium.

"To be able to withstand my full-force blow, you're enough to make me remember your name."

Bathed in the brilliant sunlight penetrating the dark clouds.

The blue-haired man descended slowly from the sky.

Behind him, a pair of wings seemingly made of gold suddenly spread out, shining brightly under the brilliant sunlight.

"Romulus Quirinus."

The blue-haired man said expressionlessly...

"The soul under my spear... if you die, you can also remember my name."

The earth began to tremble.

A man as huge as a bear slowly walked in from the gates of Londinium, every step he took causing a continuous tremor to spread on the ground.

The strongest hunter who hunted beasts throughout the world looked up at the black knight, sighing heavily.

"Orion... you'd better not remember my name, sorry."

Tick...

Tick... tick... tick...

In the spiral gray sky, it suddenly began to rain heavily.

A silver-blue-haired boy, sitting on top of the highest pillar of the ruins, began to swing his legs slightly.

He held a golden weapon resembling a boat paddle in his hand, and there was a hint of sadness in his light green eyes.

"God so loved the world..."

"Sorry, Alvin, I also have to let the world go through this ordeal."

The Knights of the Round Table stared blankly at this scene, their bodies began to retreat involuntarily.

Ritsuka and Mash were dumbfounded, never having witnessed such a spectacle.

"Romulus Quirinus, the founding emperor of Rome, Orion, the strongest hunter of Greek..."

"Savior, helmsman of the Ark, Noah..."

As Mash uttered each name, the knights beside her seemed momentarily stunned.

Lancelot glanced at the Arondight, a deeply bitter smile crossing his face.

The Knights of the Round Table...

He didn't even have the qualification to participate in this battle.

Men descended from heaven, cloaked in golden armor.

A figure resembling a massive bear of a hunter.

A youth holding an oar, with a sorrowful expression.

The three figures exuding divinity suddenly descended, instantly engulfing the entire battlefield with a majestic pressure.

"Oh my... the Counter Force seems to be going all out."

Behind the two spectators on the city wall, the voice of a somewhat frivolous man suddenly rang out.

A hand extended abruptly, tapping the empty armor of the old man of the mountain, producing a dull sound.

"May I also request permission from both of you... to spectate here?"

Upon hearing the words, Taigong Wang smiled bitterly and turned his gaze aside.

Did he even need to give his permission?

He looked at the blond, strangely dressed man wearing sunglasses, seemingly out of place in this intense battlefield.

...He didn't seem like someone who would appear in such a fierce battle.

Indeed, his unusual attire made the blond man look more like a tourist on vacation.

But...

Taigong Wang knew better than anyone that this man before him was the most terrifying among all the summoned heroic spirits.

In Aztec mythology, the gods were merely his playthings.

"Tezcatlipoca..." Taigong Wang said with a bitter smile, "Even you are mobilized?"

"That's right, because the counter force cannot accurately measure, uh, measure the threat level of the kid below... he's a virus that doesn't exist in any human history."

"It's impossible to target him as precisely as before."

"So, He gave us an hour to mobilize en masse, we must stop the return of the age of gods."

"Are you going to join too?" Taigong Wang shook his head and sighed, "If so, then this battle is indeed without any suspense."

Upon hearing this, the blond man couldn't help but reveal an uncontrollable expression.

"What a load of crap, might as well be a day laborer every day, I'm here just to show my presence."

The blond man cursed as he sat on the ground.

"What do you think I wear sunglasses for? Damn it, I'm really on vacation with my sister, and I'll be scolded again when I go back."

The blond man raised his middle finger slightly, lifted his sunglasses, and glanced at the black knight in the battlefield.

"Oh. This kid... I actually quite appreciate him, you know what my title is? This eternal battlefield really suits my taste, but... tsk."

"This lousy world, damn it should've been destroyed sooner."

The blond man chose to be outright lazy, put a lollipop in his mouth, and took out a comic book from his pocket, flipping through it on the spot.

That's right.

Not taking action was already the greatest kindness that could be expressed, and all that was left was to see what fate had in store for that kid.

Taigong Wang shifted his gaze, glancing at the assassin beside him.

The old man of the mountain seemed to sigh from the skull helmet, shaking his head.

They didn't want to take action either, but...

...

Pressure.

It was like the collapse of the abyss, pressure.

Since birth, Alvin had never felt such immense pressure.

These suddenly appearing Servants did not deliberately attack him.

In fact, as if out of pity, their attacks deliberately avoided him.

All their attacks fell on the throne, where the silver-haired old man sat with closed eyes.

They aimed to destroy Vortigern's physical body, but their attempts to return the age of the gods to nature failed.

"Nine Lives Roma!"

The golden man threw down the spear in his hand, and a meteor shower of light fell like shooting stars towards the throne.

"Artemis Agnos!"

The hunter, now like a giant bear, suddenly rose again, his body expanding once more. The wolf-toothed club in his hand, comparable to a city gate, smashed down on Vortigern's throne like a battering ram.

"Noah Ark!"

A vast ocean spread out, seemingly emerging from the void. Amidst thunder and lightning, a violent storm mixed with raging waterfalls surged fiercely towards the fallen king.

Swoosh.

Alvin plunged the Firelink Greatsword into the ground.

In an instant.

Everyone's vision seemed to dim for a moment, becoming pitch black.

"...Not bad, kid."

The blond man raised his sunglasses, looking at the scene with interest.

Whether it was eternal night or flames.

All the light, all the darkness, surged towards Alvin in an instant.

He unleashed all his power, without any reservation.

From his body poured forth boundless, incomparably thick shadows, spreading like an ocean.

Not only enveloping himself but also swallowing Vortigern's throne.

The falling starlight was consumed by him.

The impact that could destroy a city district was entangled by him.

The vast and boundless storm melted into the even more vast black abyss.

Alvin endured all the attacks.

He couldn't retreat even a step.

He could have escaped himself, but he was Vortigern's last line of defense.

The onslaught from the Grand Servants became even more fierce, one Noble Phantasm after another activated.

Artoria stared blankly, watching as the figure was engulfed by countless violent attacks.

A sense of powerlessness.

She knelt on the ground.

They had all come before him.

But she... couldn't do anything.

After all, she herself had come to kill Vortigern...

The clouds in the sky seemed to tremble.

Taigong Wang glanced at the almost formed spiral cloud and couldn't sit still.

"Sorry, Alvin..."

He formed a seal.

Beside him, the figure of the old man of the mountain dissolved into the shadows.

Leaving only the blond man sitting alone on the city wall, holding a comic book to pass the time.

His fingertips slightly indented the paper.

The entire world was doing its best just to kill one person.

One person was giving everything just to protect another.

Truly... a tragic scene.

"Damn it..."

If his true self were here, he could take action, but he also descended as a Grand Servant, and he couldn't do anything either.

...

Blood.

Black, thick blood surged up his throat.

Clang.

Struggling to fend off the heavy blow from the assassin aimed at the throne, Alvin half-knelt on the ground, coughing up a mouthful of black blood.

Ugh...

The Grand Servants, everyone's faces turned ugly as they looked at the silver-haired youth bathed in blood.

Their forms also appeared somewhat embarrassed, entangled by the shadowy flames of the sword, their original selves on the Throne of Heroes actually suffering some damage.

Such a tough... guy.

The entire central district of Londinium had already been bombed into a pit a hundred meters deep by now.

Only the main hall of the castle and a small foothold of the throne remained, standing like a lonely pillar in the center of the spiral.

Alvin coughed up blood.

The Firelink Greatsword kept twisting, and the tens of thousands of souls stored in the sword were consumed, burning, continuously repairing his injuries.

To die, to seek life.

His entire body, an outpouring of shadows, endured the next wave of attacks.

His brain seemed to become sluggish.

His thoughts seemed to become sluggish.

Only... the instinct for battle remained.

In his mind, only the duty called 'guardian' remained.

[Your shoulder pierced by gunfire]

[Your arm hit by poisoned arrows]

[Your left foot invaded by abyssal water]

[Your body attached to purple flames]

[Your spirit eroded by the concept of death]

"Why do you still persist..."

His body was already broken, but he blocked it.

He desperately blocked every attack to Vortigern's body.

He was his father's last line of defense.

"Cough... Cough!"

Black blood pooled on the ground, forming a lake.

Injuries continued to be inflicted, yet they were continuously repaired by the lingering flames of eternal night.

The soul within the sword diminished more and more.

He had become numb.

It was as if he no longer felt pain.

In the indifferent field of view, system notifications crazily flashed.

[Learned: Battle Continuation (A)]

[Learned: Death Resistance (A)]

[Learned: Super High-Speed Regeneration (A)]

[Learned: Indomitable Will (A)]

[Learned: Curse of Separation (A)]

Blood.

Pain.

Devastation.

Torture.

The spirit was trampled, the body tortured.

"Don't do this, Alvin..."

The sorrowful voice of a youth rang out before him.

It was Noah starting to shed tears, tears like golden streams trickled down the oar in his hands.

"Move aside... We only want to correct history."

"You're just one step away from turning into BEAST."

"Quickly, please stop! You'll lose all your humanity, and if that happens... there will truly be no turning back."

Turning into BEAST...?

Alvin vaguely remembered that many people had said this to him before.

What was 'BEAST'?

In this narrow world, on this weak planet.

It seemed to mock the entire universe.

The silver-haired youth bathed in blood raised his head and emitted a hoarse, blood-spitting laugh at the heroes.

"Losing humanity, losing many things."

"Losing beastliness, losing everything."

Moved.

All the Grand Servants in the arena fell into silence in an instant.

The rain gradually intensified.

Washing away the blood on the ground.

The biting cold wind, the icy raindrops.

Creatures in cages flapped their wings, but once they fell into the world of laughter and abuse, they couldn't escape the cage called the soul.

Romulus, the ancestor of Rome, slowly raised the spear in his hand.

"I admit, you are a formidable opponent, Alvin Pendragon, and next, I will do my utmost... to respect you."

"Per Aspera Ad Astra!"

Boom.

The sun plummeted.

Launched by Grand Lancer, the strongest in destructive power, a fiercely radiant light spear pierced through the throne on the ground.

Pfft.

The spear did not pierce Vitagen.

Everyone knew, they were already well aware, that the spear would only pierce through that person's chest.

With both hands holding the handle of the light spear, the silver-haired youth stood before the throne, vomiting a large amount of blood.

As if his insides were about to be vomited out.

The pain.

His nerves seemed to be shattered.

He stiffly, incomprehensibly tilted his head, emitting a cracking sound.

In the pouring rain.

Under the gaze of all.

The sound of raindrops dripping sounded like a funeral procession, without drumbeats or music.

The brilliant, radiant heroes, their souls slowly merged into the soul of the dragon's son, defeating the darkness at last, and then a brilliant flag was planted on his drooping head.

The collapse of will, the collapse of the building.

System prompts were spread by incorrect signals.

The mask was removed.

BEAST...?

The silver-haired youth coughed, hoarsely, laboriously laughing.

Although blood oozed from his eye sockets.

But he laughed hoarsely.

There was no despair.

Only a howl emitted by a beast, as if awakening.

Everything belonging to this body was paid with a single torch.

Just to refuse to be a slave to fate.

The heroes' perspectives... didn't matter at all, did they?

After all, He was... a villain filled with evil!

Alvin lifted his gaze.

The face beneath the pitch-black armor of the silver-haired youth.

In the eyes of everyone at this moment, it was no longer a complete human form.

Instead, it presented an incredibly eerie and grotesque posture.

Hands all over the body.

Eyes all over the body.

Eyes still growing on hands.

Hands still growing eyes.

A hair-raising, spine-chilling sensation... being watched.

Several, dozens, hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of people.

They... all looked this way.

Their gazes converged, silent.

Chill.

Chill seemed to surge up the spine.

Malice.

Malice began to invade the mind.

The Grand Servants at the scene looked at this scene with immense sorrow.

Salvation, mercy, sacrifice, love.

The evil of these humans, and the heart that desires peace.

Forged together, giving birth to a beast that persists.

Its name is...

"BEAST, Remain, may you rest in the embrace of the Most High."

Noah drew a cross on his chest, offering a silent eulogy for a life passed.

The golden-haired man fell silent.

He raised his head, gazing at the spiral night sky.

The sorrow of a man who had been staring at the black night for a long time.

The dilapidated, pitch-black armor finally shattered and fell off, revealing the incredibly eerie appearance of the silver-haired youth with a thousand hands and eyes.

As if all restraints had been removed.

Freedom that felt as deep as a well.

There was no ecstatic joy of violently breaking all chains, only the profound tranquility akin to the clear water in a well.

"I am... free."

The body expanded.

The will extended.

His spirit seemed to stand at some lofty height, overlooking this island, surrounded by countless twinkling stars.

Silent and motionless, the silver-haired youth stood before the throne, his blood-stained body with a thousand eyes and hands gradually splitting open, oozing crimson blood.

Claws began to grow on him, teeth began to grow, dragon scales grew, wings grew, and countless grotesque golden vertical pupils grew.

All the primordial instincts surged forth.

He engulfed the throne of Vortigern, enveloping his own body, forming a twisted and grotesque amalgamation of countless phantasmal species blood. Countless human souls writhed and wailed beneath his surface.

The endpoint of continual evolution, adapting to all extreme environments in order to survive.

...The ultimate life form is named 'Beast of Preservation'.

Thoughts broke free.

Bestial nature unleashed.

Wants to eat.

Wants to completely overthrow this world...

Countless blood-red golden pupils stared intently at the magnificent and dazzling people floating in the air.

On the city walls, the golden-haired man who witnessed everything crushed the glasses in his hand.

Evils of Humanity... is revealed.

As a Grand Servant, he must join the fight.

"Sorry, Alvin..."

The Grand Servants raised their Noble Phantasms.

"The fallen into BEAST, there's no one left who can save you, no one can reverse this process. We must do our utmost to kill you."

It was already difficult for him to understand their words.

All that was needed was to kill.

Nothing, no one, could stop him from... surviving.

"Alvin..."

What?

"Alvin!!!"

What are they saying?

"Lily! Don't get closer, he's already... he's already a monster!!!"

"No! He is Sir Alvin!!!"

It seemed like someone pounced on their body, then was pushed away.

The grotesque monster's body had already swollen larger than the entire castle, and the countless vertical pupils all over his body were brewing countless annihilating, magical, and terrifying black beams of light.

In their dazed consciousness.

The sky seemed to be torn apart suddenly.

It seemed like a silver-haired witch descended from the sky, gently cradling his face.

He raised one eyeball, staring blankly and absentmindedly.

That tearful smile seemed familiar.

The Grand Servants looked bewildered, almost frozen... and lowered their Noble Phantasms.

"This... is impossible."

Romulus murmured such words.

Noah shed tears.

Orion stared blankly and absentmindedly.

Taigong Wang and First Hassan glanced at each other, then sighed deeply.

Tezcatlipoca suddenly stood up, a brilliant, joyful smile appearing on his face.

For...

The dragon scales faded away.

The wings fell off.

The grotesque flesh and eyeballs all over the body sank back into his body.

The silver-haired youth, kneeling in his tattered, pitch-black armor, raised his gaze blankly.

He looked at the silver-haired woman shedding tears.

"Alvin..."

"I... have come."

---

[61] BEAST