Shirou, who returned from the Fairy Kingdom

"Hahahaha! How dare you approach the heavens where the king soars with your mere physical body! Fall! This is utter disrespect!"

Amidst the swirling treasures, he skillfully maneuvered the golden sailboat, repeatedly dodging projected swords fired from behind.

In terms of speed, "Fairy Sword Arondet" even surpasses the ancient mythical Vimana.

When Shirou accelerated again through the magic circle set up in front of him, the once invincible King's Throne was overtaken and left behind.

Then, Shirou abruptly stopped and turned around in a manner that was absolutely impossible under the laws of physics, positioning himself to face the bow of the Sky Ship.

"------"

The gazes of the Nameless King and the Ancient King met.

The twilight eyes and the crimson eyes stared at each other.

The moment when hearts connect without words, the moment when kings resonate with each other.

"You are the one who should fall. Kneel before me, King of Heroes!"

Shirou released the fairy sword Avalondet and projected a new weapon.

"This sword is the horn of calamity, where the strong prey on the weak, burning away all impure, dark flames—crush it! Blackdog Galatine!!!"

As Shirou unleashed the true name of his sword, an unknown black substance continued to spread from the blade, resembling the teeth of a predator that could crush enemy formations.

The raging flames formed a weapon of mass resembling a pitch-black sun, crashing down on the hero king's chariot like a fortress.

"!"

Even the King of Heroes would never have had time to react to this attack.

The calamity of fire has already descended, yet the Hero King has not yet risen from his throne—the king's pride does not allow him to desert his post.

that's it.

Vimana was struck by the massive blow from the fairy sword, her body bursting into flames as she spiraled towards the ground.

Amidst the raging winds of natural falling, Gilgamesh crossed his arms, his expression unchanged.

Although Tianxiang's throne was shot down, he only suffered some scratches on his golden armor.

Gilgamesh squinted his eyes with amusement.

……I see.

The ultimate fighting style is formed by combining the endless sword stored in one's heart and the divine sword skills learned by traversing countless battlefields.

Although not a true incarnation of the Crimson Dragon, it transcended the fantasy species with a human mortal body.

interesting……

Amamiya Shirou, I'll admit it.

You are indeed an undisputed perfect warrior, a true king.

Thanks to the fact that both sides brought the duel into the sub-light speed realm, after several rounds of exchanges, the "Royal Command Spell" still had more than thirty seconds remaining.

even so--

"That's enough dreaming."

The whispering hero-king drew the sword from the treasury—

"Heaven-Opening Sword, although it's not good to awaken you one after another, stay with me and share this feast until the very last moment."

The next instant, the King of Heroes raised his continuously rotating Anti-World Noble Phantasm high above his head.

The moment when the waves of the boy's dream world (Unlimited Blade Works) will come to an end has finally arrived.

……

……

Irisviel and Baimao Hassan entered the large cavern located beneath Mount Yuanzang.

On their way to the place where the Greater Grail rests, they encountered a man who had been missing until now.

"Have you sold human souls to demons, Kirei Kotomine?"

Irisviel narrowed her beautiful eyes, revealing an expression of disgust.

"Leave this to me."

Assassin appeared from behind Irisviel, holding a short blade projected by Shirou.

While assassinating Kirei Kotomine from the shadows might be an option, Hassan the Hundred Faces did not forget the Master's top priority—protecting Irisviel.

"I'm very sorry, but I'm not so crazy as to fight Heroic Spirits head-on."

The priest in black slowly raised his arms, and then the darkness behind him began to stir.

"……How can it be."

Irisviel's mouth was half open, and she made a hoarse sound.

There were nearly a hundred of them, all of which were magical reactions she was already very familiar with—

Lancer, Rider, Caster, and the eighty-eight Assassins.

The souls that were devoured by the Dark Cauldron in this Holy Grail War have returned to Earth once again as "Shadow Servants".

"What a pity, I was hoping that Shirou Amamiya would choose this side."

Kirei Kotomine said expressionlessly.

"Fine, I'll kill you all first and then go find him."

Volume 1, Chapter 98: Shining: Holy crap, there's a cow!?

Surrounded by suddenly appearing shadowy figures, Irisviel and Hassan were caught in a fierce battle.

Those layers upon layers of black figures are the remnants of heroic spirits who should have rested in peace but were forcibly summoned back to the mortal world.

Lancer, Caster, Rider and Assassin.

Although they lost their minds, Noble Phantasms, and martial arts, they still retained some of their attributes and magical power as Servants.

The worst part is that the resurrected Servants also include Assassin Hassan of the Hundred Faces.

Originally the weakest Servant, they became the most troublesome due to their sheer numbers after everyone else turned into shadows.

Each horse is weak, but when they form an army, they become a formidable enemy.

And so, the dark shadow army launched an attack on the silver-haired android and the purple-haired assassin.

Irisviel was the first to retaliate.

“Shape ist Ieben! (O wreckage, I give you life!)”

In just two short verses, silver threads emanating from Irisviel's fingertips intertwined, forming an intricate and complex outline.

It has magnificent wings, a fierce beak, and sharp claws.

That was a Homunculus, an alchemical life form modeled after a giant eagle, a weapon that Irisviel brought to life.

The silver giant eagle took flight from Irisviel's arm, swooping down on the shadowy figure.

With a screech that seemed to cut through space, the shadow followers were sliced ​​to pieces by the silver giant eagle's razor-sharp beak and ferocious claws.

On the other side, Assassin also drew his sword and engaged in battle with the Shadow Servants.

She wasn't a Servant skilled in direct combat, but even so, the female assassin reaped the heads of numerous enemies as if they were nothing.

There are three reasons why this can be achieved.

One is that the upgraded "Encyclopedia Mastery" grants Assassin all thirty-two special abilities.

Secondly, the short sword that Shirou gave her has the ability to enhance her ability to fight head-on.

Thirdly, it's because the enemy she faced was "herself".

She knows the weaknesses of every Assassin better than anyone else, which is why she can kill them more effectively.

Thanks to the valiant efforts of Irisviel and Hassan the Hundred-Faced, more than a dozen members of the Shadow Legion were wiped out in one fell swoop.

Even so, the disparity in strength between the enemy and ourselves was an overwhelming and hopeless situation.

Assassin fared slightly better, while Irisviel's breathing became erratic after only a short time of fighting.

The Einzberns were not a warlike race. Their divine skills of manipulating metal and giving life were ultimately just an extension of alchemy, not a technique originally created for fighting.

Irisviel does not possess combat prowess commensurate with her magical rank, and is far inferior to excellent magicians with extensive combat experience, such as Tokiomi Tohsaka or Kenneth.

The same applies to Assassin.

Throughout the history of assassination cults, there have been many leaders who were skilled in mass killings.

The Mountain Elder, who could poison an entire army simply by standing upwind.

An old man of the mountain who can completely blend himself into the world, and who can cause those who step into the mist to sleep forever.

Unfortunately, the Hundred-Faced Hassan did not possess their almost extraordinary skills.

The encirclement of the shadowy figures gradually narrowed, and both Irisviel and Assassin found themselves in dire straits.

"Amamiya Shirou... just who is this boy?"

At this moment, the young man who had been watching the show from the sidelines—Father Kirei Kotomine, dressed in black robes—spread out his hands and spoke expressionlessly.

"Although I have seen through his true nature, I still want to get the answer from those of you who are close to him."

"Who would talk about Shirou with someone like you!"

Irisviel growled angrily as she wove the silver threads.

"You actually said you saw through Shirou... How laughable! What do you understand about Shirou?"

Kirei Kotomine didn't seem to care, and continued speaking as if to himself.

"If my imagination is correct, Shirou Amamiya is a human similar to me—"

Irisviel was about to angrily rebuke him for "talking nonsense," but she was rendered speechless by his next words.

"Shirou Amamiya probably has no hope of fulfilling his wish through the Holy Grail."

"Varied……"

Irisviel paused for a moment, and then—

Assassin, the woman who was once Kirei Kotomine's servant, spoke.

"Don't talk nonsense. You are nothing like Shirou. The fact that I am your enemy is the best proof of that."

You and Shirou are worlds apart... Just thinking about how you were once my Master infuriates me!

"...Assassin."

Kirei Kotomine sighed.

When he learned from Avanger that Assassin had not disappeared but had joined forces with Amamiya Shirou, he felt a strange sensation.

“I’m confused…why did you join Shirou Amamiya’s side?”

He possesses something you lack!

Kirei Kotomine narrowed his eyes.

"...I admit it. I am indeed an empty and meaningless person, I truly have nothing."

His tone of voice was initially flat and lacked inflection, but it gradually became more excited later on.

"But how am I any different from him? Spending so much time endlessly engaging in meaningless battles—"

What's the difference between me and that brat who has no desires of his own yet throws himself into the Holy Grail War and keeps repeating acts of killing?

Such meaningless behavior—if he wasn't deeply lost, then what was he?!

Kirei Kotomine questioned him in a loud, almost roaring voice.

"Someone like you will never understand."

Irisviel said with a cold expression.

"Shirou is never without desires—it's just that he always puts himself last when he's thinking."