Final Struggle (II)

'I hope my true body notices the situation here...'

Arkhan sighed inwardly as he observed his surroundings.

This 'universe' was a small realm that evolved from Kama's authority, so from the moment he fell into it, he lost contact with the outside, and likewise, with his true body.

But if he were to die here, perhaps it would alert his true body to the abnormality of this world.

But this was a risky move as not only was he within Kama's universe, but he was also caught between countless worlds, making it incredibly difficult to relay information, especially now that his true body was occupied with monitoring countless world situations.

Who knew when his true body would notice this hidden ripple?

But at times like these, he didn't have many choices. All he could do now was hope that his true body or the Counter Force would notice the situation here in time.

===

Kama's realm of love extended beyond the 'universe'. As Jeanne watched the scene unfold on the black velvet curtain, her complexion gradually paling.

She knew full well that with this kind of attack, Archer of Black and Rider of Black would undoubtedly perish. They wouldn't stand a chance even if they burned their own Saint Graphs.

It wasn't just a power gap; it was a world of difference in terms of their existence and status. Even if they were heroes, how could they possibly contend with a being embodying world calamity?

Turning to the side, Jeanne nervously observed Shirou. She didn't understand magecraft, but she could see that he had exhausted all his energy on it.

Now was the most critical moment!

Jeanne took a deep breath, her gaze once again regaining its former firmness. She tightly held the holy flag in her hands, her petite body standing as firm as a rock.

She knew that after Archer of Black and Rider of Black fell, it would be her turn to confront the Beast. Even if it meant gambling with her life, she wouldn't allow the Beast to pass through her!

Once, she had sacrificed herself to protect her homeland. Now, she wouldn't regret making the same choice again!

Sensing the urgency of the situation, Shirou accelerated the completion of the summoning ritual. But the 'Ritual: Heroic Spirit Summon' was not an easy magecraft to set up in a short time. Especially since he lacked talent in magecraft.

If it weren't for relying on his two Noble Phantasms, he wouldn't even have the qualifications to attempt this ultimate magecraft. At this point, all he could do was squeeze out every ounce of his potential, just to finish this summoning ritual as soon as possible.

'Please, almighty Lord, even if just once, please grant me this final miracle!' Shirou prayed inside his mind with all his might.

"Hmm?"

In the pitch-black universe, a white light suddenly came out from Arkhan's chest and darted toward the endless depths of the universe. Kama's Beast authority couldn't affect it in the slightest as it broke through her realm of love in an instant.

"What's that?"

Jeanne stared dumbfounded at the white light bursting out of the black velvet curtain. Due to its speed, she couldn't react in time and could only watch as the white light rushed into the Greater Grail.

The moment the white light disappeared into the Greater Grail, a familiar and charming voice softly echoed in Shirou's ear.

"I never thought I'd have the pleasure of seeing you in such a sorry state, Master~"

At the moment the voice rang out, Shirou's body suddenly shook, his mind plunging into a chaotic fog as if it had been ruthlessly hammered.

A gentle and warm sensation traced along his hand, causing his body to tense up instantly, his head tilting slightly to the side as if it were a rusty gear slowly slipping out of place.

A face, as familiar as ever, came into view—exquisite, lazy yet alluring, proud yet commanding.

In a daze, he felt like he was back to that afternoon when they first met.

"...Assassin?"

"Oh my, never thought my Master would reveal such an embarrassing expression~" Semiramis quirked her lips slightly, a hint of mischief dancing in her eyes. "Too bad I'm currently powerless right now, or I'd definitely use magecraft to record this silly look of yours."

"Why...?" Shirou's mind was already a complete mess.

Assassin had been destroyed by the Beast, right before his eyes. So why, why was she appearing again now?

In a moment of clarity, he remembered the white light that had merged into the Greater Grail.

Was it because of that thing?

"I know what you want to ask, but I'm not quite sure myself." Semiramis flicked her hair casually. "I was supposed to be sleeping peacefully within the Grail, but somehow I woke up, and here we are."

'Sleeping? Woke up?' Shirou immediately delved into contemplation.

Could it be that the white light had awakened Assassin within the Greater Grail?

In the Holy Grail War, the defeated Servants would be collected by the Greater Grail. When all the Servants were gathered, the Grail would open a path to the Throne of Heroes and return the Servants there. However, this path served another purpose, which was to lead to the legendary 'Swirl of the Root', also known as the 'Root'.

Reaching the 'Root' was the ultimate dream of all mages. The Holy Grail War system created by the three founding families of Fuyuki was also aimed at achieving this dream.

However, the ability of the Holy Grail to grant wishes was actually just relying on the accumulation of magical energy over centuries to achieve some kind of 'miracle'. In a sense, this immense magical energy could indeed be considered omnipotent.

Normally, the Servants absorbed by the Greater Grail couldn't be resurrected. Their Saint Graphs had shattered, losing the foundation of existence in the current world, unless some external force helped them reconstruct their Saint Graphs.

As he pondered, Shirou focused his gaze and noticed a certain transparency in Semiramis's body, like glass, reminiscent of the ghosts in folk tales, but lacking the eerie atmosphere.

"Noticed?" Semiramis caught his gaze, smiling nonchalantly. "Though I don't know the reason, it seems like I won't be awake for too long. Long ago, there was a saying that 'every coincidence has its purpose', so I think I didn't wake up for no reason. That being said, have you figured out anything, Master?"

Hearing her question, Shirou's mind was suddenly struck by lightning.

He subconsciously lowered his head, looking at the massive blue magic circle beneath his feet.