Chapter 29: The World Has Perished Ten Million Times

Demons never shy away from a many-on-one fight. To them, the so-called "knightly duel" is utter nonsense. Beings of their stature are born to be targeted, to stand against individuals, against groups, and against the world itself. To a demon, such opposition is a form of validation.

Zoran dominated the battlefield as if walking through an empty field. He held the absolute upper hand, ruthlessly suppressing the crowd. On the other side, the confrontation between Shendu and Gilgamesh raged with increasing intensity.

As the King of Heroes, Gilgamesh was no fool or clown. He shook off the shock of his initial defeat, his expression gradually smoothing into a calm mask. A king, by nature, must possess a heart capable of containing all things, even failure.

Failure is not terrifying; what is terrifying is losing the heart of a king. In other words, he had pulled himself back from the brink of total psychological collapse after being shaken by Zoran. At this moment, he decided to cast aside his habitual arrogance and face this war with the true attitude of a king confronting a worthy peer.

Rho Aias unfurled before him, serving as his line of defense against Shendu. The Gate of Babylon bombarded the sky and earth, plowing through miles of terrain. Behind this onslaught, he placed all his hope in his supreme Noble Phantasm: the Sword of Rupture, Ea, which possessed the power to tear heaven from earth and the authority of creation.

"Ea!!! Destroy everything!"

Light ascended, and the earth split once more. As his Master, Tokiomi Tohsaka, despite his many flaws, was a top-tier magus. While the mana he provided was not limitless, it was certainly among the finest a Master could offer. Of course, that was only when excluding an anomaly like Zoran.

With the Twelve Talismans fully unleashed at the Noble Phantasm level, Shendu's massive, Superman-like form flickered across the field. Within the Glory of the Ancient Demon, and under the synergistic bond of the Noble Phantasm-grade Dog Talisman and Horse Talisman, Gilgamesh found it nearly impossible to utterly destroy him.

He could tear down Shendu's Reality Marble, but he could not land a fatal blow on the Demon himself. There are many "cheat-code" level abilities in existence; here, they had simply happened to collide.

The Holy Grail War is a partnership between Servant and Master. From start to finish, the Master who provides the mana is a vital role that cannot be ignored. In this regard, Zoran was undoubtedly far superior to Tokiomi Tohsaka. If Tokiomi's mana was a single drop of water, then describing Zoran's would require nothing less than a vast ocean.

The heavens collapsed and the earth sank; history repeated itself as the Glory of the Ancient Demon neared total destruction. Yet, the savage grin on Shendu's face never wavered for a second. With his elder brother at his back, he had every reason to be confident.

The sky darkened.

The group suddenly found themselves back at the wharf. Before they could even react, the blood-red firmament smothered the world again. Shendu had unleashed his Reality Marble once more. Both were kings at the height of their power; Shendu was pinned back by the combined firepower of the Gate of Babylon and Ea, yet, bolstered by the twelve Noble Phantasm-grade powers, he continued to press forward.

The crimson sky faded and brightened; the world perished and was reborn. All of this ebbed and flowed like the tides pulled by lunar gravity. The world shifted back and forth, but the only constant was Shendu's solitary, advancing footsteps.

Every time the Glory of the Ancient Demon was destroyed, he drew one step closer to the King of Heroes and his staggering pressure. He did not stop, moving like a man trekking across a blizzard-swept mountain peak.

Determination is the quality for which a demon should least be underestimated. Suppressed by Light again and again, sealed by destiny's chosen heroes in every era, Shendu had been trapped in the Ouroboros-like cycle of Good and Evil.

But ask yourself! Had he ever given up? Not for a single moment!

Even when his body was broken and his flesh was gone, he still chose to move forward, never hesitating. Who could know his struggle? Even now, his primordial form was nothing more than a lifeless stone statue leaning against a dusty corner in a dark underground palace in another world. Even when his power was gone and his soul endured the agony of time year after year, the demons still yearned to escape the Netherworld, to tear through that blood-red cage and bathe once more in their past glory!

The so-called "Good and Evil" are merely rules set by the world. Break through those rules, and what is Good? What is Evil?

A savage dragon claw stomped down heavily. Shendu stood firm before the King of Heroes, facing the light of world-ending destruction. The world had perished ten million times, but a demon's defiance was never a singular event.

He drew his talons into a fist, gathering the resentment of countless years and turning it into a venting torrent of force. Golden armor shattered into shards, turning into a swarm of flying sparks. Gilgamesh was sent flying. He crashed into the ground, covered in blood.

"Archer, you lose," Shendu declared, his towering form blotting out half the sky as he looked down upon him.

On the other side of the battlefield, that streak of blood as Gilgamesh fell undoubtedly drew everyone's attention. If Archer, the strongest among them, had fallen, then this battle was decided.

Victory was out of reach!

However, the heroes emerging from history possess a shining brilliance that is most evident at such moments. Facing Zoran, and facing certain defeat, not a single person retreated. Throughout history, among all the world's heroes, who among them does not possess the heart of the strong? Each had something they were compelled to fight for. They would not retreat due to hardship; they would not flee due to a superior foe. At this moment, that spirit was being illustrated to the fullest.

Saber, Artoria Pendragon, stood with her sword held in both hands, a faint radiance reflecting off her beautiful face. Golden sparks of light rose from all directions. An invisible wind blew upward, lifting her golden hair and rendering her image utterly divine.

Zoran raised his hand, sending a silent wave of repulsive force toward her. A long shadow suddenly lunged into the middle of the path, only to be violently repelled by the force.

Diarmuid crashed heavily into the ground. Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, he called out, "Saber! Release your Noble Phantasm!"

The earth trembled. The Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasm known as Excalibur radiated an unparalleled brilliance. Her clear voice rang out across the entire battlefield.

"Ex... calibur—!!!"

In an instant, a dazzling beam of light cut through the battlefield, engulfing both Zoran and Shendu. The ground crumbled and shattered as the holy light pierced the sky. This was her Noble Phantasm, the indomitable, great determination of the hero known as King Arthur of Great Britain.

This strike carried infinite might, forcibly halting Shendu's advance toward Gilgamesh. Simultaneously, it drowned out Zoran.

"Ah... truly a beautiful woman."

Watching the light traverse the battlefield, Gilgamesh struggled to his feet, gripping his weapon once more. His gaze swept over Saber's handsome profile before refocusing on his own palm. He coughed lightly, his form becoming momentarily ethereal.

The light faded.

Before them, Shendu's figure emerged from the glow. Having tanked a full-power Excalibur, even he was not unscathed. The Noble Phantasm-grade Horse Talisman was already working to reconstruct his body.

"Caster..." Gilgamesh's gaze was distant, as if he had made a final decision. "This next strike is the ultimate secret technique of the King of Heroes, Gilgamesh, defining who I am."