IBHJ 1267

Under the glow of the twenty-four Rhongomyniads, Shirou raised Caliburn and channeled his magical energy into it. With a sharp "zing," the royal sword gleamed like a beam of light.

He swung it down with tremendous force—

"Open the way, Caliburn!"

Light burst in a massive pillar, and at the same moment, the twenty-four Rhongomyniads also unleashed their power.

The endless streams of light intertwined and reflected off each other, forming a massive wave of brilliant fury that surged toward King Hassan and Orion.

"This power... it has actually surpassed my orbital cannon...!" Zeus exclaimed in surprise. "And he's only using his mortal body... just a human body...!"

"This power could actually kill me," Altera said, gripping her sword tightly.

Zelretch, observing from a distance, let out a cold laugh. "He's copying my parallel world multiple concert cannon!"

"This power, this light—could it be the answer that Lady Tethys has been searching for?" Ambrosius whispered.

Victory!

Eternal King had won!

Everyone couldn't help but think so.

Facing this endless beam of light, what obstacle could possibly remain?

None.

On this planet, apart from that false Holy Spirit, no being and no Noble Phantasm could withstand the devastating power of twenty-four consecutive Rhongomyniad blasts!

Even the former abomination that invaded Fuyuki couldn't have survived this!

However—

"Roma!"

Romulus, who had been launched into the sky, descended like a beam of golden light. In an instant, a pair of enormous golden spectral arms appeared, resembling a massive city, enveloping and protecting both Orion and King Hassan.

This was Romulus's Noble Phantasm—[Per Aspera Ad Astra: Our Arms Cut a Path Across the Universe]!

This Noble Phantasm, which sublimated the concept of "civilization's development and expansion," possessed incredible destructive power when used offensively. But its true purpose was actually defense and protection!

Yet even this Anti-Planet Noble Phantasm couldn't possibly withstand twenty-four consecutive blasts from Rhongomyniad!

In just three breaths, the torrent of light ruthlessly shattered the massive city and continued extending far into the distant stars.

The beams kept firing.

And kept firing.

After what seemed like an eternity, the endless light gradually faded until it disappeared completely.

Everything was over.

Yes, everything had to be over.

That's what everyone believed.

But as the smoke cleared, everyone stared in complete shock.

Scathach, Mordred, and the others' eyes widened in disbelief.

There on the devastated battlefield stood Orion and Romulus, each restraining one of Shirou's arms, immobilizing him completely. Meanwhile, King Hassan slowly raised his sword on the other side.

"How is this possible? How could this happen? Didn't my brother win?" Kama gasped in shock.

"It was Romulus's Noble Phantasm," Scathach explained, clenching her fist. "His ability blocked the holy lance just long enough! They snatched victory at the precise moment Shirou was closest to winning!"

Kama watched in horror as Orion and the others restrained Shirou. She gritted her teeth and was about to rush toward him when Arthur grabbed her arm.

"What do you think you're doing? This is a knight's duel!" Arthur protested.

"I don't care about any knight's duel! All I want is for my brother to live!" Kama snarled through clenched teeth.

She had no regard for warrior's honor or dueling traditions; all that mattered was keeping Shirou alive. Even if it meant ruining the duel, even if Shirou would hate her for it, she was determined to intervene.

This was the very reason she had become Kama in the first place!

Arthur was stunned and couldn't help but release her hand.

Kama immediately rushed forward, but it was already too late.

King Hassan had raised his sword high above him.

"Your destiny has arrived—"

"Stop! Please stop, Grandfather!" Ritsuka cried out in anguish.

"Hurry, stop Grand Assassin! Eternal King cannot die now!" The other Heroic Spirits shouted desperately, all moving to intervene.

But King Hassan's eyes showed not even a trace of mercy—only cold, resolute killing intent.

Once a duel begins, it must end in death!

King Hassan's eyes blazed with killing intent, but Shirou's face remained perfectly calm.

He no longer saw King Hassan, heard the panicked shouts around him, or felt death approaching.

Instead, he saw only a vortex.

Within that vortex, he could see a person—a young man.

Covered in wounds, the young man had traveled alone to a foreign land.

Completely alone, unable to speak the language, everything was a struggle for him.

But the young man never surrendered.

He worked tirelessly to learn the foreign language, pushed himself harder than anyone else, and eventually earned recognition and respect from many people.

Gradually, he established himself in this foreign land.

Yet deep down, all he truly wanted was to return home.

Later, war erupted in the foreign land. By chance, he pulled a predestined sword from its resting place, becoming hope for some people and a threat to others.

He could have refused that sword and returned it to its rightful owner, but ultimately, he chose to accept it.

Why?

The young man claimed he was simply keeping it temporarily on someone else's behalf.

But in truth, only the young man knew this was a lie.

He had grown attached to the people there.

He just hadn't been able to admit it to himself all along.

Later, the young man pacified the war, growing from a boy into a young man, and finally, amid everyone's calls and hopes, he accepted the crown.

Shirou wondered to himself: Is this a memory flashback before death?

—'Who are you?' the young man asked, his back still turned.

"I am Fujimaru Shirou," Shirou answered.

—'Who are you?' the young man asked again.

Shirou paused for a moment before responding, "I am Shirou Pendragon."

—This king asks you one final time: who exactly are you?

"...I am you," Shirou replied.

The young man turned around, revealing a face that was youthful yet weathered by experience. He smiled and said, "That's right. I am you—both Fujimaru Shirou and Shirou Pendragon. Not separate individuals, but one and the same person."

In an instant, all the illusions vanished, and even the vortex gradually faded away. A sword carrying the aura of death came slashing down toward him.

Yet Shirou smiled.

Because somehow he knew that sword would never reach him.

"Clang!"

King Hassan's eyes suddenly narrowed in surprise; his sword had stopped mid-air as if it had struck something solid.

Everyone watching could only stare in astonishment.

"That aura..." Saber and Arthur gasped. "It's Avalon!"

A soft light enveloped Shirou, and before everyone's astonished eyes, a scabbard slowly materialized.

It was indeed Avalon!

And more importantly...

"This isn't a projection—it's the physical object, the real thing." Merlin narrowed his eyes. "I can't believe it... how is this possible?"

"The records of the Eternal King..." Alaya and Gaia exchanged bewildered glances. "They've vanished from the Throne of Heroes? What's happening?"

This was completely unprecedented!

Seeing King Hassan's attack blocked by Avalon, Orion and Romulus exchanged a quick glance before both launching attacks at Shirou. But the moment their attacks made contact, his body scattered like flower petals.

"Those are my illusion spells!" Merlin suddenly cried out.

At that moment, Mordred felt something stir beneath her clothing. The black Eternal Crown she had hidden in her pocket suddenly flew out as if it had a will of its own, landing directly in someone's hand.

Looking up, Mordred saw that Shirou was now holding the black Eternal Crown!

Shirou glanced down at the crown in his hand. With several sharp cracking sounds, the black surface began to flake away like dried mud, revealing the golden crown beneath.

"Brother, watch your left!" Kama shouted urgently.

Without even looking up, Shirou quickly tucked the Eternal Crown into his pocket with one hand while drawing the Spear of Endless Light with the other. He swung it with uncanny aim and timing, as if guided by some greater power.

With a swift "swoosh," the spear moved as if it had a mind of its own, bypassing King Hassan's massive sword and effortlessly piercing his right shoulder.

"Gáe Bolg..." Scathach said with a smile spreading across her face. "He's using my skill. Shirou is now using Eternal King's record!"

At that moment, Orion roared like a wild beast and charged toward Shirou. His overwhelming presence felt like a moving mountain, terrifyingly powerful.

Shirou barely glanced at him before extending his right hand and gathering magical energy. The air distorted around him as reality itself bent to his will. A small moon, about a hundred thousand miles across, materialized in the sky, casting an enormous shadow over the battlefield. With a thunderous "boom," it crashed directly into Orion, smashing him into the ground. The impact created a massive crater, sending shockwaves rippling across the battlefield.

"That's Arcueid's Moon Fall!"

Romulus shot upward, rushing to Orion's aid. Shirou responded with a casual wave of his hand, as if swatting away an annoying fly.

With several sharp "whoosh" sounds, golden chains burst forth from the sky, their links humming with mystical energy as they sliced through the air. They wrapped tightly around Romulus, constricting his movements and binding his limbs. Shirou pulled hard, yanking him back down to earth with bone-crushing impact.

His right hand formed a divine spear of crimson and gold. He hurled it directly at Romulus, the weapon streaking through the sky like a comet.

Karna stared with eyes wide in disbelief, as if seeing a ghost. "My... God-Slaying Spear. And those are... the King of Heroes' Chains of Heaven? What's happening?"

It was unbelievable!

Completely unbelievable!

Being able to use Merlin and Scathach's abilities wasn't surprising—that was expected of the Eternal King. But how could Shirou suddenly use Gilgamesh and Enkidu's Chains of Heaven and Karna's God-Slaying Spear?

This was too inconceivable!

"Vessel... vessel... Eternal King is a vessel..." Ambrosious muttered to herself. "I finally understand what Lady Thetys meant by 'vessel.' This is the vessel! This is—"

"[Savior of Mortal]!" Gaia said solemnly..