IBHJ 1179

The timing couldn't have been worse - Galahad had just deflected Skadi's Gungnir with his shield and was already charging at them again, his overwhelming presence leaving them no chance to regroup.

But…

The sky suddenly distorted, tearing open a void that unleashed a devastating beam straight at Galahad. But Galahad raised his shield, deflecting the blast back to its source. A flash of rainbow light cut through the void, cleaving the reflected beam in two.

"That is—" The crowd watched in surprise while Artemis, standing among the other Heroic Spirits, trembled. "Ares' sword... which means..."

Her words trailed off as Altera descended from the void, the Teardrop Photon Ray gleaming in her hands as she landed before Shirou.

"You finally made it in, Altera!"

She gave Gaia a quick nod through the screen before turning to him with a determined expression. "Leave Galahad to me. Focus on what you need to do, Shirou."

"I understand. I'm counting on you, Altera."

She nodded once before transforming into a streak of rainbow light, her Teardrop Photon Ray clashing against Galahad's shield in a brilliant shower of sparks. When Galahad roared and tried to force her back, Altera stood her ground, meeting his overwhelming force head-on without budging an inch.

"Incredible!" gasped the watching Heroic Spirits. Her display of power surpassed even that of their peers.

Shirou felt his tension ease at Altera's arrival. She was no longer simply Attila the Hun, after parting with the Umbral Star, she had become Gaia's lackey, and who knew what she had done to Altera that made her wield raw power similar to that of Arcueid's. Though Galahad was the empire's UO, his greatest asset was that troublesome shield. With Altera now joining forces with Skadi, Abigail, and Kama, they could keep him contained. This meant he could finally move forward with his plans without worry.

Turning away from the battle, Shirou ran toward Aviceborn as the clash between Heroic Spirits and the Empire's forces raged behind him.

"Can you sense Adam's presence?" he asked. Though only Chaldea's summoned Heroic Spirits retained their memories of Romania, Aviceborn was different. His connection to Adam through his Noble Phantasm had preserved those memories.

"Yes, I can feel him right now," Aviceborn nodded. "He's trying to break through the barrier around Britain!"

"The Empire's barrier won't break from brute force alone." he frowned. "Is there any way you can reach him?"

Aviceborn shook his head grimly. “These barriers are blocking any connection between us."

Nine glowing lights wrapped around Shirou's body, transforming him into a radiant figure. "What if we tried reaching through Gaia's sense in the Inner Sea?"

Aviceborn's eyes lit up after a moment's thought. "The Reverse Kabbalah technique, that might work!"

"Perfect." Shirou turned to Gaia. "I need access to the Inner Sea's sensory network."

Gaia just sighed, too weary to argue anymore, and granted his request with a wave of her hand.

With Gaia's power flowing through him, Shirou connected to the Inner Sea as Aviceborn began the Reverse Kabbalah ritual. Using his body as an anchor, Shirou’s consciousness drifted into a sea of void, the sounds of battle fading into silence.

--"Adam... Adam..."

"Give them back!" Adam's massive fist froze mid-strike as he realized who it was. "Mr. Shirou?"

--"It's me!"

"You're alive!" Joy lit up Adam's face before he caught himself. "I mean—that's not—"

--"Never mind that now, these random attacks won't get you anywhere."

Sensing the urgency in his voice, Adam pushed aside his questions and calmed himself. "What do you need me to do?"

This was no longer the uncertain and rash homunculus from Romania, but Adam the Primordial Giant. He knew Shirou wouldn't contact him without purpose. "I'll do anything to bring you guys back. Just tell me what you need!"

--"Perfect. Listen carefully - focus your power and wait. When you see a weak point in the barrier, hit it with everything you've got!"

A weak point? Adam stared at the barrier, questions swirling in his mind, but his voice rang with conviction. "You can count on me!"

There was so much he wanted to ask, so many concerns weighing on his heart, but none of that mattered now. He would place his complete trust in Shirou.

Adam pushed his questions aside and gathered his strength. The sea around him began to churn, its waves glowing an ethereal blue as he drew upon every source of power within reach - the planet's leylines, the infinite Greater Source, gravity waves - all of it condensing into his massive fist.

He focused everything to its absolute limit, his eyes blazing with determination.

…

After breaking the connection with Adam, Shirou released a deep breath before turning to Gaia and Ambrosius. "The Emperor's barrier has a flaw. If we combine Gaia's power with the Primordial Fairy Arts, we can create a weak point."

"That won't be easy," Ambrosius's said.

"Please, we have to try!" he pressed.

She let out a weary sigh. "Very well."

Mordred's killing of Ector had created an imperfection in the barrier just enough for Gaia and Ambrosius to work with. They could redirect the barrier's power, forcing open a vulnerability.

Shirou stood motionless, blind to the battle raging around him, deaf to the sounds of war. His entire being focused on the Inner Sea of the Planet as he waited for that crucial moment when the weak point would appear.

"There!" he shouted as he channeled all their Primordial Fairy Arts toward the weak point Gaia and Ambrosius had created. Though their attack didn't pierce the barrier, it had served its purpose.

Come on, Adam!

...

"That's it! Mr. Shirou's signal!" Adam's eyes locked onto the hairline crack in the barrier, dark as an eggshell's fracture. With a roar, he unleashed his punch.

"BOOM—!!"

The impact shook the earth, sending tremors through the mountains!

The force of Adam's strike shook the ocean, creating massive waves that swept over a nearby island. The Emperor's barrier started cracking like glass, thin lines spreading across its surface until it broke completely apart. Through the falling pieces, Adam could see Wales stretched out beneath him.

...

In the capital, Agravain stared in shock. "Impossible! They broke through the Empire's barrier!"

"What... what is that?" Guinevere fell to her knees as a massive head emerged through the broken barrier.

Ignoring the imperial soldiers scattered across Wales, Adam turned his attention to Shirou. "What's next, Mr. Shirou?"

"Do you see what's powering the rainbow bridge?"

Adam's eyes swept the area until he spotted them. "Yes, it might be those seven tablets!"

--"Destroy them!"

--"Right!" Without hesitation, Adam's massive fist crashed down onto the tablets maintaining the rainbow bridge.

"BOOM—!!"

The ground split apart beneath the impact!

…

"The rainbow bridge is gone?" Lucius stared in disbelief. His moment of shock cost him - two swords infused with Primordial Fairy Arts struck in quick succession, sending him reeling backward. "What's happening here?" he growled through clenched teeth.

Agravain's initial rage gave way to cold calculation as he quickly signaled the Apostles to retreat.

Hearing this, Lucius snarled. "The bridge is destroyed? Agravain, what are you doing?" But no matter how much he protested, the world's growing rejection left him no choice but to fall back and retreat.

"The Empire's barrier... broken..." Morgan's frown deepened as she looked at the Heroic Spirits surrounding her like predators closing in on their prey. She too was forced to withdraw.

Unlike Lucius, Aife ignored Agravain’s order.

"Run if you want, but I've finally found prey worth hunting!" Her eyes gleamed with obsession as she thrust her spear at Scathach. "I'm not going anywhere!"

Scathach lowered her spear. "We're done here."

"What?" Aife froze, rage flashing across her face. "What do you mean?"

"I thought you'd crossed through that door like I had. Our first exchange suggested as much. But now I see you've only peeked through its crack - caught just a glimpse of what lies beyond."

"What are you talking about?"

"Until you step through that door, you can't defeat me."

"What did you say!?" Aife's eyes blazed with fury.