IBHJ Chapter 936

"Hmph. It must be that mud-slinging mongrel pulling some trick. He's probably about to make a run for it. We need to catch him and get that God Brain!" Gilgamesh declared loudly.

They were on Altera's palm, and Altera was Shirou's ally, but Gilgamesh wasn't worried about her knowing his intentions. Altera, still retaining her intelligence, wouldn't go on a rampage. With so many adventurers present, she couldn't risk a massacre. Most importantly, they had teleportation scrolls, so they didn't need Altera to safely put them down.

As Gilgamesh expected, Altera didn't react, simply lowering her hand to place them on the ground.

"Yes! We made it!" The adventurers cheered, also looking forward to the rewards Gilgamesh had promised.

Gilgamesh let his subordinates distribute some minor treasures, while he and Enkidu strategized on how to take the God Brain from Shirou. After all, Shirou's Evil Blossom and Rune of Wisdom weren't just for show, and he also had Morrigan's help.

As they discussed, the sky suddenly darkened.

"What's going on?" someone asked.

The sky had abruptly dimmed. This was truly bizarre; even during Heaven's Corpse's attack, the sky hadn't changed so drastically.

What was happening?

With these questions in mind, everyone looked up, and their jaws dropped.

They saw a colossal foot looming over their heads.

And the one raising that foot was none other than the White Titan, Altera!

"Destroy, trample, vanguard the stars... Uwaaaaah——!!"

Altera roared, her body surging with chaotic energy, and then she violently stomped down. Gilgamesh, Enkidu, and the adventurers were caught completely by surprise, and in their terror, they were crushed into a bloody mess. There was nothing left but a gory smear on the ground, bits of armor and bone mixed in with the red mush.

"Uwaaaaah——!!"

Altera's eyes glowed with a frenzied red light, and an immense amount of mana gathered in her mouth. In an instant, a colossal beam of mana swept out.

"Rumble rumble rumble——!!"

The ground trembled violently before giving way. A massive fissure tore open, carving a deep scar into the earth.

...

"See, I told you, what you really need to worry about is your friend," she said, pointing at the rampaging Titan, to the stunned Shirou.

"Raaaargh——!!"

Altera clutched her head and roared, her entire body suddenly emitting white steam. The patterns on her skin began to move, writhing and shifting like snakes. Then, terrifying magical energy started to gather. It formed into a ball, growing larger and more unstable with each passing moment. Without warning, it exploded with a deafening "boom." The blast released an incredibly bright light that engulfed everything around it.

As the intense light gradually faded away, it revealed a dramatic change in the landscape. Where green fields had once stretched out, there was now an enormous crater. The massive depression in the earth was centered around Altera, its edges rough and jagged.

...

"Altera, calm down!" Shirou yelled as he burst out of the inn. He scrambled up to stand on the city wall, still shouting at her.

Hearing his voice, Altera slowly turned her head to look at him. Her red eyes flashed with a wild, uncontrolled madness. Without warning, she swung her enormous hand at him.

As the whistling wind of her attack approached, he faced the giant hand that bore down on him like a mountain. At the last second, he leapt into the air, his body suddenly rising as if weightless, narrowly dodging the blow. With a thunderous "boom," Altera's giant hand smashed into the city wall. The sturdy barrier, built along the mountainside and designed to withstand sieges, was instantly crushed like fragile tofu.

Altera glanced at the demolished wall, an excited smile spreading across her face. She then raised her head slightly, her crazed eyes locking onto Shirou once more. She opened her mouth wide, and endless mana began to brew within. It swirled and gathered, forming a massive, pulsing ball of destruction.

Terrifying mana brewed within that energy ball, even causing space itself to tremble slightly. Facing that energy ball, he sighed. Suspended in mid-air, there was no way he could dodge.

"Spear of the End—Rhongomyniad!"

The sudden cry pierced the air, followed by the distinctive sound of a Noble Phantasm's release. A searing white beam streaked overhead like a comet, flying straight for the swirling mass of energy in Altera's mouth.

The moment Rhongomyniad's aura touched Altera's gathering mana, it ignited.

A muffled boom shook the sky as the energy ball burst, engulfing Altera's face in scorching mist.

Shirou hit the ground hard, catching himself with one hand. He turned to find worried black eyes looking at him.

"Thanks, Artie," he murmured.

She shook her head. "You're welcome."

Artoria had acted just in time, using Rhongomyniad to detonate Altera's attack prematurely. Like Shirou, her mismatched records and soul limited her power. But with Rhongomyniad, she could tap into its full strength—even if she couldn't compress it as he could.

"Uwaaaaah!"

Altera's wild roar shattered the air. Her aura, terrifying and raw, blasted away the scorching mist to reveal her face - unscathed.

Artoria's eyes flicked from Altera to him. "She's lost control. What now?"

He sighed heavily. "No choice. We have to try and calm her mind first."

At his thought, Evil Blossom stirred restlessly in the shadows, surging like waves. The Rune of Wisdom began to glow on his forehead.

He took out Excalibur and offered it to her. "My attacks aren't strong enough. You take the lead."

She nodded, taking Excalibur while gripping Rhongomyniad in her other hand.

The moment she touched the Holy Sword, it blazed with light. Her whole being seemed wrapped in stardust, like the first ray of dawn piercing the night. Combined with Shirou's silver dragon armor, the sight was breathtaking.

He could only shake his head. Everyone had their own destiny, after all.

While he couldn't unleash Excalibur's full power, he had other gifts: inheritances from the ancient past like the Invisible Vortex and Rune of Wisdom, plus his own Mortal series skills.

He'd long since accepted his role. He wasn't meant to be the star of the show - he was the one who made stars shine.

"Go!"

At his command, Artoria exploded into motion. She shot forward like a comet, blazing towards Altera.

Altera's eyes locked onto the glowing figure and that radiant sword. Recognition hit, followed by a surge of hatred and fear. That Holy Sword had destroyed her twice before.

"Raaaargh!" Her massive hand, covered in strange patterns, lashed out to grab Artoria.

Artoria's eyes narrowed. Suspended in mid-air, dodging wasn't easy. She prepared to twist away, but suddenly felt solid ground beneath her feet. Glancing down, she saw a small patch of earth formed from flowing mud.

"My King..." she thought, not hesitating. She pushed off, narrowly avoiding Altera's hand. Excalibur flared to life in her hands, its light almost blinding.

With a sound like a thousand singing blades, that starlight condensed into a beam of pure energy. She swept it upwards, aiming for Altera's giant arm.

Just before impact, strange, ancient words flickered along Excalibur's blade. In an instant, the beam exploded outward, becoming twice as large, stretching hundreds of meters into the sky. Its aura turned wild and primal, crackling with untamed power.

There was a sound like tearing silk, but magnified a thousandfold. Excalibur sliced through Altera's arm like it was nothing more than morning mist, making the limb dissolve into particles of light.

"Uwaaaaah!" Altera's scream of agony echoed as she clutched her severed arm.

Artoria stared in amazement at Excalibur. The legendary blade, once so familiar to her, now blazed with energy stretching hundreds of meters into the sky.

Strange, ancient words flickered along its impossibly long length, pulsing with power she couldn't fully comprehend.

Despite her weakened connection to the sword, its power had suddenly skyrocketed beyond anything she had ever experienced or thought possible. The sheer magnitude of energy radiating from Excalibur was overwhelming, making the air around her crackle and hum.

She glanced back at Shirou and saw a set of Runes glowing on his forehead. Of course - this was his doing. Even with swapped bodies, he was still every inch a King, full of surprises.

She'd been so worried about him after their switch, fearing for his safety. Now she realized how foolish that was. The King would always be the King, no matter the circumstances.

"Don't space out, subdue her!" Shirou's shout snapped her back to reality.

Nodding, she charged at Altera, who had already regrown her arm.

"Raaaargh!"

Altera lashed out wildly, her massive form thrashing about in a frenzy. But despite her size and power, her movements were clumsy and predictable. Without her human intelligence guiding her actions, she was no match for Artoria's agility and finely honed [Instinct].

Artoria danced around Altera's attacks, her body moving with fluid grace. She seemed to know where each blow would land before it even began, always managing to be just out of reach.

But the real game-changer in this battle was Excalibur. Enhanced by the Rune of Wisdom, the Holy Sword had become truly unstoppable. When Artoria couldn't dodge - when Altera's attacks came too fast or covered too much area - she simply blocked.

Altera's attacks didn't just fail to break through; they were sliced apart by Excalibur's impossible edge. The Holy Sword cut through Altera's strikes as if they were made of paper, dissipating her energy attacks and cleaving through physical blows with ease.

Just as expected. This White Titan was just a Servant, a miracle made real through Illya's Holy Grail nature. Powerful, sure, but not unstoppable. Even Heaven's Corpse, who wasn't a destructive type, could hold her back and even choke her to death. For Artoria, Altera's old nemesis and executioner, this was child's play.

Watching Artoria completely dominate Altera, Shirou couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy. But he knew better. Everyone had their strengths, their roles to play. He might not be able to pull off the kind of earth-shattering finishers Scathach and Artoria could, but he had his own gifts.

His power lay in elevating others, pushing them past their limits. He'd done it with Enkidu's Chains of Heaven, and now with Artoria's Holy Sword. Maybe he wasn't the star of the show, but he was the one who made stars shine brighter than ever before.