IBHJ Chapter 920

As the ritual progressed, the two immense sources of magical energy converged and began transferring into each other's bodies and magic circuits.

With the vast magical energy being transferred away, Illya's face became frighteningly pale, as if most of her blood had been drained. In contrast, Altera's magical energy swelled, with rainbow-colored flames dancing around her body.

Crack, crack, crack.

Terrifying magical energy condensed within Altera's small frame, causing the very space around her to tremble.

Shirou looked at Illya with surprise. Has she stored up this much magical energy over the years? This is already 70% of what I had during the Fourth Holy Grail War. It's truly amazing.

"Ah—"

As the magical energy surged, Altera felt the Saint Graph maintaining her existence reach its limit. It could no longer contain her growing scale. At the same time, her awakened origin strained to break free of the Saint Graph's constraints and reveal her true form.

The star symbols on her body glowed brighter, the patterns rippling and spreading across her entire form.

"That's...!"

Mordred stared in shock at the patterns covering Altera's body. It was exactly like her own state when activating the Grail, the only difference being the patterns themselves.

"Ah—!!"

The surging power erupted from Altera, hot white steam pouring from every pore, scorching everything around her.

Shirou's expression suddenly changed. "Everyone, get out of here!"

These adventurers weren't ordinary people. They had already sensed the danger emanating from Altera and didn't wait for him to finish his warning before rushing out of the inn.

Shirou scooped up the weakened Illya and quickly followed Mordred out.

The next moment—

Boom!

The [Safe Zone] – the inn that even angels couldn't easily breach – exploded. A scorching white steam, like the blast wave of an atomic bomb, swept outward, instantly vaporizing the slower adventurers and slamming the luckier ones against nearby buildings.

The angels rampaging in the sky were also caught in the powerful shockwave, crashing into Zaun City's protective barrier.

Through the thick white fog, the terrified voices of adventurers could be heard:

"W-What is that?"

People looked up, and their bodies immediately began to tremble.

A massive figure could be seen in the fog.

An unimaginably massive creature appeared in Zaun City. Its sheer mass generated terrifying spatial distortions, pulling in the scattered mist and debris from the ground, crushing them into spiritrons.

As the white fog dissipated, the creature was visible.

People stared up at the gargantuan creature, their mouths agape and faces filled with stunned shock.

"God..." someone whispered.

"That's... Altera."

Shirou looked at the titan form, his lips pressed into a thin line.

Unlike the Altera they knew, this one, boosted by Illya's magical energy and tracing back to her origin through the star patterns, was completely white, her body covered in intricate designs. Gone was the softness from their usual interactions, replaced by an instinctive, chilling aura.

"Is that... the white titan that destroyed the gods 14,000 years ago?" Enkidu asked, a complex expression on her face.

She knew well that the destruction of the gods, which forced them to create the Wedge of Heaven – Gilgamesh – and subsequently the Chains of Heaven to restrain him, was caused by this white titan. The titan was the ultimate origin of her own existence.

"What does this white titan look like, Enkidu?" Gilgamesh asked. He wasn't interested in Altera, but he was curious about the titan who had indirectly caused his birth.

"Can't you see, Gil? She's right in front of us," Enkidu said, gesturing towards Altera.

"Have you forgotten? I'm viewing this through a screen. On the Switch screen, she just looks like a larger bunny girl," Gilgamesh replied.

"Bunny girl..."

Enkidu looked at Altera, realizing she did somewhat resemble one.

Mordred gazed at Altera standing on the earth, then glanced down at her own Grail, her lips pursed. "In the end... will I become like that too?"

Her Grail had three forms, the first two of which needn't be elaborated on. The most important was the final, third form. The moment she obtained the Grail, she knew that using the final form would mean losing herself. But this was just a feeling. Now, seeing Altera's titan form, Mordred understood clearly what her own fate could be.

With the appearance of the White Titan, the Heaven's Corpse in the sky began to tremble violently.

Buzz, buzz, buzz!

The dense forest surrounding the city began to grow rapidly, trees shooting up towards the sky as if to completely envelop the entire land.

"Grrrooooaaarrrr—!!"

The White Titan raised her head and unleashed a long, deafening roar. Terrifying waves of air, like surging clouds, erupted outwards, destroying buildings and everything in their path.

The titan's power was on full display.

...

"!"

"!!"

"...!!"

"!?"

Pluto, who had been lounging on a tree branch, suddenly sat up straight, staring towards the distant horizon with a shocked expression.

"I-I'm not mistaken, am I? Heaven's Corpse? This is...?"

"A Vanguard of the Umbral Star..." she nodded.

"Impossible! We shot them all down!" Pluto exclaimed in disbelief.

"I'm not sure... but this feeling can't be wrong. It's a Vanguard of the Umbral Star, and..."

"And what?"

"And she's right next to my main body!" she pursed her lips.

...

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

With a series of ear-splitting sonic booms, the Angels of Destruction, who were scattered across the sky, started diving towards the colossal figure of the Giant God of Destruction standing defiantly below them. The angels radiated blinding light, their immense magical energy transforming into a hail of light projectiles that rained down on the White Titan with overwhelming destructive force.

Just like the angels and everyone else present, even Heaven's Corpse instinctively recognized the immense threat White Titan posed.

Boom!

Boom!

The light bullets pummeled the White Titan like a torrential downpour, yet they failed to harm her.

"As expected of the Giant God. Those light cannons contain destructive power greater than A-rank Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasms, yet they don't even scratch her. And this isn't even the Giant God's true form, just a phantom manifested through a Servant's body..."

Enkidu glanced at Altera, a shiver running down her spine. She had always known Altera was powerful. It was the Vanguard of the Umbral Star who had almost destroyed the world and forced the Sumerian gods to create Gilgamesh, but seeing this kind of power firsthand really drove home just how terrifying Altera and the Vanguard truly were.

The Angels of Destruction's attacks, though harmless to White Titan, did succeed in catching her attention.

The colossal figure turned her head slightly, her cold gaze sweeping across the Angels scattered in the sky. She raised a massive hand and casually swung it.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

In an instant, an unimaginable force ripped through the air, unleashing a monstrous storm. Mountains crumbled layer by layer, buildings collapsed, and the Angels of Destruction were flung back, crashing helplessly against the barrier walls of Zaun City, completely immobilized by the sheer force of the wind.

Those angels closest to White Titan bore the full brunt of her strike, swatted like flies. With sickening crunches, they plummeted into the mountains, their fate uncertain.

"So... so strong...!"

Everyone stared at White Titan in terror.

These Angels of Destruction were no mere monsters or Phantasmal Species. They were far stronger, comparable even to the spores of the Heaven's Corpse, which rivaled the gods of various regions. Yet even they were effortlessly obliterated by White Titan as if they were nothing.

Gods, angels, monsters – all were insignificant before the Vanguard of the Umbral Star.

"So this is what the gods called the White Destruction..." Enkidu murmured, sweat drenching her body.

Enkidu, a Divine Construct created to oppose beings like Altera, found herself trembling with fear. Never before, not when facing the Beast of Calamity Humbaba, the Bull of Heaven, or even the prospect of death decreed by the gods, had she felt such terror. But now, in the presence of Altera's Giant God form, fear gripped her heart.

"Is this the fear the Sumerian gods once tasted?" she looked down at her trembling hand. "Even though... even though this is just a phantom manifested by a Servant, it fills me with so much dread. Even my divinity, given by the gods, is trembling..."