IBHJ 1065

Arcueid floated in mid-air, using the core and her authority to stabilize the moon. But it was a struggle. Neither Eternal Emperor nor Manaka were ordinary beings; the shock waves from their clash alone were almost too much to bear.

She now understood why her siblings were so wary of the Lord of Salvation. If Manaka and Eternal Emperor were this powerful, how terrifying must the Lord of Salvation truly be?

White Titan watched Shirou and Manaka battle. Even as a Velber, she sensed danger from both of them. Her instincts screamed at her to destroy them and sent the signals.

— DESTROY ALL CONSTRAINTS. BROADCAST SIGNAL. DESTROY. DESTROY. DESTROY.

Her genes forced her instincts to obey the command. She abandoned her focus on Shirou and Manaka, threw back her head and howled, then began frantically destroying her surroundings. She tore through Moon Cell's system resources while continuing to send signals.

Shirou wanted to stop her, but Manaka was too much to handle. Even he couldn't risk a fight while distracted. Arcueid also wanted to intervene, but she had to concentrate on powering the Moon Cell core and maintaining her authority over the moon. If she faltered, Shirou, Manaka, and White Titan would instantly destroy Moon Cell's internal barriers.

What could they do?

Just then, Shirou noticed Ayaka running towards White Titan on the ground below, accompanied by Daji.

"What's that fool doing?"

The startled exclamation came not from Shirou, but from Manaka.

Ayaka sprinted towards White Titan. Her friend's pained expression worried her deeply, because she knew that pain wasn't stemming from her instincts, but from her own consciousness. Ayaka wanted to awaken that consciousness, to help her break free from Umbral Star's control.

Of course, this wasn't some naive impulse. Ayaka wasn't delusional; she didn't believe some grand display of emotion could magically free Altera from her instincts. That kind of childish thinking had died long ago, back in her old world.

"Please help me, Koyanskaya," Ayaka pleaded silently. She'd made this decision because Koyanskaya claimed to possess a skill that could awaken someone's true heart.

"This is all I can offer. But are you sure you want to put your life in my hands?" Koyanskaya's playful demeanor vanished, replaced by an unusual seriousness.

As expected of the infamous enchantress who'd once seduced kings into neglecting their duties. When she wasn't playing the fool, she possessed a dignified and elegant beauty.

"I trust you." Ayaka nodded. Their interaction had been brief, their contract hastily formed. Trusting this infamous enchantress was a gamble, an incredibly risky one, but Ayaka took it anyway.

She couldn't bear to see the loneliness and isolation in Altera's expression. More than that, she hated seeing her forced to do things she clearly didn't want to do.

I don't believe in heaven, I don't believe in gods, and I don't believe in right and wrong, but I believe in you.

For some reason, a long-forgotten scene flashed through her mind—words spoken to her by a man she couldn't quite place. A touch of bitterness and pain resonated in her heart, but she managed a small smile.

"Then go forward, Master. I will allow you to enter her consciousness. Whether you can awaken her is up to you."

"Good!" Ayaka nodded and ran straight towards Altera.

Koyanskaya looked up, her gaze sweeping over Manaka and Eternal Emperor locked in their endless battle in the sky above. She then lowered her head, watching Ayaka's retreating figure.

As Ayaka charged towards Altera, the Titan, who had been approaching Velber 02, noticed her. She turned her head, those crimson eyes staring coldly down at the ant-like figure running towards her.

She raised her fist. A bloodthirsty red light flickered in her eyes as she brought it down towards Ayaka like a crashing mountain.

Ayaka's scalp prickled as she looked at the monstrous fist descending towards her. But she gritted her teeth and continued to run.

'Trust Koyanskaya!'

No.

'Trust your Servant!'

The giant fist descended, the wind howling around her like countless blades. Ayaka gritted her teeth, the pain sharp against her skin. Arthur… she called out in her heart. It was a plea, a prayer that gave her the courage to keep going.

Then, a miracle.

Red light emanated from White Titan's body. Hexagram formations appeared around her, freezing the Titan in place. Her massive form trembled and hummed, but she couldn't move.

Koyanskaya!

Ayaka turned and gasped. Koyanskaya was gone, replaced by an enormous fox shrouded in darkness. Five tails swayed above its hidden form.

"Go. You trust me, don't you? I won't harm you," Koyanskaya's voice rang out.

Ayaka nodded, turned back, and continued running towards Altera.

Koyanskaya flicked one of her tails, and black shadows enveloped Ayaka. She transformed into a black streak, shooting towards White Titan like a beam of light.

"Raaaargh—!!"

White Titan's body tensed as she sensed the attack coming. Raw power burst from her muscles as she fought against Koyanskaya's hold, breaking free just enough to move her massive fist. The fist swung down, ready to smash Ayaka into paste. But Koyanskaya's five tails shot out like whips, wrapping around her thick arms and pulling them back.

White Titan's eyes lit up with a bloodthirsty red glow. She flexed her whole body, muscles straining, and ripped her arms outward with brutal force. The movement tore all five of Koyanskaya's tails clean off. Blood sprayed everywhere, painting the ground red and running down the trees in streams.

Koyanskaya fell to her knees as she changed back to human form, her skin white as paper. "I really hate fighting strong opponents..." she muttered through gritted teeth.

Despite her words, she quickly formed hand seals, casting a soul-binding spell. A beam of light filled with swirling colors shot from her hand, hitting White Titan right between the eyes.

The Titan reeled as if struck, her mind momentarily dazed. The attack hadn't caused any substantial damage, but the brief pause was all Ayaka needed to enter her body.

Seeing this, Shirou focused, pouring all his concentration into overwhelming Manaka before his mana ran out. But Manaka fought back just as hard. Black hands burst from the ground by the hundreds, trying to drag him in to be assimilated by the Lord of Salvation. She kept attacking from all sides—sending waves of darkness, opening holes in space, and making the ground crack and split.

A sea of flowers battled against the black tide, light fighting darkness. When their powers clashed, both Shirou and Manaka were thrown back. The impact ripped through Moon Cell like a bomb going off. Wind sharp as knives cut through solid rocks, carving huge holes in the moon's surface. The force spread out in all directions, reaching far into space. All around the moon, Saturn's monsters burst apart, destroyed by the growing blast.

Shirou frowned at Manaka.

"Look at you," Manaka's voice dripped with pity. "All those time loops, all that suffering and growth, every reset carving new strength into your soul... and what are you still? Just a mortal playing at godhood." She spread her arms wide. "Face reality, Fujimaru Shirou – you can't hope to stand against the Lord of Salvation. You can't even defeat me!" Her eyes gleamed with absolute certainty. "Stop this pointless struggle. Hand over the Beast, the Moon Cell's core, your vortex – everything. I'm the only one with the power to end this. I alone can defeat the Lord of Salvation!"

...

"Is this Altera's consciousness?"

Ayaka looked around in bewilderment after entering the Titan's body. Koyanskaya had said she would send her into Altera's consciousness, but how could this be it? This place...

There was nothing here.

Absolutely nothing.

No blue sky, no earth, no flowers or trees, no people—just a void. An endless, monotonous white.

"How sad." Ayaka couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy. If Koyanskaya hadn't sent her to the wrong place, then this truly was the depths of Altera's heart.

The hearts of evil people were colorful. The hearts of good people were colorful. The hearts of ordinary people were colorful. And saints' hearts were even more colorful. No one's heart was blank because people weren't blank. But Altera's heart... it was completely devoid of any color, just this monotonous white.

How heartbreaking.

Pain welled up in Ayaka's heart. She wasn't usually one to overflow with sympathy, but she could empathize. Because her own heart had once been grey-white.

The destruction of her old world, carrying the weight of its death, living on alone and lost, then being taken in by Chaldea. She hadn't died, and that was fortunate, but how sad was it to neither die nor forget?

Her heart had been grey-white. Then she learned that Fujimaru Shirou hadn't died. She met Kiara Sessyoin, who reminded her of her younger self. She met Hinako, who was cold on the outside but warm on the inside. She met Illya, who was so mature beyond her years. She also met her Servant, Altera—a famous king, yet insecure, timid, clumsy, and somewhat willful. She had killed the zombified Arthur herself, laid her past to rest, and her heart finally regained a hint of color.

So, looking at this void of white, a deep ache settled in her chest.