Typemoon [472-474] (Patreon)

Chapter 472: You Will Not Die

"Confirming contact has begun!"

 At the very instant when the aurora and the Sword of Flame clashed, the belated submarine Shadow Border immediately began corresponding data observations.

Compared to that giant of flame, the man's figure might seem too slender, but the sword he wielded—

 —unlike Surtr's flaming sword—was a magical blade called the Emperor of Slashes. Even now, most of the sword's body had yet to fully materialize. Instead, it looked like a slender aurora extending from the lands of Northern Europe.

Its blade was fine and delicate; the blue spiritual energy was not the true form of the blade, but rather the torn sky itself. At this moment, reality was being cleaved apart.

Heat and ice, snow and fire, none of it mattered. Here, only absolute power existed. The mass stripped from star and earth could not be evaporated, not even by the freed Sword of Flame. Instead, Surtr's own incredible heat was endlessly diminished!

And the wielder of this sword was a knight from beyond—just like Surtr, a dragon-bearing knight and a Godslayer.

Despite the vast difference in their sizes, the two had now entered a contest of strength!

After obtaining the True Human spiritual foundation, Alaric's magical output had already surpassed all of Chaldea's Servants, reaching a level from another dimension.

Even Surtr, King of the Fire Giants—who had recovered his divine power through the Fantasy Tree—could not suppress him!

The giant king's dignified face held the sword in one hand, his flaming eyes falling on Alaric's form visible through fire and aurora.

For some reason, his hair—now silver-white and short—was swept back, and his androgynous features were full of defiance. His pale golden eyes shone brilliantly, driven to their limits as the red dragon roared!

Scarlet runes flowed and twined across his body, the manifestation of the primordial Runes inherited from the great god Odin and inscribed by the one true god Skadi herself, perhaps embodying the mysteries of the Norse gods.

The giant sought to bring about a twisted Ragnarok. Then, the youth was the Godslayer destined to end it!

"Can he hold out—"

Everyone aboard the submarine held their breath at the sight.

Goredolf couldn't help clenching his fists, his heart pounding so hard his face turned red and his breath grew ragged.

This might have been the first time he had ever witnessed such a scene.

Back in Russia, because Alaric had dealt with Ivan the Terrible in advance, the last battle for Chaldea was merely with Princess Anastasia—if it could even be called a battle.

Even the previous fight with Surtr, when he possessed Siegfried, could not compare to the current situation.

Even Goredolf—known for his moderation at the Clock Tower—could clearly grasp how incredible this battlefield was.

The moment Surtr swung down the sword of the end, Alaric was launched from the deck, casting the Sword Seed down upon the Nordic lands, prying the world's will with overwhelming force. In a Planck-scale instant, he stripped mass equivalent to an entire city, forming the Demonic Blade – Emperor of Slashes!

Even before clashing with Surtr, the birth of the demonic sword alone tore through thousands of miles of cloud. The flaming domain conjured by Surtr was shattered and became part of the magical sword!

"Every time I see this, it's amazing. Even without help from other Servants, Sir Alaric can stand against Surtr on his own—"

With a sigh of relief, Da Vinci-chan knew things would no longer be so passive.

Before Surtr could make a move, they completed the creation of the True Human spiritual foundation, and Alaric successfully took possession of it.

A Servant is composed of a spiritual core, which holds their soul, and a spiritual foundation constructed from magical energy. When Alaric's soul transferred into the True Human—

His power could be fully unleashed, granted release in the optimal environment.

A strength that was utterly unmatched.

On par with the hero who slew dragons—even more so than the demigoddess Brynhildr, not just a different level but a being who could not even be categorized among ordinary heroic spirits of the divine age.

His magical power could rival even the living King of Knights, Artoria Pendragon, who exceeded all the Knights of the Round Table!

The independent manifestation granted him freedom of action, freeing Alaric from Servant limitations. The re-manifested dragon's heart beat in his chest, pumping magical energy enough to fully power the submarine!

His extraordinary sensory field covered heaven and earth; every flicker of flame was within his view, without exception!

Even without making a move, the spontaneous magical fluctuations shone as brightly and fiercely as the sun at its zenith, melting heaven and earth!

And this was just one advantage of the True Human foundation. With the addition of Skadi's primordial Runes—

Da Vinci-chan's True Human project had diverged completely from Qin Shi Huang's path. The True Human, inscribed with primordial Runes, carried unimaginable mysteries—perhaps was itself a collection of powerful mysteries.

Built on the flesh of giants, guided by Runes, the True Human might be considered a native Norse lifeform.

Before the battle, even Da Vinci had worried whether they could go toe-to-toe, since Surtr now had the Fantasy Tree's support and could be called the Lostbelt King.

Even with Alaric at full power, could he hold off Surtr alone? Da Vinci wasn't sure.

She never put all her eggs in one basket, so she had prepared backup plans in case Alaric couldn't match Surtr—but it seemed those preparations were now unnecessary.

They didn't opt for a Noble Phantasm duel—neither the blessed Sword of the End nor the conceptual armament Rhongomyniad replicated by Servant form—but instead chose the simplest and most direct contest of strength!

Pure brute force—with planetary mass as the sword's body, it became a star-forged magic sword towering between heaven and earth!

Such a scale of mass would have drawn the Counter Force's scrutiny in Proper Human History. Both Gaia, the planet's consciousness, and Alaya, humanity's collective will, could not ignore it.

This was an act that would permanently alter the world.

Even in the Lostbelt, it was a dire event of the same nature.

But Alaric did not hesitate—he drew the magic sword and forcibly blocked Surtr's unleashed Sword of Flame!

"Using planetary mass as a sword's body—that's an invasion of the planet itself—"

Holmes' eyes flashed as he quickly analyzed the submarine's data.

 "The sword's power keeps climbing. Surtr is increasing his output as well. This contest will decide the rest of the battle!"

"What about Mash and the others?"

Da Vinci asked, "The battlefield is too close to the village. We need to see if Mash and the others can block the aftermath."

Just as Da Vinci finished speaking, a girl's response came through the comms:

 "Mash Kyrielight, in position—"

Using the flight Runes granted by Skadi, Mash, Fujimaru Ritsuka, and others had swiftly reached the village near the battle zone—

On the ground, a massive guardian hastily created by the divine Servant Sitonai stood before the village at impossible speed.

"Go, Berserker!"

Standing on its shoulder, a white-haired girl looked at the mythic battlefield before her, excitedly punching the air.

The giant guardian, over a hundred meters tall, spread its arms wide—capable of catching the giant king's apocalyptic blade!

Beside it, the last god waved her staff and softly chanted,

 "Manifest the many shields of divine iron, though he's shattered them before—"

Buzz buzz.

With Sitonai's protection, Skadi unfolded numerous divine shields before the village, blocking all the incoming heat!

Like Nabistyn's fangs rising in a flood, a final sanctuary was created!

"True Name: Frozen Deployment—this is the fantasy city that has borne many paths, many wishes—respond, fragile city of dreams...!"

The walls unfolded by the girl became an insurmountable barrier; no apocalypse could destroy the world behind them.

"...…"

Standing beside Mash, Fujimaru Ritsuka maintained magical output, sweating profusely as she stared at the distant battlefield.

Alaric and Fujimaru still maintained their Servant contract. Though he no longer drew magical energy, Fujimaru could still sense his current state.

"You have to hold on, Mash," Fujimaru whispered.

 "As long as we get through this, it'll be enough—"

"Mm!"

Clutching her shield, Mash smiled,

 "Don't worry, Master!"

"Hey, where does that leave me, your commander?"

With a fiery smile, a man roared with laughter:

 "I'm right here!"

He stood before the village gates, aiming his massive cannons at the sky, his grin more dazzling than the sun.

"You're all waiting for it, aren't you? Waiting for victory, waiting for it all to end."

Napoleon laughed,

 "I don't know what the real Napoleon Bonaparte was like—my height changed too, after all.

But back then, people hoped, prayed, believed their emperor would win, right? Then, as times changed, people thought maybe that emperor stood in the way of their happiness?

Do you know what happened? Both came true! Isn't that exciting? Answering wishes brought victory; answering wishes lost him power. That's the result.

That's what's engraved in human history—the hero who answers expectations, the Heroic Spirit! Napoleon—the man who answers wishes!"

There was only one wish, only one expectation to answer.

Staring at the distant land, at the top of the fiery giant, at the girl who had lost herself, Napoleon laughed:

 "In absolute crisis, with no way out—this isn't the first time I've seen it!

Here! I'll blast out a rainbow of victory! This is my ace in the hole!—Take this, monster!"

"Arc de Triomphe de l'Etoile!"

A rainbow of light swept across the land, cutting through flame and aurora, striking Surtr's face dead-on!

Rumble—

This was a Noble Phantasm sharing its name with the French Arc de Triomphe. Human potential became a cannonball, soaring like a rainbow.

Centered on the existence of Heroic Spirit Napoleon and enhanced by the legend of bombarding the Sphinx of Giza, this Noble Phantasm was born.

It appeared as a single-handed, transformable cannon.

With the legend of destroying the Sphinx, this attack had special power against mysteries.

At the cost of Napoleon's own spiritual core and foundation, burning everything in a single strike—even giants, even gods, would be broken!

"I see you, Ophelia—"

As the giant king's strength began to wane, the young man who had released his sword looked up, his pale golden eyes reflecting the falling girl.

Ophelia the Crypter, Surtr's contract holder.

If he killed her, Surtr would be gravely wounded.

Buzz.

Alaric shot forward, closing the distance, and casually caught the dazed Ophelia.

Ophelia had not yet recovered from Napoleon's blow, or rather, the answer contained within that blow—an answer echoing the wish of her weak self.

Napoleon was not a Heroic Spirit summoned by the land or the Counter Force, but one who answered Ophelia's wish—a Heroic Spirit meant to be her Servant.

'My wish—'

Ophelia was stunned. 

Yes.

Napoleon was a being who answered wishes. He came to answer the silent cry for help, the wish from the depths of her heart, from the me who was too afraid to take a single step.

With Napoleon's blow shattering the giant king's face, something deep within Ophelia broke, the flaming hand gripping her soul was smashed.

Regaining her ability to think, Ophelia immediately noticed the man standing so close.

His silver-white short hair blew in the wind, pale golden eyes scanning her—especially her Mystic Eyes.

This was Ophelia's first time interacting with this knight up close; she'd only seen him in reports before. She never expected to meet him face-to-face like this.

"You're a real handful, Ophelia."

Alaric casually pinched Ophelia's cheek and said, before she could get mad,

 "Surtr's mixed in with you, right? It's like what happened with Sigurd, isn't it?"

Now, Alaric's perspective was much higher, no longer influenced by a weak spiritual foundation. If he'd had this perspective at their first meeting, he would have seen through Surtr at a glance.

"...…"

Ophelia was stunned, but quickly accepted the reality and said quietly,

 "Put me down."

"Are you afraid? Or have you accepted your fate?"

Alaric smiled as he released her, even letting go of his own flight, allowing them both to free-fall from hundreds of meters up.

"Your eyes are beautiful, and now they shine even brighter—it was Napoleon, right?"

Upside-down, Alaric stared at Ophelia.

 "He's a Heroic Spirit who answers wishes. He answered your wish—it worked. The knot is untied, but I have to say, you Crypters really are a bunch of problem children."

"...…"

Ophelia fell silent. She didn't know why Alaric was saying all this.

At this moment, Alaric seemed very different from before.

Chapter 473: Severance

"That was a beautiful rainbow. He's really amazing—to let me see so many possibilities—"

 Still falling, Ophelia spoke softly:

 "Now I can see what I used to ignore. I know what I should do."

Even if Proper Human History is erased, I don't want the planet to turn to ash.

"...…"

Staring into Ophelia's eyes, Alaric laughed out loud:

 "You Crypters really are something. I regret not seeing you all that day. Why was I a step too late?"

Even now, Alaric regretted not seeing the thawed seven Crypters or their leader at the end of the year.

If only he'd arrived one day sooner.

Landing on the ground, Alaric caught Ophelia with a backhand. Mash hurried over, looking worried—apparently concerned about Ophelia.

Napoleon had staked his Noble Phantasm on that rainbow light, and even Ophelia had not been spared.

"Everyone in Shadow Border, all the Chaldea members, the Servants, Mash, and, uh, and—"

Regaining her composure, Ophelia looked at Fujimaru Ritsuka, who had come with Mash, and gave an awkward smile.

 "I know, of course I know—it's Fujimaru Ritsuka, right? I didn't forget, it's just hard to say."

"Miss Ophelia—"

Mash pursed her lips. Beside her, Fujimaru shrugged and smiled,

 "You'll get used to it."

"I know this is selfish, but I want to ask you—even if only for now—please let me stand on your side."

Ophelia looked directly at Fujimaru.

 "Once his head regenerates, he'll act again. That guy who absorbed the Fantasy Tree only seeks destruction now.

And the Fantasy Tree takes root in the planet, expanding the Lostbelt's reality. If this keeps up—only burning flames will remain, covering the world."

"That won't do!"

Goredolf immediately retorted,

 "No matter what, to us—you're butchers, traitors! To human society, you're criminals, terrorists causing massive destruction!"

Goredolf had no fondness for the Crypters who'd brought about the end of civilization. The same went for Kadoc, always locked in solitary confinement.

To him, the Crypters' actions were unforgivable.

But—

"The situation is clear—"

Goredolf struggled with his feelings. He didn't want to forgive them, but had to convince himself.

"Emergency alliance with the enemy of our enemy—we've made that choice before. That's how we got here, Director."

Holmes said,

 "Adding one more temporary ally is no problem."

"Right—might as well grab whatever lifeline we can."

Da Vinci smiled,

 "Besides, we've got the upper hand right now!"

"Fine! But this is only a temporary alliance! Afterward, we'll arrest you! Please, when that time comes, don't resist!"

Goredolf declared.

"I'm ready for that."

Amused by Goredolf's attitude, Ophelia smiled.

 "Hard to believe someone like you is from the Clock Tower."

"Ophelia Phamrsolone."

Seeing the time was right, Holmes spoke:

 "Let's confirm—did you form a Servant contract with Surtr?"

"Yes. Although it's an exception, we are still contracted."

Ophelia paused,

 "The Command Spells are down to three, but I should be able to force the contract to end—"

 She could do it, even now.

"Good. The other party doesn't have skills like Independent Manifestation or Independent Action, right?"

Holmes continued,

 "Judging by the earlier attack, it seems similar to a Noble Phantasm release, which should have consumed a lot of magical energy."

"If he loses his Master and becomes an uncontracted Servant, Surtr will be weakened."

Da Vinci nodded.

 "As long as he can't act independently—"

"I couldn't see through Surtr's tricks either, but now that I know, I understand your situation."

Skadi gazed at Ophelia.

 "Summoning the giant king is beyond human capability. The human body can't anchor such a fantasy in reality. Servants don't need that, but for a giant king—"

"It's the Mystic Eyes, isn't it? Surtr manifested through your Mystic Eyes. The Servant contract is tied to them. If you want to break the contract, you'll have to abandon your eyes."

Alaric glanced at Ophelia.

 "Your eyes are linked to your brain, and you can't do it alone. What are you planning to use?"

"Mm, I'll use the Sirius Light."

Ophelia had a hunch that unless she explained, Alaric would not let her act.

"The Sirius Light, the tool Marisbury gave you?"

Alaric asked,

 "Do you know how powerful it is?"

"I'm not sure."

Ophelia shook her head.

 "The Director didn't tell us much—maybe Lord Kirschtaria knows."

"What's a Sirius Light?"

Fujimaru Ritsuka had never heard the term. She looked at Mash, then at Da Vinci, who seemed equally puzzled.

Alaric, also hearing of it for the first time, raised an eyebrow.

If Marisbury had equipped the Crypters with Sirius Lights, even if the power was unclear, it would at least be a threat to him.

Back in Russia, Kadoc had considered using one, right?

"Don't worry about me—I'm doing this with hope in my heart. At the very least, I want to answer that person's expectations."

Ophelia whispered,

 "I'll take responsibility for my failures. This is for the one who acknowledged me as a Crypter—no, for Lord Kirschtaria, who believed I had value—my only—"

"You don't need to."

Alaric cut her off.

 "We'll talk about your business later."

"You—"

Ophelia was about to activate the Sirius Light, but before she could speak, a dazzling sword light fell upon her!

Behind the light were a pair of gemlike Mystic Eyes.

The sword pierced the divine, slaying not life, but existence, the world, causality, karma—glimpsing the realm of all things' death. Even divine contracts could be severed!

The sudden sword light interrupted everyone's thoughts. Even those who reacted couldn't stop it—or didn't have time.

Facing the light, Ophelia felt as if everything about her was exposed to those eyes.

"I broke the goddess contract; you think I can't break a Servant contract?"

Chapter 474: The End

The sword light was dazzling, silent, and covered Ophelia's vision.

 When she came to, excruciating pain struck!

"!"

Ophelia instinctively stepped back, clutching her eye. Blood seeped through her fingers, startling Mash.

"Miss Ophelia?!"

Seeing Ophelia suddenly wounded, Mash stepped forward,

 "Please, let's treat that on the submarine."

"I'm fine—I can hold on—"

Gritting her teeth, Ophelia forced herself to stand, then activated emergency healing magecraft to stop the bleeding from her Mystic Eye.

Fortunately, Alaric's sword hadn't left an incurable curse. Even Ophelia could heal from it.

She managed to stop the bleeding, but now she couldn't open her right eye, and her brain throbbed with pain.

"What did you do?"

Ophelia gasped, staring at Alaric,

 "What did you do to me?"

Alaric's sword had come so swiftly—it was like a bolt of lightning. Even Ophelia hadn't reacted in time.

"Severed your Servant contract with Surtr—what else?"

Alaric glanced at her,

 "I don't know what the price of the Sirius Light is, but you looked ready to die. If you die here, it's a problem for me."

Since falling from Surtr's shoulder, Ophelia's eyes were different—not just brighter, but filled with a resolve Alaric found all too familiar.

Though the death of Crypter Ophelia wouldn't hurt him, Chaldea would care, so Alaric couldn't just let her die.

"...…"

Ophelia fell silent, not arguing.

Even Mash and the others were shocked.

Everyone present, except Fujimaru Ritsuka, was deeply knowledgeable about magecraft—Skadi, Sigurd, Brynhildr, Cú Chulainn, and even Mash.

When Alaric announced he had severed Ophelia and Surtr's contract, they each reacted in their own way.

Skadi, mother of Norse, smiled in satisfaction. Sigurd and Brynhildr sighed with relief. Mash, after a sigh of relief, exclaimed,

 "Sister Alaric can even do that?"

"Mash, what's going on?"

Fujimaru whispered,

 "I don't get it. Sir Alaric stabbed Ophelia's eye and the contract broke?"

"Surtr used Ophelia's Mystic Eyes as a medium to manifest. It's like a Servant's summoning catalyst."

Mash explained,

 "To fully break the contract, you'd have to abandon the Mystic Eye. But the Eye is tied to the brain—without precise handling, the magical backlash could destroy her brain."

When Alaric and Skadi pointed out that the contract depended on the Mystic Eyes, Mash worried—but luckily, Alaric's solution was even more perfect.

No one knew how he did it, but he just did.

"I see—"

Fujimaru nodded,

 "Anyway, the contract's broken. That's good."

 "I can do things like that, of course." Alaric pointed at himself, smiling.

 "I have good eyes too."

"Your swordsmanship is remarkable—"

Sigurd praised,

 "It has reached the realm of the divine."

With a more perfect, powerful body, Alaric's swordsmanship was astonishing.

"The power of Balor, huh—"

Skadi smiled.

 "Hmm, you've still got a ways to go."

Balor is the king of the Fomorians, an evil god in Celtic myth.

Legend says Balor had two eyes, one always closed, unseen by others. It took four strong men to lift his eyelid.

If he opened it, anything caught in his gaze—man or god—would die instantly.

This was like Alaric's Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, but even more advanced.

Alaric was constrained by being human—only by actually touching the observed death lines or points could he kill. Even in moments of inhumanity, he could only broadly kill all.

But gods were different—higher-dimensional beings. They could kill by gaze alone, skipping the touch.

Though Balor's power had many limitations in myth, and even Brynhildr could claim to defeat his eye, facing Alaric, the odds were slim.

Their powers were similar, but Alaric, with more possibilities, would one day surpass Balor.

"...…"

Having escaped death, Ophelia donned the Mystic Eye Killer eye patch Alaric had given her. She wanted to speak, but had nothing to say.

To her, using the Sirius Light to defeat Surtr was the best ending—a decision made without regret, to repay the expectations of others.

Ophelia didn't think she was wrong, but Alaric clearly disagreed.

"Just wait to be Kadoc's roommate, Ophelia dear."

Alaric smiled, patted her head, and walked toward the giant king still standing on the earth.

The giant king's destruction was nothing to Alaric. To him, burning the world wasn't something just anyone could do. Goetia destroyed the world for a grand wish; Surtr was just a machine of pure destruction.

With the contract severed, Surtr sensed death and accelerated his regeneration, but the wounds Napoleon left were healing slowly.

His vast magical power was used to heal the judgment wounds; now, new wounds were added to old.

Bang!

Once more gripping the magic sword, the knight laughed and drew the blade buried deep in the earth—a slender sword, thousands of meters long, now fully in hand.

"This is the end of the stars! Let me show you—what it means for the world to end!"