Amidst the undeniable fact of Sakatsuki emerging unscathed, few noticed that Artoria Alter, who had once stood by his side, had vanished without a trace.
Only Mordred would never overlook such a thing.
"You… what did you do to Father?"
Wiping the blood from her face, Mordred's aura grew even more formidable after cutting down all the shadow Servants. Her voice lowered dangerously as she glared at the solitary young man.
"Two Command Spells to transfer causality and direction, and one more to try keeping her alive—only to fail," Sakatsuki replied. "Don't blame me. This was always part of the plan, something both my king and I agreed upon."
"Yeah, right. Of course I won't blame you—" Mordred's eyes lowered, and in the next instant, a blinding crimson lightning streaked forth as the rebellious knight closed the distance in a flash, her face twisted in grief and fury as she swung her sword down upon him:
"But I'll kill you!"
BANG!
What blocked the strike was an arm dyed pitch-black. Though the sword's energy tore through it, the wound was immediately mended by swirling black mist tinged with iridescent hues, as though ink had filled in the gaps like a painting.
"Wha—?" Mordred's pupils constricted. The next moment, she was struck by a hyper-speed whip kick, sending her flying back with tremendous force. Amidst the deafening crashes, the knight's armor shattered, and the girl collapsed lifelessly against a courtyard wall hundreds of meters away.
"Brave but reckless. Every battle up until now has been under my control." The young man let his arms hang naturally as thick, crimson liquid dripped from his body. "Why did you think that losing Artoria would leave me as helpless as a lamb to slaughter?"
He was no weak lamb—he was a ferocious dragon, a demon who had become calamity itself.
Just the sight of the dark miasma swirling around him was enough to trigger instinctive terror. The conceptual embodiment of the Calydonian Boar, which had slaughtered warriors across Greece and ravaged the world in its final rampage—its black pelt, the 'Divine Punishment Boar,' now shrouded him.
Sakatsuki's black robes transformed into a dark hide that wrapped around his body, crimson patterns spreading across it as his legs took on a bestial form. Deep within his eyes, an overwhelming madness simmered.
All parameters except Luck rose, granting him the A-rank skills 'Mad Enhancement' and 'Shapeshift.' Any damage he inflicted would restore an equal amount of his vitality, paired with an absurdly potent regenerative ability.
This was the third phase of Sakatsuki's plan, separate from 'Thunder Heavenly Palace' and 'Unlimited Blade Works'—something he had prepared ever since seizing the boar's pelt from Atalanta.
"As for what comes next… well, who knows?"
The Calydonian Boar roared within the depths of his soul, but a radiant platinum sun burned it with countless rays of light, while an azure ocean of iridescent blue rose in furious waves to suppress it. Thanks to this, Sakatsuki retained a sliver of reason—perhaps the worst possible news for his enemies.
After all, no matter the time or place, an intelligent foe would always be far more troublesome than a mindless beast.
"Hey, Empress, looks like it's just the two of us now." Though still wounded from destroying the Great Magecraft of Thunderous Heavenly Palace and further injured from forcibly breaking through Artoria Alter's Noble Phantasm, Astolfo gritted his teeth and stood up, gripping the shield Achilles had entrusted to him as he faced the demonic being that made his entire body tremble.
This was the Noble Phantasm Achilles had given him before the decisive battle. Thinking back now, Achilles must have already decided then to use "Diatrekhōn Astēr Lonkhē" - to face Sakatsuki head-on in the most direct way possible.
Achilles, who had long been prepared, must have died with a carefree smile on his face.
—I want to fight with all my might like that hero, then accept the outcome without regrets.
"That's a good look in your eyes. I won't mock your overestimation of yourself, Rider of Black." Semiramis withdrew her gaze from Sakatsuki, suppressing the doubts in her heart.
The three Command Spells related to Artoria should have already been used during her Alter transformation. If so, where did Sakatsuki obtain new Command Spells?
Moreover, with most Servants already dead, why hadn't the Fallen Angel Wings on Sakatsuki's chest dimmed yet?
"Incoming, Empress!" Astolfo's warning snapped Semiramis back to attention. She quickly activated the prepared magecraft, and chains shot out from all corners of the garden at tricky angles toward Sakatsuki. Yet the demon, now a streak of black light, didn't dodge. Amidst the sound of shattering metal and flying fragments, Sakatsuki appeared beside Astolfo and swung his fist.
Bam!
Astolfo's shield-arm twisted at an unnatural angle. This wasn't a magical strike against cities or armies, but a punch delivered with Sakatsuki's superhuman speed and momentum - terrifying force that any shield-bearer would have to endure. Clearly, Astolfo with his D-rank Strength and lack of relevant skills couldn't properly wield Achilles' shield.
"If it were Achilles himself, there might have been a chance. But you're just a child playing with an adult's toy."
Destructive magecraft exploded against Sakatsuki's back like fireworks, but dark waves surged to mend the wounds. With a casual swipe of his claws, Sakatsuki sent chains flying and shattered Semiramis' Scales of the Divine Fish, then appeared like a ghost behind Astolfo. Blood sprayed as bestial claws pierced the paladin's chest.
"Rider—!!!" In the Fortress of Millennia, Sieg clutched her chest in agony. Watching Sakatsuki hold Astolfo's still-beating heart, she felt as if her own heart was being torn out. Sakatsuki stared hungrily at the Servant's heart for a moment before frowning and crushing it.
"No amount of Luck can save you. Farewell, Astolfo."
The pink-haired paladin didn't respond, only offering a somewhat lonely smile before collapsing to the ground, dissolving into motes of light. Sakatsuki turned, his eerie slit pupils fixing on the last intact Servant—Assassin of Red, Semiramis.
"Tch." Without any intention of begging for mercy, Semiramis summoned layers of chains and scales of divine fish to protect herself, followed by a mournful wail from the Hanging Gardens—the mistress of this fortress was offering it as a sacrifice, attempting to manifest some monstrous entity at the fastest possible speed.
"Useless. Even if you've briefly reached the level of a top-tier Servant, an Assassin who's already played all her cards stands no chance against the enemy."
The black demon was still charging forward. All his magecraft had been sealed, yet relying solely on his formidable physical prowess and monstrous strength, he compressed himself into a bullet, shattering the chains and crushing the divine fish scales before pouncing toward Empress Semiramis.
"Ah... Ugh..."
Allowing the chains to pierce his body, the demon reached out and seized Semiramis by the throat, his overwhelming arm strength slowly snuffing out her life. Faced with such a brutal execution, the empress, contrary to her usual demeanor, clenched her teeth and poured all her power into a certain spell rather than defending herself.
Because she knew she wasn't fighting alone.
The oppressive sensation in his grip vanished. Sakatsuki frowned, his enhanced senses detecting Semiramis at the far end of the Hanging Gardens. "...A Command Spell? Amakusa Shirou Tokisada..."
As he muttered, the demon's legs underwent a transformation. Black energy burned as if it had taken physical form. His A-rank 'Metamorphosis' activated—this skill would evolve by the second to overcome any obstacle in pursuit of his goal.
And the obstacle before him now was: 'How to close the distance to the Red Assassin as quickly as possible.'
Bang!
The sound resembled a race car launching from the starting line. The black demon's speed surpassed what the eye could follow. Even if both Archers were still alive, they would only see Sakatsuki take a step before appearing beside the empress, his claws viciously tearing toward her chest.
He didn't land the hit. What Sakatsuki shredded was merely an illusion. The pale-faced empress reappeared several kilometers away, still chanting an ancient spell.
"A second Command Spell... Hah." This time, Sakatsuki didn't bother giving chase. Instead, the Great Qin War Bow materialized in his hands. The moment it appeared, the bow was corroded by curses, transforming into a jet-black cursed tool. Its wielder paid no mind as he drew the string and fired three arrows into the sky with brutal efficiency.
The first arrow—pierced through the many hasty defenses the empress had erected, veering slightly off course but still tearing through her abdomen.
The second arrow—triggered another Command Spell, and the bloodied Semiramis reappeared at another location, causing the third arrow to miss.
Yet even after buying time through every possible means, the demon had already deciphered Semiramis's teleportation method. In the blink of an eye, he stood before the empress once more—and this time, no Command Spell could save her.
"Die."
With an indifferent whisper, the demon thrust his hand toward yet another heart, his movements swift and decisive.
But someone was faster. Someone acted without hesitation. A slender figure now stood as immovable as a mountain, shielding the empress.
Thud.
Blood splattered across Semiramis's face, matting her hair. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she looked up. The man said nothing, leaving her only with his back and the golden-red hunting robes fluttering in the fierce wind.
The Ruler of the previous Holy Grail War. Her Master in this Holy Grail War. Amakusa Shirou Tokisada.
"Oh, so you were just buying time for yourself." Sakatsuki's tone finally carried a hint of surprise. Before he could continue speaking, an enormous summoning circle unfurled, and the highest-ranking phantasmal beast thrust out its monstrous head, roaring as it slammed him deep into the earth.
BOOOOM!
For a few brief seconds, the bottom of the Hanging Gardens seemed to suffer bombardment as it cracked apart. Flowers withered, streams scattered, and accompanied by the fading light streaking across the sky, this floating garden welcomed its own annihilation.
Viewed from afar, the once-arrogant garden floating in the sky was gradually collapsing. Massive chunks of architecture broke away, burning into crimson meteors midair—like the final blooming of an epiphyllum flower.
But the garden's mistress no longer cared. She knelt gently on the ground, cradling the limp body of the man, resting his peaceful face upon her lap.
It was a fatal wound—Semiramis made the judgment upon seeing Amakusa's injuries. Every strike from that demon had been aimed for death; no one could have survived even a single blow from him.
"Ah... Assa... ssin...?"
As if awakening from deep slumber, Amakusa slowly opened his eyes.
"Awake, are you? Though perhaps it would have been better if you hadn't. To put it simply, you're going to die." The Red Assassin smiled as she touched the blackened burns on his chest.
"No pain."
"That's thanks to the nerve-paralyzing poison I gave you. Normally, you'd be writhing in agony until you died from the pain." Semiramis paused, then added as if casually, "By the way, why did you rush to save me?"
"...It's nothing significant. More importantly, you've let me rest on your lap again, haven't you?"
The Empress didn't reply. She simply gazed intently at Amakusa's face—this man, this saint who had declared he would save the world, had fallen so carelessly.
"Don't make that face, Red Assassin." Amakusa raised his hand as if to touch the Empress's cheek, but it fell weakly halfway, merely brushing through her waterfall of black hair.
"Consider it punishment for deceiving you. You must have realized by now—once the Greater Grail activates, humanity will achieve immortality. Your wish to rule over them again will fail... Not to mention, I've already lost now."
The sounds of collapse seemed distant, as if happening somewhere far away.
"You still haven't answered my question." Faced with her Master's confession, the Empress merely pressed her lips together, repeating her question like a little girl stubbornly demanding a toy.
After serious contemplation, Amakusa smiled somewhat ruefully:
"It's nothing... I just thought—if Jeanne d'Arc could do it, if that King Arthur could do it, then surely I could too."