[—Grow large, body that devours the divine feast, bestow the golden light of the gods. Return the hammer to the earth, bestow blessings.
[—Grow large!]
A gentle white light enveloped Emiya's body, power surged into his limbs like a torrent.
Emiya felt a surge of power within his body, and he wasted no time, immediately charging toward the tree dragon while chanting:
[Appraise creation concept.]
[Hypothesize basic framework.]
[Replicate constituent materials.]
[Imitate manufacturing technique.]
[Empathize with growth experience.]
[Reproduce accumulated years.]
[Surpass, complete numerous projects—]
[At this very moment, complete the sword gathered with fantasy─]
[Pseudo-Balmung (Balmung II)]
A holy sword Noble Phantasm possessed by the dragon-slaying hero Siegfried from the German epic The Nibelungenlied. This is a cursed holy sword that accomplished the feat of slaying a dragon, and also possesses the attribute of the original demonic sword Gram.
According to the wielder's will, this sword can freely switch between demonic sword and holy sword.
The blue gem on the hilt stores and preserves magical energy (True Ether) from the Age of Gods. When released, it emits sword energy like dusk, dealing additional bonus damage to targets bearing dragonkind blood.
[[Oath Under The Snow] Skill effect activated]
[When a close bond exists with the protected target, all abilities exceed domain limits, ability growth accelerates, ability cap breaks through, magic and skill effects exceed domain, and skill effects increase based on bond quantity and strength]
[Skill [Roadless Valhalla] effect activated.]
[Temporarily acquire developmental ability [Dragon Slayer] I]
[Temporarily acquire skill [Das Rheingold]]
The tree dragon's massive dragon head let out a sky-piercing roar, a low and shaking bellow, its soundwaves spread like shockwaves, while the surrounding vines writhed wildly, trembling under the impact of dragon might.
Emiya tightly gripped the holy sword in his hand. He took a deep breath, exerted strength beneath his feet, and suddenly launched a fierce charge toward the tree dragon.
Vines lashed out at Emiya like living whips, attempting to entangle him. However, before the dragon-slaying holy sword, these vines were like brittle dead branches, all severed cleanly. Every strike he swung unleashed razor-sharp sword energy that the vines couldn't withstand.
Leaf-blades shot out from the branches of the tree dragon like flying knives, screaming through the air toward Emiya. Without hesitation, he raised his sword sideways to block them. The dark green leaves shattered upon impact with the holy sword, turning into scattering fragments.
Next, a massive dragon claw slammed down from above like a falling mountain, seemingly trying to crush the enemy with overwhelming force.
However, Emiya was already prepared. Both hands gripped the holy sword tightly and thrust the blade upward with great force. The dragon claw's attack was firmly deflected by the holy sword, and the collision sparked brilliant flashes.
[Balmung]

Like lightning wrapped in pitch-black thunder, with unmatched force and momentum, it slashed hard at the tree dragon's claw. The moment the blade passed through, the surrounding air tore apart, creating a violent air blast.
The tree dragon let out a wretched roar. Its claw suffered a deep wound from the holy sword, and red-green liquid gushed out like a torrent. That was the blood of the tree dragon, mixed with the sap of trees, appearing eerie and terrifying.
Emiya stared at the giant monster before him. At this moment, he felt something slightly different.
'This tree dragon... it's in pain right now,' He thought, somewhat in disbelief.
The monster's size was several times that of a normal tree dragon. Its tough dragon body was tightly entangled with countless trees and vines, as if they had already fused into one.
Those thick vines were like a dragon's veins and nerves, wrapping all over its body, glowing with an eerie dark green light.
Tree roots sprouted from the gaps between its dragon scales, growing along its body, as if devouring its flesh and blood from within.
The twisted structure granted its body nearly endless regenerative power.
Yet at the same time, the giant dragon exuded a terrible aura of pain.
Just one glance, and one could feel the endless torment and humiliation, it was being ceaselessly corroded by trees and vines. Its growl was filled with rage, sorrow, and despair, shaking everyone's eardrums.
The giant dragon let out a low, furious roar. Thick vines suddenly erupted from various parts of its body like long snakes, charging at Emiya.
The vines danced through the air like deadly whips, moving extremely fast and with great force. The air even carried the sound of tearing cloth.
Emiya's figure flickered. The sword in his hand slashed toward the attacking vine, easily cutting the thick vine. The severed part fell to the ground, writhing violently.
The tree dragon's attacks poured down like a storm, but none could stop Emiya's advancing steps.
He moved through the battlefield, the heavy sword in his hand continually cutting down the attacking vines, his figure like a ghost, darting between the wooden spikes.
Soon, he found a suitable opportunity. Emiya suddenly leapt, landing steadily on the tree dragon's massive body.
The rough dragon scales and the tangled vines did not stop him. Using the force of that leap, he dashed forward along the dragon's body.
The tree dragon seemed to realize Emiya's intent. Its entire body began to shake violently. Vines and thorns furiously attacked Emiya.
Emiya ran along the back of the giant dragon. The wind howled past his ears. The dragon's massive body shook intensely, as if it could fling him off at any moment. But he remained steady, stepping firmly on the coarse dragon scales, his steps solid and powerful.
The surrounding vines poured out from all parts of the dragon's body like living creatures, trying to entangle Emiya and stop his advance. But he was too fast, so fast that even those vines couldn't catch up.
His target was clear, the dragon's head.
At the same time, the girls' support had arrived. Flames, cold winds, and lightning storms released by magic swords attacked the tree dragon's body from all directions.
On the other side of the dragon, Lunoire gathered all her strength into her fists. After putting down Haruhime, she was finally able to fully release her long-restrained power.
With a low roar, she threw a charged punch, smashing into the dragon's claw. The force of that punch directly broke one of its giant claws, splashing deep red and dark green fluid.
Emiya continued climbing without pause, his feet pounding against the dragon scales with dull thuds.
In his sight, the massive dragon head was just ahead. Emiya pushed off with his legs, shooting upward like an arrow, landing atop the tree dragon's head.
He raised his sword high. The roaring tree dragon launched sharp leaf-blades and wooden spikes.
The leaf-blades sliced skin like knives, wooden spikes pierced deeply, some even penetrating through Emiya's body. Only those aimed at vital spots like the chest and abdomen were blocked by his armor.
Even so, he still firmly raised and swung the heavy greatsword.
[True Ether full release, Phantasmal Greatsword at maximum output]
[The Evil Dragon will fall.]
[All will be separated into light and shadow. The world will now reach the twilight.]
"FALL, BALMUNG!!!!"
The image of him swinging the holy sword was clearly imprinted in the dragon's pupils.
In the next instant, a massive explosion violently erupted on the dragon-shaped monster's body.
Flames and shattered wood chips mixed with thick smoke soared into the sky, turning the surrounding scene into a terrifying doomsday.
The torrent of magical energy pierced through the tree dragon's massive twisted body. A magic stone glowing with strange colors was engulfed and turned to ash.
The giant dragon's enormous body slowly collapsed. Even in death, its gradually dimming eyes followed Emiya's figure, showing a deep sense of release.
On the distant plain's far edge, a masked figure lightly clapped their hands, as if appreciating a moving performance.
But in the next moment, her actions suddenly stopped.
A pitch-black smoke screen swept in like a tide, completely enveloping her figure.
And before the smoke fully closed, a black shadow shot through the wilderness like thunder.
Its speed was so fast it seemed to leave sound behind, crossing a great distance in an instant.
The city's fastest, [Goddess' Chariot] Anya Fromel's silver spear in hand, fierce like the scythe of death, thrust into the depths of the smoke, precisely piercing the head of the masked person.
However, as the smoke cleared, the spear tip found nothing underneath, it seemed what he had struck was just a phantom.
Before vanishing, the masked figure seemed to glance back, the eyes beneath the mask carrying a trace of mocking smile.
Anya's expression turned uglier than ever.
———
Airmid looked serious as she pulled out a deeply embedded wooden spike from Emiya's shoulder. The spike still emitted a faint black-green glow.
The other spikes had long vanished with the tree dragon's death. Only this one remained as a "drop item."
"Don't move. I'll heal you immediately," She said in a low voice and began casting her healing magic.
[Drop of healing, tear of radiance, eternal sanctuary, summon the medicinal song here.]
[Melody of three hundred sixty-five. The healing calendar shall save all things.]
[Come now, break evil. Bury wounds, inter sickness.]
[Curse sent to the far shore, sent to the pivot of light. In the name of the gods—by me, be healed]
[Saintess of the Battlefield] Airmid's only magic, [Dia Fratel]. This is the highest-level healing magic, possessing powerful effects of healing wounds, restoring stamina, dispelling toxins, and erasing curses.
Under the brilliance of the magic, Emiya's wounds healed almost instantly, the poison and curse of the wooden spike were completely removed, and his stamina was significantly recovered.
"To be honest, I really didn't want to heal you this quickly. Adventurers like you who don't cherish their own bodies should lie in the hospital for a few more days and reflect properly," She glanced at Emiya, her tone carrying slight dissatisfaction.
Emiya replied helplessly, "Sorry."
This was the second time Emiya had been brought to the Dian Cecht Familia's hospital. Unlike last time, this time he was brought in conscious.
Although Anya's thrown spear didn't hit the mutated tree dragon's core directly, the curse of [Weaken] attached to it still took effect.
To slay a mutant tree dragon with incredible durability and terrifying regenerative powers, this was absolutely the best opportunity.
That's why Emiya, ignoring the risk of injury, unhesitatingly projected [Balmung], the legendary sword of the dragon-slaying hero Siegfried.
In the end, he successfully slew the tree dragon. But just as Emiya expected, he was also injured.
Even more troublesome was that the branch "drop item" happened to remain in his body during the battle.
The temporarily acquired skill [Das Rheingold] greatly enhanced his magical charging and mental recovery speed. However, in exchange, Emiya's luck dropped drastically.
Perhaps it was this skill's side effect that led to the unfortunate situation of the branch remaining inside him.
After the treatment, Airmid handed the wooden spike to Emiya and gave him a bill. Emiya took a look, nodded slightly, and signed his name on the bill.
He didn't carry money. Airmid could use the bill to claim the appropriate fee from the Hephaestus Familia.
"Thank you, Miss Airmid," Emiya responded briefly.
To pursue the fastest healing, the cost this time was quite high, but in terms of efficiency, it was completely worth it.
———
Leaving the Dian Cecht Familia's hospital, Emiya returned to the Hephaestus Familia's residence.
Pushing open the door to the god's room, he was met by the sight of Goddess Hephaestus standing there, seemingly waiting for him.
"You're back, are you okay?", Goddess Hephaestus asked with concern, her gaze scanning over him, confirming he wasn't seriously hurt.
Emiya nodded, "I'm fine now, already healed."
"That's good. Since you're back, let me update your Falna first," Hephaestus nodded and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Afterward, we need to go have a talk with the Guild."
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[Shirou Emiya]
[Lv.3]
Strength: I0→H188.
Endurance: I0→H102.
Dexterity: I0→G298.
Agility: I0→H101.
Magic Power: I0→G280.
[Omitted below]
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