The blazing, radiant golden magical energy coalesced within the Sword of the Stars, as if illuminating the entire night sky.
Vortigern's pupils contracted sharply.
At this moment, a familiar sensation washed over him.
Back in Britain, in the form of a magical dragon, he had once devoured the brilliance of the holy sword.
The Knights of the Round Table could hardly withstand his power.
If not for Alvin and Morgan's schemes, combined with the existence of the holy lance, Britain might have already been reborn into the Age of Gods.
Now, that damned sense of déjà vu was back.
Except this time, the holy lance that had once killed him had been replaced by the [Sword of the Stars], said to be capable of cleaving the stars themselves.
Even in his Servant state, the power of Alvin's Sword of the Stars was absolutely not to be underestimated.
Vortigern instinctively wanted to retreat, but there was nowhere to go—Alvin had locked onto him from the start.
"You're overestimating yourself, Alvin! So what if you have the Sword of the Stars? You're just a Servant, there's no way you can unleash its full power!"
Vortigern finally overcame his inner fear, roaring hysterically, "I devoured the holy sword back then, and I can do it again now!"
Compared to his earlier calm demeanor, he now truly resembled a Berserker, as if consumed by utter madness, fighting purely on instinct.
At that moment, a sacred voice seemed to emanate from the Sword of the Stars.
—Round Table Resolution.
Under normal circumstances, the Sword of the Stars' Noble Phantasm possessed EX-rank anti-fortress power.
But EX was the limit of Noble Phantasms, not the limit of the Sword of the Stars.
As the Round Table Resolution began, voices of [Approval] seemed to faintly echo from the thirteen seals.
[Acknowledged] [Arthur] [Bedivere] [Gareth] [Lancelot] [Mordred] [Galahad] [Kay]
In mere seconds, one after another, the voices of 'acknowledgment' resounded across the rooftop.
As more than half of the thirteen seals were lifted, the sword in Alvin's hand transformed into the radiant blade of star-saving light.
Sensing the commotion on the rooftop, the other Servants instinctively turned their gazes toward it.
A golden pillar of light pierced the heavens and earth.
Feeling this surge of magical energy, Morgan le Fay couldn't help but murmur, "Has he gone mad?"
She knew all too well what this level of magical output, surpassing a Servant's limits, meant.
Even if Alvin had access to mana granted by the Root, he wasn't truly connected to it in the same way.
If Manaka Sajyou was directly linked to the Root, Alvin was indirectly receiving its mana—like connecting through Wi-Fi.
A Servant's mana had an upper limit.
If Alvin unleashed a Noble Phantasm exceeding that limit, he was risking disappearing entirely.
What kind of enemy had he encountered... to make him resort to the Sword of the Stars?
"Saber's true Noble Phantasm?"
Gilgamesh's crimson eyes locked onto the distant rooftop, suddenly brimming with interest.
He could sense that the Noble Phantasm Alvin was unleashing might far surpass the limits of what a Servant could achieve.
But... after this Noble Phantasm, his mana would likely be nearly depleted.
With that thought in his mind, Gilgamesh prepared to head toward the rooftop to witness Saber's battle firsthand.
However, at that moment, a figure blocked his path.
Gilgamesh's eyes narrowed slightly, a trace of coldness in his crimson gaze: "Caster, huh... Your courage to stand in this king's way is commendable, but do you understand the consequences?"
"No Servant can approach him right now. That's all I know."
Altria's tone was calm, but the 'Sword of Selection' in her hand seemed to suppress a terrifying amount of magical energy.
She didn't know whether there was any enmity between Gilgamesh and Alvin, but one thing was certain: in the Holy Grail War, every Servant had their own agenda.
Even if there was no grudge between the two... there was no guarantee Gilgamesh wouldn't ambush Alvin if he got close.
"Is that so... You're worried about Saber and don't want anyone to interfere with his battle? It seems my initial guess was correct, you really are someone Saber knows, aren't you?"
As Gilgamesh speculated, he sized up Altria for a moment and said,
"A superior-subordinate relationship... or perhaps lovers?"
"Whatever. This king has no interest in your affairs... But since you dare to stand in my way—"
As Gilgamesh spoke, he slowly raised his right hand.
The golden ripple-like portal behind him suddenly flared to life!
A delighted smile spread across his face: "As a reward for your courage,
I'll grant you the honor you deserve!"
In an instant, countless Noble Phantasms shot forth from the Gate of Babylon!
Seeing this, Mordred was about to step forward, but at that moment, a thunderous brilliance erupted from the distant 'chariot.'
The Conqueror King stood atop his chariot, gazing at Mordred and saying gravely, "Lancer, if you're just watching from the sidelines, I won't interfere. But if you plan to make this a two-on-one fight... then I'll have to side with this shiny golden guy."
Though the Conqueror King appeared rough, he had a keen sense of detail.
From the moment Caster appeared, he had sensed something off.
From Saber's reactions, it was clear he knew Caster... and as Archer had noted, their relationship was far from ordinary.
If they formed an alliance later... the dynamics of the Holy Grail War would shift entirely.
Mordred snorted coldly,
"Even without Archer's involvement... our fight earlier wasn't settled, Rider."
If not for Alvin's appearance, the battle between Mordred and the Conqueror King might have already reached a conclusion.
Now, sensing a hint of 'provocation' in the Conqueror King's words, Mordred's competitive spirit was reignited.
"Retreat for now, Lancer."
However, before she could act, Kayneth, who had been hidden in the shadows, finally spoke.
"Tonight's battle involves too many players... There's no need for us to wade into this mess."
Mordred froze, somewhat reluctant: "But—"
"Lancer, don't forget this is the Holy Grail War... Everything should be aimed at securing victory."
Kayneth said slowly, "Besides, I have a feeling... Saber's Master's death might not be as simple as it seems."
How could a mage connected to the Root be killed so easily by a single bullet?
Though a mage's body was fragile, Manaka Sajyou's performance tonight had left an indelible impression on Kayneth.
He had a hunch... Perhaps there was more to Manaka Sajyou's death.
"If Saber truly runs into trouble, I can make an exception and let you help him once," Kayneth continued.
Without knowing Saber was Alvin, this was already a significant concession.
Though still somewhat begrudging, Mordred ultimately relented upon hearing Kayneth's final words.
"Fine... I'll follow your lead for now, Master."
...
The blazing light of the holy sword had now completely engulfed Vortigern.
At this moment, Vortigern could no longer hold back and fiercely spread his arms.
—Eyes of the Dream Falling Together (Lie Like Vortigern).
This was Vortigern's EX-rank anti-world Noble Phantasm.
The moment the Noble Phantasm was unleashed, his body rapidly grew, transforming into a colossal white dragon!
Its body was covered in hard, icy white scales, shimmering with a chilling gleam under the light of the Sword of the Stars.
The White Dragon Vortigern!
This was his true Noble Phantasm, transforming himself into the mythical White Dragon to counter the blazing magical energy of the Sword of the Stars.
Vortigern let out a sky-shattering roar, his massive whale-like wings spread wide.
His body glowed red-hot under the holy sword's power, his scales bursting with dazzling sparks.
Facing the terrifying magical energy of the holy sword, he chanted ancient prayers, and a black sun quietly rose behind him.
The black sun's appearance was eerie under the night sky, and as it emerged, it began devouring the surrounding space and the magical energy of the holy sword at an astonishing rate.
In the past, Vortigern had used this method to consume the light of the holy sword... Not only the Sword of Promised Victory but also Gawain's Sunlit Holy Sword had been devoured by him.
Now, facing the Sword of the Stars, he used the same tactic... and astonishingly succeeded in swallowing its brilliance!
Vortigern's golden beast-like eyes locked onto the young man on the rooftop, a menacing smile soon spreading across his face.
"You've surprised me a bit, Alvin."
"But even if I don't know how you got the Sword of the Stars... with your Servant body, no matter how strong your Noble Phantasm is, you can't break the limits of what a Servant can do."
Under normal circumstances, the Holy Grail War's restrictions on Servants did indeed weaken Alvin, and Vortigern wasn't wrong...Alvin couldn't unleash the full power of the Sword of the Stars in his current state.
However—
While Vortigern was speaking, the Sword of the Stars' Noble Phantasm activated once again.
Vortigern's pupils contracted as he quickly opened his mouth, magical energy gathering within.
But his reaction was a fraction too slow.
The golden magical energy of the Sword of the Stars erupted, unleashing a fierce gale with searing, air-distorting power that slammed into Vortigern's body.
The dragon's bones let out a series of explosive cracks, and the intense heat forced a deafening roar from Vortigern as he plummeted from the sky, his scorched, shattered scales stained with blood.
"This... is this really something a Servant can do?" Maiya Hisau could hardly believe her eyes.
The Assassin hidden in the shadows was equally incredulous.
He knew that without a Master's mana supply, a Servant's magical energy should be significantly diminished, especially after Alvin had already used the holy lance once.
On the other side, Vortigern crashed to the ground, his body mangled and bloodied by the holy sword's light.
He gasped heavily, glaring at Alvin with hatred... and a deep-seated wariness in his eyes.
At first, he thought Alvin was merely bluffing.
Without a Master's mana supply, continuous use of Noble Phantasms could deplete Alvin's mana and eliminate him from the Holy Grail War.
Compared to him, Alvin seemed more like a Berserker, heedless of consequences, already preparing a third activation of the Sword of the Stars' Noble Phantasm!
"He's insane... This guy is absolutely insane!"
At this moment, Vortigern's heart was filled with thoughts of retreat.
But then, he caught a fleeting glimpse of exhaustion in Alvin's eyes beneath the mask.
Clearly, even for Alvin, consecutive Noble Phantasm activations were an immense burden.
If there was ever a chance to kill him... this was it.
Vortigern's eyes flickered as if he'd realized something, so, dragging his heavily wounded body, he swiftly darted toward the rooftop where Kiritsugu Emiya stood.
At that moment, on the rooftop, a man in a black trench coat wore a grim expression.
Looking at the disconnected call from Manaka Sajyou, Kiritsugu turned, facing the cold wind, toward the direction of the Einzbern Castle.
"Tch..."
Soon, Kiritsugu's eyes darkened considerably.
He was fighting this Holy Grail War for his ideals, having sacrificed far too much along the way.
Now, there was absolutely no room for mistakes.
If something really happened to Irisviel... it would mean Berserker, without a mana supply, would also be eliminated from the Holy Grail War.
Was he more worried about Irisviel, or about being 'eliminated' from the Holy Grail War...?
Kiritsugu himself wasn't sure, nor did he have the mental space to dwell on it.
But he knew one thing...he needed to find Irisviel as soon as possible...
But if he encountered Saber's Master... could he really win?
Recalling Manaka Sajyou's overwhelming performance against Matou Zouken, Kiritsugu took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay calm.
For now, he could only hope Berserker would end the fight quickly...
As Britain's White Dragon, the Einzbern family had invested immense time and resources to summon him.
With his extraordinary power... even against Saber, ending the fight quickly shouldn't be difficult—
As this thought crossed his mind, a deafening explosion suddenly rang out.
Two Servant figures collided like meteors, then broke apart, landing on the ground.
Before they even touched down, the ground shattered, the sparse mana in the material world completely drained by Alvin.
On the other side, Vortigern's scales were already broken and battered.
Both were White Dragons, but Alvin was the new King who had absorbed Vortigern's power.
Even without a Master's mana supply, the Sword of the Stars was enough to make Vortigern wary.
"Why go to such lengths, Alvin?"
Vortigern forced himself to stand, staring intently at Alvin: "Do you know the biggest difference between you and me?"
He fixed his gaze on Alvin's eyes, saying slowly, "A Master."
"With a Master's mana supply and the enhancement of Command Seals... the final victor will surely be me."
Like a victor looking down on the defeated, Vortigern smirked: "If we keep fighting... you'll definitely lose, Alvin."
Unlike Alvin, he had Irisviel as his Master, ensuring he wouldn't fall due to a lack of mana.
And... he still had three Command Seals to enhance his power.
Landing beside Kiritsugu Emiya, Vortigern said in a tone that brooked no argument: "Have the Master use a Command Seal to enhance me."
"..."
After his words, Kiritsugu remained silent.
After a prolonged silence, he said in a low voice, "Irisviel... she's gone missing."
Missing...?
Vortigern's smile froze.
But before he could process what was happening, he suddenly felt the power of a Command Seal descending upon him.
At the same time, a clear, melodious voice rang in his ears.
"Commit suicide... Berserker."
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