The overflowing light gathered, forming an arrow.
No—
That was no longer an arrow, but a blinding pillar of magical energy.
A weapon capable of piercing planets and shooting down starships soaring through the cosmos.
A beam of annihilation, devouring all in its path!
And this supercharged cannon of destruction was aimed squarely at Chaldea's Nautilus!
BOOM!
Under the impact of this obliterating beam,
The ship—fortified by countless magecraft enhancements from two of humanity's three great magical organizations, the Wandering Sea and the Atlas Institute—
A vessel considered the pinnacle of human magecraft—
Yet,
Under this world-ending blast, its countless defensive spells shattered in an instant.
It didn't even have the right to resist!
This was the ultimate Noble Phantasm of the starship Artemis, restored to its full cosmic might by the Lostbelt's supreme enhancements—
[Planet-Crushing Sniper Cannon!]
A true Anti-Planet Noble Phantasm!
The beam tore through the layers of magical defenses like paper.
Nameless didn't hesitate. "Mash, deploy your Noble Phantasm at full power!"
"Understood, Senpai!"
Mash immediately activated her Noble Phantasm, summoning the magnificent walls of Camelot.
She stared in shock at the annihilating beam, the terrifying scene of confronting Goetia's Ars Almadel Salomonis flashing through her mind once more.
The only consolation was...
This attack seemed slightly weaker than the Ars Almadel Salomonis. Maybe, perhaps, they could survive this time?
Just then.
Mash suddenly screamed in horror as she saw Nameless charging straight toward the beam: "Senpai!"
Mana surged wildly from his body—he clearly intended to use himself as a shield to weaken the full force of the planet-destroying cannon.
Golden motes of light gathered before him, weaving into shimmering threads that wrapped around him layer by layer.
It was Nameless' projected Noble Phantasm—
[Avalon: The Everdistant Utopia!]
As the sheath of Excalibur, it possessed unparalleled defensive capabilities.
Capable of blocking all magical and physical attacks, even Ea couldn't pierce through it.
However.
The real sheath wasn't here.
It had long been repurposed as the ultimate prison to restrain Goetia, the Incarnation of the Planet's Will.
What Nameless projected now was merely a replica.
Fou leaped onto his shoulder: "Fou... Fou! (Take it—this is all the mana I have left!)"
The mana it had painstakingly accumulated poured into Nameless, further reinforcing the projected sheath's defenses.
The planet-destroying beam slammed into Nameless, causing the projected sheath around him to tremble violently.
The spot where he stood was completely engulfed in blinding light.
Thanks to this brief delay, the Nautilus below finally managed to activate its dimensional jump.
The destructive energy swept across dozens of kilometers, collapsing into a black hole that devoured everything in its path.
The ocean evaporated instantly, triggering monstrous tsunamis.
Atlantis soldiers and warships gathered nearby were obliterated without a trace.
As the devastation gradually subsided...
"Do not grieve—this was a necessary sacrifice!"
Odysseus roared in fury: "Search every inch of this sea! Leave no fragment behind! They must not escape!"
Countless Atlantis troops fanned out across a hundred-kilometer radius, scouring the area in a dragnet operation—even sending Phantasmal Beasts to comb the ocean floor.
The audience was stunned—
[Holy shit, is this Lostbelt Artemis' planet-destroying cannon on par with Goetia's Ars Almadel Salomonis?!]
[Is this the Moon Goddess' ultimate form? How the hell do you fight against a planetary-scale Noble Phantasm like this?]
[There's only one answer—offer up Nameless' chastity!]
[Dream on. Last time, he charmed the fused Greek gods. These are the real deal—Machine Gods!]
[You underestimate the allure of a Grand-tier beauty! Go for it, Nameless! Seduce the Machine Gods too!]
[Goddammit, Odysseus, you ruthless bastard! One day, we'll end you!]
In the living room.
Roya blurted out in disbelief: "The Machine God form of Artemis is this powerful? Could that planet-destroying cannon really rival Ars Almadel Salomonis?"
It was unbelievable.
Alaya had previously shown footage of the Greek gods helpless against the Umbral Star's attacks.
Yet now, in their Machine God forms sustaining this Lostbelt, they wielded such terrifying power.
Even Artemis' main cannon was explicitly named [Anti-Planet Sniper Cannon].
A weapon designed to annihilate planets and pierce through battleships of the same caliber.
"It should be incomparable... or rather, far from comparable," Souma answered without hesitation.
Don't forget.
Goetia's [Ars Almadel Salomonis] is hailed as the strongest attack on Earth—there is no energy surpassing it.
It possesses the genuine power to pierce through a planet in a single strike.
The Moon Goddess's [Anti-Planetary Snipe] in her ultimate Machine God form, though absurdly powerful, still pales in comparison.
In the Lostbelt, the Olympian Machine Gods received comprehensive power enhancements.
They regained their terrifying might from the days when they roamed the cosmos, wielding the power to annihilate planets.
What Souma was most grateful for was that Zeus, the King of Gods, had eliminated half the Machine Gods from the very beginning.
The Olympian gods of this Lostbelt were the same ones who descended upon Earth fourteen thousand years ago, only to be attacked by the Umbral Star's vanguard.
The twelve Machine Gods united in their ultimate form, evolving into the supreme, omnipotent Zeus, who defeated the Umbral Star's vanguard head-on!
In other words,
this was a timeline where his presence as the Primordial Holy Sword Wielder was entirely unnecessary, allowing it to develop into a Lostbelt.
They had remained in their true Machine God forms from beginning to end, never assuming the identities of the native Greek deities.
This meant Souma had no bonds with those Machine Gods.
Gathering blessings from the Twelve Olympians like before? A pipe dream.
Instead, they would show him no mercy.
"So this is the Machine Gods at their peak?" Qin Shi Huang's eyes gleamed faintly.
The United States' Council of Gods, who had previously stolen the Olympian Machine Gods' power, weren't even fit to polish their shoes in comparison.
The Olympian Machine Gods had come from the depths of space, belonging to the same extraterrestrial category as the Alien God.
Such beings were indeed monstrously strong.
It made Qin Shi Huang increasingly eager for the day when Zhuge Liang and China's elite would fully analyze the Machine Gods and mass-produce them.
Then, they could assemble a vast fleet of warships to utterly safeguard humanity.
The era of big guns and mighty battleships would return.
Their goal? To conquer the starry seas!
Roya's small face was full of curiosity: "So, was Nameless seriously injured by the Moon Goddess's shot? How could he defeat the gods like that?"
"It's normal to get injured when facing a Star-Sniping Cannon, right?" Souma rolled his eyes.
If it weren't for the scabbard [Avalon] being used to restrain you, this troublemaker, would he even need to get hurt?
With the true scabbard's protection, he could have danced mockingly under the bombardment of the Star-Sniping Cannon, taunting the Moon Goddess—
"Didn't eat enough? Put some more effort into it!"
Unfortunately,
There are no "ifs."
The fifth and sixth Lostbelts were far more difficult than the previous four combined...
...
Under the bombardment of the Moon Goddess's [Star-Sniping Cannon],
The Nautilus successfully activated Imaginary Dive, escaping instantly from its original location.
The cost was the ship suffering catastrophic damage.
And being completely separated from Nameless and Fou.
Stranded on a deserted island, Nameless encountered a beautiful Servant.
Her name was Charlotte Corday.
She spread her hands helplessly. "I've only been here for about a month. I can take you to the human settlement on the island."
"Aside from you, there should be other Servants, right?" Nameless inquired.
"There should be. When I was summoned by [Alaya], I think I saw many Servants descending at the same time."
Charlotte frowned, thinking for a moment. "At that time, the Spirit Origins were flashing wildly—close to a hundred in number!"
This simple piece of information instantly revealed just how difficult this Lostbelt was.
It also made the audience finally understand why there had been so few Servants in the previous Lostbelts.
Turns out, the majority of them had been summoned by [Alaya] to this Lostbelt.
Clearly,
Even with such a massive number of Servants, they still couldn't break through the Lostbelt.
The two Servants killed at the beginning of the fifth Lostbelt were the best proof!
In the village called Hestia, Nameless finally reunited with the Chaldea team.
Mash rushed over in extreme worry. "Senpai, are you alright?"
"Don't worry. With the magical energy provided by Fou, I didn't suffer any serious injuries."
Nameless smiled and reached out to pat her head.
With just his own magical energy, the projected scabbard couldn't withstand the Star-Sniping Cannon head-on.
But with Fou's added power, he only suffered minor injuries, which healed quickly.
"This time, our enemies are the Olympian Gods, who have persisted to this day in the form of Machine Gods. The one who attacked earlier was the Moon Goddess, Artemis."
Nameless looked at everyone seriously. "To prune this Lostbelt, we must defeat Artemis, Poseidon, Zeus, and the other gods!"
A true God-Slaying War.
A group of cold, ruthless Olympian Gods—pure mechanical lifeforms.
"In the era when gods and humans parted ways, Zeus, the King of Gods, refused to let go of divinity and stubbornly waged war."
"He slaughtered gods like Athena and Apollo, forcibly shaping the current Lostbelt."
"The remains of the fallen gods dropped into the ocean, becoming the foundation of Atlantis."
"And the inhabitants of these islands are the followers of those defeated gods."
In other words,
The entire fifth Lostbelt is divided into two major parts: Atlantis and the Olympus where the gods reside.
Through Chaldea's perspective, it could be seen that
The seemingly ordinary villagers on the island could effortlessly tear apart terrifying magical beasts.
Their clothes were woven from birch bark and the relics of the gods, granting defense on par with Noble Phantasms.
Their combat prowess was exceptionally fierce.
And their lifespans reached up to 800 years!
Even more terrifying was Olympus, where Zeus and the other gods resided.
The residents there had lifespans of up to ten thousand years, each possessing combat prowess on par with Heroic Spirits!
The revelations left the audience utterly stunned—
[Holy shit, every single one of them has Heroic Spirit-level combat power? How is this even winnable?]
[This is insane! How the hell is Nameless supposed to fight his way through Olympus?]
[No wonder Alaya mobilized over a hundred Heroic Spirits... but even that's far from enough!]
[If it were me, I'd flee the moment I learned this intel!]
[This is straight-up hell difficulty—the previous four Lostbelts were child's play in comparison!]
[Speaking of which, that A-Team captain arrogantly claimed he'd conquer the entire planet. How does he plan to oppose the gods?]
...
The disclosed information painted a picture of enemies so powerful it seemed hopeless.
Amidst this crisis,
Nameless once again embarked on a journey to gather allies.
His first stop was a tavern, where he encountered the pirate Drake and the demigod hero Jason.
Nameless personally cooked, preparing an elaborate spread of drinking snacks.
However,
Jason looked at Nameless with undisguised contempt: "Piss off. Don't think I'll help you!"
Even in this Lostbelt, he retained memories from their previous encounter in the Fourth Singularity.
After being antagonized and manipulated back then, why would he ever assist him?
"Don't you want to rebuild your Argo?" Nameless inquired.
"No. Goodbye. Stop interrupting my drinking."
Jason's disdain only grew.
His Argo had been sunk, his crew lost—what was there to rebuild?
"Wait. I'll get you a ship and crew," Nameless calmly promised.
Then,
Turning to the buxom pirate beside them: "I sense a curse upon you."
"Indeed. Poseidon's curse prevents me from sailing," Drake sighed deeply.
For a pirate, being landlocked was the cruelest fate,
Forcing her to drown her sorrows in the tavern alongside the equally miserable Jason.
Nameless smiled: "I need to slay Poseidon. Your curse will lift when that happens."
"You certain?" Drake eyed him skeptically.
That was an almighty chief god—how could he possibly be defeated?
Nameless shrugged, raising his glass: "Not my preference either, but it's my ordained mission."
"Fine. I'll trust you this once."
Drake clinked her glass against his in toast.
Then,
The ample-bosomed pirate pointed to a vessel in the distance: "Jason, my Golden Hind is yours—consider it your new Argo."
"Wait, seriously?" Jason's eyes instantly lit up.
He'd long known this legendary pirate ship outclassed his Argo in every way.
"On one condition—don't disgrace her," Drake said reluctantly.
Jason frowned: "Ship's settled, but what about crew?"
"I can reunite you with Heracles, Atalanta, and the original lineup—plus myself," Nameless offered.
"Alright. One last chance."
Jason gave a begrudging nod.
With Heracles and Nameless aboard, the three of them would be invincible.
Gods themselves would fall before them!
At their parting,
Drake handed Nameless a final gift: "The divine core of Poseidon I obtained."
During the previous war among the gods, Poseidon, the Sea King, was also severely wounded, and his divine core scattered across this ocean.
Drake accidentally obtained one fragment, but it became the source of a curse.
It made her unable to set sail ever again.
"Alright, I promise you—I will absolutely shatter the gods!" Nameless vowed solemnly.
"Then I'll be waiting for good news!"
Drake was filled with anticipation.
As long as she defeated Poseidon, she could once again rule the seas!
The New Argo set sail once more.
Carrying everyone away from the island.
However.
No sooner had they entered the open ocean than they encountered the divine Caenis.
With a sneer, Caenis taunted, "Heh, you little insects have been hiding all this time."
She had been searching nonstop for the Chaldeans, scouring every corner of the ocean.
"Well, Caenis, there's something I'd like to ask you," Jason suddenly spoke up.
Caenis scoffed, "Heh, what could a mere demigod possibly want to ask?"
"I distinctly remember how you once swore to destroy the gods. So why are you serving them now?" Jason's smile was particularly strange. "Could it be that you're a masochist—the more you're humiliated, the more excited you get?"
Back in the day, this very person had been a member of the Argo's crew.
He knew all about her dark past.
"Rumor has it you were once violated by Poseidon. Why would you willingly accept his blessing and become his lapdog?" Nameless added with a smirk. "Is it really as Jason says—the more you're abused, the more you enjoy it?"
When they had been fellow crewmates, he had treated her gently.
But now that they were enemies, he saw no reason to hold back.
"You bastards! Worthless mutts—I'll skewer you alive!" Caenis roared in fury.
In her youth, she had been a stunningly beautiful maiden, pursued by countless suitors.
Time and again, she had rejected their proposals.
But!
The sea god Poseidon paid no heed to her feelings and forcibly took her for himself!
Satisfied, the sea god promised to grant her any wish.
Caenis didn't hesitate: "To never suffer this again, I don't want to be a woman anymore!"
And so, she was transformed into a man, leaving behind the corpse of her female self.
Her corpse turned into a bird with golden wings and vanished into the sky.
This was her fate in Pan-Human History.
Yet after being summoned by the captain, she manifested once more in the form of a woman—and, to her utmost humiliation, even received Poseidon's blessing.
This was her deepest scar, one she would never allow anyone to mock.
Caenis roared in fury: "Go to hell, all of you!"
[Soar, My Golden Wings (Lapithai Caeneus)!]
Brilliant golden wings suddenly unfurled behind her.
Gripping her spear, she charged forward with the full might of a divine spirit.
"I've been waiting for you, Caenis!"
Nameless didn't hesitate—he immediately revealed the divine core of Poseidon in his hand.
Taking advantage of the psychological blow from their earlier exchange, he shattered her invincibility over these seas in an instant.
The next moment.
Golden chains surged from behind him, lashing out wildly.
[Enkidu: Chains of Heaven!]
This time.
With Poseidon's blessing nullified by his divine core, Caenis had no way to resist the binding of the Chains of Heaven.
She could only watch helplessly as the chains coiled around her, layer after layer.
Nameless drew his bow without hesitation: "Farewell, Caenis!"
The spiral sword transformed into a blinding beam of light, crashing mercilessly into the divine spirit.
Trapped by the Chains of Heaven, she had no means of evasion.
BOOM!
A mushroom cloud erupted, instantly vaporizing a vast expanse of seawater and tearing through her defenses one by one.
The Nuclear Swordsman had returned!
Just as Nameless prepared to fire another shot and finish her off for good—
An unexpected figure stepped in front of Caenis.
It was the captain of Team A—
Kirschtaria Wodime!