[Martial Soul Release]
[Awakening: Empress of the Frozen Wastes]
[God Ring Mode]
The Snow Empress's appearance transformed dramatically.
If before she was a snow spirit walking the mortal world, now, fully unleashing her power, she radiated a presence rivaling the world-ending strike of the Sword of Rupture.
A majestic goddess stood upon the earth.
Above her head, a radiant galaxy shimmered, making all of Fuyuki City, and even the broader Japanese archipelago, seem like a mere chessboard before her.
"Impossible!!"
"How can this be?!!"
Gilgamesh's face contorted, blood streaming from his eyes as he roared at the towering goddess above.
He refused to believe... could not accept... that such a grand existence walked this world.
Gods?
He had seen gods before.
But even the deities of ancient Babylon paled in comparison to the Snow Empress's current majesty.
Clank, clank, clank!
A torrent of Enkidu chains surged from golden ripples, rushing toward the divine figure.
Yet, they halted halfway.
Faced with the Snow Empress's divinity, which made even Enkidu tremble, the chains faltered.
Anti-Divine Noble Phantasm?
The stronger the divinity, the greater the effect?
Nonsense!
When a god's power surpassed all limits, could Enkidu truly bind them?
The goddess's divinity exceeded Enkidu's capacity.
Crack, crack!
Hearing the chains' lament, Gilgamesh's expression grew somber.
Enkidu wasn't afraid.
It was apologizing for failing to handle the divine threat.
"My dear friend..."
Gilgamesh slowly lowered his hand, his emotions calming, "This isn't your fault."
Raising his head, he gazed at the Snow Empress with resolve.
His pride, the glory of the most ancient king, would never let him bow to a god.
"Let us fight side by side one last time!"
With Gilgamesh's rallying cry, Enkidu wrapped around him, resembling a green-haired youth in a white robe embracing him from behind.
Boom!
The Snow Empress's palm descended.
Her Triple Arts were unleashed simultaneously, giving birth to a new technique surpassing them all.
At the same moment, the spatial storm from the Sword of Rupture struck.
The two forces collided in midair.
Thankfully, both sides showed restraint, directing the impact thousands of meters above.
Otherwise, the energy unleashed in that instant could have rivaled a dozen nuclear explosions.
"What a joke!"
Artoria cleaved through the final Assassin's head.
The girl stared at the light that turned night into day.
Their clash created a new sun.
This terrifying spectacle was observed not just in Fuyuki City but across Japan and by magus worldwide.
Fear, excitement, joy, sorrow... emotions erupted in a flood.
In this moment, the Greater Grail finally absorbed enough souls and mana.
Only Fran and Artoria remained as true Heroic Spirits.
The souls of five Servants allowed the Holy Grail to manifest!
"Sorry, Damien."
The Snow Empress descended from the sky, her body dissolving into sparkling blue particles.
That strike, though devastating, had drained all her mana.
The Empress of the Frozen Wastes was her near-divine form.
The Ring of Divine, with their power to transcend worlds and break rules, were fully unleashed.
Ten Ring of Divine activated at once.
The power released drew not only from her projection but also from her true body's mana.
Yet, due to cross-world transmission, 99.9% of that power was lost in transit.
"Even so, I secured your victory."
"Indeed, well done, Snow."
Damien thanked her, watching her projection fade.
The Ten Ring of Divine.
This battle had shown Damien the true might of this exclusive skill.
It was precisely this trump card that gave him the confidence to dismiss Gilgamesh and face any contingency.
And it had no significant drawbacks.
At most, the Snow Empress would need rest to replenish the ten Ring of Divine.
Of course, the skill had limits.
The Ice Empress possessed the same skill.
But her control over it paled compared to the Snow Empress's.
Without true mastery, she couldn't break through rules and world constraints as freely.
"Snow Empress..."
Watching her vanish, the Ice Empress glanced at Damien, seeking his input.
"Alright, Ice, you head back too."
Damien signaled she didn't need to stay... he still had Ogerpon.
Ogerpon, like the Snow Empress, was an EX-rank asset.
Plus, Damien could summon the Shadow Guard or Artoria at any time.
In this state, he could handle another Gilgamesh without breaking a sweat.
"Damien!!"
As if on cue, Artoria rushed back, "Are you alright?"
"Relax, Gilgamesh has been dealt with."
Damien tallied the remaining forces.
Roughly a hundred Star Wolves members and over a hundred Kijin remained combat-ready.
"Alright, everyone, prepare yourselves."
"The final challenge is coming."
Damien's words puzzled Artoria, "Final challenge?"
"The one I mentioned before."
Damien pointed to the pitch-black vortex in Fuyuki's sky, "See that? That's it."
"What is it?"
The clash between Gilgamesh and the Snow Empress had distracted Artoria from it.
Now, she felt an unimaginable malice radiating from the vortex.
"All the World's Evil."
Damien offered no further explanation, instead instructing Shuna to lead the shrine maidens across Fuyuki to set up defensive barriers.
"Move quickly. The black mud of All the World's Evil will soon descend."
"Yes!"
"Let's help too."
With all enemies defeated, Fran as an ally, and Artoria fully loyal, the Holy Grail War had concluded, and no further battles were needed.
***
Bonus Chapter:
100 Power Stones = 1 BC
300 Power Stones = 2 BC
500 Power Stones = 3 BC
700 Power Stones = 4 BC
1000 Power Stones = 5 BC
***
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