Although it was merely a portable nuclear bomb modified alchemically from an outdated nuclear warhead, its destructive power was far from negligible.
Even though everyone was now hidden within Iskandar's Reality Marble, they could still clearly feel the earth-shattering explosion outside.
"This should have wiped it out, right?"
Iskandar said, sounding slightly uncertain. Thanks to the modern knowledge granted by the Greater Grail, he was well aware of a nuclear bomb's power.
It was a level of destruction no amount of his Noble Phantasms could ever achieve.
Even during the Age of Gods, few forces could rival that of a nuclear blast.
"I'm not sure. We might need to go out and check."
Waver replied hesitantly. He also had no idea whether a nuke could truly kill such an entity. The key factor was the nuclear radiation released by the explosion.
But everyone here consisted of Magi and Servants—surely that wouldn't be a problem, would it?
"Agreed."
"I have no opinion."
"Count me in."
Seeing no objections, Iskandar dispelled his Reality Marble.
The next instant, they emerged directly at Ryuudou Temple—now reduced to a massive crater, filled with flowing hot magma and terrifying levels of nuclear radiation.
Fuyuki City, which had been thriving just an hour ago, had become a barren wasteland.
Was this the power of a nuclear weapon?
For a moment, every Heroic Spirit present stood speechless.
This was their first time directly experiencing a nuclear explosion.
Indeed, nuclear weapons deserved their title as humanity's ultimate weapon.
Though this was no longer the Age of Gods, the prosperity of modern civilization still exceeded the imagination of these ancient heroes.
Yet what shocked them all beyond expectation was that, at the very epicenter of the nuclear blast, Angra Mainyu still stood firmly in place.
Not even the hem of her robe had stirred in the wind.
The nuclear explosion had caused her no damage whatsoever.
No—more accurately, an ordinary nuclear bomb stood absolutely no chance of harming her.
After all, she was the Demon Lord, the Last Trial of Mankind, the supreme Demon Lord among all demon lords.
How could something lacking the power to destroy a star possibly hurt her?
Yes, nuclear explosions were astonishing in power—but could a single nuclear bomb destroy an asteroid?
The answer was no.
Even though Angra Mainyu was currently only at Five-Digit level, she was still far beyond anything a conventional nuke could handle.
"No way?! Even a nuke is useless?!"
Waver couldn't help but gape as he stared at the unharmed Angra Mainyu. He had no idea what to do anymore.
Heroic Spirits weren't weak by any means, but compared to nuclear weapons, they were still far behind.
Perhaps only Anti-Fortress-class Noble Phantasms could match a nuke in raw destructive output.
"Just as expected… it won't be that easy, huh?"
Iskandar muttered quietly. He had no way to deal with an opponent like this.
He excelled at leading armies, conquering lands, crushing enemies underfoot…
But before a monster untouched by a nuclear blast, his Noble Phantasms and his army were powerless.
Even Ionioi Hetairoi was now only useful as a battlefield?
Apparently not. The entire city of Fuyuki had turned to ruins, and aside from them, no one else remained.
Perhaps only the Mackenzie couple, hypnotized earlier by Waver and sent overseas, could be considered survivors of Fuyuki City?
"Heroes! Now, let me see your true strength!"
Iskandar shouted loudly. Though he had no plan at the moment, he refused to back down in spirit.
He picked up Waver with one hand, a bottle of Divine Wine in the other, and sat down beside him, taking a drink.
"By the way, King Arthur—did you know about her existence from the beginning?"
Suddenly, Iskandar turned toward Aslan. One reason they had gathered here was because Aslan had warned Kiritsugu that the Holy Grail had been corrupted by All the World's Evils.
"Mmh…"
Aslan touched his chin, thinking for a moment. He met the curious gazes of the Heroic Spirits and Servants around him.
He gave a slight nod.
"Yes. I came to this world specifically to pursue this Demon Lord."
"Oh, and one more thing—if you don't possess the power to destroy a star, it's impossible to harm a Demon Lord."
"So, good luck, everyone."
"And if things reach a point of no return, I'll step in—and cut her down along with this entire timeline."
Aslan's words were gentle, yet beneath them lay an ice-cold intent.
Either defeat her, or prevent her spread by severing the entire timeline.
There was no other way.
No one questioned why he wasn't acting. He had made it clear—he would be the one to handle it in the end.
None understood the consequences of cutting a timeline better than the Heroic Spirits present.
"Either break the game… or the entire world ends with it."
After that, Aslan said nothing more, continuing to watch the spectacle in silence.
He awaited the moment when these Heroic Spirits would unravel the "Truth" he had written—thus validating the Spirit Status of Angra Mainyu.
When observed by Little Garden, the Spirit Status he created would become genuine experience.
After all, when Little Garden's Central Core lacks specific world data, it evaluates Spirit Status based on the characteristics of the opponent and personal achievements.
Personal achievements are deeply tied to the world itself, and it isn't easy to deceive Little Garden's Central Core this way.
Achievements are traces acknowledged by the world. At deeper, higher levels, the Central Core can fully determine whether something truly existed in the world—or was merely fabricated.
But coincidentally, there were two Counter Forces in this world:
Alaya, the Counter Force of Humanity, and Gaia, the Counter Force of the Planet. Both could substitute for the world's and humanity's recognition.
As long as they believed, the credibility of All the World's Evils, Angra Mainyu, would rise.
With the aid of the Counter Forces, Aslan's poetry—the verses of a temporary amateur poet—wouldn't need to spread across the world to gain significant influence.
It must be said that, in a certain sense, the Type-Moon world was truly a valuable place.
Especially when it came to exploiting bugs to obtain Authority.
Suddenly, Angra Mainyu—who had remained motionless and silent for so long, simply praying—moved.
In the blink of an eye, countless black scales sprouted across her body. A strange yet powerful divine aura radiated from her.
The next second, a colossal black dragon exuding divinity crawled forth.
This was a new lifeform—an evolution achieved by Angra Mainyu after analyzing the life factors of Scáthach, Gilgamesh, and Artoria present here.
She hadn't been praying and meditating idly all this time. She had never stopped yearning for evolution.