'Why is Rider here?'
A question flashed through his mind, leaving Tokiomi Tohsaka completely bewildered.
Glancing at Risei Kotomine's ingratiating smile, he couldn't comprehend the situation.
Given his friendship with the Kotomine family, how could betrayal be possible?
Mysteries filled the air.
But one thing was clear to Tokiomi: the reason he hadn't found Rider's hiding spot was simply that he never imagined the man would be hiding inside the Church itself.
With Risei Kotomine's cover, he wouldn't have suspected this place even if beaten to death.
'Run?'
'Call my Servant for support?'
Only these two options remained in his mind, but there was no time to dodge the spell being cast before him.
"I, Lelouch vi Britannia, command you..."
"Obey me!"
The raised hand paused in mid-air, and the eyes glowed with an eerie red light. Finally, under the gazes of Risei Kotomine and Waver in the background, the elegant head of the Tohsaka family knelt on one knee.
"Yes! Your Majesty!"
Completely different from his earlier panicked demeanor, Tokiomi Tohsaka had become a different person entirely.
"Now, all the pieces are gathered."
"It all depends on the next battle."
Even though he had made so many preparations, Lelouch was still a bit worried.
He had a way to deal with Archer, but Berserker remained the final unstable factor.
Victory or defeat hinged on this single move.
Once Archer failed to exert the imagined pressure, Lelouch would have to consider how to deal with Berserker.
"Hmph."
"To make this King suffer such humiliation repeatedly."
"You mongrels all deserve to die."
Standing atop a skyscraper, looking down at the city facing him, Gilgamesh spoke with suppressed rage.
"But everything ends today."
Reaching out, he withdrew his strongest weapon from the Gate of Babylon.
EA (Sword of Rupture)!
The peculiar weapon held in his hand was proof of his resolve.
It was time to bring the curtain down on the duel with Berserker.
Enough with the tentative probing.
Flying towards the target point, Archer made no attempt to hide his magical energy fluctuations.
"Hm?"
Stopping his play with Sakura, Berserker naturally sensed the aggressive approach.
"Berserker?"
Gently stroking the girl's head to dispel her unease, he glanced at Kariya Matou, who had run out of the house.
"..."
Nodding, Kariya understood his meaning and rushed forward to pull Sakura away.
"Wait—"
Being suddenly pulled away, Sakura felt very anxious.
ahead of them, the "Hero" summoned his armor and greatsword.
"Wait, is he going to be that blatant?"
Before even leaving the house, Kariya looked up and saw the attacker in the sky above.
That unconcealed magical energy was raging violently.
Once he and Sakura were swept into it, there wouldn't even be bones left!
"Come, Hero of Salvation."
"Let's see if you can withstand the power of the Oldest King!"
Swinging EA, Gilgamesh showed not a shred of hesitation.
Against an opponent of this caliber, holding back was an insult.
"I speak of the origin. Heaven and Earth separated, nothingness celebrated creation. My Sword of Rupture renas..."
That agitation causing heaven and earth to shift instantly attracted everyone's attention.
"This violent magical energy... Could it be!"
Inside the church, Waver felt the terrifying pressure, and his face turned pale.
His legs couldn't stop trembling; he could hardly imagine what kind of strike this would be.
"Tch, does Archer want to wipe this city off the map?"
Lelouch hadn't expected Archer to make such a move either.
'It will definitely far exceed the power shown inside the Reality Marble...'
"Rider?!"
"I must go to the scene. The opportunity will only exist for an instant!"
"How can I let Archer disrupt the final plan?"
Seeing Lelouch run out, Waver followed suit.
...
That climbing momentum and the storm-calling violence undoubtedly heralded a strike that would shock the world.
" The vortex that turns the stars. The hell of heaven is the eve of creation's end. Prostrate yourself and die..."
The earth screamed, the clouds were torn apart, lightning thundered on the ground, and fierce winds howled.
"!"
Walking on the road, Saber naturally witnessed Archer's actions high in the sky.
That was absolutely not something a standard Servant could block.
The city was shaking.
"Is this your full power?"
"Archer!"
Having nearly completed the chant, Gilgamesh focused this strike, only to find that Berserker below showed no fear or retreat.
"A Heroic Spirit who can remain expresssionless in the face of a fully released EA..."
"You are the first!"
"But whether that composure is false or real... let this King witness it!"
"Enuma Elish (Star of Creation Splitting Heaven and Earth)!"
He swung the sword in his hand, intending to bring the crisis of destruction to the city below.
Kariya Matou, who had wanted to flee with Sakura, now stopped in the courtyard, his face ashen. Watching the attack about to bombard them, he knew—
Running anywhere in this city at this moment was useless.
[I won't let you succeed.]
Carrying this thought, Berserker swung his greatsword, and numerous buffs surged around his body.
Dark Missionary!
Rampart!
Reprisal!
Shadow Wall!
Dark Mind!
Oblation!
The Blackest Night!
Provoke!
Leaping into the air, Berserker actively flew towards the sky.
"What?!"
The hand holding EA seemed to be attracted by a force, subsequently redirecting the bombardment towards Berserker. Gilgamesh frowned deeply.
BOOM!!
A roar erupted in the high sky, and a violent shockwave burst forth from within.
But because Berserker had actively jumped into the air to block it, the power didn't detonate on the ground.
The clouds above were completely pushed away, leaving only a hollow blue sky.
When the fierce wind pressure subsided, the city had only suffered partial damage from natural causes, not annihilation.
Thud!
Falling from the thick smoke to the ground, Berserker appeared in everyone's field of vision.
"..."
Kariya Matou widened his eyes, watching in disbelief.
Unscathed.
Let alone scratches, he didn't even have a single wound.
"Hmph!"
"Interesting!!"
His expression becoming ferocious, Gilgamesh revealed a wildly arrogant smile.
To think he tanked a fully released Enuma Elish without injury?
He knew what the opponent had done. It wasn't evasion, transfer, or immunity, but forcefully withstanding it.
He had even deliberately guided EA's attack into the air.
Berserker possessed the ability to strengthen himself, and unsurprisingly, it should be the type that "reduces damage taken."
In that extreme situation, his full-power strike was truly blocked by Berserker without damage.
"Hahahaha!!!"
Laughter resonated through the clouds, allowing even the Servants to hear his manic jubilation.
"Well done..."
"You protected against the first shot, but what about the second?"
"As for magical energy... I still have plenty."
Raising the "sword" in his hand again, Gilgamesh uttered ironic words.
The world that had just calmed down underwent a massive change once more.
"Could it be!!"
"Does he want to use it again?!"
Kariya Matou was stunned, daring not believe that an attack of that level could be used continuously.
"It's okay! Berserker won't lose!"
Sakura stood on the ground, her eyes fixed on the figure not far away, believing.
If it's him, he definitely won't lose!
Because that is...
The Hero who saves the world!
PS: That series of terms in the middle are all "Damage Reduction" skills, shields, and enmity transfer skills. In the game, damage reduction has a cap, but here the actual performance does not. In other words, the Warrior of Light activated all damage reduction skills, then used Provoke to divert EA's attack, and finally ate it raw with shields up. Counting it up, 10+20+10+30+20+10 = 100% damage reduction. The extra shields didn't even break. But these skills all exist with different degrees of magical energy consumption, so it's impossible to keep chaining them forever.