BCloud

IBHJ 1173

After saying what needed to be said, Arthur walked away.

Alone in the temple, Bedivere stared blankly at the ceiling. "What I truly want... what is it?"

"Amitabha."

Bedivere spun around toward the voice and saw Xuanzang step out from behind a stone pillar.

She gave him an apologetic look. "I'm so sorry, Lord Bedivere. This humble monk didn't mean to eavesdrop, it's just that I've been here the whole time, and your talk was too serious for me to interrupt."

"It's ...

IBHJ 1172

"Have faith!" Richard the Lionheart spun around, flashing them all a bright, earnest smile. "Eternal King will help us take back our history. After all, he is the Eternal King!"

The other kings stared at Richard with very strange looks.

This guy— Was he really a king? He seemed more like... Eternal King's fanboy?

But Richard didn't notice their skeptical stares at all, just happily trailing behind Shirou with a big grin on his face.

That only made the others stare e...

IBHJ 1171

"Hey, Fujimaru Shirou," called out Proto-Saber—or rather, Arthur, who had been following closely behind.

Shirou turned and offered a warm smile in return.

"I never thought that those of us who met and fought in the same Holy Grail War would reunite like this," Arthur remarked, his tone carrying a hint of nostalgia.

"Indeed..." Even someone as proud as Gilgamesh couldn’t help but acknowledge the sentiment.

Since the collapse of the Shinjuku connection point, which h...

IBHJ 1170

"Go for it, Karna!"

"Don't let Scathach beat you!"

"Take her down!"

...

"Are we really letting this happen?" Kama asked exasperatedly, gesturing at the distant battle between Scathach and Karna while other Heroic Spirits cheered from the sidelines. She turned to Shirou with a sigh.

"What's wrong with it?" Shirou asked with a slight smile.

He had prepared to prove his authority through combat against Ozymandias and the other royal Heroic Spirits, but Scathac...

IBHJ 1169

Gilgamesh just snorted and turned away, arms still crossed.

Arthur watched them both with an amused smile.

"Arthur!"

At the sudden call, he turned and his face lit up at the sight of Ayaka Sajyou and Kiara emerging from a newly formed rift.

But then his expression froze, as if he'd seen a ghost. He rubbed his eyes in disbelief, his gaze a mix of doubt and confusion as he scanned the area, brows furrowed with unease.

"What's wrong?" Gilgamesh asked.

"...No, ...

IBHJ 1168

The golden crown shook violently before bursting into a beam of blinding light, shooting straight at the black vortex.

In that moment, everything exploded.

White light and black mist split the world in two.

"Such foolish tricks. Do you really think this will help you escape from [Me]? You'll all become [Me] in the end!" The ancient voice boomed from the endless vortex.

Then a voice of absolute authority cut through space itself, filling the Imperi...

IBHJ 1167

After closing the communication screen, Agravain turned and walked toward the palace, reporting everything that had happened at Tír na nÓg to the empty throne.

Though no one sat there, Agravain knew the Emperor was listening.

"Please don't worry, Your Majesty. As long as I, Agravain, draw breath, no one will threaten the Empire's safety! Sir Galahad and the others will surely bring you victory." He kept his head bowed as he spoke to the throne.

"Such dismissal of Heroic Sp...

IBHJ 1166

The Darnic who had schemed throughout the Holy Grail War years ago had been just another self-serving magus. Now he had grown into someone his clan could truly look up to.

And it all started with that Holy Grail War.

But Darnic wasn't the only one transformed by it.

Vlad III, who'd dreamed of ruling the world again, came to accept the sunset of his reign. A blank homunculus found the courage of heroes, giving up everything to become the primordial giant. Demonic Bodhisattva ...

IBHJ 1165

Lord Barthomeloi's eyes narrowed. "What brings you here, Lord Darnic? Disrupting a Lords' conference without cause is a punishable offense!"

"I'm well aware," he replied calmly. "But I'm not here for the Lords - I'm here because of her."

As he spoke, a young girl stepped into the chamber.

El-Melloi II, Lord Barthomeloi, and the other Lords stiffened at her presence.

"A Heroic Spirit...?"

"My Lords of the Clock Tower, allow me to introduce myself. I am Laeticia, t...

IBHJ 1164

Having spent plenty of time teasing Skadi back in the Norse connection point, Scathach had become quite adept at making her escape.

Shirou smiled watching their antics. Even Kama's stern expression softened a bit at the sight of his smile.

"I'll take Goetia to the temple for treatment first, Eternal King."

"Ah, thank you, Kama."

As she turned to leave, his attention drifted from the two women. He lowered his gaze to stare at his palm.

The vortex, black mud, runes...

IBHJ 1163

His ambitious declaration left everyone stunned.

Heroic Spirits were the crown jewels of human history. Each one represented an invaluable, indomitable force of human achievement. Even now, what magi considered the grandest Holy Grail War was merely the seven-versus-seven clash at the Romanian connection point—a conflict between fourteen Heroic Spirits.

Yet here was Shirou, proposing to bring down the entire Throne of Heroes to challenge the Eternal Empire. Summoning every Heroi...

IBHJ 1162

Shirou spun around and shouted. "Mordred, run!"

Seeing Galahad charging toward her, Mordred froze!

Shirou finally understood—Galahad wasn't after him anymore, he was going for Mordred! She was the only one who could kill an Apostle and end their immortality!

The four people around Morgan turned to look.

Perfect! Morgan took her chance and slipped away from their encirclement.

Shirou and Scathach shot forward like blurs, chasing after Galahad.

But they'd l...

IBHJ 1161

"Shirou—"

One glance from Scathach was all he needed.

He nodded, projecting Rhongomyniad again. Using [Primordial Fairy Arts], he compressed the Holy Lance until it became the Spear of Endless Light.

"Let's go!"

He then turned to Merlin. "Support is up to you!"

"Count on me!" Merlin's face turned serious.

Scathach launched herself at the struggling Hoddmímis, her body blurring into a streak of red.

Shirou raised his palm toward her.

—[Mana ...

IBHJ 1160

A spear.

A blood-red spear.

"That's..."

Merlin's eyes went wide with recognition.

Shirou stood motionless, staring at the spear.

"CRACK CRACK CRACK—"

Spider-web fractures spread through the earth holding Galahad as he began to break free.

Then the world went dark.

As if a massive shadow had fallen over them, everything dimmed at once.

Everyone looked up and was dumbfounded.

Such a shocking change even made Morgan stop and look up ...

IBHJ 1159

That woman was what you'd call "petty" with a side of "vindictive."

If he didn't play along now, she'd definitely make him pay later, and keep making his life a living hell until the day he died.

Getting chased across parallel worlds by Heaven's Corpse, ORT, Mercury, Saturn, and Arcueid all at once? No thanks.

For the sake of a peaceful future, Zelretch figured he'd better play nice and drop the lone wolf act.

Moreover, with First Magic showing a sign of manifesting, h...

IBHJ 1158

Should he stay true to his own loyalty, or just follow his friends blindly?

Should he stand by his own sense of right, or accept what his friends believed?

Was he right or wrong?

He really didn't know, but he knew he had to choose.

In his mind, he saw the Emperor's smile from that day in the palace.

—True greatness isn't something you're born with. It's shaped by the way we live, by the choices we make. But to live forever... that demands a heavy price—it cos...

IBHJ 1157

Goetia's laughter boomed across the battlefield. "How do you like that? Now you know the price of crossing this king, you Imperial filth—"

But his words died in his throat as countless beams suddenly reflected back through the settling dust, flying straight back at him. In a split second, they ripped through his body, turning him into a human sieve.

The battlefield went silent.

Not a sound could be heard.

Then, Goetia's riddled body scattered like flower petals in th...

IBHJ 1156

At the heart of the devastation, Galahad lifted his head and scanned the area, his gaze falling on Shirou, Mordred, Merlin, Ambrosius, Bedivere, and the others.

His crystal eyes flared with an evil red glow. "All of you—eliminate!"

His body, forged from pure Orichalcum, pulsed with a dark, menacing aura that made him look like a demon from the abyss.

Shirou slowly projected the holy lance Rhongomyniad.

Without the Vortex or black mud, this lance was now his strongest...

IBHJ 1155

Ambrosius's face showed pure disbelief, as if sensing something beyond imagination.

"BOOM!"

A terrifying presence descended. Mountain fairies scattered while water fairies fled in terror.

All of Tír na nÓg shook violently.

"——!!" Bedivere, who'd been lost in grief over Ector, suddenly snapped to attention, his eyes wide with shock. "That signature——"

"——It's Galahad!" Morgan barked out a laugh. "So they sent Galahad! Just like Agravain to make such ...

IBHJ 1154

Goetia's frown deepened, his voice sharp with distaste. "So you want to be our king?"

Shirou shook his head. "Not a king. A leader—someone to represent our shared will."

The wording made all the difference, if he'd suggested picking a king, Goetia would have exploded right there.

But his careful phrasing seemed to work. The anger in Goetia's eyes dimmed slightly as he thumped his chest. "In that case, clearly this person should be—"

"—Obviously it should be me, G...

IBHJ 1153

"Ector is... dead?" Aife stared at Agravain through the light screen, stunned.

"His fate star has fallen. His death is confirmed."

"But how?" Aife was bewildered. "I thought only His Majesty's poison could break Eternity."

"We don't know," Agravain shook his head. "That's why I called you back first."

Lucius's brow furrowed. "Does His Majesty know?"

"Yes."

"And?"

"His Majesty wants the mystic realms destroyed," Agravain said.

"Destroyed? You mea...

IBHJ 1152

—[Broken Phantasm]!

The Gae Bolg that she had blocked exploded, blasting her away.

Though the surprise attack landed, Shirou felt no satisfaction. Against Dead Apostles with their eternity, moves like this were pointless. As if to prove his point, she emerged from the billowing smoke without a scratch, landing with a butterfly's grace.

The moment her feet touched ground, Merlin struck. Having quietly gathered magical energy, he unleashed a devastating holy sword beam from ...

IBHJ 1151

Horror flooded Ector's face, and fear flashed in his eyes: "The Poison of Corruption?"

He staggered back. With a sickening rip, his body tore free of the sword and crumpled to the ground.

Blood poured from his chest. Raw fear clawed at his heart. He frantically grabbed handfuls of bloody dirt and grass, trying to stuff them into the wound, but blood kept seeping through his fingers.

The patterns spread across Ector's body like a curse.

Ector was terrified, utterly afra...

IBHJ 1150

"The Heavenly Emperor makes his own judgments. Questioning him is enough to warrant your fall! Agravain was right to give you the Poison of Corruption!" Ector stared coldly at Bedivere.

"I've never questioned the Emperor!" Bedivere drew his sword. "I saw it with my own eyes—the Emperor devoured the Council's Sixth Seat and transformed into a heartless monster. No, that monster devoured our Emperor. How could I just stand by? How could I keep pretending? How could I let myself stay bli...

IBHJ 1149

"If you're capable," Kama retorted coldly, "then you can do the same."

Her animosity toward Apostle Pendragon went beyond her being an Apostle, it was because she was Morgan. She knew everything about what had happened to Shirou and Mordred, about everything that had gone down in the Eternal Kingdom.

And she hated every bit of it. Everything about the Eternal Kingdom, even Artoria, who she used to think wasn't so bad. If the Eternal Kingdom had never existed, maybe none of this wo...

IBHJ 1148

"Scathach's student? That woman—that weakling—actually has a student?" She burst out laughing. "Now that's rich! So in Pan-Human History, that pathetic woman who nearly got eaten by the Fomorians managed to take on a disciple? Hahaha, this has to be the joke of the century!"

"Oh forget it, I've lost interest in you," she said between fits of laughter. "A weakling's student can only be weak. His Majesty is being kind to you all—he doesn't even want to wipe you out completely. Just ...

IBHJ 1147

"Abby, I'll leave the rest to you," Shirou said.

Abigail nodded. The keyhole between her eyebrows glowed with mithril light, and three portals opened in front of them. Shirou and the others shared a look before stepping through.

They couldn't afford to lose Tír na nÓg.

They had no other strongholds left!

When they arrived at the ice island in the far north, Merlin spoke up: "I never thought Ambrosius would really help us... Looks like she really was one of the relic...

IBHJ 1146

The Imperial Armor might not be able to handle the Ten Rings, but against Beast attacks and Noble Phantasms? It could analyze and counter them perfectly!

Soon I won't even need Lucius and the others—I can take them all down myself! That's what Ector thought.

But then.

"BOOM—"

The beam cut through the Imperial Armor's protection like it wasn't even there, burning straight through Ector's heart.

His eyes went wide. "How—how is this possible...!"

This co...

IBHJ 1145

In the dimensional crossing passage.

"I never would have guessed Lord Bedivere was Hope," Ector said with a heavy sigh.

"What's the problem? Perfect chance to riddle him with holes from my spears—teach him the price of betrayal!" Aife said, running her fingers along her twin spears.

Morgan glanced at her. "Earlier, we encountered a Heroic Spirit whose spear technique shared the same origins as yours. I thought you had also betrayed us."

"Spear technique from the same...

IBHJ 1144

"Were you and that person close, Bedivere?" Xuanzang asked gently.

"…For as long as I can remember, Agravain and I shared everything as confidants, serving His Majesty together until this day," Bedivere replied with a bitter smile.

"It must be painful... like if Abby had to fight against Betty," Abigail said softly.

Bedivere nodded, his face full of sorrow.

"I'm so sorry," Xuanzang quickly apologized, regretting having brought up such a sensitive topic.

"Pleas...