As soon as Alaric spoke, everyone's attention turned to him.
"This is truly something extraordinary—"
Merlin, who had already anticipated this to some extent, clicked his tongue in amazement after hearing Alaric's bold declaration to destroy the Blood Temple.
Fujimaru, Mash, and the others were only slightly surprised. After all, Alaric had mentioned earlier that he planned to engage in a preliminary battle with the Beast Goddess Gorgon. Destroying the Blood Temple seemed like a natural progression. However, Romani, far away in Chaldea, didn't think the same.
["Wait, do you even have any Noble Phantasms left to use? Without the power of the Holy Lance, you shouldn't be able to unleash any Noble Phantasm. Are you planning to use that big bow?"]
Romani spoke incredulously: ["If the Blood Temple was created by a goddess-class entity like Gorgon, breaking through it without a specialized Noble Phantasm is impossible, isn't it?"]
Even though no one had directly confronted Gorgon yet, Alaric confidently asserted that Gorgon was a deity-level Servant. Based on this premise, Chaldea calculated that the Blood Temple was essentially an impenetrable divine barrier, akin to an iron wall—a Noble Phantasm in its own right.
How could Alaric, devoid of his own Noble Phantasms, possibly destroy a divine-level Blood Temple?
"Where there's a will, there's a way. Even without a Noble Phantasm, I'll blow it up!"
Alaric spread his fingers and slowly clenched his fist in front of Fujimaru and the others. "I need both Gorgon's intel and the relocation of Nippur's citizens."
Seeing Alaric's resolute attitude, Romani stopped questioning and decided to watch how intense Alaric's eventual confrontation with Gorgon would be.
After the brief exchange, Alaric suddenly noticed something unusual.
Currently, there were only three Servants stationed at the northern wall's defensive line.
"Lady Ushiwakamaru, have the other Servants gone to Nippur?"
To avoid any pre-battle mishaps, Alaric thought it best to clarify the situation first.
"Lord Amakusa and Lord Musashibou have both gone to Nippur to assist Lord Fouma and the others. At the moment, only myself, Lady Tomoe, and King Leonidas are stationed at the northern wall."
Ushiwakamaru explained, "Once you and your group arrive, we'll begin relocating Nippur's citizens. I believe with Miss Fujimaru joining us, the process will go much faster."
"Hmm, what about Ibaraki Douji?"
Alaric still felt something was off. It seemed like Ushiwakamaru's explanation was missing someone.
'Oh, is she in Nippur as well?'
Alaric suddenly recalled that two Servants were originally stationed in Nippur—likely Fouma and Ibaraki Douji. However, Ushiwakamaru's next explanation made Alaric raise an eyebrow.
"Lady Ibaraki Douji ran off and became a bandit in Mount Ebi."
When Ushiwakamaru mentioned Ibaraki Douji, she looked a bit helpless and proceeded to explain why Ibaraki Douji had fled.
"She said it was too boring? That's an unusual reason. Never mind, it doesn't matter. Let's prepare to head to Nippur!"
Had this happened earlier, Alaric might have found it troublesome. But with Fujimaru now part of the team, it didn't seem to matter much anymore.
Fujimaru, Mash, and Ana were more than enough to compensate for the loss of Ibaraki Douji's combat power—and likely exceeded it significantly.
A few minutes later, the group finalized their plan: Leonidas I and Tomoe Gozen would continue guarding the northern wall, while Ushiwakamaru and Fujimaru's group would lead the relocation effort.
"Ana, you go with Fujimaru and the others. I won't be joining you."
As they were about to part ways, Alaric, who was summoning his heavenly vessel, spoke to Ana. "I originally said I'd take you to fight Gorgon, but it seems like the relocation of Nippur's citizens needs you more. Besides, I'm not even certain if I'll end up fighting Gorgon."
Looking at Ana's youthful face, Alaric suddenly recalled the embarrassing incident from that morning.
Even if he had been half-asleep, there was no excuse for what had happened.
Feeling a little ashamed, Alaric removed the flower crown from his head and placed it gently on Anna's. Squatting down, he smiled and said, "I hope you'll bloom like a flower, Ana."
Ana touched the flower crown atop her head, her expression somewhat dazed, and murmured, "…Thank you."
Standing up, Alaric glanced around. Fujimaru, Mash, and the less-important Merlin entered his view. He smiled and said, "Well, then, farewell for now. Until we meet again!"
"Don't make it sound like you're never coming back, Sir Alaric!"
Mash puffed her cheeks and protested angrily, "Please don't use that kind of tone!"
No one liked goodbyes—especially not Fujimaru and Mash, who had experienced countless separations during their adventures. Fate was often just the remnants of partings.
"Alright, I'll remember that next time!"
As Alaric slowly rose into the air, he waved and smiled. "Wait for me to bring back the spoils of victory!"
Before his sentence was finished, Alaric soared skyward, ascending thousands of miles in an instant!
Boom!
The gusts of air churned violently, enveloping Fujimaru's group and preventing them from even watching Alaric's departure.
"That's so cool!"
Watching the star ascending into the heavens, Fujimaru couldn't help but exclaim, "Sir Alaric is becoming so carefree now that he can fly."
"Alright, we should head to Nippur as well!"
Dusting himself off, Merlin clapped his hands and redirected everyone's attention away from Alaric. "Time is of the essence, after all!"
"Indeed. Since Lord Alaric has already left, it's time for us to give it our all!"
Ushiwakamaru smiled. "Let's work together, everyone!"
With Alaric's departure, Fujimaru's group wasted no time and headed straight for Nippur.
...
An hour later, after successfully reaching Nippur, Fujimaru and Mash noticed something puzzling: Alaric appeared to be hovering motionless in the sky.
"What is Sir Alaric doing up there?"
Fujimaru looked up at the sky in confusion.
Upon their arrival, Mash and Chaldea's Romani confirmed that Alaric was still lingering high above, not engaging Gorgon in the Black Cedar Forest. This behavior left everyone baffled—if Alaric didn't draw the Beast Goddess's attention, their relocation efforts would provoke a counterattack from the beasts!
"Is he daydreaming? Or maybe he fell asleep?"
Mash said nervously, "After all, Sir Alaric did seem half-asleep this morning!"
"Most likely he's confirming his position—"
Merlin squinted his eyes, sensing Alaric's intentions. The thought of it made him shiver.
'Did Artoria teach him such a fighting style?'
Meanwhile, high above in the sky…
"Entering the sky domain. Altitude: 15,000 meters—"
Standing alone in the endless heavens, cold winds roared around Alaric. In this unreachable realm of absolute heights, only he existed.
Even in this Age of Gods, the heavens—one of the greatest mysteries—posed no threat to him.
The reason Alaric chose such an altitude was simple: to avoid detection by Kingu and Gorgon while preparing his next move.
Releasing the magic that surrounded him, Alaric relied solely on his physical body to feel the atmosphere of the Age of Gods.
The freedom was intoxicating, making his soul yearn for the vast sky and the infinite expanse of the stars beyond.
Alaric slowly raised his head, his eyes fixed on the radiant ring spanning the universe and the distant unknown realms.
'Can I do it?'
'Surpass human understanding and reach the unknown.'
'Achieve interstellar travel with just a human body?'
There was no answer to this question—not yet. Perhaps one day, far in the future, Alaric would know.
"From the moment humanity first looked to the stars, the original sin was born."
The dragon's heart beat vigorously within him, energizing his magic circuits. Black streaks of radiant energy danced across his body, even heating the surrounding air!
Pulling his soul free from the enchantment of the sky, Alaric grasped the core of his magic.
Cold, determined words echoed in the heavens, rising above the howling winds.
"Begin extracting mana. Target: Sevenfold compression of individual mana reserves."
It was a technique Alaric had practiced countless times—one that defied the fundamentals of magecraft. It was a godlike skill that transcended human limits: the ability to compress and amplify mana output beyond one's natural capacity.
If a mage's total mana resembled a reservoir, then drawing mana from it could be likened to opening a valve. The act of releasing mana was called Mana Burst.
Through continuous refinement, Alaric's Dragon Heart had reached an A-rank level. Even without this divine skill, he was already capable of high-level mana bursts as a Servant.
But with the compression technique, Alaric could unleash mana several times beyond his natural limit.
If Alaric's magical power is 1,000 points, then with sufficient magical energy support, he can unleash several thousand points of pure magic power in one go! He continuously dredges up mana from the ley lines and injects it into the Holy Lance.
This time, Alaric does not intend to fire the Holy Lance but instead uses pure magical energy to form a divine judgment for his attack.
The reason for not using the Heavenly Vessel was his concern that an excessive amount of magical energy might cause the big bow to collapse.
Looking back now, the reason the Holy Sword of the Lion King, the Sword of End, was so easily damaged was that Alaric recklessly poured vast amounts of magical energy into it, causing the sword and the blessings themselves to be unable to withstand the strain.
But the Holy Lance is different. The Holy Lance, Rhongomyniad, is a top-tier weapon capable of withstanding even the divine-level magical energy of the Lion King. It can easily handle several times Alaric's magical power.
Magical energy streams endlessly from the ley lines, and in just a few seconds, the amount of magical energy Alaric has drawn exceeds three times his capacity—a terrifying resource.
A pitch-black star begins to shimmer at the spiral tip of the lance.
The pale golden dragon's eyes glow brilliantly as Alaric gazes down at the boundless earth below, locking onto a small but impossible-to-ignore presence from 15,000 meters away.
This is the position of Gorgon's stronghold—the Temple of Blood, a divine hall personally constructed by Gorgon. It is intrinsically tied to her divine strength and various enhancements.
To defeat Gorgon, the destruction of the Temple of Blood is the first target.
The atmosphere roars as the magical energy within the Holy Lance continues to grow and accelerate. The shimmering star at the lance's tip has already fully formed.
Starting from Alaric, a vortex of mana within a 100-meter radius swirls toward him.
Not only from earth but even heaven itself is being siphoned by Alaric, forming the foundation of this strike.
The pitch-black star, no larger than a fist, radiates a surging brilliance as it slowly aligns with the Temple of Blood below.
Alaric raises one hand toward the sky, while the arm holding the Holy Lance points downward. His expression is serene, and the words that follow are spoken with unrivaled calm as if they were an undeniable truth:
"For once, heaven and earth serve but one sovereign."
With every word uttered, the brilliance of the pitch-black star at the tip of the spiral lance dramatically intensifies, to the point where even the ground 15,000 meters below can observe its dazzling light.
...
"What is that—?"
In Nippur, Fujimaru and Mash widen their eyes in disbelief. Even Romani, far away in Chaldea, exclaims in shock.
["Is he planning to attack from that distance???"]
The sheer distance makes it impossible for Chaldea to measure the level of magical energy surging within the Holy Lance. The readings are completely off the charts.
Romani is utterly baffled:
["Could this be a Noble Phantasm activation?"]
If the Holy Lance is being used to unleash magical energy, its power—if relying solely on his magical output—should pale in comparison to a True Name Release. Could it be that Alaric's magical energy output has already reached the level of a True Name Release?
"Romani Archiman, watch this carefully. Use every piece of Chaldea's technology for observation and analysis—figure out what that light truly is."
At this moment, Merlin's heavy voice interrupts Romani's thoughts, adding yet another question to the mix.
["What do you mean, Merlin?"]
Although Romani doesn't fully understand Merlin's words, his hands move quickly, activating all of Chaldea's observation equipment. Using Mash as the focal point, he begins analyzing the star about to descend from the heavens.
["No, we'll only understand what's in the box once it's opened!"]
Romani stares at the screen intently. After some analysis, he realizes that the pitch-black light is not the ordinary manifestation of magical energy but something that defies the fundamental laws of the world.
The multicolored black light is merely the box's exterior, while the deeper mystery within remains hidden.
"Then just watch carefully—"
Merlin's murmurs echo as he keeps his eyes fixed on the pitch-black star in the heavens.
...
The black star, positioned 15,000 meters above, is visible even from Uruk's Ziggurat.
TAP. TAP.
Gilgamesh arrives at the Heavenly Platform, gazing at the star with his crimson eyes gleaming with curiosity.
"Let this king see it, Alaric—the brilliance of a human like you!"
...
If the people of Uruk can see the star, then naturally, the goddess in the Black Cedar Forest and the new humanity would have an unobstructed view as well.
The Beast-Goddess Gorgon, entrenched within her temple, slowly lifts her head. Through layers of rock, her gaze meets the existence high in the heavens.
A hunger to devour the other begins to swell in both their hearts.
Driven by this desire, the goddess—who should have been fully focused on nurturing her beasts—descends into the underground passage, intending to leave the temple!
RUMBLE!!
Amid the thunderous rumble, a green figure flies toward her, desperate to stop Gorgon's actions.
"Please wait! It's too soon for this!"
But the Beast-Goddess, consumed by desire, ignores Kingu's pleas and is determined to leave the Temple of Blood.
This gives Kingu a headache—he cannot understand why Gorgon is abandoning the temple at this moment.
As he tries to persuade her further, Kingu suddenly halts, his expression turning to shock as he senses the magical energy emanating from the sky.
Having inherited all of Enkidu's abilities, Kingu possesses top-tier sensing capabilities that allow him to detect presences from great distances through the earth.
Since Alaric had left the ground, Kingu only now realizes what Alaric intends to do!
"Mother!! Do not leave the temple!!!"
Without further explanation, Kingu flies out of the Temple of Blood, standing amidst the Black Cedar Forest. Peering through the treetops, he fixes his gaze on the pitch-black star in the sky.
High in the blue heavens, the pitch-black star, as if forcibly inserted into the world from outside, radiates an undeniable sense of wrongness.
An overwhelming sense of crisis floods Kingu's heart.
It even causes his bodily functions to surge beyond the peak levels he had reached during his battle with Alaric.
"There's no time!!!"
The moment Kingu sees the star, he realizes there's no stopping Alaric—he must intercept the attack directly!
Facing the pitch-black star, Kingu finally unleashes his greatest trump card—his Noble Phantasm.
Starting from Kingu's position, golden patterns rapidly spread across the earth. Stalks of life-representing golden wheat sway in the wind, encircling Kingu.
The surging magical energy even manifests as fierce winds, toppling surrounding cedar trees.
...
Meanwhile, in the heavens, Alaric's preparations are complete.
Noticing the golden light emanating from the ground, Alaric immediately understands who is behind it.
Kingu—more specifically, the True Name Release of the Chains of Heaven.
Kingu transforms his own body into a divine weapon, becoming a nail of light that channels the Counter Force of Alaya or Gaia. This nail is designed to pierce and anchor its target.
It reacts to actions that threaten the planet or humanity, increasing its power accordingly.
This Noble Phantasm can absorb the strength of the world itself, enhancing its power to a level that rivals Gilgamesh's strongest Noble Phantasm, Enuma Elish.
Realizing that Kingu is using his Noble Phantasm to counter him, Alaric's lips curl into a faint smile.
"Take it, Gorgon, Kingu—this strike will determine who the true challenger is."
As Alaric's cold words fall, the extraterrestrial star begins its descent. Multicolored blackness, as dazzling as the starry sky, flows like a river of light, enveloping the slender lance of radiance as it hurtles toward the earth.
Propelled by this immense magical energy, the speed of the divine judgment reaches its peak.
Crossing 15,000 meters of the sky takes only six seconds.
In those six seconds—chasing death—the star's size rapidly expands, forming a terrifying pillar of light with a 600-meter radius before it even touches the ground!
As the pitch-black star approaches, the Counter Force pours magical energy into Kingu, exponentially enhancing the power of his Noble Phantasm.
"O mortals, behold the chains that bind the gods—Enuma Elish!"
With Kingu's roar, the surging magical energy transforms his body into a nail of light, charging directly toward the pitch-black star!