Chương 37: Longing for the Distant Sea
At an altitude of about 500 meters above the Mion River, Archer leisurely sat aboard his radiant golden and emerald ship, Vimana.
He was at ease.
"What an utterly repulsive sight." The golden king's face was filled with displeasure.
The grotesque mass of flesh, cut apart by swords and thunder, frothed with countless eye-like bubbles, and within moments, it regenerated, even growing larger.
"Even though they are mongrels, they were still strong enough to stride through myths. And now, they can't even handle such filth," Archer sneered mockingly. "How pathetic, don't you think, Tokiomi?"
Unlike the calm and composed Archer, Tokiomi Tohsaka was filled with anxiety and anger. Caster had utterly violated the ironclad rules of both magi and the Holy Grail War, and the Tohsaka family's reputation had been thoroughly tarnished by allowing him to run rampant.
The monster was gradually approaching the shore.
Tokiomi, through his familiars, had heard Avenger's strategy, but the situation was spiraling further out of control.
The writhing abomination had no veins, no organs, no bones. It was a massive, primal mountain of flesh without weaknesses. No matter where it was torn apart, it didn't matter—it would simply regenerate.
"My King, that beast is ravaging your garden," Tokiomi bowed deeply, but this subservient posture only irritated Archer further.
What Archer admired were souls proud enough to possess their own will. From the moment Tokiomi had prostrated himself like a mere vassal, he had lost all initiative.
"Tokiomi Tohsaka, do you think my Noble Phantasms are the tools of a gardener?"
"Please, my king, show mercy." Tokiomi lowered himself even further.
"Hmph." Archer scowled, and four radiant Noble Phantasms materialized behind Vimana, shooting toward the dam.
A third of the sea demon's mass was instantly ripped apart, and even the seawater evaporated. The deafening roar and the chunks of flesh splattering out from the thick mist sent the gathered crowd into a panic, frantically fleeing.
The uproarious screams hammered at Tokiomi's heart.
But the monster, like a balloon, swelled up once more, sprouting new tissue and healing its wounds at a speed visible to the naked eye.
"My king!" Tokiomi pleaded again.
Archer's crimson eyes flared with disgust as four golden ripples opened behind him once more. Tokiomi barely had time to feel relief before following Archer's gaze upward, and his heart sank in horror.
Two F-15J fighter jets flipped their silver wings, diving down from the sky.
Archer despised the idea of ants standing higher than him. Tokiomi realized exactly who those Noble Phantasms were aimed at.
In the Einzbern Castle, Kurumi entrusted Sakura to one of her other selves. The version of her that had been staying within the castle appeared weak, her delicate, petal-like lips pale.
"Listen to 'me,' okay?" Kurumi crouched down, gently brushing Sakura's soft hair.
"Mm!" Sakura nodded earnestly, clutching the hem of Kurumi's dress. "Wait for you... to come back..."
"Ah, of course." Kurumi smiled, pressing her forehead gently against Sakura's. "I'll be back soon."
...
"Everything's alright on your end?"
"For now, yes."
Kurumi exchanged glances with her clone before slipping into the shadow world, swiftly making her way toward the Fuyuki Bridge. An endless feast awaited her.
Although Archer's mountain-smashing Noble Phantasm had scattered the crowd along the dam, more and more people were gathering on Fuyuki Bridge, fixated on the bizarre spectacle unfolding before them—something that clearly did not belong to this world.
Flashes of lightning streaked by, stirring up the thick mist. A golden 'UFO' hovered in the sky... and then there was that enormous creature, as if plucked straight from an Ultraman episode.
Their lifelong beliefs in "common sense" were shattered in an instant. Such fantastical, absurd scenes seemed more like a myth come to life.
From behind the crowd, a group of individuals with their hats pulled low approached silently.
"What a hassle." A wave of oppressive numbness swept through the crowd, and everyone collapsed, stumbling to the ground. Leading them was none other than the monk-like Executor, Kirei Kotomine.
The Holy Church, responsible for cleaning up after the Holy Grail War, clearly saw that things were getting a bit too out of hand now.
Saber's sword created a whirlwind, shredding through the mass of tentacles like a meat grinder. Neither the roaring thunder nor the flashing red-and-yellow spears could inflict much greater damage.
Even the cursed bullets Kurumi fired couldn't stop the sea demon's regeneration. It wasn't that she didn't want to unleash more power—rather, the crimson firearm, known for its destructive curse, was tied to a walking disaster.
Kurumi wasn't quite ready to contaminate the Mion River directly.
Besides, to Kurumi, the sea demon looked like a moving supply pack.
As Caster's shrill laughter grew increasingly mad, the monster began to slither toward the Fuyuki Bridge.
This was a serious problem. If the bridge connecting New Fuyuki City and Miyama Town were destroyed, it would make reporting to the Clock Tower much more difficult.
"Sigh, looks like the little lady's about to reveal her trump card." Rider sighed deeply. "Guess I can't keep holding back either."
"Avenger, how much longer?" His chariot pulled up at the riverbank.
"Five minutes," Kurumi replied. "Can you hold out?"
"Of course! Who do you think I am?" He shouted. "Follow me, warriors! Let me show you the path of conquest, Iskandar style!"
The wind howled fiercely.
It was hot and dry, like it might catch fire at any moment.
The strange wind roared, and fine sand struck the faces of everyone present—it was a real desert.
The scorching wind invaded the edges of the world, flipping everything upside down.
Distance and position lost all meaning, as the dry wind reversed everything.
Upon the boundless desert, the full form of that terrifying monster finally emerged, taller even than the tallest buildings. But none of the warriors' gazes were fixed on it anymore.
The searing sun roasted the land, and the dazzling white sky shone with blinding sunlight. In the distance, the horizon blurred with sand and dust.
"—A Reality Marble!?" Irisviel and Waver were utterly astonished.
It was a miracle of sorcery, understood only by magi, and it was an unbelievably exalted one.
Saber, Lancer, Rider, Waver, Irisviel, and Kurumi stood together once more, facing the monster.
However, Lancer's gaze toward Waver was a bit strange.
"Waver..."
At the top floor of the Hyatt Hotel, the lemon-haired lecturer lay back on the sofa, muttering the name over and over.
—How tragic, that even at death, he had never seen that vast sea bathed in twilight.
Standing once again upon this ancient soil, Iskandar, the King of Conquerors, was filled with nostalgia.
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