Chapter 53: Day 10 ⑦

"Alto!"

I called out to her as she stood there, breathing raggedly, and rushed to her side without a second thought.

In her hands, she gripped Kanshou and Bakuya. The armor she usually materialized during combat had yet to be restored; her clothes were shredded, and dark red stains were seeping through the fabric. Her eyes, usually filled with iron-clad will, were unfocused and distorted by pain. The sweat beading on her forehead spoke volumes of the exhaustion she refused to voice.

"Shirou, just do what you can. I need support."

"...What do you plan to do?"

"I'm going to close the distance. From point-blank range, I'll hit him with the full power of my Noble Phantasm."

As she threw the brief request at me, Alto knit her brows. She gritted her teeth and glared with pure loathing at the man standing before her: the one called Gilgamesh. I didn't know what kind of history existed between that man and her.

However, the fact remained that the Heroic Spirit bearing the name of the Oldest King was our enemy. A powerful force trampling over the weak—I understood him to be the kind of man who could snip away human lives as easily as kicking a pebble off the road.

Therefore—

"I understand."

Emiya Shirou could not forgive that man.

No, I must not forgive him. I couldn't let him walk away. It was simply impossible.

Alto gave me a sidelong glance as I gave my short reply. I nodded back once, meeting her gaze head-on.

A heartbeat later, Alto drove the two Chinese swords she held into the ground and leapt forward with explosive speed. I followed suit, running right behind her. I pulled her Kanshou and Bakuya from the floor where she had just planted them and pursued Alto as she raced alongside the wind.

The scattered "sword bullets" were being struck down. Similarly, the weapons Gilgamesh unleashed were deflected and sent flying.

Advancing with an invisible sword in hand, Alto had shifted her sword-manifestation ability from "striking down" to "scattering"—prioritizing quantity over quality.

The swords she deployed were the same twenty-seven she had initially manifested behind her; she continued to fire them relentlessly, regardless of overlap. It was an offensive method that utilized her advantage over Gilgamesh: the ability to "manifest any number of the same weapon."

By skipping the usual steps, the countless sword bullets scattered the moment they appeared, making them difficult even to see. Every one of them, tracing a linear trajectory as they flew, pointed their tips toward the Golden King.

Despite being in mid-air, the density of the Noble Phantasms occupying the space was immense. The fired swords would collide with his treasures midway, losing their momentum, but some managed to weave through the gaps, darting toward Gilgamesh.

Because she was ignoring her own defense to press the attack, more treasures were breaking through toward our side than before. However, her own sword bullets were also beginning to break through, if only slightly.

Witnessing this scene, I felt the sting of my own immaturity.

The scale of her Projection was on a different level. Even though we possessed abilities that shared the same direction, this was a miracle I currently had no hope of achieving.

Alto possessed so much. A massive amount of Prana stored within her body, the capacity to manifest a high number of objects at once, and the strength to confront the enemy personally while controlling all of them.

I fell short in almost every category. The Prana I generated myself was insufficient, I lacked the Magic Circuits to process it all, and I didn't have the physical ability or technique to withstand such reckless strain.

I scolded my legs, which felt as if they were about to stop moving.

I had to hurry. Because even Alto, who was causing such a phenomenon, was merely holding her own—she was by no means gaining the upper hand against Gilgamesh.

To get close to Gilgamesh, one had to pass through the treasures flying like a downpour.

However, that was impossible. Even now, Noble Phantasms whose True Names were not even established continued to bare their fangs and bury themselves in the ground, demonstrating that reality to me.

If one sought only the result of defeating Gilgamesh, perhaps a chance would remain if someone like Lia or Lancer were to use their Noble Phantasms while being prepared for death from the moment of encounter.

However, even assuming things went that smoothly, the price would likely be a level of depletion that would force them to drop out of the Holy Grail War.

It was difficult to overcome that Ea in a frontal clash of Noble Phantasms. If Lia's weapon truly was the world-renowned Excalibur, it was doubtful whether any Noble Phantasm capable of surpassing Ea even existed.

In long-range combat, as far as I knew, nothing surpassed his "Treasury." The ammunition being used were all Noble Phantasms; it went without saying they were lethal to humans, but even for a Heroic Spirit, a direct hit from a single one would be a fatal wound.

That left only close-quarters combat, but as mentioned, it was impossible to even get close through that rain of weapons. In fact, in the previous battle, even with Lia and Alto working together, they hadn't even managed to approach Gilgamesh.

From what I could see, Gilgamesh’s seemingly flawless tactic would only reach a stalemate when facing an exception with the same type of ability—one who could "manifest a large number of weapons."

To be precise, Alto was likely being pushed back in the exchange. If she tried to suppress every single shot from the Treasury, even her ability wouldn't be enough to cover it all. The difference in numbers could not be overturned.

It was possible to bridge that gap by striking down the incoming treasures. However, while that allowed her to fight without retreating, it wouldn't allow her to close the distance.

Furthermore, Alto's ability seemed to require more Prana compared to Gilgamesh's Gate of Babylon. At the very least, the consumption was enough to drain even Tohsaka’s supply.

At this rate, this stalemate would eventually be broken as she was slowly overwhelmed.

Changing the situation wasn't difficult.

She couldn't win because it was one-on-one. If Alto didn't have enough hands, I just had to lend her mine. Fortunately, there was one more person here with a similar power.

Normally, I lacked the strength to intervene directly in this fight. The proof was that in Gilgamesh’s vision, I wasn't even reflected as an enemy. At best, I was just a target.

Either way, he didn't feel the slightest threat from me—and that was exactly our chance. There was nothing obstructing me, allowing me to move with certainty.

I calmed my mind and opened both eyes wide. My vision was clear.

A strange, pulsating impatience ran through my body. Sweat broke out on both palms. Amidst faded tension and deep concentration, the Circuits running through my core heated up, while the heat of my thoughts cooled down.

The Noble Phantasms of Lia and Gilgamesh had stripped the carpets, gouged the floors, collapsed the interior along with the walls, and blasted away the central staircase from its midpoint.

The castle interior was cluttered with falling building materials, yet it felt strangely hollow. And into that space, foreign objects continued to appear. Countless lethal weapons filled my field of vision.

I kept Alto at the center of my sight and focused solely on perceiving the swords closing in from the front in a fan-like formation.

With every strike delivered by her invisible sword, the swarming threats were mowed down.

The voids created in the saturated space were immediately refilled by the treasures rushing in.

Alto was beyond those voids. Yet, she lunged forward as if she didn't even have the approaching swords in her sight.

Was that out of trust that I would strike them down, or did she simply not have the luxury to care about her appearance?

The trajectories of the incoming treasures were already burned into my mind.

I narrowed my consciousness. I focused on a single point. —It hits. I understood the moment I fired. I shifted my gaze and moved to the next target.

The single-action cylinder spun immediately. The next round was loaded. —A perfect hit. There was no need to confirm the result.

A haze began to cloud my consciousness during the process, but I gritted my teeth and held on. There was no way I, who had done nothing yet, could allow myself to fall.

Once I shot down the two weapons blocking her path, Alto slipped into that narrow opening.

I let out a short breath and braced myself. This was only the beginning. Just as Alto and the man called Gilgamesh were doing, I would repeat my Projections, preparing myself to intercept at any moment.

Even with my sudden interference, Gilgamesh’s attention did not shift toward me. Was this level of interference within the margin of error, or did he consider Alto to be that much of a danger?

But thanks to that, the trajectories of the treasures were easy to read. The number I had to block was reduced as they collided with the sword bullets Alto fired, and further diminished by the invisible strikes she unleashed.

Once Alto reached a certain proximity, my support might actually become a hindrance.

The lethal bullets remaining in my sight—seven. Considering Alto's movement speed, four? —No new loading was necessary. I fired the four I had held in reserve behind me, placing them onto the path I had drawn.

For good measure, I fired the remaining two so they would fall into the shadows of the previous four.

I forced my throbbing head to work, searching for the next move. The distance between the man and Alto had already closed; depending on her actions, a Projected shot might result in friendly fire.

In that case... I gripped the two in my hands. Alto's Kanshou and Bakuya, which felt unnervingly familiar in my grip. I threw them to the left and right; the two blades formed a circle, carving an arc parallel to the ground.

Suddenly, masonry kicked up. Then, a vibration traveled through the earth.

The two extra swords I had sent to slip through were deflected by a massive battle-axe that was swung as if the wielder had seen right through them.

It landed right in front of me, crushing any option other than stopping my advance.

When I reflexively covered my face with my arms against the dancing debris, Alto's back was already far away—out of my reach—as she raised her voice.

Gilgamesh’s eyes were constantly fixed on Alto. Was it an optical illusion that, amidst his vanishing expression, the corner of his mouth seemed to pull up slightly in a twitch?

Gilgamesh, who should have been blown back after clashing swords with Alto once, was now running toward the approaching Alto with the same incredible speed as before.

Despite this being a repeat of the previous development, Gilgamesh met Alto’s charge without a care.

The Kanshou and Bakuya I had sent to attack from the sides to block his escape vanished into the space behind Gilgamesh without fulfilling any purpose. While cursing myself inwardly for the failed prediction, I quietly whispered the next incantation.

The swords that collided and shattered buried themselves in the floor one after another.

They became grave markers, their duty finished, creating a distorted stage that vastly surrounded her and the man.

Suddenly, a storm laden with dense Prana began to swirl around Alto. The same as the Noble Phantasm held by Lia—the weapon forged by a god. It revealed its form, drawing in Prana while still shrouded in wind.

Alto herself accelerated as her Prana was replenished. Just as she said, she intended to drive her Noble Phantasm home. However, Gilgamesh would not allow her to approach so easily.

"Th-that's... impossible."

Flustered by the bizarre sight, I spoke aloud without thinking. I almost let the strength I had been gathering slip.

Alto, who hadn't stopped even before the barrage of Noble Phantasms, had been brought to a halt. The space around her distorted all at once, and in the blink of an eye, she was surrounded on all sides.

—From the front, a massive spear fashioned of silver, possessing a level of divinity that was off the charts.

—From the left, a spear enveloped in light crackling with lightning. From the right, a two-handed sword that continued to emit a similar radiance.

—Behind her were the dragon-slaying demonic sword Gram, possessed by the great hero Sigurd, and Ascalon, the sword of Saint George, who also held a dragon-slaying legend.

—From above, the Kenkon-ken, a projectile Taoist tool of the young prince born from a lotus (Nezha). Furthermore, the Vajra, the symbolic divine projectile of the Indian god of thunder, Indra, stood in reserve.

What appeared were Noble Phantasms closely resembling the symbols of gods and great heroes.

Based on the analyzed performance, the three blocking her front and sides in particular were nearly identical to those said to be held by the kings and chief deities of divine races.

Of course, they likely weren't the exact ones they held. Had he traced the family tree of weapons back to its roots, reaching a point extremely close to the possessions of the gods?

It was on a different dimension from anything Gilgamesh had fired until now. Seeing such masterpieces gathered together in one place was something that wouldn't happen again in this lifetime.

Such a precious moment felt like nothing but despair to me right now.

But Alto was different. Unlike me, who was dazed, she had already finished her preparations for the attack in the face of that sight.

Her arm was pulled back, her shoulder forward, her torso twisted, her hips lowered, and her wide-spread legs were storing power. A sharp glint peeked over her shoulder. Overflowing Prana. Ether dancing as it glowed.

"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!"

Everything exploded along with a roar. Excalibur, now visible and wreathed in wind, and its wielder, Alto, bellowed.

The compressed power raged forth, fixing its destination toward the front. It was a single strike that sought pure power, reminiscent of the monstrous strength of Berserker I had seen once before.

The strike wreathed in a mass of wind blew everything away. The demonic sword with dragon-slaying protection, the spear with piercing properties—she crushed them all with sheer force. The wind covering the sword began to dissipate, and the fluttering red cloth regained its—no, it did not.

As before, wind began to dominate the castle interior once again.

The difference was its source. it was being released from the Golden Servant facing Alto.

"Twice in one day. And to think I would suffer the humiliation of using it against one such as you. Return to the Throne and take pride in it. That I personally dealt the blow. That you received my Sword of Rupture with your own body."

In the hands of the grandly speaking Gilgamesh was the Sword of Rupture, Ea—which possessed the power to twist even the radiance of the Holy Sword.

The moment it entered my sight, my brain refused to understand it. I couldn't read its concept or its structure. It hummed, gathering power. The rotating blades began to vomit forth Prana.

Alto, too, immediately began sending Prana into Excalibur after her strike with Invisible Air.

However, she was lagging behind by the brief moment she had spent gathering the power to blow away the treasures. That time was indispensable, and it was unavoidably fatal.

That was why Alto couldn't move. Because she had done her best and understood that there was nothing more she could do, she knit her brows in frustration and gritted her teeth.

"Nothing more?"

—No. That’s not true.

Because I had already finished my stance. And I had just finished the necessary Prana replenishment.

"—— Synchronize, Start. Trace, On."

Up until yesterday, I wouldn't have been able to help at all, even if I hit. Among the arrows I could fire, none existed within me that boasted such a threat.

Now, the arrows I could nock had increased so significantly that I had the luxury of choice.

The selection and the grasping of its structure had long been finished. The arrow in question was, naturally, not made to be fired as an arrow. I hammered the shape of the object in my right hand accurately into my head and calculated the reduction in speed due to air resistance and the change in trajectory until impact. The path surfaced in my vision.

—I will definitely hit him.

"—— Red Hound, Hrunting." (赤原猟犬) 

I quietly called out the name of the closest equivalent. The original is the original, and there is no wielder capable of duplicating it—for this sword, which lacks an accurate True Name, calling its name has no great inherent meaning. However, I called its name as its temporary wielder, placing my prayer in the name "the sword that never betrays," which it would earn on its original path.

The moment I spoke the name, my whole body felt a sense of collapse. Had it taken every bit of my Prana?

—Fine. Either way, this is my last Projection. Any remaining Prana was just dregs anyway; if you can use it, take it. No amount of effort would produce the Prana to fire a second shot.

Watching the red light pierce through the air, I resumed the breath I had been holding and exhaled deeply. The black-painted bow in my left hand blurred and vanished.

The red light raced through the storm. If it was a sword nocked in a bow and aimed with these hands, it would pierce the target even under these foul conditions. That prediction was correct; the hound, hurtling forward with a tail of Prana, did not lose its speed.

"—Guh! Mongrel, you—!!"

Perhaps sensing the Prana, Gilgamesh noticed my action early, and his eyes caught the fired object.

Realizing it was a fake of his own treasure and that its speed far exceeded a normal launch, he turned his attention toward me for the first time.

The speed of Hrunting was too great to be intercepted by a shot from the Treasury. As a result, Gilgamesh, without time to think, reflexively slashed it away with the Ea in his hand.

The Hound was easily deflected. The red light both were wreathed in vanished into the air along with sparks, shaving off a small amount of the Prana stored in Ea. I collapsed to one knee as I watched Hrunting fulfill its assigned duty with my own eyes.

I had overdone it. However, the results were worth the recklessness.

The Projection of six treasures, Hrunting, prolonged visual enhancement, Prana infusion, and the arm reinforcement intended to increase power—all of it had exceeded my capacity.

And then there was the throbbing headache unique to Projection. I wanted to say I was used to it, but this time, the overload from the massive amount of information was added on top. Furthermore, with my Prana empty, my body's reactions were sluggish. In fact, even standing up was a chore.

The Prana slightly deflected from Ea and the interruption of the Prana replenishment offset Gilgamesh’s temporal advantage.

In other words, the arrow I fired had successfully fulfilled its role of allowing Alto's Excalibur to be ready in time.

"Sword of Promised—"

"Curse you! The Star of Creation that Split Heaven and—"

"—— Victory! EXCALIBUR!"

"—— Earth! ENUMA ELISH!"

"What... happened?"

The pure white world began to regain its color. By the time the light subsided, no remnants of the Prana from the Noble Phantasms remained.

The heat generated by Excalibur was swallowed into the distortion created by Ea, and the weakened torrent of Ea’s Prana lost its destination and vanished into the sky.

The Mana in the atmosphere had also been blown away, leaving almost none behind. The silent, lifeless atmosphere resembled Ryuudou Temple in the middle of the night.

A cross-shaped rift had been carved into the ceiling by Lia’s and Alto’s Excaliburs, with large pieces of wall occasionally falling. A hole with spiral marks had been gouged into the wall at about the height of the second floor by Gilgamesh’s Ea.

Perhaps due to the recoil of the Noble Phantasms, I could see Gilgamesh slightly staggering some distance away. It seemed even the Oldest King found two Noble Phantasm battles taxing.

That man, who had shown no signs of impatience or fatigue, now had sweat on his forehead and his eyes wide open. The sudden loss of Prana was cornering Gilgamesh, the previously immovable King. Looking closely, white smoke was rising from the spaulder on his right shoulder. Had he been grazed by the afterglow of Excalibur?

However, even with Alto's rapid-fire manifestations, Tohsaka as a Master, and the cover fire from my Projections, followed by a second Excalibur—Gilgamesh had not been defeated. He could not be overwhelmed.

—In the first place, where was Gilgamesh’s Prana being supplied from? No Master was visible nearby. And yet, he possessed enough Prana to fire two Noble Phantasms in a long battle.

The amount of Prana he could hold seemed large, but he didn't appear to have something like Alto, who could generate a massive, off-the-charts amount of Prana on her own. Where was he getting the supply to cover a consumption rate that made even Tohsaka, an excellent Magus, complain?

"Ugh... guh, ha... aah."

Was it my imagination, or did I hear a horse’s neigh? My thoughts, which were like an unconscious escape from reality, were interrupted by that hallucination and Alto’s groan of pain.

A dry, metallic scraping sound echoed. When I turned toward the sound, Alto’s body was swaying at a point further back than before.

Her tilting body managed to hold itself up just before falling. There was no trace left of the overflowing Prana from before; it wouldn't be surprising if she lost consciousness at any moment, just like Lia.

"Tch! This is... did I use up several of them? —Well, fine. I still have the luxury to deploy the Gate of Babylon."

Gilgamesh muttered something and snapped his fingers. At that signal, the treasures began to appear once more. Perhaps he couldn't recover the high-ranking ones; the pressure emitted by the treasures was significantly weaker.

However, that provided no comfort now. In contrast, Alto was unsteady on her feet, barely able to even grip the now-visible Excalibur.

On impulse, though I nearly tripped, I stepped between Alto and Gilgamesh. In my right hand was a one-handed sword I had picked up along the way. Since I had picked it up instinctively while searching for a weapon, I didn't even know if it belonged to Alto or Gilgamesh.

With my body drained of Prana, even a one-handed sword was difficult to handle, so I gripped it again with both hands. And then, I froze.

"U-uh..."

As I braced myself against Gilgamesh again, I realized that the scene before me was nothing but despair for a normal person.

Not just in front, but to the left, right, and even overhead. Where on earth would they fly from? If I were to deflect this many with the sword in my hands, how long would I last? How long would I have to continue before the end came? One hit would end it for me. Alto was behind me. I couldn't dodge.

Thoughts stained with fear reached a conclusion all at once—without any Prana, I couldn't protect Alto.

...But.

Gritting my teeth to suppress the fear, I stood my ground.

Victory no longer existed. Defeat was all but decided. All that remained was to see how much I could struggle.

The floating treasures began to move slowly.

"Rider! Save Emiya!"

"Understood, Master."

Suddenly, the light from the cracked ceiling was blocked. A third party's voice echoed.

A white horse with wings descended rapidly from the rift. Could that be the Pegasus...?! On its back, I could see Shinji and Rider. ...Shinji?

Receiving Shinji’s words, Rider leapt from the Pegasus’s back, ran along the wall, and used the spiked chain-sword in her hand to launch a harassing attack against Gilgamesh.

"Hey, we're escaping! Emiya! Tohsaka! What are you dazing off for! Hurry up and bring the blue one!"

"A-ah, right...!"

Shinji, who had jumped down from the Pegasus, shouted with a desperate expression. Running with that same momentum, he dragged the staggering Alto back toward the Pegasus.

I was bewildered, not knowing why Shinji was here or why Rider, who should have fled, was obeying him. Nevertheless, I rushed toward Tohsaka to carry Lia.

I lifted Lia. Her armor had vanished at some point, likely because her Prana had run out, leaving her in her blue dress.

And she was light. She looked small, but I was surprised by how light Lia was, despite possessing such monstrous physical strength.

What had I been doing, letting her end up like this? While my heart ached with pathetic shame, I began moving toward Shinji. Tohsaka was also running ahead while supporting Illya, but her movements lacked strength, likely because her Prana levels were precariously low.

On the back of the Pegasus, I held the unconscious Lia from behind so she wouldn't fall. Behind me was Alto with hollow eyes. And further back, Illya and Tohsaka were in a similar position to mine.

The Pegasus's body was more than one size larger than a normal horse, but even with mostly small girls on board, there were too many people.

"Rider, that's enough! We're retreating! Hey, what are you doing...?!"

Shinji’s voice, calling out from the very front, cut off.

"...!"

The sound of metal clashing rang out particularly loud, followed by the sound of Rider let out a breathless gasp. Before I knew it, Rider was buried under a barrage of treasures. Surrounded on all sides, her escape routes cut off, she was being toyed with.

Unlike Lia or Alto, for Rider, who fought with quick movements—striking and then retreating—the rain of treasures was a particularly bad match. Her room to dodge was being shaved away by the overwhelming quantity, leaving her helpless.

Rider’s own escape was now seemingly impossible.

"Master! Please, take care of Sakura! ...Pegasus! Go!"

Rider’s voice rang out. Hearing that voice and giving a single neigh, the Pegasus raced into the sky.

The ground and our field of vision pulled away. Soon, we rose to a height from which we could look down on Rider. Rider could no longer reach the Pegasus.

"You think I'll let you escape?! Pegasus, lose your wings and fall to the earth!"

The treasures Gilgamesh unleashed closed in on the Pegasus.

The Pegasus, carrying so much weight, had no room to perform evasive maneuvers. Among those on its back, no one had the strength left to intercept them.

Suddenly, the treasures that should have been impossible to dodge were blown aside by a heavy blow with a high-pitched sound.

A massive, ultra-heavy black mass entered our vision. It fell toward the ground, making the wind howl. Judging instinctively that she would be caught in the aftermath, Rider leapt back from the spot.

It "landed" right beside Rider. The earth shook from the impact. Gilgamesh stood tall, looking at the fallen object with irritation.

In front of him was the Berserker, his back turned to us, holding an axe-sword that looked like it had been carved from rock. Around him, the treasures fell, having lost their power.

"Berserker!"

"■■■■■■■————!!"

In response to Illya’s call, the reply was a roar that shook the air, far beyond words. His wounds were closed. The swords and spears that had been piercing him had all been pulled out.

"You puppet! Do not show your ugly face in such a shameful survival!"

Against the approaching treasures, the resurrected Berserker swung his massive arms without hesitation. The void, appearing like a crater from above, began to expand further around Berserker.

"Berserker! God Hand is already..."

Illya’s whisper reached my ears.

...This must be his last life. However, just like during that first battle at the graveyard, power was overflowing and raging from Berserker’s body.

"CUUUUURSE YOOOOOUUUU! Do you all intend to block the King’s path at every turn?!"

Gilgamesh let out a voice of pure resentment.

Leaving the three Servants fighting far below amidst the sound of clashing metal, the Pegasus began to race through the sky, following its master’s command.

The castle was already distant. After passing through the forest and seeing residential houses, the pegasus touched down on the ground.

Suddenly, Illya’s body shook, and tears began to spill uncontrollably from her eyes. Next, the Book of the False Attendant held by Shinji burst into flames. —The pegasus vanished, its form shattering like light. Those signs announced that the two Servants, Rider and Berserker, had passed away.

Tohsaka, her face pale from Prana depletion. Shinji, watching the ashes of the Book of the False Attendant with a complex expression. Alto, who finally collapsed, perhaps because the string of her tension had snapped. Illya, clinging to me and shedding tears. And Lia, who had yet to wake.

We lost. The things we had forfeited in the battle against Gilgamesh were far too many.