"Ah, Sparta. An old acquaintance."
The starship skimmed low over the wasteland and soon arrived near the city of Uruk.
Setsuna gazed down at the battlefield below, where chaos reigned, and spotted several familiar faces.
"Tch. Back then I was piloting Barbatos and couldn't do much against him... but now we're teammates, right?"
Gudako clicked her tongue.
Hum—
Chaldea's signal quickly connected.
"Severe energy reaction detected. Target Spirit Origin is at Divine Spirit level. Class: Avenger."
"She is the leader of the Three Goddess Alliance and the youngest of the Gorgon sisters—the incarnation of Medusa!!!"
Roman frantically checked the data on his equipment.
Gorgon's magical energy reaction surpassed even Quetzalcoatl, Ereshkigal, and Ishtar.
The Great Holy Grail of the King of Mage lay hidden within her body. Using the Grail's power, she commanded Demonic Beasts, and she herself had been twisted into a monster.
"Master, allow us."
The King of Knights stepped forward voluntarily.
"We cannot stand by and watch her continue destroying Uruk... Our previous battle with Quetzalcoatl was a failure of strategy."
"This time, we will certainly eliminate the Demonic Beast Goddess."
"Mm."
Setsuna did not mind letting his subordinates display their strength.
Click—
After the hatch of the starship opened,
Gudako piloted Strelizia and leapt down with fourteen Heroic Spirits.
BOOM!!—
On the ground, Ushiwakamaru miscalculated a move and was struck flying by Gorgon, crashing into the city wall.
Just as she was about to lose her life—
Whoosh—
A flash of golden light streaked before her eyes. Clad in armor, the King of Knights stood before her, radiant holy sword in hand.
With a swing, she severed an incoming python and cut down the encroaching Demonic Beasts one by one.
"Can you still move? If you cannot fight, retreat into the city first."
"You are..."
Ushiwakamaru felt dazed. She had never seen this Servant in Uruk before.
"Hah?!"
Merlin on the city wall was stunned.
"King of Knights?! Why are you here?!"
"Ah, Merlin?"
The King of Knights turned to look at the magus, momentarily startled.
She had been taught by Merlin since childhood—how to become a proper king, how to fight, how to rule.
When she drew the sword from the stone, Merlin had warned her that becoming king would lead to a tragic end. Yet she had chosen to pull it free all the same, and ultimately met her end upon Camlann Hill.
Now that she thought about it, perhaps Merlin's clairvoyance had seen her future long ago.
"Ah?! Merlin is here too?!"
Roman at Chaldea was equally shocked, leaning closer to the holographic display.
"Were you summoned into this world by the Holy Grail? Or do you have another Master? ...Were you present in the previous Singularities?"
Merlin stared wide-eyed at the King of Knights.
From the tower in Avalon, he observed the entire world with his clairvoyance, including the earlier Singularities.
Unfortunately, interference from another world had obscured his vision. He only knew that Chaldea had indeed reclaimed six Singularities.
"Well... it's a long story..."
Artoria did not know where to begin.
Moments later—
Thud—
Another figure descended beside the King of Knights.
Her appearance resembled Artoria's, though more mature, slightly taller.
The Lion King.
"Hah???"
Merlin wondered if his eyes were playing tricks on him.
Had he risen too abruptly? To see not one, but two Kings of Knights in Mesopotamia.
"You handle the Demonic Beasts inside the city. Leave this to me."
The Lion King's voice was calm and cold as she issued a concise command.
"Do not fail again. To disgrace the Master is to shame the chivalric code."
"...Understood."
Being commanded by another version of herself, the King of Knights could only comply. The Lion King was far stronger—more fitting of a true king.
"Ex...calibur!!!"
BOOM!!—
Golden energy burst from the holy sword, sweeping away the Demonic Beasts rampaging within the city and forming a massive golden cross in the sky.
Descending alongside them were Heroic Spirits who had joined from previous Singularities.
"The Fifth Emperor of Rome, Nero Claudius, is here! Mere Demonic Beasts—watch as I destroy you at once!!!"
"Construct it, my grand palace!! ...Eh? Eh? Can this thing even fit inside?!"
"Step aside. There is almost nothing I cannot kill—even if she is a god."
"???"
"The Roman Emperor is here too?! And that's the Saint of Orleans? Is that the Queen of the Land of Shadows?..."
The more Merlin watched, the more confused he became.
In all his long life, he had never seen so many Heroic Spirits gather at once.
The Saint of France fighting side by side with the King of Knights of Britain—what touching revolutionary friendship.
Tap—
Two petite girls with purple twin-tails descended together.
They lifted complicated gazes toward Gorgon.
"Mm... so this is what our little sister looks like? Not cute at all."
Stheno and Euryale had imagined countless times what it would be like for the three sisters to reunite and live together again.
Never had they imagined that Medusa would become a monster in the truest sense.
"You... are..."
Gorgon quickly noticed the two small figures.
"No... how are you here?!"
"Come. Destroy Uruk with me. Destroy these humans. They must pay for what they have done."
The serpent-haired goddess looked down upon them.
Having gained immense power, she had discovered she was stronger than her sisters.
"Nope."
Euryale wagged a finger.
"We only came because Master said you were in this Singularity."
"You're no match for Master. Stop now, and this can still be resolved."
Her voice was gentle, naturally seductive. The gazes of ordinary men would unconsciously be drawn to the two sisters.
But to Gorgon, it sounded like mockery.
"What did you say? Master? A human Master? You obey a human Master's orders?!"
"Foolishness!!!"
RUMBLE!!!—
Energy beams rained down like a storm.
"Eh!!—"
"Has she completely lost her mind under the Grail's influence?!"
The two sisters hastily evaded.
Whoosh—
A gust of wind swept past.
Beside Gorgon, a figure with long green hair and a white robe manifested, smiling as he looked down.
"Mother... I did not expect it to be so lively here."
"It seems the King of Uruk has invited quite a few helpers."
His voice was clear. His attire simple—loose hair, a pure white robe.
"Enkidu?"
Gudako, Ishtar, and the others looked up and immediately recognized him.
"No, that's not right. He's Kingu."
"A weapon created by Tiamat using a divine mud-doll body."
Having reviewed sufficient information aboard Eternal Snowfall, they were not misled.
"Oh? You know quite a lot."
Kingu floated in midair.
"Even so, you would stand against Mother?"
"Indeed. My name is Kingu, the perfect prototype of the next generation of humanity. I shall eradicate the old humans and rule the world in your stead."
"Human Order will not perish. Your history shall be inherited by me. The joy of returning to nothingness shall be the final salvation I grant you."
Kingu and Gorgon's gazes swept across the crowd before settling upon Quetzalcoatl and Ishtar.
"So the Three Goddess Alliance has already collapsed? Then we need not worry about drawing the attention of the other two goddesses when we destroy Uruk."
"Eliminating you will open a new era for humanity."
Gorgon possessed enough strength to annihilate Uruk outright. She had delayed only out of concern that doing so would spark infighting within the alliance.
Now that Eresh and Quetzalcoatl had defected, she had no more reservations.
Clatter—
Countless chains burst from the ground, lunging toward the crowd.
"Enuma Elish—no, the Chains of Heaven!! Be careful!"
Several Heroic Spirits flashed aside.
"Master, the Demonic Beast Goddess is not as reasonable as the Feathered Serpent or the Goddess of the Underworld. If you intend to subdue her, it will take some effort."
Scáthach projected her spear and assumed a battle stance.
"I know."
Setsuna lightly tapped the main console.
"Also, her authority is connected to Tiamat's. If Gorgon is defeated, Tiamat will be impacted as well."
"Prepare yourselves. Everyone, get ready to listen to Mama Tiamat sing."
...
Smack—
Within mere minutes, outside Uruk, the starship airdropped an entire Heroic Spirit unit along with a Strelizia.
Since an unusually large number of Heroic Spirits were participating in the Seventh Singularity, the squad's size was equally staggering.
Gudako stood at the forefront in Strelizia, leading Chaldea's forces in a standoff against Gorgon and her army of Demonic Beasts.
"You are Chaldea's Master?"
Only now, after contacting Doctor Roman, did Merlin recognize Fujimaru Ritsuka.
He glanced at the strange mechanical construct, feeling that something about it was... off.
"Uh... you're a bit different from the Master I imagined. Perhaps I should have paid more attention to you in the previous Singularities?"
"Times have changed."
Gudako replied succinctly, eyes fixed on Gorgon.
"Chaldea's trash-tier magecraft isn't very useful. Anyway, this time we're definitely beating her."
"Tch. The opponents in the previous Singularities were all too weak. Finally, someone worth fighting?"
"?"
Gorgon felt as though she was being provoked.
"The last Master of humanity... die together with Uruk."
Bzzzt—
From her eyes—and from the mouths of the serpents that formed her hair—countless violet-red beams erupted.
BOOM!!!—
"God is Here With Me!"
Jeanne spun her dragon banner and activated her Noble Phantasm, constructing a hemispherical barrier on the spot to block the attack.
"This Gorgon is Medusa at the stage before fully becoming a monster. Be careful."
Merlin called out a warning.
"If she truly possesses the Holy Grail as you claim, ordinary Heroic Spirits are no match for her. We'll need instant-death weaponry. Anna—"
"Tch, why make it so troublesome? We're not going up one by one to duel her."
Gudako waved him off dismissively.
"Merlin, what era are you living in? Outnumbering her and still fighting in close combat?"
She raised her spear high.
"Everyone—prepare Noble Phantasms!!!"
"Firepower saturation!!!"
Click—
The battle erupted in an instant.
Gorgon and her Demonic Beast legion surged forward like a flood, crashing toward Uruk and the Heroic Spirit squad outside the walls.
The Lion King stood at the very front, like a monarch commanding an army.
"Fall back."
Without shifting her gaze, she extended her hand, golden light condensing into a radiant spear.
"Light, may you be released from the ends of the world.
"Split the heavens and tether the earth, anchor of the storm!
"Rhongomyniad!"
Hummm—
A thunderous resonance echoed from the depths of the sky.
The Noble Phantasm that had previously failed to fully activate within Uruk was now projected in its entirety.
Within the darkened heavens, a colossal spiral golden lance took form—vast as a mountain.
Like an inverted peak hanging from the sky, it illuminated half the firmament, bathing the entire battlefield in golden radiance.
BOOM!!!—
Rhongomyniad descended with world-destroying force, piercing straight toward Gorgon.
"!"
Gorgon looked up, startled. This was power comparable to a goddess.
She gathered magical energy, forming a barrier before her.
BOOM!!!—
The Holy Spear collided with the barrier, and the shockwave swept across the battlefield outside Uruk.
Countless Demonic Beasts shattered and were annihilated in the golden light.
The serpents extending from Gorgon's body were crushed into dust under the spear's might.
"Aaaah!!—"
Before she could even finish her roar,
the Lion King's strike served only as the opening signal.
The next instant, more bizarre and varied Noble Phantasms descended upon Gorgon in rapid succession.
"This is the roar of a soul tormented by hatred..."
[Roar, O Rage of Mine!!]
Whoosh—
Jeanne Alter unleashed dragonfire that covered most of the battlefield, scorching Gorgon's body and scales.
Though the Grail granted her astonishing regenerative power, the agony of burning flesh was undeniably real.
"Die!!!"
She raised her hand to counterattack—only to see a golden Buddha's manifestation appear in the sky, chanting Sanskrit.
[Five Elements Mountain—Tathagata Palm]
Tripitaka descended with a palm strike from above.
BOOM!!!—
An overwhelming force pressed down from above, nearly flattening Gorgon.
RUMBLE!!!—
The ground outside Uruk sank several meters.
From high above, a massive handprint over a hundred meters long scarred the battlefield.
"Umu! Everyone, together!!!"
Two Neros charged forward with swords in hand.
"Construct it—my grand palace, here to display the supreme brilliance!"
"Thus praise it—the golden theater that enraptures the heart!"
Flash—
The desolate outskirts of Uruk instantly transformed into a resplendent golden theater.
BOOM!!!—
Gorgon lashed out wildly, blasting the theater into ruin.
"She's too strong. The Golden Theater won't remain stable... then we'll use that move."
Nero and Nero Bride exchanged a knowing glance, drawing forth the primordial flame and attacking from both sides.
"Witness the twilight of my stage—even if the curtain never rises again, this moment belongs to the performer!"
"Take this... Fax Caelestis!"
BOOM!—
The Golden Theater shattered under the assault, and Gorgon's body was left riddled with wounds.
As the field of vision shifted back from the Reality Marble,
what filled her sight was another Heroic Spirit—long purple hair flowing, crimson spear in hand.
"The spear is me! I am the spear!—Gáe Bolg Alternative: Soaring Spear of Piercing Death!!"
Whoosh—
Scáthach hurled her spear.
The first strike nailed Gorgon in place within space itself.
The second strike, blazing with scarlet brilliance, streaked across the heavens and pierced straight through her body.
BOOM!!!—
The crimson lance completely impaled her form.
...
"Ah, that's brutal."
Watching from the walls of Uruk, Ishtar and Quetzalcoatl exchanged glances.
They had never seen Heroic Spirits fight like this—using Noble Phantasms for continuous firepower saturation. It was eye-opening.
Round after round, the Heroic Spirit squad unleashed chained Noble Phantasms upon Gorgon, battering her senseless and leaving her unable to retaliate.
The Starsea Empire's combat doctrine was certainly... innovative.
A short distance away, the remaining Gorgon sisters were reenacting a grand family reunion scene.
"W-wait, you're Medusa?"
"No, no, you're little Medusa? See, this is more like my sister! You're way cuter than Gorgon!!"
Euryale pulled the petite hooded girl beside Merlin into her arms, vigorously rubbing her head.
From the girl called Anna, she sensed a familiar presence.
"Huh?!"
"Uu... Sisters?!"
"Sisters? It's really you?!"
Anna was startled.
She was Medusa in her childhood form, manifested in this world for one purpose only—to kill Gorgon.
She had never expected to see her sisters again.
"Why are you here?"
Anna's voice carried both joy and confusion.
"Master told us you were in this Singularity. But... we thought it was her earlier and completely forgot about you."
Stheno pointed toward Gorgon.
"Master... not her?"
Anna looked confusedly at Gudako, who was fighting below.
"Of course not. Our Master is someone incredible. He promised we could all live together in the Starsea Empire."
Stheno answered.
Her reason for following Setsuna to the Starsea Empire was the hope that one day the three sisters could truly reunite.
There were already Avenger and Lancer versions of Medusa here. Who knew—perhaps a Rider might appear in the future as well.
"Ah..."
Anna felt dazed, overwhelmed by the shock of reuniting with her sisters.
"Sisters, th-then what should we do now?"
"Are... are we going to kill Gorgon? If she's destroyed, I'll disappear too. But if I can see you again..."
Her original killing intent dissipated completely. By instinct, she relied on Euryale and Stheno to decide.
"Well..."
Euryale twirled a strand of hair thoughtfully, glancing at the pitifully battered Gorgon.
"Even if she's a bit crazy right now, she's still our sister. And Master said he wants to take her with us too."
"Come on."
Whoosh—
Three small purple-haired figures leapt from the walls of Uruk together.