Fear, whether light or heavy, is an emotion that forever seeps into every corner of human—and even all living—existence. It is the sum of physiological and psychological responses when an individual faces danger.
At this moment, Waver Velvet was experiencing a terror even greater than when he had barely escaped with his life from the hands of the King of Heroes ten years ago.
It was the kind of fear that etched itself into one's bones—unforgettable after a single glance.
Crack—
Numbness. Piercing pain. As if his blood vessels were being torn open. An icy chill seeped into every inch of his body, gnawing away at his warmth and flesh. Beneath his stiffening, hardening limbs, Waver's consciousness felt as though it were swimming in a boiling cauldron of oil.
"These are Mystic Eyes..." Absolutely the highest tier of Mystic Eyes. A deity?
Gazing at the colossal half-body divine statue behind Li Sushang—formed from violet-crimson streams of energy—those scarlet, diamond-shaped pupils that seemed capable of petrifying the very soul sent shockwaves through Waver's heart.
There wasn't even any activation of magical energy from the Mystic Eyes. Merely being observed from afar through a projection could cause such an effect... Could these be the legendary Rainbow-class Mystic Eyes?!!
"Master, please stand behind me. Beware the Mystic Eyes of Petrification."
A splendid fleur-de-lis banner unfurled. Sensing something amiss with her Master, Ruler Jeanne immediately stepped in front of Waver, blocking Selene's gaze that carried petrifying properties.
Relying on her EX-rank Magic Resistance, Jeanne possessed formidable resistance against magical energy release, Mystic Eyes, and magecraft rituals alike.
"Thank you very much, Ruler."
Feeling his blood begin to circulate again, Waver collapsed onto the ground with a thud, gasping for breath. The magical circuits throughout his body activated at once, glowing with a blue-green radiance as they resisted the stiffening effect.
Setting aside the previous war, in this Holy Grail War alone—purely in terms of individual magecraft talent—Waver could only claim to surpass Shinji Matou and Shirou Emiya... And even then, Shirou only ranked lower because his true magical circuits had yet to be fully developed.
In the face of a Servant like Selene, who overwhelmed others in her default state, no amount of theoretical knowledge or peerless deductive reasoning mattered. If your total magical energy was insufficient, then it was insufficient. If your raw strength was lacking, then it was lacking.
She did not even need to launch an attack. In her presence, you did not even possess the qualification to move.
"Selene, you... why have you become like this? Like some evil... serpent deity..."
Receiving no answer, Ruler Jeanne hesitated. Looking at the radiant, flawless half-body divine statue before her—its curves perfect, its white form as immaculate as sculpted plaster—she stammered, unable to form a complete sentence.
The dark-gold scale-like ornaments on either side of Selene's cheeks were manageable. What unsettled Jeanne most were the enormous wings—exaggerated to the extreme.
Especially below Selene's waist—her legs had vanished entirely. In their place extended a serpent's tail, emerging abruptly from her smooth, lustrous skin, its dense, snake-like scales clearly visible.
It shimmered brilliantly, flickering with an ominous red glow in rhythm with her breathing.
The light it emitted was a dim orange-red, like a sun nearing the end of its life as it gazed down upon the earth, radiating a dreadful pressure as though the apocalypse itself had arrived.
She was both goddess and evil god, and at the same time a monstrous being blotting out the sky. The magical energy surging from her distorted the air, making the entire district tremble.
"Serpent deity? More like an evil god." Selene admitted without the slightest hesitation, controlling the projection as she slowly lowered herself. That face—blending features of Gorgon and Tiamat—was enchantingly seductive beyond measure. A trace of delight lingered in her bright, exquisite eyes as she regarded the long-unseen saint.
"It has been a long time, my friend. I must apologize—I did not foresee that I would encounter you in this Holy Grail War, Jeanne."
That countenance, fused into such bewitching beauty, seemed like a masterpiece crafted by the heavens themselves, brimming with an irresistible allure.
"And Jeanne, it seems your luck in Masters this time is not particularly good."
Lowering her gaze, Selene brazenly appraised Waver behind Jeanne, who looked almost like a timid bride hiding behind her.
As Selene's eyes shifted, Jeanne kept adjusting her petite frame to shield Waver, like a mother hen protecting her chick.
Selene paid little mind to Jeanne's protective act. Nor did she intend to truly engage Waver and Jeanne in open combat—not yet. The time had not come.
Chaldea—Ritsuka Fujimaru, Romani Archaman, Fou, Goetia—as well as the mortal participants of this Holy Grail War, "Devil Muscle Rin" and "Giant Hero Emiya," had all been assigned their respective positions by Selene.
The stage has already been built. Now we wait for the false Magus King Solomon, the true Demon King Goetia, and his temple to descend.
However, since a new actor had taken the stage, how could Selene refrain from arranging a role for her as well?
The moment she sensed the Command Spell-like compulsory control emanating from Li Sushang's side, Selene projected her divine consciousness over.
As expected—it was Ruler. And Jeanne, at that.
In an instant, Selene decided how she would be positioned in this grand play.
On the surface, Selene merely offered a faint smile, as though greeting an old acquaintance. "Your Master seems somewhat weak."
"Leave my Master aside. Selene—you, a divine king who wields authority over heaven and earth, actually responded to a Master's wish and descended?"
During the Great Holy Grail War in Romania, Selene had nearly single-handedly annihilated the Red faction to secure final victory for the Yggdmillennia clan. Yet at the very moment the Greater Grail descended—within reach—she had self-destructed and withdrawn.
Jeanne had seen clearly the utter disregard Selene showed toward the Greater Grail.
She did not believe that simply moving the battlefield of the Greater Grail from Romania back to Fuyuki would suddenly make it so appealing as to attract an otherworldly sovereign like Selene.
At the same time, Selene's mischievous teasing of her in the town of Sighisoara remained vividly etched in Jeanne's memory.
For Selene to descend, there must be something interesting in this Holy Grail War—something capable of attracting a bored deity who sought amusement.
At that thought, Jeanne discovered a blind spot.
The person or object that attracted Selene was highly likely to be the very reason Jeanne herself had been summoned as Ruler.
She must find that thing—or that person. That was the judgment Jeanne reached.
"To Your Majesty Selene, the Holy Grail should be nothing more than an outdated form of entertainment, should it not?" Jeanne suddenly shifted her tone and asked.
"Entertainment?" Selene did not make any excessive movements. She simply replied indifferently, "You could say that."
"Jeanne, tell me—what do you think of the modern human world?"
"How is it? Hasn't humanity been steadily advancing...? Though wars born of mistrust still persist, and crimes remain an everyday part of human nature, social productivity has undeniably grown more abundant. At the very least, there will no longer be the kind of widespread famine that occurred in my era—where children starved to death in great numbers."
This time, she was not borrowing another's body. Her knowledge relied entirely on her own vessel. With the foundational understanding of modern society imparted by the Greater Grail, combined with the effects of her innate skill Revelation, Jeanne's breadth of knowledge had expanded considerably.
The only thing she found dissatisfying was the complete absence of any infusion of mathematical knowledge.
"Perhaps. But what if someone wished to bring back Mystery—to restore the Age of Gods—and I agreed to his bargain?"
"What? Restore the Age of Gods? How could that possibly be achieved? Humanity in this era has already forgotten the gods, forgotten magical beasts. The gods have, in effect, bid farewell to mankind. To remake the entire world—surely even the Greater Grail would find that extraordinarily difficult to accomplish."
"Heh... Jeanne, then what do you think my Master summoned me for? And why do you think I answered his call?"
"Selene, you..." Jeanne's expression changed abruptly. "...Why would you respond to such a selfish wish? A transformation of the world on that scale could even lead to humanity's extinction—"
"Stop speaking of humanity's extinction as though it were inevitable!"
Interrupting Jeanne, a demonic radiance slowly blossomed within the center of Selene's scarlet eyes...
"Jeanne, humanity is not as fragile as you imagine." That soul-hooking voice carried a terrifying pressure that made even Jeanne's spiritual body tremble, forcing a muffled groan from her lips.
The distant wail of police sirens was now clearly audible. Selene turned her gaze toward the sound, a meaningful smile appearing on her face.
"The interlopers have arrived. It seems our reunion must end here."
"Very well—let these eyes serve as the bell that tolls the first year of Mystery's return."
"Jeanne, are you prepared? Together with me—"
The fragmented scenes foretold by Revelation flooded her vision in an instant. After a brief daze, Jeanne looked up at Selene in shock.
"No, Selene, don't—"
"—Reveal the truth of this world to humanity!"
Hummm—!
Amid the violent tearing of the air, Selene's scarlet Mystic Eyes ignited.
"Jeanne, if you do not block it, you and your Master will both die. And if you die, what will you use to stop me? Hahaha... Jeanne, I am truly delighted. Come! Entertain me to your heart's content!!"
"Selene!"
Jeanne roared in anger—perhaps shock and fury would be more accurate. She did not wish to fight Selene, nor to stand as her enemy. But the mission she upheld left her no choice but to act.
She unfurled the battle flag in her hand.
Upon the massive platinum banner, the magnificent fleur-de-lis danced in the wind.
A faint golden radiance lit up from Jeanne's body.
Facing the surging magical power gathering within Selene's Mystic Eyes, Jeanne did not hesitate. Guided by a warrior's instinct, she raised the fleur-de-lis battle standard high and stepped forward half a pace.
"O my banner, protect my compatriots!"
In an instant, a gentle rain of golden light descended, forming a resplendent curtain of brilliance.
"That's more like it!"
Hummm—!
A massive meteor-like sphere of light flared to life. In the darkness of night, a thick and dazzling dark-red beam of energy shot forth from the sigil before Selene's eyes.
"Luminosité Eternelle!!"
BOOM—!!
At the moment of collision, all things fell silent.
At midnight, it was as though a second sun rose from the earth itself, heaven and earth seeming to invert as day and night exchanged places.
At that moment, Waver could hear nothing at all. Even his mind felt dizzy and numb. When fragments of petrified debris struck his body, he felt only faint pain.
Within a radius of several hundred meters, the ground collapsed and caved in instantly. Buildings throughout the surrounding streets shook violently, beginning to crumble. The city's earthquake alarm system activated automatically.
Woooo—! Woooo—!
In that instant, the slumbering city of Fuyuki was jolted awake.
Hearing the shrill earthquake warnings blaring from all directions, people fled their homes in panic.
The patrol cars that had been rushing toward the disturbance were immediately overturned by the shockwave. The windows of the police vehicles had shattered completely, shards of glass littering the ground.
The injured officers lay prone on the pavement, trembling.
The terrifying tremor and flash spread like a dragon turning beneath the earth, rolling through billowing sand and dust in the distance, sending dark smoke and petrified fragments into the sky.
Even lying flat more than a thousand meters away, the merciless shockwave from the explosion still rattled their organs.
The earth trembled—and so did their hearts.
They exchanged glances.
Don't tell me this is another gas explosion.
Boom—! Boom—!
The sky-shaking explosion continued its unwilling rampage for nearly half a minute before gradually fading. It was brief—but for those who experienced it, it would be an unforgettable memory for a lifetime.
"Cough... cough..."
As the oppressive shadow weighing on his heart finally dissipated, the cool moonlight once more poured down from the sky, illuminating the land ravaged by the aftermath of mythic collision.
Crack... crack...
Pushing aside the debris and shattered stone pressing down on him, Waver stared at the devastated surroundings with lingering fear. "Ruler... you're alright, aren't you?"
Is the Holy Grail War always this terrifying? Are the two allies dispatched by the Mage's Association even still alive? After this ordeal, Waver seriously doubted it.
"I'm fine, Master... thank you..."
Ruler Jeanne staggered upright from a deep crater several meters deep in the ground. "You weren't injured, were you?"
"I'm mostly unharmed. I should be the one thanking you, Ruler."
Stepping forward, Waver struggled to help Jeanne out of the crater.
After a moment of silence, he spoke.
"Jeanne, could you tell me everything you know about the Servant called 'Selene'?"
"Alright..."