The terrifying strike unleashed by Grand Lancer Romulus, who sacrificed his Grand-class Saint Graph, finally forced the arrogant God into a state of utter shock.
That lofty, godlike expression—regarding himself as omnipotent, as though he were the one true God—
Now, a trace of fear crept across it.
Because this meant he could be slain!
Sanjiro offered a slight bow of thanks:
"I thank the Grand Lancer for his aid. I will defeat him at all costs!"
Every true Grand Servant is a mighty safeguard of human history.
Note—true Grands. That fraud Flower Magus never counted.
That bastard only held a "Grand Caster candidate" slot, but had no intention of fighting to protect humanity—always shirking the responsibility of being a Grand Caster.
And since there was no narration from Alaya to explain, Sanjiro simply told the normal spectators himself:
"Put simply—Zeus's HP bar just appeared!"
At once, countless viewers instantly understood what the Grand Lancer had done—by that strike, the Grand Lancer have lit up hope in the peoples heart.
====
Meanwhile, in Academy City—
Tamamo-no-Mae stood there slack-jawed.
"This guy… summoned another Grand Servant to assist him?"
Unbelievable.
Back in the Singularities—during Absolute Demonic Front, the Grand Assassin had claimed indifference, yet still obediently unleashed the Grand-class single strike.
In the Lostbelt No. 3, Nameless had again sacrificed his own Grand Archer Saint Graph without hesitation, firing a single arrow that stripped her of the Sun's power.
And now, in the battle against the Omnipotent Zeus, he'd called upon a Grand Lancer!
Would all seven Grands end up lending him their strength?
A single Grand alone could force Zeus's HP bar to appear. If all seven Grands descended together…
Just imagining the terrifying sight sent chills crawling over Tamamo's body.
She turned her head toward the Nightmare beside her:
"So, why aren't you hurrying to become a true Grand Caster?"
"…Technically, I already am a Grand Caster, I just don't have the Grand-class Saint Graph." Merry replied helplessly.
Grand Saint Graphs are one-to-one.
There's always a line of candidates waiting to replace each one.
The sole exception is the Grand Assassin.
The Hassans dare not, nor do they have the qualifications, to succeed that seat.
And history's most famous assassins? Almost all failed.
Thus, they had no claim to inherit the Grand Assassin title.
As for Grand Caster, aside from Merlin, the King of Heroes himself was also a candidate.
A slightly special case.
Gilgamesh holds a similar status to the First Emperor.
The First Emperor could be called a "Grand Ruler-class." Gilgamesh a "Grand Archer-class"—both on par with Grand, simply lacking the Saint Graph.
Tamamo's eyes gleamed as she fixed her stare on her:
"So, if you received the Grand Saint Graph, would you obey Alaya's orders… and turn your power against me?"
"…Relax. I won't become a Grand." Merry sighed even more deeply.
It isn't becoming a Grand that makes one strong—one must already be overwhelmingly strong to qualify as a Grand.
Already mighty enough and free to live unbound—why would she ever accept the chains of a Grand?
And with Alaya's favoritism toward Nameless…
If she ever became Grand, she too might be summoned to fight for him, forced to battle under compulsion.
The thought alone was horrifying. Not a chance, not ever!
Meanwhile—
Within the domain, Athena smiled:
"With the Grand Lancer's Grand Spear, at last we can truly defeat him!"
"So why aren't you stepping in to help?" Sanjiro fixed her with a glare.
It was their pantheon's mess that humanity—yet he had to clean it up for them?
If you want me to fight, at least pay up.
Or do you want to end up dangling from a streetlight?
"Of course. We gods will once again grant you our blessings, so that you may claim the right to strike him down."
Athena calmly sipped her tea.
Around them, the space of the domain suddenly began to shift.
One after another, exalted gods projected their powers into him—
[I, Ares, God of War, grant you my blessing. May you grow stronger with each battle!]
[I, Apollo, God of the Sun, grant you my blessing. Under the sun you shall be invincible!]
[I, Poseidon, God of the Sea, grant you my blessing. You are now child of oceans and storms!]
[I, Hades, King of the Underworld, grant you my blessing. You shall never know death!]
[I, Hestia, Goddess of the Hearth, grant you my blessing. You shall guard the eternal flame of every home!]
…
Just like before, in the Olympus Singularity, Sanjiro once again drew upon the blessings of the gods.
These were the true gods of Olympus.
And with their divine power, he could strike down the Omnipotent Zeus with far greater ease.
Most gods could not descend directly into the human world.
The true Zeus, however, sighed deeply:
"Nameless, I grant you my blessing. Wield the thunder of destruction—and strike down that other self!"
For that god was no longer a false god, but the true Machine God Zeus—
A pitiful weapon bound by the Primordial Father.
"Good!" Sanjiro nodded firmly.
Even with his restored strength, battling the Omnipotent Zeus was daunting.
But with the blessings of the gods—and with Tiamat's healing aid—he could draw freely upon powers that surpassed his limits.
A mortal stepping into the realm of gods!
At that moment—
Another phantom smiled beside him.
"I, Hera the Queen, grant you my blessing. You shall possess infinite fertility."
???
Sanjiro's head filled with them.
Everyone else was giving him power—and you bless me with that?
Hera cast a glance at the other gods and huffed coldly:
"Look at Zeus. Don't you understand the might of this gift?"
"…." Sanjiro was speechless.
In Greek myth, Zeus the Great Philanderer had fathered countless gods and demigods.
Apollo the Sun God, Artemis the Moon Goddess, Athena the Goddess of Wisdom, Hephaestus—
All born of Zeus.
Even among demigods, the greatest hero of all, Heracles, was Zeus's child!
Compared to that, even Morgan—who had spawned half of Britain's Round Table—would pale in shame.
Aphrodite, Goddess of Love, licked her lips with a smile:
"So long as you cooperate with Heroic Spirits and sire child after child, you'll be exalted by their might—and easily safeguard human history!"
She even projected alluring visions of numerous Heroic Spirits—
Artoria, Mash, Jeanne d'Arc, and many more—
All manifested before him, dripping with seductive charm.
"…."
Sanjiro could only respond with bitter silence.
As expected of the Greek gods—utterly unreliable!
As a true hero of justice, how could he possibly guard human history by… playing the part of a great philanderer?
Had they forgotten—he was the one who once told Artoria:
"There are three kinds of birds: the stupid bird that flies first, the bird that gives up flying, and the bird that lays eggs in the nest and forces its children to fly!"
If he really took this path, wouldn't he become the ultimate clown?
Then Hermes stepped up once again, ever the perfect hype-man:
"Rejoice! Having gathered the blessings of the Twelve Olympians, you transcend the limits of time and space. The ultimate god-blessed hero is born!"
All twelve divine blessings poured into him—
Transforming Sanjiro once more into the God-blessed Hero!
Athena's eyes shone with excitement:
"You've been strengthened. Now strike!"
"…Fine."
Sanjiro had the nagging sense that this goddess had turned into a trickster for her own amusement.
But now, the only thing that mattered was slaying the Omnipotent Zeus who threatened his peace.
Before countless eyes—
Sanjiro raised his sword and leveled it at his foe:
"Zeus—your death has come!"
Behind him, twelve radiant figures shone.
The avatars of the Twelve Olympians' blessings, divine substitutes brimming with power.
"You? You've gained the gods' blessings again?"
The Omnipotent Zeus glared furiously.
In that instant, once more, he tasted betrayal.
Those treacherous Olympians still would not acknowledge him.
Even though he was the one who surpassed all gods, who rivaled the Creator—why must they still place their hopes in a mortal?
The sight of this power-filled scene set the audience ablaze—
====
On the Fuyuki Bridge—
Gilgamesh stood upon a lamppost, his face faintly complex.
In the end, that accursed friend still chose the gods' aid.
Even though he himself was right there.
If Nameless but asked, Gilgamesh could claim the mantle of Grand Caster, sacrifice his Grand Saint Graph, and unleash a strike to shake the world.
Ea alone was not enough to cut down the Omnipotent Zeus directly.
Now, his friend needed to merge the Twelve Olympians' blessings into Ea—granting it divine anti-god attributes.
Only then could he strike the Omnipotent Zeus down in one blow.
So—beg me.
If he but asked, Gilgamesh would open the Gate of Babylon, and hold the line for him!
Shikotei descended beside him.
He had now fully unleashed his mightiest Noble Phantasm, extending its protection over the entire land affected by the battle.
This gave Sanjiro the freedom to fight with his hands completely unbound.
Naturally, Shikotei had seen the recordings of "Gods of Olympus". He knew well that buying time was crucial.
Thus, he deliberately mobilized the his mechanical divine body of, intending to confront the Omnipotent Zeus head-on.
Shikotei chuckled lightly:
"King of Heroes, tell me—who do you think Teacher will call upon first?"
As the eternal sovereign, this was his domain.
This is my land. I alone rule it.
There was no need for countless Heroic Spirits to intervene. He alone was enough to meet this so-called Almighty God in direct battle!
"...Hmph. This king has no interest in such trivialities."
Gilgamesh gave a cold snort.
If he had not lent Sanjiro Ea, could the man have possibly slain the Sea God and the other four Machine Gods so easily?
"Oh? If you truly don't care, then why lend him Ea?" Shikotei gazed at him impassively.
This man—clearly clinging to Fuyuki City for the Teacher's sake, yet still insisting that he did not care.
A lie, through and through.
Gilgamesh replied calmly:
"It is simply because this king despises the gods."
Indeed, he was the Heroic Spirit who hated divinity more than any other.
Whenever there was a chance to strike down the divine, how could he possibly refuse?
At that moment—
Another Heroic Spirit arrived, clad in knightly armor: Artoria Pendragon.
Following behind him were the rebellious knight Mordred, and further still, the sun knight Gawain.
To face the Omnipotent Zeus was nearly certain death.
And yet, these Heroic Spirits still came without hesitation!
Mordred, glancing at the King of Heroes and Shikotei, grinned boldly:
"Yo! Let's fight together. The three of us are a stack-up squad!"
"Mo-chan, you…"
Gawain almost spoke, then faltered.
It was true—those three together were near-invincible.
But what on earth did you have to do with it?
Why not just say, 'With the wealth of me, the King of Heroes, and the First Emperor combined, we could crush most nations beneath us'?
Still, this was for the best.
With Heroic Spirits like Gilgamesh, Artoria, and Shikotei holding the frontlines, he could just sit back and enjoy the spectacle without risking his life.
While the Heroic Spirits discussed—
From high above, the Omnipotent Zeus gave a cold snort:
"Nameless, did you think I would grant you this time?"
He had already been pierced through by the Grand Lancer, his absolute defense shattered, his defeat imminent.
If Nameless reforged another anti-divine weapon, there truly was a chance he could be slain.
But Zeus would never allow him that chance!
Crackle! Crackle! Crackle!
Omnipotent Zeus's body erupted into a sea of lightning, purple arcs flashing wildly.
Endless thunderbolts would rain down, consuming all, to slay Nameless at any cost!
"Oh? Did you think I was still the man I was back then?" Sanjiro sneered.
Did this god think he had remained stagnant all this time?
Back in the "Gods of Olympus" Singularity, he had indeed needed others to risk their lives buying him time.
But after defeating the Beast Tamamo—who wielded the divine authority of the God of Weapon—he had advanced his blacksmithing craft to an entirely new height.
Behind Sanjiro, a colossal forge manifested.
BOOM!
With a single hammer strike, the blessings of the Twelve Olympians shattered into twelve fragments, which fused together at once.
The blazing light of the Sun God, the surging might of the Sea God, the unerring aim of the Moon Goddess…
In that instant, all twelve divine blessings merged into one, transforming into a power equal to Zeus himself!
"Fusion! Synchro! Reinforcement!"
The twelve authorities, the twelve divine powers, were all forged into Ea, granting it a new and terrifying ability—
[Anti-Divinity: Rank EX. A special attribute granting supreme advantage against the divine, designed for one purpose: to slay the Omnipotent Zeus!]
Where there is Counter, there is Overcoming. With divine-slaying trait stacked upon it, Sanjiro now held the qualification to truly end Zeus!
Zeus's composure shattered.
"What?! Impossible!"
He had schemed endlessly, sacrificing everything—even himself as a piece on the board—just to consume the Olympians.
By waging war, by exploiting the First Emperor and Nameless, he had devoured one divine authority after another.
And yet now—
The opponent had effortlessly claimed the blessings of the Twelve, effortlessly forged them into omnipotent power.
From Ea, Zeus felt it.
The presence of death.
A primal fear that shook even his core, his essence itself quivering.
This sword could kill him.
"You damn mortal… I'll obliterate you! I'll erase you so utterly that not even concept nor memory shall remain!" Zeus bellowed.
He transformed completely into a colossal cosmic dreadnought.
Dozens of cannons emerged, each one embodying a divine authority.
Twelve cannons, twelve deific powers, ready to unleash his ultimate attack.
An attack fueled by burning his own essence, meant to annihilate his foe beyond salvation—never to revive, never to exist again!
And yet—
As the Omnipotent Zeus unleashed his all, Sanjiro turned not to the host of Heroic Spirits at his side, but to the distance.
"Chin Kyu. Lend me your strength!"
The audience watching were dumbstruck—they could understand why Nameless would call for that bastard strategist.
====
???
On Fuyuki Bridge, the gathered Heroic Spirits were equally stunned.
Mordred blurted out:
"Wait—does this guy mean to sacrifice himself?!"
That was Chin Kyu, after all!
The infamous strategist who delighted in using allies as fireworks!
Other tacticians scheme for the survival of their comrades, calculating every path to preserve a sliver of hope.
This bastard's first move was always to sacrifice you for the sake of a glorious mutual destruction!
"Why not call upon me?" Artoria murmured unconsciously.
She was right there.
Even without his command, she would fight by his side. Why would he choose a path of self-sacrifice?
Shikotei's eyes narrowed.
"Sensei, why bear everything alone? Could you not rely on Me, just this once?"
He had thought to slaughter the gods himself.
Yet who could have foreseen that such a plan would instead give rise to a god equal to the Human Evils?
Must Teacher shoulder it all again?
At that moment, Chin Kyu's eyes lit up at the summons.
"I'm here!!!"
This was the call he had dreamed of all his life.
To hear it now felt unreal, like a dream.
But that mattered not.
If this man wished to become a true hero, then Chin Kyu would grant him that wish!
He activated his Noble Phantasm without hesitation:
"Nameless, shine with your own brilliance!"
[Two-Pronged Formation!]
Vmmm—
All of Sanjiro's immense power was drawn forth and magnified to the extreme.
For a moment, he felt himself stronger than ever before.
Strength surged endlessly within him, transcending human limits, stepping into the realm of gods!
At last—he had reclaimed a fragment of his peak might.
Sanjiro's heart pounded, his blood roared, his spirit burned like fire.
Truly, he was alive.
But don't mistake him.
He had worked so hard to save humanity just to return to a peaceful life as a student.
Self-sacrifice was not his path.
For he had by his side the mightiest, most invincible healer—
Tiamat.
Were it not for the risk of collapsing the world and harming countless innocents, even she alone could have annihilated Zeus outright.
Softly, she whispered:
"Aaaaaa… (With me here, fight without restraint.)"
Vmmm—
A boundless tide of life energy, surpassing even the gods, poured into Sanjiro.
His body, straining at the brink of collapse, instantly restored and empowered.
This was the authority of the primordial Mother Goddess—
[Sea of Life].
Tiamat was the ocean of life incarnate.
By cycling the primordial energy of Earth's Genesis, her sea wielded inexhaustible mana.
She could vastly strengthen a target, reshape them at will, even create new life—
Even create gods themselves.
Under this terrifying empowerment that surpassed even the divine—
Sanjiro's vision of the world turned completely into black and white.
It was the ultimate sight that could perceive life and death themselves—
[Mystic Eyes of Death Perception]!
He swung Ea, now imbued with Anti-Divinity, and raised his gaze to Zeus:
"The ultimate blade I seek—cuts through causality! Cuts through karma! Cuts through destiny itself!"
Vmmm—Vmmm—Vmmm—
Ea spun violently, its crimson light of world-rending force shifting into a pale, ashen hue.
The surrounding space groaned under unbearable strain, cracking and creaking as though about to collapse.
The Omnipotent Zeus, burning his essence without restraint, unleashed his full might:
"Perish! I alone am the true sovereign of this world!"
Before him stood the embodiment of humanity's hope.
Once Nameless was slain, he would stand as the sole god of the planet, enslaving all mankind.
The twelve cannons, forged from the twelve divine authorities, erupted together in blinding beams of light.
Fire, thunder, storm, and countless other powers—all converged into a single annihilating torrent aimed straight at Sanjiro.
This titanic force could sink continents, could erase entire cities from existence.
Heck even destroy the civilization as we know it.
And yet—
Against such a dreadful strike, Sanjiro merely swung Ea lightly.
The ashen swordlight collided with the divine barrage.
There was no explosion.
Instead, there was only silence. Oblivion.
Yes—Zeus's twelve divine authorities, gathered into one ultimate strike, were nullified by the twelve blessings Sanjiro had forged into his blade.
The pale swordlight soared upward, piercing nine heavens, utterly unraveling Zeus's essence-born assault.
And it cut straight toward his core.
"No! I will be the one true god! The ruler of human history! How can I possibly be defeated by you?!" Zeus roared in rage.
But it was meaningless.
The divine barriers shielding his battleship—formed from the very authorities of the gods—shattered like brittle glass.
They could not halt the sword in the slightest.
The ashen blade drove forward, straight into his god-core.
CRACK!
The God's nucleus—formed from the combined essence of twelve deities—was shattered utterly.
And still, the swordlight did not falter.
The battleship, hundreds of meters long, was cleaved cleanly in two.
Sanjiro gazed upon his foe calmly:
"So long as it lives—even a god can be slain. You have lost, Omnipotent Zeus."