With its retreat completely cut off, the Beast had nowhere left to evade Orion's near-lethal Noble Phantasm.
It could only pour all its strength into defense, spreading its tails to form a shield in a desperate attempt to block the incoming arrows.
But a Noble Phantasm elevated by a Grand Servant's Spirit Origin would continue its slaughter automatically as long as the target remained within effective range.
That defense could do nothing more than buy time, stretching out the pain.
Golden arrows ground forward as they spun, relentlessly boring through the barrier formed by the many tails before finally striking Koyanskaya's body.
The black mist, torn apart by the Noble Phantasms of the Knights of the Round Table, reknit itself for an instant before being swept away by a sudden gale so fierce that the warriors present were forced to shut their eyes.
What followed was a violent explosion. The massive crater left behind when Shiomi had slammed into the ground moments earlier expanded even further, completely swallowing the forest that lay between the East and South Districts of the Interstellar City.
When the gale finally died down and the starry night of Olympus returned to view, the vast crater stretching beyond the edge of sight contained only Shiomi and the Servants.
There was no trace of the Beast.
The only thing left behind was Gungnir, which Koyanskaya had once caught with her tail, now embedded at an angle in the uneven earth.
"Is it over?"
Having landed, Shiomi walked forward at an unhurried pace to retrieve his spear and voiced the question aloud.
"It's over." Orion lowered his bow and looked at Shiomi with a grave expression. "Even with my vision blocked, I know exactly what my Noble Phantasm does."
"I see." Shiomi let out a long breath, but his brow remained tightly knit. "We defeated the Beast, but why—"
It didn't feel satisfying.
As if something… hadn't been properly dealt with.
It had nothing to do with Olympus, and nothing to do with the Lostbelt.
The problem lay with Koyanskaya herself.
Shiomi had encountered Beasts that hadn't yet fully "matured" before, but Koyanskaya felt completely different from Sessyoin.
"The one we defeated here was probably only a part of that Beast," Orion said. "Its true body doesn't exist in this Lostbelt at all."
"What?" Shiomi stiffened in surprise.
Orion met his gaze. "That said, you can rest easy. I'm certain that, at least for the time being, that Beast won't be able to appear before Chaldea again."
In other words, for now they only needed to focus on the Lostbelt and the Alien Apostle, without worrying about Koyanskaya resurfacing to seize an opportunity.
"That's not what I'm concerned about." Shiomi shook his head. "If the Beast hasn't been completely destroyed, and it isn't in this Lostbelt—"
"About that—" Morgan's voice cut in.
She frowned slightly, her smile carrying both reassurance and concern as she looked at Shiomi. "The marks left on the Beast by Grand Archer's Noble Phantasm won't fade so easily. Once you regroup, have Storm Border analyze the Noble Phantasm. After we resolve this Lostbelt and return to the Bleached Earth, we can track down the Beast's whereabouts."
She and Scáthach had rushed in as fast as they could, but even before arriving, they had already seen the black mist so dense it resembled a bounded field, and the battle that followed.
Though she hadn't made it in time for the fight itself, seeing Shiomi safe and reunited with the Servants who had stayed behind to cover their retreat eased the anxiety gnawing at her. Regaining her composure, she quickly grasped the situation and offered a plan for what came next.
"Mm…" Shiomi glanced at the hands supporting his arm and returned Morgan's gaze with a gentle smile.
Then he turned back to Orion and made a solemn request. "Once we've regrouped with Storm Border and the other Servants, I'd like to take a detailed look at your Noble Phantasm, Orion."
"No problem." Orion agreed without hesitation.
The battle against the Beast had been easier than he'd expected, leaving him feeling a little unsatisfied. Still, uncovering the true nature of this Beast meant the trip hadn't been for nothing.
Even though he could still assist Chaldea in its direct confrontation with Zeus, he knew that when it came time to face the Beast's true form, he likely wouldn't be able to take part.
They chose to place their trust in Chaldea, and especially in the man standing before them. Those who lived in the present would be able to handle what came next.
"Also, thank you for arriving in time and helping us deal with the Beast," Shiomi said to Orion. "Without you as Grand Archer, given my current condition, that fight would've turned out pretty ugly."
In simple terms, it would have ended in mutual destruction.
He could have protected himself, but he wouldn't have been able to finish off the Beast.
"I already told you," Orion replied with a booming laugh. "You helped me stop Artemis. This has nothing to do with being a Grand Servant. I just wanted to repay the favor."
The Knights of the Round Table who had gathered nearby laughed along with him, and Shiomi thanked each of them in turn for their timely support.
"Even if we did take down a troublesome enemy, this would normally be the time to relax and celebrate a bit."
Just as everyone began exchanging information, Scáthach clapped a hand on Shiomi's shoulder and raised her voice.
"But I think you'd all better look up first."
After arriving, Scáthach had slowed her pace when she saw that Morgan had already reached Shiomi. Taking the chance to observe their surroundings, she noticed something unsettling.
At her words, Shiomi and Morgan looked up. One after another, the Servants followed suit, and the sight before them left them stunned.
From where they stood, they could see the immense crystalline mountain range above the Orbital Grand Temple. Its light pulsed on and off in a steady rhythm.
The interval was slow, roughly once every four or five breaths.
The mountain range had always contained nearly limitless reserves of pure magical energy. Now, however, the fluctuations were so slight that without watching it directly, no one would have noticed anything at all.
"The crystalline mountain range… What is Zeus planning now?" Shiomi glanced toward the Fantasy Tree. There was no change there; it looked the same as ever.
Was it because the 'Alien God' was about to descend? Did Zeus intend to break away at the very moment of its arrival, preparing to unleash this immense power, so vast that not even a god could fully control it? Shiomi quietly turned the possibilities over in his mind.
"Mr. Shiomi, look at the sky!" Gareth suddenly shouted.
Using the boundary of the Interstellar City below as its foundation, a barrier of astonishing scale was unfolding.
Or rather—
A boundary.
"Is Zeus planning to completely cut off the Interstellar City from the Orbital Grand Temple?" Morgan's fairy eyes pierced straight through the nature of it. "To seal us down here for good?"
"It's almost like the 'Severing of Heaven and Earth'…" Shiomi dropped to one knee.
Not from exhaustion, and not in submission, but as preparation to strike back.
In his hand was the scythe left behind by Demeter. Within it lingered her Authority, a part of her Noble Phantasm.
"Then I'll build you a tower that reaches the heavens, Zeus. Goddess of Fertility, Noble Phantasm, release! 'Thou, Star Plowing Harvest - Scream Eleusis!'"