There she is!
That hateful woman is here!
The killer who slaughtered the children… stands before you!
Whispers like demonic murmurs echoed in Atalanta's ears, but she felt nothing odd—because she thought the same. Indeed, her mind had already been corrupted, and she had turned that corruption into the driving force to make herself stronger.
Kill her!! ×N
Countless voices repeated the same command.
"Heh…"
She smiled and glanced at her now-blackened right arm.
"Don't worry… I will kill her, that deceitful, shameless saint."
A hollow grin split her face as she drew her bow, sharp light flashing in her eyes as she aimed at the Ruler riding atop a plane. The flag-bearing saint stood so conspicuous—like a target crafted just for her.
Vrrm~!
The Aerial Garden of Vanity emitted a deep, engine-like roar from its underside. Black slabs floating around it fired sky-rending beams toward Jeanne.
Boom!
A blinding ray cut across the sky like a falling meteor!
Jeanne swung her standard, gathering immense magic power. A strip of golden shield manifested over the nose of the plane.
Bang!
With a thunderous sound, the beam struck the shield and was deflected, ricocheting upward at an angle like a skipping stone.
Jeanne seized the moment to glance toward Chiron, who was dueling Red Rider, then set her jaw and stared at the plane hidden within the cloud layer above—Fiore and the others' aircraft. Now only the Shogun could break that barrier; their only task was to stall the Red Faction's Servants here.
She believed this delay would be worthwhile.
"Ru~ler~!!!"
A hysterical howl cut through her focus, snapping her back as a tiny red dot appeared off in the distance—she knew it was a sniper!
Under Atalanta's beastly gaze, Jeanne's movements were entirely visible.
The next instant—
Thud!!
A crimson arrow struck like a missile from across the sky. Jeanne angled her long flagpole just so; with a thwak she deflected the arrow away.
The stray arrow struck a falling ordnance from the Aerial Garden, triggering a violent explosion. Thanks to that deflection, the plane beneath Jeanne was miraculously spared.
"Wh—! Damn it!! R~~uler!!!"
Atalanta's composure snapped as she bellowed. Even amid the clamor of battle, her screams were unmistakable.
Boom!
With impossible, catlike speed, she launched herself toward Jeanne's plane like a maddened beast.
Her exaggerated leap landed squarely upon the plane's nose.
"!"
Jeanne leapt back to avoid being sat upon.
"Red Archer… I have nothing left to say to you."
She looked at the furious woman before her with weary disgust.
"I… will kill you! Absolutely… I will kill you!!!!"
Another savage roar. The bow rose, aimed at Jeanne's brow.
"Regrettably, that will not be possible."
Jeanne replied coldly and calmly—because their plan had only just begun. Thus far, everything had proceeded smoothly: the two anti-air Servants had been baited, and the rest would fall to the main force.
Do it, Shogun!
...
Thousands of meters above the battlefield, just above the cloud layer, a private jet cruised in near-silent dignity. Razor wind battered its fuselage; the low howl of rushing air flowed around it.
Fiore peered through an optical telescope at the scene below, her heart uneasy. She had not expected the plan to proceed this smoothly. Were the Red Faction complacent—or was this a trap? She could not tell.
"Sister, we've reached the operational altitude. Any higher and it'd be risky."
Caules, returning from the cockpit where the androids sat, informed her.
"Thank you, Shogun… is this altitude acceptable?"
She turned toward the woman beside her, who stood with arms crossed, gazing down through the clouds with her own eyes.
"This altitude is enough. It's time."
Nodding lightly to the girl and to Caules, she turned and walked toward the enclosed cargo bay at the rear of the cabin.
"Ah… wait, Shogun!"
Fiore called out hastily, wheeling herself forward to stop the kimono-adorned beauty before she departed.
"…What is it?"
The Shogun halted and turned back, violet eyes falling upon the girl who had wheeled up before her.
Fiore glanced down at the Yggdmillennia Command Spells on the back of her hand, then at the Shogun's delicate hand resting at her side. She reached out hesitantly, unsure if the Shogun would mind, then lifted her gaze to meet hers for permission.
The Shogun glanced at her own hand, then at the girl's intent, and raised it herself—offering it forward. Slender fingers, smooth skin, a soft palm, and nails trimmed and painted a faint violet. Seeing this, Fiore smiled warmly, taking the Shogun's hand gently in both of hers, revealing the Command Spells clearly.
"Shogun… be careful."
Closing her eyes briefly, she spoke again:
"By the Command Seal of Yggdmillennia… Saber, I, Fiore Forvedge Yggdmillennia, hereby lift all restraints upon your Noble Phantasm. Fight with all your might, to the very end."
Vrrrm~
One of the three tomoe on her hand vanished, leaving only one. She had reserved it in case of an emergency.
As their hands parted, the Shogun narrowed her eyes, then locked her gaze upon the girl once more.
"This vessel shall cut down all who stand in your way, and lead you to victory."
Her words carried a grave weight, matched by her glowing violet eyes. This was a true pact.
"Mm… please, take care of yourself too, Shogun."
Fiore answered softly, her eyes filled with affection.
The Shogun gave a nod, then turned with graceful decisiveness. The flowing sleeves of her kimono fluttered in her wake.
Clack…
She stepped into the rear cargo bay, glancing once at the corner camera.
Caules, seeing the signal, pressed the button to open the rear hatch.
Beep—!
With an electronic tone—
Rumble~
The rear hatch began to lower. Air pressure ripped dust outward as a torrent of freezing wind surged in, filling every corner.
For ordinary men, even moving would be difficult. Astolfo had barely managed a chaotic leap earlier. Yet the Shogun, in this storm, walked unhurriedly to the edge, each step graceful and measured.
Her violet eyes fixed upon the clouds below. Her long braided hair, the short hem of her kimono, and the wide sleeves all whipped wildly in the wind—yet she stood radiant, divine beauty merging seamlessly with martial bearing.
Above, the once-clear sky began to darken, thunderclouds gathering.
Rumble… A muffled thunder rolled through the clouds.
The next instant—
Boom!!
Her entire body burst with violet elemental power, dissolving into radiant motes of light. Like a shooting star, she streaked from the aircraft, a violet comet carving across the heavens before stabilizing on the other side of the cloud layer.
Her feet pressed upon invisible steps of void. Raising her hand, she struck the air beside her, and a Command Seal glowed upon her palm.
The sigil expanded, forming the colossal Eye of Stormy Judgment, spanning half the sky!
ROAR!!
From its iris tore forth the Thunderbird—Kapatcir. It ripped space like fragile paper, scattering fragments as it emerged.
The massive thunderbird-dragon beat its wings, each stroke booming with thunder, and settled beside the Shogun. Together, they gazed down at the raging battlefield.
"So this is the plan you spoke of?"
Its violet eyes turned coldly toward her.
"You want to go back on it?"
She met its gaze.
"Heh… laughable. How could I break my word with you?"
The Shogun allowed a faint, subtle smile to form, resting her hand upon the bird's feathery head, stroking softly.
Then, with a swift motion, she leapt onto its back. In her hand, Engulfing Lightning shimmered as she swung it once in a circle.
"Ride with me to war."
"Hmph."
ROAR!!
The Thunderbird cried again, thunderclouds whirling into a vast vortex around it. Its feathers flared like thorns, every plume sparking with violent arcs of lightning.
Whoosh!!
With a powerful beat, it carried the Shogun as her mount, wings spreading wide, descending in a storm-laden dive upon the Aerial Garden!
The fortress, enormous as it was, looked almost diminished before the thunder-dragon's colossal frame.
...
Whoosh whoosh! ×N
Beams of light grazed past Astolfo one after another, each a hair's breadth away. It was like riding a rollercoaster—no, even a rollercoaster wasn't this extreme!
"Waaah~!"
He screamed with excitement, hands still tugging at his mount's reins to weave through the air, dodging the dense rain of blasts fired from the Aerial Garden.
This was a bullet hell game, wasn't it?! And he was now the poor little protagonist trapped in the hailstorm of bullets, about to be shredded any second by projectiles each carrying the force of a grenade.
Too bad he still hadn't remembered his Noble Phantasm's true name. All he could do was grit his teeth and keep dodging. The enemy wasn't letting up—until he was dead, they wouldn't stop.
Faced with another deadly barrage, Astolfo furrowed his brows and yanked hard on the hippogriff's reins, flipping in a wild 360° spin through the narrow gaps, heart hammering as he barely scraped by again.
Boom! ×N
Explosions burst where the projectiles collided, each like firecrackers going off in sequence. Blinding fire and shockwaves shook the entire battlefield.
"Waaaah~! This is hell mode!!"
Why did he have to be the one breaking through the fortress' defenses alone?! He must have been crazy! But perhaps it was because he was the only one with a flying mount.
"Whatever your strategy, you're nothing but a rabble."
From her throne, Semiramis sneered at the projected images of Astolfo and Jeanne struggling in the skies. Her voice dripped with condescension.
"Don't think any of you will escape alive today!"
Her palm glowed crimson, and the fortress transformed again. Its floating slabs rotated and interlocked like spinning gears, reshaping into triangular cannon ports. The triangular symbols upon them locked onto Astolfo like crosshairs.
Vrrrm~
Azure mana gathered rapidly within the cannons, the etched runes glowing as the entire array charged. In the next instant, a massive blue plasma beam erupted forth, lancing straight for the struggling Rider!
BOOM!!
Yet at that moment—the Aerial Garden shook violently, explosions blazing across its upper levels. Semiramis nearly toppled from her throne.
The locked-on beam veered wildly off course.
BOOM!!
Explosions continued. Something was attacking from above!
Suddenly, alarms blared across the fortress. On the schematics projected in the hall, large swaths of its floating structures turned crimson—destroyed. And the number was climbing.
"What?! What's happening?!"
Panic crept into her voice as she swiveled the cameras upward.
"Wha—!"
A colossal thunderbird blotted out the sky on the monitor, electricity arcing across its wings so fiercely the screen itself flickered. Behind it churned violet thunderclouds, spiraling into a vortex. And upon its back stood a woman.
The woman in a short violet kimono turned her gaze toward the camera, her beautiful eyes meeting Semiramis'—and the faintest mocking smile curved her lips.
"Saber… you—!!"
Semiramis roared, stung by that taunting smile.
Beep-beep—!!
The fortress alarms wailed on. She staggered to her feet, ignoring the clamor, and desperately redirected the surviving slabs toward the Thunderbird.
Meanwhile, Kapatcir, carrying the Shogun, responded with a cold snort. With a thunderous beat of its vast wings, it soared even higher, its massive form moving with terrifying speed.
Vrrrm~!
The fortress cannons unleashed their azure beams, sweeping across the sky like searchlights, chasing the Thunderbird's twisting form.
"Heh… petty tricks. Nothing worth mention."
Kapatcir scoffed, beating its wings harder. In seconds, it pierced through the clouds, climbing thousands of meters above the battlefield.
As expected, once the beams pierced the cloud layer, they lost their lock and veered off course. Seizing the chance, Kapatcir dove once more at lightning speed.
Its velocity was overwhelming—the Aerial Garden's cannons had not yet fully turned, leaving it exposed at its deadliest moment.
Even so, its automatic defenses activated. A blue shield spread over the fortress, and the remaining slabs swiveled skyward, creating a 360-degree wall of fire.
But as the Thunderbird plummeted, it beat its wings again.
Crackle~
A torrent of lightning burst forth like a tidal wave, flooding from its wings. Blinding violet arcs engulfed the skies, swallowing the slabs in an electrified storm. Circuits shorted, one by one detonating in a domino chain of explosions.
Kapatcir opened its dragonlike beak, a mass of thunderous energy forming within.
BOOM!!
A breath of lightning surged downward, striking the fortress' shield dead-on. It faltered, trembling, fractures spreading across its surface.
The Shogun watched calmly, though not letting her guard drop. She knew it wasn't over yet, because—
[Beware. He's coming.]
"Saber… prepare yourself!"
Indeed, Ei's warning came true. From afar, a blazing sun rushed toward her—the manifestation of Karna's full power.
Her response was instantaneous—or perhaps she had expected this. Kneeling upon Kapatcir's back, she poured her own Electro into the beast. In an instant, a violet shield encased it, and in its dive it became a meteor.
"Beelzebul! You—"
Kapatcir cried out, realizing her intent. But by then, the dive could not be stopped.
"Leave me. The fortress is yours."
Whispering calmly, the Shogun stepped off its back, letting Kapatcir plunge alone toward the fractured shield.
"Tch… always so reckless!"
Kapatcir snapped, but obeyed.
"!"
Seeing this, Karna decisively gave up on the Shogun, turning instead to stop the Thunderbird. Yet a flash of violet light cut across his path—the Shogun herself. Engulfing Lightning in hand, she swung down in a cleaving strike!
Clash!
Karna was forced to block, sparks erupting as the two collided. And in that instant, Kapatcir completed its dive.
Crack!!
With the force of a meteor, it smashed through the already-crumbling shield. Shattered fragments glittered like crystal rain, scattering into the night.
But the Thunderbird did not relent. Folding its wings inward, it spiraled in a fierce roll, twisting its body to aim again. Its beak glowed bright with condensed power—
BOOM!!
A second breath of lightning ripped forth. With no shield left, the Aerial Garden was as fragile as paper. The violet torrent cut clean through its flank, slicing into its structures like a blade.
BOOM BOOM!!
Explosions erupted across its sides, fire blooming violently as the fortress suffered devastating damage.