Right after hearing Arthur's agreement, Iskandar wasted no time and immediately activated his ultimate Noble Phantasm, Ionioi Hetairoi.
In an instant, the world around them was swallowed whole.
With this Noble Phantasm, he created a Reality Marble—a vast, scorching desert where countless soldiers emerged, all those who had once fought under his command, answering his call once more.
The overwhelming pressure of that army was absolute.
It didn't take long for all of Assassin's clones to be completely annihilated.
There was no chance of resistance.
When Iskandar dispelled his Noble Phantasm, reality snapped back abruptly.
Everyone reappeared inside Tokiomi's study.
The room was now in complete disarray. Most of the furniture had been displaced, overturned, or broken, unable to withstand the violent magical fluctuations caused by the manifestation of Ionioi Hetairoi.
At the exact moment they returned, Artoria's anxious voice echoed through Arthur's communicator:
{"Arthur, something terrible has happened! Iri's condition suddenly worsened!"}
"Iri? She—"
Arthur barely had time to react.
Before he could finish speaking, a figure had already crossed the distance at incredible speed.
Displaying physical abilities far beyond human limits, Artoria appeared carrying Irisviel in her arms, leaping from a distant rooftop straight into the Tohsaka family courtyard.
She landed with precision.
Immediately entering everyone's field of vision.
Seeing that, Arthur acted at once.
With a single fluid motion, he supported Rin with one hand and wrapped Aoi with the other, leaping out of the study. In the blink of an eye, he was already beside Artoria.
After handing the still-sleeping Rin to Aoi, Arthur immediately turned his attention to Irisviel.
Without wasting a second, he began assessing her physical condition.
Iri's condition had deteriorated suddenly, a direct consequence of Assassin's death.
The Servant's soul, which should have returned to the Throne of Heroes, remained trapped within Irisviel's body, which functioned as the vessel of the Holy Grail.
And that drastically increased the burden on her.
"I'm afraid that if one or two more Servants were to die, Iri's body would begin to visibly deteriorate."
Arthur's expression turned serious.
As his hand gently touched Iri's face, it began to emit a soft but steady green glow.
He was using his Anubis ability to calm the conflicting soul within her.
I need to find a way to deal with this… I can't just let her die.
Maybe if I do this… Arthur murmured inwardly as an idea crossed his mind.
Little by little, the tension in Iri's brow eased.
Her breathing stabilized.
Then she slowly opened her eyes.
"Arthur, Artie, it's so nice to see you when I open my eyes~ I thought I wouldn't get to see you again this time."
"Iri…" Artoria murmured, the tension in her voice giving way to relief.
Arthur kept his hand on her face, gently stroking it as he spoke firmly:
"Don't say such nonsense. You'll be fine, I promise."
"Mm… I believe you."
A soft smile appeared on Iri's face.
Arthur helped her sit up, her body still fragile after collapsing earlier.
With a light motion, he leaned down and gently kissed her forehead.
"Will that make you feel better?" he teased.
"What?!" Iri lightly tapped his chest, her tone slightly playful. "I'm not a child."
"Really? What a shame."
Arthur shook his head, feigning regret.
But the smile on Iri's face made it clear he had achieved exactly what he wanted: calming her down.
"Artie, take Iri back to the hotel so she can rest first. We'll talk later. I'll handle Caster's execution myself."
"Mm." Artoria nodded firmly.
"Hey, Lancer, that's outrageous! Don't forget about me and this kid!" Iskandar gave Waver a heavy pat on the shoulder—who was clearly trying to stay unnoticed—and laughed enthusiastically.
Despite his boisterous nature, he avoided asking unnecessary questions about Irisviel's condition.
"Fine, if you can keep up with me," Arthur replied as he stood.
To ease Iri's suffering, this war had to end—and fast.
As for the truth about the Tohsaka family...
It no longer mattered.
It was already far too obvious who was behind all of this.
"Hm?"
At that moment, a golden "star" streaked across the night sky.
Arthur's gaze immediately lifted.
Iskandar noticed it at the same time, his eyes narrowing as he stared upward.
"That is…"
Aboard the radiant Vimana, Gilgamesh—once again seated upon his throne—casually tossed an emerald-colored gem to Kirei.
At the center of the jewel was a small golden button, delicate and discreet, resembling the switch of a remote control.
"Since this was your idea, you will be the one to begin this final act."
"Very well. Leave it to me."
Kirei took the gem without hesitation and, using Vimana's remote monitoring system, directed his gaze toward the Tohsaka mansion far below.
"Professor Tokiomi, this is my graduation gift. I hope you enjoy it."
A faint smile appeared on his lips as he pressed the button on the jade gem.
Buzz—
At that instant, the underside of Vimana's hull split open to both sides with a heavy mechanical sound.
Irregular golden magic circles appeared around the craft in three dimensions, slowly rotating. At the same time, they functioned both as a defensive barrier and as a mechanism to amplify the destruction about to be unleashed.
"It is time to say goodbye, Professor," Kirei said.
At the center of the golden magic circle beneath the ark, a colossal golden arrow began to materialize.
It was larger than Vimana itself.
Its tip was dragged downward by gravity.
The moment it passed through the golden magic circle, the arrow plummeted.
Its speed increased violently, reaching supersonic levels within seconds.
And it continued accelerating as it fell, surpassing the limits of human perception and disappearing completely from sight.
"That is?!"
Iskandar's pupils contracted sharply.
Without wasting time, he grabbed Waver, who still hadn't fully understood what was happening.
Then he turned to Arthur and shouted with the greatest urgency his voice had ever carried:
"Lancer, get over here quickly! I'm going to release my Noble Phantasm again!"
"It's useless," Arthur replied. "That attack will probably still affect us even if you use your Noble Phantasm."
Artoria firmly supported Iri.
Aoi held Rin tightly against her chest.
Both of them looked at Arthur with obvious concern.
For a brief moment, Irisviel even considered removing Avalon implanted within her body and handing it to Artoria.
"Ah, I'm going to punch you in the face later, Goldie," Arthur muttered.
He raised his gaze toward the golden "star" high in the sky.
From Gilgamesh and Kirei's perspective, it seemed as though he was looking directly at them—as if his vision pierced the vast distance between them and could clearly see beyond ten thousand meters.
"My, how interesting."
Arthur's reaction only piqued Gilgamesh's interest further.
The King of Heroes watched in silence, increasingly curious to see how Arthur intended to handle that attack.
What followed was a massive golden ripple opening behind Arthur.
Then another.
And another.
Until five additional portals appeared, forming a vast circle behind him.
From within them emerged golden pillars bound by ancient chains.
At the center of that formation, a golden vortex began to rotate slowly.
And from within that radiance, the tip of a gigantic golden arrow emerged.
Arthur raised his gaze and declared:
"The key to the tomb no longer exists. Here lies humanity's oldest and greatest god-slayer."
"Let everything tremble!"
"Utu Duranki!"
Utu Duranki was the "bow" used by Marduk to defeat Tiamat during the battle between her and the army of her children, the Mesopotamian gods.
Now, it was one of the many Noble Phantasms in Arthur's possession.
[A/N: If you don't know, Utu Duranki is one of Gilgamesh's Noble Phantasms as a Grand Archer]
The moment Arthur finished speaking, the arrow was released.
It tore through the heavens in a blinding flash.
And pierced through Gilgamesh's attack with absurd ease, as if the massive golden arrow were nothing more than paper before it.
Without losing strength or slowing down, it continued rising, tearing through the sky.
Traveling straight into space.
Gilgamesh rose from his throne.
For the first time since the beginning, he abandoned his relaxed posture.
He walked to the edge of Vimana, watching as the arrow disappeared beyond the clouds.
"He even has that…" he murmured.
However, before he could react further, a sudden, hysterical roar echoed in the distance, cutting through the night air.
The sound interrupted both Gilgamesh and Arthur.
Both showed the same displeasure and slowly turned to look in the same direction.
(End of Chapter)