The inferno finally subsided.
The once bustling district had become a sea of shattered concrete, scorched asphalt, and countless piles of ash that had once been Ghouls.
A foul smell lingered in the air.
Standing at the center of the ruined street, Nero Chaos no longer resembled the dignified Twenty-Seventh Dead Apostle Ancestor. His clothes had long since been reduced to rags, his gray hair burned black in several places, and his swollen face looked more like a grotesque monster than a human.
His seventy-two beasts had already been killed dozens of times.
Yet every time they were destroyed, another creature emerged from his body.
Unfortunately...
Every resurrection merely prolonged his suffering.
"...Monster..."
Nero spat blood onto the ground as he glared at Rin.
"You... are the real monster..."
Rin crossed her arms.
"Coming from you, that's surprisingly flattering."
Another ruby floated into the air.
Seeing the crimson jewel, Nero instinctively took several steps backward.
The fear engraved into his instincts overwhelmed even the immortal will of a Dead Apostle Ancestor.
"No... don't..."
The ruby exploded.
Boom!
A pillar of white-hot flame engulfed Nero once more.
His screams echoed throughout the abandoned city.
Olga Marie silently watched everything.
She had heard stories about the Twenty-Seven Dead Apostle Ancestors countless times while growing up.
Each one was considered a walking natural disaster.
Even the Clock Tower would mobilize entire departments before attempting to confront one.
Yet...
The terrifying monster before her had been beaten into submission with nothing more than punches, kicks, and increasingly creative torture.
Olga swallowed.
"...So this is Elder Sister's true strength..."
For the first time in her life, she felt that perhaps the Clock Tower had drastically underestimated Rin Tohsaka.
No...
Not underestimated.
They simply had no way of measuring someone who had already stepped beyond ordinary Magi.
Three hours later...
Nero finally collapsed.
His eyes had completely lost their fighting spirit.
"I'll talk..."
"I'll tell you everything..."
Rin smiled brightly.
"See? Wasn't that much easier?"
Olga Marie silently looked away.
She suddenly understood why the Association privately referred to Rin as "Demon Rin."
Sometimes...
Rumors truly were kinder than reality.
Nero slowly began speaking.
"This isn't our world anymore..."
"The moment the Singularity appeared... something descended."
"The Crimson Moon."
Olga Marie's pupils contracted.
"The Crimson Moon?"
Nero nodded weakly.
"Our Lord..."
"The True Ancestor King..."
"Brunestud..."
"But..."
Before he could finish...
His entire body suddenly trembled violently.
Countless black shadows crawled across his skin.
Rin narrowed her eyes.
"A curse?"
"No..."
Nero laughed bitterly.
"It is... punishment..."
"My existence... has already become unnecessary..."
His body rapidly dissolved into countless black beasts.
The beasts screamed before turning into ash.
Within seconds...
Nothing remained.
Only a strange black crystal rested on the ground.
Rin picked it up.
The crystal emitted a faint magical pulse.
Olga Marie quickly recognized it.
"A bounded field anchor?"
Rin nodded.
"It seems someone used this to stabilize the Singularity."
She looked toward Tokyo's skyline.
Above the endless ruins...
An enormous crimson moon was gradually becoming visible.
Although it was still daytime...
The blood-red moon hung silently over the city.
It should have been impossible.
Yet it existed.
"The Crimson Moon..."
Olga Marie felt cold sweat run down her back.
Rin merely smiled.
"Interesting."
"It looks like the final boss has already started loading."
Far away...
Within the last human fortress...
A desperate battle had already begun.
The flames surrounding the defensive trench continued burning.
Machine guns roared endlessly.
Artillery shells exploded one after another.
Yet the tide of Ghouls refused to stop.
Each one that fell was immediately replaced by another.
An officer shouted himself hoarse.
"Reload!"
"Keep firing!"
"No matter what happens, don't let them cross the trench!"
Several American helicopters circled overhead, firing rockets into the Ghoul horde.
Entire streets disappeared beneath explosions.
Even so...
The black tide continued advancing.
A soldier looked toward the horizon.
"...Dear God..."
"They're still coming..."
His rifle slowly lowered.
For the first time...
He understood what true despair looked like.
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