The battle between Red SABER and Anshuis raged on. Though not prolonged, the intensity was extraordinary, neither combatant having unleashed their full power—at least the Tyrant’s “Colosseum” remained unseen, and Anshuis’s demon sword was yet to be fully unfurled.

Even the arrogant Red SABER dared not underestimate an Ancestor, and Anshuis, despite his fury, could not ignore the girl who moved like a tyrant. Until they truly grasped the other's full combat potential, neither wished to deploy their trump cards, for using them meant the fight was nearing its end.

Lin Luo had little time to observe their clash. While watching them could yield valuable insight, he had more pressing matters at hand... From his vantage point, five figures draped in black robes, each bearing a black key, had entered his line of sight.

Drawn by the violent fluctuations of the battlefield, the five Executors of the Church of the Holy See had finally arrived.

“Rei,” Lin Luo called softly, turning back, extending a hand toward the blue-haired girl behind him. “Lend me your strength. Let us fight together, to uphold the self.”

“Mhm,” Rei responded gently, not as a weapon, but as a companion for the fight. In the next instant, the two merged... The brilliant Blade of the Verdant Wind was once again grasped in Lin Luo’s hand.

“Ah, what is this…” Xiao Qi was stunned speechless again. Someone who could summon an Heroic Spirit was already astonishing enough, but now he could become a weapon... Could he possibly get any more shocking?

“Well, don’t mind it. This world is very mysterious; there are far too many things you don’t know.” Lin Luo offered a calm smile to the bewildered Xiao Qi. Although summoning the Heroic Spirit and Rei’s ability should be his secrets, he felt no need to hide them from her. Seeing them wasn’t an issue, as she wasn't an enemy... It might even appeal to the loli in her.

Without waiting for Xiao Qi’s reply, Lin Luo quietly slipped into a forward position, planning a surprise attack on the Church’s Executors.

“Able to summon Heroic Spirits, and also turn into a weapon... truly...” Watching Lin Luo’s retreating back, Xiao Qi’s interest grew increasingly intense, like a child gazing upon a long-awaited toy, her face alight with longing. “This is too fascinating. Someone this interesting, I shall claim him without reservation...”

With that, she too quietly followed Lin Luo’s stealthy advance.

“...I will that the heavens no longer obscure my eyes, I will that the earth no longer bury my heart, I will that all living beings comprehend my will, I will that the myriad gods and Buddhas all shout long live His Imperial Majesty, long live, ten thousand ages long live!”

Red SABER sang out loudly, swinging her "Primal Fire" toward her opponent like a shooting star. With every strike, violent crimson flames erupted, and the air hissed with scorching heat.

“...” Anshuis’s face was grim; his rage was nearing its breaking point. Then, just as Red SABER prepared to sing the next line, he could finally endure no longer. “Ah, you tyrant! Stop that detestable noise and just die!”

His sword, Avenger, was fully unleashed. In an instant, black demonic energy enveloped the greatsword entirely, then spread across his body... Although Anshuis ranked among the Twenty-Seven Ancestors, his heart remained tied to humanity, and half of his body was still human. Thus, the moment the demonic sword’s power—belonging to a Dead Apostle—was fully released, his human right hand immediately suffered severe damage, turning a mottled, deep black as if rotting away.

However, this degree of pain meant nothing to the Vengeful Knight, famed for his willpower. Completely ignoring the erosion of the demonic energy, the greatsword descended like a collapsing mountain... BOOM.

Centered on him, the ground for tens of meters around violently sank, and an overwhelming aura swept out, forcing Red SABER into a half-kneeling posture instantly.

Krak-krak-krak-krak...

The fully unleashed Vengeful Knight's immense power had completely suppressed Red SABER. Kneeling on one knee, the girl bit down hard, holding her sword above her head to desperately block the incoming attack. Yet, it was clearly an enormous strain; her arm trembled slightly, and where the blades met, piercing screeches erupted, as if the sword itself were mourning.

“AAAAAAH!”

The furious roar sounded like the crashing waves of a raging sea. In this moment, the besieged Tyrant unleashed her full strength. "Primal Fire" blazed brilliantly, the crimson flames surging upward along the blade with the intensity of a wildfire, roaring madly.

Faced with such a massive blaze, Anshuis, who retained a portion of his human body, dared not engage carelessly. Moreover, this was no ordinary flame. In his current state, enduring the demonic energy erosion was manageable, but being scorched by these flames would be perilous.

Anshuis retracted his sword and retreated without hesitation.

“Hahahaha-hahahaha-hahahaha...”

As soon as he backed away, he heard a burst of loud laughter from across the field. He looked up to see the crimson girl seemingly laughing manically towards the sky.

“Hahaha! Noise, you call it noise? A mere commoner dares call this King’s music noise? You ignorant plebeian, no one can stop me now...”

“...” What was wrong? Had he touched her deepest nerve? Anshuis could sense boundless fury suppressed within the girl’s laughter, putting him on high alert while simultaneously feeling utterly perplexed. Just as he prepared to strike first, he realized the surrounding environment had abruptly shifted.

“Come—Chant of the Golden Theater!”

Red SABER roared, her voice deep, spreading both hands wide. There was no vast, overwhelming aura, nor blazing torrents of fire—only... a magnificent, brilliant, dazzling, and solemn large-scale theater so bright it nearly blinded the eyes.

This was manifested using magical energy, recreating the theater she had built in Rome during her lifetime. However, after the theater’s opening night, many patrons left mid-performance. Indignant over this, during the second showing, she sealed all entrances and exits until the performance concluded, ensuring not a single person could leave.

Before she was an Emperor, she believed herself to be—

An artist rivaling the Music God Apollo, a charioteer matching the Sun God Sol.

This was the absolute Imperial Domain, a quasi-Mystic Eye of Death Perception that only someone of her caliber could accomplish to fulfill her desires.

To put it another way: The Emperor’s command is absolute and cannot be disobeyed.

“A Mystic Eye of Death Perception??” Staring at the grand theater that seemed to descend from the heavens, Anshuis was completely shocked, subconsciously feeling a massive sense of danger. Yet, it was too late; by the time he realized it, he was already inside the Golden Theater.

Until the Emperor’s command was rescinded, no one could leave. No one at all.

“I... sentence you to death.”

The tone was cold and merciless. Feeling her art had been severely insulted, the Tyrant who mercilessly suppressed the aristocracy in life manifested once more in this world. Any who defied the Emperor’s command faced only... death.

The crimson sword drew a brilliant streak of light across the void, moving at an indescribable speed—so fast it was almost teleportation. Before Anshuis could react, she was upon him. The next moment, the blade violently slashed across his body... blood sprayed outward.

“D-dodged... couldn't dodge?”

Looking at the deep, bone-visible gash across his chest, Anshuis was inexplicably shocked. His agility was among the best of the Twenty-Seven Ancestors, yet he could not react to her attack at all—how was this possible?

Even a Mystic Eye of Death Perception shouldn't enhance the user to this degree!

However, when he tried to move his body, he finally realized the truth: it wasn't that she had become stronger; it was that he had grown weaker. Speed, strength, nerve response, willpower—everything had been drastically reduced. The only thing not weakened was the erosion from the demonic energy.

“Hah!” The red silhouette once again slashed out a dazzling beam of light.

“...” Watching the red-robed girl charge again, for the first time since becoming a Dead Apostle, Anshuis felt... he might actually die.

...

While the battle on that side reached its zenith, the conflict between Lin Luo and the Church Executors on the other side was already drawing to a close...

The scene rewound a few minutes, to before Red SABER deployed the Chant of the Golden Theater. The five Executors of the Holy Church finally arrived at the location. Seeing the scene before them, their shock was inexpressible. They had initially believed the one fighting Anshuis was the target they were pursuing, but they never expected it to be an unfamiliar girl, locked in an evenly matched battle.

What shocked them even more was the faint presence of an Heroic Spirit’s aura emanating from this girl.

Impossible. This isn’t Fuyuki City. Why is there an Heroic Spirit here? Even if someone summoned one outside Fuyuki, why would they come here to fight an Ancestor instead of participating in the Holy Grail War?

The five Executors could not comprehend the situation. Just as they hesitated, a ferocious wave of sword qi struck from the side.

Fortunately, they were all seasoned demon-slaying warriors, ever-vigilant of their surroundings, and immediately scattered. However, compared to the Seven-Branched Tree of Brilliance, their speed was too slow. Furthermore, what Lin Luo unleashed was no ordinary sword qi—it was the Ring of the East Wind.

The Ring of the East Wind possessed power approaching that of an Anti-Army Noble Phantasm; it could instantly kill even a Dead Apostle qualified to be an Ancestor, let alone a few Executors whose bodies were merely those of ordinary humans.

When the Ring of the East Wind struck them, three of the Executors were pulverized into dust by the wind pressure, letting out barely a whimper. The other two, though slightly quicker in their escape, each lost an arm.

Lin Luo was no stranger to killing. He had slain people in the A Certain Magical Index world and the Nasuverse. But in every instance—whether against Tenjou Ariya, Sige, or the Matou family—he had justifiable reasons: irreconcilable enmity or unforgivable sins.

But these Church Executors, in truth, held no prior grudge against him, nor were they inherently evil people deserving of death. Yet, Lin Luo had a non-negotiable reason to kill them.

To protect Xiao Qi, conflict with these individuals was inevitable. If he didn't eliminate them, once they reported this location to the Church, not only he, but also Mikoto, Rin... everyone close to him would face mortal danger.

Though he hesitated momentarily, protecting certain people inherently required killing others; this was unavoidable. Therefore, to safeguard those important to him, there could be no more hesitation. Killing and being killed was simply that straightforward.

To protect everything required not just strength and courage, but also an icy heart.

Let the change begin here. Even if I must become a demon, I will cut down every single threat.

The ensuing battle was completely one-sided. In terms of sheer power, while the Executors of the Holy Church were formidable, they were no match for Lin Luo wielding the Seven-Branched Tree of Brilliance. Be it magic or physical combat, they were utterly vulnerable to the winds summoned by the Tree, especially since the remaining two had already lost an arm each, severely diminishing their fighting capability.

Without suspense, under Lin Luo’s relentless assault, the two Executors fell within a minute, no longer able to move.

“Solved so quickly? I thought it would take a bit longer.” At this point, Xiao Qi walked over from the side. She glanced briefly at the two bodies on the ground, completely unconcerned, as if observing roadside stones.

“Well, good. Now we just wait for SABER and Anshuis to decide the victor...”

Turning his gaze toward the other battlefield, he could only see a massive theater forged as if from gold... Since this was a fight between a Heroic Spirit and an Ancestor, the Executors had not dared approach too closely, positioning themselves just outside the range of the Golden Theater.

The Chant of the Golden Theater, equivalent to a Grand Magic that was nigh-identical to a Mystic Eye of Death Perception—or perhaps it was one itself—meant that from the outside, everything appeared silent and still, revealing nothing of the events within. Although Lin Luo had absolute confidence in Red SABER, for some inexplicable reason, a sudden feeling of unease gripped his heart.

Strange. Could Nero possibly lose? Impossible. She is a top-tier Heroic Spirit, comparable to the King of Heroes. Especially after manifesting the Chant of the Golden Theater, even the vengeful knight, strong as he is, shouldn't be able to defeat her inside.

“Ah, my head...” Just as he thought this, Lin Luo suddenly felt an intense, stabbing pain in his head, as if countless ants were gnawing at his brain—the sensation was pure hell.

“Aaaahhh... my head...”

In less than three seconds, Lin Luo could bear no more and collapsed onto the ground, moaning in agony.

“Lin Luo!”

“Lin Luo!”

Almost in unison, Rei reverted from her weapon form, and Xiao Qi rushed to Lin Luo’s side, helping him up. She saw his face was incredibly pale, his entire expression twisted in pain.

“What happened?”

“I... I don’t know.”

This sudden turn of events caught both girls completely off guard; worry and astonishment warred within them.

Just then, a voice echoed from ahead.

“So you are here after all, Black Vampire Noblewoman.”

Both girls immediately looked up. White hair, red eyes, a giant sword, and two hands streaming with blood... Who else could it be but the Vengeful Knight Anshuis?

PS: Ahh, is updating ten thousand characters daily truly my limit? I still owe one chapter; it will likely be very late. Everyone please read it tomorrow. V