The crowd was long past being surprised by Lin Luo’s capabilities; even if he claimed to be the Counter Guardian EMIYA at this moment, they likely wouldn't bat an eye. Thus, the King of Conquest paid it no mind, roaring with laughter as he charged into the sky atop his chariot, the "Bone Chariot of the Scourge," accompanied by a deafening clap of thunder.

"Good luck." With Iskandar’s blessing, the Knight King girl leaped into the sea. The shining greaves on her boots kissed the water’s surface, splashing silver droplets, yet her feet did not sink. The water was as firm as solid ground, supporting her as she sped across it—a miracle only possible for a king blessed by the Lady of the Lake.

"Nero, the lookout duty is yours." Like the Lancer, Nero lacked the ability to fly or walk upon water, rendering her helpless against enemies submerged in the ocean. Lin Luo had her remain to protect Mikoto, figuring that while Mikoto possessed immense power, her defense was too fragile; a single sniper round could finish her.

"Rest assured, leave it to (this emperor)." Nero replied proudly.

Lin Luo smiled faintly. With Nero guarding their rear, he felt completely at ease, removing any lingering concerns. It was time to test his current strength against the Caster.

Thinking this, in the next instant, Lin Luo vanished from his spot. Though he was the last to charge forward, he arrived virtually simultaneously with Saber and the King of Conquest. Facing the colossal sea monster up close, even the current Lin Luo felt a tremor of fear. Its hideous and ferocious form exuded an overwhelming sense of oppression.

Countless tentacles stretched out like a nest of snakes, horrifying and causing an unsettling prickling sensation across the scalp.

"You tentacled freak, there are no Magical Girls here." Uttering words the two kings beside him couldn't comprehend, Lin Luo raised the Azure Wind Blade. A violent tornado whipped up around him, batting away every tentacle that lunged toward him. White vortexes gathered on the blade, the restrained power slowly reaching a critical point...

"Ring of the East Wind."

The whistling roar of the wind swept over everything, the sound of it breaking the air triggering a vacuum fluctuation, far more powerful than the first time he’d used it. The white tornado raged, tearing everything apart... an attack nearing the level of a high-grade Anti-Army Noble Phantasm.

Boom

The Ring of the East Wind struck the monster’s flesh without mercy. Its enormous body shuddered slightly, the sea instantly boiling over, waves cresting and spraying everywhere.

"The Distant Conquest."

A gap torn open by the Ring of the East Wind, Iskandar, too stunned by Lin Luo’s power to hesitate, immediately urged the Bone Chariot forward. In the blink of an eye, he reached the wound, unleashing the thunderous might of his chariot in a relentless series of crushing attacks.

On the surface of the sea, a massive, serpent-like tentacle coiled toward the small girl, making her seem like a leaf tossed by the waves in the ocean. But the Knight King’s beautiful face remained perfectly calm. Though her opponent was a monstrous entity beyond the scope of the ordinary, it could not halt her advance. Saber felt utterly fearless in this moment.

Dealing with such heretical fiends was her principle as a Knight. Not only did she have Lin Luo’s support, but she also had many trustworthy comrades. Yes, there was nothing to fear.

"Let's finish this right here."

The moment Iskandar retreated, the girl raised the Barrier of the Wind King, full of fighting spirit, and brought it down mercilessly upon the sea monster.

Flashing blades, roaring lightning, and tempestuous winds—at this moment, facing the giant monster whose very existence defied reason, none of the three held back. They unleashed their full strength, attacking with maximum force.

In the distant sky, over five hundred meters above the ground, perched upon a luminous boat forged of gold and emeralds, the small, fair-haired, red-eyed girl gazed down at the battle below, a look of disdain and disgust crossing her features. "Hmph, what an ugly creature. Though he is a mongrel, he is a warrior of some renown. To think they have been reduced to uniting to deal with that filth. How truly lamentable. Do you not agree, Tokiomi?"

Unlike the King of Heroes' languid composure, Tohsaka Tokiomi, who was permitted to sit on the luminous boat, was filled with rage and anxiety. Fuyuki City was his domain, and such a major incident occurring now was an utter disgrace to his reputation.

"My King, that behemoth is a pest that destroyed your garden. Please enact its execution."

"No!" the girl flatly refused, drawing herself up proudly. "I have no intention of letting my Noble Phantasm touch something so foul."

"But the others are struggling to cope. My King, please display your heroic might!" Tohsaka Tokiomi pleaded, his eyes fixed on the distant combat.

Although three individuals were fighting the monster, the situation was far from optimistic. The sharp sword that could cleave rock, the thunderous iron hooves, the surging, roaring storms—all battered the sea monster, sending chunks of flesh flying. Yet, the wounds inflicted were instantly filled with new flesh; their destructive power could not keep up with its regenerative abilities.

"Damn it, this monster's regeneration is terrifying! We can’t drag Caster out from inside it like this!" Despite anticipating resistance, Lin Luo was greatly shocked by the actual encounter. No matter how they struck, they could only slightly impede the sea monster's forward momentum.

"This cannot continue," the King of Conquest muttered, his voice edged with impatience as he maneuvered the Bone Chariot.

"Darn it!" Sweat beaded on the pretty face, her teeth clenched. "If I could use my left hand, this situation would never have arisen..."

Just then, the three suddenly felt an immense wave of power emanating from above. Without hesitation, they dodged, only to see four gleaming Noble Phantasms roar like thunder and plunge toward the mountain of flesh that was the sea monster.

The four Noble Phantasms struck directly. With the force of an earthquake, a third of the giant beast's body was blasted into vapor and scattered. But... the writhing mass of flesh expanded like a balloon, immediately repairing the destroyed portion.

"That last attack was..." Saber squinted.

"Don't count on too much; she probably won't strike again," Lin Luo said in a low voice, glancing in the direction the Phantasms had come from.

"Then what do we do now?" the King of Conquest asked instinctively. Faced with this seemingly unkillable monster, even he felt his power constrained, unlike his usual calm demeanor.

"Let's retreat for now," Lin Luo proposed. Continuing the fight would only waste stamina without tangible benefit, and repeatedly using a massive attack like the Ring of the East Wind put tremendous strain on Rin.

"Retreat? How can that be?" Saber roared. If they failed to stop the sea monster here, the consequences would be irreversible.

Lin Luo looked at her calmly and said, "Don't rush; I have a way."

"Damn it!" Reluctantly, Saber ground out a final, full-power strike before retreating alongside Lin Luo and Iskandar toward the embankment.

As Lin Luo and the others pulled back, the King of Heroes aboard the luminous boat also prepared to withdraw, despite Tokiomi's repeated pleas. "Tokiomi, I used four Noble Phantasms out of respect for you. Since that thing touched me and dirtied them, I have no desire to reclaim them. Do not mistake my leniency for cheapness... Or are you planning to ask me to draw EA here? Such insolence toward a King demands death as atonement!"

The golden-haired girl furiously snapped at the still-speaking Tohsaka Tokiomi, her face screaming "Absolutely not, absolutely not!" The ultimate treasure, EA, was reserved only for opponents she acknowledged—opponents like the King of Conquest, or perhaps the Knight King, but certainly not for that disgusting monster.

Her toes touched the shore, and the moment she landed, Saber rushed to Lin Luo. "Tell me, what is your plan?"

Lin Luo smiled faintly. First, he separated from Rin. After the long battle, the girl appeared severely weakened. Lin Luo supported her, then pointed to the Knight King's left hand. "A City-level Noble Phantasm—you have one, don't you?"

"You?" Saber’s expression changed drastically. Only her Irisviel knew she possessed a City-level weapon. How could he know? She exchanged a glance with Irisviel, who also wore a look of shock.

However, the most astonished person on the field was not the two Sabers, but the Lancer. He stared at the girl and asked in a deep voice, "Is what he says true?"

Her expression shifted several times, but finally, she composed herself and nodded silently.

"Can that Noble Phantasm settle that monster Caster in a single strike?"

"Possibly," Saber nodded again, meeting the gaze of the Lancer Heroic Spirit with unwavering determination. "The weight of my sword is the weight of my honor. The wounds I suffered in my battle with you are an honor, not a shackle. Just as you said in the forest, if this left hand can be exchanged for the aid of Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, then it is truly worth a thousand armies."

Even if causing Saber a twinge of guilt now did nothing to aid the situation, as companions who jointly upheld the chivalric code, Saber hoped Lancer could face his destined duel without reservation.

The Lancer did not answer. He only squinted at the monster gradually approaching on the sea, then spoke, "Hey, Saber, I can never forgive that..."

The Lancer's tone was soft but firm. "He takes pride in causing despair and delights in spreading terror. Before I became a Knight, I swore an oath never to allow evil to run rampant. Therefore..." Saying this, he thrust the red spear in his right hand into the ground, gripping the middle of the remaining yellow spear tightly with both hands.

Seeing this action, everyone knew what he intended. Not only Saber but even Iskandar and Nero gaped, speechless.

Then, ignoring Saber's attempt to stop him.

"Is the victory required now for Saber, or for Lancer? No—the victory required now is for the chivalry we both believe in. Am I not right, Heroic Spirit Artoria?"

With a casual smile, the Lancer unhesitatingly snapped one of the twin spears, his Noble Phantasm. The powerful curse contained within the Yellow Rose of Inevitable Demise transformed into a whirlwind and burst forth, scattering in an instant.

"I entrust my wish for victory to the Knight King's sword. I ask you to do it!"

Freed from the curse of the Yellow Rose of Inevitable Demise, the wound on the Knight King's hand healed instantly. She clenched both fists, responding with a power that shone through her many flaws. "I promise you, I will bring victory with this sword!"

The next moment, the Barrier of the Wind King unwound, and the Golden Sword revealed its true form amidst the roaring storm. Its brilliant, radiant blade seemed illuminated by a vow of victory, lighting up the surrounding darkness.

"That is the King of Knights'..."

Witnessing this noble ultimate weapon firsthand, everyone's eyes widened, as if seeing a dawn breaking in the long night. The anxiety and unease that had settled in their hearts were swept away by this light.

Yes, this was the ideal of the Knight.

This was the culmination of everything depicted in the hearts of those who passed into infinite radiance—those who, even on a blood-soaked battlefield, immersed in an endless hell of deathly terror and despair, still resolutely praised the nobility of humanity.

"We have the killing weapon. Now, we need a way to lure that monster into its effective range," Lin Luo stated in a low voice at that moment. "Though this isn't the best time to pour cold water, attacking the monster head-on right now might not achieve the desired effect."

"Indeed, half of its body is submerged. There must be an entrance to an alternate dimension below, otherwise, such a multitude of monsters wouldn't appear. We must sever its connection to that alternate dimension, for at least three seconds, before delivering the killing blow." The King of Conquest, having fought the monster directly, understood this perfectly and offered a reminder, but...

"You mean drag it out of the sea?" The Lancer frowned. Who could manage to pull such a colossal monster from the ocean? That would likely be harder than killing it.

Just as a glimmer of hope appeared, they immediately faced a more difficult problem, leaving everyone looking somewhat crestfallen.

"I will handle that task." Suddenly, everyone heard a childish voice. Turning, they saw the little girl who had just unleashed the Anti-Army level barrage.

"You can manage that?" Saber looked at Mikoto in astonishment.

"Mikoto..." It wasn't just her; even Lin Luo was slightly stunned. "Are you confident?"

"Of course. I am the ace of Tokiwadai, the Level 5 Railgun!" she replied with utter confidence. Mikoto then looked toward the monster in the sea. "Just as the Lancer said, I cannot forgive a monster that casually takes lives. So here, I will display all my power."

Without any doubt, anxiety, or confusion—once the decision was made—the girl named Misaka Mikoto possessed a power that commanded everyone's attention.

"Good, then it's up to you, Mikoto," Lin Luo said, seeing such confident and resolute words, he had no reason to stop her.

"Mhm." Mikoto nodded, and then...

The sea began to churn. Countless volumes of seawater surged upward like a tide. This was not an attack from the monster, nor a sudden natural high tide; it was drawn by Mikoto's electricity. The static charge in the water guided the currents into the sky.

Then, to everyone’s stunned gaze, the seawater converged behind the girl as if alive, stretching, elongating—one wing, two wings, three wings... a total of twelve wings, six pairs of pure, transparent water wings.

"This is..." Never mind the two Sabers who knew nothing about Mikoto; even the Heroic Spirits possessing immense power were rendered speechless by this sight. Manipulating seawater was something even they could not achieve.

But the shocking spectacle had only just begun.

The water wings flapped, and with a sharp cry from Mikoto, she soared into the high heavens. Hovering high in the air, she looked down upon the sea monster directly beneath her, then pointed her right hand toward the sky... Boom.

A bolt of lightning descended from the heavens, momentarily illuminating the entire night sky. A massive flash struck Mikoto.

"No, impossible? Is she the incarnation of thunder?" Waver Velvet, the servant of the King of Conquest, found it utterly unbelievable. If an ordinary person were struck by lightning, they would instantly be reduced to ash, yet the little girl was completely unharmed. No, it seemed the lightning had invigorated her, making her energy appear even more abundant.

"Who... who exactly is she?" someone could no longer hold back the question.

But no one answered. At this moment, all eyes were focused on the expanse of the sky.

Vast banks of storm clouds blanketed the night, occasionally illuminated by flashes of lightning, visible even to ordinary people in the distance. These were layers upon layers of thunderclouds interwoven with lightning, brimming with a terrifying, awe-inspiring power.

"If we're going to put on a monster movie, then you better play your part well. Don't expect any mercy from me, you fiend!"

With a crisp, sharp cry, Mikoto slashed her right hand down. At that moment, the Thunder God descended—A...

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