The battle of the Three Kings on the nameless planet was thrilling and earth-shattering, while the Sky City girls’ world defense battle raged fiercely, every single one giving their all to repel the invaders.

Before the Sky City, the original virtual cityscape’s data projection had been temporarily shut down, and this location now served as the hottest battlefield.

“Flame of the Vanishing World!” Black Rock’s eyes blazed with blue fire. In her right hand, she held a sword; in her left, a cannon. As the twenty rock shells per second fired, each one was enveloped in blue flame. Her longsword was also imbued with the blue flame, and in the flashing arc of the blade, the raging fire nearly dyed the entire ground blue.

These flames were devastatingly effective against the Undead Skeleton Soldiers; the slightly weaker ones were nearly incinerated upon contact. Even those stronger than Black Rock had to face them with caution.

Black Rock’s current strength was exceedingly close to the high-tier Spirit Rank, and combined with the countering effect of the blue flames, she possessed a fighting chance even against high-tier Spirit Rank Undead Skeletons. Of course, the gap in power was still present, making her victory exceptionally difficult. Therefore, with her rich combat experience, she meticulously avoided engaging high-tier Spirit Rank opponents directly.

Black SABER’s strength grew rapidly through her training with the Dragon Clan. Even without activating her Noble Phantasm, her power had already reached the high-tier Spirit Rank. Once her Noble Phantasm was unleashed, she was formidable; every shot from her Unlimited Oath Cannon reached the peak of Spirit Rank might, and she single-handedly held back nearly all the powerful high-tier Spirit Rank enemies.

Moreover, after being cleansed by the Black Holy Grail, her magical capacity was nearly comparable to an Emiya in their normal state. However, fighting against numerous foes was taxing, and the enemies were no pushovers. Even when annihilated by the Oath Cannon, the high-tier Spirit Rank Undead Skeletons could quickly regenerate, making their complete destruction very difficult. For the short term, she could only use the Oath Cannon to slow these formidable enemies down and prevent them from causing widespread slaughter.

As for the hundred Mechanical Maids, they ascended into the air, employing mid-to-long-range bombardment to unleash area-of-effect attacks upon the skeleton army, whose numbers far exceeded their own.

Being robots, their coordination was outstanding, allowing them to exert significant firepower suppression once their battle formation was set. Yet, precisely because they were machines and could not evolve beyond their baseline programming like living beings, their combat power remained a fixed numerical value. Facing an overwhelming ten-to-one numerical disadvantage, the battle was extremely arduous.

If they were facing ordinary Skeleton Soldiers, map-clearing bombardment from the Gundams would have ended the fight almost instantly. However, once the enemies reached the Spirit Rank, the power of technology lacking mystery was greatly diminished. Furthermore, some Skeletons could fly. In less than a few minutes, over twenty Gundams were destroyed.

Fortunately, Super Lingyin’s design incorporated an emergency protocol: the moment a Gundam was destroyed, the cockpit would utilize spatial jump technology to return to the seventh floor of the Sky City’s main hall. This allowed the Mechanical Maids, upon defeat, to immediately board reserve Gundams and re-enter the fray.

Directly ahead, Black Rock and the Undead Army were locked in a brutal stalemate. From an overall perspective, Yanran’s side was at an absolute disadvantage, but there was no sign of imminent defeat, leading to a protracted deadlock.

The situation in several other sectors was nearly identical. Misaka Mikoto’s mind control was truly a ‘BUG’ ability; one burst of electricity was enough to turn nearly fifty percent of the enemies into defectors, thirty percent into a state of chaos, ten percent into mindless drones, and the remaining ten percent into a highly awkward situation where they began attacking their own comrades.

At this moment, a regional distribution map appeared in her mind: the blue dots within the territory were the ‘allies’ under her control; the yellow dots were neutral elements that attacked friend and foe alike; the gray dots represented the drones; and only the fewest red dots were enemies that absolutely needed to be eliminated... Although her manipulation had drastically reduced the enemy numbers, it had also stratified them by strength. The red dots were entirely composed of the strongest echelon of the enemy forces, including several high-tier Spirit Rank individuals. These enemies possessed absolute immunity to her psychic abilities and were all charging directly toward her.

Given that Shokuhou Misaki’s physical strength was only a mere 5, her guaranteed death upon being engaged in close combat was certain. Consequently, the hundred Mechanical Maids assigned to her group were not sent into the main engagement but formed a protective circle around Shokuhou Misaki in the center. Their synchronized bombardment provided suppressive fire that held back the majority of the enemy, but they were helpless against the formidable high-tier Spirit Rank foes, who had to be left to Muginami Shizuri.

Currently, Muginami Shizuri’s Fallen Angel power was nearly fully unleashed, bringing her strength to the high-tier Spirit Rank. This not only granted her immense power but also bestowed upon her an indestructible physique, making her effectively half-immortal. This allowed her Atomic Dissolution to reach its maximum output—a destructive force that even high-tier Spirit Rank experts had to retreat from... Fortunately, the enemy force did not possess true immortality; otherwise, she alone could not have held the line.

On the other side, Isayama Yomi and Tsuchimiya Kagura were pushing their tacit understanding to the absolute limit, achieving a near-perfect unity of mind and body. Their combined strength could even suppress high-tier Spirit Rank enemies. Moreover, as exorcists, dealing with malevolent spirits was twice as effective with half the effort; those below the mid-tier Spirit Rank were nearly dispatched with a single strike each.

Of course, the main reason for this overwhelming effect was Nero; her Chariot of Wrath’s Golden Theater significantly weakened the enemies' power. Unleashing it immediately upon engagement achieved maximum effect. Despite her chronic headache curse, which prevented prolonged use of this Noble Phantasm, Mokina was present to temporarily suppress this critical weakness.

Since Lin Luo returned from the Shokurei plane last time, they had grasped the severity of the situation. No one had been slacking off these past few days; everyone was striving to enhance their strength.

Mokina possessed the Creator’s inheritance. If she could fully comprehend that inherited power, she would be a fully realized Earth Rank powerhouse. However... even though she was a genius, she had only been exposed to magic for less than a year and could not possibly digest all that inheritance in such a short time, even with the mystical augmentation from the Heart of the World.

Mokina was well aware of this fact and knew she was not adept at learning offensive magic, but she possessed a unique talent for support and healing. Thus, she focused entirely on mastering those schools of magic. With an item as heaven-defying as the Time House, which could vastly increase her training duration, she was now at the low-tier Spirit Rank, despite her weak offensive power.

Low-tier Spirit Rank might not seem like much against the current enemies, but she was not a combatant—she was a medic. A near-omnipotent medic like her brought exponentially greater value to their side than a single high-tier Spirit Rank combatant.

Through the blessing spell of ancient magic, she could completely suppress Nero’s headache curse. While she couldn't eradicate it entirely, having infinite magical reserves meant she never had to worry about Nero suffering a headache outburst during combat. Furthermore, various auxiliary abilities—such as strengthening physical constitution, increasing stamina, restoring magic, and improving neural response—allowed Nero and others to perform beyond their normal levels. The constant "magic replenishment" ensured they always maintained peak combat strength with virtually zero stamina consumption.

Meanwhile, Setsuna focused entirely on guarding Mokina. Without the Heart of the World, her growth rate was far slower than others, but her effort was several times greater. Even with a slower pace, she was approaching the mid-tier Spirit Rank. Coupled with Mokina’s auxiliary magic and the vast amount of distributed magical power, she handled mid-tier Spirit Rank enemies with ease, fully deserving of her role as protector.

Of these three combat groups, although the Yuri group faced the strongest enemies, their presence—thanks to Nero and Mokina, two near-BUG entities—allowed them to fight the most comfortably, subtly gaining the upper hand. Barring any unforeseen accidents, the final victory would undoubtedly be theirs. However... the Dragon Clan side was in absolute peril!

When they became the guardians of this world, the Dragon Clan boasted two peak Spirit Rank members: Long Wanxuan and the Three-Headed Golden Dragon. In the intervening time, not only had these two increased their power, but the Void Shadow Dragon, the Four-Clawed White Dragon, and the Black Dragon MM had also reached the peak of the Spirit Rank... Overall, both individual strength and the overall power of the Dragon Clan had seen significant growth. Nevertheless, when facing the Orc Legion, they showed clear signs of defeat.

Orcs VS Dragons: According to general understanding, these two forces shouldn't even constitute a fight; perhaps a few Dragons could wipe out the entire Orc contingent. But... in a divine war, common sense is null and void.

It was unclear from which world these Orcs originated; every single one was enormous, averaging between four and five meters tall, the smallest being over thirty meters, and the largest exceeding one hundred meters in length. Their physiques were immensely powerful, and some appeared larger than the Dragons themselves. Perhaps these shouldn't be called Orcs, but rather Beast Giants!

Their strength was terrifyingly immense, like Ultraman. Their horrifying power was capable of tearing apart the tough bodies of the Dragons, and their defense was equally monstrous. Aside from a lower resistance to magic, they seemed to have almost no weaknesses. Moreover, leveraging their numerical superiority, they favored overwhelming tactics: three or four giants surrounding a single Dragon, ensuring even the Dragon Clan, with their superior overall quality, would be besieged and killed.

In terms of individual power, the Dragon Clan was slightly stronger, especially with super-experts like Long Wanxuan holding the line. Long Wanxuan’s current strength was rapidly approaching the Earth Rank; she alone could hold back four or five peak Earth Rank giants. The Three-Headed Golden Dragon could handle two to three. As for the Black Dragon, Yu, and the other two, they maintained a clear advantage in one-on-one combat.

However, the peak-level experts they faced were not limited to just a few. There were twenty to thirty giants at the peak Earth Rank—the numerical disparity was simply too vast. To minimize their own casualties as much as possible, all five of them had to perform beyond their limits to confront more enemies... Take Long Wanxuan, for instance: she was single-handedly fighting multiple peak giants. Although the battle was evenly matched, she was not yet Earth Rank, and the signs of impending defeat were evident. If not for her unique innate talent as a Five-Clawed Golden Dragon, supplemented by Little SABER’s abilities, she would have likely been defeated.

Of course, even with their superhuman efforts and Little SABER’s BUG-level support, they gained no advantage. One or two peak giants slipped past the blockade and charged toward other Dragons, and the consequence was... annihilation!

As for the Gundam squadron, they were completely ineffective against enemies of this caliber. How strong is a peak Spirit Rank giant? Imagine Marisa’s Magic Cannon, and you have an idea.

In less than ten minutes, the Dragon Clan’s casualties were nearing three digits, and the Mechanical Maids had been completely wiped out. Some Maids didn’t even manage to escape before being pulverized along with their cockpits by the giants... If not for Little SABER’s support, their losses would have been far more tragic.

On this side, the cruelty and carnage of the battle were heart-stopping; blood had nearly stained the earth—Dragon blood, giant blood, the fragments of shattered Gundams, and the reduced-to-ash remains of the Mechanical Maids... "Damn it, the Dragon Clan side is in extreme danger!" Tohsaka Rin saw the progress of the four battlefronts with perfect clarity. While grieving the deaths of her comrades, she also felt the severity of the war. If the Dragon Clan fell and was wiped out, once those giants charged over, they would have no path but death.

"They need reinforcements," Rin stated gravely.

"But we have no one left to send from our sector."

CC frowned, even she was affected by the oppressive atmosphere, her expression solemn. "Super Lingyin needs more time. As for the Gundam squadron, you saw—they can’t even damage those giants."

Saying this, CC glanced at the fifty Gundams guarding them. Through the Sky City’s projection technology, she could see the Maids inside the Gundams wearing expressions of sorrow, clearly saddened by the loss of their comrades, yet they remained vigilant and ready for duty.

"But..." Rin found herself unable to continue. She knew CC spoke the truth; everyone else was struggling just to survive their own battles, let alone spare forces for aid. But to stand by and watch her companions die one by one... how could she possibly accept that!

"Then I will go myself!" Rin gritted her teeth and declared loudly.

"Stop being foolish! What good would you do going over there?" But before Rin could move, CC pulled her back. "This isn't a small skirmish anymore; this is war! Don't forget your identity right now; you are the Commander-in-Chief. A Commander-in-Chief cannot just charge onto the front lines. Without a central pillar, everyone will become unsettled. Your role isn't fighting; it's stabilizing everyone's morale. Besides... even if you did join the battle, what difference would your power make?"

"I..." Rin was silenced again. Indeed, with her current strength, she couldn't fight those peak Spirit Rank giants. Even if she risked self-damage to push past her limits, she could at best handle one, but the enemy was numerous. It wouldn't affect the overall battle situation, and she knew that... But!

"I'm sorry, I still have to go." Rin gently removed CC’s hand from her wrist and smiled. "This place doesn't need a central pillar; everyone here is strong enough and doesn't need someone to command them. Moreover, I am a magus; the place most suited for me isn't the rear—it’s the front line."

Yes, Rin knew that even if she joined the front lines, she might not offer much advantage to their side, but that was irrelevant. As a magus, as a magus of the Tohsaka family, as someone trusted by everyone, she had no right to watch others fight while she hid in the rear. That did not align with her identity!

"CC, you were wrong about one thing. My talent isn't in command or strategy; it is..." Here, Rin turned to CC and said with absolute confidence, "I am a genius magus who can adapt to any battle!"

"You..." This time, it was CC’s turn to be speechless. She had met proud people, and she had seen plenty of arrogance, but she had never encountered anyone as self-assured and unwavering in their own strength as Rin. She knew she could not possibly stop her.

"Very well, in that case, I will take over the command duties," CC sighed slightly, then stated formally, "Go to your own battlefield, Genius Magus!"

"Naturally."

"Wait a moment, I’m going too." Just as Rin was preparing to go alone to aid the Dragon Clan, Lei stepped forward, stating firmly, "Let me go with you, Rin."

"Lei?" Rin looked at the girl before her in astonishment and refused without hesitation. "How can that be? You can't fight alone; I won't take you!"

She knew Lei’s abilities. While it was true that as a weapon race, if she formed a contract with someone, Lei could indeed become a major fighting force with her current strength, but without a contractor, going onto the battlefield was simply suicide.

"No, I can. Even alone, I can fight." Although Rin refused, Lei was surprisingly persistent. Looking at Rin's puzzled gaze, she continued, "The Heart of the World will give me the strength, the strength to fight alone. Even so, I can gather all the winds of this world."

Raising her hand, wind danced in the girl's palm.

"Fine, I understand. Then we go together." Just as she couldn't refuse Rin's decision, she couldn't refuse Lei's either. Their courage and resilience were equal.

"Then I leave things here to you, CC. Take care."

With those words, Rin crushed the jewel in her hand. A colossal surge of magical power rose from within her body, causing her to float into the air, and she grasped Lei's body.

"Forward, the path of the Magus!"

Her toe tapped the void, and the girl soared into the air at tremendous speed toward the front.

"It seems I must do something as well, just watching..." As the figures of the two gradually disappeared from sight, CC’s expression settled once more. "I don't need to worry at all, because right now, I am nothing more than a walking corpse..."

Saying this, she turned and left the central courtyard.