Shirou's Final Victory

Unfortunately, it was too late. Flames shot out from the rocket's tail, and it shot straight into the sky.

"Waaaaaah!!!"

"Hey, Saber, Sakura, have you arrived yet?" Rin Tohsaka's voice came through the phone.

"Yes! We've already arrived!" Artoria replied cheerfully.

"Even though we're about to die..." Shirou and Sakura braced themselves on the ground, lying prone inside the rocket ship.

"Alright, I'm calculating now. The perfect time will be in ten minutes. Then you'll be on my command."

"3! 2! 1! Jump!!!" Rin Tohsaka shouted, holding her phone in her hand, and rushed inside.

Shirou and the others also jumped into the circle of light. The moment they passed through the white circle of light, they only felt their eyes and then their bodies shaking up and down. The next second, they arrived in the world inside.

The three of them fell to the ground, and then the girl with black twin tails also fell haphazardly from mid-air.

"Sister!" Sakura recognized the black-haired girl's face and excitedly ran forward.

"Sakura~! You've become younger~! So cute~!" Rin opened her arms and hugged her younger sister tightly, stroking Sakura's body all over as she spoke with great affection.

"Sister, me too, I really missed you." Sakura also enjoyed the long-awaited warmth between the sisters.

Artoria's eyes widened, and she exclaimed, "Wait! What's going on here?"

In Shirou's memory, it should have been the summit of a frozen snow-capped mountain, but what he saw now was a chaotic scene: on one side was black earth dyed orange-red by the high temperature, and on the other side was a white snow-capped mountain.

However, this snow mountain had a large gap in it, as if someone had dug one side out from the mountainside, making it look bizarre. The mountain could no longer be called big; instead, it looked like a thin, elongated icicle standing upright, teetering on the brink of collapse in the howling wind at the summit, as if it might crumble at any moment.

Looking up, I saw a white-haired man in a white robe floating in mid-air, with lightning flashing around him, blue and white arcs of electricity flying wildly in the air.

His skin looked as if it were tattoos shimmering with white light, and he stood motionless in mid-air as if he were asleep.

But Shirou understood that a true god had no need for such fancy things; those white lines were actually cracks, and the god was nearing his limit. When his physical body disappeared, that would be the time when all the worlds collapsed.

Although it was created as a god for humanity, as a god who protects humanity, it has lost its humanity. Now it is even about to lose its biological body. So this god will completely turn into a concept and set new rules for all worlds.

At this moment, the person who had been following behind and secretly observing Shirou and the others' Counter Force transmitted their voice to the boy.

[You've finally arrived in this world. The white god is on the verge of collapse. Shirou, defeating him is your victory.] Alaya transmitted her voice.

"I can't believe he actually did it... As expected, humanity has become far too dangerous." Gaia transmitted her voice.

Shirou looked at the god in the sky with surprise, a chill running down his spine.

There is no god... no Holy Grail, no mystery... the white god, in order to uphold this principle, even included his own collapse in the calculation.

It is said that God created humankind in His own image.

However, if we interpret it the other way around, it might not be that humans resemble gods, but rather that humans use their imagination to give gods an image that is closer to human form. The more advanced the civilization, the more obvious this tendency becomes.

Ancient countries all had a culture of 'beast totem' worship. Many races worshipped wild beasts for a period of time, such as birds, beasts, tigers, and wolves. Gradually, they developed into mythical Divine Beast that transcended common sense, such as the phoenix, dragon, and qilin. Then, from the dragon, Fuxi Nuwa, with dragon heads and human bodies, and human heads and snake bodies, were derived.

Ancient Egypt gods also included principal deities with wolf heads and human bodies, eagle heads and human bodies, and cat heads and human bodies.

Many of the gods in Hinduism are depicted as wild animals. When Buddhism was founded, these Beast God were incorporated into Buddhism, resulting in the image of benevolent bodhisattvas and Buddhas who save all sentient beings.

Later, in Greek mythology, the gods were portrayed as beings with emotions and desires, constantly fighting and occasionally taking revenge on humanity.

In modern times, people can freely recreate these gods and heroes, shaping them into new images that are more appealing to the audience. Ignoring some basic settings, such as slightly changing their gender or having them involved in a melodramatic love triangle with their nemesis, such works are everywhere.

It can be said that the closer a deity is to humanity, the more attributes it will possess.

The white deity, however, has followed a path completely opposite to that of humanity, evolving from a human to a god, and is now about to transform from a god into a true 'concept,' having already deviated from human ethics.

"Senior, you seem much colder than when we met before, like a machine." Sakura looked at the white-robed man in the air, her small hands clutching the hem of her clothes, and said worriedly.

"What a grand welcome! Looks like they've even skipped the greetings." Rin Tohsaka remarked, gazing at the dilapidated ruins behind the arena, which looked as if it had been bombed by planes and artillery.

"This situation is dangerous, we must stop him! Behold my secret weapon!" Artoria seemed to have noticed something, pulled out a new Noble Phantasm, equipped it, and confidently explained it loudly.

"The Infinity Gauntlet, capable of destroying all sugar factories in every universe and every world with a snap of its fingers!"

A moment later, Artoria angrily threw the gloves on the ground, shouting, "What the hell is this useless!"

"Enough! Let's fight for real!!! Holy Lance! Breakdown!! And--Excalibur!!!" The blonde girl stopped her antics, her eyes sharpened, and she drew the white holy sword from her waist, while summoning the Holy Lance surrounded by golden light.

Two golden beams of light struck the white deity in the sky together. The immense energy clashed, and the magic exploded upon impact, generating an even more terrifying power.

The burst of violent energy in that instant engulfed the white god, seemingly tearing everything inside apart until not even dust remained.

"What? It didn't work?" Artoria exclaimed in surprise.

"All the attacks disappeared before they reached Shirou in white? Was that a teleportation ability?" Rin Tohsaka muttered, resting her chin on her hand.

"Shirou, don't take any risks. Stay here and let's see what happens. Sakura! Follow the tactics we discussed earlier." Rin Tohsaka had sorted out some ideas and decided to give it a try.

"Yes, sister." The purple-haired girl nodded.

Rin Tohsaka took out the short sword wrapped in cloth, unwrapped it to reveal a single, multicolored, sword-shaped gem. This was the Jewel Sword, the Second Magic Code she had painstakingly trained over the years, possessing power comparable to most Noble Phantasm.

"Since you haven't said a word and just stayed in the air, who do you think you are! Hahh! Since you won't come down yourself, then you'd better fall down first!"

Rin Tohsaka gripped the Jewel Sword and swung it repeatedly at an extremely high frequency. With each swing, a Beam Cannon shot out. She was using energy from a parallel world, so if a god wanted to transfer it to another world, she could transfer the transferred energy back.

The shadow beneath Sakura fully unfolded, blooming like a man-eating flower, attempting to devour the god and shrink him into a bud. Her Imaginary Magic is a collective term for matter that does not belong to this world, making it impossible to defend against.

However, the white deity standing in the air ignored the impact of the Jewel Sword and the imaginary matter.

"How is that possible? It went right through? This kind of attack won't work!" Rin Tohsaka said, very unwillingly.

"What exactly happened? How can we help you, senior?" Sakura bit her lip and said softly.

<It's useless. The concept of God is inherently intangible; no matter what kind of attack you launch, it won't have any effect on him.>

[You must defeat Shirou; attacks from others will not work.]

"Damn it! You're totally cheating! If we can't attack him like this, what's the point of us even coming here?!" Rin Tohsaka said angrily.

"No, Tohsaka, just having you all come here with me is the biggest help I can give you." Shirou shook his head and said with a light laugh. At this moment, he felt a warm glow in his heart, and all his unease vanished.

"Wh... Ahh!" Rin Tohsaka blushed upon hearing the boy's words, quickly turning her head away and huffing, "Hmph... I know, whatever."

"Hmm, Tohsaka, let me give it a try." Shirou looked at the girl and said seriously.

Chapter 413 Shirou's Final Victory

"We must defeat the gods, or the world will be in danger. In that case, they are my enemies," the blonde girl said at the time.

Yes, Artoria was right. Even when facing an unprecedentedly powerful enemy, stronger than herself in every aspect, she could still muster her fighting spirit and face it with a smile.

Shirou looked at the three girls and said firmly, "I am the strongest now. Whether it was when I completed my training and mastered the Inherent Domain, or when I possessed the power of a god, I never felt a real sense of strength. But now, I can say with certainty that I am undoubtedly the strongest!"

"I understand!" Artoria nodded, drew her sword, raised it to the sky, and swore, "I, Artoria, am Shirou's sword! Your shield! Even if I am involved in this battle, my heart is with you. Shirou, may your battle be invincible!"

A dignified female knight, a girl who suddenly appeared in the warehouse under the moonlight, saved him from the clutches of a terrifying spearman. Although he was a complete novice at the time, merely an accidental intruder, something was probably already destined from the moment he first saw the girl.

Just like the girl, Shirou also chose to protect her with his own life, so Shirou gladly accepted the girl's vow.

"Hmph! I'll help you think of a solution. Once I have a clue, I'll tell you right away. Just follow my advice and you'll be fine. Even if the opponent we chose this time is a bit reckless, we can definitely find a way if we all work together." Rin Tohsaka crossed her arms and turned her head away as she spoke.

"Hmm." Shirou nodded in agreement.

Tohsaka, he always thought of her as a strong, cool, and incredibly charming girl. She might be tough on the outside, but she was kind at heart. As a companion, she was an extremely reliable and trustworthy person.

Shirou knew that although the girl was usually impulsive and prone to making mistakes at crucial moments, she was the type who would never do anything wrong when it came to matters of principle, and was absolutely upright.

Sakura clasped her hands together and said very gently, "Senior, no matter what, I will stay with you."

"Thank you, Sakura," Shirou said with a light laugh.

His initial impression of this girl was from junior high school; she was just a classmate's younger sister. She was very thin and had little expression on her face; she was a very gloomy and introverted child. She had hair that reached just to her neck and always covered her face with her bangs, avoiding eye contact with others.

He had injured his hand while working and was unable to move it for a while. The girl came to take care of him, and surprisingly, she was very serious about it.

After the Holy Grail War ended, Sakura thanked him during a conversation about the past, thanking him for letting her stay. But actually, he should be the one thanking her. Regardless of the girl's initial motives, they were already like family.

Just as the girl thought, they were both adopted children, so they actually cherished the people around them more than others. They also understood how precious it was to be able to connect with each other through something other than blood ties and live together in the same home.

Although he didn't say it, he was actually very happy every morning after school when someone woke him up and said good morning to him, and when he came home, they said welcome home.

It can be said that the reason he was able to endure the arduous training alone in that large, empty mansion was largely because she was always by his side.

The desire to protect them—the three girls, as well as his family and friends—was stronger than ever before; this was the strongest Shirou Emiya could dream of.

"Hey, stop pretending to be asleep, I've arrived." Shirou said, looking at the white deity in the sky.

"You've finally arrived." The white god, emitting lightning, slowly stood up.

One moment, the voice of God came from high above, but the next moment, his figure appeared behind Shirou.

The cracks all over the white god's body became even more conspicuous, with white light emanating from the cracks, as if they might explode at any moment.

"Then let's merge! When you return, everything can end." The white god said, opening his arms and reaching out to grab Shirou from behind.

"Who—agreed?!" Shirou quickly turned around and threw a punch.

The white-clad deity, as before, showed no intention of defending himself. However, this time, his face was dented from the blow, and his neck twisted to the side.

"It... it hit!" Artoria exclaimed in surprise.

"Perhaps it's because it's the same person; all the powers of the gods are ineffective against Shirou," Rin Tohsaka pondered for a moment, then offered her analysis. "But..."

The white-haired deity twisted its neck back to its previous position, clenched its fist, and swung it at Shirou's face in an instant.

Bang!!

Shirou was sent flying backwards.

"Ah, as expected... the difference in physical constitution is too great." Rin Tohsaka said helplessly, covering her face.

"Senior! Are you alright?" Sakura called out with great concern.

"It's nothing! That kind of punch is just a tickle, it's nothing, let's go again!!" Shirou got up from the ground and charged at the god once more.

The moment the fists clashed, lightning and aurora erupted, stirring up white turbulence and a violent storm that whipped the hair of the three girls watching from afar into the air.

Bang!!!

The white-clad deity exchanged three punches with Shirou, then changed tactics, raising his leg high and transforming into a blur as he kicked out.

Shirou was sent flying backward once again.

"Again!" Shirou clenched his bleeding fist and charged forward.

Their fists collided once more, and after a few more blows, Shirou was sent flying again, his body covered in wounds.

But each time he stood up, he could hold on for longer.

He was growing stronger, and light leaked from the cracks in the white god's body, which Shirou was gradually absorbing. The energy within him was constantly increasing, and the gap between him and the god was constantly narrowing.

"Again!" After a long while, this time! Shirou threw a punch, and his fist collided with the white god's cracked fist. Neither could budge the other.

The instant blood touched, something from the white god's brain invaded Shirou's mind. He saw what had happened here before: when the white god invaded Chaldea, he did nothing but return Fou to Gudako and Mash, and expressed to Da Vinci his hope that Chaldea would not interfere again.

The seven Human Evil of humanity were all banished to distant lands. The white deity sent those she could communicate with back to their respective worlds. Then she suppressed the rebellious Demon God King, the Demonic Bodhisattva, and other beasts, returning them to their original places in the Temple of Time and beneath the sunken ship to fulfill their respective destinies.

Human Evil was suppressed by him and returned to where they originally belonged. In the void, one could still see the shadow of some enormous creature being pulled into the space that originally belonged to them.

"What exactly did you intend to do?" Shirou asked the god in surprise.

"I just cleared away any potential threats to create a better battlefield." His long, silvery-white hair was now filled with white light, and his eyes were completely covered by divine radiance. The warmth he exuded from the last time they met was gone.

The white-clad deity said solemnly, "If the world ends, then all that you're persisting in now will be meaningless."

"No, it's not meaningless. As long as they can live in a world that truly belongs to them, then everything I've done will be worthwhile," Shirou said in a deep voice.

A blue planet, lush green land, snow-capped mountains, and golden beaches where white waves crash against the shore. The Servant playing on the beach stop and look up at the sky.

In one of Chiba's several residences, lying on a pink bed, tossing and turning, she was actively replying to every message from her friends on her phone—a socially enthusiast.

Atop a luxurious apartment building, on a sofa next to a transparent glass window offering a panoramic view of the nightscape, sat a black-haired girl reading a book.

They all stopped what they were doing and looked up at the sky.

And in even more distant places, in China, England, France, and among those who once forged bonds with the boy.

The battle between gods and humans is ultimately a duel for the happiness of others. The gods are not fighting for themselves, while the humans are sacrificing themselves to protect their families.

The battle between oneself and oneself, between a god who is extremely powerful in reality and a boy who has no end in his ideals and dreams, is far too long.

Even though the girls present thought their battle had only just begun, calculating that injuries would heal quickly and that the magic required would seem inexhaustible.

In this battle, Shirou widened the gap!

He is remarkably similar to the white god, but there is a crucial difference between them: he has many, many people hoping for his victory, while the lonely god has only himself left.

"Go!!! Shirou!" the girl with black twin tails shouted.