Chapter 109
He recalled the past when he called upon Albion to kill the Three Beasts of the Apocalypse, the hardships of summoning Typhon to fight against the Kihara, and the recent task of having Typhon kill the Bull of Heaven.
In that fleeting moment, the blade held by the White Whale had already traced a long trajectory between heaven and earth, constantly changing direction, its sharp arcs shaking off all the Thunderbolt that had locked onto it, and gradually approaching Novia.
However, as a blade seemingly capable of tearing the sky loomed over Novia's face, a fiery light rose before his eyes.
Crimson waves continued to spread out from the front, forcing the White Whale to retreat step by step.
Right now, inside a certain room.
Melusine looked at the Od circle that had appeared, summoning Typhon, and gritted her teeth in anger.
"Damn Typhon, I am the strongest! You idiot, can't you just die already? Or I'll kill you right now... Damn it, this is so annoying! My black one is still much better looking than your Egypt -inspired red one!"
Typhon couldn't help but nod at Melusine's words, feeling very pleased to see her like this.
Then, the red-haired girl seemed to have heard her, and without hesitation, she gave Melusine a mocking yet pleased smile.
"Albion, actually, I've always wanted to see this expression on your face—"
"That Jealousy look on your face."
"... Really, I'll kill you, Typhon."
The already disgruntled Strongest Dragon was instantly enraged by Typhon's provocation, and she tried to pry open a crack in the summoning circle.
She tried with all her might, so much so that... just before Typhon was successfully summoned, the silver-haired dragon Dragon Girl, her face already terrifyingly grim, had already arrived before the trembling Typhon. However, before Melusine could make a move, Typhon was summoned by Novia.
At the same time, a crimson light burst forth from in front of the White Whale, swirling and spreading in all directions.
It exploded like a blood-red bomb.
Finally, it stopped in front of Novia. Under the gaze of his eyes, crimson Od rapidly condensed and took shape, and Typhon's true form mech appeared before Novia.
Although he didn't know why Typhon was trembling, the silver-haired youth didn't think too much about it and immediately entered her.
Thus, Typhon, the Greece Primordial Dragon, gradually moved closer to Moby Dick, the White Whale.
When the White Whale sensed the countless battle Desire, like concepts of destruction, entwining its body and soul, it gave up dodging.
In the brief moment when there wasn't even time to breathe, he still Perfection adjusted his body's center of gravity and state, and completed the accumulation of power from scratch.
He swung his blade at the approaching Typhon True Form.
In response, a surge of magical Od suddenly spread from Typhon's cannon muzzle, and amidst the terrifying heat that incinerated everything, a roar and howl like the heavens and earth resounded.
Flames and Thunderbolt, storms and primal currents, were unleashed without reservation upon the sharp blade in the White Whale's mouth.
When the Od dissipated, the White Whale's body, its indestructible form, was now covered in blood, and even the sharp blade had developed cracks.
Novia immediately closed the distance again, and threw a punch at the White Whale that was almost within reach.
Moby Dick was slammed to the ground.
At this moment, the four people summoned by Carl the Great had all withdrawn from the battlefield.
Now only Carl the Great and Novia remain here.
Carl the Great was not surprised by this outcome; on the contrary, he knew it was only natural, after all, the man before him was his Brother-in-Law, the King of the Huns.
"Brother-in-Law, I'm going Full Power too!"
Carl the Great gently raised the Holy Sword Joyeuse in his hand, took a step forward, and the sword instantly burst forth with brilliant light.
Humble as a gentle breeze, devout as a spring.
As for Carl the Great, who appears in the form of Charlemagne and is still Saber Class servant, for some unknown reason, he is still able to use the Noble Phantasm skills that were originally reserved for the Ruler.
In theory, the one who could truly realize the value of Joyeuse was not Carl the Great, but Charlemagne, who lived in the 'fantasy', because to Carl the Great, who lived in reality, Joyeuse was merely Holy Sword attached to a fantasy that was born later.
That being said, at this moment, Carl the Great did not need to use the First Noble Phantasm, 'Bless, God is in the heavens,' to unleash the power of the Holy Sword.
This is probably due to the miracle that 'fantasy' and 'reality' have coexisted.
"--Holy Protection, the moment has come!"
Along with Carl the Great's voice appeared a vast silver City, just as if it represented a just and impartial judgment.
Carl the Great's second Noble Phantasm, the Mobile Holy City Carolus Patricius. It is an automatically expanding giant fortress, serving as both the armor covering Carl the Great himself and the Mobile Holy City domain itself. Patricius was originally a title bestowed upon the Protection of Rome and Italy.
"--Holy and radiant, all--What!"
In Carl the Great's view, the Holy City's defensive posture alone was not enough to contend with his Brother-in-Law- Typhon piloting Typhon, so he would directly use the final Three Jewels Phantasm... As for the fourth Noble Phantasm, he would have to rely on the Alien Star Key, but he knew that the Alien Star Key would have no effect on Novia.
'Holy Radiance Spreads Across the World' is Carl the Great's Three Jewels Phantasm, and is the final trump card of the Noble Phantasm "Holy Radiance: The Protection Return at This Moment".
Once activated, it will drastically alter the appearance of the massive fortress, transforming it into an attack mode to eliminate all enemies in one fell swoop.
Theoretically, that's how it is. However, when the Mobile Holy City about to transform into its attack form according to Carl the Great's idea, for some unknown reason, the transformation stopped and came to a standstill, leaving only Carl the Great, who was also somewhat puzzled, and Novia, who was close to the Holy City.
The format and patterns are so familiar, as are the feelings and environment that run deep in my bones.
Novia, who emerged from Typhon's body, closed her eyes, touched the walls of the Holy City, and sighed silently, a sigh from the bottom of her heart.
I recall the Triumphal Ceremony procession in Rome in the past, and now I see the petals reappearing here today.
... What's going on? Did my Brother-in-Law use some kind of Noble Phantasm I don't know about? Is it an ability or Noble Phantasm allows him to forcibly control someone else's?
Just as Carl the Great was pondering, he saw flower petals falling from the sky above the Holy City. Although it was a fusion of flowers and air, it was like iron clashing against iron, sparks flying and a sound like cheers that shook the heavens and the earth.
In this way, Carl the Great suddenly realized why the Holy City, summoned as Noble Phantasm, was the way it was.
After all, the final test for someone who has accomplished great things is to see how much of their beliefs and will they can leave behind in others so that they can be Inheritance down.
As Mobile Holy City manifested as the Protection of Rome and Italy, it can essentially be seen as the Italy sphere centered on Rome recognizing this Righteous King who unified Western Europe, or as the unconscious support of the entire Italy territory for the great achievements of Carl the Great.
However, before Carl the Great, there was one person who brought the Roman Empire, centered in Rome and dominating most of Europe, to its zenith.
Although not the founder of Rome, he was recognized by the founder and greatly promoted the Holy Church, making him an indispensable figure to the Roman Empire.
To this day, his name continues to be sung time and again in history and in the Faith of the Church.
The will it left behind remains in this cruel world, among those on earth still troubled by death and suffering.
Its name is --
"Novia."
The cheers were so brief and so swift.
At that very instant, in the vast and intricate underground passages of the Mobile Holy City, in the long-silent heart of the Holy City, a dazzling Golden Laurel.
It was neither an illusion created by any Noble Phantasm, nor a realistic simulation.
Rather, it is the waves and turbulence etched into the Planet.
Just looking at those vibrant colors, one can't help but hold their breath and stare in a daze.
In a brief moment of disorientation, Novia seemed to be hallucinating—
"A symbol of prosperity and passion, a representative of brilliance and compassion, shining Rome is blessing us all."
He sighed softly, then smiled and said to the dejected Carl the Great:
"How? Shall we continue, Carl?"
Who Carl the Great? In the Throne of Heroes, he is portrayed as a majestic man, Divinity king, a conqueror who successfully unified Western Europe, who never showed any distress or confusion in the face of victory or defeat, and always moved forward with calm judgment. He once proudly boasted:
"My benevolence is unparalleled before or since, second only to that of a god."
Therefore, he might face failure with incredible toughness...
"Brother-in-Law, this..."
Carl the Great pondered for a moment, his gaze drifting over the scenery above the Holy City, before resolutely speaking—
"I surrender."
193: The End of the Snowfield Holy Grail, the Final Chapter of the Golden King (4k5)
Thus, with the shared thoughts of all the Heroic Spirit summoned in the Snowfield Holy Grail War, the Holy Grail War came to an end on the fourth day.
Of the thirteen Servant, the Avenger Alcides, the King of Heroes Gilgamesh, the Forest Guardian God Humbaba, and the Goddess of Madness Ate's Humanoid Francesca met their deaths. After Novia single-handedly defeated the alliance led by Carl the Great, the remaining Heroic Spirit returned to the Throne of Heroes after communicating with their respective Master.
As for the Holy Grail, it was destroyed along with the Avenger after they merged with it, and then the Avenger died shortly afterward.
Among the Master, only the Italian Mafia Bazdiloh Coati, the United States government official Faldeus, and Francesca, who fused with her Servant, died; all the others survived.
The people of Snowfield City were not 'accustomed' to these battles, which took place several times within the Snowfield City itself; they simply couldn't see them.
That's right, they are invisible in the literal sense. They are in a small world created by Novia's ability 'Trial of the Wild Hunt', which she has used since her appearance. Therefore, the battle of the Heroic Spirit will not affect them, nor will it display the Violence of the battle in front of them.
What they perceive is probably a more peaceful form of competition.
Overall, for the people of Snowfield City, these days of the Holy Grail War felt more like a wonderful dream.
As for the arrival of the Kihara, Typhon was the first to be terrified.
"You, you, you human! Ugh, you owe me my machine! The cracks on it have been there for so many years and it still hasn't been repaired!"
Altrouge Brunestud looked the Black-Haired Girl up and down, then glanced at herself and Aika, wondering if it would be better for her to transform into her adult form. Otherwise, if she were with Novia, they might be mistaken for a couple with children.
As for Melusine, she arrogantly declared as always, "No matter what, you're the newcomer."
Her previous desire to kill Typhon had vanished long after Novia returned; in fact, she only dared to do so when Novia wasn't around.
As always, 'beautiful girl' Sajyou Manaka had the same expression, saying, 'It's not so bad.'
"I think you've chosen the wrong person."
Kihara squinted at Typhon, who looked puzzled, leaving the red-haired girl somewhat baffled.
Typhon felt as if she wasn't speaking to him, but rather to Meli, who was late and just Telepathy to him.
In the brief silence, a barely perceptible smile appeared at the corner of the red-haired girl's lips.
She said, "You picked the wrong one? You're very confident."
"After all, I'm not someone you can compare to who just avoids people and is afraid to meet them, right?" The Black-Haired Girl also raised a barely perceptible crease and whispered, "Only older Succubus."
She seemed to have forgotten that when she first met Novia, she introduced herself as Ciel Kihara.
In short, time passed, and the Holy Grail War finally came to its appointed seventh and final day.
When the Sun rises again from the edge of the earth.
In the Underworld, which had been sealed off by the departure of the Pale Rider, the sound of knocking, from an unknown source, echoed through the deathly darkness.
At this very moment, within the now-closed Underworld, a surging darkness, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, materialized.
Like a dream bubble, it rose from another world, bringing to the 'Golden King' the outline and illusory light of the power he wielded.
The Spirit Origin of the 'Golden King,' the King of Heroes he possessed, was expanding rapidly. Through the Golden Light emanating from the Underworld, one could see the magnificent City hanging upside down in the Underworld's sky.
Babylon, nearby.
No, it has always been there. In the Age of Gods, the Underworld lay beneath the earth, and death was the final destination for humankind.
However, despite being in the modern world, something impossible has happened, as if this place were the ancient Age of Gods, and the barriers between people and death have gradually thinned and disappeared.
In a corresponding form, sound echoed in the radiance.
The tone is beautiful; it's not playing Melody, but just a single sound.
The sound was almost unsuitable for combat; it was more like a crisp, clean purifying of the air.
As the sound rang out, the weapons falling from the sky shone with a golden light, like mud being purified in muddy water.
The king, who resembled a blond youth, listened to the approaching sound of the tide, the roar of thunder and lightning, and the power of heat and cold from afar, as a sign of his sincerity in meeting again.
This is Gilgamesh, the Golden King of the Alter Ego Class, whom Hippolyta, the Amazon queen summoned by Human Order, described in the original FSF text as comparable to Zeus, the king of the gods.
"Indeed, you have successfully chosen the most appropriate way to settle the great hero of Revenge among countless possibilities." AE Gilgamesh said, "I am truly overjoyed by this, and even the real Typhon has been healed by your Revenge. You are truly a great man."
When AE Gilgamesh appeared, he was hailed as Hero and said to be comparable to the god-king Zeus, while the original Ten-Gyu Kai was hailed as Demon King and Typhon, who sought Revenge against the gods. No matter how you look at it, the two are corresponding.
Novia gazed at the scene before her, the landscape of Babylon, just as the Mobile Holy City had refused Carl's request to welcome her. The unconscious collective of all beings on that land so adored this Golden King.
What the people of Babylon wanted to care for, what they hoped for, what they left behind, what they treasured, and what they wanted to create—
Alone, devoid of divine flesh and blood, he prays for humanity's "completion," desiring to place humanity itself on the throne of God—the 'Golden King'.
When the silver-haired youth raised his head and gazed at the sky reflecting Babylon, the cold and desolate Underworld seemed to be illuminated by the illusory light left behind by them in the past.
So subtle, yet so dazzling.