Despair! This is the Power of Art from the Exploding Bastard!

Although Emiya Shirou looks perfectly calm right now, even seeming quite capable, inside he's panicking like an old dog.

He keeps telling himself: No, I have to be fast. Mind Image Projection can't last long. I have to finish this guy faster.

A great magic that distorts the world like a Reality Marble is naturally rejected by the world itself, so not only does it consume enormous magical energy, its duration is also short.

Although Shirou's Mind Image Projection is only a half-finished Reality Marble, it's still forcibly connected to reality by the world and is likewise rejected. The only difference is how much time he has.

It's not that Shirou can't maintain his Resurrección outside this space, but using the Mind Image Projection as a battlefield prevents the power released by his Resurrección from causing too much collateral damage.

As the wielder of this power, Shirou deeply understands its strength. Without a sufficiently powerful soul, any life within his range of influence would die within seconds from soul collapse. If there are people around, ordinary people would be the ones to die the most.

Perhaps influenced by the person Emiya Shirou is, he can't accept others losing their lives because of his unintentional actions.

A Sonido brings him behind the White-Winged Duke. Holding a Moonlight Greatsword in each hand, he swings forward in a cross slash.

In close combat, Shirou can wrap magical energy around the opponent's wound to prevent healing, achieving a killing effect similar to the undying nature of the Yellow Rose of Forbidden Destruction.

So the White-Winged Duke doesn't dare to fight Shirou up close and quickly flees.

But how can the White-Winged Duke outrun Shirou in his Resurrección state? With a flap of his pitch-black wings, Shirou breaks the sound barrier, instantly appearing in front of the White-Winged Duke and thrusting his sword forward.

Unable to dodge, the White-Winged Duke has no choice but to raise his sword to block. For a moment, he feels a tremendous force transmitted through the blade, numbing his hands.

But the White-Winged Duke only has one sword, while Shirou has two Moonlight Greatswords. With a sweep of his other blade, Shirou sends the White-Winged Duke's rapier flying.

The white sword flies far away, but the White-Winged Duke has no spare energy to retrieve it, because Shirou is already pressing the attack again. His absurd speed and power fill the Duke with fear.

Damn it, I can't let this continue. This brat is twisted. If this goes on, I'll die by his hands sooner or later.

The White-Winged Duke thinks to himself as a scroll appears in his hand.

This magic scroll from the Age of Gods is one of the White-Winged Duke's finest treasures. Since all its creators are long dead, it's a genuine out-of-print item—every use makes one fewer.

Looking at those old bastards, you'll find that the longer they live, the more they fear death. So even when sleeping, the White-Winged Duke keeps this life-saving treasure close at hand. Although using something like this here pains him, now is clearly not the time to think about that.

What use is a scroll if I lose my life?

The magic activates. The radiance from the Age of Gods instantly illuminates the night within the Mind Image Projection. A repulsive force from nowhere sends Shirou flying, and it doesn't stop there—the power continues to tear at his body.

Great crisis!

Facing the powerful magic of the White-Winged Duke's scroll, Shirou's first thought is: That move's amazing. I can't learn it!

Then Shirou's second thought is of Uchiha Itachi's words: "No technique is perfect. They all have weaknesses."

Weaknesses... With my observational skills and brain, how the hell am I supposed to find a weakness?

Since he can't find one, he'll use a more universal method—unleash a map-wide attack!

Spinning around, Shirou hurls both Moonlight Greatswords one after another toward the center of that power, simultaneously using Broken Phantasm to detonate the vast magical energy contained within the blades.

The surrounding scenery is already beginning to fade. Shirou knows this means the Mind Image Projection is about to collapse.

He can't afford to worry about that now. He has one last chance—one final opportunity to kill the White-Winged Duke.

Shirou understands that neither Cero nor the King's Flash can deal decisive damage to the White-Winged Duke. He needs a stronger technique.

A faint glimmer of light flashes from Shirou's fingertip, but that wisp of light is immediately swallowed by an even deeper darkness.

Black Cero—the strongest attack Shirou can use in this state. Combined with the White-Winged Duke's current poor condition, Shirou has a high probability of ending this battle right here. Note (emphasis added): it's only a high probability.

Darkness roars past like a tsunami. For an instant, it's as if the entire world has become turbid and dim.

The darkness devours everything in its path. The deep, silent annihilation lasts for a while before dissipating.

When the darkness fades, only Shirou remains standing in the hazy moonlight.

Having weathered a storm-like battle, the Mind Image Projection hasn't changed in the slightest. That's only natural, since the Mind Image Projection reflects Shirou's inner landscape—it's conceptual. Unless hit by an anti-world attack like Ea, no matter how much it's destroyed, as long as Shirou's heart doesn't change, neither will it.

"Where?"

Shirou watches his surroundings warily. Although the White-Winged Duke has vanished, his instincts tell him the battle isn't over.

Shunk!

A sound of flesh being pierced rings out. Shirou feels a sharp pain in his chest and instinctively looks down. A blade stained crimson has pierced through his chest.

The White-Winged Duke's form reappears behind Shirou. What surprises Shirou is that the White-Winged Duke is now completely unharmed!

Even though his wounds had magical energy on them meant to prevent healing.

"I have to admit, you're the stronger one," the White-Winged Duke says. "Your power even terrifies me. But it's all over now. A chest pierced through—even I would be heavily wounded by such an injury. I imagine it's the same for you!"

If his Resurrección didn't leave him with a blank expression, Shirou would be smiling right now.

Soul Split! Starting from the periphery of his body, Shirou's form dissolves into countless bats. The bats fly into the distance, gathering together to reconstitute his human shape.

"Over?" Shirou tilts his head, sending chills down one's spine. "Don't make me laugh! If anyone's ending this, it's you!"

Shirou places his hand on his chest. The next moment, countless bats appear out of thin air. With another wave of his hand, all the bats fly toward the White-Winged Duke.

Killing the White-Winged Duke is no longer possible, but before this Mind Image Projection disappears, he absolutely won't let him off easy.

The bats self-destruct once they reach a certain range around the White-Winged Duke. In that moment, the White-Winged Duke recalls the terror of being dominated by explosions.