Chapter 699

In the world of Magecraft, birds are considered "guides to the souls of the dead."

Regardless of this somewhat obsessive idea, Gransurg, who used birds as the Magecraft Foundation, was indeed an excellent soul carrier.

Shirou knew about this guy because Gransurg Blackmoa was a follower of Crimson Moon Brunestud.

He was considered an oddball and an oddball among Magecraft, but Crimson Moon took a liking to him and challenged him on a whim.

The result is obvious.

Gransurg suffered a crushing defeat, but Crimson Moon, on a whim, spared his life and appointed him as her personal Magecraft.

Despite being quite insane as a human, the etiquette-conscious Gransurg swore a complete oath of allegiance to Crimson Moon and embarked on the path of becoming Dead Apostle.

After becoming a vampire at the end of his demonic path, he said, "If I am to serve my lord, I shall take on a form befitting him," and thus he transformed himself into the appearance of a "bird."

It is said that when he served Crimson Moon, he was more like a familiar than Dead Apostle, and he often ran around for Crimson Moon.

The timeline of the scenario world is the fifth century AD, so Blackmore could never possibly appear here.

Shirou calmly analyzed, "I see. The remaining magical energy in this graveyard was analyzed using the 'Logos React' function..."

Has the Twenty-Seven Ancestors, who have a deep connection with this land, actually reappeared? Their abilities certainly match those of the relief weapons.

"Oh? Is it the Magecraft who knows my name?"

The Dead Apostle known as the Blackmore spoke up.

"Although we are a lowly race (humans), we are all intelligent beings, so let me begin with self-introduction."

He placed his hands on his chest and bowed exaggeratedly.

My Gransurg Blackmoa.

For the time being, he is Dead Apostle who holds a position that you humans call one of the Twenty-Seven Ancestors.

After that great man left the earth, he now operates as an independent Dead Apostle.

Elegant and noble.

The Dead Apostle with the bird's head certainly had a gentlemanly demeanor.

He naturally regarded himself as a superior race, above humans, which is why he behaved with proper aristocratic manners.

"Are you... being controlled by her now?" Leinys asked.

"As you can see, I am merely a constructed replica."

When I was constructed, my thought parameters were adjusted; now, the only thing I can think about is killing you.

But don't worry, your deaths will not have been in vain.

After I've killed you all, I'll destroy the spirit particle calculator that dared to manipulate my thoughts. Consider it a souvenir for your journey to the Underworld.

As soon as he finished speaking, the bird-headed Dead Apostle vanished from the sky.

With a gust of wind, he appeared before Leinys, flapping his Wings that instantly expanded several times their original size.

The black Wings transformed into blades sharper than any metal.

Just as Leinys was about to lose her life, Shirou rushed between them and blocked the Blackmore's attack.

Your eyes...!?!?

The moment Gransurg Blackmoa met Shirou's gaze, he wavered.

Shirou didn't miss the opportunity and kicked him away.

Unlike the Heroic Spirit, the Twenty-Seven Ancestors were all monstrous beings with profound knowledge of life extension, making them extremely difficult to kill.

Shirou had no time to waste on the Dead Apostle and ran straight towards the masked girl.

"..."

The "Logos React" infused magic into the Black Holy Lance, forming a magical tornado.

Just as she was about to aim at Shirou's Unleashed Holy Lance, a gray phantom spun and fell.

The scythe flashed.

The masked girl's raised right arm was severed, flying away along with the Black Holy Lance.

What gushed from the cut surface was not blood, but beautiful and shimmering crimson sand.

"Well done, Gray!"

Shirou had already rushed in front of "Logos React" and swung his short sword towards her chest.

"--------!!"

A crimson light illuminated everything underground.

Magical power erupts from the body, which is in a state of "Logos React," causing the world to change once again.

That was a subtle anomaly that only Shirou, who possessed the highest-ranking Mystic Eyes, could perceive.

In that brief moment, it felt like something had been altered.

Then, Shirou noticed that the "Erosion" Erosion Blade Gold, which should have already pierced the masked girl, was turning into particles of light.

He had intended to use this costume to resolve the "Logos React".

The reason why the "Logos React" can be established is because it borrows the spiritual framework of King Arthur, that is, the Spirit Origin of the Corpse King.

Therefore, by using "Erosion Blade Gold" to forcibly separate it from the Corpse King, its direct interference can be prevented.

But--

"What's wrong, Shirou?" Leinys, being Magecraft herself, quickly noticed that something was amiss.

Shirou frowned. "The 'Projection' isn't working, this is..."

"The world's correction"...?

Shirou's Projection was just something else that looked like Projection Magic.

The Principle behind this is to Projection his Imaginary Number Space, "Unlimited Blade Works," onto the surface of reality, which is a subspecies application of "Inherent Barrier."

This means the erosion of the world.

That's why it boasts performance far exceeding that of conventional Projection Magic.

However, the world he is currently in is a scripted world calculated by the Logos React.

In this world, its existence is equivalent to the Counter Force itself, making it incredibly easy to seal Shirou's abilities.

Shirou glanced at Gray, who was still holding the scythe—her personal belongings brought into this world remained unaffected.

"This is the first time someone has sealed your Projection Magic... They've gone to such lengths to target me. You seem genuinely afraid of me."

Shirou smiled and drew the black Excalibur sword Excalibur Morgan from the void, deflecting Blackmore's renewed attack.

Unlike the Erosion Blade Gold, this primordial sword offered by the witch is not Projection, so it will not be interfered with by "Logos React".

"I'll handle the Dead Apostle, but that guy's yours, Gray."

"Yes, my king!"

Thus began the first and final battle between Arthur (Shirou) and Artoria (Gray).

Volume 9: Chapter 430 Little Mo: Leopard Cat, let's make up????

After his "Projection" was sealed, Shirou, wielding his only weapon, the black Holy Sword of the Stars, confronted the dark King of the Sky.

"They really are persistent. No wonder they're Dead Apostle with bird heads; attacking humans is just commonplace for them now, isn't it? Just like crows swarming in a garbage dump."

"I will not fight for personal feelings; the only reason I will fight is for Crimson Moon."

That's why it's intolerable that a spiritual quantum computing machine would create a replica of me without authorization.

But before you tear that thing to shreds, I have a question for you.

Gransurg Blackmoa, flying in the air, looked at Shirou and spoke.

"What's wrong with your eyes? Why do you have that person's eyes?"

"If you want to know, try making me talk with your fist... Ah, does that mean you don't have fists because you're a bird?"

"Hmph, just what I wanted... Now I'll show you how superior birds' claws and Wings are compared to mammals!"

The Blackmore's Dead Apostle swooped down from above.

The Wings that flapped behind him instantly hardened into metallic daggers, swirling with power several times stronger than the Claw of Death.

Black is a harbinger, feathers are death.

What greeted Shirou was a storm of pitch-black bites that sliced through the air.

It's not just about a single strike.

Second, third, fourth, fifth, and they kept going.

Shirou used the Reversed Holy Sword to block the relentless onslaught of black, deathly waves.

From those well-trained limbs, one could not even detect the initial movement.

Although at first glance it seems like a stalemate, however--

Shirou infused the holy sword with magical power, and the burst of aurora burned away the deadly feathers shot by the Dead Apostle. Then, he swung backhand and delivered a slash.

Blackmore barely managed to dodge Shirou's slash.

In close combat alone, Shirou undoubtedly has the advantage.

Although Gransurg Blackmoa, as one of the Twenty-Seven Ancestors, possesses overwhelming physical strength, Shirou's swordsmanship and the performance of the Reversed Holy Sword completely make up for this gap.

Shirou quickly took control of the battle.

The boy's close-combat skills exceeded the Dead Apostle's expectations, forcing him to retreat back to the sky—but that place was no longer his exclusive domain.

The powerful stomping crushed the ground beneath their feet.

That was another Holy Sword Wielder's signature move called "Mana Burst".

Shirou leaped into the sky like an exploding bullet, closing in on the rapidly retreating Blackmore.

Without his feet touching the ground, he adjusted to a perfect attack stance and swung a slash at a completely horizontal angle.

The Dead Apostle was completely unable to resist and was cut in two at the waist without any resistance.

But--

Hahahahahahahahaha!

The Blackmore's body, severed at the waist, transformed into countless crows that scattered and flew away. Then, they gathered in the air and were reborn as a complete human form.

Blackmore completed his regeneration in less than the time it takes to take a single breath.

This is why the Twenty-Seven Ancestors is considered a patriarch.

If it were an ordinary Servant, they would have been sent back to the Heroic Spirit Throne after that attack.

"Alright, now show me the power of your eyes!"

Gransurg Blackmoa laughed as he unfurled his black wings.

"Let me feel a long-lost sense of exhilaration under the light of this month of calamity!"

The jet-black Wings continued to expand, and in an instant, they transformed into a deathly night that obscured the entire underground space.

Shirou recalled a rumor he had heard in the past: the sixteenth seat of the Twenty-Seven Ancestors, Dead Apostle, had the alias "Peng," whose true form was said to be a crow that was several kilometers long.

Gransurg Blackmoa flapped his Wings, and a torrential downpour of black feathers descended.

It was like a bombing.

The intense magic contained within each feather caused a phenomenon that no gunpowder could achieve.

The Blackmoa Cemetery was instantly riddled with craters, and all the standing stone pillars were destroyed.

Shirou dodged during the gaps in the explosions, while glancing at the Silver-haired girl who was fighting another enemy.

Gray was being unilaterally suppressed.