"AAAAAHHH—! [Trace—On]!"
Shhhhk—!
The cold gleam of a blade flashed before Emiya Shirou like a crescent moon.
With a sharp sound of flesh being sliced open, a perfectly projected katana slashed through his own arm and embedded itself into the ground.
Blood spilled from Shirou's arm, dripping steadily onto the broken stone beneath him.
Black veins, like venomous serpents, surged from the wound, rapidly spreading upwards as if determined to consume his body whole.
"Ghh—Aaaagh!"
The agonizing pain drove Shirou nearly to madness, his vision darkening.
Purple venom violently clashed against the dark veins of the new toxin coursing through his body. Both poisons tore into each other relentlessly, locked in stalemate.
If it weren't for the Hydra serum partially suppressing the Hydra's Venom, and the double-layered [Incursio] temporarily limiting the influx of poison gas, the toxin from the projected [Murasame] would've been utterly overwhelmed in seconds.
And of course, something hidden deep within Shirou's body kept repairing his ravaged flesh—without it, he would've collapsed immediately within this dense, fatal mist.
But thanks to the mutual struggle between the two poisons, despite the overwhelming agony, Shirou could feel the debilitating weakness slowly fading away. He gradually regained command over his failing body; if he could endure this torment, he could continue moving forward, even inside this poisonous haze.
Pain?
"AAAARRRGHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
Shirou roared defiantly, forcing himself back onto his feet.
Yet in that exact moment, an enormous shadow emerged behind Shirou through the swirling fog.
This poisonous mist belonged to it, after all—and it wasn't about to wait idly for its prey to approach.
"ROOOOOAAAAARRRR—!"
With a deafening bellow, the massive creature swung its lower body downward like a colossal whip, splitting the air itself as it descended upon Shirou.
BOOM—!
A thunderous impact shattered the steps leading to the Holy Church, far more fragile than those at Ryuudou Temple. Stones and dust exploded violently, scattering everywhere.
"Guh…! Cough—!"
Shirou crashed to the side, barely managing to roll out of the way of the lethal strike. The sheer force still sent him tumbling helplessly, landing bruised and bloodied on broken stone.
Shirou gripped his chest desperately with his left hand, feeling his heartbeat threaten to tear itself free. With his right arm—formed from [Cross Tail]—he lifted the katana, pointing it directly ahead.
The toxic fog parted slowly, revealing a massive, monstrous figure towering before him—a nine-headed serpent, gazing down with contemptuous eyes full of primal malice.
At this moment, Emiya Shirou stood once again at death's door.
Even the Hydra serum, designed specifically to counter the beast's venom, was something a normal human body could not withstand. Originally, in the intended timeline, Sisigou Kairi had perished after injecting himself with the serum. His body had simply failed under the strain.
And now, Shirou bore not only the crippling pressure of two overlapping [Incursios], but also the savage internal battle between Hydra Venom and [Murasame]'s toxin, the grievous injuries inflicted by the magical bombardment, and finally, the devastating side effects of the serum itself.
Only thanks to [Incursio]'s drastic physical enhancement—and the hidden presence of [Avalon] desperately healing his battered body—did Shirou manage to maintain some tenuous balance. But even that fragile equilibrium could collapse at any moment.
"AAAAAAAAAA!"
Another earth-shaking roar burst forth from the monstrous Hydra, piercing Shirou's soul with sheer terror.
This was a monster no human could possibly hope to defeat.
Despite countless battles and countless brushes with death, Shirou still felt genuine fear before such overwhelming power.
He never denied his desire to live, nor his instinctual dread before superior foes. Shirou refused to abandon such feelings—because only by cherishing his own life could he truly understand how precious every human life was.
Because people died when they were killed.
Thus, Emiya Shirou would willingly throw everything he had into protecting others.
Shirou glared defiantly at the Hydra before him, his entire body trembling beneath its oppressive presence. Yet, despite his terror, he stood his ground, never stepping back an inch.
"To think… even in this era, a hero like this exists!"
Semiramis voiced her sincere admiration openly, without reservation. Even among Heroic Spirits, few possessed the courage to directly face a Hydra. Yet Shirou, a mere mortal, was confronting a creature that could crush him as effortlessly as a human crushed an ant.
Knowing full well his impending doom yet choosing to move forward—such was the very definition of heroism.
"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
The Hydra unleashed another furious roar, holding nothing back this time. Its enormous body surged forward, rolling toward Shirou with unstoppable force like an unstoppable juggernaut.
No skill, no subtlety was needed; its sheer mass alone could obliterate any human alive.
The earth trembled violently as the beast charged straight toward Shirou.
"[Trace—On]!!"
In Shirou's hand appeared a simple yet exquisitely crafted knight's sword, its hilt gleaming brightly like polished gold—a weapon of understated elegance and immense purity.
But before Shirou could brace himself, the Hydra's enormous bulk slammed into him. The force felt like being struck head-on by a speeding train weighing tens of tons.
Blood sprayed uncontrollably from Shirou's mouth, cascading from his chin onto his chest, staining him crimson instantly.
But despite this grievous injury, he had accomplished his goal:
The knightly sword was now embedded deeply into the Hydra's massive body.
An overwhelming surge of magical energy began coursing through Shirou's battered form.
With his final breath, he called forth its name:
"[Caliburn: Golden Sword of the Victorious]!!"