...
"Release the Thirteen Seals! Let the Round Table Judgment commence!"
As the Judgment of the Holy Sword began, an immense amount of mana was consumed.
At the same time, Leon had to maintain the deployment of Aeon Saga.
In an instant, he felt as though every ounce of strength had been drained from his body.
No—
It wasn't an illusion.
'Sakura... I need your help.'
Leon called out silently.
Thousands of kilometers away, at Einzbern Castle in Germany, Sakura Matou was building a snowman with Illyasviel.
Suddenly, she froze.
Despite the vast distance separating them, she had heard Leon's voice.
'Mr. Leon!'
She felt the Command Seal hidden on the back of her hand begin to burn.
It was proof that Leon needed her.
"Sakura? What's wrong?"
Noticing her unusual expression, Illyasviel asked with concern.
Being close in age and both lacking playmates, the two little girls had quickly become good friends.
"I-I'm fine..."
Blushing slightly, Sakura shook her head.
"Illya... my stomach feels a little upset. Could you wait here for me?"
"Huh? Are you okay, Sakura? Did you catch a cold?"
Illya hurried over, taking Sakura's hand.
"Your hand is so hot! Are you running a fever?"
She leaned in, intending to check Sakura's forehead.
Trying not to draw attention to the hidden Command Seal engraved on the back of her right hand, Sakura quietly withdrew it.
"N-No... it's not that serious."
"I'll be right back."
Before Illya could respond, Sakura hurried into the castle.
She rushed into the bathroom connected to her room and sat down on the closed lid of the pristine white toilet.
'Mr. Leon... please... use my power as you see fit.'
The three-leaf clover-shaped Command Seal on the back of her pale right hand—resembling a radiation warning symbol—appeared in brilliant crimson.
One of its three marks flared brightly.
Then vanished.
The shadows beneath her gently swinging feet rippled ever so slightly.
At that same moment—
Leon, who was rapidly exhausting his mana while performing the Judgment of the Holy Sword, instantly felt magical energy surge back into his body.
A faint smile appeared on his bloodstained lips.
This...
This is one of the proper ways to use a Command Seal.
As for why Leon's Master had changed from Matou Kariya to Sakura—
The answer was simple.
The moment Kariya forged his contract with Leon, he had already become a dead man.
As a result, the Servant contract naturally passed to the still-young Sakura Matou.
Through the connection provided by the Shadow Domain, Leon neither required his Master to remain at his side nor depended on her for a constant mana supply.
All he needed was support like this—
A timely activation of a Command Seal at the decisive moment.
With that—
Leon could remain undefeated.
He would always seize the advantage.
He would dominate the battlefield.
"This battle is one fought for survival!"
"—Approved. Sir Kay."
"This battle does not stand against the laws of humanity!"
"—Approved. Sir Gaheris."
"This battle is not waged against the fair folk!"
"—Approved. Sir Lancelot."
"This battle is one to vanquish evil!"
"—Approved. Sir Mordred."
"This battle is not fought for selfish desire!"
"—Approved. Sir Galahad."
"This battle is one fought alongside the brave!"
"—Approved. Sir Tristan."
"This battle shall never raise its blade against the righteous!"
"—Approved. Sir Gareth."
"This battle is one fought to save the world!"
Leon and Artoria spoke as one.
"—Approved. King Arthur."
Eight of the Thirteen Seals were released.
Light—
Countless rays of warm golden light emerged from every corner of the natural world, as though the planet itself had answered the call.
Like living streams, they flowed into the blade of Excalibur – Sword of Promised Victory.
"The gathered Breath of the Planet..."
"The torrent of starlight that illuminates all!"
"Receive this!"
"EX——CALIBUR!!!!"
BOOOOOOM—!!
At that very instant—
Every soldier of the Army of the King exerted their full strength.
Using Lord Asgard as a gigantic foundation, they hurled the Giant Sea Demon hundreds of meters into the air.
The next moment—
Aeon Saga vanished.
Leon shifted Excalibur into both hands.
Then—
He swung upward with all his might.
A colossal pillar of golden light erupted skyward.
Its brilliance was so overwhelming that it could have been clearly observed even from outer space.
BOOOOOOM—!!
All sound vanished.
The entire world fell silent.
Only that heavenly pillar of light remained, piercing the heavens.
Bathed in the sacred golden radiance—
Everything else in existence faded into insignificance.
Even Gilgamesh, the lofty King of Heroes who looked down upon all creation, couldn't help but turn his head.
The corners of his mouth stretched nearly to his ears in exhilaration.
His right hand trembled unconsciously as he drew Ea, the Sword of Rupture from the Gate of Babylon.
Only then did the trembling cease.
"Ea..."
"Remember this radiance."
"And in the near future..."
"Crush it."
Gilgamesh raised Ea high into the air and declared with absolute confidence.
The three spiraling segments of the divine blade began rotating at incredible speed.
A crimson vortex capable of rending the world gathered around it—
A storm whose scale rivaled even Excalibur's pillar of light.
Its target, however, was neither Excalibur...
Nor the relentlessly pursuing Berserker (Matou Kariya ).
Instead—
Gilgamesh simply pointed it toward the boundless night sky.
It was nothing more than the proud declaration of the oldest king.
"Bla—"
Buried deep within the Giant Sea Demon's flesh, Caster—Gilles de Rais managed to utter only a single syllable—
Before both he and the monster were utterly annihilated.
The holy light erased them without the slightest resistance.
Along with the endless cursed sea that accompanied them.
As though they had never existed.
Only after the golden pillar—visible across nearly half the planet—finally faded...
Did everyone realize that Gilgamesh had already disappeared.
Meanwhile, Berserker (Matou Kariya ) had dived into the depths of the Shadow Domain the very moment Ea began gathering power, vanishing without a trace.
His mission had already been accomplished.
He had successfully kept Gilgamesh occupied.
And he could not die here.
At least...
Not yet.
"Haa... haa... haa..."
Leaning on Excalibur for support, Leon forced himself to remain standing.
His breathing was ragged.
Even with Sakura's timely use of a Command Seal, maintaining both Aeon Saga and Excalibur had nearly drained him completely.
The storm clouds had dispersed.
Cold moonlight bathed Leon's dust-covered figure, lending him an air that was at once mysterious and dreamlike...
Graceful.
Yet undeniably majestic.
"Saber..."
"No..."
"King Arthur."
"You've truly opened my eyes today."
"That noble radiance..."
"It must be the very symbol of the King of Knights."
"Our operation was a complete success!"
"Hahahaha!"
Iskandar strode over and threw an arm around Leon's shoulders, laughing heartily.
He admired Leon from the bottom of his heart.
Although he had contributed greatly himself, Iskandar understood perfectly well—
Without Leon...
Without Excalibur...
There was no way they could have destroyed Caster and the Giant Sea Demon so decisively.
There was nothing embarrassing about acknowledging the difference in their contributions.
Caster had fallen.
...
At this point in the Fourth Holy Grail War—
The defeated Servants were:
LancerAssassinCaster
The remaining Servants were:
SaberArcherRiderBerserker
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