"We must prevent that tower from opening. Lancer, can you bring it down?"
"No problem."
At the same time, in the Red Camp, Amakusa Shirou frowned at the sight of the Crystal Tower.
God's revelation was useless right now, but that didn't mean he couldn't sense the danger.
Unfortunately, Achilles had been defeated, and among the Red side's Servants, only Karna possessed the power necessary to break through Eggy's defenses.
"There's no need to rush. We still have time..."
Amakusa desired the salvation of humanity. If the world returned to Eden, it could be considered a form of salvation. By that logic, the Monster should be an ally. However, he also knew that the Monster would annihilate this humanity and create another, which went against saving the humans who existed now.
Even if his wish meant the extinction of the human race, at least they would continue to live in another form of life. It wouldn't be the kind of death the Monster brought—rather, a release for the species.
That was why he felt conflicted about the tower's opening.
Marisbury, however, didn't see the tower opening as that dangerous. It was still within a range he could tolerate.
"Is that really fine? If that tower opens, the world will return to Eden."
"No. If the Monster wishes to free itself from its chains, it still needs more than just an anchor..."
"Caster..."
This time, it was Solomon who spoke. With his clairvoyance, he could see further than any other Servant. Even if the future was impossible to discern, the past remained visible. By analyzing the seal binding the Monster, he was able to understand its nature.
It was a seal created by many Gods—a seal meant to be eternal, designed to imprison the Monster forever. Unfortunately, something prevented the seal from fully completing. More precisely, something was devouring the seal and gradually freeing the Monster.
That seal alone reflected how deeply the Gods feared Adam. Because of that, it wouldn't break so easily.
And Solomon was right. The seal had been created by multiple Gods from the World of Gods, but it had been designed to restrain Requiem, not Yuki. It was a protective measure meant for that purpose.
That, however, was something Solomon didn't know.
"So we just sit and watch?"
Amakusa still wasn't satisfied. He understood that even if the Monster were freed, it wouldn't be complete—but even incomplete, it was terrifyingly powerful.
"There's no rush. Let Ruler handle it for now. Our priority is to strengthen ourselves and strike at the end..."
The Hanging Gardens of Babylonia were still incomplete. When they attacked, they would do so with their full strength. For that, Mash and Ritsuka needed to gather more allies. Just as Marisbury had said, a meteor appeared in the atmosphere, falling toward the Crystal Tower.
"So this is Kabbalah... incredible..."
Avicebron lifted his head, unable to hide his awe at the apocalyptic tower.
This was what he had sought in life—the Tower of Creation of the firstborn.
What a pity. That tower had been built to welcome a Monster, not the Adam of legend.
This was his role. He had to give "life" to the true Adam and destroy the Monster.
"It's beautiful, isn't it, Master?"
Turning his head, Avicebron saw his small Master being swallowed by a Giant Golem.
Like Vlad III and Astolfo, Avicebron had not been controlled by Miku. His A-rank mana rendered him immune to her brainwashing.
His Master, however, was not. Before his Master could use a Command Spell, Avicebron subdued him and used him as the catalyst for his Noble Phantasm.
He wouldn't take any risks. He didn't know if Miku might brainwash the Masters again.
Still, he had to thank Miku. Her ability gave him the perfect excuse to restrain his Master and use him to complete his Golem.
"This is undoubtedly the hand of fate. Eve will help her Adam. Don't worry, dear 'mother'—your husband will be ready very soon..."
With a surge of magical power, "Adam" opened his eyes, and Avicebron's Master vanished into the depths of the Golem.
"You are a threat to this world and my citizens. I will stop you here..."
In the planet's atmosphere, a Great Wall enveloped the world. Immense magical power surged through it, condensing into a flaming sphere like a meteor before being launched at the rising Crystal Tower.
The attack didn't go unnoticed by the girls. Eggy, standing before the tower, raised the corner of her lips at the sight of the massive assault.
"Do you think I'm a coward? You underestimate this Queen!"
The Wall's attack would take three minutes to reach its target—more than enough time for Eggy to reach the summit and for the gate to fully form. She didn't take the attack seriously.
Besides, Eggy wasn't here to fight. Someone else would handle that.
"Are you the disobedient child who doesn't want my beloved to come into this World?"
Floating before Qin Shi Huang, a seductive little witch held her hat coquettishly.
For Origami and the others, Qin Shi Huang wasn't a particularly great threat. They could fly, and an attack launched from the edge of the world that took time to arrive was easy to avoid. But now they were tasked with protecting the Crystal Tower, and Natsumi wanted no complications.
So she stepped out of space and appeared directly before Qin Shi Huang.
"I see. You are part of the threat to this world."
By creating the Great Wall, Qin Shi Huang had made the world itself his domain. All current information about the world flooded into his mind and was instantly processed.
He learned of the Monster and the present Servants. He understood the threat posed by the girl before him. Unlike the other "Eves," the one standing before him made his soul tremble. This was the suppression of all descendants.
Qin Shi Huang now stood before his "mother." Even if he was now immortal and no longer human, his spirit and soul were still part of humanity. Because of that, his instincts screamed within him at the danger—the wrath of humanity's mother.
"A threat? I wonder if that's really true. My beloved merely wants to reclaim what is his. I see nothing wrong with that."
"Reclaim? Even if it means sacrificing this world? Your children?"
This was only one sub-world among many in Type-Moon. Losing one wouldn't make much difference. But as Champion, Yuki would not harm the World—something no one in this war knew.
"If that's what my beloved desires, I won't hesitate..."
A dangerous glint flashed in Natsumi's eyes as she swung her broom.
The air grew tense, and Qin Shi Huang lowered his center of gravity...
"Just kidding~"
Natsumi quickly relaxed, stuck out her tongue, and gave a playful wink.
"What kind of mother would kill her own children? I'm not a monster~..."
(Besides, no one in this world is actually my child~)
Of course, she kept that last thought to herself. She was still far too young to have children—though it wasn't a bad idea. Yuki had always emphasized reviving his Uchiha Clan. It was a shame he hadn't put that idea into practice yet.
"Should I take that as your surrender?"
"No. What I mean is, I won't punish you—as long as you don't interfere. Like now..."
She twirled her broom and pointed toward the incoming meteor.
"Haniel, Kaleidoscope."
PUFFFFFF
A cloud of smoke enveloped the meteor. In a cartoonish twist, it vanished and was replaced by a balloon that slowly began floating back into the atmosphere.
"Do you understand now, child? You can't hurt mommy...."
Sticking out her tongue, Natsumi mocked him. As one of the Thrones, her Haniel had evolved, vastly increasing the number of things she could transform. In fact, she was confident she could change the entire world if she wanted. A mere meteor was nothing.
"..."
Qin Shi Huang remained silent. As the ruler of the world, his attacks weren't just raw accumulations of mana—they were enforced by rules placed upon his opponents.
According to his Noble Phantasm, all citizens of this world should fall under his control, and that attack should have been unavoidable.
Yet for Natsumi, it had been as simple as waving her broom.
It was a devastating blow to his pride as an emperor.
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