The explosion's sound had surpassed the limits of what any human ear could withstand. Divine power and solar heat intertwined, creating a force of destruction equal to the very core of the sun.
The entire [Vipralopa Domain] was leveled by the impact—its once-solid terrain now transformed into a world of molten magma.
Amid the irresistible shockwave, Karna shielded himself with the divine Sun Wheel Armor, narrowly escaping the blast. Suspended in the void, he stared toward the towering mushroom cloud rising before him.
"Not bad~" ×3
A layered chorus of voices echoed from the core of the cloud.
Upon hearing it, Karna's heart tightened. An unprecedented sense of pressure welled up from within him, forcing his grip on the spear to tighten instinctively.
"Even that wasn't enough to wound you, was it, Māra…?"
"To make me reveal the form of the Demon Buddha—you are worthy of praise." ×3
As the overlapping echoes filled the air, Karna realized the truth—his opponent had finally decided to fight seriously.
Completely different. Absolutely different.
Just like his own transformation, his opponent too had ascended to another level entirely. The oppressive aura before him was overwhelming.
Yet the proud Karna bore within him the divine core of one of India's supreme gods. Even before such an adversary, he would not yield.
"This is still not enough—because I have yet to defeat you!"
"Is that—so?" ×3
Before the words even faded, Satsuki's figure vanished—only to reappear an instant later, crossing space faster than a blink. The clash of two divine forces erupted across every direction of the battlefield.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Unending explosions. Relentless destruction. Continuous torrents of magical energy unleashed without pause…
Her speed now several times what it had been moments ago, her power magnified manyfold—facing the ascended Māra, Karna once again found himself back in the same position as during their first encounter, completely pressed on the defensive.
Even with his godlike mastery and refined technique allowing him to trade blows evenly—sometimes even gaining an edge—Satsuki, now in her Demon Buddha Form, showed no fear of his god-slaying spear. Even when it struck her, scattering divine sparks, it failed to inflict the slightest harm.
Meanwhile, Karna's golden armor, though mighty enough to endure her strikes again and again, was gradually losing its divine resilience and immortality under the relentless corrosion of the power of Vipralopa.
"So this is her true strength? Just how much was she holding back during our first battle?"
Karna thought bitterly to himself. Even having attained the form of a [Perfect God], he found himself struggling.
"Karna, you've done well—truly, exceedingly well. Though I still restrain myself, you are the first Heroic Spirit to have battled me to this extent." ×3
Even amidst combat, Satsuki's tone carried calm amusement.
"Still restraining yourself? Hah! To face such power, even if you are my enemy, my fighting spirit burns all the fiercer!"
Upon hearing this, brilliant flames surged once more from Karna's body. Radiance cloaked him in divine brilliance, transforming him again into the blazing incarnation of the Sun God.
For a moment, even Satsuki's onslaught in her Demon Buddha form halted.
Then, seizing the opportunity, Karna drew back, lowering his god-slaying spear toward the earth.
"In that case, might I have the honor of witnessing your full power, Māra?"
His question made the Demon Buddha Satsuki fall silent for a moment. Then she raised one hand toward the heavens. Nine spheres of the Vipralopa Truth-Seeking Orbs appeared, spinning and merging together in her grasp.
"My full strength? Even I do not know the limits of it. But if you can withstand this next attack—you may be qualified to witness it."
The void began to tremble violently. Space itself fractured as though cut apart by invisible blades, cracks spreading outward from Satsuki's position.
Black lightning rampaged through the rifts, and infinite pressure radiated in all directions. The earth groaned, the planet itself facing imminent annihilation.
Then, before Karna's eyes, a colossal dark-golden sword emerged, stretching from sky to ground. Even without being swung, its mere presence tore both heaven and earth apart.
And opposite it, a crimson sun ignited—burning with divine fury.
It was a crimson sunlight—born from Karna's divine blood, shed as he tore away the golden armor fused with his flesh, merging with his own solar radiance.
He raised the god-slaying spear before him, his expression calm, almost serene.
"This journey leaves me with no regrets. The moment my destiny burns to its end—is now."
Within the searing brilliance of the sun, Karna resolutely sacrificed the golden armor that had guarded him. The divine power contained within fused with his spear of annihilation and the destructive might of Shiva.
Golden sunlight gathered at the spearhead, its surface adorned with patterns resembling divine eyes that shone upon Karna's bare chest.
It was—the manifestation of Shiva's most destructive divinity: the Third Eye of God.
The radiant solar power he unleashed produced boundless heat. Behind Karna, a vast sun—its diameter exceeding several kilometers—blazed into existence, forming an incandescent wheel of destruction.
Centered upon this blazing sun, the collapsing earth crumbled outward, magma surging and dancing in wild celebration around him.
Then—a bolt of thunder crossed the heavens, carrying with it the very essence of destruction. In that moment, the sky itself seemed to ignite from the sheer intensity of its power.
"Māra, my greatest adversary—receive this strike, given with my utmost respect!"
Even Satsuki, now in her Demon Buddha Form, could not remain unmoved before such overwhelming destructive divinity. It was an attack that neared the very threshold of godhood.
In her other hand, the long-silent Three Divine Kings' Sacred Wheel stirred to life, the crimson gem at its core flashing with light.
—It was the manifestation of the Yama King's authority: Instant Death Authority.
The artifact's autonomous response signified that it had recognized a power equal to its own—an act of divine equivalence. At once, its own Noble Phantasm resonance began to awaken, the chant of True Name Liberation echoing in Satsuki's mind.
"So, you've grown restless after being ignored for so long." Satsuki chuckled softly, her gaze sharpening. "Very well—this opponent is worthy of your full power."
Thus, upon this fated night, the two unleashed their Noble Phantasms in unison.
"Behold the mercy of the King of the Gods…
—'At the end of pride, under true wisdom, witness…'
"Annihilation shall come with this strike…
—'Recite the fleeting verse of life…'
"Māra—bear witness!
—'Confess the suffering of life to the Pure Land…'"
A colossal thunderbolt split the heavens, filled with the destructive might of divine wrath.
Opposite it, crimson divine sigils—embodying the authority of death—engraved themselves upon the surface of the immense dark-golden sword.
"Burn to nothingness—'O' Sun, Abide to Death! (Vasavi Shakti!)'"
"After endless cycles of rebirth, rejoice—embrace the equal end—'Perish, Golden Wheel of World-Annihilation!!'"
The Vipralopa-infused Golden Wheel Reincarnation Explosion, laden with the Instant Death Authority, collided head-on with the god-slaying spear Vasavi Shakti, imbued with Shiva's destructive divinity.
In that pure light of extinction, the two figures crossed paths.
And then—
The world itself collapsed into oblivion.
Just as the brightest shooting star must one day fade; just as even the most splendid feast must eventually end—so too must even the most divine of battles reach its cruel conclusion.
Standing with her back turned, Satsuki's wide kimono bore a deep spear mark across it. The surface of her Golden Wheel Reincarnation Explosion groaned with cracking sounds.
Fractures crept up along the dark-golden blade, and at last, Satsuki released her grip. The Tenseigan-like eyes of her Reincarnation Wheel quietly watched as the shattered Vipralopa Truth-Seeking Orbs that had formed the golden sword disintegrated into dust midair.
Her opponent, too, was no longer the blazing figure from moments before. Karna—the radiant [Perfect God]—now wore a serene smile on his impossibly beautiful face. It was the smile of a warrior who had found fulfillment upon the battlefield he had yearned for.
Splash~
The sea breeze whispered across the coastal warehouse district, carrying with it the faint scent of salt. In the quiet aftermath, the world had returned to stillness.
"Was that… my limit?"
In that instant of thought, the faces of Kayneth and Sola flickered through Karna's mind—followed by those of his friend Ashvatthaman, his father Surya, another world's Master, Fujimaru Ritsuka… and his brother, Arjuna.
Crack~
A sharp sound echoed as the god-slaying spear in his hand snapped cleanly in two. Fissures glowing faint red began to spread outward from the divine eye etched across his chest.
—It was the result of being struck by Satsuki's Instant Death Authority.
Had Karna still worn his Sun Wheel Armor, he might have resisted its effect, if only briefly. But such possibilities no longer existed.
The Son of the Sun God turned with great effort. His final gaze in this Holy Grail War fell upon that cold, untouchable back before him.
"Māra…"
With that quiet, conflicted whisper, the strength left his legs. His body began to collapse.
Yet before he could fall to the earth, Satsuki appeared before him. One hand reached out, supporting the crumbling form that could no longer sustain its magical essence.
"To let a warrior kneel in death—would be an insult to this battle."
Her calm voice carried through the silent air. Slowly, she helped him stand upright, until his noble figure once again faced the heavens. At last, his form dissolved into radiant motes of energy, scattering into the wind before her.
Satsuki watched in silence as the heroic spirit vanished before her eyes. A faint blue light rippled across her body, instantly restoring her to an unscathed state.
It was the power of the Wheel of Fate—one of the authorities within the Three Divine Kings' Sacred Wheel—known as [Status Manipulation].
She could have used it during the battle, but she chose not to.
It was her respect for her opponent—and for herself.
...
"Lancer… is dead."
From separate spaces, the same words were spoken at once.
One voice came from within the Einzbern Castle, where the Three Kings Alliance had gathered—those still searching for a way to defeat Satsuki.
Among them, the vessel of the Holy Grail, Irisviel von Einzbern, immediately sensed the disappearance of a Servant's spiritual signature. Though strangely, the spirit had not been absorbed by her, she knew what it meant.
Chaldea's Master, Fujimaru Ritsuka, and Lord El-Melloi II exchanged uneasy glances as they listened to her solemn declaration.
The atmosphere within the Einzbern Castle grew unbearably heavy.
"Even with that level of divine power, that Lancer… couldn't overcome Māra?"
The three Heroic Spirits present knew well how terrifying Karna's power had been.
In single combat, the [Perfect God] Karna could have overwhelmed any one of the Three Kings—each of them aware of it.
And yet, even such an overwhelming force had fallen before Saver.
"If direct confrontation is impossible, then we must consider an alternative."
"Even as a Saver, it still exists within the framework of a Servant. If we can't find a weakness in its being, then perhaps we need to attack from another angle."
"Kiritsugu… what do you mean?"
Without a word, Emiya Kiritsugu unfolded a map. Upon it, a single location had been marked with a red cross.
"This map was sent by the Holy Church. It marks the location of Saver's Master's residence."
"How could that be? Aren't they the ones hunting you down?"
Waver asked in confusion.
"It's simple—the enemy of my enemy is my friend," replied Lord El-Melloi II calmly. "In terms of ancient strategy, the Holy Church's move would be called 'driving the wolf to devour the tiger.' It seems they've finally realized who the true threat in this war really is."
"However," he continued, "knowing your enemy and yourself is the key to victory. We know nothing about Saver's Master. A reckless attack will only lead to failure."
"I may have an idea about that," Irisviel said, her expression turning solemn. "Back when the Holy Church issued the bounty for Caster's extermination, Saver's Master appeared in person."
As she spoke, Irisviel summoned a familiar woven from intricate metallic strands.
Its surface glimmered with indigo magical light, its avian form elegant and refined.
The familiar circled in the air for a few moments before projecting a luminous image from the jeweled eyes set in its head.
In the air appeared a figure—identical in appearance to Irisviel herself, yet exuding an entirely different divine presence.
"This is the Saver's Master," Irisviel said, steadying her breath. "As you can see, she looks exactly like me. That's why I suspect she may also be a homunculus of the Einzbern family. Judging by her form, her capabilities should be nearly identical to mine."
"Is that… so?"
The Chaldea group stared at the projection—the woman who bore Irisviel's face, yet radiated a distinctly alien aura. A silent storm churned within each of their hearts.
"Senpai, could it be…?"
Mash's eyes flickered with a mix of shock and unease as she turned to her Master.
In Fujimaru Ritsuka's gaze, she found the same realization dawning—heavy and grim.
"That face, that expression… there's no mistake."
His voice was low, his tone weighted with conviction.
"The one who twisted the Holy Grail War's history—the true force behind this world's distortion, the reason it's shifting toward a Lostbelt—isn't the Caster we suspected."
He looked toward the image of the other Irisviel, her crimson eyes shimmering with calm, divine light.
"It's the [Black Holy Grail]."