As time moved forward, the war between the two factions descended into pure chaos.
Chiron was locked in combat with Achilles.
Atalanta and Frankenstein hunted down Semiramis, cutting through the corridors of the Hanging Gardens like relentless predators chasing a royal prey.
Outside the floating fortress, Astolfo soared at full speed on his Hippogriff, slicing through clouds and wind in search of Jeanne.
And finally, there was the most devastating confrontation of all: Arthur versus Karna.
---
CLANG!!
The metallic clash echoed fiercely, reverberating through the shattered ruins around them.
The sound of sword striking spear repeated endlessly — a symphony of destruction between two legends who could never coexist without crossing blades.
Neither intended to stop.
There was no hesitation, no restraint, no mercy.
Both knew that this time, they would fight to the end — no distractions, no interruptions, no postponement.
Karna charged forward, his spear slicing the air in flaming arcs, leaving trails of incandescent light. His attacks came in blinding succession, overlapping like afterimages — a storm of nearly invisible movements.
Arthur, however, remained calm.
Every strike was deflected with surgical precision; every step calculated with the poise of a king who ruled the battlefield itself.
The twin swords he summoned from the Gate of Babylon rang and spun through the air, creating a dazzling dance that countered Karna's fiery onslaught.
He aimed for vital points, seeking the smallest openings — openings that appeared for an instant, only to be blocked by Karna's superhuman reflexes and divine armor.
Neither cared about the destruction left behind.
Buildings crumbled to dust.
Walls split open.
The ground trembled.
Even the air seemed to scream under the pressure of their unleashed power.
And in the heart of that devastation — both men smiled.
Not from arrogance, but from recognition.
From the sheer joy of meeting a truly worthy opponent.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
The sound rang out like bells announcing the end of the world.
---
"Hang on, Jeanne!!" shouted Astolfo, his voice nearly lost to the wind as his Hippogriff soared across the stormy skies.
The heavens were painted with streaks of magical light. Cannons from the Hanging Gardens fired relentlessly, dyeing the clouds a burning violet.
Jeanne stood atop a trembling aircraft, its metal frame groaning under the impact of magical fire.
Her EX-class magic resistance shielded her — but the plane beneath her was still just steel and fuel.
At 7,500 meters above the ground, one precise hit was all it would take to turn the sky into her grave.
From her royal chamber, Semiramis watched the scene unfold with a cold smile.
"Now... vanish from this world, Ruler."
But Arthur's plan was already in motion.
At that exact moment, a brilliant light cut through the clouds.
Astolfo had arrived.
His Hippogriff roared as it tore through the magical barrage, diving straight toward the aircraft.
In one swift motion, he reached out — and with inhuman strength, grabbed Jeanne, lifting her away just before the plane exploded into a fiery inferno below.
Even Semiramis was struck speechless for a moment.
The sight before her — the pink-haired knight atop a mythical beast, holding the saint in his arms — was so grand it could have been a divine painting.
One held a Grimoire that nullified magic.
The other possessed near-absolute magical resistance.
Together, they formed a combination even the Queen of the Hanging Gardens could not face head-on.
The magical cannons continued to fire, but it no longer mattered.
Each beam shattered before it reached them, broken like glass by Astolfo's Noble Phantasm.
Within seconds, the Hippogriff pierced the defensive barrier and landed on the fortress platform.
"So, what now, Ruler?" asked Astolfo, slightly breathless but still wearing his usual confident smile.
"We head for the Greater Grail. Semiramis will try to stop us," Jeanne replied, her voice steady and determined.
"Understood!" Astolfo grinned.
The two dashed down the marble corridor, guided by Jeanne's supernatural intuition.
---
On the other side of the fortress, Semiramis observed the magical projection before her.
"Tsk… they actually made it inside."
Her brow furrowed. The image displayed chaos everywhere:
Atalanta and Frankenstein closing in on the Royal Chamber.
Jeanne and Astolfo advancing toward the Greater Grail.
And Mordred's whereabouts — completely unknown.
Five Servants, each positioned strategically throughout the Hanging Gardens.
Five threats she could not handle alone.
"It seems I'll have to separate them…" she muttered under her breath.
She knew that if Jeanne and Astolfo managed to regroup with the others, it would mean the end — for both her and her Master.
One possessed perfect defense against magic.
The other could nullify any spell.
Even as the ruler of a flying fortress, she couldn't overcome them through sheer force.
With a swift gesture, she activated the fortress's internal defense system.
The ground shook, and the mechanisms of the Hanging Gardens came to life.
Defensive arrays flared, and beams of energy raced down the corridors.
"Though I do not fear chaos," she murmured with a chilling smile, eyes gleaming with amusement, "it's always better to greet it with preparation."
---
Meanwhile, the duel between Arthur and Karna had transcended the limits of human understanding.
Every clash of their weapons created shockwaves that obliterated everything around them.
The surrounding buildings had already been reduced to ash.
The ground was a crater-riddled wasteland, and fragments of blades from the Gate of Babylon were scattered across the soil, gleaming under the moonlight.
Arthur continued to smile as their battle raged on.
Spotting an opening, Karna leapt back, his eyes blazing.
"Brahmastra Kundala!!" he roared, hurling his spear with all his divine might.
The weapon ignited in roaring flames, streaking toward Arthur like a comet.
The sheer force of the attack bent the horizon itself.
Arthur swiftly raised a stone tablet and summoned a powerful magical barrier — combining his ancient divine knowledge with the spells contained in his mystic grimoires.
BOOOOOOM!!
The explosion's thunder rolled across the battlefield.
And at the center of that maelstrom, Arthur and Karna clashed once more — two heroes from distant eras, bound by a single unspoken vow:
To fight until death, without regret.
(End of Chapter)
"Hmph. If you really want to be useful, then entertain me, try to throw those pathetic power stones at me. Let's see if even your insolence can amuse a king."