"What...is that?!"
Shirou's voice trembled as he watched the emerald-green arrow vanish into the moonlight. In that instant, a bone-deep chill surged up his spine.
It was the sensation of impending death.
Shirou had long since lost count of how many times he'd found himself in such dire straits. Facing death directly had almost become commonplace.
Yet he knew there was no escaping the onslaught this time.
He could immediately project [Incursio], but his instincts warned him clearly—even ten layers of the armor wouldn't withstand the flood of arrows soon to pour down.
[Phoebus Catastrophe] was a Noble Phantasm designed for large-scale area devastation, an indiscriminate bombardment powerful enough to wipe out entire battalions in seconds.
While individually each arrow posed little threat to Servants, their sheer quantity amplified their destructive force beyond description. If even Servants faced mortal danger beneath such an assault, what chance did he—a mere Master—stand?
The area targeted by [Phoebus Catastrophe] could vary. The smaller the area, the denser and deadlier the arrow rain became.
At best, concentrating all of [Incursio]'s defenses into a single point could barely withstand a single B-rank strike before breaking. It had only succeeded previously because Shirou could continuously layer new projections faster than Atalanta could shoot.
Atalanta's earlier attacks hadn't failed—they'd continuously shattered his shields, but Shirou's projection speed made them appear unbreakable. Atalanta's fully drawn bow, though devastating, couldn't sustain rapid, consecutive shots.
But now, beneath the sheer torrent of arrows about to descend, even ten layers of [Incursio] wouldn't survive. They would shatter instantly under the relentless assault.
He wouldn't even have the time to project another shield.
"What do we do, what do we do!?"
Astolfo desperately clung to Shirou in panic, facing such overwhelming power with no way to defend himself.
If this Noble Phantasm hits me, I'll definitely vanish on the spot! he thought anxiously, staring pleadingly at Shirou.
In his eyes, Shirou Emiya, who had severely wounded Archer of Red, was surely stronger than himself.
He'd clearly forgotten that he was a Servant.
At that exact moment, a brilliant golden light burst forth from behind Shirou.
The gentle yet radiant brilliance carried with it the faith of warriors and the earnest desire to protect others. The golden glow, embodying the very essence of Arthur's noble ideals, surged forth like a spring of hope.
Its powerful presence allowed Astolfo to breathe a sigh of relief.
If it was Arthur's Noble Phantasm, surely such an attack could easily be repelled.
But Astolfo's relief came a bit too soon.
After all, they weren't the only ones present on this battlefield.
At the same instant, words of solemn vows echoed clearly in Arthur's ears:
"Accepted—Never stray from righteousness."
"Accepted—Never turn against the spirits."
"Accepted—Never fight for personal gain."
Though he had released only three of its oaths, the weapon in Arthur's hands more than earned its title as an Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasm.
A magnificent golden pillar shot upward, its overwhelming presence instantly surpassing even Atalanta's arrow storm.
Arthur swung forth the blazing beam of divine brilliance, slicing toward the descending hail of arrows.
"You don't have the luxury of stopping MIssy's Noble Phantasm!"
An arrogant voice suddenly thundered from before Arthur. Achilles planted himself firmly in front, directly obstructing Arthur's unleashed power.
Arthur's pupils shrank in horror. With Achilles's body, there was no possibility he could survive such a strike—he'd be reduced to ashes beneath the blast.
"Archer, what's happening over there!?"
Far away, at the base of another tower, a brown-haired woman sitting in a wheelchair urgently questioned her Servant.
"It seems that the King of Knight's Master is in grave danger."
The male Archer with a ponytail grimly observed the distant, catastrophic explosion unfolding on the battlefield.
Countless arrows of pure light summoned by Atalanta rained down like a storm, engulfing Red Berserker, Rider, Shirou Emiya, Arthur, and even Black Rider in their relentless fury.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Explosions erupted continuously, leaving only deafening roars echoing across the entire town.
The targeted area seemed as if it had been carpet-bombed. Shockwaves surged outward again and again, laying waste to everything in their path.
The arrows struck the ground, obliterating streets and buildings alike, mercilessly annihilating all in their reach. Structures shattered instantly, reduced to rubble amid swirling dust.
Yet, even amid this relentless barrage, an even fiercer golden radiance surged outward through the smoke, sweeping aside everything before it. Archer of Black could only glimpse a blinding flash of gold erupting before his eyes.
BOOOOOOOM——!
The golden brilliance mercilessly consumed everything nearby, unleashing yet another devastating explosion.
"Ahh—!"
Even Fiore, nearly a kilometer away, felt the immense shockwave. She would have been thrown from her wheelchair if not for the mechanical arms swiftly stabilizing her.
The entire battlefield had been reduced to a barren wasteland in mere moments.
This was the terrifying power of an Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasm.
Even I wouldn't survive something like that, Archer of Black thought grimly.
One after another, human bodies were hurled through the air from their homes, raining down at terrifying speed.
Archer tried instinctively to catch them, but sensed no signs of life from any of them.
Cautiously approaching one corpse that crashed onto the ground near him, Archer quickly understood:
All of these people's hearts had already been removed—long before their battle even began.
No living soul remained in this entire town.