The current head of the Ainzuberen family was, in truth, no different from the third-generation family head.Like his predecessor, he himself was a perfected "magical puppet"—a form of artificial intelligence created to pursue and refine the Third Magic.
Through the magic circuits embedded within his body, the Ainzuberen head could directly activate the castle's central core. This allowed him not only to command the vast number of homunculi within the estate, but also to awaken every defensive mechanism built into the castle itself.
The instant the massive magic array enveloping the entire Ainzuberen estate unfolded, Ren Kuroda and Modoredo both felt it clearly—their magical power was being suppressed.
And that was only the beginning.
As the first magic array activated, a second followed immediately after.Then a third.
With the activation of the second and third layers, Ren could distinctly feel the gravity acting on his body intensify.At the same time, their magical power was no longer merely suppressed—it had begun to slowly drain away.
"The reason Servants are powerful is simple," the Ainzuberen head said calmly, his voice filled with pride."They possess magical energy and physical capabilities far beyond ordinary humans.You can feel it now, can't you? Your magic is being suppressed."
"Your movements are restricted by gravity.And the magic leaking from your bodies is being absorbed by the array beneath your feet and converted into our own power.Even if you are Servants… what can you possibly do under these conditions?"
Surrounded on all sides, the Ainzuberen head gazed at Ren and the others with absolute confidence.
If Ren and Modoredo had never stepped into Ainzuberen territory, then relying on homunculi alone, the family truly might not have been able to handle two Servants.
But now that they stood within the domain of the Ainzuberen main estate—
With centuries of accumulated foundations behind them, controlling these Servants was not impossible.
Suppress their magic, preventing them from using their trump cards—Noble Phantasms.Crush their movements with enhanced gravity, rendering their extraordinary physiques meaningless.Then siphon off their magic through the final array and use it as fuel to power countless homunculi.
Because the homunculi's magic circuits were artificial, they were unaffected by the array even while standing within it.
On one side—magic suppressed, movement restricted.On the other—overwhelming numbers of enhanced homunculi.
With power steadily shifting in their favor, the Ainzuberen head could see no possible way they could lose.
Not only would they win—that Assassin knew far too much. If they could capture him alive, perhaps they could extract even more secrets regarding the Third Magic.
After all, the so-called Third Magic, the Heaven's Cup, had been the Ainzuberen family's obsession for generations.Now that an opportunity stood before them, how could he not seize it?
"…Looks like you're really underestimating me," Ren said lightly."This pathetic magic array of yours doesn't even reach half the suppression Medea once put on me. And you call this your trump card?"
"You want magic power, right?" Ren smiled faintly."Fine. I'll give you all you want. Just don't choke on it."
At first, the Ainzuberen head wore an expression of utter disdain.In his eyes, Ren was simply bluffing.
After all, Kiritsugu Emiya—standing within the same triple-layered array—could barely remain on his feet.
Modoredo, as a Servant, was holding up better. Against the combat-type homunculi, she was still cutting them down one by one with her sword.Even so, any observer could tell that compared to her usual endurance, she was struggling.
The battle had barely begun, yet her breathing was already becoming ragged.
As for Ren—although he remained calm and composed, the Ainzuberen head was convinced he was merely forcing himself to appear unfazed.
No one possessed infinite magical power.If someone did, they might as well be called the Seventh Magic.
Ren might look steady now, but sooner or later, he would collapse.
——Or so he thought.
In the next instant, the Ainzuberen head's confidence shattered completely.
The entire castle shuddered violently.
A terrifying surge of magical power erupted from the battlefield, instantly spreading throughout the skies above the Ainzuberen estate.
Dense, purple, materialized magic flooded outward without restraint.Its ominous, otherworldly aura engulfed the surroundings, transforming the area into something resembling a haunted realm.
Ever since learning Mana Burst from Saber and Modoredo, Ren had come to realize just how versatile the technique truly was.
It could compress magic into a towering pillar for devastating direct attacks.Or it could be released outward, forming a field-like expansion—a pseudo-domain.
Ren even suspected that this expansive form of Mana Burst still had room for growth.He simply hadn't grasped the final key yet.
What Ren didn't realize—
Was that Kiritsugu, collapsed on the ground, was staring at the purple mist with a deeply unsettled expression.
Because this was no longer just Mana Burst.
To him, it was terrifyingly close to a Reality Marble.
A Reality Marble was a grand magecraft that used magical energy to manifest one's inner world into reality—a technique that already brushed against the domain of space itself.
And now, Ren was shaping a purple hellscape with pure magical power.
From Kiritsugu's perspective—Ren was only one step away from fully forming a Reality Marble.
In terms of magical capacity, Ren already far exceeded the requirements.He had grasped the method as well.
All that remained was for him to further refine his inner world.
Once that was done, manifesting a true Reality Marble would be inevitable.
Understanding just how difficult Reality Marbles were to achieve, Kiritsugu's gaze toward Ren grew even more shocked.
This Assassin was absolutely abnormal.
He knew secrets no ordinary Heroic Spirit should.His strength was already absurd—and even after being summoned, he was still growing.
Heroic Spirits were supposed to be summoned at the peak of their legends.As beings already dead, surpassing their former selves should have been impossible—to do so would mean surpassing one's own myth.
Yet when Ren was first summoned, Kiritsugu had seen his status sheet.
He hadn't possessed Mana Burst.His Noble Phantasm had only been B-rank.
And now?
He had mastered Mana Burst through sheer talent.His Noble Phantasm had risen to A-rank.And most absurd of all—he was on the verge of manifesting a Reality Marble.
This wasn't a Servant anymore.
This was a monster.
Learning, absorbing, and replicating opponents' abilities through mere combat—Kiritsugu couldn't even imagine how monstrous a genius Ren must have been in life.
And considering the sheer magical output Ren had demonstrated at Ryūdō Temple—just how vast and devastating would his Reality Marble be?
As Kiritsugu marveled at how utterly unbalanced this Holy Grail War had become, he also felt profound relief.
Because this absurd existence—
Wasn't his enemy.
It was his ally.
And there was nothing more reassuring than that.
As the thick purple magic continued to spread, Kiritsugu realized something else—
The suppression and draining effects acting on him were weakening.
"That's impossible…" the Ainzuberen head muttered in disbelief."Even a Servant shouldn't possess magic on this scale…The absorption array is… saturating?"
"This array can power one hundred combat homunculi at maximum output for an entire day!"
He understood immediately—the array hadn't failed.
It was simply full.
"…That's it?" Ren tilted his head."I thought I'd have to go full demon, but if this is all the Ainzuberen family can manage, it's pretty disappointing."
"Since it's saturated—then let's overload it."
The moment Ren sensed that his magic was no longer being drained, his power surged outward once more like a tidal wave.
The purple mist thickened drastically.
This time, the homunculi engulfed within it began to hear whispers—the murmurs of ghosts and gods.
And with the sudden explosion of magic—
Crack!
The magic array shattered under the strain.
With the absorption array destroyed, Ren stomped the ground once.
The force of monstrous divine strength rippled outward, splitting the earth apart.The second array—the gravity-enhancing field—collapsed almost instantly.
Two layers destroyed.
The final array suppressing magical power had no chance of surviving.
After obliterating all three arrays, Ren calmly drew the Nichirin Blade from his back.
He poured the surrounding magic into the blade—
And delivered a single, unadorned slash toward the towering Ainzuberen castle.
Mana Burst scaled directly with the user's magical power.
And Ren's magical power at this moment—
The vertical blade of light expanded visibly as it flew, swelling rapidly on the wind.By the time it reached the main structure of the castle, it stretched over a hundred meters long.
At the same time, a massive protective barrier flared to life around the building.
"Naive," the Ainzuberen head said confidently."As the Ainzuberen main estate, we naturally possess defensive measures in addition to offensive ones."
"This barrier is channeled through massive magic crystals.Its durability is sufficient to withstand even an Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasm—"
Seeing Ren target the building instead of them, the Ainzuberen head regained his confidence.
A Noble Phantasm could only be used a limited number of times.Wasting it on architecture instead of killing them—
"Crack… crack… crack—"