Like a falling star, the long spear tore through the air, trailing a dazzling streak of light as it hurtled at extreme speed toward Ren Kuroda, who was still locked in combat with Dirumudo.
The instant Ren saw this, every curse word imaginable exploded through his mind.
He was standing on Vimana right now. That was precisely why he had assumed Golden Flash would hesitate.
After all, Vimana was one of Golden Flash's very few A-rank Noble Phantasms—and not just that, it was his signature flying throne, the ultimate tool for showing off wherever he went.
Ren had honestly believed that Golden Flash would be wary of damaging it, and would at most use lower-grade Noble Phantasms to restrain or probe him.
What Ren never expected…
Was that, in order to kill him cleanly and decisively, the bastard would go straight for "Divine Proclamation"—and even release its true name.
Even if Divine Proclamation hit Ren dead-on, the golden flying ship beneath their feet would probably be finished as well!
And when Ren glanced ahead again, Dirumudo—who had just moments ago been keeping him occupied—had already fled at lightning speed the instant Divine Proclamation was thrown, as if his feet had been greased.
Watching the incoming spear—far more terrifying than the Spear of Piercing Death Thorns—Ren immediately understood something very clearly.
There was no such thing as dodging this.
So instead of retreating, he set his stance and prepared to take it head-on.
Thick, surging demonic power wrapped around Ren's entire body. As a sharp claw extended from his hand, the figure that emerged was unmistakably in a fully yokai-transformed state.
Facing the Divine Proclamation screaming toward him, Ren slammed the Nichirin Blade into the ground before him, lowered his center of gravity slightly, and assumed a coiled, braced stance—like a beast ready to unleash everything it had.
"Oh?" Golden Flash sneered."You know the origin of this Noble Phantasm? So you've realized dodging is meaningless and decided to give up struggling?"
His crimson eyes narrowed with ridicule.
"Or do you think that changing your appearance somehow means you can block my treasure?Don't lump me together with that rabid mutt. Even his spear was nothing more than a cheap imitation forged after mine."
Seeing Ren prepare to face the fully released Divine Proclamation barehanded—without even using a weapon—Golden Flash actually laughed in anger.
He acknowledged that this Assassin was different from the usual rabble. Stronger. Sharper.
But to catch Divine Proclamation with empty hands?
That was far too much disrespect for the King of Heroes.
"Whether I can block it or not," Ren replied calmly, eyes locked on the incoming spear,"we'll only know once it hits. Kuherin's spear might've been weaker than yours… but I'd say his killing strike felt a lot more dangerous."
The white meteor was stopped just before it could smash into Ren's head—
Caught between his outstretched hands.
Divine Proclamation was an elegant Western knight's lance, its tip shaped like a perfect cone.The moment Ren's palms closed around it, the overwhelming impact and destructive force surged straight into his arms.
The terrifying inertia sent Ren sliding backward across the deck of Vimana in an instant—his feet carving long trails as he was forced back all the way to the edge before finally grinding to a halt.
Violent shockwaves tore through the air. Ren's sleeves were shredded completely, vanishing under the pressure and revealing arms knotted with bulging veins.
And Divine Proclamation still wasn't finished.
As the Spear of Destiny, wielded by a chief god, it carried its own pride.Until it had definitively struck its target, it refused to accept defeat.
"AAAAAAHHHH—!To hell with this 'Spear of Destiny' nonsense! I'll shatter this bullshit fate myself!"
Standing at the very edge of Vimana, Ren roared as monstrous demonic power erupted from his body.
Even Vimana, a golden A-rank Noble Phantasm, couldn't endure it unscathed—two deep, crater-like footprints instantly appeared beneath Ren's feet.
"Freaks and Demons, Run Amok!"
With the explosion of power, the veins beneath the skin of Ren's bare arms surged violently.
The final burst of mana from Divine Proclamation collided head-on with Ren's own unleashed force in a last, brutal contest of will.
Ren's fingers dug deep into the spear's shaft, leaving clear indentations behind.
With a final furious roar—
The so-called Spear of Destiny finally lost all momentum in Ren's hands.
He seized it completely.
"You filthy mongrel… you actually blocked Divine Proclamation?!"
Golden Flash stared in utter disbelief as Ren casually toyed with the Noble Phantasm in his hands.
He couldn't accept it.
A weapon infused with causality itself—stopped head-on.
And not with some elaborate technique, but by bare hands.
Among Golden Flash's countless treasures, only Ea, the Sword of Rupture, stood above Divine Proclamation.
And yet this spear—one of his strongest—had been caught like this.
"Didn't you say that once he left Japan, he wouldn't receive any regional fame bonuses under Grail War rules?" Golden Flash snarled, glaring at the man beside him."Then explain this. What was that surge of power just now?"
His pride wounded beyond measure, his treasure now being handled by another, Golden Flash turned his rage toward Kanemori.
"This shouldn't be possible… it doesn't make sense…" Kanemori muttered, face pale."Assassin's true identity and appearance should clearly match the legends of Shuten-Dōji. His strength should come from regional fame. We've already left Japan—he should've lost that boost…"
His voice faltered.
"So why… why is this happening?"
Even Kanemori, who had previously looked utterly confident, now wore the expression of someone watching reality crumble.
Just like Rin Tōsaka's investigation had suggested, Kanemori had firmly believed Assassin had to be Shuten-Dōji.
But something was wrong.
"Ahh, so that's it," Ren said, finally understanding as he listened to them."So you ambushed me because you thought I was Shuten-Dōji, huh?"
He grinned sharply.
"Too bad. I might be the same kind of being as that guy—but I'm not him.And regional fame bonuses? That's a joke. I'm strong because I'm strong."
As his words fell, Ren violently hurled Divine Proclamation forward.
He couldn't release its true name, nor did he possess some absurd 'weapon-stealing' skill—but under Freaks and Demons, Run Amok, the spear shot out like a blazing comet.
Its target wasn't Golden Flash.
Nor was it Dirumudo.
It was Kanemori—the man who, not long ago, had believed himself chosen by fate.
Ren didn't care why Golden Flash was following Kanemori's orders.
Kanemori was Dirumudo's Master.
Kill him, and at least one Heroic Spirit would be forced off the stage.
And more importantly—
He was the weakest one here.
Even without releasing its true name, Divine Proclamation was still an A-rank Noble Phantasm at its core. Combined with Ren's monstrous throwing force, it wasn't something anyone could casually block.
Seeing the spear streak toward Kanemori like a javelin, Dirumudo reacted instantly—his A+ rank Agility exploding into motion as he sprinted straight toward his Master.
Crossing Crimson Rose and Yellow Rose, he braced himself to intercept the attack.
CLANG————!
The sound of clashing metal rang out once more.
But this time, Dirumudo was anything but relaxed.
Even among A-rank Noble Phantasms, Divine Proclamation stood at the very top.
His twin spears were only B-rank.
And this Divine Proclamation had been hurled by Ren in full yokai transformation, empowered by Freaks and Demons, Run Amok.
Though it lacked the causality of a true-name release, the raw force behind it was no weaker than Golden Flash's earlier throw.
Dirumudo's arms bulged with veins as his spears bent under the pressure.Cracks—clearly visible to the naked eye—began spreading along both Crimson Rose and Yellow Rose.
Meanwhile, the instant Ren released the spear, his feet once again stamped two deep prints into Vimana. Using the recoil, his body shot back to his original position.
He yanked the Nichirin Blade from the ground—
And vanished.
In a blink, Ren reappeared directly in front of Dirumudo.
Dirumudo had only just managed to slow Divine Proclamation at the cost of his weapons' integrity when Ren suddenly appeared before him in full demonic form.
"Lancer," Ren said calmly,"your skill and loyalty are both admirable. Going out like this… you won't have any regrets, right?"
Admiration didn't mean mercy.
The spear had nearly lost all momentum in front of Dirumudo—
But after speaking, Ren suddenly thrust out a clawed hand and smashed it into the rear of Divine Proclamation.
The spear surged forward again.
CRACK!
Both Crimson Rose and Yellow Rose shattered instantly.
Divine Proclamation punched straight through Dirumudo's chest—
And didn't stop there.
Like meat on a skewer, it continued onward, piercing straight through Kanemori behind him.
The scream that echoed across the deck—
Didn't belong to Dirumudo.
It came from the man who once believed himself chosen by destiny.
For a loyal and honorable Lancer—
This kind of ending was probably the most fitting one of all.