"This won't do! I have to find a way to stop this!"
Looking at the two daughters on the screen, Tokiomi Tohsaka felt the world was full of malice toward him.
He had originally thought that by sending Sakura away, he was protecting her future.
He hadn't expected that what awaited her was a more cruel fate. Becoming a Master, bearing such heavy burdens...
"Is there any way to terminate the contract?"
Tokiomi looked at Risei Kotomine, his expression filled with urgency.
"I'm afraid not. Unless one of them exits, the Holy Grail War will not stop."
Closing his eyes, Risei Kotomine delivered the final sentence that shattered Tokiomi's hope.
"Damn it!"
Bang!
Slamming his fist onto the table, Tokiomi Tohsaka felt powerless for the first time.
As a father, he had failed. As a Magus, he was also being played by fate.
"Wait, if Kirei's Dragon Ball is missing, then who has it?"
Suddenly regaining his logic, Tokiomi realized the most critical problem.
The items Kirei and Kiritsugu Emiya possessed should have appeared at the site of the explosion.
"We only found the one-star Dragon Ball. Kirei's two-star one... it's as if it evaporated."
"Could it be... that the explosion was so powerful it destroyed the Dragon Ball?"
"Impossible. The Dragon Ball is an item from the Holy Grail; it cannot be destroyed by a mere explosion."
Tokiomi immediately refuted Risei's guess.
If the Dragon Ball was missing, it meant someone else had already taken it!
"Who else was at the pier besides them?"
"Only Saber and Assassin. But Assassin is dead, and Saber was also caught in the explosion."
"Wait, where is Saber's Master?"
Suddenly realizing a blind spot, Tokiomi's eyes narrowed.
"Irisviel von Einzbern... according to the report, she should have died in the previous battle."
"But what if she didn't?"
A terrifying thought emerged in Tokiomi's mind.
While everyone was focused on the battle between the Servants, someone might have been lurking in the shadows, waiting to pick up the spoils.
"Send people to investigate the Einzbern stronghold immediately!"
"Yes!"
...
Hiss... hiss...
"Truly... a grand gift."
Standing amidst the ruins of the pier, Lelouch looked at the crater in front of him, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly.
The explosion's power was even greater than he had anticipated.
If he hadn't been protected by Rider's Noble Phantasm, he might have been slightly injured as well.
"Rider, where is the Dragon Ball?"
Waver panted as he ran over from behind, his face covered in dust.
"Found it."
Holding the two-star Dragon Ball in his hand, Lelouch showed a satisfied smile.
Everything was according to plan.
With Kirei's death and the explosion, the Dragon Ball had naturally fallen into his hands.
"Now, we have Lancer's, Caster's, and Kirei's Dragon Balls."
"Wait, didn't you say Kiritsugu Emiya also had one?"
"Ah, that one... it was probably taken by Tokiomi Tohsaka's familiar already."
Lelouch didn't care about the one-star orb.
What mattered was that the balance of power had shifted completely.
"Next... is the final confrontation."
Looking towards the direction where Archer's aura was surging, Lelouch's eyes flashed with cold light.
The Oldest King and the Mad Warrior...
Their battle would decide the final outcome.
"Who do you think will win, Rider?"
Waver asked nervously, clutching his staff.
"It doesn't matter. Because regardless of who wins, they will be exhausted."
"And that... is when we strike."
...
"Are you still running, Berserker?"
Standing on the top of a skyscraper, Archer looked down at the dark shadow leaping between buildings below, his expression full of disdain.
"In front of the King, fleeing is the ultimate insult."
Clang!
Behind him, the "Gate of Babylon" opened once again, numerous golden ripples illuminating the night sky.
[...!]
Running through the streets, Berserker didn't respond, only constantly changing his direction.
His magical energy was indeed nearing its limit.
Sakura's support was insufficient for a high-intensity battle with Archer.
But he couldn't stop.
Because behind him, that arrogant King was relentless.
"Since you refuse to stop, then perish in the King's treasure house!"
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!!
Countless Noble Phantasms rained down like meteors, turning the entire street into a sea of fire.
Kaboom!!
"Yah!"
Saber, who had barely survived the explosion and rushed over, witnessed this scene.
She was currently in a very weakened state, her magical energy almost depleted.
But seeing Berserker in danger, she couldn't stand by.
"Wait! Saber!"
Irisviel's voice echoed in her mind, full of concern.
"I'm fine, Irisviel. I must stop them!"
Charging into the sea of fire, Saber raised the Holy Sword once more.
"Oh? The Knight King who survived death?"
"Truly a persistent woman."
Archer's gaze shifted to Saber, his eyes full of mockery.
"Want to challenge the King again in that miserable state?"
"No, I am here to stop this meaningless slaughter!"
"Slaughter? Hahaha! In the King's eyes, this is merely a game of hunting."
Raising his hand, the ripples behind Archer increased.
"Since you want to die together, then the King shall grant your wish!"
Gate of Babylon: Full Open!
Targeting both Berserker and Saber, the Oldest King decided to end everything in one breath.
One against two?
No, in Archer's eyes, it was merely one King cleaning up two pieces of trash.
Clang! Clang! Clang!!!
The golden rain fell once more...