"At last, we meet, Antares… and the goddess Artemis," Emiya spoke softly.
As his words fell, the monster before him—"Antares"—was finally fully exposed to his sight.
It was an existence like a nightmare, a massive and evil body resembling a demon that had crawled out of the abyss of darkness.
Antares' form was difficult to look at directly. A scorpion enlarged to an infinite degree, its entire body covered in an ink-black carapace.
That carapace was filled with strange, blood-red magic patterns, writhing like living scars, emitting an ominous glow.
The magic patterns seemed to have an independent consciousness, continuously twisting and deforming, as if some ancient curse was whispering ceaselessly.
Its limbs were thick and powerful, seemingly carved from rock, with claws deeply embedded into the ground, as if fused with the earth itself.
Even more terrifying was the countless black tentacles extending from Antares' body. They writhed like venomous snakes, with their ends piercing deep into the ground. Each tentacle radiated a chilling glow, continuously absorbing the life energy of the land.
At the core of Antares' body was a massive crystal, embedded between its chest and abdomen, pulsating like a heart.
A dim glow emanated from the crystal's surface, and through it, a vague silhouette could be seen—that of the sealed goddess Artemis.
Her figure remained elegant and sacred, her eyes closed in deep slumber, completely imprisoned by Antares' power.
Each time the crystal flickered, Antares' tentacles would squirm madly, as if absorbing the goddess' divine power, making itself even stronger.
The monster before them, Antares, was not just a mere monster but a catastrophe upon the world.
And another figure, the goddess Artemis, who had been traveling alongside Emiya, also leaped down from the high platform.
She landed beside Emiya, holding in her hands the 'Spear of Artemis' or rather, the 'Arrow of Orion.'
From the very beginning, what Antares had taken was not merely the goddess' divine power but Artemis herself.
In order to protect the children of her familia, she had illegally used her divine power in the lower realm. However, at the moment of her forced return to the heavens, she was captured by Antares.
Thus, Artemis was sealed within Antares' body, and her divine power was stolen by the monster. This peculiar way of utilizing divine power unexpectedly bypassed the rules of the celestial realm.
Realizing her grave mistake, Artemis used the last of her strength to summon the [Arrow of Orion] and embedded her consciousness into it.
As long as they found a child with a completely pure soul, someone capable of wielding the [Arrow of Orion,] they would be able to activate this divine weapon and slay Antares.
Unfortunately, she never found such an [Orion] with a flawless and pure soul.
But fortunately, she met that boy.
"You are not 'Artemis' Orion'. You are my hero," The goddess' lingering thoughts spoke softly as she raised the [Arrow of Orion]. The divine armament shone with an increasingly brilliant radiance, while her figure gradually faded, turning into specks of light that merged into the sacred weapon and Emiya's body.
Antares let out a deep roar, a bellow echoing from the depths of the abyss, shaking the heavens and earth.
Its tail, a massive scorpion tail, suddenly rose high, the sharp stinger gleaming with a black glow, stabbing fiercely toward Emiya, tearing apart everything in its path.
What met it was a slashing strike formed from lightning.
[[Laurus Hildr] effect activated]
[Attack power increased, defense increased, speed increased, reaction speed increased, perception ability enhanced.]
[[Oath Under The Snow] skill effect activated]
[When a close bond exists with the protected target, all abilities exceed normal limits, ability growth accelerates, ability cap is broken, magic and skill effects surpass limits. Skill effectiveness increases based on the number and strength of bonds.]
[[Four Element Secret Ring] effect activated]
[[Fairy King's Seal] effect activated]
("For someone like me, using an entire small world as a furnace to forge a divine weapon is still doable.")
That was what the goddess Hephaestus had once said to Emiya.
Emiya suddenly raised his head, his golden eyes burning like flames.
[I Am The Bone Of My Sword] [T/N: Literal goosebumps]
The first chant had barely fallen when Emiya's figure flashed like lightning, his thunder blade slicing through the air, striking directly at Antares' scorpion tail.
Lightning exploded, and the sword edge carried an ultimate force, nearly severing the tip of the tail. However, at the moment it cracked open, the tail regenerated at a speed visible to the naked eye.
[Steel Is My Body, And Fire Is My Blood.]
Emiya chanted again, transforming the thunder blade into a thunder spear, which flashed as it stabbed toward Antares' core.
The thick black carapace blocked this strike. Emiya suddenly leaped up, spun in midair like a flash of lightning, and slashed his thunder blade across Antares' back, leaving a long sword scar.
The tail swept horizontally through the air, and Emiya dodged swiftly, but the tentacles attacked once more.
[I Have Created Over A Thousand Blades.]
The chant echoed like a war drum, and Emiya's eyes gleamed with battle spirit. Countless swords appeared around him in an instant, like lightning descending from the sky.
With each swing of his weapon, thunder blades rained down upon Antares, lightning intertwining into a storm of blades.
[Unkown To Death...]
Emiya chanted softly, continuing to wield his thunder blade and thunder spear, darting through Antares' massive body at an almost dizzying speed.
[...Nor Known To Life.]
The massive pincers came crashing down, the air filled with the stench of decay and death. The tentacles curled, shooting out a barrage of bone spikes.
But Emiya simply raised his thunder blade, and a light shield unfolded before him like cherry blossoms blooming, blocking the oncoming assault.
The Fairy King's ring shone brilliantly, and Emiya's body seemed to merge with the magic circle, his magical energy surging like a tidal wave, filling every cell of his being.
[Have Withstood Pain To Create Many Weapons.]
[Yet, Those Hands Will Never Hold Anything.]
Emiya closed his eyes. In this moment, it was as if only the sound of swords and thunder remained in the world. His body was like a forged blade, his hands empty, yet holding the power of countless swords.
[Yet, My Flame Never Ends.]
[So As I pray, UNLIMITED BLADE WORKS.]
Snowflakes drifted down quietly, a silver-white mist shrouding the entire world, as if even the air itself had frozen.
The once-gray world was now replaced by pale whiteness. Heavy clouds hung low, as if they were about to crush the earth.
A thick layer of snow covered the ground, pure and flawless, yet torn apart by countless cold blades.
These swords, some weathered by time, others gleaming as if newly forged, stood in the snow like silent, solemn gravestones.
Snow accumulated on the edges of each blade, flickering with a cold light. Occasionally, the wind swept past, shaking off the snow clinging to the swords.
The sea of swords, blanketed by snow, appeared even more desolate and still. Only the wind, snow, and shadows of the blades remained—so cold it sent shivers down one's spine.
In the distance, the horizon was blurred, as if the end of the world had vanished into the boundless snow curtain.
Sky and earth merged into a vast expanse of white, losing all distinction. Yet the swords still stood, like lonely sentinels, steadfast in this frozen battlefield.
The purity of the snow and the sharpness of the blades formed the ultimate contrast. The entire scene resembled a frozen painting, cold, magnificent, tinged with sorrow, yet filled with an unspoken power.
Reality Marble—[Unlimited Blade Works]
A Reality Marble is the manifestation of its user's mind, the most secret projection from the depths of their soul, materialized into reality as a miracle.
When a Reality Marble unfolds, everything in its surroundings is drawn into another world. A domain that belongs solely to its wielder, a land woven from their thoughts and spirit.
Within this foreign realm, the sky, the land, even time itself, no longer belong to the outside world. Every landscape, every breath of air, is shaped by the caster's consciousness.
This place could be a blazing inferno, a frozen wasteland of endless blades, or even a moment where time itself stands still.
Each Reality Marble is the truest reflection of its wielder's heart, containing all their memories, ideals, and obsessions.
Within this self-created world, the caster's power is unparalleled. They become the absolute ruler, capable of forcing enemies into desperate straits and turning the tide of battle.
But a Reality Marble is not just a symbol of power, it is also the revelation of the caster's soul, an inescapable fate.
Within a Reality Marble, battle is no longer merely a clash of bodies, but the ultimate struggle of will, conviction, and soul.
Each time a Reality Marble is invoked, it tears open a fissure between fate and reality, allowing a glimpse of the grandeur and sorrows hidden deep within the heart.
This is the true, fully liberated form of Emiya's only magic. Projection sorcery, in a sense, is merely a limited manifestation of [Unlimited Blade Works].
At this moment, those drawn into the Reality Marble were not just Emiya and Antares, but also the four elves who had activated the magic circle, along with the Four Primordial Spirit Rings and the Fairy King's Seal, all branded into the snowfield.
The moment [Unlimited Blade Works] unfolded, the magic within the elves surged forth like a broken dam. And though this world was constructed and maintained by their magic, the sight before them still made them doubt their own eyes.
"Is this really… magic?", The Elven Princess murmured in disbelief.
"How could such an absurd existence be possible?", The platinum-haired fairy nearly lost her grip on the spiritual elixir in her hand.
"Illusion? No… The entire 'world' has been overwritten. I've studied magic for over a hundred years, yet I've never heard of anything like this…", The petite spirit scholar muttered in a daze.
"So… cool…", The dark elf whispered in awe, unable to hide the astonishment in her eyes.
Emiya stood in the center of the snowfield.
"The forge is in place. Next—the core of the sword," His right hand gripped Orion's Arrow, and from its tip, silver-white flames ignited.
The four Level 6 spirits, likely the strongest magic users of this era, instantly grew solemn.
Almost in unison, they made the same movement, retrieving their spiritual elixirs and drinking them.
The highest-grade elixirs, each worth over a million valis, had been prepared in quantities exceeding ten vials per person.
Yet now, they wondered if even that would be enough.
Emiya released his grip, and the spectral image of a goddess cradled the burning Divine Arrow, slowly ascending. Suspended at the center of the Reality Marble, she held it aloft like a white sun.
"ROAR!!!", Antares erupted into unprecedented fury. With its enraged bellow, a crescent-shaped bow of pure white appeared in midair.
At last, it was wielding its most precious stolen power. The divine strength it had seized from Goddess Artemis.
In the sky of the Reality Marble, both a burning sun and a crescent moon emerged. Yet while the sun was the Divine Arrow, the crescent moon was the divine bow formed by the magic circle.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, above Orario, an enormous crescent moon bow likewise appeared in the sky. But it ceased its expansion, and even the magic circle within it began to dim.
"If not for the Moon Goddess's power, you're nothing more than an insect hiding in the shadows," The boy spoke as he stepped toward Antares.
The small Moon God's Bow drew back and fired, a silver light arrow streaking straight toward Orion's Arrow and the spectral goddess.
Emiya raised his hand: [Prison Scythe] [Dust Saw]
Two colossal swords, shining with emerald and blazing fire, materialized like towering mountains. They stood in the arrow's path and swung down, cleaving toward the Moon God's Arrow.
A vast emerald sky stretched over the land, the blade gleaming with the brilliance of nature's life force.
One swing, and mountains crumbled. Valleys fell silent. The verdant sword cleaved through heaven and earth, flattening endless mountain ranges into open plains.
It was the blade of pioneers, the world-forging sword of creation. Wherever it passed, all obstacles were wordlessly severed, reshaping the land into peace and boundless vastness.
[Ig-Alima: Green Field Cutting.Through the Thousand Mountains]
Like the first dawn's light, blazing white flames erupted from the sword's tip, engulfing the sky.
Before it, the ocean boiled, waves vanishing into steam, and even the abyss recoiled.
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