Chapter 365: Heartbeat

A deep, resonant thump, as if pounding on the hearts of all living beings, echoed from within the cocoon.

Within Dongmu City, every creature that still retained consciousness—whether newly awakened Magus, Heroic Spirit, lingering citizens, or even the true cicadas—froze in unison.

Gilgamesh's simultaneous Noble Phantasm barrage oddly paused for a Shana.

Immediately thereafter—

"Dong!"

The second heartbeat.

Stronger and clearer than the first.

Accompanying the thump, the cracks on the cocoon's surface visibly expanded and spread like a dense spiderweb.

An indescribable oppressive pressure began to radiate outward.

"Pretending to be divine!"

A hint of solemnity flashed in Gilgamesh's eyes, but it was outweighed by a provoked fury.

He no longer waited, roaring, "Disappear, mongrel!"

A golden Noble Phantasm rained down with a thunderous crash!

"Boom Boom Boom Boom—!!!"

Deafening explosions roared continuously, and the entire Yuan Cang Shan peak shuddered violently under the Noble Phantasm's onslaught.

Smoke and Magic turbulence surged skyward, obscuring the moonlight.

When the smoke cleared slightly, the spot where Liu Dong Si once stood had become a massive crater.

Yet at the crater's center, the violet‑black cocoon remained unshattered.

Its outer shell was largely broken, revealing an interior that seemed a mixture of writhing flesh and crystal, and at its core a faint, vague female silhouette emerged.

"Dong!"

The third heartbeat sounded like war drums!

This time, with the thump, an invisible surge burst outward!

The golden ripples behind Gilgamesh quivered violently, and he himself felt a strong palpitations.

"What... is this?!" Hero King's scarlet pupils narrowed slightly.

"Hehe... hehehe..."

A light, pleasant giggle floated out from the shattered cocoon.

The cocoon shell finally fell away silently.

The being inside slowly unfurled its "body".

She roughly took a female shape, height comparable to a human, yet her form seemed composed of flowing dark glass and writhing deep‑purple shadows, lacking a solid substance.

Her face was indistinct, revealing only a pair of hollow, scorching eyes.

Her long hair moved like living tendrils, stirring without wind.

Behind her, several ethereal limbs, somewhere between Light Band, blade and vine, swayed gently, each motion causing subtle distortions around them.

She lifted her head slightly, gazing at Gilgamesh in the sky; in those hollow eyes flickered a hint… of curiosity, or perhaps a cruel interest in a new toy.

"Dong!"

"Woo!"

San Yue Qi sprang up from the floor, clutching her chest, her powder‑blue eyes wide, "What was that?! It scared me! I feel my heart about to burst out!"

She looked around and found herself in the living room of an unfamiliar Japanese‑style house, with several people seated or lying nearby: Chang Ye Yue, Tengwan Lixiang, Mashu, Artoria, and, in the corner, Sakura Matou and Yuan Ban Lin quietly seated.

"Where... are we? Illusion Realm?"

Tengwan Lixiang also sat up, rubbing his forehead, amber eyes full of wariness.

Mashu immediately stood beside her, anxiously scanning the surroundings.

"The Illusion Realm collapsed. This is a relatively safe spot that A Xing and Alice found."

Chang Ye Yue opened the Black Umbrella, crimson eyes fixed toward Liu Dong Si, voice Calm yet solemn, "It seems the final Node's destruction, combined with strong external interference, caused that cocoon to hatch early."

"Hatch?"

San Yue Qi shivered, recalling those disgusting big insects, "It won't be an even bigger, uglier bug, will it?!"

"Probably worse than that."

Saber said in a low voice, having regained the Knight King's composure, her emerald eyes sharp as swords, "The heartbeat just now... its power was deeply evil, and... mixed."

"Dong!"

The second heartbeat sounded, and everyone felt a more pronounced discomfort and pressure.

"Senior!"

Mashu looked at Tengwan Lixiang with concern.

"I'm fine."

Tengwan Lixiang stood, stretched his limbs, his gaze firm, "Whatever emerges, since the Illusion Realm is broken, we must face reality. Miss Chang Ye Yue, how's the situation outside? How are Xinghe and the others?"

"They should be at the final Node. They might be rushing here now, or..." Chang Ye Yue's words trailed off.

"Dong!!!"

The third heartbeat came, faintly accompanied by that eerie giggle.

This time, even the air seemed to freeze for a moment.

"It's coming..." Chang Ye Yue squinted.

Sakura and Yuan Ban Lin instinctively huddled together, fear etched on their small faces.

"Everyone,"

Tengwan Lixiang took a deep breath, looked at everyone, "Although we come from different places, our goal now should be the same—eliminate that thing, protect this city, right?"

Saber nodded, "It should be so."

Chang Ye Yue slightly nodded, "Exactly as I wish."

San Yue Qi patted his cheek, trying to look braver, "I—I also want to help!"

Mashu raised her shield, "I'll protect everyone!"

"Then, let's go out first to check the situation and rendezvous with Star and the others," Tengwan Lixiang decided.

Puff!

A short sword sliced precisely past Weber's nose, pinning a juvenile true cicada larva that tried to pounce, dead on the ground.

The insect twitched twice, turning into black smoke that dissipated.

Waaah!

Weber only then, belatedly, let out a scream, slumping onto the ground with his face turning ashen.

"Kid, pull yourself together! The illusion is gone; now this is the real battlefield!"

Conqueror King Hong Liang's voice rang above his head.

Rider, brandishing a sharp sword, stood in front of Weber, excitement on his bold face.

His "King's Army" still unfolded, countless warrior phantoms battling the sporadic true cicada insects that rushed into the formation.

These insects aren't many, but they're troublesome.

"Rider… just now…" Weber, still shaken.

"Just had a strange dream!"

Rider waved a large hand, nonchalant, "The point is now! Looks like the Holy Grail War has turned into a big joke! Hahaha!"

Not far away, YinZhi was attentively watching Weigong Qiesi, who leaned against a rock, exuding an ultra‑low pressure aura.

"Dear friend, your complexion looks three shades gloomier than the deepest black hole in the Star Sea. Was it the illusion just now that left an unpleasant memory? Feel free to confide in me; Pure Beauty Knight YinZhi will cleanse your sorrow with pure beauty."

Weigong Qiesi lifted his dead‑water eyes, coldly glancing at YinZhi, "Shut Up (Cocktail Technique). We're not acquainted. Moreover, your rhetoric makes me nauseous."

His mind is now filled with the terrifying image from the Illusion Realm's finale—"the wife and the lion flirting"—and he feels his Reason String and something vital shattered together, leaving him no mood to deal with this overly familiar yet oddly speaking red‑haired knight.

Dong!