Chapter 484: Ending Departure

It didn't move.

That illusion didn't fall either.

Jing Yuan stood at a distance, his golden eyes narrowing slightly.

He had just seen that scene—Berserker, at the critical moment, abandoned its fight with it and rushed in to save A Xing.

(Interesting.)

He pondered in his mind.

(This Berserker doesn't seem as mindless as it appears.)

(Does it know the Pioneer?)

(Or perhaps… something in its instinct drives it to protect her?)

Berserker gave A Xing another glance.

Then it leapt skyward, turning into a streak of violet‑black flame that vanished into the depths.

Jing Yuan watched its departing silhouette and raised an eyebrow slightly.

(Just like that?)

He sighed, and the Divine Lord's phantom behind him faded slowly.

The golden radiance dimmed gradually, the lightning vanished, and the towering hundred‑meter dignified figure turned into countless specks of light that dispersed into the air.

Jing Yuan landed back on the ground and let out a long sigh.

A bit tired.

This world's suppression on him is too great.

The Divine Lord's power has been weakened to the point where it can barely project a phantom, unable to summon its true form.

Moreover, supplying mana is too difficult—Master is just an ordinary person and can hardly provide any mana.

(What a… hassle.)

He rolled his shoulders a bit, and the corner of his mouth twitched upward slightly.

Still, the fight was rather enjoyable.

It was far more enjoyable than sitting in Shen Ce Fu handling endless official duties.

Thinking of duties, he couldn't help but recall Xianzhou.

He didn't know what became of that place after the news of his disappearance was reported back.

(Fu Qing…)

He thought of it, and the smile at the corner of his mouth deepened.

(I hope you won't disappoint this general.)

(But given your temperament… I guess you're secretly laughing right now?)

He shook his head and stepped toward the direction where A Xing and Bai Hang were.

His footsteps were light, making almost no sound on the broken stones.

He simply didn't notice that behind a wall farther away, two gazes were fixed on him—more precisely, on the hundred‑meter giant silhouette that had just faded behind him.

Perspective shift.

San Yue Qi and Lin Jiang froze in place.

Their heads remained tilted upward, necks seemingly locked, motionless.

They had just witnessed that scene.

That towering hundred‑meter golden phantom, the burning lightning, the terrifying aura that pressed the heavens and earth to change color—

Too terrifying!

San Yue Qi's mouth formed an O, unable to close for a long while.

Lin's face turned pale, lips trembling slightly.

"San… San Yue Jie…"

Lin's voice was as dry as sandpaper, "Um… can you beat it?"

San Yue Qi remained silent for three seconds.

Then she turned her head with difficulty, looking at Lin with a "are you kidding me?" expression.

"Should I fight this?"

She pointed toward the direction of the already vanished golden phantom in the distance.

"Are you sure?"

Will we win?

Lin also fell silent.

Indeed, the question was too stupid.

That thing was nearly a hundred meters tall!

Even the tip of that spear was larger than a building!

When it slammed down, not even the strike—just the aftershock could pulverize the two of them into dust!

"So…"

Lin swallowed with difficulty, "Holy Grail War… are they all this scale?"

San Yue Qi thought for a moment.

She had taken part in the Fourth Holy Grail War and had seen those Servants.

The glittering Archer, the majestic Saber, and Huan Long…

Though all were quite powerful, none were absurdly this extreme!

No!

San Yue Qi shook her head firmly, "Last time it definitely wasn't this scary! No!"

Of course, I'm referring to those within the Holy Grail Battle's range; those outside it don't count.

Well then… this…

I don't know either!

San Yue Qi clutched her head, feeling utterly awful.

What on earth is going on with this Holy Grail War?! What the heck is that golden giant?! Is it a Heroic Spirit? Which era's Heroic Spirit could be that huge?!

Rin also clutched her head.

How should I know?! I may be a Magus, but I study proper Gem Magic, not ancient myth monsters! That thing makes no sense at all!

Just as the two were wailing——

Suddenly, footsteps came from afar.

Tap…… tap…… tap……

The sound of high heels striking the ground, clear and rhythmic.

Accompanying the footsteps was a female voice humming.

That voice was soft and gentle, with an eerie sweetness, like someone humming a lullaby.

San Yue Qi and Rin's bodies stiffened at the same time.

They exchanged a glance, both seeing fear in the other's eyes.

(Someone's coming!)

San Yue Qi inexplicably recalled the woman with dark‑blue hair from last night.

(It couldn't be her, could it?!)

The two quickly retreated into the shop and gently closed the door.

The footsteps drew nearer.

The humming grew clearer as well.

San Yue Qi and Rin held their breath, not daring to move a muscle.

Finally——

The footsteps stopped outside.

The humming also stopped.

A deathly silence.

San Yue Qi's heart pounded wildly, almost leaping out of her throat.

She waited three seconds.

Five seconds.

Ten seconds.

Nothing stirred.

She glanced at Rin, signaling: I'll go check.

Rin nodded.

San Yue Qi took a deep breath and whispered:

"Zawa Rudo."

Time, stopped.

San Yue Qi swiftly rose, flung the shop door open, and rushed out——

Then she froze.

Outside the door, the huge stone was gone.

On the street, carriages and horses flowed, people came and went.

Pedestrians kept their walking poses, frozen in place.

Cars were stopped in the middle of the road, drivers' hands still on the steering wheels.

A stray cat crouched beneath a utility pole, head raised, frozen mid‑yawn.

Everything was still.

Everything was normal.

The letters on the sign were upright.

San Yue Qi stood there dumbfounded, her mouth open wide enough to fit an egg.

Seven seconds passed quickly.

Time resumed its flow.

Pedestrians continued walking.

Cars continued driving.

The stray cat yawned, then licked its paws.

Rin burst out of the shop, anxiously looking around: 'How is it?! Who is it?!'

San Yue Qi slowly turned her head to look at Rin.

"Uh."

"What the heck 'uh'?!"

"We seem to… have come back again?"

Rin froze.

She looks at San Yue Qi, then at the surrounding streets, then at the stone at the doorway that has already vanished.

"......"

"......"

The two stare at each other with wide eyes.

After a while, Lin struggled to speak:

"So... that terrifying phantom just now, that burning monster..."

"Hmm."

"All in that world?"

"Hmm."

"And we... just inexplicably appeared?"

"Hmm."

Lin fell silent.

She looked up at the grayish sky and took a deep breath.

Then she lowered her head, looked at San Yue Qi, and mustered all her strength to say a single sentence:

"What the heck is this!!!"

San Yue Qi scratched his face, feeling uneasy.

"I don't know either..."

San Yue Qi thought:

"(Star... where are you really?)"

"(And that golden giant... whose Servant is it?)"

She didn't know.

But she vaguely felt that this Holy Grail War was ten thousand times more complicated than she had imagined.