Chapter 599: · Thirteen Restraints Released, the Holy Sword of the Stars Strikes!

[The giant tentacle fell; did it succeed in destroying the old Saber—no, it did not.]

[The old Saber just gave a casual sweep, and the tentacle collapsed with a bursting sound. Even as Beast VI continued to launch its second, third, fourth, fifth, and even twenty-third strike, they were all received by the opponent with the same motion.]

[By the twelfth strike, the old Saber was already able to blow the tentacle away with just a single flash.]

[And this was while he was holding the sword with one hand, and tightly clutching the unconscious Ayaka Sajyou in his left.]

[Had he overcome his physical problems? How could that be.]

[The sin of killing his Master must be repaid. Without the Independent Action skill, he could not maintain his manifestation. His body, along with his spirit core, was slowly turning into particles of light. I'm afraid there wasn't even a few dozen seconds left before he vanished.]

[Moreover, how much power could the Holy Sword, which originally required two hands to release, exert with just one arm that was about to vanish?]

[But, even so, before his body completely dissipated, there were things that had to be done.]

[Save!]

["Thirteen Restraints Released! Round Table Resolution Start!"]

[It is said that to use the Holy Sword of the Stars, a single hero is not enough to decide.]

[The sword that cuts down enemies from other planets. The strongest sword that should only be swung to save the world is far too powerful to be treated as a personal weapon. Therefore, the Knight King of an ancient country and the twelve knights under his command set strict regulations for the Holy Sword and implemented them.]

[That is the Thirteen Restraints, the second sheath that hides the true blade of the Holy Sword.]

[The Holy Sword is only released in situations where multiple glories and missions can be achieved.]

[The number of resolutions required for full release is seven.]

[Even if the Knight King and the twelve knights are no longer on earth, the restraints will run forever.]

[When the contemporary wielder of the Holy Sword requests release, the Round Table Resolution will automatically start. That is—]

[It's roll call time!]

Bedivere: ["This is, a battle against one stronger than oneself" — Acknowledged!]

Palamedes: ["This is, a one-on-one battle" — Acknowledged!]

Lancelot: ["This is, a battle not against spirits" — Acknowledged!]

Mordred: ["This is, a battle against evil" — Acknowledged!]

Galahad: ["This is, a battle without personal desire" — Acknowledged!]

Arthur: Finally, ["This is, a battle to save the world" — Acknowledged!]

Merlin: Arthur—

Rin Tohsaka: "Eh? Isn't this the seal of the Holy Spear?"

Waver: "It seems that in the hands of this King Arthur, the Holy Sword seems to have completely replaced the existence of the Holy Spear."

Gray: "Uh, that last voice—was that Mr. Merlin?"

Feng Xi: "Pfft (*^-^), you really should call her Ms. Merlin."

Guna: "I didn't expect there to actually be a female Merlin."

Mordred: "A female Merlin... doesn't feel like anything good."

Feng Xi: "(Your judgment of people is spot on.)"

[Press the weight of the holy sword onto the right arm. Cradle the weight of the young child in the left arm.]

[Both sides possess equal nobility—]

[In this instant, the Old Sword firmly believed this as he raised the holy sword.]

[Countless tentacles attacked from the sea of flesh. But. It was already too late.]

["'Excalibur'!!!"]

[Unfortunately, due to limited time, only six of the thirteen restraints were released, not even half.]

[In this state, it does not count as a complete true name release.]

[But even so, the holy sword still surged with light. A massive strike with golden luster, possessing power comparable to an Rank Rank Anti-City Noble Phantasm, was unleashed.]

[Even in an incompletely released state, the holy sword could still pierce the great enemy with astonishing power.]

[A large number of tentacles were vaporized; the dark sea of flesh began to cower and tremble, emitting shrieks as it danced wildly!]

[However, the Old Sword didn't have it easy either.]

[Even with the resilient body of a Heroic Spirit, not holding the sword with both hands and not having both feet planted on the ground meant the recoil the Old Sword endured was immense.]

[If he could not withstand it, the Old Sword would shatter and dissipate before unleashing the strike.]

[One could see the blue and white armor on his body cracking. One could faintly hear the sound of his Spirit Core fracturing.]

Taiga Fujimura: "So, so strong!"

Taiga Fujimura: "It feels much stronger than Artoria's light cannon."

Fiore: "This power, it feels like a holy sword version of the Holy Spear."

Rin Tohsaka: "(Whispering) They're both holy swords, so why is the power difference so vast?"

Artoria: "..."

Sorry, I've disgraced the wielder of the holy sword—

["Guh..."]

[Although somewhat unwilling, the Old Sword understood that this was the end.]

[The Knight of Fate cannot kill the Beast of Darkness directly this time.]

[However, even so, it cannot end just like this!]

["Disappear, ugly Beast! Your birth was never meant to be here, nor at this time!"]

[In this moment, a miracle was born.]

[Seven-colored light entwined within; the right hands of the seven heroes were truly supporting the hilt of the one and only holy sword.]

[The Noble Phantasm was confirmed to have activated successfully, and it caused no ill effects to the young child in the left arm.]

[—Success. The world was saved.]

[—Even if the left arm could not be used due to the child's presence, the Knight of Fate would fulfill his vow and swing the holy sword.]

[To kill all evil in this world, to oppose all desires of this world.]

[For the sake of opening up all futures of this world!]

[Dazzling starlight surged forth, instantly filling the entire underground space.]

[Seconds later, the Beast let out a faint cry, just like—]

[A baby crying for its mother—]

[Everything finally ended.]

[At the very least, Ayaka Sajyou thought so.]

[When she woke up, she found herself at the Reiroukan mansion. The butler told her that a handsome blond young man had brought her there shortly after the earthquake ended.]

[Tokyo still exists.]

Taiga Fujimura: "Great, it worked!"

Waver: "...No, I'm afraid—"

That is a Beast, after all. Even a newly born larva is not so easily destroyed.

If the Old Sword could have fought with his full strength and released all thirteen restraints, perhaps he could have completely destroyed Beast VI.

But unfortunately, he could not.

In the end, defeating Beast VI was only possible thanks to the help of the other six Heroic Spirits.

What is certain is that Beast VI was indeed defeated, but whether it is dead or not is another matter.

[The First Holy Grail War thus came to a close.]

[The Beast of Calamity did not fully manifest, nor were there any confirmed signs of Tokyo becoming a Holy Capital.]

[For the Jewel Jewel Mage's Association, this Holy Grail War became a complete loss. To cover up the commotion caused by a group of Heroic Spirits, they really suffered a massive hemorrhage this time.]

[The only thing they gained was the record of this Holy Grail War, submitted after obtaining Ayaka Sajyou's testimony.]

[And for the participants of the Holy Grail War, this nightmare had finally ended.]

[Time flashed forward one week.]

[Ayaka Sajyou and Misaya Reiroukan became good friends; two girls who had both lost their families and shared the same plight became each other's solace.]

[Tatsumi Kayano's younger sister, Tamaki Kayano, waited in Tokyo for her brother for a week, but in the end, she had to accept the fact that he was dead and returned to her hometown with her parents.]

[At the station, she inadvertently ran into Elsa Saijou, the Master of the Archer who also intended to leave this place of sorrow.]

[The two strangers just looked at each other, smiled, and passed by.]

[Hehe, whether this was a brief, fated intersection or a meaningless, pure coincidence, it is impossible to tell.]

[Afterward, Tamaki Kayano, about to board the train, accidentally bumped into a middle-aged man wearing glasses and left after apologizing.]

["Thanks. Ah, I've arrived in Tokyo. I heard from the people at the church. The Holy Grail War failed, right? Yes, that's right. Prepare to welcome the second chance. Don't worry about money. Collect as many holy relics as possible. It's best to find the most powerful Heroic Spirits."]

[The bespectacled man got into a luxurious German car and spoke incessantly on the phone.]

["It's called Nigel Sayward, right? Convert all the intelligence bought from him into data format and keep it safe. I don't know if he felt his death was approaching, but in any case, he said quite a lot. Ah, dispose of the corpse according to his request."]

["Jewel Jewel Mage lineages, bloodlines, and the like—I originally thought they were just burdens, but now it seems that's not entirely the case. An omnipotent wish-granting machine. With such a thing hanging in front of me, of course, I must seize it. Although, for the first time, I didn't even touch the starting line—"]

[Everything is not over yet.]

[Time flew by another eight years, arriving at 1999.]

[Holding ridiculous fantasies and covering their own eyes, the Jewel Jewel Mage's Association once again opened the sequel to the disaster.]

[Seven new Masters gathered in Tokyo, and a new battle was about to begin.]

[The Second Holy Grail War, opening!]

Demon God King: "Hehehehahaha! You see, this is humanity!"

Demon God King: "They will only ever believe what they want to believe, and when it comes to the so-called truth, they will always choose to turn a blind eye."

Demon God King: "What need is there for such humanity to exist?"

Everyone: "..."