"This is..." Saber, struggling to get up from the ground, stared in astonishment at the silver-haired girl floating in the sky. "Wasn't she already..."
She didn't finish the sentence, but her meaning was clear. Saber was aware that Kiritsugu Emiya had imprisoned Kaguya within the Einzbern Castle's barrier. Although she didn't fully agree with Kiritsugu's methods, she had no better alternative. Kiritsugu had assured her that he wouldn't harm Kaguya, which was the only reason she reluctantly agreed.
Still, for a knight as honorable and full of principles as Saber, Kiritsugu's actions were hard to accept.
But what surprised her even more was seeing Kaguya here, and not only that, but Kaguya had just saved her.
Kiritsugu's expression was far more complicated. He stared up at the silver-haired girl in the sky, utterly shocked. If anyone understood the power of that barrier, it was him, aside from Irisviel. As a magus killer, he knew the strength of such barriers intimately.
As for Rider, his reaction was much simpler. Clenching his fists together, he laughed heartily and said, "I knew you'd come! Haha! Come, fight alongside me!"
However, Kaguya brushed past Rider without even looking at him. Rider's smile froze, and he scratched his head awkwardly. That was...embarrassing.
Suddenly, the massive tentacle creature split open, revealing a figure wrapped in countless tentacles. His face was pale, with prominent cheekbones and bulging eyes, ugly and grotesque. It was none other than Caster, Gilles de Rais.
"Jeanne, the Holy Maiden... is it truly you?" Gilles' eyes widened with disbelief, then quickly filled with joy. "At last, I can see you again! It seems the Holy Grail War has already been decided! There's no need to compete further—the Grail has chosen me, Gilles! My only wish, to resurrect Jeanne d'Arc, has been granted right before my eyes!"
Kaguya showed no reaction. Her flawless, beautiful face remained expressionless as she raised her pale arm. A black orb appeared in her palm, expanding rapidly until it grew to the size of a basketball.
Suddenly, the black-and-purple orb, crackling with lightning, shot down toward the Sea Demon below.
It was Kaguya's Tailed Beast Bomb.
"Boom!"
A brilliant flash of light tore through the quiet night sky, followed by a deafening explosion. Shockwaves rippled outward like waves on a pond, flattening everything in their path with destructive force. Huge waves surged up from the river, and the water was blasted into the sky, only to fall back down as torrential rain.
Everyone on the battlefield turned their attention toward the impact, their faces filled with shock. Especially Tokiomi Tohsaka, who, as the one most familiar with Kaguya's power, was even more astonished. Though Kaguya had always been strong, she had never displayed such overwhelming destructive power with such ease. It was clear that she had grown even stronger.
However, Tohsaka's attention wasn't solely on Kaguya's strength. He narrowed his eyes, noticing something off about her current state. She seemed much darker, emitting an eerie, chilling aura that made even the bravest tremble.
Kiritsugu Emiya, who had been observing the battle from a distance through his sniper scope, noticed the same thing. His instincts, honed through countless life-and-death battles, told him something was very wrong. He couldn't shake the feeling that something terrible was about to happen.
The Sea Demon's body was torn apart by Kaguya's Tailed Beast Bomb, its flesh and tentacles blasted into pieces, sending huge waves crashing into the river. Dark red blood poured from its wounds, staining the water around it.
"Amazing..." Waver's eyes widened as he stared at the Sea Demon, now reduced to chunks of meat.
"That girl is incredible," Lancer said with a serious expression. "If possible, I'd love to test my strength against hers."
But it wasn't over yet. Despite the Sea Demon's mangled appearance, it hadn't suffered any significant damage. Its soft flesh, like a sponge, absorbed the immense energy from the Tailed Beast Bomb, leaving its core completely unharmed.
The Sea Demon's flesh began to writhe and regenerate. Within moments, it reformed into a massive mound of meat, healing at a pace visible to the naked eye. Just a minute ago, it had been nothing but shredded remains.
At that moment, the Sea Demon's enormous body split open again, revealing Caster, still wrapped in tentacles. He clutched his face with his withered hands, crying out in pain, "It's truly heartbreaking and tragic! Jeanne... you've lost your memories and even your mind... Damn it! Damn it all! How could God be so cruel to my beautiful maiden!"
The silver-haired girl floated silently in the air, showing no reaction to Gilles' madness. Her expression was as calm as ever, as though she hadn't heard him at all.
"I swear, Jeanne!" Gilles suddenly raised his head, screaming wildly. "I will free your soul from God's curse and relieve you of all your humiliation and suffering!"
As soon as he finished speaking, countless tentacles shot out from the Sea Demon's body, tearing through the air with terrifying speed, aimed directly at Kaguya.
Finally, a flicker of emotion appeared on Kaguya's face. She raised her hand, and in that instant, a dark, purple-black aura exploded around her, enveloping her entire body. At the same time, nine pitch-black orbs appeared, radiating a chilling, ominous energy.
She lifted her hand, and a blinding purple-black light gathered in her palm. Her fingers closed together, and the light extended, forming a massive beam of energy that stretched skyward like a colossal sword. A terrifying aura surged from the blade.
"What...?"
This time, everyone was stunned. Even Gilgamesh, locked in battle with Berserker in the distance, was shaken and quickly turned to look.
At that moment, Kaguya raised her flawless, white arm and slashed downward, the purple-black sword in her hand following her motion with devastating force.