A massive crimson energy sphere floated in the sky, radiating destructive energy that enveloped the entire world in an apocalyptic glow.
Sync stared in terror at the enormous sphere before her. Taking a deep breath, she quickly regained her composure and turned to issue commands. "All battleships, deploy all Permanent Fourth Protective Techniques and prepare to shield against the incoming shockwave. Retreat quickly from the explosion's epicenter."
"Commander Sync!" A voice interrupted her commands. One of the Forest Spirits pointed at the sudden appearance of several blue glows. "There's an unknown occurrence! It seems to be the Mechanized Species' passage control!"
"Hmm?" Sync turned to see the metallic spheres rising from the ground. Each sphere unfolded into massive energy fields that began to guide and stabilize the destructive energy sphere.
Squinting, Sync focused her senses. Observing the huge energy sphere being slowly pulled and the continuous divine fluctuations from the Aerial Fortress of the Celestial Winged, she issued new orders. "All fleets, full speed ahead to Aerial Fortress Altheim!"
"It's odd," she mused while gnawing on her fingernails. "Why would the Celestial Winged suddenly initiate combat without the right timing?" She looked up, seemingly realizing something. "It seems like this is all orchestrated by the Ghost," Sync chuckled. "Yesterday, that battle maniac Jibril took quite the fall, didn't she?"
"Your target is the Star Cup, and reaching the Star Cup means inevitably facing the strongest War God, Altshüte." Sync marveled at the sheer cunning of the plan, her eyes lighting up with a spark of excitement. "Using Jibril as a pawn to provoke Altshüte's strongest attack, depleting the trump cards of all three factions, and forcing Altshüte into temporary weakness—it gives them a higher chance to succeed in their god-slaying plan."
"And not just that—even our ultimate moves were calculated as part of your plan." She let out a laugh and turned her gaze towards the glowing, stormy Altheim. "I bet you won't let anyone interfere with your god-slaying mission, will you?"
"All fleets, halt! Activate all Permanent Fourth Protective Techniques and prepare for impact!"
"Domain Expansion!"
A deep crimson domain unfolded across the sky. Megumin emerged from within the space, covering her eyes as she held her staff aloft and shouted, "Ultimate Crimson Domain!"
Klee tilted her head and glanced at Megumin, who was striking a dramatic pose. A lightbulb seemed to go off in Klee's mind. Raising her right hand, she held her Dodo plush bomb. A golden-red domain blended with Megumin's crimson. With her left hand, she clumsily held a massive magic book and announced, "Domain Expansion: Shining Sun of the World!"
Fischl placed a supportive hand on Klee, who was wobbling in place. She raised her gaze to the sky, where Keqing and Lumine were fighting fiercely against the desperate Celestial Winged. Even higher, the godly battle had already begun.
Stretching out her palm, Fischl brought her focus back to the battleground below, where a vast fleet of Forest Spirits was visible. "Domain Expansion: Sacred Blessing of the Black Cat."
The pure white domain expanded and merged into the space, and under the three combined domains, the fleet remained unharmed beneath the protection of the Permanent Fourth Protective Techniques. Sync stared wide-eyed at the three figures that had suddenly appeared above her forces.
She had expected enemies, but she hadn't expected them to be a young girl who bore a striking resemblance to the Forest Spirits and two human figures.
Activating the Eighth Sorcerer's Art, Sync observed the three unknown individuals. She then quickly gave new commands, "All personnel, cast spells freely and target the three enemies above. Fleet, full speed ahead out of this unknown space; it works against us."
The soul stone on her forehead glowed as she gathered her remaining energy, forming several magic circles in front of her and shooting them toward the three figures above.
Countless spells shot upward, enveloping the trio. Crimson magic surged wildly from Megumin, intertwining with the golden-red field, forming a colossal three-dimensional magic formation. Megumin pulled down her white eyepatch, crimson light flowing across the domain.
"Abyssal Black Flame, Monarch of the Realms!"
Simultaneously, Klee's magic book rapidly flipped its pages, and a golden magic circle appeared beneath her feet.
"Golden Radiance, Awakener of Life!"
Raising her right hand, Fischl's entire body shimmered with white light, opening a divine sanctuary to shield against all threats. Slightly out of breath, she looked at her companions chanting their magic and whispered, "Double it."
Buzz!
The white light enveloped Megumin, her eyes shining with excitement. She waved her staff, and the magic circle expanded once more. Her chant accelerated.
"Ruler of the Heavens and Earth, heed my unyielding decree—an iron hammer of destruction, descend before me."
"The brilliance of the Sun shines forth—ignite the eternal flames along this darkened path, awakening the dormant earth!"
"Explosion! Burn to ashes in crimson flames!"
"Explosion! The Golden Sun descends!"
Boom!!!
A golden and a crimson pillar of light burst across the sky, instantly encompassing the entire fleet as it tried to escape the domain.
The sound of an immense explosion echoed as the sky itself shattered, like fragile glass breaking into fragments and turning into particles of light.
Crack! Crack!
The ground trembled as the resounding boom finally emerged. The Forest Spirits' most potent defensive spell, the Permanent Fourth Protective Technique, shattered into pieces as the fleet exploded into debris that fell toward the pitch-black ground.
One by one, wounded and bleeding members of the Forest Faction fell from the sky. In their current state, there was no question—those who fell from such heights would surely die.
"Aqua."
"Yes, yes, I know."
The forms of Shirou Emiya and Aqua appeared behind Fischl, Megumin, and Klee. Shirou nodded to Fischl, who had expended nearly all her energy. "Aqua will follow Riku's orders and save those in the Forest Faction who are critically injured. Since you're all safe now, I'm heading over to Xiaohei and the others. The plan's about to begin."
Looking up at Lumine and Keqing meditating above, Fischl struggled to support the exhausted Megumin and Klee. Seeing Hiroshi approaching, she whispered, "Be careful."
"Mm."
Hiroshi gently patted Klee and Fischl, smiling. He looked towards the direction of the War God's throne.
"Shirou, thanks for watching over everyone."
"No problem, it's what I should do. If not for the plan, I'd join the fight myself."
"Haha, well then, let's go."
"The god-slaying plan begins! Charge!"
On the earth below, a new mountain stood proudly, the gentle breeze rustling the green leaves of trees. The Earth Faction temporarily withdrew, returning to the embrace of the land.