In the underground world, in front of the massive orc army, the atmosphere was filled with tension and hostility.
Carter looked up at the human youth blocking his army, his vision gradually tinged with blood.
"Human, do you think you can stop my entire army by yourself?!"
Raising his right hand, Carter glanced at the distant shining Star Chalice. He waved his arm, and amidst the thunderous sound of marching, the massive army began to charge.
Holding his sword, Shirou Emiya looked at the advancing army of tens of thousands of orcs. He glanced at the live feed showing his allies, bleeding from their seven orifices. Turning back to the overwhelming force, he smiled nonchalantly, "How will I know if I can, unless I try?"
He tapped the ground lightly with his sword, and a blue sky appeared in the underground world. A gentle breeze swept across the grass. Shirou Emiya looked at the orc army, disoriented by the sudden change of scenery, and said softly, "Domain Expansion: Field of Swords."
One by one, swords began to emerge from the air, freely flying and finally converging into a sea of blades.
Releasing the sword in his hand, Shirou let it join the sea of swords floating above.
He looked at the astonished orc troops, spread his arms wide, and shouted, "You have your army, and I am not alone either. Let's see which army is stronger!"
Seeing the sea of swords rushing toward them from above, Carter roared, "Blood Defiled units, form an elite squad with me! If we kill or exhaust the energy of that human, this space will collapse. The rest of you, form up, cover each other, and advance!"
Dozens of figures sprang forward, gathering beside Carter. They exchanged glances, looked up at the approaching swords, and shouted in unison.
"Blood Defilement!"
A crimson color spread, covering them from the inside out, even dyeing their skin a bloody red.
Their blood-red eyes locked onto the incoming tide of swords. Thirty crimson lights rushed ahead, and with a series of sonic booms, shattered all the swords with overwhelming power and speed.
Carter's blood-colored eyes fixed on the path that had been cleared. He bent his knees slightly and, in an instant, transformed into a blood-red meteor charging directly toward Shirou Emiya's position. Twelve elite figures followed, turning into crimson meteors alongside him.
Boom!
In a deafening crash, Shirou Emiya crossed two swords—one black and one white—in front of his chest, as Carter's glowing red fists struck the blades. Twelve crimson meteors quickly surrounded Shirou.
"Projection, begin!"
White spiritual light shone in his eyes. Shirou Emiya expertly maneuvered Gan Jiang and Mo Ye, redirecting Carter's fist to clash with another one behind him. He twisted his body, throwing Gan Jiang and Mo Ye to either side, forcing apart two approaching figures. A large, menacing greatsword appeared instantly in his empty hands.
Clang!
Raising the beast-hunting greatsword above his head, Shirou Emiya roared, and with a sweeping motion of the massive blade, a powerful circular shockwave pushed back all surrounding enemies.
Breathing heavily, Shirou's arms trembled slightly. A trickle of blood ran down his palms.
He looked up at the thirteen crimson figures surrounding him once more. With a low growl, Shirou charged, while across the battlefield, one sword after another shattered under the combined assault of the orc units.
In the deeper underground, Satou Kazuma screamed, pushing his body to its limit. Blood trickled from his palms as he struggled to grasp the Star Chalice—the manifestation of the power of the One True God—which was not something an ordinary human could easily obtain.
Behind him, Schwi moved through the air, her weapon firing a series of attacks to assist Riku, who was fighting fiercely ahead.
Unlike the orcs, who possessed great physical strength, the vampires' abilities lay in illusion magic. Even the Elves, created by the God of Magic, were no match for the vampires in this aspect. The vampires had planned to conceal their presence and approach Kazuma, taking the Star Chalice at the moment he obtained it.
But they hadn't anticipated that breaking through the Spirit Corridor would sever their connection to it, rendering their illusions ineffective. They were discovered before reaching Kazuma.
Now, Schwi's wind blades, mixed with her attacks, turned the vampires into easy targets. Some tried to physically attack Riku, but their supposedly invincible bodies found themselves up against an immovable force—a single straight punch from Riku reduced them to nothing but blood mist.
Riku watched the panicked vampires flee, extending his hand. He had initially thought they were pretending to be weak, but after a while, he realized they truly were no match. It felt as if he'd unintentionally cut off their lifeline.
"Domain Expansion!"
A new space unfolded. A large magic circle appeared in the sky above the domain. Hovering in mid-air, Riku's eyes flashed with cyan light.
"Wind Realm!"
The fleeing vampires were wiped out instantly. As the domain faded, Riku glanced at the blood mist drifting in the air, his eyes narrowing. He turned and rushed toward Kazuma.
His comrades were fighting for their lives, and so he would show no mercy to his enemies.
Riku's hand glowed as he transferred his energy into the nearly depleted Kazuma. The previously dim light in Kazuma's hand shone brightly once again.
Higher above, Shirou Emiya's chest heaved, his breathing growing more labored. Of the thirteen crimson figures surrounding him, eight remained. He had paid a great price—his energy was more than half gone, his hands were bloodied, and numerous wounds covered his body. In the distance, the Sea of Swords, made from his power, was nearly depleted. The orc forces were about to break free entirely.
Struggling to stand, Shirou Emiya tried to steady his breath. He looked at the eight remaining crimson figures around him, managing a grim smile.
"Looks like I have to go all out—though I already was."
Spitting out a broken tooth, Shirou Emiya glanced at the Sea of Swords, which was about to collapse. With a flick of his hand, everyone disappeared from the domain.
In the outside world, the dim underground remained lit by glowing plants.
Taking a glance at the environment, Carter, clutching his severed arm, saw the bloodied Shirou Emiya in the distance. He let out a roar and charged once again.
The recovery abilities of this human were beyond comprehension. Bleeding as much as he had, even a dragon should've run dry by now. But this human—this creature, which felt like a monster despite his human nature—had repeatedly recovered with flashes of white light. Had it not been for his accumulating injuries, which increasingly slowed his recovery, Carter would've thought he was facing an immortal.
A small, glowing white sphere formed in Shirou Emiya's hand. He watched the orc army rushing at him once again and clenched the sphere. Slightly bending, he assumed a sword-drawing stance, staring calmly at the approaching enemy.
"Blade Domain, Unsheathing."
A white light cut across the orc army. Shirou Emiya looked down at the now dimmed sphere in his hand before glancing at the enemy ranks that had halted.
Splat!
Blood spurted from Carter's chest. His legs buckled, and he knelt on one knee.
Blankly touching the gaping wound in his chest, Carter looked up at the standing Shirou Emiya. Behind him, the orc army lay on the ground. Only a handful of the Blood Defiled remained standing, their powerful bodies barely clinging to life. The massive loss of blood had already formed a small river.
"Ha!"
With a shout, Carter contracted his muscles to seal his wound temporarily. Along with the remaining dozen Blood Defiled, he struggled to his feet, slowly making his way toward Shirou Emiya.
"Human, I, Carter, acknowledge you as the strongest human I've ever faced."
Watching the orcs rise once again, Shirou Emiya managed a pained smile. His energy was entirely depleted, his body immobile, unable to continue fighting.
He looked up at the live feed showing Zhongli, the Geo Archon, and smiled.
"Looks like it's my time to bow out."