CH 51

Steel is my body and fire is my blood

I have created over a thousand blades

Unknown to Death,

Nor known to Life.

Have withstood pain to create many weapons

Yet, those hands will never hold anything

So as I pray, Unlimited Blade Works.

As Shirou completed the final invocation of Unlimited Blade Works, his 27 magic circuits cried out in pain as they were drained of all their magical energy.

"Crack, crack, crack..."

The epic struggle for dominance in the world of the Heavens and Earth was suddenly disrupted as an otherworldly force descended upon the scene, manifesting itself in the form of a colossal gear that materialized behind Shirou, looming ominously behind him, hinting at the immense power it held.

Waver, who was struggling to maintain the magical energy for Iskandar's activity, was left speechless as he stared at the scene before him. 

"It... it's also a Reality Marble!?" he exclaimed in shock.

A Reality Marble or Innate Bounded Field is the materialization and projection of one's inner world onto reality. When activated, a Reality Marble drastically alters the surrounding space, transforming it into a completely different landscape.

Reality Marbles are created worlds that are completely cut off from normal reality. They project the internal landscape of the user and seal off the regular world. According to the World Egg theory, the actualization of a Reality Marble is achieved by switching the position of the Self and the World while keeping the boundary the same. This causes the size of the Self to expand, enclosing the World in a small container.

Throughout history, there have been very few magi with Reality Marble, but now not only does his Rider possess a Reality Marble, but that Caster also has one!

The appearance of two Reality Marbles at once is an incredibly rare occurrence, akin to a mythological story. And now, Waver found himself witnessing these two powerful Reality Marble about to face off in front of him!

"You want to use your Noble Phantasm to fight against mine? Very well! I approve!" Iskandar bellowed with laughter.

"Crack, crack, crack..."

The massive gear hung suspended in the sky behind Shirou, its gears turning relentlessly, and in the blink of an eye, the world behind him was transformed.

A crimson desert stretched out as far as the eye could see, littered with countless swords, while the horizon flickered with the dancing flames of an inferno. The dark, ominous sky was dominated by giant gears spinning in a never-ending cycle, resembling a world of smelting factories.

In an instant, the reality was split in two.

But --

Shirou's forehead was slick with cold sweat as he activated the Reality Marble, Unlimited Blade Works. He could feel the "Ionioi Hetairoi" constantly eroding his mental landscape.

Once the erosion was complete, Shirou feared that his Unlimited Blade Works would be completely consumed by Ionioi Hetairoi!

"Spartacus, protect me and I will protect you in return. Together, we are invincible!" Shirou bellowed, his mind focused and at his command, the swords that lay scattered across the crimson desert behind him rose up, soaring through the air like arrows from the heavens, hurtling toward the soldiers surrounding Spartacus.

The soldiers, caught off guard by the sudden attack, could do little to defend themselves as the swords rained down upon them, slicing through armor and flesh with ease. Some tried to raise their shields in an attempt to block the onslaught, but it was to no avail as the swords cut through them as if they were made of paper.

Iskandar let out a deep laugh, "Are you trying to challenge this king? Are you trying to fight with me, Caster? Hahahaha----, I approve!" His expression then became serious as he commanded, "Formation one, conquer!"

"Conquer!!"

"Conquer!!"

"Conquer!!"

Shirou's face was covered in sweat as he watched the soldiers divide into three light infantry and charge toward him. 

The soldiers of the "Ionioi Hetairoi" were formidable, following Iskandar's conquest throughout his life, and Shirou knew he was outnumbered. Despite this, he had the Unlimited Blade Works at his disposal, which held thousands of swords copied from the Heroic Spirit Emiya.

Even so, among these soldiers, there was no shortage of talented individuals with Servant's level reactions.

Shirou shouted: "Berserker! The oppressors are here!"

"Oh oh oh oh!"

Spartacus, towering at an impressive 20 meters tall, leaped into the space of Unlimited Blade Works with a single bound.

His formidable muscle strength propelled him forward as he swept his giant sword, decimating the light infantry that charged toward Shirou. Using his body as a shield, blocking the army that attempted to conquer Shirou's world.

Shirou raised his hand and dozens of swords flew into the sky, penetrating the dense area of the Ionioi Hetairoi. Then-

"---Broken Phantasm!"

"BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM----!!!!!"

In a split second, there was a deafening series of explosions as countless soldiers were vaporized by the blast. But instead of cowing them, the display of power only seemed to invigorate the enemy troops as they charged forward, eager to conquer the world.

They rushed towards Shirou with unbridled ferocity, their eyes alight with the thrill of battle.

"Conquer---!"

"Advance---!"

"Conquer---!!! "

Excitement and fanaticism burned within the army like religious fervor. They advanced like a swarm of ants, a formidable force that shook the earth and sky!

Spartacus swung his giant sword, clearing a path through the approaching light troops. Shirou, too, drew sword after sword, slicing through the dense ranks of soldiers. He unleashed [Broken Phantasm], cutting down one soldier after another.

This was a war of individuals and groups, a war of giants and armies, a war of worlds! A battle between an unmatched elephant and a fanatical ant swarm!

Explosions rumbled on, filling the air with smoke. The ground was littered with broken corpses and weapons, blood soaking into the earth. Death loomed on the edge where the two worlds collided. Morals and laws had long been forgotten, replaced by the wildness and brutality of humanity that now consumed the entire space.

The war of Reality Marbles!

This magnificent and wild scene was deeply etched in Waver's eyes. It pierced through his small and insignificant world like a sword and arrow.

Waver's world was once defined by magecraft, papers, and the desire for respect and self-validation. However, his small perspective is now being shattered as he is exposed to the harsh realities and the magnificent clash in front of him. It's as if he's been a frog living at the bottom of a well, only to be suddenly lifted out and given a glimpse of the vast expanse of the true world.

He wants to witness...

He yearns to continue to bear witness to the unfolding of this modern myth, to see it through to the end.

But...

"Ah..." Waver groaned as he clutched his chest, his face contorted in pain. His Magic Circuits were overloading, sapping his energy, and a fiery heat was consuming him as if it would burn him to ashes.

No.

It can't be.

I want...

I want to see it to the end!

"That's enough, Caster!" Iskandar bellowed as he pulled back the Ionioi Hetairoi.

Waver gazed up at Iskandar, his face a mixture of shock and disbelief. With bitterness in his voice, he spat out, "I can still fight, I can still go on. How can you give up?"

Before he could finish his sentence, Iskandar whirled around, placing a massive hand on Waver's head and grinning widely, revealing a row of shining white teeth. "There's no need to push yourself so hard. You're still young, and the journey ahead is long. Take your time, and don't rush it."

Shirou deactivated Unlimited Blade Works, his face glistening with sweat and his eyes weary. He looked at Iskandar and asked, "How could you withdraw first, Iskandar? As you know, I am Caster. Weren't you afraid that I could have killed you just now?"

Iskandar laughed loudly, "If I were afraid, I wouldn't be Iskandar!"

His words may sound confident, but in reality, he had already come to the realization that continuing to fight in this manner would only result in mutual destruction.

Shirou sighed in his heart.

This King of Conqueror may appear rough and ignorant, but in fact, his thoughts were quite subtle and he was well aware of the benefits. It's no surprise that he was able to achieve the great accomplishment of conquering over five million square kilometers.

"I concede this defeat gracefully. I have lost this time," Iskandar said with a carefree laugh before mounting his beloved horse. He scooped Waver up by the collar and slung him over his shoulder before riding off.

"Fool! Fool! I still have command seals! I still have command seals! How can you lose?!" Waver's distant voice could be heard yelling.

Shirou breathed a sigh of relief. If the fight had continued, he would have been forced to use command seals to supplement his magical energy and fight a war of attrition.

However,

"We can win!" Shirou clenched his fist, "With the power of Unlimited Blade Works and Spartacus, victory is within our reach!"

"Spartacus!" He looked at Spartacus which had expanded to almost 30 meters.

"Oh oh oh oh oh ooh oh-- weakling,"

Shirou reached out and touched the giant sword that he had projected, looked up at the giant face of Spartacus, now missing one eye, and said, "You are my sword and shield, I am your eyes and mind. This sword is the symbol of our partnership, together we will defeat the cruel and oppressive ones and win this Holy Grail War!"

"Cruel ones, oppressors, weak ones!"

Spartacus possessed immense magical energy, but it was volatile and uncontrolled. As a result, his rationality suffered, and he became increasingly unable to articulate his thoughts. Despite this, he retained the power to lead the oppressed towards freedom.

Shirou glanced at the colossal, bloated Spartacus, towering at almost thirty meters in height. He understood that if Spartacus were to enter the city, the secret of the Holy Grail War would be exposed, and he couldn't allow that to happen.

For now, he can only hide Spartacus here and use the forest to conceal him. He looks at the giant sword that he had Projected, and couldn't help but feel proud of himself. The giant sword he had Projected was perfectly suited for Spartacus!

"Victory! I can achieve victory! Because-

I am no longer alone!"