Within the Orbital Grand Temple of Dodona, inside the palace closest to the Fantasy Tree—
Alien Apostles appeared one after another. Besides Kirei Kotomine and Ashiya Douman, there were two more whom Chaldea did not recognize.
A silver-haired young scholar.
And a white-haired, middle-aged gentleman.
The two sides immediately clashed. Killing intent thick with Mana spread through the palace, and the Knights of the Round Table who still had strength remaining drew their weapons one after another.
There was no warning.
The battle erupted in an instant.
All of the Alien Apostles were modified Servants. Though there were only four of them, they managed, unexpectedly, to hold the line.
But only for a few minutes.
From the moment the fighting began, the four Alien Apostles were steadily forced back. The defensive line blocking Chaldea's approach to the Fantasy Tree shrank at a visible pace.
"Don't mistake this for an opportunity, Alien Apostles."
Morgan lifted her hand and gave a light flick.
Her Magecraft seized Kirschtaria and pulled him toward the Knights of the Round Table. Percival caught him cleanly, leaving Ashiya Douman—who had tried to snatch the Crypters' leader amid the chaos—grasping at empty air.
"As expected of the great Witch. Not a single opening," Ashiya Douman drawled, his praise laced with mockery.
Morgan ignored the hollow flattery, her eyes fixed coldly on the movements of the Alien Apostles.
"If you truly wish for Kirschtaria to live, you would be better off handing him over to us," the priest said with a shameless smile. "It was the 'Alien God' who saved him. His right to live belongs to the 'Alien God.' Unlike the other Crypters, he has been locked by the 'Alien God.' Even if you take him away, you won't be able to keep him alive."
Morgan tilted her head slightly and glanced back at Kirschtaria, silently asking for confirmation.
"The Father is correct," Kirschtaria replied calmly. "But even if it means death, being seen off by all of you would better suit my wishes than remaining under their supervision."
There was no fear left in him at the thought of losing his life.
"I see."
Morgan turned her gaze back to the Alien Apostles.
"Is this all of you? Just because defeating a Crypter in a Magecraft battle wasn't easy doesn't mean you can accomplish anything with this alone."
Her eyes lifted toward the Fantasy Tree.
"Besides, this young man made thorough preparations for the Lostbelt he was responsible for. While nurturing the Fantasy Tree, he also placed something else inside it."
Kirschtaria smiled faintly.
During the earlier clash, he had already revealed the truth about the Fantasy Tree, Atlas.
To prevent the descent of the 'Alien God,' he had summoned and embedded a third Servant within the Fantasy Tree—the Titan Atlas.
Having accepted his defeat, Kirschtaria made no pointless attempt to stir up further chaos.
At this very moment, Atlas still remained within the Fantasy Tree, obstructing the completion of the 'Alien God's' descent.
Through the split in the trunk, the faint silhouette of that colossal deity could be seen.
"Indeed, the power Chaldea has accumulated thus far cannot be underestimated. But because of Chaos, you have also lost an irreplaceable companion."
Kirei Kotomine stood calmly in place.
"We are here for only one reason: to prevent you from approaching the Fantasy Tree."
Morgan's brows lifted slightly, her gaze turning even colder.
Shiomi was gone. Right and wrong no longer mattered to her.
"Even if it costs you your lives, you would still remain loyal to the 'Alien God'?"
She raised her hand. Multiple Magecraft formulas formed in an instant.
"Then I will grant your wish."
At the same time, Scáthach wasted no words. Her spear flashed again and again, each thrust sharp and merciless, carving wound after wound into the Alien Apostles.
Kirei Kotomine raised his reinforced arm to block a thrust from his blind spot, but he was clearly more strained than usual.
The Death Runes carved into him were still in effect. After all, Shiomi had merely vanished into the void—he had not died.
"You spoke too soon, Father!"
Morgan's hand lifted again. Without warning, Mana detonated and blasted Kirei Kotomine away, tearing open a gap in the defensive line.
"Heh…"
Clothes in tatters and his injuries worsening, the priest still laughed.
"It's not that I spoke too boldly. We never intended to stop you from getting close in the first place. We only needed to buy a little time… Lord Nameless."
Nameless, who should have appeared yet had shown no sign of himself, remained absent. Though Morgan had stayed wary of a surprise attack from the shadows, it was clear the Alien Apostles had no such intention.
The time they bought was for a single purpose—
To deliver one decisive slash at the Spirit Origin of the Titan Atlas, revealed within the interior of the Fantasy Tree.
"The Spirit Origin of Atlas the Titan—"
Kirschtaria froze in shock.
"The 'Alien God' foresaw your intentions long ago, Kirschtaria."
Taking advantage of the brief lull in combat caused by the slash Nameless had delivered against Atlas the Titan, Kirei Kotomine slowly rose to his feet and steadied his breathing.
"That man who became a Guardian after death was chosen by the 'Alien God' for this very moment."
As the unseen Nameless brought down that strike, the Spirit Origin of Atlas underwent a violent upheaval.
The Mana that had once belonged to him inverted in an instant, transforming into something far more ominous—vast and baleful beyond measure.
"Atlas the Titan… his Spirit Origin has been taken?"
As Atlas's Master, Kirschtaria felt the change more clearly than anyone.
"Storm Border, immediately analyze the powerful Mana reactor response inside the Fantasy Tree!"
Morgan's eyelid twitched for the briefest moment before she decisively contacted Storm Border.
The battleship, which had been approaching the palace at standard speed under the assumption that the battle was already over, detected the violent shift within the Fantasy Tree in those few short minutes.
"Confirmed: planetary-level Mana output! And the Spirit Origin type within that Mana… Cross-referencing with predictions from the spiritron calculation system, it is estimated to be one of the Seven Evils of Humanity—the final seat, the 'Beast Crown' (Horn)—"
Romani stared fixedly at the screen as he delivered his report.
The appearance of a Beast was not entirely unexpected. He had already begun to suspect that the Bleaching of Humanity and the Incineration of Humanity were similar in nature—and likely both tied to a Beast.
After all, when the first Beast manifested, the Beast of the end must already have existed as well.
But for it to happen now…
Goetia had already withdrawn. Romani had intended to find some way to question him. That man likely knew exactly what would unfold next, probably watching from somewhere even now to see how Chaldea would overcome this crisis.
"Beast…"
Olga Marie bit her finger unconsciously.
This was not her first time facing a Beast.
And yet, her heart pounded uncontrollably, a suffocating sense of dread tightening in her chest.
Was it because the Master was gone that she felt like this?