If one were to look down at our shared blue planet from a satellite's camera at this moment, it would be strikingly clear that in the blue area, representing the sea surface not far from Honshu Island, a head-sized splash of water suddenly erupted, as if it were truly a water surface!
The spreading splash caused waves to surge towards the west, extending over half of Honshu Island before settling and receding back into the sea... Far outside the world, in the infinitely distant void, in a space that stood independent and transcended the timeline, sat the infinitely grand Hall of the counter force.
Chaotic light flowed, and a spiritual light full of natural vitality reverberated once around the great hall before descending, manifesting a small blue humanoid figure... "Snap!"
Before the figure could fully coalesce, a gigantic sword mark of light diagonally slashed across the unformed body! It bisected its body with a diagonal sword strike, and a large amount of dreamlike, colorful spiritual light dust dissipated and vanished into the void.
"Ah… This is a warning from memory. I can't remember when I last suffered such a wound."
Perhaps because of this sword strike, her body could not fully coalesce. Although the sword mark on the blue humanoid figure did not bleed, the wound could not be eliminated. She could only remain there as a turbulent energy figure. Judging from her unstable and intensely turbulent energy form, her mood at this time was very agitated.
"That sword... destroy the stars to save people!" Her self-muttering tone sounded as if she was gritting her teeth.
"alaya... this pestilence of primates ultimately cannot coexist with the planet! That sword has already explained everything. Is this planet, after all, destined to become silent and dead?…"
By the end of her speech, only a deep gloom remained in gaia's voice. As a great existence transcending the timeline, she could see the planet's ultimate end: the Steel Earth... a world where technology mysteriously disappeared and was discarded, where all living beings existed on a land like steel, with no one to protect them, destined for destruction, while the planet, at the hands of humanity, lost its life.
This planet, which had sustained billions of lives, was ultimately destroyed by humanity in a fraction of the time it had existed, plunging completely into silence. Earth was killed by humanity!
Despair, dimness, lifelessness... This was Earth's ultimate fate.
"Humanity will ultimately kill Earth. This is an inevitable and unchangeable outcome, and the human race, unwilling to be destroyed, ultimately created that sword… For this world to continue, it seems we can only gamble on that slim hope…"
At the instant the origin and the end-of-the-world sword of human civilization clashed, the mysterious impact they unleashed was completely absorbed by the world's essence, striking the inner side of the world. The exploding tsunami was the world's essence being harmed, affecting the world's surface, and this was its reaction. Otherwise, such a clash of attacks landing on the world's surface would have directly shattered this fragile outer shell.
All the brilliance faded, revealing the two figures on the vimana. Rin held the god-slaying spear, and Gilgamesh held the twin blades separated from the Sword of Termination. They stood back to back.
The god-slaying spear in Rin's hand gradually became indistinct, then transparent, eventually dissipating and returning to its original world. Immediately after—
"Clang, clang, clang, clang..."
Dozens of sounds of blades tearing through flesh rang out simultaneously, and blood splattered from Rin's shoulder, arm, abdomen, chest, collarbone, and even her cheek.
Rin's lips curled slightly, revealing a relieved and relaxed smile.
"The Heavenly Garment couldn't block the Sword of Termination's blade... But the outcome is decided. It seems you've been an Archer for too long; your martial arts have atrophied from disuse. Every strike was just a little off."
"How dare you mock this king? Even a queen is not exempt from the gravest punishment! But never mind, this king admits it: in martial arts, you are indeed stronger."
At this point, the two turned to face each other. Compared to the dozens of wounds on Rin's body, Gilgamesh had only one injury: his heart was pierced by the god-slaying spear.
Just as the demonic sword of humanity's end and the original text of human civilization collided, guided by the world itself towards its inner side, Rin suddenly erupted with the highest speed she could achieve, even faster than when she had previously parried gungnir with her bare hands. In that moment of movement, everything else parallel to the world fell into absolute stillness, and the dozens of kilometers separating her from Gilgamesh were crossed in less than an instant.
In the confrontation between the god-slaying spear and the disassembled sword of oath, enki, Rin ultimately achieved victory in this final martial arts contest.
Rin's gaze fell upon the massive wound piercing Gilgamesh's chest. At this moment, the distance between them was no more than two steps; even the warmth of the flowing blood could be clearly felt.
The defeated Gilgamesh's gaze softened for the first time, fixed on Rin's face.
"Hateful woman, must you resist this king with such abandon even until the very end? Yet, the more you are like this, the more you captivate this king, driving him to obsession..."
"Ah, but this world, after all, is not where everything belongs to you. At least, I am not among them."
"The crime committed by that statement is enough for the extermination of nine generations, but never mind, this king forgives you."
Gilgamesh slowly raised his right hand. Rin clearly noticed, but she made no move to dodge. Why not fulfill the wish of a dying man and let him leave this world content?
This time, there was no golden gauntlet on his hand. The scales on Rin's face had also shattered under the sword of oath, enki's sword wind. His slender, pale fingers gently brushed over the scar on Rin's face.
"Some things only become more beautiful when they are unobtainable. You must heal this wound completely, leave no trace. You must always maintain your most beautiful appearance, until our next encounter."
Gilgamesh raised his hand and presented the sword of oath, enki, which was in his left hand, to Rin.
"The demonic sword you just used, the sword that brings ruin to planets, capable of wielding it proves that your essence is to end all things. Since that is the case, this sword, which represents the burial of civilization by the planet, I entrust to you. This king is the first king, the beginning. This Sword of Termination cannot unleash its full power in this king's hands. It suits you; take it."
Looking at the dazzling pure gold twin blades, a glint flashed in Rin's eyes. She accepted this unique noble phantasm against civilization without refusal, holding one in each hand. Without the need for A Knight Does Not Die Empty-Handed's forced seizure of authority, the flashing golden twin blades emitted a joyful sword cry in Rin's hands. A wave of happy mental fluctuations was transmitted from the sword of oath, enki, into Rin's heart.
Rin took control of the sword of oath, enki, causing this noble phantasm to spiritualize and return to her Heroic Spirit Core. Unlike Heroic Spirits who descend by projection into the Holy Grail, as a Modern Heroic Spirit who manifested in the present world through the inheritance of a Heroic Spirit and was completed by the Third Magic, Rin's Heroic Spirit Core was preserved in her Sea of Soul and could absolutely not be destroyed purely on a physical level.
"Having been defeated by you, the first king, I entrust this garden to your hands. You are the end; you should be the last king in the world. You must sit on the throne until the very end of this world. Go! Go and grasp this world in your hands!"
Reflecting the rising sun from where the sky met the sea, turning his back on this first light bidding farewell to the night, humanity's oldest king dissipated into the heavens and earth amidst a dreamlike shower of golden sand...
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