[The time for answering questions ended, and the video resumed.]
["Oooooohh—!"]
[With Sieg's roar, Karna's spear fell.]
[The pressure radiating from the spear was immense—so overwhelming that it felt as though no force in this world could possibly oppose it.]
[Yet, despite this, Sieg did not take a single step back.]
["Know the mercy of the King of Gods."]
["The evil dragon shall fall."]
["Indra, bear witness to me anew."]
["Light and shadow herald the end of all things."]
["Extinction lies within this one thrust."]
["Now, the world shall set."]
["Burn completely— Vasavi Shakti!"]
["Strike down— Balmung!"]
[Two massive surges of energy clashed, unleashing a storm that tore through the space around them.]
[The violent impact threatened to shatter the very dimensional barrier keeping the battlefield intact. Watching from the sidelines, Caules was overwhelmed and could only throw himself to the ground.]
[However, in this battle, Karna held an overwhelming advantage.]
[Even a fantasy great sword at its strongest was still no match for an anti-divine Noble Phantasm.]
[In just one second, the twilight was pierced by the divine spear.]
Sieg: "You actually split my attack!"
Waver: "As expected of the legendary God-Slaying Spear… What terrifying power!"
Siegfried: "My Noble Phantasm is no match for his."
Among all the Heroic Spirits gathered, there were only a handful of Noble Phantasms that could rival Karna's spear—Ea, the sword of the King of Heroes, and An Gal Ta Ki Gal Šè, the authority of Ishtar. Beyond those, no other Noble Phantasm could compare.
Tohsaka Rin: "Then how did Astolfo block that?"
Astolfo: "Hmm, yeah, I'm wondering about that too—"
Achilles: "..."
[In the next instant, Sieg was sure to be pierced through. Nothing would be left of him.]
[But at that moment, Sieg suddenly realized something.]
[Although he lacked the time to reflect on his short yet fulfilling life, one thought surfaced in his mind.]
[He wanted to live.]
[It wasn't that he feared death, nor was he clinging to life, he had simply found something worth living for.]
[He had discovered a small, simple, and ordinary wish.]
[A girl had once told him that he didn't need to fight, didn't need to search for the meaning of his existence, just living was enough.]
[The memory of that moment made him happy. Truly happy.]
[To her, it might have been nothing more than an offhand remark, but to Sieg, those words were more precious than life itself.]
["My wish… is to see her again."]
[If he died here, he would never see her again. That alone made him feel, from the bottom of his heart, that life was worth fighting for.]
[Even if their next meeting would be their last, he still wanted to see Jeanne.]
["To make that happen… I cannot die here."]
Jeanne: "Huh? (,,#゜Д゜)"
Sieg: "Huh?"
Bluebeard: "Aaaaahhh—!! (F̴U̴C̴K̴ F̴U̴C̴K̴!!)"
Tohsaka Rin: "Wait, is this confirmed?!"
Chihiro: "Probably not yet. Jeanne hasn't given her answer, after all."
Illya: "Is this considered a flash marriage? I mean, they've only known each other for a few days."
Jeanne: "D-Don't talk nonsense! O(≧口≦)O"
Sieg: "Well, I don't have that kind of feelings toward Miss Jeanne right now, so—"
Illya: "Ah, it's only a matter of time."
Sieg: "..."
Bluebeard: "KILL YOU! I MUST KILL YOU! SIEG!!!"
---
["I use the Command Seal to command my body—"]
[At that moment, Sieg saw Siegfried appear before him.]
[Unsure of what to say, Sieg could only meet his gaze with firm determination.]
[Siegfried smiled, nodded, and then vanished from sight.]
[The next instant, the expanding sword energy surged forward like a tidal wave, pushing back Karna's attack.]
[The overwhelming disadvantage was shifting, turning into an even battle, or even an advantage.]
[Karna watched the scene unfold, unsure what expression to make.]
[What had started as a contest between sword and spear had now become a clash of willpower between two Servants.]
Tohsaka Rin: "They're pushing back! Are they actually going for a counterattack?!"
Siegfried: "Impossible. No matter how strong Sieg's will is, my Noble Phantasm isn't strong enough to overpower Karna's. And it's not like Karna's will is any weaker than Sieg's."
Waver: "Exactly. That man is a warrior who has endured countless battles."
[Sieg's will to survive was strong, but it was still no match for the iron will that Karna had forged through his life.]
[Slowly but surely, the divine spear was pushing back the sword. No miracle, no twist of fate, no outside intervention—]
[Or so it seemed.]
[Amidst everyone's astonished gazes, a new figure entered the battle.]
[But… stepping in at this moment was pointless.]
[Vasavi Shakti, the divine spear that even gods feared, was an anti-divine Noble Phantasm. Heroes, demonic beasts, mythical creatures, divine beasts, shields, castles, barriers—none of these meant anything before its power.]
[Unless.]
["I won't let you die!"]
[A lone, slender figure stepped in front of Sieg, raising a round shield.]
["What is that shield?!"]
Caules: "Astolfo! You said you didn't have any hidden cards! What is this?!"
Astolfo: "Huh?"
Astolfo: "Wait, what do you mean? What kind of Noble Phantasm is this? Why don't I remember it? Did I lose my memory or something?"
Karna: "..."
Karna had already recognized the shield and was speechless.
Iskandar: "Eh? Wait a second. Isn't that your."
Achilles: "Ahem… Yes, this is my Noble Phantasm."
Everyone: "Huh???"
---
["What is this? A shield?"]
[Back in the past, Astolfo had stared at the item Achilles handed him, utterly confused.]
["Isn't this your Noble Phantasm?"]
["Yeah. Take it. It's yours now."]
["What?"]
["If you can use it to block Lancer's attack, you might be able to seize the opportunity to turn the tide."]
["No, that's not it. I mean—are you serious?"]
["Of course, I'm serious. Don't think too much about it, this is just me keeping my promise. It has nothing to do with you. If you don't want it, just give it back."]
[Astolfo hurriedly hugged the shield to his chest, looking troubled.]
["Is that promise really that important?"]
["Yes. It's very important."]
["...Then I'll take it."]
[Achilles nodded.]
["I'll tell you its true name. This shield is my world, everything I have felt and experienced in my life."]
[This was divine shield, forged for Achilles by the god Hephaestus at the request of his mother, Thetis. The world seen through Achilles' eyes was projected onto its surface. Its true name—]
["The Miniature World Enclosed by the Azure Sky!"]
---
Amakusa Shirou: "Sigh.."
Semiramis: "┑(@Д@)┍"
What. Are. You. Doing?!
Achilles, what the hell are you thinking?!
First, you interfered with Atalanta's fight and let Jeanne go. And now, you're handing your shield to the enemy?! And not just that, you're giving it to them specifically to counter Karna?!
What is your plan? Do you have some grudge against Karna? Why are you helping your enemy fight him?!
Tohsaka Rin: "At this point, you might as well just defect."
Atalanta: "Boy, what exactly are you trying to do?"
Achilles: "..."
Even Achilles himself couldn't understand what he was doing in the video. But judging from the situation, it must have been related to the promise Chiron made him fulfill before his death.
Teacher Chiron… what exactly did you say to me?
---
[The world etched upon the shield began to turn and expand, forming an impenetrable barrier that blocked Karna's attack.]
[This was a shield formed from an entire world. Except for anti-world Noble Phantasms, no attack could breach it, not even an anti-divine weapon.]
["You must be kidding…"]
[Caules was utterly stunned at the sight.]
[They had thought that Vasavi Shakti was an unstoppable force—yet here it was, completely nullified.]
Tohsaka Rin: "It actually stopped it! And… it looks like a perfect defense!"
Chihiro: "Achilles' shield is a defensive barrier-type Noble Phantasm. Once activated, it can completely block almost any attack—except for those specifically designed to counter barriers."
Achilles: "You sure know a lot about this."
Waver: "So even though Vasavi Shakti is an anti-divine Noble Phantasm, it still can't break through?"
Achilles: "Of course. After all—"
"What's carved onto this shield… is my world."
***
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