Time and time again, Kai had been confirming that the Third Transformation of Selfless Breathing hadn't manifested by itself but because of his father's intervention.
To instill an understanding—an epiphany—within a being…
Kai had never heard of such a phenomenon in both his lives combined.
He knew how to do it, though. Through Ad Infinitum, Kai had replayed the events, processes, and changes leading up to the Third Transformation at least a billion times. Even the minutest emotions were recorded, replayed, and rehearsed.
However, no matter what Kai did, he just failed to grasp the epiphany that should already belong to him.
Was it just because of his father?
Was it because of the strange world his father had taken him to?
Was it the perfect display of Conqueror Haki, even though he hadn't even learned its other applications?!
Neither Kai could find an answer to these questions, nor could he ask them of his father.
There was one thing, though, that kept lingering in the back of Kai's head, dancing on the tips of Lucky Intuitions' fingers.
Perhaps Recoilless Storm only worked when a certain condition was met?
Perhaps Recoilless Storm only raged when… the enemy was unconquerable?
…
As Kai's kick landed on Avalon, the BOOM was not only deafening, it was so loud that even Zelretch's Jewel Golem developed cracks.
Even if those cracks disappeared in the very next moment, it was enough to make Zelretch look at Black again… with a renewed glance.
Time and time again, Red was coming out to be the Contestant with the most potential He had ever laid His eyes on.
And that was saying something in itself, given how long He had lived.
If he wins the Holy Grail War, then… Zelretch let the bubbling thought die.
The If of His thought represented something in itself. Because, even now, despite so many fateful changes caused by Red, He couldn't see the guy… surviving this battlefield.
…
Black felt like he was trying to move an entire planet with his leg.
One stray thought. One instance of a lack of focus. One distraction.
That's all it would take for him to lose everything, letting Gorgon's attack pass through Avalon.
On either side of him, both Archer and Shirou were going through the same realizations.
The seven petals of Rho Aias were gaining a stony color fast, making Archer let out a bloody shout, muscles and tendons tearing within his arm.
Shirou didn't know how to keep Avalon out of him.
Every moment felt like an eternity as he continuously prevented the artifact from returning to him, the gums in his mouth bleeding as he clenched his teeth.
Black was in the worst state of his life.
All the Buffs, including Venom's, combined with the full might of Selfless Breathing, had already pushed him to the verge of imploding. As if that wasn't enough, for the first time, he had combined these impossibilities with Orochimaru's Cursed Seal.
If the power contained in the Third Transformation lessened even by a thousandth, he would instantly lose his Quality… in double digits.
And this wasn't the old Quality, with which he had come into existence.
After drinking the Top-Level Legendary Grade Consumable Item — The Last Sake — Black's Quality had changed. It was like compiling 1000% of his original Quality into 100%. That's why every loss in Quality Percentage was the gravest matter for Black.
Not to mention, if it wasn't for his renewed Quality, Black would have ended up losing half of his Quality during Zouken Matou's Inheritance incident already.
Even if he could outrank Heroic Spirits of Heracles' level, one must not forget that… he was still only an Epic-Grade Item.
"… Haaaaaaa!" Black poured every iota of his strength, constantly mutating to direct all his power into the attack.
The monstrously large beam of Mana had become a many-streamed jet of black water.
Most of its power was still concentrated on Rho Aias, with Avalon in its middle backed by Black's Recoilless Storm. But hundreds of thin beams were branching off as their defense bounced them back as well.
Wherever those beams landed, a mighty explosion—much stronger than Enkidu's three nuclear explosions combined—erased the very space.
Soon, the core beam began thinning out.
Momentarily, Archer, Shirou, and Black's eyes lit up.
Only momentarily…
"… Ven…" Gorgon's eyes spewed blood. "… geance…"
The Avenger Class Servant's stomach enlarged unnaturally. Then, she roared, the Pandemonium Cetus becoming… three times larger.
With a CRACKLING BOOM, the beam landed on Rho Aias and Avalon again.
The entire flower became stone and shattered. Left alone, the holy scabbard gained stony veins. And, behind it, Black's leg cracked… along with half of his body.
[Quality: 95% (-2%)]
And in this bleak darkness that engulfed the three men, gold and white radiance bloomed — with holiest majesty.
"O' Lord, I entrust this body to you…" Jeanne d'Arc prayed, holding her sword, pointing its hilt toward Gorgon.
"… with this light…" Saber shouted, her blue eyes glowing gold, "… that is the planet's hope…"
A white radiance took the form of a Phantasmal Species, Pegasus, with Medusa on its back, her long, purple hair flailing like banners of War. "… to crush the Evil! Bellerophon!"
The divine beast neighed as it reared on its hind legs and became a ray of white splendor, shooting toward Gorgon… tearing right through her Noble Phantasm.
"La Pucelle!!"
Flames surged through heaven and earth and became a storm as they soared toward the Evil Servant, burning her Noble Phantasm to crisp.
And then, slowly, the Saber hacked.
"Ex—" Her shout was the holy judgment, promising nothing but absolute victory. "—calibur!!!"
Bellerophon struck Gorgon with the power of a world.
With the speed of light, it bombarded it over a thousand times against the blackness behind her before the Holy Maiden's flames caught up.
Skin disappeared instantly, and her muscles blackened underneath, revealing her bones.
Screams, from the depths of her cursed heart, took over the entire world, and even the dress made of The Shadow caught fire.
Then, the golden light of Excalibur touched her… and—
— Gorgon disintegrated, the whiteness of the explosion blinding everyone!
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