Artoria's expression was grim.
If Gilgamesh unleashed Ea, the Sword of Rupture, the only thing she possessed that could withstand it was Avalon.
And Avalon could only protect one person.
Everyone else would be erased.
She didn't believe Rowan, no matter how powerful, could casually block an attack meant to tear the world apart.
Rowan, however, looked… delighted.
"Countless Noble Phantasms. A sword that can split the world…"
His eyes gleamed.
Perfect.
Seven Servants' worth of artifacts had already seemed insufficient for his curiosity.
Now a walking treasury had appeared.
Better still, one of those treasures supposedly carried world-rending principles.
Rowan couldn't currently cleave an entire world apart.
That alone made Ea fascinating.
Still, he wasn't worried.
A Noble Phantasm's output depended heavily on its wielder.
From what Rowan sensed, Gilgamesh could not draw out Ea's full potential.
At best, it might be several times stronger than Excalibur.
And even if Rowan was wrong…
He could simply interrupt Gilgamesh before the sword was ever activated.
External tools were just that.
Tools.
True strength came from the self.
Rowan didn't want Ea as a weapon.
He wanted to dissect the law behind it.
Understand how something could tear reality.
Once he grasped that principle, he wouldn't need the sword at all.
And more importantly, he could reproduce the effect in any world.
Rin pulled back to Rowan's side, Archer appearing beside her.
Kirei also retreated, taking position next to Gilgamesh.
Kirei's gaze slid past Artoria and settled on Shirou.
"…I remember now."
"You were the child Kiritsugu pulled from the ruins."
"So you're the seventh Master."
He smiled faintly.
"How nostalgic."
Shirou ignored him.
His eyes were fixed on the boy standing behind Gilgamesh.
"Shinji…?"
"What are you doing here?"
Shinji smirked when he noticed Rin standing beside Shirou.
Jealousy burned through him.
"If trash like you can be a Master, why can't I?"
"I'm the heir of the Matou family. One of the Three Founding Houses."
"It's only natural that I'm in this war."
Rin's face darkened.
"So the soul-draining barrier at school was your work."
Shinji laughed.
"Of course."
"Using worthless people's souls to strengthen my Servant is efficient."
Then he leered at Rin.
"Give up now."
"Become my woman, and I'll treat you well."
"Resist, and you'll serve me as a slave."
Rowan sighed.
"Interesting speech for someone without magic circuits."
Shinji froze.
"What did you say?"
"You've been feeding mana to your Servant through that grimoire in your hand," Rowan continued calmly.
"Which means you're not a real Master."
"Just a substitute using borrowed tools."
Shinji's face twisted in rage.
"Rider! Kill him!"
Medusa moved.
She took one step.
Shinji's head exploded.
Blood sprayed across the floor.
Silence swallowed the church.
Rin and Shirou stared at Rowan in disbelief.
He had always seemed calm.
Reasonable.
Almost gentle.
They hadn't expected something so sudden.
Kirei felt a chill crawl up his spine.
He hadn't sensed any mana from Rowan at all.
Which meant whatever he had just used was on a completely different level.
Gilgamesh, meanwhile, looked amused.
Rowan stood.
"I'm lenient toward ordinary people."
"But I don't tolerate garbage."
He gestured casually.
"I'm Rowan Mercer."
"Artoria's Master."
"I advise you all to surrender."
"Unless you want to end up like him."
With a flick of his hand, Lancer's unconscious body was thrown onto the floor.
Kirei's eyes widened.
"So it was you…"
Not Shirou.
Not Rin.
The true unknown variable had been Rowan all along.
Kirei knew the logical choice was retreat.
But he also knew Gilgamesh would never agree.