Just as the audience outside the light curtain had anticipated, the scabbard, Avalon, was indeed a Noble Phantasm of a defensive and healing nature.
But... you call this a scabbard? Since when does a scabbard look more overpowered than the holy sword itself? Heaven knows your defense and healing capabilities would be this absurdly broken!
Be it curses, conceptual attacks, or various other Noble Phantasms, all attacks are rendered meaningless against Saber while she possesses the scabbard.
It wasn't a matter of how high the defense was; it was direct immunity! From the lowest-ranked Noble Phantasms to the highest, it could completely immunize against them all!
Even the Star of Creation that Split Heaven and Earth (Enuma Elish), in the eyes of the current Saber, would likely be nothing more than harmless fireworks.
This could no longer be described as mere defense; it was as if someone had activated a "God Mode" cheat in a game, and a permanent one without a time limit at that.
In the [Light Curtain Barrage], everyone was thoroughly shaken by the true effect of the scabbard, Avalon.
[Joseph Joestar]: "Invincible... This guy has become completely invincible. Dammit, I can't think of any way to deal with the Saber in front of us."
[Kars]: "Immortal and unaging, immune to everything, healing everything! Hahahaha! This is exactly the ultimate evolution I pursue! The Ultimate Lifeform is not the destination for me, Kars, but merely the starting point!"
In the Type-Moon world, Emiya Kiritsugu sighed silently... Thinking back on all the preparations he had made up to this point, he felt like a joke.
If the explanation in the light curtain wasn't wrong, then even that 'strongest' Servant, Gilgamesh, wouldn't be enough to look at in front of the current Saber—unless that guy also had an Avalon in his treasury... but a moment's thought told him that was absolutely impossible.
He had originally thought Gilgamesh was the biggest threat, only to find Solomon hiding behind him. The power of the Incineration of Human Order had thoroughly captured Kiritsugu's attention.
But now it seemed, damn it all, the strongest one was actually right beside him the whole time. Truly hiding one's light under a bushel. Good, very good. Now the King of Conquerors has completely been reduced to the weakest of the three kings.
---o---
While the barrage was buzzing with discussion, the image continued—
By now, everyone understood why Saber remained completely unaffected even while standing directly in the Black Mud.
The so-called Black Mud, in essence, was just a form of attack similar to a curse. Under the intense resentment contained within All the World's Evil, it would force Servants to blacken, forcibly severing the connection between Servant and Master, and granting ownership of the Servant to the Holy Grail.
For Servants, this was indeed a natural enemy. But for Saber, this was not the case.
The scabbard, Avalon, could immunize against all negative attacks, naturally including the so-called Black Mud. Let alone standing on the Black Mud, even if she were to take a bath in it, it would be a breeze for Saber.
Though, she certainly wouldn't do that. That stuff was pitch black; no matter how you looked at it, it couldn't be treated as bathwater. Besides, with Avalon, she didn't even need to bathe to keep her body perpetually clean and pure...
"Is that... the power of Avalon? Saber, sure enough, that scabbard has only ever recognized you from beginning to end."
Deep within the ruins, trying hard to evade the tracking of the Black Mud, the Red Archer sighed with emotion. As one of the former wielders of this scabbard, he had relied on it to survive more than once.
If not for the scabbard's assistance, he would have long since died without even scum remaining. However... that said, Avalon only purely healed the injuries within his body, much like how it functioned within Irisviel.
Compared to Saber, who turned into a literal game-breaking bug the moment she obtained the scabbard, the effect of the scabbard on him was mere drizzle.
Now, from the moment Saber regained the scabbard, the outcome was already set in stone. No matter what life-saving abilities the Old Worm had, or what other attack methods remained.
The current Saber could "ignore" it all completely. This was the sense of security brought by Avalon.
Facing the current Saber, the Old Worm's instincts told him that even if he knelt and begged for mercy now, Saber would absolutely not let him go. So... to survive, he had no choice but to sacrifice this perfect vessel!
Thinking of this, the Old Worm quickly transformed into a swarm of flying insects, rushing toward Sakura's body from all directions. Given the personalities of these two, they would absolutely never harm Sakura. Therefore... hiding inside Sakura's body would be absolutely safe!
His body dissipated instantly like an explosion into a cloud of insects, attempting to enter Sakura's body right under Saber's nose. As he moved, he shouted:
"Saber! I admit I underestimated you. As a Servant, your strength is indeed unquestionable."
"But so what? Even if you can completely immunize against the damage of the Black Mud, you still cannot kill me! Unless you have the resolve to sacrifice Sakura, I will hide within her body, becoming a parasite forever!"
Speaking such words without a shred of shame, the Old Worm had only one thought now: to survive. As long as he could achieve that goal, the means did not matter.
Saber remained silent. Her green eyes revealed only disdain and contempt for his disgusting actions.
She spoke with a voice that was cold, clear, and filled with a nearly heartless majesty: "Matou Zouken... was it? In my life, I have encountered countless demons and heretics, but I have never seen a heretic like you."
"You have already lost the sense of shame and guilt that a human being should possess! Your existence... is purely and simply a mistake!"
Even with Saber's vast experience, she had never seen a creature as shameless as the Old Worm.
As the renowned King of Holiness, strangling a heretical existence like the Old Worm was exactly Saber's duty!
Thud—
Her silver greave stepped forward, splashing the surrounding Black Mud.
Saber slowly raised the holy sword in her hand. Golden motes of magical energy began to form around the blade. With the existence of Avalon, the current Saber effectively had an infinite supply of mana.
Under these circumstances, in almost the blink of an eye, the Sword of Victory, which usually required a massive amount of magical energy, had already completed charging.
And its target was precisely Matou Sakura, not far away!
The people inside and outside the light curtain were somewhat astonished. Could it be that Saber really intended to sacrifice Matou Sakura in the end?
But that was impossible... Matou Sakura had not killed anyone yet; she herself was just a puppet being driven by others.
You couldn't label the knife a murderer just because the person holding it killed someone.
"EX——Calibur!!!"
Under everyone's gaze, the dazzling brilliance of the holy sword slashed downward. The golden light completely swallowed Matou Sakura's porcelain-doll-like body and face.
At the very end, perhaps sensing the threat of death, a faint, almost imperceptible smile seemed to appear on Sakura's face. Perhaps that was the smile of happiness found in liberation...
Boom—
A golden pillar of light rose once again into the sky above Fuyuki City. Unlike the last time, this pillar was particularly conspicuous and eye-catching.
It was a pity... the citizens of Fuyuki City would never again have the chance to hear news reports about gas leaks on TV. From the moment the Outer God descended, the entire city of Fuyuki had turned into a dead city overnight.
A few seconds later, a massive crater, resembling a meteorite impact site, appeared on the soil of Fuyuki City.
Under the bombardment of Saber's light cannon, the Old Worm was now dead without even scum remaining. And along with him, Matou Sakura as well—had that pitiful girl ultimately failed to escape the fate of death...?
As the dust settled, a small body was lying in the center of the 'crater' formed by the pillar of light. As the camera of the image zoomed in, the purple-haired girl was seen lying unconscious on the ground.
Judging by the rise and fall of her chest, she was still breathing. Sakura... was still alive!
"Archer, I have spared her life as agreed. I hope she can truly be as you said, and not fall into the path of evil!"
Turning around, Saber spoke with a sigh. She had used Avalon to clear away all the scars and hidden injuries within Sakura's body. Now, Sakura's body was even healthier and more perfect than that of an ordinary person her age.
Hearing Saber's words, the Red Archer was stunned for a moment, then replied: "Ah... Thank you, Saber. You've helped me once again."
How many times had it been? The Red Archer couldn't even remember anymore, only recalling that Saber had saved him from dire straits multiple times.
And this time, she had done him another huge favor. Although it was only a complete restoration of physical injuries, for the Red Archer, knowing she could grow up alongside normal people was more than enough.
Just as the Red Archer was lost in thought, a familiar voice rang in Saber's ear.
Emiya Kiritsugu spoke: "Saber, the Holy Grail has been successfully separated from Irisviel's body. Take it to Elysia!"
Indeed, although the Kiritsugu in the image did not know that Saber would unleash such power after regaining the scabbard, he had not forgotten his true purpose for coming. Aside from returning the scabbard to Saber, it was to give the Holy Grail to Elysia.
The sounds of battle in the distance were growing more intense. If this continued, Elysia might not be able to hold on, leading to the Outer God completely walking upon the earth.
By then, it would be too late. All efforts made thus far would turn into illusions and bubbles.
---o---
Meanwhile—Fuyuki Grand Bridge!
The battle between Elysia and the Outer God had entered a fever pitch.
Above the sky, brilliant and dazzling colors almost filled the horizon, interwoven like countless rainbows.
These were the traces left by the battle between Elysia and the Outer God!
Although these were merely the aftershocks of the aftershocks, if an ordinary person were attracted by the beautiful appearance and approached, they would be ruthlessly killed, dead without a trace remaining.
Just as Emiya Kiritsugu thought, although the dazzling colors in the sky were all formed by Elysia's attacks, the one currently at a disadvantage was still Elysia herself!
The strength of the Outer God lay in its weirdness and irrationality. In the battle with the Outer God, Elysia deeply realized this.
Clearly, the light cannon attacks released were not physically large, but the concentration of magical energy within them reached a standard-breaking level. It was like concentrated essence—much like a nuclear bomb. A nuclear bomb before detonation is only a few meters high at most.
Who would have thought that a seemingly un-aesthetic iron lump, only a few meters tall, could possess the power to easily destroy a city?
The Outer God was the same. Although the size of its light cannons couldn't even compare to Saber's holy sword, once they hit a location, the harm produced would absolutely be above that of nuclear weapons!
So... Elysia didn't dare let them hit her body at all. Actually, a Fusion Soldier's body could withstand a nuclear bomb without issue.
But the problem was... these weren't ordinary nuclear bombs. Who knew what kind of power the magical energy inside would produce once it fully erupted!
Perhaps because Elysia was too cunning, having trapped the Outer God in her self-made domain for dozens of minutes, the Outer God seemed to be in a fit of rage born from humiliation, unleashing layer upon layer of offensive waves as if venting.
Elysia dodged almost all attacks time and again, however... although she dodged in time, several light cannons were still about to hit her.
Although she could resist with her body, Elysia still instinctively closed her eyes, waiting for the pain that would follow.
However... the imagined pain did not arrive. What came instead was a wave of familiar magical energy.
When Elysia opened her eyes again, a familiar face appeared before her.
That's right... the arrival was the strongest defense of the Type-Moon world, Arthur, the King of Knights—Saber, possessing the scabbard Avalon. She had directly blocked the Outer God's light cannon, and now she looked as if nothing had happened.
There wasn't even the slightest scratch on her, as if the previous light cannon had been merely a phantom...
And in King Arthur's hand, a golden, incredibly holy yet slightly evil-looking Holy Grail was slowly floating.
After enduring countless hardships and dangers, this battle had finally reached the final showdown!
Elysia and Saber, together against the Outer God!
Two chosen daughters of different worlds, facing the disorderly and powerful Outer God from beyond the world!