Chapter 125. Servant like scattered ashes, Earth like a grazing field!
[Before there was even time to mourn Jeanne's death, hoarse yet resolute voices echoed everywhere.]
["——O' Humans, Let Us Restrain The Gods!"]
["Rebellion Against My Beautiful Father!!"]
["Imperium of the Maiden's Flowery Words!"]
["Lone Meteor!"]
[Brilliant streams of Noble Phantasm light flooded the sky, shaking the entire universe!]
[Each legendary hero of history poured every last drop of remaining mana from their bodies, unleashing their Noble Phantasms — a power which, if used on Earth, could engulf entire continents and spread for thousands of miles.]
[But in the blink of an eye, everything was once again silently devoured by Kaguya's ashen circle.]
[If Kaguya could not be defeated from within the mind, then everything was merely empty words.]
[After witnessing Saint Jeanne — the symbol of faith — completely vanish...]
[The Servants turned gloomy, their hearts gradually growing cold.]
[They all understood clearly... continuing to fight was merely a path to self-destruction.]
[Yet, those blood-soaked Servants held not even a trace of retreat in their thoughts.]
[Even if each comrade fell in peace, even if rivers of blood flowed, even if Servants' corpses covered the cosmos, even if they were cornered in a hopeless situation amidst the stars — they would absolutely never abandon hope, charging headlong into the sea of flames for the future of all humanity.]
["Live like a brilliant summer flower, die like a silent autumn leaf."]
[A Servant softly hummed, white garments soaked in blood, yet cared not at all — while humming a gentle tune, they raised their sword and stepped toward death — even if only to create a sliver of hope for victory for those who would come after.]
...
Humans welled up with tears.
In this moment, what surged within their hearts was emotion.
Many people, though long shaken into mental disarray and emotional numbness by the tragic heroism of the Heroic Spirits, still could not hold back their sorrowful tears — their emotions were in turmoil, mixed with a faint sense of reverence and pride.
It was undeniable — their ancestors had fought to protect the descendants of today.
Before an invincible enemy, they had not hesitated to charge straight to the frontlines.
"That is my ancestor — that is my pride!!"
A descendant of a Northern European lineage that had lasted more than 15 generations raised his head to the sky and howled, witnessing the Servants' corpses falling like rain from the heavens, his eyes bloodshot — it was the ultimate rage!
He hated that he could not stand side-by-side with his ancestors, dying on the battlefield!
That deep resonance of shared bloodline made countless people completely immersed in that world.
So immersed that they could not break free.
...
Just as the atmosphere grew heavy and bleak—
[Suddenly, from the vast battlefield, came a hearty laugh!]
["Everyone, why hesitate?!"]
["My loyal and righteous warriors, do you wish to follow your king in charging forth — to see with your own eyes whether this vast sea of stars has an end?!"]
[Other Servants glanced over. From the Servant army on the moon, a blazing red figure stepped out with domineering presence — Conqueror King Iskandar let out a bold and hearty laugh.]
[His Divine Bulls Chariot had long been crushed; as the emperor of an empire, he now did not even have a carriage to ride.]
[At this moment, those still willing to follow him were nothing more than defeated remnants, like the army of Macedonia.]
["I am willing!!"]
[A thunderous roar shook heaven and earth — a cold, one-armed general still stood firm and loyal.]
["We too are willing, and swear life and death to follow the Conqueror King!!"]
[From within the tattered army rang countless cries, passionate shouts that echoed in unison, shaking the heavens and the earth, stirring the atmosphere along the moon's meridian — as if responding to the call of that domineering king.]
[Shaken to the extreme, it was as if all of heaven and earth had become vast and magnificent!]
[They were the warriors who had once vowed to follow him in life — now turned into Servants of the afterworld.]
[Valiant and fierce in battle, unmatched in loyalty and righteousness!]
[Though their bodies had been destroyed, they still crossed time and space to stand before him.]
["Very good! My warriors, set out with me — Conqueror King Iskandar!"]
[The towering red-haired man smiled in satisfaction, then his gaze turned icy. He leapt onto his neighing steed, holding the "Sword of the Kupriotes", never once looking back, steadily charging toward Kaguya.]
[Unstoppable, heedless of life or death, even with half his body collapsed he continued to bleed!]
["Whooosh ~!!"]
[Winds howled, battle flags flew, the dense black army surged forth all at once.]
[Kaguya remained as affectionate as ever, she lightly raised her hand and immediately unleashed a calamity upon the ground — searing streams of lava suddenly spread out, dragging countless soldiers into their depths screaming, even incinerating most of them. The land cracked apart, black blood gushed forth, dyeing the earth red.]
[Utterly eerie, utterly terrifying, as if the whole world was weeping.]
[At that moment, the other Servants also became even more frenzied.]
[As time passed, their bodies gradually became translucent and illusory.]
[Counter Force — was being digested…]
[Once digestion was complete, Kaguya would truly become an all-knowing, all-powerful Star God, and by then, even the last sliver of possible victory would vanish.]
...
[Before long, the mighty army following the Conqueror King, under the engulfing assault of the searing lava, gradually dwindled until almost none remained!]
[Yet Iskandar still laughed heartily and madly, as if he didn't care at all, riding Bucephalus like a bolt of lightning.]
["Boom!"]
[Suddenly, a fierce column of lava erupted from the ground, like a heavenly fire pillar shooting straight into the sky!]
[The flames brushed past his shoulder by a hair's breadth, the red-haired man was almost burned to ashes, his fiery red hair scorched by the heat.]
[Each drop of blood that dripped out evaporated in an instant!]
[Conqueror King raised the tip of his sword high, roaring in silence.]
[Looking into the distance at the beast-shaped Kaguya — as massive as a planet — he no longer hesitated, fiercely lashed his horse, and amidst the cries of pain, a streak of black lightning shot forth, breaking through the sky, aiming to close in for a desperate fight to the death.]
[At that very instant…]
["Whoosh!"]
[A streak of black light flashed — his spine was severed by a strip of black silk extended from Kaguya's sleeve, cut in half in a tragic scene. The half of his body that had already collapsed before now completely disintegrated, nearly shattered to pieces, fresh blood spraying skyward.]
[His heart was seized out by another strand of black silk, and in the instant it was crushed, the scene was so tragic that none could bear to look!]
[Yet even in that boundary between life and death and that ultimate pain, Conqueror King Iskandar forced himself to endure — his entire body burst into radiant light, and in that fleeting moment, he dashed forward. The distance to that "beautiful Evil God" had already become terrifyingly close!]
[He had led his great army to charge endlessly, but upon reaching Kaguya — he was the only one left.]
["Beast… after I kill you, I — Iskandar — will once again behold the sea of stars!"]
[The Conqueror King roared, his whole body drenched in blood, with nearly his entire army lost, he charged alone at Kaguya.]
["Alexander… what an admirable will."]
[Kaguya revealed a trace of appreciation in her eyes, then extended a slender hand. She lightly flicked a finger — a pure white pillar like the sky came crashing down, its colossal shadow engulfing the entire eastern region of the moon.]
[The Conqueror King stood still, then revealed a look of peace, forcing a wry smile: "Could it be… that my conquest ends here…"]
[Before he could finish, his words vanished with the wind.]
...
[Earth, ruins of Fuyuki City, a tall and slender young man felt something, lifted his head to look toward the moon — for some reason, a deep sorrow welled up in his heart.]
["Rider…"]
Many murmured.
The man who had once conquered to the ends of the world — had fallen.
...
[Time continued to pass…]
[The battlefield, like a grand epic, was gradually closing — leaving behind only a bloodstained scene of devastation!]
[The air was thick with the stench of decay, and everywhere were the corpses of fallen Servants…]
[Figures, tragic and lonely, stood proudly across the land in a scene of heroic desolation.]
[At the edge of the battlefield, the "Indian Hero" Karna wore a pale face, leaning against a meteor crater. In his hand was half of a broken blood-soaked spear. His left arm had been completely severed, and only an exposed white ribcage remained at his chest, where a still-beating heart could be seen.]
[Not far away, the "Sun King" Ramses II had only half a body left. Golden particles of light continuously poured from him, his pyramid reduced to broken ruins, and the Sphinx had crumbled into rubble.]
["Love Spot" Diarmuid lay among the corpses, his pupils scattered, both his spear and sword shattered.]
["Sun Knight" Gawain's eyes were blood-red, all his limbs severed. His lips trembled as he held a sharp sword in his mouth, revealing blood-soaked white teeth, and inch by inch, he slowly charged at that majestic figure.]
["Roman Tyrant" Nero — her head was nearly severed, hanging on by only a thin piece of flesh…]
["Dragon Slayer" Siegfried — his face was a bloody, mangled mess, his facial features completely unrecognizable…]
[Many Servants were on the verge of death, and those who remained had all died in unbearably painful postures. Only the lonely, chilling clatter of broken weapons echoed through heaven and earth.]
...
"So tragic…"
On Earth, many people turned away, eyes filled with sorrow, unable to endure any longer.
No one could continue watching that heart-wrenching scene!!
This wasn't a battle, not a fight worthy of song or praise — but a one-sided massacre, savage and brutal!
Anyone with even a shred of conscience would find it unbearable to witness such a sight!
...
[The war of conquest against the Beast, initiated by Alaya, had at last concluded in tragedy. Nearly all the great heroes had perished… Though a few fragmented souls still existed, they were all barely clinging to life, incapable of fighting any longer.]
[In the midst of a wasteland, the figure that occupied the entire starry sky began to emit a gloomy light. Her body gradually shrank — from a planet, to a continent, then to an island, a city, and soon, she was no bigger than a skyscraper…]
[She grew smaller and smaller, until she gradually disappeared.]
[However…]
[Just a moment later, a tall, slender figure appeared amidst the blood-soaked battlefield.]
[Wearing a long, blood-red dress, the graceful and elegant form stepped out from the void. Her long, narrow eyes calmly looked down upon the remaining Servants — indifferent, emotionless, as though she were merely gazing at a blade of grass, a stone…]
[Perhaps, to her, even the mightiest heroes who shook the ages…]
[Were no different than flowers, weeds, or pebbles.]
Everyone held their breath.
This kind of absolutely invincible power, the suffocating sensation of hope being crushed—made even those still alive in the real world fall into a deathlike silence.
Too powerful!
Too beautiful!
Also… far too desirable.
Human beings are such a species — unafraid, and endlessly full of longing.
After a long silence, the sound of sharp inhales echoed across the entire world.
As for the powerful figures of each nation — those who could shake an entire country with just a single step — their eyes now burned with an unprecedented fire.
In the face of power at this level…
They were far too insignificant!
All the wealth they possessed, piled high enough to crack vaults, the power of life and death, enough to tilt an entire nation — all of it… now felt far too small.
(Note: I deleted a short paragraph here — roughly about Queen Elizabeath wanting to live on, while Prince Charles hoped she'd die soon. I removed it to avoid offending any British readers.)
...
At the same time.
In America.
Trump laughed heartily: "My chance has come. Believe me, next term, I'm definitely going to be president."
"With the information I've got, those damn filthy tycoons and those bastard senators will be like dogs, forced to come crawling to me, barking woof-woof!"
As he spoke, he even mimicked the motion with his hand, barking out a few dog sounds — full of contagious energy.
...
In Russia.
Putin frowned at the intelligence report, and in the end, could only sigh.
The glory of the past — in the end, could not be regained.
There was still more than enough strength to defend themselves, but their international influence had weakened far too much.
"Tell them: either share a portion with us, or we all die together."
At the same time.
Japan…
France…
Turkey…
Across the real world, countless great figures roared out commands!
Inside the Celestial Curtain, once again, despair reigned.
...
[The beautiful Beast, during her Evolution, slowly spread open her arms — as if embracing the world.]
[Embracing the entire world that now fully belonged to her, lying under her control!]
[For a long, long time.]
[She opened her pale golden beast-like eyes, standing high above the heavens. In those eyes, there was not a trace of the feebly clinging Heroic Spirits scattered below — as though she had already drawn the whole world into her gaze.]
[All beings, all phenomena — lay within those eyes.]
["Then, humanity… make your choice."]
["Evolve… or perish."]