A cataclysmic explosion, annihilating billions of lives and covering 2,000 square kilometers, obliterated everything in sight.
Romulus LP 2700 → LP 0□□ LP 3500 → LP 0
The immense damage forced even Romulus to let out a deep groan of pain. Beast fared no better—her tail drooped, and the flames surrounding her dimmed.
Since no clear winner had emerged, the two of them split the damage caused by the Shadow Game. Romulus' Saint Graph suffered severe damage—while he could still fight, he could only exert about 60% of his full power.
Fortunately, Beast had taken an equivalent amount of damage. The number of Servant replicas she could maintain had also decreased.
"Caster's Noble Phantasm can actually accomplish something like this? Truly astounding." Romulus coughed up blood but still praised Jiang You's Noble Phantasm, marveling that such a fragile Saint Graph could simultaneously wound both a Grand Servant and a Beast.
"That's why I keep saying he's extremely dangerous... Alright, alright, don't look at me like that." Beast's words earned her a murderous glare from Romulus. She had no intention of persuading a Grand Servant to join her side. "So then, King of Rome, are you waiting for me to attack first?"
Beast wiped the blood off her hands with her fur and once again generated several more Servant replicas from her tail. She beckoned toward Romulus. "Are you afraid of being dragged into another Duel? I still haven't revealed my true form's card yet. I'm sure you'll find it most impressive!"
Romulus hesitated—an unusual reaction for him. The fastest way to eliminate Beast was direct combat, but at this moment, Beast had only fused with Angra Mainyu, three Servant souls, and the souls of hundreds of thousands of ordinary people. However, her familiars (replicated Servants and reconstructed creatures) were still continuously delivering souls to her. If he engaged in another Duel, her growth rate would exceed his expectations.
Moreover, Beast had a deep connection to Caster's Noble Phantasm. Given the history and potential of the Beast class, fighting her under these conditions would only lead to a drawn-out battle, allowing her to use souls to heal and evolve. He might even be outright defeated and killed by the Noble Phantasm. He wouldn't be able to fight at full strength.
Beast was confident she could win the next Duel. Her true form's effect made her immune to any attack. Seeing Romulus remain silent, she sat down. "Well then, King of Rome, why don't you just wait here quietly until the other Servants fall? Let's have a nice, long chat."
"Hahahaha! Indecisiveness is not the way of Rome." Romulus finally made his decision. No matter the challenge, Rome would face it head-on. Enemies of humanity had to be eradicated! "Rome will never stop here! Rome will win this Duel!"
Facing Romulus' declaration of victory, Beast chuckled. "Then, let me show our King of Rome what a true Beast is..."
Just as she was about to issue a Duel Invitation and completely crush Romulus, an overwhelming surge of magical energy, beyond anything either of them had ever known, washed over them like a tidal wave.
The rules had changed. Now, every living being in Fuyuki had the right to Duel.
"Caster... has he finally arrived?" Beast's tone carried both excitement and amusement. "I timed this perfectly. I thought by the time he noticed, I'd have already consumed every Servant except for the Grand one."
Now, it was Beast's turn to let out an unrestrained, delighted laugh. She commanded a massive swarm of monsters to attack Romulus while surrounding herself with her replicated Servants. "So, Your Majesty, will you strike now? Will you Duel them?"
Romulus continuously countered the attacking monsters, but these weak creatures couldn't withstand even half of his strength.
However, Beast wasn't foolish enough to simply let Romulus wipe out her forces. She mixed inactive monsters among the attacking ones, forcing Romulus—despite his power to cleave the heavens and earth—to hold back. Otherwise, he would be dragged into multiple Duels, slowing his efficiency in eliminating them.
Romulus' expression darkened. Now, he had even less of a chance to approach Beast. He was a Grand Servant, yet he couldn't unleash his full power. This was suffocating. Caster's Noble Phantasm was terrifying.
He would rather engage in a life-or-death battle with a fully-powered chief god from another pantheon.
"I should go consume other Servants. In my current state, combined with the weakening effect of the Non-Human Survival Zone, they won't be able to stop me—whether in battle or in a Duel. As long as I avoid that one person..." Beast sensed three Servant responses entering her domain.
"Lancer, we've come to support you!"
Jiang You arrived at the cavernous depths of Ryuudou Temple, bringing Lancelot, Illyasviel, and a group of Hundred-Faced Hassan with him.
One particular Hundred-Faced Hassan—a tall woman with a high ponytail and no mask—stood out prominently. Perhaps at Jiang You's request?
Since Caster's Noble Phantasm covered the entire area, they didn't proactively engage the monsters. Instead, they waited for the creatures to attack before countering, avoiding unnecessary Duels.
To Beast, their strength wasn't significant enough to warrant special treatment like Romulus. She simply commanded the monsters to stop attacking them.
"Caster!"
Romulus spotted the one responsible for his predicament. He spread his wings and unleashed red light spears, surgically eliminating the monsters that had already launched attacks. Only then did he have a moment to address Jiang You.
"Can you deactivate your Noble Phantasm? Beast has yet to reach her complete form—this is the best chance to eliminate her!"
Jiang You hesitated for a moment before shaking his head. "Lancer, if I cancel my Noble Phantasm, the remaining survivors will lose their only chance to live. Her Saint Graph is incredibly powerful; you may struggle to defeat her. Let me use my Noble Phantasm to end this instead."
Romulus understood that Beast wanted to avoid a direct Duel with Jiang You. If what she said was true, Jiang You indeed had the ability to defeat her.
"Then, humanity's future is in your hands!"
Beast gave a sultry smile, narrowing her eyes as she studied Jiang You, as if she wanted to devour him whole. "Oh, dear Caster, your words wound me~ But even if you despise me so, I won't be cruel to you. In fact, I'll protect you well. After all, I do like you quite a lot~ Now then, let me put your Noble Phantasm to good use! To pass the time, why don't you play with these children for a while?"
A horde of monsters swarmed toward Jiang You, launching their attacks.
Jiang You had no intention of Duelling them. He swiftly drew a dagger and efficiently cut down the approaching monsters. However, his strength alone was not enough to break through their encirclement.