Semiramis's exquisitely beautiful face revealed despair, loss, decadence, and a touch of bleakness.
Then...
Semiramis seemed relieved, her expression returning to one of indifference, even a hint of contentment.
"Perhaps, this is my destiny," Semiramis smiled. "Fate, always arriving uninvited, at the most unexpected moments."
As she spoke, Semiramis spread her hands.
Instantly, a terrifying magical power erupted from Semiramis, and arcane inscriptions reappeared one after another.
At the same time...
The entire Hanging Gardens of Babylon began to tremble.
From afar, one could see the Hanging Gardens starting to crumble.
Countless cracks appeared, spreading across the entire structure in the blink of an eye. Even the twelve colossal pillars encircling the gardens began to collapse, showering debris downwards.
Within the Hanging Gardens, the magical inscriptions around Semiramis multiplied, almost filling the entire space.
Semiramis instantaneously drew upon the magic of the entire Hanging Gardens, preparing for the onslaught!
Whether due to injury or the immense expenditure of magic, Semiramis's complexion grew even paler.
"Hey, hey, hey, this is no joke!"
Byakuya licked his lips, looking up at his surroundings.
"Even the Xuanyuan Sword might not be able to withstand this," he mused.
After all, Byakuya couldn't unleash the full power of the Xuanyuan Sword at present.
However, Gilgamesh was clearly intrigued.
Gilgamesh tilted his head and looked at Semiramis, saying, "Your courage in a desperate struggle is commendable. In that case, I shall offer a token of my respect!"
As he spoke, Gilgamesh extended his hand forward.
"From the primeval scene, the heavens and earth were separated; the celestial bodies were scattered, and the world was rent asunder. This is my Ea, the Sword of Rupture that Splits the World. It shall carry away the stars from their orbits, and cover the earth with the darkness of the abyss. This is the final night of creation, the end before the beginning. Yield to my power, and die!" Gilgamesh took a deep breath and roared, "Ea: !”
Instantly, a vast expanse of golden light erupted.
In Gilgamesh's hand, a peculiar sword slowly materialized.
The hilt of the sword was distinctly Gilgamesh's style, forged entirely of pure gold with black markings. However, the blade was completely different, appearing as a black cylindrical shaft.
The cylindrical blade was black, with numerous red stripes, divided into three sections.
As Gilgamesh grasped the Sword of Rupture, an incomparably terrifying aura exploded forth.
A wave of crimson radiance spread out.
The three segments of the Sword of Rupture began to rotate incessantly, emitting a low hum.
Red currents circled the blade and also enveloped Gilgamesh's body.
This was the legendary sword capable of cleaving the world!
And now...
Gilgamesh intended to use this sword to obliterate the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
In the next instant, as Gilgamesh raised the sword, the crimson radiance emanating from the Sword of Rupture reached its apex.
The radiance seemed to solidify, sweeping outwards and striking the surrounding walls, instantly shattering them.
It struck the ground, pulverizing it completely.
Soon, the light that bloomed from the Sword of Rupture blinded everyone.
The radiance filled the surrounding space entirely.
Byakuya instinctively raised his arm to shield his eyes.
At this moment...
Outside the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, reporters in Fuyuki City were still reporting frantically. Especially after the anomaly in the Hanging Gardens, these reporters had become even more excited.
Then...
BOOM!
A reporter was speaking into the camera when a deafening explosion suddenly erupted from behind them, followed by the camera shaking violently.
Everyone involuntarily turned to look in the direction of the Hanging Gardens!
At this moment...
A colossal beam of brilliant crimson light pierced through the Hanging Gardens, and even after passing through, it shot straight into the heavens, shattering the clouds.
Accompanying the appearance of the crimson beam, the entire Hanging Gardens began to collapse.
The twelve massive pillars surrounding the gardens were the first to shatter, turning into countless fragments that rained down.
Following that, the Hanging Gardens themselves began to disintegrate.
They crumbled from the outer edges first, the trees within toppling, then the grand castle.
Cracks appeared everywhere on the castle, which then began to collapse.
Finally...
Under the terrified gaze of the onlookers, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon plummeted from the sky.
The surrounding crowd immediately fell into panic, scattering and fleeing wildly.
Until...
BOOM!
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon crashed to the ground.
At that moment, it felt as though the world was being destroyed.
Vast areas around it began to shake, and the buildings below were instantly crushed by the falling structure.
Explosions continued to sound.
Buildings in the vicinity that were struck by the Hanging Gardens began to explode. Flames erupted, and black smoke billowed into the sky.
In the blink of an eye, that entire area was reduced to rubble.
It was like the end of days.
...
Deep within the Hanging Gardens.
Fuuma Kotaro gazed into the distance, then closed his eyes silently. A Servant abandoned by their Master had no meaning in living.
Atop a pile of ruins, Semiramis lay on a massive stone slab, her exquisite face pale and weak, a stark contrast to her black dress.
Looking at the collapsing Hanging Gardens, Semiramis showed no distress, but rather a smile of contentment.
Vanity represented falsehood; destruction was merely a matter of time, so perhaps this was her best end.
In the sky, Gilgamesh and Byakuya stood upon the golden chariot.
Gilgamesh gazed into the distance, while Byakuya held the golden Holy Grail in his hand.
Then...
Gilgamesh spurred the Vimana, transforming into a golden streak of light as they rapidly departed the scene.
The Holy Grail had been obtained, but the Holy Grail War was far from over.
According to the rules, the Holy Grail would remain for 24 hours after its appearance, and whoever held it at the end of that period would be the ultimate winner.
Approximately one-third of the 24 hours remained.
However, Byakuya felt it was meaningless.
Currently, the only ones with any combat ability left were Zaku and Astolfo.
It was not impossible for them to attempt to seize the Holy Grail, but...
Byakuya hadn't even considered Zaku a threat when he didn't have the Xuanyuan Sword, let alone now that he possessed it.
As for Astolfo, in Gilgamesh's eyes...
Well, Gilgamesh didn't consider anyone to be of any consequence.
...