"My allegiance is to the King! In this moment, lend me the name of Thunder!"

The release of the true name. The quintessence of the treasure that Faker had never ultimately used in previous battles.

If so, there is only one thing that can counter it.

“...I am going to have to break through,” I muttered to myself.

Cool the mind. Stop all unnecessary functions. I am but a cog in one Great Mystery. I become part of this mechanism and I sharpen my precision. I reach a place far away from fear and hesitation and I emerge into a trance-like state of consciousness.

Ah, if that is so, then this must be the sound that starts my operation.

"Gray… Rave… Crave…Deprave…"

The incantation overflows. My self-suggestion brings me even deeper.

There is enough mana. Being on a leyline, together with the presence of the Rail Zeppelin and the relentlessly approaching Child of Einnashe, provides more than enough energy for me to take in. In this environment, there is no doubt that my Noble Phantasm can be deployed.

(But... will it reach?)

Can I defeat that chariot?

No matter how well I can wield the shining spear Rhongomyniad, and even if Faker is in a class that represents fakes, the true power of my opponent remains the same. Can I overcome such a monster?

Despite these doubts, my lips, which have become automatic, speak the predetermined words.

“Grave… me…”

"Please calm down," then, a voice spoke up.

Supported by Caules, the blood-stained old man walked towards me. The blow received from the Faker seemed to have been more serious than expected, and his open wound revealed the whiteness of his fractured sternum inside.

(Karabo...)

I cannot speak.

I'm already in a trance, and the Add deployment process has disassembled the scythe into a pillar of light. On the other hand, Karabo's eyes were clouded white, yet they were still shining as if dazzling.

"...Oh, I'm surprised. That is a Noble Phantasm. To think that it could be wielded by a human."

Has the impulsive personality from when he was fighting the Faker already disappeared, or was it because of my self-hypnosis that Karabo's tone of voice had returned to the soft one I knew?

And now Karabo is advising me gently and quietly.

"It seems that this spear is filled with prayers. Thirteen condensed forms of prayer."

Is that a sight seen with his Mystic Eyes?

I don't understand it myself.

But the old man smiles kindly and speaks.

"Listen closely to the voice of the spear. Listen to the way someone prayed a long time ago. You should be good with that."

(The way someone prayed a long time ago...)

What is this? This is…

What is this? Why…

Why is it that Add's voice can be heard from within the pillar of light?

"Yihihihi! The way that things ought to be has come! Hey, Gray! All this time you have been slumped up in the corner of a room hiding behind your hands! You have never really thought about what you wanted to be, have you?"

(Add…)

Karabo blinked several times at the sound of the raspy voice.

Regardless, Add continued.

"But hey, it's time for you to ask yourself! What do you want?! Ah, if you want to do something here, you need to say it! If there is something you want to protect and want help with that, no one will know unless you say it!"

(Add... you...)

I felt pain in my heart for some reason, as this person was terribly talkative.

The only friend I had back in my hometown asked me that question. I remember that when I was a child, I was often called something like "stupid gray," which made to cry. The longer I was there, the less I was called that, and it completely disappeared after I decided to follow my mentor to London.

“I…” My voice spilt out.

I'm in a trance, so I'm terribly awkward. I don't know what my true feelings are.

Even so, I will do my best to put this into words.

"I want to protect my master and everyone else. I want to be able to protect myself."

“Hihihihihi, I hear you loud and clear, stupid Gray…”

"──Suspension of pseudo-personality. Magical power collection rate has exceeded threshold value. Initiating second stage of limited release."

Add's voice switched back to his usual automated voice.

The automated voice then moved on to something I was hearing for the first time.

"Seal Thirteen - Round Table Decision Start!"

“...”

His words reminded me of a legend I was told long ago.

Originally, it is said that the holy spear was not a weapon.

It is also said that the original Mystery was brought about when humanity took over as the spiritual leader of the world. The planet was then covered in a texture of human-focused 'physical laws', and several anchors were thrust into the earth to maintain that thin texture.

Rhongomyniad, the spear that shines to the farthest reaches of the world, is one such anchor.

This anchor, created to sustain the world, was placed in the hands of a knight-king who sealed it in the image of the king and his knights.

In other words, the seals restrict the 'power' of the Holy Lance. Thirteen seals.

The true Holy Lance can only be released in a situation where multiple prides and missions can be accomplished.

The number of votes required for a complete release is seven.

Now, inside the Holy Spear, a round table vote is declared.

“This is the battle for life." ──Approved, Kay.

“This is the battle against a stronger foe." ──Approved, Bedivere.

"This is a battle for humanity." ──Approved, Gaheris.

"This is a battle for truth." ──Approved, Agravain.

“This is not a battle against spirits." ──Approved Lancelot.

By no means was it all of them.

Only five, not even half.

However, the five seals that had just been unleashed were now gushing out from the spear with a light I had never seen before. More than anything else, the fact that so many prayers were being acknowledged and encouraged supported my heart.

(──This, this means.)

I make up my mind.

"Phase III limited release is now in effect."

Along with the new automated voice, I, in a trance, had moved on to the last sentence.

“Grave… for you…”

Sing. Praise. Compose.

Ancient Mystery, may you now perish.

Sweet mystery, may you return to nothingness.

In the distance, I saw Faker swinging the reins.

"Ride forth, Hecatic Wheel!"

The chariot turned into a shooting star with the moon behind it.

What an intense and beautiful star overtaking the Earth. It goes without saying that the amount of magical power that gushed out was enormous. Should the assault of the Anti-Army Noble Phantasm hit the earth, it would have easily created a crater or two.

A fierce star, clad in lightning.

With that, I slowly raised my spear.

“Holy Spear, release.”

As I looked up at my own spear, it occurred to me.

How dazzling this light is!

How my heart is boiling!

Did every knight in the old days have such a burning heart?

The chariot was now right in front of me. The lightning was so fierce that I thought my eyeballs were being burned out of my head. As if in response, the holy spear in my hand converged into a purer light. Converged to the extreme, the light pulsated and seemed to be about to break out into a frenzy.

Come on, scream.

Let loose with a roar.

“From the farthest ends, Rhongomyniad…!”

A twisting light rushes through the air.

The scorching heat and the lightning was lukewarm compared to this. A torrent of light shot out in a straight line from the roof of the Rail Zeppelin into the night sky, annihilating all matter. Wherever you are, heavenly country. Wherever you are, my light will shoot you down.

Inside the light, the Hecatic Wheel had also disappeared.

The light that shoots down even stars is soon absorbed into the arms of the night, as if it were destined to be.


Lord El-Melloi II's Case Files: The Rail Zeppelin (Lower); Chapter 5, Part 5