Chapter 412: The Untouchable God
In another world, Rin Tohsaka was holding her phone in one hand and running toward her workshop while talking to the trio in the other world.
"That... Rin, if we enter from our side first, what will happen?" Artoria asked curiously.
Rin explained as she sprinted: "Spatial traversal requires precise calculations. If the entry points are staggered or the timing is off, even the slightest error will exponentially amplify the difference between the worlds we are in—from a 1-to-1 ratio, it could become 1 to 1,000 or even a million. By the time we cross the ring of light, the distance between us might be so vast that we'd be unable to converge. After all, we still know nothing about what kind of world exists inside that ring, so we must find a way to achieve a reunion the moment we enter."
"But that's a difficult calculation, isn't it? Crossing space and time is something even Merlin couldn't do casually," Artoria said. As a King, her mind was sharp, but she was still confused by these types of calculations.
"Don't worry, Saber. Don't underestimate me! My training over these years hasn't been in vain! Thanks to that god, the timelines of all worlds are synchronized now, so my calculations are absolutely foolproof." Rin ignored the teachers and students greeting her by the roadside, dashed through the shaded path, and ran into her private laboratory.
"Oh, as expected of Rin," Artoria exclaimed, clapping her hands in admiration.
Rin walked into her workshop, pulled open a desk drawer, took out a cloth-wrapped dagger, and showed a confident smile. "Found it! With this, everything is complete."
"Sister? Are you ready?" Hearing the voice from the other side, Sakura asked.
"Yes, I am preparing the transfer magecraft now to teleport myself to that ring of light. You can start moving too. But remember, do not enter—not even touch it—until I contact you," Rin warned.
"Mm, we understand, Sister," Sakura replied obediently.
"Good. I look forward to seeing you, Sakura," Rin said with a smile. Her expression shifted instantly on the other end of the phone, and she used a fierce, stern voice: "Shirou! Did you hear me? Absolutely! Absolutely, okay?!"
"I got it, I promise you. That's enough, right?" Shirou replied helplessly. He understood that only with the help of these three girls would he possibly have a chance to defeat the white god.
"That's better! I'm looking forward to kicking you, too! Hehehe, goodbye!" Rin said, laughing with mischievous intent.
"Good grief..." Shirou shook his head with a sigh.
"Come to think of it, Senpai, Saber-san, how are we supposed to get up there?" Sakura asked, pointing at the white ring of light hanging high in the sky, at least seven or eight thousand meters up.
"Indeed. I could project a flying vehicle, but since we are heading into a decisive battle, there is no need to hold back mana. Why don't I project a spacecraft like that golden King and have some fun?" Shirou mused.
"No need! I have a faster method," Artoria raised her hand to stop Shirou, then ran to a high spot to explain. "I've already prepared a mount! I've borrowed everyone's power, so it seems I can use all the Noble Phantasms. Now it's time for my new mount to make its entrance! Golden Divine Steed No. 4: Manned Internal Space Expansion Version!" As she spoke, she raised her hands high, summoning something.
A peculiar, four-meter-long rocket spacecraft appeared out of thin air, plummeted, and crashed into the ground.
"Hurry and get in!" Artoria flipped open the rocket's hatch, grabbed Shirou and Sakura, and dragged them inside. Shirou and Sakura exchanged looks, nodded in resignation, and sat in the seats.
The golden-haired girl jumped into the pilot's seat and looked back: "Shirou, Sakura, are you buckled in?"
"Yes." Sakura fastened her seatbelt, gripping the handles on both sides of the seat nervously.
"Mm, I'm ready!" Shirou nodded.
"Then, blast off!!!" Artoria slammed her fist onto a red button. The rocket, which had been lying flat, extended six legs, adjusted its angle, and pointed its nose toward the sky.
Shirou and Sakura felt themselves being pressed backward, and a sinking feeling took hold of their hearts. It was too late, though; the rocket's tail erupted in flames, and it shot vertically toward the heavens.
"Waaaaahhhhh!!!"
"Hey, hey, Saber, Sakura, have you arrived yet?" Rin's voice came through the phone.
"Yes! We arrived long ago!" Artoria replied energetically.
"Though we're nearly dead..." Shirou and Sakura whispered, hands pressed against the floor of the rocket.
"Good. I am calculating now; in ten minutes, it will be the perfect moment. Wait for my command."
"3! 2! 1! Jump!!!" As Rin shouted, she clutched her phone and lunged forward.
Shirou and the others also jumped into the ring. The moment they passed through the white light, they felt a jolt, and the next second, they arrived in the world within.
The three of them hit the ground, and shortly after, the girl with black twin-tails fell out of the air in a panic.
"Sister!" Sakura saw the girl's face and ran forward excitedly.
"Sakura~! You've become younger! So cute!" Rin opened her arms, embraced her sister, and petted her, doting on her.
"Sister, me too. I really missed you." Sakura soaked in the long-lost warmth between sisters.
Artoria stared, shouting: "Wait! What is going on here?"
In Shirou's memory, this should have been the peak of an ice-capped snow mountain, but what they saw now was a chaotic scene: one side was black earth scorched orange by high heat, while the other was a white snow mountain. However, the mountain was missing a massive chunk, as if someone had hollowed it out from the waist up. It was no longer a mountain, but a thin, long pillar of ice, swaying dangerously in the howling wind, appearing ready to collapse at any moment.
Looking up, they saw a white-haired man in white robes floating in mid-air. Lightning crackled around him, blue and white electrical arcs dancing in the air. His skin seemed inscribed with tattoos glowing with white light. He stood motionless in the air, as if he were asleep.
But Shirou understood that a true god did not need such flashy things; those white patterns were actually cracks. The god was reaching his limit. When his physical form vanished, all worlds would collapse.
Although he became a god to protect humanity, as a god, he had lost his humanity. Now, as he was losing even his biological form, this god would transform completely into a "concept," establishing new rules for all worlds.
At that moment, the Counter Force, who had been secretly observing them, transmitted a message to the boy.
[You have finally reached this world. The white god is on the verge of collapse; Shirou, defeating him is your victory.] Alaya's voice echoed.
"I never expected he would actually do it... As it turns out, human development has become too dangerous." Gaia's voice followed.
Shirou looked at the god in the sky, his heart chilling. No god... no Holy Grail, no mysteries... the white god, in order to realize this, had even factored his own collapse into the plan.
It is said that God created man in his own image. But if understood in reverse, perhaps it is not that man is like God, but that man uses imagination to endow God with an image closer to humanity. The more developed a civilization is, the more obvious this tendency becomes.
Every ancient nation had cultures of beast worship. Gradually, legendary divine beasts—phoenixes, dragons, qilins—emerged, evolving into figures like Fuxi and Nuwa, who had human bodies with snake tails. The gods of Ancient Egypt had heads of wolves, hawks, and cats. Many gods in Hinduism were beasts, and when Buddhism was founded, these avatars were incorporated, leading to the benevolent images of Bodhisattvas and Buddhas. Later Greek mythology depicted gods with human passions, strife, and even retribution toward humanity.
In modern times, people recreate these divine heroes freely, ignoring basic settings—like gender swapping or soap-opera love triangles—to suit their tastes. The closer a god is to humanity, the more "attributes" they possess.
But the white god followed a path opposite to humanity: from human to god-man, and now from god to a literal "concept," having abandoned the path of man.
"Senpai, he feels so much colder than when we met before—like a machine," Sakura said, gripping the corner of her clothes and looking worriedly at the man in white.
"What a grand welcome. It seems he's even skipped the pleasantries," Rin remarked, looking at the tattered, crater-filled ruins that looked as if they had been bombed by aircraft and artillery.
"This state is dangerous. We must stop him! Watch my secret weapon!" Artoria seemed to realize something, pulled out a new Noble Phantasm, equipped it, and declared confidently: "An Infinity Gauntlet that can destroy all sugar factories in every universe and world with a snap of a finger!"
A moment later, Artoria threw the gauntlet to the ground in frustration: "What on earth is the use of this?!"
"Enough! Let's do this for real!!! Holy Spear! Anchor!! And—Excalibur!!!" The golden-haired girl stopped joking, her eyes hardening. She drew the white holy sword from her waist and summoned the holy spear surrounded by golden light with the other.
Two golden pillars of light slammed into the white god in the sky. The massive energy collided, causing the mana to detonate completely, generating an even more terrifying force.
The violent energy erupted in that instant, swallowing the white god whole, as if to tear everything inside apart until not even dust remained.
"What? It had no effect?" Artoria shouted in surprise.
"All attacks disappeared the moment they reached the white Shirou? Is that a transfer ability?" Rin muttered, resting her chin on her hand.
"Shirou, don't take any risks. Stay here and watch us first. Sakura! Follow the tactics we discussed." Rin had pieced some things together and decided to test them.
"Yes, Sister." The purple-haired girl nodded.
Rin took out the cloth-wrapped dagger and unwrapped it, revealing a single, multi-colored sword-shaped gem. This was the Gem Sword, the Second Magic formalcraft she had spent years training to complete, possessing power not inferior to most Noble Phantasms.
"Since you won't say a word and keep staying up there, who do you think you are—some big shot?! Haaah! If you won't come down yourself, I'll knock you down first!"
Rin swung the Gem Sword with extremely high frequency. Each swing released a beam of light. She was utilizing energy from parallel worlds; if the god tried to shift the energy to another world, she could simply shift that transferred energy right back. Sakura's shadow expanded, blooming like a carnivorous flower, attempting to swallow the god. Her Imaginary Number magecraft—matter not belonging to this world—was impossible to defend against.
But the white god floating in the air ignored the impact of the Gem Sword and the imaginary matter.
"How is it possible? It went right through? Even these attacks don't work!" Rin said, unwilling to give up.
"What is going on? How can we help Senpai?" Sakura bit her lip and whispered.
"It's useless. The concept of God is inherently intangible. No matter the attack, it cannot affect him."
[Shirou, you must be the one to defeat him. Others' attacks will not work.]
"Damn it! He's basically cheating! If we can't hit him, what is the point of us coming here!" Rin shouted in a rage.
"It's not like that, Rin. Just having you all come here with me is the greatest help," Shirou shook his head and smiled. At this moment, he felt warm, and the anxiety in his heart vanished.
"Wha... Ahh!" Rin heard the boy's words, blushed, turned her head away, and hummed: "Hmph... I got it, do whatever you want."
"Mm. Rin, let me try," Shirou looked at the girl and said earnestly.
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