It must be clarified that the strategist for this Red and Black Showdown was not the commanding Shirou priest but Semiramis herself. Shirou merely made minor adjustments within the framework set by Semiramis and provided advice at critical moments. The most typical examples include creating phantom puppets and suggesting precision strikes.
The Empress who once ruled the Assyrian Empire devised a detailed and complex plan, anticipating various possible responses from the Black faction. As the plan was too intricate and lengthy and already halfway executed.
The Red faction deployed all their forces to engage and contain all the Black faction's Servants. Taking advantage of this distraction, the Hanging Gardens approached Millennia Castle. Karna unleashed his Noble Phantasm to breach the castle defenses. Then, utilizing the inverse concept of the Hanging Gardens, they aimed to extract the Greater Holy Grail, deeply buried and tightly connected to Trifas's ley lines, and bring it into the Hanging Gardens, thereby seizing the initiative in this Holy Grail War.
Though there were some unexpected changes during the execution, and the supposedly safest Hanging Gardens sustained some damage, the overall strategy remained sound, with each phased objective steadily being achieved.
Next, as long as they could defend the Throne Room during the Holy Grail's extraction, preventing any interference with the ritual, everything would be a great success.
Could they hold out?
The answer was affirmative.
The defensive force included two top-tier Servants, a huntress Archer, and a group of phantom puppets whose combined combat strength matched that of a Servant.
Additionally, there was Shakespeare, whose Noble Phantasm, while useless in direct combat, had a special effect that could restrain an enemy Servant at a critical moment.
Although the Black faction had a numerical advantage, this was not their home ground in Trifas but the Red faction's home ground, the Hanging Gardens. With the advantage of terrain, even if they couldn't defeat the enemy, they could surely buy enough time for the Holy Grail's transfer.
In the unlikely event that the defensive line was breached, Semiramis had made other secret preparations—the true strength of the Hanging Gardens was not in external defense but internal. The so-called boundary of the Anti-World Noble Phantasm referred to this otherworldly space that broke the boundary between illusion and reality.
In short, from the moment the Gardens appeared above Millennia Castle, Semiramis was convinced of the Red faction's victory.
However, she never expected that the operation would encounter a problem at the last moment.
The issue was not with the Gardens' defense. The Black faction's Servants were still gathering at Millennia Castle, with none having reached the Gardens.
Nor was there any dissent within the Red faction's ranks. Despite internal conflicts and mutual dislike between some members, everyone, except for a certain unreliable writer, remained dependable at this crucial time.
The problem arose in the one area where Semiramis was most confident and least expected any issues—the Holy Grail's extraction.
Initially, everything proceeded normally, albeit slowly, with the Holy Grail being gradually extracted from Trifas.
However, as the underground altar, which had stood for over 60 years, was destroyed by the storm, and the massive, over ten-meter-diameter glowing orb, began to rise, reaching halfway to the surface, the previously stable ley lines suddenly went berserk.
The enormous magical energy surged like a tide, simultaneously striking the Hanging Gardens, which were close to the ground, and enveloping the Greater Holy Grail, firmly anchoring it to the earth, unwilling to part with its sixty-year-old companion.
Semiramis's face darkened as she increased her magical output. The tornado connecting the underground with the Gardens' spire grew thicker, and its suction power intensified.
But it was to no avail. The Greater Holy Grail remained stationary, neither rising nor falling, unmoved by the changing magical energies or the blowing storm.
"How is this possible!?"
For the first time since her summoning, Semiramis showed such a loss of composure. Fortunately, Achilles and Atalanta had already gone out to fortify the defenses; otherwise, she would not have escaped ridicule.
"This is the Holy Grail War; nothing is impossible."
Shirou, arms crossed, said calmly as he walked out of the Throne Room.
"Master, where are you going?"
"I'm going outside to take a look. Don't worry, I don't plan to engage in combat just yet. I just want to see up close what the Black faction is doing."
Shirou waved his hand and disappeared into the dark corridor.
◇◇◇
"This is the Holy Grail War; nothing is impossible—"
The same words were spoken by another person, the Black Assassin Matou Shinji.
Standing closest to the center of the Greater Holy Grail, he admired the magical miracle that drove countless people mad.
"—If I were in that garden, I would say the same to Semiramis. She's an Assassin, but how can I, an Assassin as well, let her steal the spotlight?"
As he spoke, Shinji reached out and gently touched Justeaze's cheek, as cautiously as one would touch a lover's skin.
Wait, something seemed off.
Wasn't Justeaze inside the Holy Grail?
Could it be that she had emerged again?
Everyone's eyes were fixed on this spot, and Shinji still dared to do such a thing?
To unravel these questions, one must first understand the structure of the Greater Holy Grail. The Greater Holy Grail was created using Justeaze's body as a blueprint, combining magical circuits with the ley lines to continuously proliferate and mutate.
This proliferation and mutation were different from Spartacus's method. Instead of continually enlarging and becoming monstrous, it involved self-replicating proliferation. The mutated magic circuits proliferated outward from the body, forming the enormous, radiant sphere that everyone saw. At the center of the Greater Holy Grail, Justeaze's original body had not changed much, though it had turned golden due to the mutations, and her body had replicated to spread more magical circuits. Her original size and appearance were well preserved.
In summary, the Greater Holy Grail's appearance was not complex at all: a glowing outer shell of intertwined magical circuits and the golden body of Justeaze, along with multiple replicated bodies forming a giant sphere.
Shinji was now touching Justeaze's original body's cheek, the place where her soul resided. At this moment, nothing else mattered to him.
"I've finally reached you, Justeaze. Just wait a little longer, wait a little longer, and when it's all over, I'll take you home."
"Yes, I'll be waiting."
An ethereal voice echoed in his ears. Although her mutated body could no longer function like a normal human body or speak, the golden saint of the Einzbern family still conveyed her thoughts to Shinji.