Boom!
The gigantic palm of the Adam slammed down onto the ground, causing the earth to tremble with its immense force.
As it slowly lifted its hand, countless grasses and flowers grew at a terrifying speed within the massive handprint, forming a huge flowerbed in the shape of a hand almost in the blink of an eye.
However, the Grand Duke's figure was not there.
Although Vlad III is more famous as a vampire, he is also a rare military genius who led ten thousand troops to defeat an army of one hundred fifty thousand Turks. He is a seasoned warrior who has survived countless bloody battles.
Moreover, his agility attribute is not low, allowing him to easily dodge the massive palm strike.
At this moment, a whistling sound came from the air.
Taking advantage of Adam attacking the Grand Duke, Chiron launched a fierce assault aimed at Adam's eyes.
Hundreds of arrows almost formed a single sheet, like a machine gun, sweeping towards its eyes.
The Adam's eyes were instantly filled with countless arrows.
"Vision blocked..."
Chiron had just confidently spoken when he was immediately proven wrong.
White steam emerged from the Adam's eyes, swallowing the arrows instantly, and its large eyeballs rotated back to their pristine state.
Looking again, the iron stakes the Grand Duke had driven into it were similarly swallowed up, and its wounds healed almost instantly.
Faced with the Adam's abnormal regenerative abilities, the Grand Duke and Chiron were almost helpless.
As for the Masters, they had long since retreated to a safe distance from this battlefield of the gods.
To deal with this gigantic and highly regenerative monster, one must use anti-fortress Noble Phantasms, preferably beam-type Noble Phantasms, to deliver a devastating blow, or conceptual Noble Phantasms for a one-hit kill; otherwise, there is virtually no way to handle it.
They could only watch as it grew larger and stronger.
The only one on the field with an anti-fortress Noble Phantasm was Frankenstein, nicknamed Fran-chan.
Unfortunately, while Fran is cute, she is not very powerful as a Servant.
Her origin is from modern science fiction novels, and Servants are typically stronger the more ancient and mysterious they are.
Frankenstein, being linked to science, lacks any significant mystery. Her Noble Phantasm is rated only D, and even self-destruction only reaches B.
In contrast, the imitation of Adam has an A+ rating.
It can be said that Fran's Noble Phantasm would barely scratch the Adam, and even self-destruction might only cause a minor injury.
With her Noble Phantasms being ineffective, Fran could only use her hammer to continuously pound on the giant monster, trying to shatter its chest with her hammer.
The Black Faction's attacks were like itching scratches to it, barely able to hinder its movement.
Sensing the large number of homunculi in the Millennia Castle, the Adam began to move straight towards it.
If it were to capture the large number of homunculi in the castle and absorb them to convert them into mana, the growth speed of the Adam would undoubtedly accelerate greatly.
Just when the Black Faction was at a loss, reinforcements arrived.
First, a bright streak of light shot from the sky, aiming straight for the Adam's foot.
"Trap of Argalia!"
With a loud shout from Astolfo, the large lance slashed across the Adam's foot.
Under the effect of the Noble Phantasm, the Adam's right foot was forcibly turned into spirit form, causing its massive body to immediately lose support and topple to one side.
"Rider, it's you!"
The Grand Duke immediately shouted.
"Hey~ Reinforcements have arrived!"
Astolfo responded to the Grand Duke's call with a playful, though sloppy, salute.
"Hmph! Given the formidable enemy before us, I'll overlook your previous transgressions for now."
The Grand Duke snorted coldly and transformed into a black lightning bolt, charging toward the head of the giant golem.
"Ahaha~"
Astolfo awkwardly scratched his cheek with his finger.
Before coming, he had asked Jeanne to sever his connection with his original Master and had re-contracted with Kaar. So, calling him a traitor wasn't entirely wrong.
However, the Grand Duke was a person who understood the bigger picture and chose to let bygones be bygones.
At this moment, the others also arrived.
"It's you!"
The Grand Duke's eagle-like eyes narrowed slightly.
"Lancer of the Black Faction, the Caster's Noble Phantasm poses too great a threat. Therefore, in the name of the Ruler, I declare a temporary ceasefire in the Holy Grail War. We will resume after defeating the Primordial Human, Adam. What do you say?"
Jeanne brandished her holy flag, resembling the Valkyrie who led the French army to countless victories.
"Of course, Romania is my homeland. I will never allow despicable beings like the Caster to destroy it!"
The Grand Duke touched his spear to Jeanne's holy flag, signifying a temporary alliance between the two sides.
Then Jeanne instinctively glanced back at Ryou, as if awaiting his strategy.
"First, we need to find a way to lift its foot off the ground. Otherwise, with its regenerative abilities, we're powerless. Then..."
Ryou looked at the silent Siegfried.
"Siegfried, you attack its head."
Siegfried nodded silently, ready to work diligently like a true model laborer, the kind who genuinely endures hardship.
"Once the Adam is airborne, everyone else should simultaneously attack its heart!"
"Understood!"
Astolfo was the first to respond cheerfully.
The Grand Duke exchanged a glance with Chiron in the distance, then nodded.
"Very well, this time we'll follow your command. As for your numerous despicable acts against our Black Faction, we'll settle that later."
Facing the Grand Duke's straightforward promise of future retribution, Ryou shrugged. He wasn't overly concerned; even the Grand Duke's twenty-thousand menacing iron stakes didn't faze him.
Moreover, although the Red Faction seemed to have quieted down, Ryou was one hundred percent certain that Amakusa Shirou was hastily conducting a ritual, aiming to launch the Empress's Hanging Gardens of Babylon as soon as possible.
Once the Hanging Gardens of Babylon took off, they could fly over, absorb the Greater Grail, and shift the battlefield to the Hanging Gardens. The Grand Duke, unable to transform into a vampire or use his "Demonic Defender of the State" and "Legend of Dracula" abilities, would be utterly defenseless.
Speaking of the Red Faction, Ryou hadn't had the time to deal with them.
This was primarily because he didn't know the location of their ritual. Jeanne's Revelation was unreliable.
Otherwise, Ryou would have long since gone to disrupt their ritual.
This passive defense, waiting for others to attack, wasn't his style.
Once all the Servants present agreed to Ryou's plan, they immediately began executing it with astonishing efficiency.
At this point, the effect of Astolfo's Noble Phantasm, Trap of Argalia, began to wear off.
The Adam's foot slowly recovered, and it stubbornly continued toward the castle.
"Ah~ What a persistent fellow!"
Astolfo couldn't help but complain loudly.
Just as he was about to take another shot at the giant golem, its massive hand suddenly glowed with a mysterious purple magical aura.
A gigantic stone sword instantly appeared in the Adam's hand, and its speed and strength surged.
"It has grown further!"
Jeanne loudly warned.
Astolfo nearly met his end as the Adam wielded the enormous stone sword and swung it at him.
"Whoa!"
Astolfo screamed, instinctively pulling the reins. Miraculously, he narrowly dodged the terrifying strike.
"Have you witnessed this, human?! This is the power of me, the god of the new world. Watch as I crush you all one by one!"
At that moment, a voice that seemed to be a blend of Darnic and Avicebron emanated from the Adam's body.
"This voice!? It's you, Darnic!"
The Grand Duke immediately growled through gritted teeth.
"Hahaha! Of course, it's me, Grand Duke. Stand by helplessly as I turn the entire world into Eden and crown myself as the god of the new world!" Darnic laughed maniacally.
"To compare yourself to 'the Lord'? You've gone mad!"
"Darnic! You, of all people, can never be forgiven!"
Both the Grand Duke and Jeanne, devout Catholics, couldn't contain their anger at Darnic's blasphemous ravings.
"Die, blasphemous fiend!"
The Grand Duke pointed with his strangely shaped spear.
Countless iron stakes instantly combined into a massive iron tower, thrusting up from the ground toward the Adam.
Jeanne quickly ran along the giant golem's arm and smashed her holy flag down on its head.
The Adam was first pierced through by the iron tower, and then Jeanne's flag struck its face with a mighty blow.
Crash!
A shower of debris flew as a large portion of its face crumbled.
Watching this scene made Ryou's body involuntarily shudder.
It seemed that the tradition of violent, strong saints had a long history, Ryou mused to himself, though he dared not voice this thought to a certain saintly lady.
At this moment, the other Servants also launched their attacks.
Frankenstein picked up her small hammer and started pounding on the giant golem.
Her Master, a boy named Caules, seemed to be directing her through telepathy. Frankenstein intelligently targeted the structural weak points of the golem's legs, especially focusing on its knees.
Chiron, perched in a treetop, didn't miss this opportunity either, aiming his arrows at the Adam's knees.
First, a barrage of arrows, followed by relentless hammering from Frankenstein. Finally, the golem's right leg was soon broken in two.
The dragon-slaying hero Siegfried was not to be outdone, transforming into a silver streak, flashing and darting across the Adam.
The Adam was soon covered in various wounds, and its sword-wielding hand was severed.
Astolfo, the playful knight, flew high on his steed, pumping his fist and cheering loudly.
"Go! Take down that big oaf!"
"Rider, what are you doing? Attack already!"
The Grand Duke couldn't stand it any longer and hastily rebuked.
"With you all here, I don't need to..."
Astolfo's eyes wandered cautiously. It seemed that the earlier frightening scene had scared him, so the cross-dressing knight decisively chose to play it safe.
"Rider, you bring shame to the name of the Paladins of Charlemagne!"
Facing Astolfo's cowardice, the Grand Duke was instantly furious, jumping up and down in rage.
"Hehe~ Actually, everyone says that."
Astolfo, far from being angry, scratched the back of his head with an embarrassed look as if he had just received a compliment.
The Grand Duke's face immediately took on a "there's no hope for you" expression.
At that moment, the Adam, which had been passively taking hits, suddenly moved.
"Not enough, not enough, not enough! Is this all you guys can do? It's not even enough to tickle me! Hahaha!"
With a burst of arrogant laughter, a supremely holy golden light suddenly shone from the Adam.
Then, a miraculous scene unfolded. Whether it was its broken leg or any other injuries on its body, they instantly healed completely under the illumination of the golden light.
"Are those the effect of being in Eden, immortality...?"
Jeanne pursed her lips, her brows slightly furrowed.
In biblical legend, the primordial humans in Eden were immune to harm. The Adam's powerful regenerative ability manifested this legend.
It formed an autonomous Reality Marble around itself, transforming the ground it stood on into a "Paradise" akin to Eden.
Thus, as long as it stood on the ground, the Adam could cheat with incredible healing speed.
Unless there was a super powerful Noble Phantasm capable of instantly blasting it to smithereens, it was nearly invincible while its feet touched the earth.
"It seems this is the only way."
Jeanne and Ryou exchanged a glance. Without speaking, they instantly understood each other's thoughts with perfect mutual understanding.
After enduring the intense bombardment, the Adam seemed to have grown again.
Its body had become taller, and its speed and strength had increased rather than diminished.
It wielded its enormous stone sword like a berserk warrior, smashing through everything in its path.
Storms of wind immediately spread in all directions, felling tall trees in swathes with the force of its sword swings.
Even Chiron, a kilometer away, was affected; the trees beneath him were cut down, forcing him to leap from treetop to treetop to avoid the sword winds' ravages.
Seeing this, the Grand Duke waved his hand again, and an overwhelming array of iron stakes fell from the sky like raindrops, targeting the Adam's head.
But just as the cloud of iron stakes was about to reach, the Adam suddenly raised its head.
Roar!!!
A colossal maw, larger than a locomotive, opened wide, and a deafening roar burst forth.
The immense air pressure compressed by the roar formed an almost transparent protective shield in front of the Adam.
The rain of iron stakes struck it but instantly became mired as if sinking into a swamp, unable to advance further.
"What?!"
The Grand Duke couldn't help but show a look of astonishment. The "Kazikli Bey," which had previously managed to inflict some damage, evidently couldn't even break through the opponent's casual attack now.
"Hahaha! Did you see that, Grand Dile? This is the true power of a god! You lowly vampire can't even hope to touch me!"
From within the Adam, Darnic's arrogant laughter reached a fever pitch.
In the sky, sitting behind Astolfo, the justice-filled Kaar was anxiously urging him on.
"Astolfo, quickly think of something. If this goes on, that golem will reach the castle. When that happens, the homunculi inside..."
Although Kaar had been given Karna's heart, strictly speaking, he had left the ranks of homunculi and even humanity. Yet, having been born a homunculus, he naturally felt a great affinity for them. Seeing the homunculi in imminent danger, he couldn't help but worry.
"I know! I know, but I don't have any Noble Phantasms that can defeat it! And look..."
Astolfo pointed helplessly at the majestic eagle beneath him.
The once mighty eagle showed an expression of sheer terror in the face of the Adam. If Astolfo weren't constantly patting it and cheering it on, it would have likely turned tail and fled immediately.
Kaar's anxiety grew more pronounced. He wanted to do something for his kin, but as he looked at the battlefield below, where myths seemed to come to life, he felt his powerlessness.
"Wait! Since I can't help here, why don't you drop me off at the castle? I can persuade them to evacuate early."
A flash of inspiration struck Kaar, and he immediately proposed the idea.
"Oh~ Oh! That's a great idea!"
Seeing the mighty Adam, Astolfo had been inclined to play it safe. Kaar's suggestion was exactly what he wanted to hear.
"Hey~! Everyone, hold on! We're heading back to the castle to notify everyone to evacuate early. Bye bye!"
With that, Astolfo waved his hand, pulled the reins, and took off on the eagle, not giving anyone a chance to react.
"???"
Under the speechless gazes of the other Servants, Astolfo and his eagle boldly left the battlefield.
"Hahaha! Yes! Flee as much as you like! Maybe you'll live a little longer!"
Astolfo's retreat left everyone deeply frustrated, and Darnic, taking advantage of his immortality, continued to boast. It was unbearable for anyone!
If this were a game, the protagonist's camp would likely have a string of debuffs pop up: taunted, morale down, attack power down.
"Argh!"
As a Berserker, Frankenstein was the most irritable. She immediately charged and swung her hammer at the Adam's knee.
With the green electric light flashing on the hammer, Frankenstein was using her Noble Phantasm, "Blasted Tree."
Combining her monstrous strength with the science-infused lightning of her Noble Phantasm, a single blow pulverized the Adam's knee.
"Come... with me!!"
Frankenstein then bared her teeth at the Adam like a little dog.
"Damn insect! How dare you defy a god like me! This is unforgivable!"
Darnic roared in anger.
"Save your delusions for when you get to hell!"
Darnic's continuous blasphemies infuriated the devout Catholic Grand Duke. Coupled with past betrayals, it was a grudge upon grudge, as deep as the sea.
If anyone wanted Darnic dead the most, it was undoubtedly the Grand Duke.
"Die, blasphemer!"
The Grand Duke suddenly exuded a dense aura of black magical energy, a clear sign that he had pushed his magic to the limit.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A series of thunderous noises erupted as a mass of iron stakes formed several iron towers that rose from the ground, directly pushing the massive body of the Adam skyward.
"Ruler, young man, Siegfried, Chiron! What are you waiting for? Now's the time!"
Even with the support of the Noble Phantasm "Demonic Defender of the State," the Grand Duke's face inevitably showed signs of fatigue from using such an enormous amount of magic.
Hearing the Grand Duke's shout, the four individuals began to act in perfect coordination.
Siegfried gripped his sword with both hands, and light blue magic surged around him, piercing the sky like a column of light.
Golden magical energy swirled around Chiron as he slowly drew his bowstring. Strangely, however, there was no arrow set on the bow.
Ryou stopped his self-harm, directly exchanging for a bottle of mana recovery potion, and gulped it down.
If someone could observe Ryou with a vision like Byakugan, they would notice all his magical energy converging towards his head, with his eyes as the endpoint!
Jeanne drew a perfect arc with her holy flag and then planted it in the ground with a clang before raising her right hand and solemnly declaring:
"Chiron, Siegfried, Ryou, in the name of Jeanne d'Arc, the Ruler, unleash your Noble Phantasms with all your might!"
A complex, scarlet-glowing sigil suddenly appeared behind Jeanne, representing the Command Spells of the Ruler's authority!
This is why no Servant wants to oppose a Ruler class. The reason lies here.
The Ruler possesses a total of 28 Command Spells, two for each Servant.
Although a Master has three Command Spells if you offend her, she can make your two Command Spells cancel each other out, leaving you with just one, and you'd have nowhere to cry.
Although Jeanne's noble character wouldn't allow her to do such a thing, some malicious individuals still project their malice onto others.
Following Jeanne's declaration, the sigil of Command Spells suddenly lit up and then lost three strokes.
Siegfried, Chiron, and Ryou immediately felt a surge of powerful magical energy infused into their bodies.
In gaming terms, their MP was not only fully replenished but also their MP limit was increased.
It was like drinking five bottles of energy drink at once—refreshing doesn't begin to describe it!
The sky-blue light pillar around Siegfried suddenly surged in power, and the overflowing magic formed a faint blue mist.
Chiron, though less dramatic, being the mentor of Greek heroes, excelled at controlling his power. Even so, his eyes still shone like light bulbs.
Ryou also felt an enormous amount of magical energy circulating within his body. Most crucially, due to his initially low magical energy, even with Spartacus, it wasn't particularly high.
With the Command Spell's boost, it felt as though his magic limit had doubled.
I feel like I can take on anything right now!
Whether influenced by Spartacus within him or not, in this extreme surge of magical energy, Ryou felt waves of violent emotions erupt like a volcano from the depths of his heart.
He had to release this magical energy quickly!
The three almost simultaneously unleashed their Noble Phantasms.
"The evil dragon shall fall, And the world will reach its sunset. I will bring you down-- Balmung!!"
As Siegfried loudly chanted the activation chant for the demonic sword Balmung, the gem on the hilt burst into dazzling blue light.
With both power and magic at their peak, Siegfried swung Balmung down forcefully.
A sky-blue light pillar shot straight from the sword's tip, transforming into a torrent of light that devoured everything!
The torrent of blue light directly enveloped the head of the Adam.
Under the Command Spell's boost, the fearsome anti-army attack with power reaching A+ levels instantly turned the house-sized head of the Adam to ashes.
Siegfried didn't seem satisfied; he forcefully twisted his wrist, causing the blue light torrent to slowly cut into the giant's body.
No matter how strong the Adam was, it was only on par with the Balmung, and it hadn't even reached its peak.
The blue light torrent cut into the giant's neck as easily as a hot knife through butter.
As Siegfried activated his Noble Phantasm, Ryou and Chiron simultaneously unleashed theirs.
PS: 1 Power Stone = 1 Push up