Additionally, there was something strange about this Holy Grail War. Normally, only Servant avatars—partial manifestations of Heroic Spirits—could be summoned. But for some reason, the actual Heroic Spirits themselves had appeared.
Ryou's head was full of questions.
At that moment, Illya and the giant she was using as a mount arrived in front of him and Medea.
This giant was none other than the renowned demigod hero from Greek mythology, who eventually ascended to godhood—Hercules.
Hercules gently placed the small loli on his shoulder down to the ground, then stood beside her like a motionless stone statue.
"Good evening, big brother and sister over there. My name is Illyasviel von Einzbern," Illya said politely, giving a graceful curtsy.
"Ryou," he replied plainly, stating his name. Knowing the plot, he certainly wouldn't be deceived by this legal loli into thinking she was some harmless little girl.
But to his surprise, the moment Illya heard the name Ryou, her expression changed dramatically. She lowered her head and began muttering to herself.
"Ryou? So you're Ryou. I've been wanting to meet you for so long! Finally, I've found you!"
A question mark popped up in Ryou's mind. He was 100% certain this was his first time in Fuyuki City and this parallel world, so why did Illya act like she already knew him?
It didn't make sense.
Before he could figure it out, Illya suddenly lifted her head, her eyes filled with hatred.
"The revenge for Kiritsugu and my mother! Berserker, attack! Tear off his arms and legs, and crush him to death!"
Illya screamed with all her might.
WTF!?
Ryou was utterly bewildered. When did I kill Kiritsugu and his wife?
Making an enemy right from the start? This is absurd!
But the enemy didn't care about his confusion. Hercules, who had been standing still like a statue, suddenly had his eyes glow blood-red, transforming into a terrifying killing machine.
His black-gray skin turned bright red, emitting steam—an indication that his magical energy had reached its peak and was about to overflow. At the same time, red patterns appeared all over Illya's body; she had activated her magical circuits at full power right from the start.
What kind of grudge is this!?
Seeing the murderous look on the other side, Ryou pushed aside his initial thoughts.
They're the enemy. Kill them, plain and simple.
Such a straightforward and brutal logic.
"Caster!"
Ryou shouted, not waiting for her to respond.
"Yes, Master!"
Ryou instantly felt a torrent of magical energy flow into his body through the bond that linked their souls, strengthening him to the utmost, nearly on par with a Noble Phantasm!
If he were to open his status panel now, he would see that all his attributes had reached A+, with his Strength and Endurance even hitting A++.
"ROAR!!!"
Hercules let out a ferocious roar toward the sky and then charged at Ryou, his massive legs thundering as he sprinted.
Even before he reached Ryou, the ground was already shaking as if an earthquake had struck, and a terrifying gust of wind surged forward.
It was as if a prehistoric beast was charging straight at him.
Without needing any further instructions, Medea, though reluctant, obediently flew up into the sky, distancing herself from the battlefield.
Ryou, on the other hand, remained expressionless as he faced Hercules head-on.
In just 0.1 seconds, the two clashed.
Almost simultaneously, they both threw out their right fists, aiming at each other.
BOOM!
The disproportionate fists collided with a thunderous explosion, releasing a shockwave that rippled outward. Fallen leaves, pebbles, and trash cans were all swept away by the force of the impact.
For a moment, the two were deadlocked, neither able to overpower the other. The concrete beneath their feet finally gave way under the pressure, cracking and splintering.
"Hmph! I've gone through so much to kill you! My Berserker is the strongest Heroic Spirit in all of Greece. There's no way you can win…"
Illya, standing at a distance, proudly declared.
And she had every reason to be proud. Hercules was one of the two most famous demigod heroes of ancient Greece. His reputation, achievements, and sheer power far surpassed that of Achilles.
The contest of strength between the two quickly concluded, but the result was something Illya couldn't accept.
The two combatants were blasted back by the tremendous force.
But to everyone's surprise, Hercules, the mighty Heracles, was forced to stagger back four or five steps, while Ryou, who barely reached Hercules' chest in height, only took a single step back before regaining his balance.
In this pure contest of strength, Hercules, the legendary strongman, had lost!?
"Berserker! What are you doing? Stop holding back! Tear him apart!"
Illya screamed in rage.
"ROARRR!!!"
As if responding to her command, Hercules let out a furious bellow, raising his giant stone sword and swinging it down at Ryou.
Ryou responded by punching upward with his right fist to meet the stone sword, while his left fist, like a bolt of lightning, shot straight for Hercules' heart.
CLANG!
The punch and sword collided with the sound of two hard objects smashing together.
Looking closely, one could see that Ryou's hands were covered by a pair of white gloves laced with golden threads.
These gloves were none other than an alternate form of his Noble Phantasm, [Apocalypse].
As for the stone sword Hercules was wielding—it wasn't even a true Noble Phantasm. It was just a large, sturdy chunk of rock he had ripped from a temple's steps. But in Hercules' hands, it became a deadly weapon.
The blade of the stone sword was stopped by Ryou's punch, but the shockwave it generated cut two gashes into his shoulders.
Blood immediately spurted out.
Meanwhile, Hercules, displaying agility that defied his massive size, lifted his right leg and used his shin as a shield to block Ryou's left fist.
As the fight continued, Hercules, with his vast combat experience and terrifying flexibility, began to gain a slight upper hand.
Ryou glanced at the wounds on his shoulders and couldn't even be bothered to take a healing potion.
Though the wounds looked nasty, they were nothing more than superficial cuts. In a matter of moments, thanks to his A++ Endurance and the effects of his Noble Phantasm [Reversal War God], the injuries had already healed.
With his EX-rank Noble Phantasm [Reversal War God], Ryou was a perfect counter to someone like Hercules, who relied on brute force to deal damage.
If this was all Hercules had to offer, then Ryou was already in an unassailable position.
However, defeating him would be no easy task.
Summoned under the Berserker class, Hercules had lost the rationality of a seasoned warrior and the original version of his Noble Phantasm, The [Twelve Labors].
But his overall stats had risen by one rank, and he had gained a twisted, nearly broken version of [The Twelve Labors].
This mutated version allowed him to revive a total of twelve times, and with each resurrection, he would gain immunity to the type of damage that had previously killed him.
Moreover, with Illya's abundant supply of magical energy, lost health bars could still be restored.
In a way, the two of them were practically identical copies — both were like the type that just wouldn't die.
There had to be a way to deal a lethal blow...
Ryou's mind raced rapidly.
Very soon, he came up with an idea.
"Berserker, charge! Turn him into minced meat!"
Seeing Heracles gaining the upper hand, Illya immediately shouted out in delight.
However, Medea, who was hovering in the sky, displayed a worried expression, her eyes fixed on Ryoug without blinking. Her small hands gripped her staff tightly, ready to unleash her Noble Phantasm the moment he was in danger.
Her Noble Phantasm, [Pain Breaker], could calculate the subject's previous state and restore any damage they had taken as if turning back time. As long as there was a breath left, it could save them.
It was practically the ultimate life-saving technique.
Paired with Ryou, they could drag out the fight so much that the enemy would start doubting reality.
With Illya's shout, Heracles fell into a full-on berserk state, his entire body turning a bright red as steam started rising from him.
"Roarrr!!"
Heracles swung the massive stone sword in his hand wildly, transforming himself into a giant meat grinder.
No one doubted that anyone caught in his path would be reduced to nothing but bones in an instant.
Yet, without blinking, Ryou charged straight into the storm of death Heracles had created.
In an instant, he activated the third stage of his [War God Reversal] ability!
Heracles' stone sword, slicing through the air, left gashes all over Ryou's body. In less than a second, he was covered in blood.
But his expression remained calm, as though the cuts weren't even on his own body.
He responded blow for blow, landing a heavy punch on Heracles' demigod physique.
The tremendous force was too much for even a demigod to withstand, and Heracles' body was soon covered in fist marks, his wounds swelling and spurting blood.
Though Ryou's body was continuously sliced open with wounds large and small, his terrifying regenerative power kept healing him over and over.
Deep within his soul, a blood-red orb representing the [Power of Revenge] was gradually becoming brighter.
Engaging in such a raw, bestial exchange of blows, where neither side was defending, stirred a long-lost sense of excitement in Ryou.
His heart was pounding at several dozen times its normal rate, and his soul was rejoicing.
This was the kind of fight he longed for.
No wonder some people said only weaklings fought women — real men fought men.
Ryou hadn't believed it before, but now, locked in this ferocious battle with Heracles, he understood.
His previously calm expression was slowly breaking down, becoming frenzied and bloodthirsty.
"You big brute is that all you've got?! This strength feels like you're just tickling me!"
Ryou laughed loudly, delivering a vicious kick to Heracles' knee.
"ROAR!!"
Heracles, being a Heroic Spirit, was only unable to speak due to his class constraints.
But he clearly understood the insults in Ryou's words.
Already in a state of rage, Heracles pushed his strength to 200%, swinging his stone sword with mad fury, leaving deep, bone-revealing wounds all over Ryou's body.
The newly repaired road was taking the brunt of the damage as well, now unrecognizable, with pits and trenches everywhere. Street lamps and utility poles were sliced in half by the aftershocks of the battle. It was estimated that it would cost tens of millions of yen to restore it.
In addition to the battle scars, the ground was smeared with blood — both Ryou's and Heracles'.
Like tireless beasts, the two fighters completely disregarded their injuries, fiercely attacking each other until one of them would fall!
Watching from the side, Illya stomped her feet in frustration at the sight of Ryou still standing despite his severe injuries.
"Berserker! What are you doing?! I permit you to use your Noble Phantasm! Turn him into mincemeat right now!"
"Roar!"
With Illya's command, crimson lines appeared all over their bodies — a resonance caused by the overloading of magical circuits.
The atmosphere began to tremble in despair as storms of magical power raged around them.
Visible flows of prana were sucked into Heracles' body, and the demigod's giant form began to glow with white magical light.
Such overwhelming power — the next strike would surely shatter the earth!
"Master!"
Medea shouted in worry.
But Ryou waved his hand, signaling her not to worry.
Infected by Heracles' energy, his expression became terrifyingly feral, like a wolf about to deliver a fatal blow to its prey.
"ROARRRR!!!"
With a deafening roar, Heracles charged at him like a wild lion.
The massive stone sword, as large as a door, came crashing down on his head.
Clang!
Ryou raised his arms above his head, and sparks flew.
But that was only the beginning. Heracles' stone sword, defying all logic, slashed at him with impossible speed, each strike heavier than the last, like relentless waves crashing down.
In less than 0.1 seconds, Heracles had unleashed nine strikes in total.
Boom!
Under Heracles' massive blows, the ground beneath them shook like waves on the ocean.
Even several kilometers away in Shinto, a faint tremor could be felt, and the nearby earthquake monitoring station mistook it for a real earthquake, springing into action.
Not far away, three figures noticed the commotion and quickly rushed towards the scene.
Where Heracles' terrifying might had struck, a massive crater, 20 to 30 meters in diameter, appeared where Ryou had been standing.
The storm of dust and debris concealed everything inside.
Anyone who saw Heracles' previous display of power wouldn't think he could have survived.
At most, there would be some remnants of flesh.
That's certainly what Illya thought.
"Dying like this is too easy for you! Berserker, let's go!"
With a smile of satisfaction on her cute little face, Illya waved her hand to call Heracles over.
As for Medea, floating in the sky, Illya couldn't care less. After all, without a Master, a Servant would soon be forced to return to the Throne of Heroes.
Most importantly, her Heracles couldn't fly.
Just then, Illya suddenly noticed that Heracles, who always listened to her, was still standing in place, adopting a defensive stance as if he were bracing for something terrible.