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Standing atop the gigantic gauntlet, as large as a room, Mika felt the gentle breeze caress his face, his eyes filled with unwavering determination.
Battles against Gilgamesh were never easy.
Without Merlin's enhancements and blessings, Mika knew he wouldn't stand a chance against the King of Heroes. The disparity in their power levels was simply too vast.
However, this was the Holy Grail War, a battlefield where Masters and Servants fought side-by-side.
With Merlin's support, Mika had a fighting chance against the arrogant king.
Moreover, Merlin wasn't just a support mage.
Watching the trails left by the Noble Phantasms fired from Vimana, the airborne fortress, Mika said with a resolute voice, "Merlin, clearing the path ahead is up to you!"
"Rest assured, Mika."
"I promised to help you take revenge against the King of Heroes, and I will keep my word."
Facing the incoming barrage of Noble Phantasms, Merlin extended his hand and unleashed a volley of magic blasts.
Like flower petals, the pink projectiles soared towards Gilgamesh's attacks, colliding with them in a series of violent explosions.
Compared to Medea, another Caster-class Servant, Merlin's magic blasts might lack raw power.
However, his accuracy far surpassed hers.
The pink blasts struck the Noble Phantasms, disrupting the magical energy propelling them forward. This caused the weapons to veer off course, harmlessly passing by Mika and his companions.
"Hmph, with the ever-reliable big brother Merlin by your side, you needn't worry about being hit by the King of Heroes' Noble Phantasms!"
Merlin declared proudly, hands on his hips, admiring his handiwork.
"As expected of the greatest magus, Merlin!"
Mika praised Merlin's skillful display.
Gilgamesh's Gate of Babylon was a formidable threat, but with Merlin effectively countering it, Mika could focus on manipulating the gauntlet.
"Hold on tight, I'm about to accelerate!"
With that, the trio soared towards Vimana in the sky.
...
"This is truly a devastating sight..."
Standing atop a hill formed by rubble and debris, Mellie surveyed the surrounding landscape with a sigh.
The once-bustling residential area had been reduced to ruins.
The only structure still standing was the Matou mansion at the center of the devastation.
The initial "nuclear bombardment" aimed at the Matou mansion had been skillfully diverted by Merlin using his Noble Phantasm.
Although they encountered another wave of attacks during their escape, the epicenter of the explosions wasn't the mansion itself.
The shockwaves alone couldn't penetrate the numerous protective barriers surrounding the Matou residence.
Unlike Kayneth's magical workshop suspended in mid-air, the Matou mansion was firmly grounded.
There was no way to target its foundation.
Of course, another factor was that the "ancient nuclear warheads" launched by Vimana were less potent than modern nuclear weapons.
"Here, please hold Sakura."
Airmid handed Sakura to Kariya Matou and approached Mellie with a serious expression. "Now's not the time for idle observations."
"Are you referring to the assassins?"
Despite their presence concealment, Airmid and Mellie hadn't detected the assassins.
However, they were getting too close.
Thanks to Nen detection abilities, everything within a hundred-meter radius was visible to them.
"They don't pose much of a threat to me."
Mellie said with a confident smirk, her arms crossed.
"So, are you going to come out, or are we going to have to drag you out?"
Hearing their conversation, the Hassan-i-Sabbah assassins hiding nearby swiftly emerged from their hiding places, surrounding the four of them.
"You must be our targets."
A voice chuckled from within the group of assassins.
"Indeed, since you came directly to the Matou residence, I assume you're aware that Kariya Matou isn't the Master of Berserker."
Mellie raised her fist, displaying the Command Spells on the back of her hand to the assassins.
"I am the one you seek, the Master of Caster, Merlin."
Seeing the Command Spells, the Hassans instantly became more cautious.
They knew that Mellie could summon her Servant at any moment, forcing them to take her seriously.
"If your target is me, then let the battle commence."
"However, as a rule for this fight, you cannot harm them."
Mellie pointed towards Kariya and Sakura. "That child is the daughter of your Master's former mentor, Tokiomi Tohsaka. Surely you wouldn't harm her."
"And as compensation, I won't summon Merlin. How does that sound?"
"..."
"You wish to fight us?"
A puzzled voice emerged from the group of Hassans.
They couldn't comprehend such a proposition.
After all, the gap between humans and Servants was as vast as the difference between heaven and earth.
"Indeed!"
Airmid responded, brandishing her spear.
"We yearn to test our strength against a Servant. However, the other Servants are far too powerful. The Hassans are the only ones we stand a chance against."
Mellie added with a hint of mockery, "So, are you willing to accept our challenge?"
Faced with her taunts, the Hassan standing in front of them gestured towards a path for Kariya and Sakura.
"Go now, Kariya Matou. Protect Sakura."
"Understood!"
Kariya nodded solemnly and quickly left the area with Sakura in his arms.
As they disappeared from sight, Airmid focused her attention on the surrounding Hassans.
"The Hundred-Faced Hassan, I presume?" She muttered to herself.
After securing their participation in the Holy Grail War, Mika had discussed the possibility of Mellie and Airmid leveling up with them.
To achieve this significant milestone, they needed to defeat powerful opponents.
Among the Servants participating in this war, only the Hundred-Faced Hassan, an Assassin-class Servant, presented a realistic opportunity for victory.
As Assassins, the Hassans possessed inherently weak base stats.
Only the Caster class could rival them in this regard.
However, while Casters could compensate for their physical limitations with magic, Assassins relied on their assassination techniques.
Unlike other Hassans, the Hundred-Faced Hassan was more renowned for his information gathering abilities than his assassination skills.
His Noble Phantasm allowed him to create up to eighty duplicates of himself.
However, each duplicate was significantly weaker than the original, as his power was divided among them.
Therefore, the Hundred-Faced Hassan was better suited for reconnaissance than assassination.
But this was precisely why Airmid and Mellie, enhanced by Merlin's magic, stood a chance against them.
And this victory could be the key to their growth and evolution.
"Assassin, we will defeat you here and now!"
Airmid and Mellie declared in unison, their gazes fixed on the surrounding Hassans, their voices filled with determination.
---
Standing firmly on the colossal gauntlet, Mika gazed at the rapidly approaching Vimana, his grip tightening around his weapon.
Thanks to Merlin's continuous interference, none of Gilgamesh's long-range Noble Phantasms had struck them. Each attack had been skillfully deflected, sending them astray.
Without any further obstacles, the trio quickly neared their destination.
However, just as they were about to board Vimana, the airship, which had remained stationary for so long, suddenly ascended, soaring higher into the sky.
As Gilgamesh ascended, hundreds of golden arcs erupted from Vimana, hurtling towards them at incredible speed.
"He's actually maneuvering..."
Mika stared in disbelief as Gilgamesh expertly piloted Vimana, weaving through the air at impossible angles.
The King of Heroes, known for his unwavering arrogance and tendency to stand his ground until the very end, was actually employing evasive tactics.
"Despite his boundless pride, you did manage to steal his Noble Phantasm and challenge his authority. It's no wonder he's not acting like his usual self."
"While that makes sense logically, it still feels strange to see the King of Heroes resorting to such tactics," Merlin commented, sharing Mika's surprise.
"Regardless, how are we supposed to get close to him now?"
Mika sighed in frustration, dodging the incoming Noble Phantasms while watching Vimana dance through the sky.
Although he could propel the gauntlet forward at incredible speeds without regard for magical energy consumption, replicating Vimana's agility was impossible.
"This is going to be tricky..."
Even without testing it himself, Merlin was certain that Gilgamesh had deployed Noble Phantasms within Vimana that interfered with or resisted magic.
This was to prevent Merlin from using his spatial teleportation magic.
Merlin had a healthy respect for Gilgamesh's abilities.
Once the King of Heroes got serious, he wouldn't leave any openings.
"What should we do now?"
Merlin sighed, mirroring Mika's frustration.
They exchanged glances, both letting out a simultaneous groan of despair.
Suddenly, two crimson streaks of light appeared in the distance, rapidly approaching Fuyuki City.
"Are those... fighter jets?"
Mika and Merlin's eyes widened in surprise, then broke into grins.
"It seems fortune favors the bold!" Merlin exclaimed smugly.
...
"Ha!"
With a powerful swing of her spear, Airmid deflected an incoming attack from a Hassan, sending the assassin flying backward.
Without hesitation, she spun around and delivered a swift kick, propelling another Hassan through the air.
But the assault didn't end there.
Three throwing knives hurtled towards her from unexpected angles.
Occupied with fending off other Hassans, Airmid could only raise her left arm to intercept the projectiles.
The knives embedded themselves in her arm muscles.
However, thanks to her enhanced durability, they only penetrated superficially, the blades barely piercing her skin.
But in that instant, Airmid's expression changed.
As an Enhancement-type Nen user, she possessed an intimate understanding of her body.
Although the effects hadn't fully manifested yet, she could clearly sense that she had been poisoned.
Faced with the relentless onslaught of Hassans from all directions, Airmid continued to fight while chanting her healing spell.
"O flowing drops of healing, tears of light, eternal sanctuary, I call upon the light to gather here. Three hundred and sixty-five melodies, the calendar of healing shall save all."
"Come forth, banish the evil. Bury the wounds, dispel the sickness, send curses to the other side, deliver the light's cardinal. In the name of the divine – I shall heal."
"Dia Fratel!"
A brilliant light enveloped Airmid and Mellie.
Their wounds, inflicted by the Hassans, rapidly healed.
Simultaneously, the poison coursing through their bodies was swiftly neutralized, disappearing without a trace.
"Thanks, Airmid!"
Mellie shouted gratefully, feeling her strength return.
Unlike Airmid, who was handling the situation with relative ease, Mellie was struggling against the Hassans' coordinated attacks.
Although Merlin's enhancements and blessings had granted them physical superiority over the individual duplicates of the Hundred-Faced Hassan, their teamwork was exceptional.
Their seamless cooperation effectively negated Airmid and Mellie's physical advantage.
As an Enhancement-type Nen user, Airmid's formidable close-combat skills allowed her to remain relatively unscathed.
However, Mellie, accustomed to fighting under the protection of others, found herself in a precarious situation.
"Fou!"
"Roar!"
Fou, who had been providing aerial support for Mellie, briefly charged its energy before unleashing a concentrated blast of fire.
The Hassan struck by the flames was instantly reduced to ashes.
"Good job, Fou!"
"But let's avoid using that attack again. It consumes too much energy."
Mellie quickly cautioned, feeling the drain on her magical energy reserves.
Without Gabriel's presence to facilitate magical energy conversion, Mellie and Airmid didn't have access to Mika's seemingly limitless supply.
After all, Mika was facing the primary threat.
Parrying an incoming attack with her sword, Mellie swiftly raised her staff and unleashed a magic blast.
This was a combat tactic she had learned from Merlin, and it proved to be quite effective.
"Hmph, forget all those fancy spells. A good old-fashioned magic blast is all you need."
Mellie chuckled, pleased with her successful ambush.
...
Kariya Matou sprinted through the streets, clutching Sakura tightly in his arms, desperately searching for a safe haven.
Suddenly, he stopped at the entrance to a narrow alleyway.
After a moment of hesitation, he gently placed Sakura down and said softly, "Sakura, please hide here. Uncle will take care of the enemies ahead and come back for you."
"You must stay hidden, okay?"
"Okay!"
Sakura nodded obediently.
During her year at the Matou mansion, her mental fortitude had grown significantly, far surpassing that of her peers.
She understood that obedience was her only option for now.
Watching Sakura disappear into the alley, Kariya slowly rose to his feet.
As he turned to face the street, his expression hardened with determination.
"Tohsaka Tokiomi!"
Even without seeing him, Kariya could sense Tokiomi's presence.
Although Airmid had healed the damage inflicted by Zouken's experiments, some of his progress in magecraft remained.
For example, his activated and now skillfully controlled Magic Circuits, along with some basic magical knowledge.
Glancing at the aerial battle above, Kariya realized that Tokiomi was also alone.
A faint smirk touched his lips.
He began to walk towards the street, his steps measured and resolute.
"Thank you for your enhancements and blessings, Sage Merlin."
"You have granted me the opportunity for revenge."
Clutching his magically enhanced fists, Kariya Matou muttered these words with a chilling smile.
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