"Phantasmal Greatsword—"
Following Vlad's command, the "Black" Saber Siegfried grasped his sword with both hands, twisting his wrists.
Click!
Through his connection to the homunculus power supply under Fortress of Millennia, the abundant mana surged, channeling into the blue gemstone embedded in Siegfried's hilt.
Buzzing—!
In an instant, an immense power surged from the sword. Countless particles of pale blue light scattered, forming a torrent of azure energy that shot skyward, like a powerful wave turned tangible.
Since Siegfried activated his Noble Phantasm willingly this time, without any forced command from Gordes, there was no hesitation whatsoever!
The moment Siegfried gripped his sword, Amakusa Shirou Tokisada and Semiramis both sensed an impending danger.
"Damn it! Hurry up, all of you!!" Semiramis growled, her hands glowing with mana, her brow contorting in frustration from the intense output.
The "all of you" she referred to included both the giant venomous serpent summoned by her Noble Phantasm, Bashmu, and her allies, the Red Servants, who she was desperately summoning back.
Lancer Karna was already responding, and though Berserker Spartacus's response was chaotic at best, the delay with Archer Atalanta and Rider Achilles was infuriating—she had even used two command seals to summon them!
As she beheld the waves of mana coursing through Siegfried, Semiramis realized that without her Hanging Gardens for additional defense, surviving the full brunt of his attack might truly mean death.
At that moment, "Felling of the Sky Demon!"
With his True Name Release, the blue sword in Siegfried's hands blazed with power, mana surging as if burning with a bright azure flame.
Without hesitation, Siegfried swung the colossal blade down in a massive column of energy.
Boom!
Just as the giant serpent Bashmu began to emerge from the poisonous sea, its dark green, spiky head only partially visible, its eyes widened as a towering wave of blue energy descended upon it.
It never had a chance to attack. All Bashmu saw was the blinding azure light filling its vision.
What is this? Where am I? What am I even doing here?
Kaboom!!
A colossal dome of blue mana erupted over the battlefield, lighting up the night as an overwhelming shockwave tore through the old chapel, reducing it to rubble.
Meanwhile, a red magic circle flickered to life behind Amakusa Shirou and Semiramis, particles of golden light materializing.
"Incarnate as armor, O Sun—!"
And then, cutting through the tension, a gut-wrenching scream sounded out.
"No! Stop! Achilles—RUN!!"
With a deafening crash, the chapel was obliterated. A massive crater now lay where it once stood, and the poisonous Bashmu summoned by Semiramis had vanished completely, leaving not a trace of dust behind.
Yet, despite Siegfried's unleashed Noble Phantasm, the result was not what Black's Servants had hoped for.
The enormous trench left by Siegfried's strike was blocked by a single golden Servant with twin golden disks on his shoulders. Red Assassin and her Master stood unharmed behind him.
"The Red Lancer, Karna… so your Master did use a Command Seal to bring you back," Vlad said impassively, noting the reinforcement.
"Master, call back Achilles at once—if he hesitates, he'll be killed!"
The desperate female voice from earlier shouted again. Behind Semiramis and Amakusa, the elf-like huntress lay wounded on the ground.
Her once-sleek green hair was scorched, and her verdant tunic was shredded. Her skin bore countless dark red patches, signs of her body eroding under an unseen force.
The fierceness in her sharp eyes had dimmed, her left arm severed with a smooth cut, likely from a light-based attack.
Amakusa Shirou had anticipated that Black would have predicted his plan, but seeing his Archer so gravely wounded struck a nerve.
"Archer, I assume you and Rider encountered the Black Servant of godly status?" he asked, pressing his hand to Atalanta's side and channeling mana to aid her recovery.
It's Red's Archer, Atalanta, Vlad and the others concluded, recognizing her battered condition and suspecting she had faced the powerful deity.
"Ah! My return! And this time, I shall be the star!"
A voice rose in flamboyant intonation as Shakespeare reappeared, piecing himself together from gathering particles of mana.
"Hmph, what an unfair skill you possess for someone so useless…" Semiramis scoffed, unimpressed with Shakespeare's rapid recovery.
Shakespeare's Self-Preservation skill, ranked B, allowed him to evade danger as long as his Master survived, despite his near-total lack of combat ability.
"Ah, Queen of Assyria, you wound me…" Shakespeare replied, clutching his chest dramatically.
Black's Servants, meanwhile, had paused out of respect for their opponents. Perhaps it was confidence on Vlad's part, but he seemed to be relishing the opportunity for an even fight, waiting for a signal.
Black Archer Chiron, seeing his old companion Atalanta and hearing the name Achilles, was deep in contemplation and refrained from seizing the advantage.
Siegfried and Frankenstein were more straightforward—they would only act under orders.
"It seems your plan has failed. With my Master's command sealing the deal, the mission to intercept Ruler has been nullified. Priority is now to repel the invaders!" declared Red Lancer Karna, spinning his golden spear as he stepped forward to face the Black Servants.
Amakusa Shirou Tokisada sighed, tending to Atalanta's injuries. It was true; the plan had indeed failed. Judging by timing alone, Karna had barely even confronted Ruler before being summoned back.
A few minutes earlier, on the highway leading into the center of Trifas…
It was late night in this small town of about 20,000, and the highway was almost deserted. Under the quiet night sky, a lone pickup truck drove along the empty road.
In the open cargo bed sat a beautiful girl, her golden hair tied in a single braid and her blue eyes serene and thoughtful. Dressed in a black school uniform, white shirt, and black shorts paired with long socks, she looked every bit a student.
Though her outfit offered little protection from the biting cold of the open-air bed, she seemed completely unfazed by the chill, lost instead in heavy thoughts.
"Laeticia… I'm sorry for borrowing your body this way… bringing you all the way from France and spending so much of your money…" murmured the girl.
Responding to the strange circumstances of this Holy Grail War, the Saint Jeanne d'Arc, summoned as Ruler, had been forced to manifest by merging with an ordinary human body, as though in preparation for something unusual.
The fusion created an overlap of personalities rather than a dual one, blending Ruler's spirit with the memories of her host, a French girl named Laeticia.
Using the knowledge provided by the Grail and Laeticia's memories, Jeanne had quickly made her way from France to Romania, scraping together whatever funds she could from her host's wallet.
Unaccustomed to the high price of airplane tickets—especially for such a long, cross-continental journey—Jeanne couldn't help but feel guilt over the almost completely depleted savings she had taken from Laeticia.
"If worse comes to worst… maybe the Church or the Mage's Association will reimburse me," she thought with an uncomfortable sigh, fully aware that money was a significant obstacle even for a hero.
As she brooded, Jeanne suddenly raised her head, her expression shifting to one of serious concern. She glanced toward the highway sign ahead.
"Please, this place is dangerous. You should leave," Jeanne advised the well-meaning driver, who had been kind enough to offer her a ride.
The older man was initially reluctant, but after she used a bit of persuasive suggestion, he left Jeanne standing alone, pulling away in his pickup.
Watching the truck disappear into the night, Jeanne turned toward the sign on the side of the road.
"So, you're the Ruler summoned to arbitrate this Holy Grail War?" a cold voice spoke.
There, leaning against the road sign, was a white-haired Servant clad in gleaming golden armor, holding a spear of brilliant gold as he gazed at her impassively.
"Prepare yourself."
With that, the golden warrior raised his spear, his entire body igniting in a blaze of fire as he shot downward like a comet, spear first, bearing down upon the girl with devastating force.
BOOM—!
In that split second, a single strike drove into the earth, cracking it open and sending debris flying.
Simultaneously, three massive explosions reverberated across the church atop the hill in Sighișoara, the nearby forest of Trifas, and the highway into the town center.
Elsewhere…
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Knowing that Spartacus's "Crying Warmonger" ability would only intensify under bombardment, Selene had opted for a more… direct approach.
"Yes! Yes! Aaah! Ooooh—! Oppressor!" Before her, a surreal scene unfolded.
Spartacus's towering form was pinned by the larger Golden Armored Imperial Guards, each limb locked and immobilized.
Answering Black Caster Avicebron's request to capture Spartacus alive, Selene had instructed her soldiers to take him down barehanded, rather than with weapons.
As she watched, she couldn't help but think that though subduing him herself might be quicker, the Berserker's unsettlingly euphoric expressions as he struggled under blows were too much. She wasn't Esdeath, after all; she had no interest in that sort of pleasure.
Seeing Selene, Spartacus struggled harder, his expression twisting into bliss.
"Yes! I can feel it—you, the Oppressor! The one who toys with life—of men and beasts! Just you wait, I, Spartacus, will strike you down!"
"Shut up!"
"Insolence!"
Crack! Thud! Bang!
Instantly, the Imperial Guards retaliated, slamming him with even greater force.
Within moments, Spartacus's limbs were dislocated, his head pummeled by dozens of punches until he went cross-eyed, consciousness fading as he finally lay limp.
"Alright, that should do it, Caster. He's all yours." Selene gestured for the guards to bring him forward.
"Yes, understood," replied Avicebron, hidden in his striped robes as he approached to initiate the host-switching process on Berserker.
Selene's gaze shifted slightly to her surroundings.
"You two have been watching long enough. Come out now, little mice."
"Ohh, ohh! This stunningly perceptive beauty truly saw right through me…" The voice was light, with a hint of mocking irreverence.
"Beauty, is it?" A smile crept over Selene's face, but the warmth didn't reach her eyes.
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