"Hahaha, Chihiro, your death is at hand!"
Seeing Karna withdraw, Bluebeard didn't waste time arguing. Laughing maniacally, he commanded his monstrous creations the sea demon and the Beast of Billows to charge toward Chihiro with unstoppable force.
At the same time, Achilles received Kotomine Shirou's orders and reluctantly retreated, clearly displeased at being pulled away from the battle.
The two enormous beasts, the sea demon and the Beast of Billows, surged toward Chihiro, their sheer size and momentum shaking the earth beneath them.
"That sea monster is mine!"
Before Chihiro could react, Mordred charged straight toward the sea demon, her armor gleaming as she leapt into action.
Chihiro sighed inwardly as he watched. He wanted to warn her that the sea demon wasn't something she could easily defeat, but knowing Mordred's fiery temper, he decided it wasn't worth the effort.
"Look, Father. I am no king, but I follow in the king's path.
I will destroy all that I must to bring the king peace!"
Mordred stood resolutely in front of the sea demon, raising her sword high as red magical energy surged from her body.
"Clarent Blood Arthurrrrr!!!"
The crimson energy burst forth, transforming into a massive wave of light that engulfed the sea demon in an instant. The beam of light shot skyward, illuminating the battlefield for all to see.
"Is that the Saber of the Red faction? She's here too?"
Darnic frowned deeply, his expression grim as he watched the chaos unfold. The situation was already dire enough, and now Mordred had joined the fray.
Vlad III turned to Darnic. "Darnic, what about the Holy Grail?"
Darnic's voice was heavy with frustration. "King, the situation is spiraling out of control. We'll have to wait and see how this unfolds."
Meanwhile, as the light of Mordred's Noble Phantasm faded, she stared at the sea demon in confusion.
Though the creature had taken heavy damage, it was still alive and moving.
"I put everything I had into that attack… and it's still standing?"
Mordred's grip on her sword tightened as doubt began to creep in. Was the gap between her and her father truly this vast?
What she didn't realize was that this sea demon, empowered by the Holy Grail, was far stronger than the one from Fate/Zero.
The sea demon's injuries began to heal rapidly, its massive tentacles lashing out toward Mordred with terrifying speed.
Mordred stepped back, narrowly avoiding the strike. With a quick counter, she swung her sword, severing the attacking tentacle.
But to her dismay, the severed limb regenerated almost instantly, and another wave of attacks forced her to retreat further.
Her magic reserves were nearly depleted after unleashing her Noble Phantasm, leaving her unable to release another strike in such a short time.
"Tch… Damn it!" Mordred cursed under her breath, frustration written all over her face.
Chihiro, who had been observing from a distance, sighed. He had anticipated this outcome and was already preparing to act.
Holding a gun in one hand, Chihiro took out a hexagram coin with the other and loaded it into the gun's chamber.
"Let's see if this works," he muttered.
Light Shot, fire!
The hexagram coin, infused with energy, shot out from the barrel, instantly coming to life as it spun across the ground. The coin moved with incredible speed, leaving behind a glowing trail as it raced forward.
Mid-flight, the coin split into two clones, and the three coins worked in unison to draw a massive hexagram formation on the forest floor.
Fortunately, Chihiro's earlier decision to burn down the forest had created an open area, making it possible to set up the formation.
Once the formation was complete, the coins returned to Chihiro's hand.
Aiming at the center of the glowing hexagram, Chihiro began to chant an incantation.
The six-star coin shot out a radiant beam of light that struck the center of the formation, and the brilliant glow illuminated the night sky like a second sun.
From within the column of light, a red, face-shaped mecha slowly emerged, towering over the battlefield as it rose to its full height before Chihiro.
"What the hell is that?"
Achilles and Atalanta, watching from their chariot, were momentarily stunned by the unexpected sight.
Achilles frowned, then laughed. "Wait a second, doesn't that thing remind you of Odysseus' Trojan Horse?"
Below, Chihiro glanced up at the summoned Light Messenger, already aware that the process wasn't over yet.
To activate the Light Messenger, he had to reach its cockpit within five seconds, an impossible feat for most people, but not for him.
Attaching two enchanted talismans to his legs, Chihiro shot forward like a gust of wind, dashing toward the Light Messenger with astonishing speed.
As he approached, a beam of light descended from the blue mirror on the Light Messenger's head, enveloping him and pulling him inside.
The moment he entered, Chihiro's attire automatically transformed into a red combat suit, complete with a sun-shaped headband.
Inside the Light Messenger, he stood atop a floating hexagonal platform just large enough to support him. Around him, projections of the battlefield materialized, giving him a clear view of the outside world.
"Welcome, Chihiro. I am the Light Messenger," a deep, resonant voice announced.
"Does it have self-awareness, just like in the stories?" Chihiro asked curiously.
The Light Messenger responded, "I am sorry, but I have no memories of the past. My consciousness began the moment I was summoned."
"That's fine. Saves me the trouble of dealing with unnecessary baggage," Chihiro said, his tone lighthearted.
Raising his voice, he commanded, "Alright then, let's deal with the enemy first."
"Light Messenger, transform!"
With a series of mechanical clicks and whirs, the Light Messenger began its transformation. Its legs unfolded and planted firmly on the ground, its arms extended outward, and within seconds, the face-shaped structure reconfigured itself into a humanoid mecha.
As the transformation completed, the glowing magic circle beneath the Light Messenger dissipated.
"Looks like that thing really is similar to Odysseus' Trojan horse," Achilles remarked with a grin. "I didn't think that guy had a trump card like this hidden away."
The sudden appearance of the red mecha left both the Red and Black factions in shock.
Caules' eyes widened in awe, while Sisigou watched with visible interest.
"Mechas, huh? Guess it's true—there's something about them that just speaks to a man's soul," Sisigou muttered, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"How many secrets does that boy have hidden away?" Gilgamesh mused aloud, sipping his wine as he observed the battlefield below with an air of amusement.
"Do you require a combat tutorial?" the mecha's voice asked.
Chihiro shook his head. "No need. I know your combat style inside and out."
"Chihiro, die!"
Bluebeard, initially stunned by the sudden appearance of the mecha, quickly recovered. With a wild laugh, he ordered the Beast of Billows to attack.
The Light Messenger stood at a height of eight meters, smaller than the ten-meter-tall Beast of Billows. However, size wasn't everything.
As the Beast of Billows swung its massive claws toward the Light Messenger, Chihiro calmly maneuvered the mecha to intercept. Catching the attack, he redirected the force and threw the giant beast over his shoulder, slamming it into the ground.
Before the sea demon could react, Chihiro seized the opportunity. Controlling the Light Messenger, he grabbed the tail of the Beast of Billows and swung it like a massive weapon, smashing it into the sea demon. Both monsters were knocked to the ground by the force of the blow.
"Light Energy: Energy Bolt!"
Chihiro shouted, and the Light Messenger began gathering a glowing sphere of energy between its hands. With a powerful motion, the energy ball was launched into the ground.
The energy burst apart upon impact, sending shockwaves coursing through the battlefield. The ground erupted beneath the two monsters, delivering a devastating attack that left the Beast of Billows roaring in agony.
"Ahhh!!!"
The sea demon recovered quickly, its regenerative abilities fully active. However, the Beast of Billows wasn't as fortunate, its injuries were severe, and it let out a pained roar.
"Hahaha! Useless, Chihiro! You can't kill me!" Bluebeard's deranged laughter echoed across the battlefield as the sea demon surged forward once more.
"We'll see who's laughing when this is over," Chihiro muttered, his focus unwavering.
This time, he activated Ars Ignis through the Light Messenger.
"Purgatory Sea of Flames!"
Blazing flames erupted around the battlefield, forming a massive wave of fire that surged forward, threatening to engulf everything in its path.
With the Light Messenger amplifying his power, Chihiro successfully unleashed an advanced fire spell that turned the battlefield into an inferno.
"Ahhhh!!!"
Bluebeard's smug demeanor vanished as he screamed in panic. The sea demon thrashed wildly within the flames, its body twisting as it tried to escape the fiery onslaught.
The Beast of Billows, heavily injured, attempted to crawl out of the fire's range, its body scorched and trembling.
The massive wave of flames served as a stark reminder of Chihiro's formidable power, leaving everyone watching in stunned silence.
"This is… unusual," Chiron muttered, his brow furrowing as he observed the battlefield.
From the start of the battle, Chihiro's side had only revealed a few of its Servants—Hassan of the Hundred Faces, Gilgamesh, and the First Emperor. None of the others had appeared yet. It was strange. Surely they hadn't chosen not to participate.
Meanwhile, in the Hanging Garden of Babylon …
"It seems our enemy isn't to be underestimated," Semiramis remarked, her gaze fixed on the battlefield below.
Watching the Light Messenger in action, she asked Kotomine Shirou, "What exactly is that? A Noble Phantasm, or perhaps some sort of technological construct?"
"You couldn't create something like that in this era," Kotomine Shirou replied, his tone contemplative. "It must be another artifact he obtained from one of those treasure chests. Considering how many golden chests he's acquired, it's not surprising that he'd have something like this."
"Either way, it doesn't matter. Even if they have a mecha, I still have the Hanging Garden," Semiramis said confidently. "The Magic Circles are already prepared and can be deployed at any moment."
"Not yet," Kotomine Shirou cautioned. "We need to wait for the right opportunity."
Semiramis smirked. "Before that, it seems we'll have guests to deal with."
At that moment, three figures descended onto the Hanging Garden of Babylon: Iskandar, Artoria, and Diarmuid, who had been missing until now.
Chihiro had anticipated Kotomine Shirou's early activation of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. As a countermeasure, he had stationed these three in secret, ready to storm the fortress and seize the Holy Grail once it appeared.
However, Bluebeard's interference had complicated the plan, forcing them to adapt.
Chihiro had quickly assigned them a new objective: a decapitation strike.
Their mission was clear—fight their way into the Hanging Garden of Babylon and eliminate Kotomine Shirou.
With most of Shirou's Servants already dispatched to the battlefield, this was the ideal moment to strike.
To ensure their success, Chihiro had shared everything he knew about Semiramis and Shakespeare's abilities, arming his allies with critical information to counter any surprises.
****
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