Heroic Spirits, those who left their mark in myth and history, are elevated in the Hall of Heroes after death, drawing power from their legends. These legends, celebrated by people, manifest in them as skills and Noble Phantasms, making them powerful.
Diarmuid, whose head Zuke crushed with one hand, was the chief warrior of the Fianna Knights of Ireland and possessed considerable abilities. His two Noble Phantasms, "The Crimson Rose of Exorcism" and "The Yellow Rose of Mortality," have different effects. The former nullifies magical enhancements and adds unique powers, while the latter, as Diarmuid explained, causes wounds that cannot be healed.
As a Lancer, Diarmuid also had unique skills like "Mind's Eye," "The Love Spot," and "Knight's Tactics." For an ordinary person, these abilities would be quite formidable, but to Zuke, they were merely extras. However, since Diarmuid was the first Heroic Spirit he killed, Zuke decided to see what powers he might gain by devouring one.
A black bird appeared behind Zuke, reached out to Diarmuid's remains, absorbed him, and merged him into its shadow. Zuke wasn't depraved enough to consume a corpse with his mouth; the black bird's "Devour" simply required merging the target into its shadow.
"Ugh…uh…aah…"
Diarmuid's Master, the unluckiest participant in this Holy Grail War, Kenneth, was staring at Zuke in horror. He couldn't see the black bird, but he had seen Zuke crush his Servant's head and then make Diarmuid's remains disappear by some unknown method. And Zuke's face had a look of satisfaction—he was savoring the power his black bird had taken from Diarmuid.
To Kenneth, however, this was unmistakably the face of a murderer.
As a Lord of the Clock Tower, Kenneth wasn't exactly a sheltered flower, but this brutal scene had left him speechless with fear. He backed away, making meaningless noises, trying to escape the suite without drawing Zuke's attention.
"Damn it! Fuyuki City is terrifying! What kind of monsters are these Heroic Spirits in the Holy Grail War!?"
Initially, Kenneth had underestimated the Holy Grail War in Fuyuki City, but now he was terrified and desperate to escape back to England. He had even forgotten the source of his initial anger at Diarmuid—his fiancée, Sola.
"Hey, Berserker, can I open my eyes now?" came Rin Tohsaka's slightly worried voice after Zuke crushed Diarmuid, sending him back to the Hall of Heroes. She was still nestled in his arms, obediently keeping her eyes shut, but things had grown eerily quiet in the room.
Though Rin knew Zuke would take action against the Heroic Spirit, she expected some resistance from Lancer, one of the three main knight classes. Surely he would put up some kind of fight?
"Almost done, just wait a moment," Zuke replied, smiling at Rin as he observed the black bird in front of him.
Under his control, the black bird slowly grew two spears in its hands, one long and one short. Though black as the bird itself, these were unmistakably "The Crimson Rose of Exorcism" and "The Yellow Rose of Mortality."
"I thought I'd only gain Heroic Spirits' unique skills, but I even got their Noble Phantasms… interesting."
Zuke scratched his chin thoughtfully with his free hand. If he could devour Noble Phantasms, he had an intriguing target in mind—Archer Gilgamesh, whose Noble Phantasm, "Gate of Babylon," contained numerous practical treasures. They might not boost his combat power significantly, but they would make his life much more convenient.
It seemed Gilgamesh was a must-eat.
Meanwhile, Kenneth had managed to edge his way to the door, his face lighting up with a hint of joy at Zuke's apparent lack of interest in pursuing him.
Just a little closer…
"Alright, I've seen all there is to Diarmuid's worth."
But as Kenneth was about to open the door, Zuke's devilish voice reached his ears.
"You enjoyed insulting Diarmuid earlier, didn't you? Then let's use Diarmuid's Noble Phantasm to finish you off—it should be a good revenge for him, even if he might not have wanted it."
Diarmuid was a loyal fool who, despite Kenneth's berating, bore no grudge against him. But Zuke was a good guy; if Diarmuid didn't want to kill Kenneth, Zuke would handle it for him.
With a sharp sound, the black bird hurled the black short spear with immense force—over 3,000 combat power. Even a casual throw was far beyond Kenneth's capacity to block. Panicking, Kenneth reflexively tried to summon his magical tool, the "Mooncell Marrow," to shield himself. But before it could even form, his head exploded like Diarmuid's, shattered as if it were a watermelon.
Despite the spear's slenderness, the sheer force of the throw not only pierced his head but also shattered it entirely.
"A filthy display of fireworks."
Zuke squinted as he looked at Kenneth's corpse, though he felt no discomfort. Perhaps Saiyans were naturally accustomed to such cruelty.
"All done, Rin. But if you open your eyes, prepare yourself for what you might see."
Though the battle ended swiftly, the area around Diarmuid and Kenneth's bodies was a bloody mess, a sight that might be overwhelming for a young girl like Rin.
"I… I was prepared."
Rin's voice trembled slightly, but steeling herself as Zuke's Master, she took a deep breath and opened her eyes.
The sight that met her was grim—the room was stained with blood, and near the doorway lay a corpse with its head blown apart.
"Ugh…"
To be continued…
Hoi Ningen, FBI is after you after going through your search history. Hand over your Power Stones to me so I can bribe them for you winks.
Advance 50 Chapters are up on my Patreon!
pat reon.com/AlphaSenatus