Chapter 109. The hand behind the scenes moves again.
"Truly, the battle between god and god is soul-shaking, as if it will never end…"
Hanma Yujiro bared his teeth in a ferocious grin, his facial muscles twitching and contorting like a demon, utterly terrifying.
Watching the frenzied battle between King Arthur and Demigod Heracles on the Celestial Curtain, a bone-piercing chill stabbed straight into his heart, nearly suffocating him, every cell in his body trembling with fear.
But…
The fighting spirit flared up inside, the thirst to challenge the overlord standing atop the food chain would never be extinguished!
My strength has not yet reached its final limit!
Train.
Keep training without stopping!
...
Countless empty, lifeless eyes quietly stared at the Celestial Curtain, making one's skin crawl.
The camera suddenly pulled back, a deep background music echoed.
The scene returned to Fuyuki City, after the two Servants tore through space and left, the bloody cloud layers gradually dissipated, revealing a gray dawn faintly glowing, along with the strong warriors locked in battle.
[A figure riding Pegasus, like a white comet across the sky.]
[Rainbow-colored eyes blazing, wielding "Durandal: Ultimate Unbroken Hallow" to conquer all the six-armed Ashura's mythic puppets, the mighty figures falling one after another, nailed high above, shaking the heavens to the extreme.]
["As expected, it's you, mongrel."]
[Hero King Gilgamesh coldly gazed at that familiar face.]
[Even though the treasures drawn from the Gate of Babylon were continuously destroyed, he didn't care at all.]
[That's right.]
[It was definitely him.]
[The absolute sage who severed ties with the Age of the Gods.]
[At present, only one six-headed, six-armed Ashura remained, all the others had been completely wiped out.]
[Right after, the Gate of Babylon, covered in golden ripples, once again fired countless original "Anti-Humanity" Noble Phantasms, accompanied by shockwaves blasting the air, shooting toward Raku Sou.]
[But they were instantly seen through entirely, the eyes lighting up with countless Death Lines like cracks.]
[Clang!]
[The rain of Noble Phantasms, stretching thousands of meters like a curtain, was cleaved in half, even the very concept of dawn erased, the area instantly plunged into darkness.]
[Strong!]
[Unparalleled strength!]
[With Medusa's Agility A+ as support, ordinary attacks no longer posed any threat to Raku Sou.]
[Moreover, Pegasus could further boost Medusa's speed.]
[I can hit you, but you absolutely cannot hit me.]
[Once I hit you, you will inevitably face death.]
[The dominance of Mystic Eyes of Death Perception was displayed fully at this moment.]
["Hmph, not a bad ability, but compared to this king's treasury, it's truly lacking."]
[Gilgamesh's gaze carried some approval, but even more arrogance, looking down from above.]
[If your brain can instantly deconstruct and comprehend this king's Noble Phantasms, seeing the death of all things…]
[Then for the "Divine Constructs" at the same level as the gods, can you easily understand them? If dozens of Divine Constructs are fired simultaneously, how much time, how much capacity do you have to comprehend, to destroy, to annihilate!]
[Truly makes one curious…]
[Then, let this king see how much joy you can bring to this king.]
...
"This is probably the proper opening of a Holy Grail War, huh..."
In the prison cell, Yamagami Tetsuya marveled, revealing a carefree smile.
Tearing a Servant apart bare-handed, even he—a top-class modern assassin—felt his spirit soar.
Rider and Raku Sou, the two complemented each other; no matter who else replaced them, the effect wouldn't be the same.
Even if the Servant were swapped for Gilgamesh, Medea, or Heracles, it would just be gilding the lily, the Mystic Eyes had never lacked terrifying killing power.
What was truly frightening was the extreme speed to close in on the enemy without dying.
Then, he glanced over to the other side of the battlefield, showing a curious expression.
Had the battle between Cursed Arm Hassan and Yukinoshita Yukino ended?
Why did it suddenly become so quiet?
...
["Assassin has fled?!"]
[In the ruins of the castle, Yukinoshita Yukino frowned, several wounds appearing on her clothes.]
[Even with the assistance of the twin maid sisters, constantly suppressing that cold, hunched shadow, getting lightly injured in battle was unavoidable.]
[She thought she had secured victory, but unexpectedly, the opponent suddenly vanished in the midst of danger.]
[Not hiding in some other space like the "stomach of a Demon God."]
[But more like teleporting.]
["It's the Command Spell…"]
[Purge King furrowed his brow tightly, immediately seeing through Cursed Arm Hassan's trick.]
[With heavy eyelids trying to stay alert, he glanced at the fierce battle between Raku Sou and the Golden King in the fortress sky, and his face suddenly showed surprise, "That Assassin… is heading to reinforce the Blackened Saber!"]
["What?!"]
[The twin maid sisters exclaimed in shock, the star-shaped mace in their hand falling to the ground, instantly feeling a bad omen.]
[Purge King turned his head, speaking in a deep voice: "Yukinoshita Yukino, what will you decide?"]
[Yukinoshita Yukino hesitated slightly; the current situation was already very clear.]
[Now, it was either to reinforce Raku Sou or stop Saber!]
[There were no other choices.]
[Although Raku Sou was fighting the oldest Heroic King, they were evenly matched for the moment.]
[The battle range was confined within Fuyuki City, so it wouldn't cause too much damage to civilians.]
[But Black Saber and Heracles were completely different; they were true mass murderers.]
[If those two continued fighting, it was feared that all of Japan would be destroyed.]
[For Yukinoshita Yukino — who took the ideal of becoming an ally of justice as her goal — of course stopping Black Saber was more important, but Raku Sou was someone she could not abandon, like a blinding choice.]
[Would she become… Yukinoshita Great Hero, who gives up the one she loves for the world?]
[Or become… Yukinoshita Super Hero, who gives up the world for the one she loves?]
[Come to think of it, fate is truly strange.]
[Whether it was Heracles or Artoria Pendragon.]
[Both were once noble heroes famous throughout the world, loving the people like their own children.]
[Yet now, one had lost his reason due to Mad Enhancement, no longer worthy of the divine title; the other had fallen because of the Black Mud, ferocious and brutal, completely indifferent to the lives of ordinary people, leading to the current outcome… dozens of Japanese cities collapsed.]
[If they were fighting in a clear-minded state, even Fuyuki would likely not be too affected.]
[The two who once shouldered great undertakings would surely have chosen to fight in uninhabited areas.]
...
Hearing the mysterious and gentle female voice within the Celestial Curtain.
Across the entire Ireland region, many citizens from the Empire on Which the Sun Never Sets began murmuring among themselves.
"I told you, our great king couldn't possibly be like that."
"If it weren't for being ambushed by those bloody red ribbons…"
"Our king is the warmest, gentlest, and most brilliant King of Knights in the world!"
"Hmph, Artoria is forever the greatest!"
"Wherever Our King's sword points, our hearts follow."
"Black Mud… it's that Black Mud again…"
"Back then, Medusa turning into Gorgon was also because Black Mud was poured into her; just what on earth is that thing?"
"Junko might've known what it was, but she's dead now."
"So, is it an heirloom of the Holy Church?"
"Maybe it's a remnant from the previous Holy Grail War."
"Umu, sounds plausible."
"But… seeing Our King Blackened, then thrashing the strongest Servant of this Holy Grail War, Heracles, beating him into the ground over and over, it feels so damn satisfying!"
"That dark, wicked beauty, ugh, that head-turning moment, beautiful enough to make you faint!"
"I am Artoria's dog!"
...
Suddenly.
[Along with the loud neigh of Pegasus, a blinding white light pierced the ground like a sword.]
[Immediately drawing the attention of everyone present — including Purge King and the twin maid sisters.]
["Rider?!"]
[Yukino was slightly confused, looking at the purple-haired goddess exuding heroic aura, holding golden reins on the horse's back – wasn't she supposed to be teaming up with Raku Sou to surround and kill Gilgamesh?]
["Master told me to go assist Berserker, do you want to come along?"]
[Medusa said calmly.]
["…Alright!"]
[Yukino took a deep breath, nodding. At first, she was worried about Raku Sou's safety — after all, the opponent was the oldest King — but if Raku Sou had ordered Medusa to go provide reinforcement, then surely there was no problem.]
[Compared to anyone else, Yukinoshita Yukino trusted him far more.]
[Very quickly, she decisively grabbed Medusa's hand, climbing onto the horse's back.]
["Wait, take this with you." Purge King calmly took out a strange bronze instrument, elongated in shape, carved all over with mystical magical patterns.]
["Transfer Magecraft?"]
[Medusa raised an eyebrow, cutting off Purge King's explanation. She quickly accepted the artifact, then pulled out an identical one from her chest.]
["Master already gave me one too, I'm fully aware of its specific function."]
["When we reach where Berserker is fighting, I'll choose a safe spot to activate this."]
["Good."]
[Purge King nodded, his gaze fixed on the dazzling golden battle in the sky.]
[Medusa didn't hesitate, quickly flicking the golden reins against Pegasus's side. Amid the painful neighing, Yukino tightly hugged Medusa's waist as they rode on the white steed, the two transforming into a streak of light shooting away.]
[In the blink of an eye, they disappeared into the pitch-black dawn sky.]
...
"Poor Pegasus-chan…"
In the Celestial Curtain, the shogi-playing girl Hinatsuru Ai murmured softly, feeling a bit heartbroken. No matter who got beaten up, it was fine, but every time Pegasus appeared, it always got whipped a few times.
Truly too unfair…
"Medusa has no choice; Pegasus is lazy. If she doesn't whip it, it won't move…"
High school boy Otonashi Yuzuru gave a wry smile, reaching out to pat the little loli's head.
That was a Phantasmal Species nearly at dragon level, surely there had to be some special way to control it. Even capital exploiting laborers couldn't just sweet-talk; they had to use an "invisible whip" to strike.
Forcing them to work, forcing them to give their all, even if it went against their own will.
...
Not long after.
With scenes of Pegasus tearing through the clouds across the sky, the frames sparkled.
The shot quickly transitioned to Nagoya, devastated everywhere, then raced toward the outskirts of Kyoto, finally spotting from afar the two great heroes locked in fierce combat among the ruins.
Yukino decided swiftly, ready to charge in to help — but it was too late.
At the very moment Pegasus was about to rush in, a clear, ringing shout exploded.
["Sword of Promised Victory — Excalibur!!"]
[The king who had lost her ahoge shouted coldly, raising the sword tip. The sword that once carried divine essence was now stained with ominous black, surging with frenzied magical energy.]
[A massive torrent of magical energy tore through the clouds, as if to cleave the very heavens and earth, accompanied by a dark aura that annihilated all, slamming fiercely toward the brawny giant roaring and charging head-on!]
["BOOM BOOM BOOM...!!"]
[In the earth-shaking explosion, the entire city was directly cleaved in two.]
[Across the city center, stretching dozens or even hundreds of kilometers, a crack like the Great Rift Valley of Western Europe split open, so deep it seemed bottomless, like a giant beast's mouth ready to swallow everything.]
[The ultra-high temperature twisted the very air, countless boulders melting into bubbling lava.]
[Black Saber stood coldly at the edge of the great chasm, watching the enemy fall.]
[The great hero from Greek mythology seemed to have completely stopped breathing; his arms were severed, his outer flesh roasted to a fiery red as if oven-baked, exposing vivid red muscles and sharp white bones inside.]
[Calling it a mutilated corpse would be no exaggeration, no longer holding even a shred of resistance.]
[With just one strike, seven of Heracles' lives were wiped out.]
[He let out a weak growl, his massive muscular body submerged in the lava.]
[Dragged down by the black blood-stained ribbons, he slowly sank to the bottom.]
[From then on, no trace remained.]
...
Berserker is dead?
Silence all around. Many people on Earth widened their eyes in shock, their souls practically flying out of their bodies.
Holy shit! That was the strongest Servant in this Holy Grail War, and yet he was completely slaughtered by Black Saber. If this keeps up, who on earth can stop her?
No…
Nine out of ten, something is definitely off here.
...
"…Berserker should still have one life left to revive."
Someone murmured, catching the thick scent of conspiracy from those spreading red-black tentacle ribbons.
That mysterious mastermind had been scheming something from the very start, always lurking in the shadows.
Lancer was about to die — pulled away…
Saber was about to die — pulled away…
Berserker was about to die — pulled away…
Damn it, the more they looked, the more it felt like the boss behind the scenes had grown powerful enough already.
Taking Blackened Saber as an example, soon it might be swarms of Black Servants showing up one after another.
Just thinking about it made everyone's scalps go numb, their limbs trembling with cold fear.
However, what truly terrified them didn't stop there.
At the exact moment of finishing off Heracles — the god of strength — Black Saber locked her gaze directly onto Medusa's approaching group.
...
[BOOM!!!]
[A light cannon with the power to destroy heaven and earth shot straight into the sky, seemingly intent on blasting both of them down.]
[The purple beam pierced through the clouds; Medusa reacted with lightning speed, dodging the attack, riding Pegasus low to the ground in an attempt to retreat.]
["Rustle rustle rustle!!"]
[A strange sound echoed from the ground, like plants sprouting and breaking through the earth, as red-black bloodstained tentacle ribbons surged up from all directions to encircle them.]
[Medusa's pupils shrank sharply as she frantically searched for a gap to escape through.]
[But…]
[The only escape route was already cut off.]
[Black Saber raised her tainted holy sword, terrifying magical energy once again gathering on Excalibur, roaring like an enraged dragon as it slashed downward!!]
[A fearsome force as if from the dawn of creation, a strike like no other.]
[Tearing apart the sky and earth, blurring the line between human and god…]
["Rho Aias!!"]
[Yukinoshita Yukino spread her arms, gritting her teeth as she gathered magical energy.]
[Layers of shield petals, pink like towering skyscrapers, rose endlessly, yet carried a sense of inevitable decay, like rivers flowing eastward.]
[The previous battle had consumed too much mana; now, trying to activate a Noble Phantasm again was an almost impossible task.]
[With Rho Aias at this level, there was absolutely no way to block that world-destroying beam of light.]
[Could it be… this is the end...]
[Suddenly.]
[A hand rested on hers, bringing with it a steady strength.]
[Yukino turned around in shock, thinking it was Medusa — only to stare blankly the next moment.]
["I am the bone of my sword."]
["Steel is my body, and fire is my blood."]
[A hoarse voice softly recited, and Yukino, the white-haired Servant who should have already exited the stage, was once again chanting the aria.]
[A pink light flared up in her palm, instantly expanding into seven layers of unbreakable shields.]
["So as I pray..."]
["Unlimited Blade Works!!"]
...
"WTF?! Archer?!"
Everyone was stunned.
????? Wasn't she already gone in the "battle of ideals"?
She had fallen into the shattered Unlimited Blade Works and been burned away by the flames until she vanished, right?
"This clutch rescue is freaking awesome, oh my god!"
Mafia young lady Kirisaki Chitoge cheered in excitement, her eyes shining as she waved her little fists in the air.
"Even so… Servant Yukino got dragged out by the Counter Force to work again, huh?"
The bright and artistic Amano Touko pouted.
With her vast knowledge, she instantly understood the situation.
Poor thing… let's hold a two-second moment of silence for Archer.