The Great Holy Grail War (Part 7)

"Fall."

A beam of light, a pillar of destruction summoned by the gods, created by pure Prana descended down on the flying fortress. A storm, a divine judgement came down on them as the pillar of light knocked the flying castle into the ground.

Trying to resist the sudden assault, the Hanging Gardens screamed in protest. The torrent of magical force crashed down onto the fortress, threatening to end its meager existence. It didn't stop, for however long, the Prana continued smashing onto the flying castle.

"That's absurd...!" Semiramis gritted her teeth witnessing the impossible event.

The quantity of magical energy used so far was equaled to the activation of multiple Anti-Army Noble Phantasms. Such a crude method... was actually working. But who in the world was able to expend this insane amount of Prana just to do this?

Of course, Rider of Black is the only person capable of doing this. He knows the direction the Red Faction will take, so there was enough time for preparation.

In a battle between Mages, the most important thing was not only their skills, but also their magical energy. No matter how strong a Magus is, they won't be able to reach their full potential without enough Prana.

So what if he can't fully stop time? So what if he can't compress space? So what if he can't rival the Magi from the Age of Gods? He is the Third Magician, the master of Heaven's Feel. As long as he pushes a spell, no, he did not even need a spell, since mere magical force is enough, because-

"In the terms of magical force... no one in this world is equal to me." Gazing at the falling castle coldly, Fenric lifted his hand and hundreds of light rays formed from magical energy assaulted the flying fortress.

The beams of pure Prana bombarded the Hanging Gardens without stop. The main defensive mechanisms were the first ones to be destroyed. The giant panels were turned into fragments one by one, not even given a chance to prepare their powerful EX-Ranked magical attacks.

The exits where Semiramis' familiars were deployed were the next to be targeted. The three thousand Dragon Tooth Warriors and the flying Dragon Wing Warriors that acted as their reinforcements were easily obliterated by the light rays.

"Lancer, Rider!" Kotomine Shirou cried out pleadingly and the two Servants nodded with grim faces. Achilles immediately summoned his chariot and hopped onto it, turning into a shooting star in the sky. Karna levitated and dashed out of the prow, bolting towards the forest.

However, the two were quickly intercepted before they could reach the massive spells' invoker.

Stakes sprouted out from the ground. Thousands of them rained down on the flying Lancer, they forcefully stopped Karna's desperate search for Fenric, and pushed the Hero of Charity further into the depths of the darkened woods.

"It's your turn..." Sighing in relief, Rider of Black melted into the shadows and fled from his position. Who in the world would feel safe when you know you're about to face two top-ranking Servants at the same time? "I'll leave the rest to you and provide support from behind."

"You did well, Rider." Lancer of Black replied through the Yggdmillennia's link. "To think that you could detect their attack and strike down that flying castle... you have truly impressed this king tonight."

Meanwhile, the chariot in the sky was still chasing after the retreating Fenric. "You won't get away!" Achilles grinned excitedly and controlled the reins. He directed the three horses towards the fleeing Servant's figure and materialized his spear.

"But I'm not your enemy..." Spotting the incoming meteor, Rider of Black smiled in a teasing manner and pointed behind Achilles. "It's him."

Not given a chance to speak nor retaliate, a giant fist came down on the soaring chariot and smashed it into the ground. "What?!" The Hero of Iliad exclaimed in shock as a massive being materialized before him.

"The invisibility spell Rider provided is truly effective... I'll have to thank him for this." Avicebron mumbled from Keter Malkuth's shoulder. Unsurprisingly, the primordial golem's size has increased by many meters since its core was inserted. At this rate, it'll surely reach at least a thousand meters.

The giant who towered above the forest roared. He repeatedly punched the fallen chariot, each blows decreeing for the deaths of those who were under his fists.

"-Neigh!" Suffering the continuous assault, Pedasos, a fine and famous horse that Achilles pillaged from a city was instantly killed while Xanthos and Balius, the two immortal divine horses bestowed by the Greek sea god Poseidon wailed out in sorrow at their friend's death.

"Finish them." Avicebron ordered. Immortal horse or not, the golem itself is considered a 'divine' existence. Adam's strikes were imbued with Divinity, and they did manage to successfully harm the immortal horses.

"As if I'll let you!" Achilles gritted his teeth. He has been knocked off to a place not so far away, and witnessed the three horses being tormented. "Prepare yourself, Servant of Black." Lifting his spear, a green comet clashed with the golem's fist.

Adam's arm, which was as tough as steel and as powerful as a legendary blade was obliterated by a single thrust. Knowing that it was not the time to express its surprise, the primordial giant promptly calmed down and punched the Hero of Iliad with its other fist.

Keter Malkuth was intelligent. It was learning every second, studying every movements done by Achilles, processing the actions of everything surrounding it, and coming to the most logical conclusion that worked best in its favor.

Thus, before the second punch could connect, it froze and instead launched a kicked.

"What?!" Stunned by the stopped attack, the Hero of the Trojan War could not react in time and received a direct hit on his back. Fortunately, his spear's shaft blocked the golem and redirected its kick to his left. "...This thing... it's sentient?"

On the other side of the battlefield, Vlad III had lured Karna into the plains. With no obstacles to both his vision and stakes, an open area was the perfect location for the usage of his Noble Phantasm, Kazikli Bey: The Lord of Execution.

"Haah!" Thousands of stakes sprouted from the earth. They stormed the Lancer of Red, trying their best to penetrate the man's unblemished armor. The Prince of Wallachia was not standing still, he was riding on a mount created by Avicebron.

What Caster brought out was, naturally, a giant golem horse of metal. It was made of a combination of iron and bronze with an uneven design. Its eyes consisted of a red ruby and blue sapphire, which each carried a bewitching shine.

It was mount that satisfied Lancer. Although its resilience was second-rate at best when compared to Heroic Spirits like him, its speed did manage to reach the realm of Servants. Additionally, due to being an artificial imitation, it would never stop nor tire from running out of stamina.

"I got you, Lancer of Red!" Soon, the Impaler gained the first blood.

Stakes sprouted from within Karna's body and the ones he summoned cornered the Hero of Charity, pinning him into the ground. "Haha!" Yes, even if it did no damage, Lancer of Black did scratched the Red Servant with his spear earlier.

Kavacha and Kundala: O' Sun, Become Armor, the divine set of golden armor and golden earrings may be an invincible armor that protects him against all harm by reducing all damage to a tenth of its original value... but what if it came from inside his body?

If his spear hits the enemy even once, and as long as they're within his territory, it will cause stakes to be created from within the enemy's body and pierce them from inside out.

The true effect of the ability is not to 'create stakes', but rather that the Noble Phantasm itself is 'stakes stabbed into the enemy'. Once the enemy has received an attack within his territory, it matters not how much the body of the enemy is fortified because the stakes manifest in the state of 'already having pierced the enemy.'

"Ugh!" Karna coughed out blood and widened his eyes in shock. 'These spears...' This, this was his first time taking actual damage while clad in the armor.

"This is checkmate." Raising his arm, Vlad III declared his victory. Hundreds of stakes climbed towards the sky. They congregated into a mass of destruction. The manifestation of impalement rained down on the Hero of Charity. Surely, he would not survive such a strike.

However, Karna maintained his cool despite being cornered. "...O' Agni." Without warning, a massive explosion was created. The stakes were all blast away, and the ground caved in.

The scene looked as if the flame god Agni had descended upon the earth. A stream of fire formed around Lancer of Red. Although the heat from the flames alone could melt the ground, it didn't harm even a single strand of his hair.

"...Prepare yourself, king of this country-" Karna pointed his divine spear at his opponent as he annihilated every stakes in the field with his Skill, Mana Burst (Flames). "-for your life is mine."

...

"...Was that one of your Noble Phantasms, Rider?"

"Yes, Master. It's a Noble Phantasm that grants me an unlimited supply of magical energy for a short duration... though I won't be able to use again since it's limited to once every three days." Fenric replied after hearing Celenike's voice.

"Is it?" The witch's tone was full of disappointment. Nevertheless, it was still an amazing Noble Phantasm, similar to the mirror of a certain fox wife from the Far East.

"Master, I am exhausted from the Noble Phantasm's activation so I will follow the plan and fall back to provide fire support when necessary." At Fenric's words, Celenike went silent. "Hm." What a heartless Master she was, not even giving her Servant some affirmations.

"Well, whatever." He smiled wryly and took position in the forest. The improved Moonlight Falling appeared in his hands. He checked the purple and black bow for any faulty and found it working perfectly.

Then, a white-haired woman stepped out of her hiding. Without delay, a formless being exited the Rider of Black and moved into her body. The woman's blank face gained a sliver humanity, while the Rider of Black's expression went blank.

"Without me... the body is merely a husk that barely reaches the level of a third-rate Servant... but it'll do." The woman, now Fenric, smiled and controlled the male homunculus to only attack when an ally is in danger.

"...I have something else to do anyway." She handed the enchanted bow to the artificial puppet and turned around. As she studied the war zone filled with the flashes and noises of battle, a set of silver full body armor materialized and covered her entire body.

"It's time to bring that thing out..." Moving her head to the direction of the Fortress of Millennia, a teasing smile formed on the beautiful woman's face. "Yes... she'll definitely find this present... more than satisfactory."

...

Clang!

On the vast grasslands between the forest and the Fortress of Yggdmillennia, two silhouette clashed their blades with each other. Clang! Metals pushed each other back with immense force while sparks flew for their repeated contact.

"What's wrong, Saber of Black?! You are lagging behind!" A mass of steel taunted its opponent and lunged with her sword.

"..." On the other side, the tall man with silver-grey hair was encompassed in a dome of solemn atmosphere. Yes, he has remained silent since the start of their fight, because he believes that speaking or laughing in battle may offend his opponent.

No one will be saved in a fight for their lives. Thus, at the very least, he wishes to pay respect to all his foes. Whether they are old or young, male or female, inexperienced or trained, the moment they step onto the bloodstained field of a war, they are equal.

"Tch." Seeing Siegfried's grave expression, Mordred clicked her tongue and pointed Clarent at him. "Whatever. This king doesn't like waiting. I'll kill a third-rate Servant like you real quick, and then I'll go and end all the Servants of Black by myself." Ending her sentence, the Knight of Treachery disappeared.

The Dragon Slayer froze. Then, he promptly lifted his sword and deflected a thrust at his waist. 'Fast!' He gritted his teeth and pushed the opposite Saber back. "Ugh-!" However, he did not expect her to simply drop her sword and kick him in the stomach.

"You actually blocked that?" Mordred picked up the white-silver sword and said, impressed at how Siegfried avoided a blow enhanced by her Mana Burst. "Hm?" Nevertheless, she furrowed her brows when she saw her opponent standing up.

He was not injured.

"Hey, Master." The female knight connected to her mental link. Her Master must have been watching the fight from their link or somewhere far away since she and Sisigou have came to the chaotic battlefield together before he decided to retreat after seeing how bad the situation was.

"What?" Sisigou's calm tone sounded out.

"Do you know Saber of Black's true name?"

"No, why?"

"He didn't take any damage from my strikes."

"It's not like he's going to die from a few hits, just keep attacking him, he'll be injured sooner or later."

"No, you don't understand what I meant. I am saying that Saber of Black has took zero damage from the fight. Ignoring the normal strikes, he should at the very least be hurt or scratched from a strike enhanced by my Mana Burst."

"Zero damage? Are you sure about that? Is his Master healing him?" The bounty hunter's tone change.

"Probably, but it still doesn't explain how fast he's recovering."

"...I see. Then it's highly likely that he is in the possession of a defensive, barrier, or healing-type Noble Phantasm. At this rate, it'll turn to a battle of endurance... and I am sorry to say this, but, you won't win."

"I agree, Master. Now what should we do? Should I fall back?" Despite having a short fuse, Mordred was in fact an extremely cautious and logical person. No, in the first place, her emotions are her pride as she believed that a king must be temperamental in order to gain their subjects' support.

"No, stay and buy time for the Red Faction." Sisigou stated calmly. They have agreed to Kotomine Shirou's strategy of stealing the Greater Grail, so it would be advantageous to just hold the Saber of Black back. "Even though I don't like that priest, this is an opportunity for us to lead the war and be closer to our objective."

"All right, Master!" Mordred grinned and swung Clarent down once more.

...

"Master, what are you-"

"I will participate in this chaos, Assassin." Kotomine Shirou replied as his foot stepped onto the prow's railings. "Although the ambush and swift intervention from the Black Faction was not expected, we are in no way disadvantageous as long as you, Rider, and Lancer are alive."

That was true. The Heroic Spirits known as Achilles and Karna are one man armies who could defeat the entire Black Faction alone if given enough time and Prana support. In fact, the Hero of Charity would be able to end any foe immediately with the activation of his ultimate Noble Phantasm.

The Wise Queen of Assyria was similarly important due to her mobile fortress. With the assistance of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, they have the ability to easily transport the Greater Grail to any location they desire before setting it up as what the Yggdmillennnia clan did.

"But it's too dangerous down there! Lancer and Rider both have their hands full, they won't be able to rescue you." Semiramis held her hand in front of her chest and pleaded. The situation has gotten out of their control and the danger level has risen by several degrees.

Vlad the Impaler definitely would not let a powerful opponent run rampant on the battlefield while Achilles was being trashed around by a giant golem. Kotomine Shirou, no, Amakusa Shirou Tokisada may be a Servant, but he is in no way on the level of the other summoned Servants.

"I am sorry, Assassin, but this is something that I must do. Not as the Master of the Red Faction, but as a man who wishes to see his dream granted." The Asian saint turned his head back and saw his Servant biting her lips. "If god acknowledges it, I will surely be back."

'What if he doesn't?' Such an ominous question was sealed by the woman's lips. How could she ask something like that... when the person in question was about to head into a battlefield where heroes could easily fall.

"...Yes, I believe there is nothing I can do to hold you back." Closing her eyes, the Assyrian queen smiled. "But promise me, promise me that you'll return."

"I promise." Kotomine Shirou smiled in respond. Giving his Servant one last glance, he leaped off the prow of the flying castle, with a boisterous Shakespeare following behind him.

"...Liar." Semiramis sighed. She's not a fool. She understood that her dear Master has an incredibly high chance of perishing in the war zone ahead. However, there was nothing she could do to support him at the moment.

"And I need to repair the damages caused by that... man." The Hanging Gardens was harmed greatly by the Rider of Black's assault. Most of the fortress' offensive functions were disabled by the second attack, and it was barely maintaining its flight thanks to the power source her Master gained from spending sixty years in the human world.

"To think that there's a Servant out there that can deal such a hefty wound to my castle." The Assyrian Queen gritted her teeth and walked towards her throne. Laying her hand on the huge jewel, she examined the conditions of the Hanging Gardens and... widened her eyes. "What is that- Wait, that is-"

At the sky above her, a figure was laughing loudly. It may be unbelievable, but to the denizens of the Moonlit World, the ability to fly was extremely common, especially to any skilled user of the arts of Magecraft. Nonetheless, that's not the problem right now.

"Yes, yes, yes, just wait for me right there!" Surely, no one would be happy when they see the laughing man's face. "Now, fall with me-"

"-oppressor!"

CRASH!