65

Zhuge Liang evaded another attack, then another, and another.

"You play pretty good catch-up ~ woof!" Berserker sounded delighted, an emotion completely unsuitable for the battlefield, "But... Honestly, this game is already starting to bore me..."

Zhuge Liang sent a couple of spells in response, and then retreated.

The situation looked... Pretty bad.

In battle, Zhuge Liang's abilities were… disappointing to say the least - his real strength laid in planning and commanding. Thus, if he had been summoned into the Holy Grail War - he would have a good chance to become a winner - avoiding conflicts, preparing his defenses, and manipulating other Servants and Masters to weaken each other, he could provide himself with very favorable fighting conditions.

Unfortunately - and perhaps fortunately at the same time - Romulus did not use his abilities in this manner, instead forcing Zhuge Liang to fight along with the rest of the Servants on the front line at the behest of his Master. This meant that the most effective aspects of Zhuge Liang's abilities remain unused - and the great commander was forced to show his as not-so-great-warrior side. It was... Sad of course, but on the other hand - who knew what could have happened if Zhuge Liang had instead come under Romulus' sway and contributed to the creation of an attack plan?

"You're open!" Berserker's next blow nearly killed Zhuge Liang, forcing him to fly to the ground, and then roll frantically, bouncing to his feet, to avoid the finishing blow. The ground into which Berserker's little girl's fist impacted rose like water, raising clouds of dust.

"She obviously has some kind of physical enhancement..." - Zhuge Liang automatically deduced - "Monstrous Strength, maybe?"

In any case, his knowledge of the Berserker's capabilities could not help him at the moment. The only reason Berserker was still not able to catch him was because she perceived the battle more as a game than a battle, at the end of which one of the fighters had to die.

Zhuge Liang sent a couple more spells, while doing his best to evade the attacks.

Somewhere nearby, Alexander cried out, after which the clamor of a blade colliding with Lancer's spear almost made Zhuge Liang turn toward Alexander's direction, checking to see if everything was okay with him. Unfortunately, Zhuge Liang doesn't have the chance as he was busy with much more important and dangerous things at the moment...

"Hmm, you won't fight back at all?" - he admits, this glib phrase of Berserker injured Zhuge Liang more than he would like to admit. Yes, he was not a warrior, but he was not so bad, - "You know, I'm seriously running after you here!"

What answer could Zhuge Liang give response? That he was fighting seriously anyway? Or that Berserker was not worth his full strength? Any of the two options led to defeat - the first to the moral, the second to the physical.

"Wow, you are starting to annoy me," Berserker snorted, and then rolled her eyes. "You know, I argued with Eli... Lancer that if I can defeat you, she won't sing for a week!"

Zhuge Liang frowned - Lancer, Eli... He probably knew her...

"And you know, I don't want to lose so easily on this issue!" Berserker smiled, and then leaned forward a little. Under normal conditions, this would mean that she was going to demonstrate a good cutout on her chest, but instead she hung her arms forwars, so that they almost touched the ground, bending her legs a little, which made her pose look like a wild predator, getting ready for the jump.

"A wild tiger goes hunting ~ woof!" Berserker smiled, after which the energy that sharply struck from her body marked the use of a Noble Phantasm, "Opulence of Sun and Shine and Catnap!"

"Catnap?" - Zhuge Liang was deep in thought for a second, after which he barely managed to put his hand up to block an attack.

Berserker's hands - Tamamo - was covered with a wool-like gloves, but if before her hand looked like it was covered with a large soft woolly glove - now her hand really was a huge paw of a beast, whose sharp claws, with almost no resistance, cut off Zhuge Liang's hand with a swipe .

"Oh shit!" Zhuge Liang swore quietly, throwing himself away to dodge the swipe that was barely slowed down by sacrificing his hand, "Tamamo Cat, one of the nine Tamamo, embodying her bestial essence..."

As if in response, Tamamo howled behind Zhuge Liang, rushing forward towards him, like a beast chasing its prey

"And how do you plan to get away this time, Zhuge Liang?" - Zhuge Liang gritted his teeth, and then rushed away.

Cainabel took a step forward, slowly pointing her umbrella forward in the likeness of a blade, first to Remus, then towards Altera.

"Who's next?" - despite the fact that she did not say such a thing - her manners, posture, and movements - conveyed her thought very well.

Altera squeezed his blade.

Her trump cards rained down one after another.

Yes, this time she managed to destroy Cainabel's body with the help of Remus, but what difference does it make if she was capable of returning from the disembodied particles by killing another Servant?

It was just... Pointless? Not fair?

Unbalanced?

Altera's last thought seemed oddly appropriate to her for some reason.

"Hm, has the little tin toy already broken?" Cainabel sighed regretfully, "What sadness... I was hoping you would have a couple more surprises - I was so interested in your skills... Hm, Civilization Erosion... A terrific skill that gives you almost absolute control over anything that you touched - just saturate the object with mana and you can manipulate it freely, changing it according to your desire and understanding…"

Altera felt her hand involuntarily clench.

In the last battle, Cainabel had no idea that such a skill existed never mind how this skill works.

As if having read reading the question that was written on the Altera's face, Cainabel shook her head - "Boudica knew about your abilities. And when I swallowed her, I got some of these memories. Just like I say - Lord of Blood is simple, but very useful."

Altera glanced at Boudica's body. The drained, bloodless shell, as if having lost all the colors of life, lay still, a reminder of the strength of the enemy in front of her.

Not far from her lay the body of Jing Ke. Flattened, it continued to ooze blood, a reminder of Altera's weakness.

Altera knew that she was an avatar of destruction. Battles, victories, defeats and death - all that was ordered by the Master will be done. But the rest... Her Servants... Boudica, Jing Ke, even Spartacus - the fact that he was a Berserker did not mean that Altera did not feel a sense of responsibility for him.

Altera felt a new emotion. The last one that she would be feeling, if she did have any say over it.

The desire for revenge.

Altera raised her blade. Sensing her intentions, Remus too raised his huge sword.

"Under normal circumstances, I would like to play with the two of you, maybe even use my second Noble Phantasm - just to enjoy your despair," Cainabel grinned "But I was instructed to deal with you quickly. So that…"

Cainabel grabbed her umbrella, and then opened it, protecting herself from the sun's rays, grinning - "So come on, don't waste my time."

Altera rushed, a moment later - Remus followed her. Cainabel simply smiled in response...

After a moment, a dozen lances hit Altera from all sides. Her reflexes did not fail her - the blade flickered in her hands, repelling dozens of attacks.

"Lord of Blood strengthens my control over blood, and its use is not only for regeneration," Cainabel shook her head, "Seriously, you should have removed or destroyed Jing Ke's corpse at least..."

Jing Ke's body immediately turned gray like Boudica's body when every drop of blood still remaining in her body was used as projectiles that struck Altera from all sides, turning her blood into hundreds of deadly projectiles. Cainabel sighed, - "The second strike."

Altera was able to repel every attack - hundreds of bullet-like drops of blood hit from all sides, but Cainabel did not even seem concerned. Altera wanted to throw an insult, as miserable as her condition is it's the only thing she still had. Perhaps by declaring that her vaunted second strike was useless...

However, before she could utter a word she instantly felt pain assault her body. A sharp pain that ended after a moment.

The image in front of her face changed rapidly - Altera suddenly saw the ground approaching, turning before her eyes, after which she saw the sky - and, unexpectedly, her body. Her headless body with Remus's figure towering over her body with his sword posed as if after a swing.

Altera wanted to move her hand, but found that her body no longer obeyed her commands. Altera's gaze fell on Remus holding the blade in his hands. The blade that chopped off her head.

Why?

Altera did not understand.

Was the brother killed by the insane betrayal of his own brother capable of this? To betray and stab Altera in the back?

"No," her mind suddenly came to the conclusion. Remus's gaze looked... Shaken. Unbelieving. As if he could not understand why he had killed his own ally.

"Blood control," Cainabel sighed. "Any living body contains blood. In other words - while I control their blood - I can control their body. Simple - and effective."

Cainabel's second blow was a distraction that allowed her to take control of Remus, after which he struck Altera with his sword, decapitating her.

How…

Low? Vile? Stupid? Effective? Cowardly?

Altera could not understand what answer she had to choose.

Consciousness began to leave Altera, measuring her last moments of life.

Battle, Cainabel, Servants, Baal...

All this mixed up in her head.

"But if I get another chance..." - Altera felt a last thought piercing her mind - "Could I do everything... Better?"

Altera's mind did not provide an answer to this question. Perhaps... It was for the better.

A moment later, the headless body of Altera collapsed, an end to her battles.

Alexander fought off Lancer's onslaught, parrying her spear, trying his best to swing his blade over and over again.

"I admit, I expected more from Alexander the Great!" Lancer dealt another blow, forcing Alexander to grimace.

"First, defeat me, and then brag!" Alexander rushed forward. Under his current condition, he was indeed summoned as a Rider - the most suitable class for him, but even so - he was summoned as a Servant in his younger years, because of which his strength was significantly affected. If he had his full power, then defeating Lancer would not have become an obstacle for him - as well as many other things. Even Romulus would have made room on his pedestal for him... However, in the current condition, his strength was much lower than he would have liked.

"Huh, as if it would be a problem!" Lancer stuck out her tongue. A completely childish mockery, however, Alexander, himself summoned as a child, answered her with a hail of blows.

"Missed, missed, missed!" Using her advantage in agility, Lancer dodged Alexander's blows, not forgetting to shout insults every time after evading each of Alexander's blows.

"Shut up!" - such puerile insults annoyed Alexander above all kinds of thoughtful speeches, "I am Alexander the Great, and I will be the winner in this battle!"

"Prove it!" Lancer, almost laughing, dodged the next blow.

Prove? Prove?!

Oh, someone will seriously pay for these words.

For a second, Alexander stepped back, bringing the blade over his head, "Zeus Thunder!"

Lancer, having heard this, instantly retreated, escaping from the wrath of Zeus, but the lightning striking from the sky drew an arc, crashing not into Lancer, but into Alexander.

"Ha, you missed!" Lancer grinned, after which she nevertheless readied herself for any attacks, "You couldn't even use your Noble Phantasm properly!"

Elizabeth focused her gaze to the place where Alexander was supposed to be standing, preparing for the figure struck by lightning and his own conceit would do after emerging from the rising dust, but instead...

"Your stupidity only shows your failure as a Servant," the voice that answered her belonged to Alexander — but it was... Deeper. Perhaps even older sounding?

The figure taking a step out of the dust cloud looked like Alexander, but also radically different from him. The boy who had walked out of the cloud was... Taller. His body, which had previously displayed a child's fragility, was now toned and athletic. His gaze, although not losing his youthful ardor, became sharper and wiser.

Alexander in an instant became... an Adult?

"Hey!" Elizabeth instantly called out to him, "That's not fair! I also want to do that!"

"Hmm, what happened to your ridicules?" Alexander readied his blade, "Or are you not so brave against adults?"

"Adults..." - Elizabeth repeated to herself, then her emotions instantly boiled, "Are you an adult?! Come here, I'll kick your ass now!"

"You can try it!" Alexander grinned. The lightning of Zeus, his Noble Phantasm, with each application would bring him closer to his true, adult form. Unfortunately, even this method could not give him access to his true Noble Phantasm - Ionian Hetairoi - but it still strengthened his parameters pretty good.

However, before rushing forward - Alexander was distracted by a body that crashed to the ground right next to him. Glancing at it for an instant, he was able to determine that this body was his old ally - and perhaps even a friend - Zhuge Liang.

"Waver!" Alexander immediately rushed to him.

Zhuge Liang's condition looked... very bad. His left arm was missing, his right leg was practically turned into dust - Alexander saw bones peering out from under the flesh. His whole body was covered with bleeding wounds, which is why his stylish outfit - shirt, cloak - was all saturated with blood.

"Oh, Alexander," Zhuge Liang focused his eyes on Rider, "I didn't think I would see you."

"Waver!" Alexander rushed to the Caster, lifting his body. Zhuge Liang instantly grimaced in pain when Alexander's hands lifted him into the air.

"It seems that the games are over ~ woof," Berserker's voice forced Alexander to turn around to see the Berserker appearing next to Lancer, "And what about you?"

"Not bad, but now I'm offended by Rider," Lancer frowned, frowning. "He has the ability to become older!"

"Oh, an unusual ability ~ woof," Berserker answered with a smile, "Envious?"

"Not at all!" Lancer instantly went into denial, snorting and turning away from Alexander.

Waver on his hands was dying while his two opponents communicated completely unsettled by such things.

"Woof," Berserker unexpectedly yawned. "I must admit that I'm already tired. Let me take a little nap?"

"Are you crazy?!" Lancer gave her a new look. "We are fighting!"

"And I'm tired," Berserker objected logically, in her opinion, after which she began to look around, as if looking for a suitable place to sleep, "For now, deal with this, and I'll take a nap..."

Berserker went to bed. After nearly killing Waver.

Alexander squeezed the blade so hard he could hear his bones crunch.

He will kill them. Kill them all.

Alexander prepared to jump into the thick of the battle...

"Luminosite Eternelle!" - came from afar.

A Phantasm... The Noble Phantasm of Jeanne d'Arc. Just a Noble Phantasm aimed at strengthening their allies.

"Even though!" A moment later, Berserker turned her gaze toward Alexander, "It will still be possible to sleep later..."

"Yes, that's it..." - Waver's voice sounded almost resigned, "Failure after failure..."

Zhuge Liang, barely able to get up, turned his head toward the enemy, "Good... Okay, well, it's time to demonstrate some asian magic..."

Rising from his position, leaning on only the remaining arm, Zhuge Liang looked at his target, and then exhaled, "Unreturning Army!"

After a second, the power of the Noble Phantasm took shape.

Ready to rush into battle, Lancer and Berserker found themselves... Locked.

A moment later, the barrier that appeared on their path seemed to rewrite reality itself around them, turning the previously deserted plain into a canvas cut by hundreds of barriers, a kind of maze.

"What the hell?!" Lancer glanced at the wall that had arisen in front of her, after which she rushed forward. Instantly, she flew into one of the barriers that arose, forcing her to take a step back.

"You can definitely forget about them for ten minutes," Zhuge Liang breathed out, falling to the ground. Oh, how much he suffered at the hands of Tamamo...

"Waver!" Alexander, realizing that the opponents were neutralized for a while, rushed to his friend, "You..."

He probably should have asked "Are you alright", but Alexander could see very clearly that Zhuge Liang was, in fact, not at all alright, so he asked another question: "Will you survive?"

"I wish I knew..." Zhuge Liang started coughing up blood. Light puncturing in the lungs...

"Shit..." - Alexander swore to himself. Waver's chances of survival seemed ghastly.

"Don't worry," Waver coughed again, "Anyway, there's little benefit from me participating in battle..."

Alexander, taking care of Zhuge Liang's condition, struck him.

"Well, shut up !" Alexander immediately pulled Zhuge Liang toward him. "I'm the king who determines value, and I don't remember calling you useless!"

The pain from Alexander's blow made Zhuge Liang grimace, resonating with the pain of broken bones, but Caster grinned anyway, "Yes, yes... You're a fool, Alexander."

"A fool who did not give you the right to give up so easily!" Alexander glanced at Zhuge Liang, then at the opponents, "Do your barriers only affect the enemy?"

"Yes," Zhuge sighed, then coughed, "So you can..."

After a second, Zhuge Liang suddenly froze. His pupils dilated, after which Alexander felt how suddenly it became hotter.

"Oh..." Zhuge Liang muttered to himself.

"What the hell..." Alexander cursed.

Luminosite Eternelle - Noble Phantasm of Jeanne d'Arc - affected not only their opponents.

Veni. Vidi. Vici.

Perhaps this was Caesar's most famous phrase.

I came. I saw. I conquer.

That is how Caesar remained in the memory of people. A magnificent consul and a brilliant strategist, a charming commander and an invincible conqueror.

Caesar was not glorified as a warrior - but as a commander, he always presented himself as a victor, a triumphant commander.

The Grail placed Caesar in the Saber class. As a Servant of the Sword, Caesar himself was far from being as effective in the battlefield as in a battle of minds. Unfortunately, fighting with swords it was difficult to prove oneself a commander.

However, people's memory remembered the words.

Veni. Vidi. Vici.

The idea of Caesar as an invincible triumpher. The idea of Caesar as a great winner. The idea of Caesar winning his battles.

And this idea has come its way into becoming Caesar's Noble Phantasm.

Crocea Mors, Caesar's blade, was quite ordinary during his lifetime. However, faced with the idea of people about the invincible Caesar, its essence was changed.

Veni.

The moment when Caesar took out his blade.

Vidi.

The moment when the name of the Noble Phantasm was called.

Vici.

The moment when Caesar's blow found his target.

Caesar's blade reflected his victories, his triumphs, the idea of his invincibility.

And Caesar, striking, released the power of this blade.

After the first strike, the Witch swayed, but immediately parried the next. More precisely, she tried.

It seemed as if space itself was bent at the moment when Caesar dealt the next blow, drawing away the Witch's blade. Then - again, the third blow of Caesar. And more - and more.

The power of Caesar's Noble Phantasm was great. Each blow of his blade signified yet another of his "victory". A victory that could not be opposed. Space itself and causality were twisted in such a way as to allow Caesar to deliver another blow.

The only thing that could be opposed to such a thing was the force of luck. Ordinary luck. Caesar, who died at the hands of his close friends, was vulnerable to the luck of the enemy, so only a small fraction of luck could turn the tide of the battle.

However, the Witch, a creature born of suffering and hatred, had a stunningly low rank in Luck - E.

Therefore, Caesar's blows rained down one after another.

Leg, arm, lung, liver, stomach, neck, second lung, heart...

Each blow of Caesar hit right on target, breaking through the Witch's defenses, striking her blow after blow, wound after wound. In just a few moments, the Witch's body turned into a pincushion - a mutilated, bleeding, in pain pincushion.

"Hah, so this is how I die" - the Witch thought instantly when a hundred Caesar's blades pierced her body from all sides - "What a shitty way to die..."

The endless hail of blows lasted only a couple of seconds - but during this time the Witch felt hundreds of blows that instantly turned her into a piece of meat that could hardly maintain consciousness. A moment later, the Witch fell, feeling her wound explode in pain at the same time.

"You deserve it," Her skill's voice spoke distinctly.

"Ha... Maybe I do..." - The Witch felt a grin crawl at her face through all the pain.

Caesar, having finished his last blow, looked at the Witch with cold eyes, after which he took a step towards her, stopping nearby, as if wanting to see how she would die from a hundred wounds inflicted.

"Ha... Well, you are a bastard, Caesar..." - The Witch grinned at herself, after which she closed her eyes.

To open them instantly again.

"Luminosite Eternelle!" Jeanne's voice came from afar.

The Witch looked away and saw her.

Jeanne d'Arc.

Her reflection.

She stood still, raising her flag.

Why did she decide to use her Noble Phantasm right now? Not earlier and not later?

Using it earlier, she could even try to stand on even ground with Romulus... Using it later - she could deliver an unexpected blow to a weakened enemy...

Why?

Suddenly, the Witch caught the eyes of Jeanne. Her gaze was aimed at... Her.

Jeanne looked at the Witch with concern. With fear. And hope.

Jeanne used Noble Phantasm to... Help her?

The thought itself was absurd, but at the same time it fit perfectly into the picture of Jeanne d'Arc, the holy savior of France, that could even support her dark alter ego when it could not cope in battle.

What a... Stupid thought.

But at the same time, the Witch suddenly felt like somewhere inside her... It became warmer.

The Witch grinned, after which she looked up at Caesar.

Even so, even being saved from death for a pitiful moment by Jeanne's Noble Phantasm, the Witch had no power to defeat Caesar. But she still had the strength to commit a last act of retribution.

The Witch abruptly rushed forward at Caesar, who did not expect such actions from an almost dead Servant, and then grabbed him with one hand. The second, having brought the sword behind his back, the Witch drove it into Caesar's back, piercing his body through and through. But she did not stop there, Caesar could still escape - even after being injured in this way.

The Witch pulled the blade toward herself, piercing her body, planting them both as if on a pin.

"What are you doing?!" Caesar glanced at the Witch.

"Great meanness," the Witch looked into Caesar's eyes.

Her mind touched Ainz's.

"Hey, Master," the Witch chuckled, "I need mana. All of it."

"Good, now" - the Witch felt in a second all her abilities increased, but...

"All!" - The Witch felt - "Everything, everything that you have!"

"But..." - The Witch felt Ainz's doubts - "It will destroy your body."

"I'm already a corpse anyway." - The Witch chuckled - "So... Little loss."

For a second, Ainz fell silent, forcing the Witch to sense that Caesar was trying to escape, but after a moment she suddenly felt how her body seemed to be plunged into an ocean.

In an ocean of power.

A moment later, the Witch sensed an endless sea of power pouring into her, destroying her body. Just a few seconds - that's her whole limit.

The Witch, however, did not need more.

"And also - tell Jeanne and Mashu to get away" - the Witch grinned for the last time - "I think… there will be quite a big firework."

With these words, the Witch sensed her body breaking down, after which she looked into Caesar's eyes.

"So much a traitor that she even betrayed herself," she said, after which, sensing how her time was drawing to a close, she pronounced the name of her Noble Phantasm, "La Grondement Du Haine"

Master of Many Resistances: EX

At this rank, this ability allows the possessor to prepare for almost all possible types of attacks and manipulations, ranging from banal arrows and ending with exotic protection against specific diseases, essentially gaining a resistance skill in these abilities of various ranks. The more specific a protection is required, the stronger the protection is created - up to obtaining complete invulnerability to a specific spell or type of attack, however, the larger the category of abilities to be protected from, the less effective this skill is. In other words, this skill can completely neutralize one specific ability - even of EX rank - or provide protection against almost all types of influences at the level of specific skills of rank E ~ D.