Chapter 58. Continue Fate/stay night
Chapter 58. Continue Fate/stay night
"Merlin-sama is so cool!"
"Seriously, I never thought there could be a man in this world who is so perfect in both literature and martial arts."
On the bustling street, a group of excited young people were discussing, extremely agitated.
They still hadn't escaped the shocking scene when the sword earlier split the Pacific Ocean in half.
That slash was truly a legendary epoch-making strike!!
Perhaps starting from today, the entirety of modern history would be split in two by that slash — the first half filled with nuke and technology, the second half the return of ancient legends, with heroes descending upon the mortal world.
Suddenly.
"Holy, so fucking awesome, and still not dead!"
"Ohhh!!"
In an instant, countless people around screamed loudly, glaring up at the sky.
Some others, hearing that, also looked up.
Celestial Curtain, no one knew since when, had been activated again.
The mythical battle had reappeared before their eyes!!
...
Under the moonlight.
Thick black clouds, a wasteland burned black.
"Boom boom boom...!!"
One by one, heroes from ancient myths gathered, holy sword, cursed spear... countless sparks flew.
Saber panted, her emerald eyes nervously staring ahead, her wrist bleeding from the impact, but she absolutely did not dare to halt her attack even for a moment, the sword wrapped in Invisible Air continuously slashing out countless sharp gusts of wind.
Archer supported from afar, continuously shooting out numerous False Noble Phantasms like missiles.
The ground was full of deep craters, plowed into countless long trenches hundreds of meters long.
The child of light from Ireland howled, Noble Phantasms raining down like a storm.
Focusing the bombardment on that terrifying enemy!
A Master was also struggling to fend off the enemy's attacks with a grim expression.
The situation was 4vs1, yet the side with more people was completely at a disadvantage.
Because their opponent was the number one great hero from ancient Greek mythology...
"Demigod" Heracles!
...
"ROOAARR!"
A burly giant roared, agilely dodging or deflecting all attacks, and even if a few could not be avoided, he relied on his extremely tough body to withstand them head-on, casually lifting a rock weighing hundreds of tons and hurling it toward his opponents.
Then he leapt thousands of meters into the sky, piercing through the clouds, before slashing down like a meteorite falling to earth, creating a terrifying shockwave.
"Boom boom boom...!!"
Sss~~
Looking at that meteor crater that looked like a nuclear explosion.
Even the spectators who had witnessed Merlin's terrifying power firsthand broke out in cold sweat.
If Merlin represented the mastery of power, the peak of technique, then this giant was the embodiment of absolute strength!
Shit, is Saber going to die here?
Countless people anxiously looked toward Artoria, only to see her gripping her sword tightly, standing firm at the edge of the meteor crater, solemnly watching the giant.
The burly giant's eyes were calm, his wounds gradually healing, though his reactions were slightly sluggish.
However, those present absolutely would not give him any chance.
"Whoosh!"
Once again the terrifying red-blood cursed spear was thrown, the holy sword slashed out a sharp gale, and from a distant skyscraper, a terrible arrow shot out like a nuclear warhead...
Heracles, under Mad Enhancement, was slightly negligent, using the simplest method to brace himself against the onslaught.
However, he had forgotten that there was still one final person closely watching him.
Perfect chance~
The young man in white's gaze slightly condensed, a dark blue light flashing in his eyes.
Captivating, as if seeing through life and death, through all things.
Then...
"Whoosh!"
A single slash descended from the sky, flashing like lightning, splitting the giant's head apart.
As long as you touch the Death Line, even a god can be killed before your eyes!
...
"Is it over?"
Looking at Berserker's towering corpse, people all over the world simultaneously tensed.
...
On the battlefield, the blonde knight's expression grew solemn.
She had already withdrawn her Noble Phantasm, but suddenly sensed an extremely delicate flow of mana in the air, her beautiful eyes widened, her green pupils carrying a trace of fear, staring intently at Berserker's corpse.
This powerful Greek hero's pupils were already scattered, yet he remained standing tall.
His face was ferocious, hair disheveled, his body towering like a giant, clad in ancient armor resembling a Roman skirt, holding a Stone Axe, his entire body rippling with muscles like crashing waves, his physique exuding explosive power.
Even with his head split in two, his expression remained unyielding, proudly standing tall.
His fighting spirit still burned fiercely without fading...!!
...
This scene was filled with an indescribable mythical atmosphere, as if the heroic epics once sung by ancient bards had come alive!
Everyone shivered, their spirits violently shaken.
Was Berserker really dead?
But why was he still so terrifying?
"Wait, maybe he's not dead yet..."
Gokou Ruri suddenly snapped awake, as if realizing something, her eyes widening.
...
At that very moment, Berserker's disheveled hair, which had fallen over his shoulders, suddenly stood straight up.
An overwhelming, intense vitality surged out, making it impossible to look away.
Artoria frowned, her head aching slightly as she said, "Self-Regeneration?"
"No..."
"This is closer to Time Reversal."
"That's the Revival curse, a Noble Phantasm that activates the moment of death..."
Before she could finish, the terrifying wound on the giant's head had already healed completely, and his mighty aura burst to its peak, like a towering mountain, exuding crushing pressure.
"RROOAARR!!!"
Berserker suddenly stood upright, his face filled with furious rage, roaring a terrifying howl.
The clouds were torn apart, the ground trembled.
The great hero of ancient Greek mythology had resurrected!
This was the proof of the identity of the great hero Heracles, who during his lifetime had completed the Twelve Labors of unparalleled valor, including but not limited to skinning the giant Nemean lion, slaying the nine-headed Hydra...
Eventually, after becoming a Heroic Spirit, his twelve terrifying labors were sublimated into a Noble Phantasm.
When descending under the Berserker Class, it became both a blessing and a curse of immortality.
A body like armor, immune to blades and spears, impervious to Noble Phantasms ranked B or lower.
Weapons of mankind, except for nuclear weapons, were completely ineffective.
...
"This is the Twelve Labors..."
All of humanity stared, wide-eyed and slack-jawed, deeply shaken by the sight.
When Heracles first appeared, people had seen his status sheet.
Their reaction had been relatively calm.
Oh~
A resurrection skill, huh, that's pretty impressive...
But when experiencing this scene as if standing there themselves, watching a lifeless corpse suddenly stand up and roar back to life, everyone couldn't help but shiver, freeze, and blank out...
It was incomprehensible.
And a terror that almost suffocated them.
This shattered the most fundamental law of human life: birth, aging, sickness, and death.
It wasn't scientific...
No, it had stepped into the realm of theology.
It couldn't be explained by things like brain waves, dark matter, or spatial rifts.
...
At the White House, Trump was screaming in panic. (Note: Trump? 2012?)
"Impossible... How could he possibly do something like that!!"
Usually, he could bluster loudly, saying things like, "Nobody understands resurrection better than me. I will make America great again."
But now... he truly couldn't comprehend this thing that surpassed the limits of human understanding!
Couldn't understand.
Absolutely couldn't understand!
...
Japan, Hokkaido.
The holder of [Sesshouseki], a white-haired teenager, his pupils constricting violently, face showing extreme horror, no longer able to maintain his usual enigmatic demeanor.
"A perfect resurrection... How is that possible?!"
He knew very well that by holding the [Sesshouseki], he too could perform a resurrection.
But the resurrected would no longer be themselves, turning into a bloodthirsty evil spirit, their remaining humanity gradually vanishing amidst slaughter — that's why he hadn't rushed to resurrect his mother.
Achieving a perfect resurrection was harder than ascending to heaven.
Yet a Servant, an existence beyond human comprehension, could accomplish it through a Noble Phantasm sublimated from their own achievements...
Envy.
Mitogawa Kazuhiro felt a deep, bitter envy.
...
Half an hour earlier.
Night.
The crescent moon was gradually covered by dark clouds.
Inside Happiness Manor, the TV was broadcasting the latest breaking news.
"According to the latest reports from our station, Prime Minister Abe, during a speech, was attacked by an unidentified man, shot twice, and has passed away. It's truly heartbreaking..."
"This is a moment for our entire nation to mourn together~."
A soft, sorrowful melody, commemorating a great figure.
"Interesting~."
The young man in white clothes, sipping porridge brought by the landlady, smiled slightly.
Tsk~
This porridge really was delicious.
The young man bit into a honey apple, the sweetness melting away, feeling a bit of delight, and with a slight movement of thought, shimmering silver ripples appeared on the left side of his vision.
[Creator: Raku Sou]
[Life Rank: Servant Class (Late Fourth Stage Peak)]
[Bloodline: Pure-blood Ancient Red Dragon]
[Available Secret Techniques: Isayama-ryu Swordsmanship, Isayama-ryu Spell, Mana Burst, Instinct, Riding, Charisma...]
[Noble Phantasm: None]
[Theoretical Lifespan: 9764.7 years]
[Divine Authority Jade: 1.472.361,01]
"Not bad."
Raku Sou raised his eyebrows, licking his lips.
After summoning Caliburn, an unexpected incident had occurred.
The Sword in the Stone actually slashed open the seal on the Black Rift, leading to the emergence of an evil spirit god, along with the First Primogenitor of vampires, Ki Juranbarada—both of whom were super beings close to the Sixth Stage.
Even if he burned all eight million Divine Authority Jade, it would only be enough to seriously injure one of them.
And that was in the most ideal situation.
Fortunately, the Sword in the Stone, through the flow of time, had silently accumulated an enormous amount of holy power.
If all that holy power were to be released, it would be enough for a mere mortal to strike down a Primogenitor, to slay gods and demons.
Originally, Raku Sou intended to transform into King Arthur, appearing under the moonlight with a shocking entrance, and rake in a large haul of Divine Authority Jade.
But after long consideration, he gave up.
Because if miracles related to Artoria appeared too often, the public would suffer from aesthetic fatigue.
Cough cough...
It was absolutely not because he didn't want to cross-dress!
At that time, he was also writing Land of Steel and Lunar Coral under the pen name Merlin.
In the Glastonbury event, the Flower Magus Merlin had also made an appearance, and everyone had already become quite familiar with this unserious court magus.
Thus, he put on the mantle of [Merlin], appeared in the Pacific Ocean, mobilized the residual holy power of the Holy Sword, slayed the evil spirit god, burned all the Divine Authority Jade to reseal the Black Rift—and if that Primogenitor hadn't been scared away...
"Merlin" would definitely have had to flee immediately!
But then again, being the unreliable Merlin, doing something like that wasn't surprising.
Luckily, the Primogenitor was indeed scared out of his wits and ran away.
Allowing Raku Sou to breathe a sigh of relief, and begin to put on an even deeper act.
One move—turning Caliburn into a mountain-sized sword stabbed into the middle of the city—instantly elevated the Flower Magus's level.
The aftereffects were also extremely satisfying.
In less than half an hour, Divine Authority Jade had skyrocketed from zero to the millions...
Very good.
Everyone and Raku Sou himself was extremely excited!
Raku gave a slight smile, preparing to fan the flames even more.
He raised his hand and clenched it; instantly, the elemental energy of an entire continent converged.
It was filled with a mysterious, divine aura.
Then he opened his palm toward the sky, releasing a stream of golden, divine light.
It quickly merged into the heavens, and in an instant, the immense radiance covered both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres!
A wave of mystical fluctuation descended from the heights of the sky, incomparably wondrous.
Celestial Curtain updated in real-time, evolving to Version 2.0.
A new feature, [Empathy], was added, allowing the audience to experience emotional resonance with the characters.
For example, experiencing the pain and despair when Matou Makoto was torn apart by thousands of worms in the basement.
Or experiencing the hopelessness of the King of Purge, Natsuki Subaru, the feeling of not being able to trust anything in the world, believing that the human world itself was hell, full of killing intent, greed, deceit...
Or the extreme pain and overwhelming unwillingness when Yukino was brutally killed with a heart-piercing strike.
Of course, the audience could choose not to enable Empathy mode.
Otherwise, mass sudden deaths might occur.
...
At this moment, Celestial Curtain expanded, and countless people in "soul form" surged inside.
"Awesome, we get to see the beautiful Artoria-chan again!"
A brown-haired girl cheered, darting like lightning into the world of Celestial Curtain.
But immediately after, the brown-haired girl noticed in surprise that above the [Exit] button, a new green button had appeared, its function clear at a glance.
"Empathy Mode? Let's try it!"
Asuna's eyelashes fluttered slightly, her cherry lips curving into a sweet smile.
Celestial Curtain really loved pulling these new tricks.
Who knows, maybe one day it would even "steal" the [Exit Button] altogether~.
...
Of course, not everyone had the free time to use [Full Body Sense Mode] to watch Celestial Curtain.
Hearing the news about Celestial Curtain's broadcast, busy students and overworked office workers secretly logged into the Observer Network on their phones.
Many people, while sneaking off from work, happily fired off lines of bullet comments, grinning from ear to ear.
"Watching from the front row!"
"Yahallo, mina-san.(/ω＼)"
"King of Knights, my King ehehe..."
"Get lost, get lost, Artoria is mine!"
"Shit, you guys are way too bold, aren't you afraid the Ahoge King will hear and slice you up with one sword?"
"Even if I die, it's worth it!"
"Damn it, earlier in the Pacific, when the Holy Sword slashed the Evil Spirit, it was so insanely cool, I've become a fanboy of Merlin now. Why wasn't Merlin in the Fifth Holy Grail War, huh!"
"Maybe it's just too overpowered?"
"If Merlin descended with the Caster Class, the other six teams wouldn't even stand a chance."
"...Makes a lot of sense."
"Then why not descend with the Saber Class?"
Countless comments flooded in like a tidal wave.
Accompanied by a heroic BGM playing, everyone was extremely excited, to the point that even their teeth were chattering, feeling an exhilarating tingling sensation all over their scalp.
It was just too hype.
This feeling...
The scene transitioned to a luxurious mansion.
[Shinomiya Residence, still brightly lit under the pitch-black night sky.]
[A young man in a white coat was smiling as he explained knowledge to the newbie, Yukino.]
["The bright red three-mark seal on your wrist is called a Command Seal or Command Spell. It's a one-time consumable item that can be used to forcibly make a Servant obey an order. It can also be used to strengthen a Servant, or instantly teleport a Servant to your side..."]
["Command Seals are extremely precious. You must use them carefully to avoid wasting them."]
["Um Um~."]
[The black-haired straight-haired girl nodded earnestly, completely oblivious to the anger flashing across Artoria's face nearby.]
[She recalled something from the past.]
[That despicable woman Yukinoshita Haruno had once used a Command Seal to force her to destroy the Holy Grail.]
"...Why are they dragging me into this again?"
In the real world, Yukinoshita Haruno's mouth twitched.
Right now, all she could do was pray that the Knight King wouldn't descend into reality...
Otherwise, a tragedy like "Omai wa mou, shin de iru Yukinoshita Haruno" could very well happen.
"The atmosphere is so warm, looks like in the parallel world, I might have a chance with Raku-kun?"
Yukinoshita Yukino's eyes lit up.
If she ended up together with Raku Sou in the parallel world...
Then she would have the confidence to pursue the Raku Sou of the real world!
"Damn it, where am I in the parallel world...!!"
Not far away, Higurashi Kagome gritted her teeth, while secretly glancing at the expression of her "love rival."
She made up her mind.
If Raku Sou in the parallel world ended up with Yukino.
Then she would take the initiative to pursue the Raku Sou of the real world.
Absolutely would not give Yukino any chance!
...
Suddenly, the BGM became colder, like a bone-chilling wind.
[A white-haired female Heroic Spirit appeared from a hidden corner, her expression serious as she said to Raku Sou: "Master, an extremely powerful presence is rapidly approaching."]
[Hearing this, Yukino became slightly worried.]
[This place was still part of the urban area, with many innocent civilians.]
[Thinking of that, she gritted her teeth and ordered: "Saber, lure him away!"]
[Artoria nodded decisively and charged out at the front.]
[Her beautiful figure under the moonlight resembled a goddess of war.]
[Team Archer showed thoughtful expressions, looked at each other, and then smiled knowingly.]
[Soon after, Yukino, Raku Sou, and the white-haired female Heroic Spirit also rushed after.]
A new battle was about to begin!