Chapter 60. The Roar of the Wind King, the Collapsing Mountain Range, Shocking the World!

Chapter 60. The Roar of the Wind King, the Collapsing Mountain Range, Shocking the World!

["There's a bit of trouble..."]

[Under the moonlight, Young Master in white robes, Raku Sou, slightly furrowed his brows, feeling that the opponent this time was a bit excessive.]

[Clearly, they were all members of the "Three Great Families," his magecraft abilities were not inferior to the current head of the Einzbern family, and his Servant, Archer, was also a powerful Heroic Spirit, yet the Berserker of Einzbern was even more outstanding.]

[This was also partly because he did not use a Holy Relic when summoning.]

[He had no desire for the Holy Grail, merely curious to see which Heroic Spirit was most compatible with him, thus choosing to summon gacha style to a ramdom Servant most fitting for himself.]

[In fact, Raku Sou also possessed an extremely powerful Holy Relic.]

[——『The Skin of the Oldest Serpent』.]

[Possessing it, one could summon the most ancient King of Heroes of Uruk.]

[A being nicknamed "Walking Treasury," an overpowered Servant, a candidate for the position of Grand——]

[However, past Holy Grail Wars had proven that guy was a genuine bastard.]

[If things went smoothly, he would deliberately create drama for amusement, refusing to obey orders, and at critical moments might even harm his own Master.]

[Nevertheless, even when facing the Berserker of the Purge King, Raku Sou was not without a trump card.]

[Raku Sou became somewhat more serious, the corner of his eye suddenly catching the opponent's movement.]

[The giant, brimming with strength, let out a roar that shook the air several meters around, his pitch-black toes suddenly bursting with power, stomping deeper into the meteor crater, sending debris flying wildly, and almost teleporting as he charged forward.]

[Target: Yukinoshita Yukino!]

["Yukino, get out of the way!!"]

[The King of Knights cried out in horror, rushing forward with all her might.]

[However, the Berserker was faster, and just as Yukinoshita Yukino's pupils contracted, a figure in white robes darted in, using a textbook-perfect combat technique, extremely proficiently pulling her out of danger——]

["Boom boom boom...!!"]

[The Stone Axe slammed into the ground, piercing several meters deep, but missed its target.]

[In that hair's breadth moment, Raku Sou carried her away in a Princess Carry stance.]

"Looks so familiar...?!"

In the real world, Higurashi Kagome furrowed her brows in confusion, then suddenly widened her beautiful eyes.

Wasn't this scene very similar to a few days ago, when she was being chased by the evil spirit sea spider because of the Shikon Jewel, and Raku Sou had saved her with this very same stance?

"How hateful! Flat-chested Yukino, so hateful, even stealing this...!"

The girl stomped her feet on the spot, both angry and flustered.

Not far away, Yukino, deeply engrossed in her role, suddenly looked dazed, as if waking up.

Did she just mishear something?

It felt like someone was calling her?

It must have been an illusion?

Definitely an illusion!

She was absolutely not "flat-chested"!

...

[The Purge King smiled somewhat wildly, yet tinged with loneliness. At some point, he had moved to a higher street, observing the battle from above.]

[It was as if, even if the Berserker killed Yukino, he would not care in the slightest.]

[Indeed,]

[If the loved one raised personally by that woman could die so easily——]

[Then it was merely a counterfeit!]

["Bring me victory, Berserker!"]

...

[Seeing the first attack fail, Heracles roared again, continuing his assault.]

[The Stone Axe, carrying the strength of a thousand armies, tore through the air, stirring up shockwaves.]

[Artoria's eyes turned sharp, mana surged, and she immediately gripped the holy sword enveloped by 『Invisible Air』, facing the Demi-God Heracles without fear, swiftly unleashing thousands of slashes.]

["Clang clang clang clang——!!"]

[The sound of clashing blades rang crisp and loud, echoing through heaven and earth.]

[Each collision sparked brilliantly, exploding like thunderclaps.]

[The two figures intertwined continuously, shifting battlefields nonstop, devastating the ground into a scene of ruin. Thanks to 『Mana Burst』, the explosive power of the King of Knights was enough to contend with Heracles, and even managed to push him back repeatedly in a short time.]

[As the "Red Dragon" of Britain at the end of the Age of Gods, there was no doubt about Artoria's strength!]

[Even under unstable mana supply from Yukino, she was still a top-tier Servant!]

[The kind-hearted Saber deliberately lured Heracles towards the canyon area, away from the bustling city!]

[It was Yukino's order, but also her own will!]

[From this moment, the battle between two heroes separated by millennia officially ignited!!]

"Truly worthy of being the greatest hero of ancient Greece, Demi-God Heracles…"

Amidst the sea of clouds over Japan, Shuten Douji's eyes flashed with a strange light, holding her sake gourd, full of admiration.

At first, she thought that Heracles descending in the Berserker Class must have turned into a mindless beast, and no matter how strong he was, it would only take a few tricks to subdue him.

However...

Things were completely different from what she imagined.

Although Heracles had become a mindless monster, he still retained the rich swordsmanship skills from when he was alive.

She carefully calculated.

If she were to duel head-to-head against Berserker Heracles, even she might not have the advantage, and could very well be overwhelmed by him.

Thinking this, Shuten Douji became even more excited, immediately turning to shout loudly to her best friend:

"~ Ibaraki~"

"What is it..."

Ibaraki Douji looked up, slightly confused.

Shuten Douji, full of vitality, shook her by the shoulders and said excitedly:

"Let's go rummage through the treasure vault later, there must be tons of artifacts from hundreds of years ago! Then we'll set up a magic circle just like in the Celestial Curtain, use our demonic energy to activate it, maybe we can even summon a Heroic Spirit!"

"Spare me…"

The beauty Ibaraki Douji immediately groaned upon hearing this, then sighed a moment later:

"Besides, even if we really have a Holy Relic, who do you intend to summon?"

"...We'll figure that out when the time comes~."

Shuten Douji snorted softly, her laughter blooming like orchids, exuding a carefree beauty.

But Ibaraki's words were not without reason.

Who should she summon...

It seemed there was Seimei's fan, Ashiya Douman's talisman, Nurarihyon's hair...

No, that old man isn't dead yet, so he definitely can't become a Heroic Spirit.

Mnmnm, have to think if there's any other valuable relic...

Seemed there was also an old, broken bow?

Why did she even keep that back then?

While pondering, in her mind surfaced the beautiful figure of a human warrior she once greatly admired. That bow was precisely that person's weapon.

But she also recalled that person's tragic end, immediately furrowing her brows tightly.

"Kikyo..."

...

["Raku-kun, why do you keep saving me tirelessly..."]

[At the edge of the battlefield, the long black-haired girl showed a puzzled expression. Once again she was saved by this young master. Her heart was filled with gratitude, but also a bit of shame, feeling like she was just a burden.]

[No, to be precise, she really was a burden...]

[She was only a half-baked magus, and participating in the Holy Grail War was purely by accident.]

[Compared to the descendants of prestigious magus families, her abilities were worlds apart.]

["I told you already, didn't I?"]

[Raku Sou smiled, the corner of his mouth lifting with a carefree charm.]

["Huh?"]

[Yukino's face was full of confusion.]

[Without hesitation, Raku Sou smiled leisurely and said: "Because I like you~."]

["...Like me, but why, when clearly I have no good points..."]

[The girl's face immediately flushed bright red. It was the first time she had faced such a straightforward and intense assault.]

[——Since ancient times, direct attacks have always been the nemesis of tsundere.]

[Yukinoshita Yukino, originally timid and not proactive, faced with a young master who loved to aggressively advance. There was no such thing as "mutual but unspoken feelings" between them...]

[If this were left to some mangaka who specialize in harem manga, it would take hundreds of chapters.]

[But for him, at most, half an anime episode and they could already "seggs brutal" right away!]

["...Does one need a reason to like someone?"]

[Raku Sou scratched his head, looking somewhat puzzled.]

[If he had to force an answer, it was simply because he was too much of a genius.]

[He could learn anything after just glancing at it once, and even the most difficult subjects would take him only a few days at most. Even the ancient Gem Magecraft passed down by the Shinomiya family, he had already mastered it to its peak three years ago.]

[Things deemed "mystical, hard to comprehend" were nothing but jokes in front of him.]

[After that, he started to lose direction, drifting aimlessly—until he met Yukino.]

[Very quickly, pop, he was captivated at first sight.]

[He swore he had never seen a magus so clumsy...]

[Using extremely crude techniques to practice magecraft, torturing herself for ten years, nearly visiting the doorstep of Hades every night, yet still stubbornly persisting for the tiniest scraps of progress.]

[Oh right, she even mistook Projection Magecraft for Reinforcement Magecraft.]

[That dazzling light...]

[It made people both admire and want to show her off.]

"I don't need that kind of praise!!"

Inside the Celestial Curtain, Yukino's face turned scarlet, torn between embarrassment and fury.

Aside from the shame, there was also a clear pang of bitterness.

How hateful—back in the real world, she was the one hailed as a genius!

And yet... here was someone even more brilliant, who happened to also be her lifesaver.

...

This hilarious scene immediately sparked a flood of comments from the spectators everywhere:

"Unbelievable, Saber is out there fighting for her life and you two are already flirting."

"Goddamn it, Raku Sou, do you really have to show off this hard!"

"I'm not sure, but this feels like watching one of those brain-dead CEO romance dramas."

"Bro above, somehow I know exactly what you mean."

"Badass CEO: 'Woman, your clumsiness has successfully caught my attention' (￣⊿￣)"

"I actually know Yukino from the real world; she was the 'Ice Princess' of Sobu High... I can't believe she's this clumsy in a parallel world, pfft~."

"Clumsy Girl Yukinoshita Yukino?"

"O' kawaii koto~."

"I wish I could experience the despair of being too talented someday."

"Those who understand cry; those who don't understand laugh."

...

Quickly, the heartwarming scene faded away.

A tense BGM started playing, sending chills down everyone's spines.

[Raku Sou gazed towards the distant battlefield, his expression calm.]

["Yukino."]

["Huh?"]

[The straight black-haired girl blinked, confused.]

[Without hesitation, the man casually unfastened the twin blades Kanshou and Bakuya, keeping the black sword while handing the white one to her.]

["They're a pair, male and female. I'm giving you the female one."]

["I have Reinforcement Magecraft; I can boost my body to Servant-level for a short time. Combined with Gem Magecraft, I can hold off Berserker for a bit. You hold onto Bakuya to protect yourself, no need to join the battle."]

["..."]

[The girl wanted to refuse, her eyes filled with determination, wanting to fight alongside everyone. But the moment she grasped Bakuya, her pupils shrank.]

[This feeling was so familiar...]

[She frowned, sensing "something" flowing from the blade into her mind.]

[Yukino suddenly felt her understanding of swordsmanship essence grow rapidly, faint traces of battle experience flooding into her muscle memory, and even her Projection Magecraft was improving...]

[She was transforming from a half-baked magus...]

[The Origin of "sword" was gradually awakening.]

[The dizziness and stiffness rooted her to the spot, unable to move.]

[Seeing the girl frozen silently, Raku Sou nodded in satisfaction.]

[He wasn't the type who wanted to shield a "chick" without letting it spread its wings—but she needed the experience first.]

[Otherwise, with Yukino's current level, joining the battle would only mean death.]

[Immediately, Raku Sou activated Reinforcement Magecraft and charged towards the battlefield.]

[A figure in white robes, elegant as a painting.]

"Could Archer actually be Yukino's ancestor?!"

Many were stunned—how could simply holding a Servant's Noble Phantasm boost Yukino's abilities like this?

It made no sense. It was utterly absurd!

...

[At the western outskirts of Fuyuki City.]

[The land lay in ruins, kilometers of ground riddled with craters from impact.]

[After a series of intense battles, the two Servants finally stood facing each other.]

[Under the moonlight, the King of Knights looked toward the massive, muscular giant wreaking havoc, her eyes filled with respect and admiration, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly.]

["Surely a renowned hero, one whose swordsmanship remains unshaken even when overwhelmed by violence..."]

["There's nothing left but admiration."]

["Then—Berserker, can you withstand the blow I'm about to unleash?"]

[With the firm voice of the female knight, the shining golden ahoge atop her head bounced up.]

[The invisible sword in her hand suddenly emitted a faint blue light, countless currents of wind gathering around the blade, instantly transforming into fierce tempests, holy light enveloping the sword, forming a greatsword forged of terrifying compressed wind.]

["Whooosh~."]

[In an instant, a massive eye of the storm formed, engulfing the entire mountain.]

As the scene dragged on—

The shot continued to extend.

Atop the mountain, a cyclone several thousand meters wide suddenly condensed, tearing through the clouds, swallowing everything in its path, completely isolating itself from the rest of the city.

Dense dark clouds within more than ten kilometers were swept away; countless ancient trees that had stood for centuries were nearly uprooted—no one doubted that if this blow landed, the entire region would be devastated.

"Isn't this way too over the top...?!"

Billions of people across the globe stared in utter shock at the scene.

This—this was the Noble Phantasm of a Heroic Spirit, a miracle ascended after death?

Though its power might not rival that of a nuclear bomb,

It wasn't that far off either!

...

["ROAAARRR!"]

[At the mountainside, the giant felt a clear threat, roaring as he attempted to retreat.]

[But it was already too late…]

[The fierce winds howled violently; now standing before him was a true hero!]

["—Strike Air: Hammer of the Wind King!!"]

[Infused with the steadfast belief of the female knight.]

[The Sword of Promised Victory suddenly fell, accompanied by Artoria's resounding shout.]

[Hercules, who had just leapt into the air, immediately changed his expression, desperately swinging his Stone Axe, trying to replicate a mythological feat of cleaving mountains to split apart the devastating windstorm!]

["BOOOOM...!!"]

[The roar of the explosion echoed like thunder, rumbling across the sky!!]

[The ancient hero of Greek mythology now looked like a frenzied bull trying to stop a freight train.]

[Clutching his Stone Axe, he roared helplessly, easily sucked into the eye of the storm.]

[Immediately.]

[A deafening explosion resounded again!]

[The storm swept the giant away, slamming him hard into the nearly thousand-meter-high mountain.]

[The entire mountain began to collapse, crumbling piece by piece.]

[The violent storm spread outward, creating a level 6 gale across Fuyuki!]

[This was a Noble Phantasm of Rank A... an attack on the scale of a natural disaster!! (Note: It's actually Rank C, but the author seems to have boosted it to Rank A in this fanfic.)]

[Immediately, dense smoke and dust spread across the battlefield, with Berserker's fate still unknown.]

At this moment, everyone felt their hearts stop beating, an overwhelming sense of awe flooding them.

"I'm speechless—Berserker's not... dead, right?!"

"Heroic Spirits really are walking natural disasters. Honestly, if you told me they could end the world with a single sword swing, I'd believe it now."

"Everyone knows the Holy Grail War is supposed to be a secret..."

"But with this much chaos, how has no one in Fuyuki noticed yet?"

"Just say it's a gas leak, leaking out level-8 winds."

"The citizens of Fuyuki have overdosed on tranquilizers—they're sleeping like the dead right now."

"Man, the wind's really loud tonight..."

"I can't breathe—this scene will stay with me for the rest of my life!"

"This is our Celtic mythological hero, the supremely kind, supremely righteous, supremely strong 'King of Knights,' Artoria Pendragon!"

"Damn it, why wasn't I born England?!"