aircannonsinc Page 56
Page 56
Standing atop the Sky Garden's fortress, the clash between Achilles' and Vlad III's Noble Phantasms created a gust of wind that caused Kenneth to instinctively squint. A pale green spherical ball of magic rapidly expanded, and the torn iron stakes embedded themselves in the Sky Garden a hundred meters away like shrapnel from a grenade. Turning his gaze away, as Kenneth turned around, the long-lost Kyoko quietly appeared behind him.
"Were the Command Seals transferred?"
"Yes, the mark of heresy has been taken away."
The vegetation hangs upside down, the spring water flows backward, and the courtyard before him, elevated from legend, perfectly presents the fantasies of later generations about miracles to Kenneth. The bricks and stones are imbued with the mystery of the age of gods, and the long-extinct plants add a touch of life to the desolate fortress.
"What a lovely garden. It's a pity that your fate is sealed as a breeding ground for beasts."
For an existence as extraordinary as Ayaka Sajō, the effect of an ordinary Servant might not even be as strong as Kenneth's spitting attack on her. Facing a monster beyond measure, only something equally extraordinary can counter it. The Aerial Garden, as the first firework Kenneth used to welcome Ayaka Sajō's arrival, was sufficient.
Faced with the 666 Beast capable of destroying the Quantum Recording Belt, Kenneth had to consider his options carefully. Given Ayaka Sajou's abilities, anything related to magic would likely have little effect on that thing a second time. Therefore, Kenneth might as well give it an overload of art. This was his only chance. Only with the Empress in central control and the seriously injured Amakusa at the top of the massive Sky Garden could Kenneth confidently ascend this fortress fraught with danger.
Kenneth was not capable of wresting control of the fortress from Semiramis. Infiltrating by concealing his presence with the Third Law was already the limit; touching the circuits that formed the courtyard would be like playing a game of cat and mouse on the Bridge of Helplessness. Fortunately, Kenneth did not need to interfere with the circuits here. Destruction was always easier than construction. All Kenneth had to do was offer a salute to the birth of the beast the moment Sajou Ayaka descended.
Led by Kyoko, Kenneth arrived at the depths of the Sky Garden. The spiral staircase emitted a faint blue light, and a deep hum filled his ears. The pillar of light in front of him was Kenneth's target, the core that powered the entire Sky Garden.
"A cavity storing true ether? No wonder it can power such an extraordinary weapon. In that case, it seems the bomb's yield can be increased again. Semiramis, I hope you can still sit still then."
Following the endless pillar of light, Kenneth seemed to see Semiramis sitting on the central throne. Taking out the unstable magical source forged by the Third Law that he had prepared long ago, Kenneth set up the fuse for this bomb.
During the time Kenneth was on his way to the Sky Garden, Vlad III's duel with Achilles was nearing its end. The Grand Duke, leaning on his spear, was bleeding thick blood from his pierced shoulder. On the other side of Vlad III, even though he had not suffered any physical damage, Achilles's spirit had reached its limit due to the continuous high-intensity duels.
As Achilles pulled the meteor spear from his side, Vlad III, sensing something amiss, immediately unleashed all his potential; life or death hung in the balance in the next clash. Suddenly, a battle cry pierced the dawn, falling from the sky. Hercules' stone axe crushed the ground, forcing the poised Achilles back. His crimson eyes flashed red as Hercules, long bombarded by the Hanging Gardens, joined the battle.
"Your Majesty, please return. We need to discuss this further."
Ten thousand meters away, the Command Seal directly summoned back the exhausted Vlad III. With the disappearance of the Grand Duke, Achilles, who was exhausted from dealing with the situation, also disappeared under the teleportation spell of the Sky Garden. Faced with the suddenly disappeared enemy, Heracles, who was berserk, frantically swept away the remaining Dragon Tooth soldiers on the ground.
As the orange-red sun rose, under the bombardment of the Hanging Gardens, the small town in Romania was completely wiped off the face of the earth. The air was still scorching, and the smell of gunpowder in the nostrils indicated that the war had only just begun. Watching the Hanging Gardens fly into the sky a thousand meters away, Joan of Arc helplessly put away the iris flag in her hand.
"Red Saber and your Master, I extend an invitation to you as the Ruler of this Holy Grail War. Are you willing to join me in protecting the future of humanity?"
Lying on his back on the uneven ground, Lion Jie Li, who had been terrified all night, shakily pulled a deformed cigarette from the crushed cigarette pack. He was eighteen years old that year, in Romania, standing like cannon fodder.
“Miss Ruler, I think it’s safer for me to stay by your side.”
Having witnessed the friendly exchange of cannons last night, Shishijie Jie, who had been assigned by Kenneth to follow Jeanne, chose to follow behind her. Finding a scorched rock that wasn't too hot to sit on, Shishijie Jie leaned his exhausted body against it. Amidst the cracking sound of the scorched ground, Mordred, who had fought a hard night, removed her heavy armor and plopped down on the rock that Shishijie Jie was leaning on.
“Ruler over there, since my Master has no objections, what objections do I, as a Servant, have?”
Mordred pulled a crumpled cigarette case from Shiki Jie Li's jacket pocket, and under Shiki Jie Li's somewhat astonished gaze, put the cigarette in his mouth, exhaled smoke, and after a series of violent coughs, Mordred disgustedly threw the cigarette on the ground.
"Hey, Saber, this is the last one! Don't waste it!"
"Cough cough...cough cough cough, what the hell is that..."
Jeanne's gaze slowly moved along the Sky Garden, which was arguably the most serious pair in this Holy Grail War, as she looked at this couple.
"Master of the Red Saber, do you think weapons like strategic bombers, bunker bombs, and satellite missiles would be effective against the Black Assassin's garden?"
"Pfft—!! Cough cough! Miss Saintess, are the things you described the things I imagined?"
Seeing Joan of Arc nod affirmatively and confidently, Lion's Roar Jie Li, who was picking up his cigarette butt from the ground, was already secretly glad that this French saint was not born in modern times, otherwise she would have been a terrifying madwoman.
"It's probably useless. After all, that thing can be classified as a Noble Phantasm. Airplanes probably can't even get close to that fortress, and as for firearms..."
Even though Shishigaki didn't finish his sentence, Joan of Arc already understood what he meant. Her own ideas were indeed somewhat unrealistic. The Iris Banner sank into the ground, and Joan of Arc, with her fists clenched, closed her eyes.
"Lord, I entrust myself to you..."
The next moment, Kenneth, who hadn't yet severed communication with the Lion's Den, nearly dropped the furnace core he was holding, which could heat up Romania several times over. After confirming that Joan of Arc was just praying normally, Kenneth pressed Parkinson's hands down.
"My Lord's Agent, what has happened?"
"It's nothing, I just thought of some bad things. I'll stay vigilant."
By this time, the Servants had all returned to the Sky Garden. Under Kenneth's perception, several sources of magical energy were gathering between the thrones, maximizing the operation of the Third Magic. Kenneth continued to busy himself with the tasks at hand.
Returning to the ground, the Sky Garden had become a black dot. Joan of Arc, who had been praying with her eyes closed, opened them at this moment, her gaze falling on the direction leading to the Sky Garden. Joan of Arc's unreasonable divine revelation once again came into play.
"That's... the location of the Black Faction's position! Could it be...!"
With a 'whoosh', the flag spear that had sunk into the ground was pulled up, and the Romanian long-distance running champion, Zhen Pinggong, strode towards the location of the Thousand World Tree Castle.
"Their targets are the Black Faction, Red Saber, and this magician. Please lend me a hand."
Upon first glance, the unpretentious Mordred, grabbing her Master's collar and dragging her noodle-like Lion Claw Kairi, caught up with Jeanne in a few strides. As the judging panel began to act, Semiramis in the Sky Garden also looked around at the Servants below.
"Is Caster leaving the stage? What a pity."
Faced with Semiramis's feigned regret and mockery, Achilles, whose chest had been pierced, scoffed and turned his head away. Arjuna, equally groggy, leaned against a pillar without uttering a sound. With the Command Seals transferred, Arjuna was out of the question, and Achilles, already displeased with the Empress, remained solely to fight Heracles. With morale shattered, these two high-level fighters, Shanks and Shanks, had lost all interest in Semiramis.
"R, you have another tough battle ahead. Rider, the enemy Berserker is yours to deal with, Archer. I won't interfere in your battle with your nemesis."
With a cold snort, Achilles turned and walked out of the hall, propping himself up against the wall. Arjuna also disappeared from the hall at the same time the Empress finished speaking. Watching the Servants disappear, Semiramis put her hand to her forehead in exasperation.
"It's really hard to achieve your dream!"
"It's okay, I won't give up. And Assassin, you support me, don't you?"
"Yes, I'm the only one who supports you."
Semiramis glanced at Amakusa beside her, her eyes flickered a few times, and she exhaled. As she lazily leaned back on the throne, she waved her hand and closed the palace door between the throne rooms.
The same thing happened to the Black side. Yggdrasil had been preparing for this Holy Grail War for decades. Yggdrasil's shadow was behind the subspecies Holy Grail Wars all over the world. After collecting data for decades, Darnic summarized a perfect team. Although some problems were summoned, everything was within an acceptable range.
But even after smoking several packs of cigarettes, Darnick still couldn't understand why Assassin, who usually poisoned his Master as soon as he appeared, would have such a trump card. What was thought to be an invincible siege was turned around the moment Sky Garden appeared. Lancer was seriously injured, Archer and Caster were eliminated, and even Berserker, whom Darnick had high hopes for, lost several lives under that super-powerful magic cannon.
"Our strength... is severely depleted."
Danic's eyes flickered as he looked at the two remaining Command Seals on the back of his hand.
Chapter 150 Preparations
As a magician, Danic's magical subject is the human soul, and he has gone far down this path, devouring pure souls to compensate for his own deficiencies. Today, Danic's personality has been diluted to less than 60%. To avoid becoming a stranger with Danic's memories, and to complete his revenge, Danic has gone all in this Holy Grail War.
"A Noble Phantasm of that caliber would only have a chance of being destroyed by an attack on an army... no, it would require at least a city-level attack. If Saber were still alive, that idiot Gordes!! If..."
As Danic racked his brains trying to figure out how to deal with the Sky Garden, the study door was suddenly pushed open, and the Grand Duke, exuding a menacing aura, appeared menacingly before Danic.
"Your Majesty, I pay my respects. I acted only out of expediency; Romania cannot do without your protection..."
After a barrage of persuasive arguments and analyses, Vlad III, who had prepared to exit the battle as a hero, found himself unable to vent his anger.
Realizing that Vlad III had fallen silent, Danic maintained a humble demeanor while testing the Grand Duke's limits.
"My lord, our strength is severely depleted. As for that fortress of theirs, I think..."
With a thud, the desk in front of the Grand Duke shattered, and an indescribable rage flashed in the eyes of the man who had been cultivating all night. Maintaining his bow, Danic, having already obtained the result, continued calmly and respectfully.
“I want to hand that fortress over to Assassin’s Master. Based on the previous battles, I think that Faker has at least a Noble Phantasm of the anti-fortress level. That fortress is too much of a threat to us.”
The murderous aura pressing down on him dissipated, and Danic continued to bow as if he knew nothing. Staring at Danic in front of him, Vlad III was also somewhat unable to see through the other's thoughts.
"Am I overthinking it? That shouldn't be possible. There are only two Command Seals left. He shouldn't dare to do that."
Suppressing his suspicions, Vlad III turned and sat on the throne in the center of the room, propping his head up as he began to analyze Danic's analysis.
"Faker, Karna, given his legend, it is indeed possible that he possesses a Noble Phantasm of that caliber. Stand up and tell us your thoughts."
"Your Majesty, I have arranged for Sereneka and Rider to follow them, and so far there have been no abnormalities."
"I see. Keep a close eye on them, if possible..."
"I understand, King."
Without the Grand Duke needing to say anything further, Danic already understood the Grand Duke's meaning. He bowed and slowly withdrew from the study. Vlad III wanted to kill Kenneth, and Danic also wanted to seize control of the two Servants. Now that the Yggdrasil's strength was greatly diminished, the power in Kenneth's hands was enough to make Danic take the risk.
Turning our attention to Kenneth, after descending from the Sky Garden, Kenneth returned to his workshop in Tulipas. Kenneth was fully aware of Danic's ulterior motives. Putting aside the thing under the World Tree, Kenneth wouldn't return to that troublesome place for the time being, given Semiramis's plan to bombard the World Tree.
Kenneth's purpose in returning to Tulifas was simple: during the battle last night, he had arranged for Chris to transfer the [Crown of Wisdom], which Avisbroon had completed, to this place. As a powerful weapon for the final battle, Kenneth couldn't bear to see it destroyed before it was fully developed.
Crown of Wisdom, a masterpiece that Avisbron spent his entire life without completing, is an autonomous Reality Marble that continuously alters the world. Even after its creator dies, it can continue to grow by eroding the ground to form Paradise. When it reaches its complete form, this Noble Phantasm, which imitates the first human, Adam, can even fight against an army of first-class Servants single-handedly.
As Kenneth pondered, the giant, already thirty meters tall, suddenly expanded again. Realizing that the thing's maximum size was nearly a thousand meters, Kenneth quickly expanded the alternate dimension created by the hilt of the jeweled sword.
"Crown of Wisdom, let me see just how much of a surprise you can give me in your complete form."
Lying in the rocking chair, Kenneth watched the news from the Lion's Den while enjoying Chris's shoulder massage.
"What plans does your Chief Danic have this time? Does he want me to deal with the Sky Garden?"
Setting down the formal attire in her hands, Serenekay, who had been standing behind Kenneth, respectfully answered Kenneth's question.
"Yes, he wants the master to deal with the Sky Garden and asks me to order Rider to ambush the master at the right opportunity."
"Tsk, just as I thought. Rats are rats. These are things I've already played with before. Tell him I agree and I'll be back later."
Kenneth will definitely go back, but he can't guarantee how long it will be. At least until Semiramis moves away that abnormally developed Holy Grail, Kenneth will definitely not show up. Before the Holy Grail needs to be filled and unstable factors need to be eliminated, and before Ayaka Sajou arrives, Kenneth needs to keep the start-up progress of the Greater Grail at a suitable level.
Just as Kenneth was enjoying a rare moment of peace before the great battle, in the outskirts of Romania, a Romanian racing team, driving a car provided by a kind passerby, followed the trajectory of the Sky Garden towards the area where the Thousand World Tree was located.
“Ruler, it might be inappropriate for us to go straight to the Black Faction’s castle like this.”
As the Red Master of the Clock Tower faction, to be honest, Shishikage Kairi never expected that he would have to bite the bullet and help the Black side fight the Red side. Putting aside the Clock Tower's attitude, Shishikage Kairi really didn't trust Darnic, the one from Yggdrasil who had a terrible reputation.
“It’s alright. As the overseer of this Holy Grail War, I swear in the name of Jeanne d’Arc Darke that I will guarantee your safety as the referee until the anomaly is cleared up.”
As a fellow Takeuchi-like figure, Jeanne d'Arc not only possesses the ability to understand people's hearts but also to comprehend them. She understood Shishikage Kairi's concerns and, faced with this kind person who had consistently assisted her, Jeanne d'Arc didn't mind using her privileges slightly. With Jeanne d'Arc's assurance, Shishikage Kairi's anxieties subsided. For now, Shishikage Kairi's goal had shifted from obtaining the Holy Grail to simply surviving. Having clearly witnessed the saintess's abilities, Shishikage Kairi felt even more confident about this Holy Grail War.
Of course, all of this is based on the premise that Shishikai Kairi does not know what he is going to face. In order not to discourage the tool people's confidence, Kenneth did not tell anyone about Sajou Ayaka except Karna. Facing that beast that feeds on human reason, the capitalist Kenneth felt that it was better to let these ordinary people remain ignorant and give their all.
The Beast's embryo has developed, but to this day, Kenneth has not detected a single sign of humanity's self-preservation mechanism being activated. There's no indication of a Grand Servant appearing, and even the old sword that has been relentlessly pursuing the Beast of 666 has shown no sign of appearing. This is highly illogical. The Beast is, after all, a virus to humanity; normally, once the world detects the Beast's presence, its immune system should activate. This anomaly makes Kenneth ponder further.
"Did Ayaka Sajou interfere with the world's detection? Or have the Grand Servants already descended, but I just haven't noticed?"
If conditions allowed, Kenneth really wanted to check up on the development of the 666 Beast up close to see if it was developing normally. But all of this was just wishful thinking. Sajou Ayaka's methods had already opened Kenneth's eyes. At the beginning of its arrival, Sajou Ayaka almost disintegrated Kenneth just by using the connection of the spell. More than a day has passed, and who knows how many ways the 666 Beast has unlocked. If he's not careful, Kenneth might become a delivery boy.
"Sajō Aika, Sajō Aika, what are you really thinking?"
While trying to figure out what Ayaka Sajou was thinking, Kenneth was also busy. The memory of his mind being invaded by Ayaka Sajou was still vivid in his mind. In order to avoid not even having the right to stand in front of the Beast 666, Kenneth had to build a spell to protect his mind and soul based on the Third Law. Magic was something that Ayaka Sajou could easily crack, and only the Third Law could give Kenneth a little bit of security.
Recalling the pain of his spirit being gradually eroded, Kenneth reversed the working principle of Sajou Aika's magic. Based on the previous level of invasion, Kenneth amplified it several times and multiplied it by a safety factor to construct a spell that protects the spirit.
While Kenneth was busy outwitting and outmaneuvering the yet-to-be-seen Aika Sajou, at the Thousand Trees Castle, after learning from Sereneka that Kenneth had agreed to deal with the Sky Garden, Danic instinctively began to ponder Kenneth's intentions.
Whether Kenneth was unaware of his own intentions or was aware of them and prepared to turn the tables, based on Kenneth's previous behavior, Danic was more inclined to the second possibility. To ensure that nothing went wrong, Danic had to prepare for the worst.
"So, that man might be baiting us, Lancer can hold off Faker, Berserker is enough to suppress Assassin, and Rider is sufficient to deal with that maid. Is the success rate high...?"
A 50% profit is enough to make capital take risks, not to mention that the profits from attacking Kenneth far exceed 50%. Given the strength Karna has shown, even if Danic were given a hundred Danic's, he would still dare to attack Kenneth.
However, Danic overlooked one thing: his long-standing arrogance had caused him to lose his awe of the unknown. After receiving the Grand Order rating, Danic naturally regarded himself as the pinnacle of contemporary magicians. As for Kenneth, this magician with no talent, no skill, and no reputation, Danic never thought that Kenneth could possibly surpass him, let alone that Kenneth had the ability to overturn the table. Danic said: "With the dragon in my face, how can I lose?"
Just as Danic was envisioning how to use Karna to fight the Empress, his spirits plummeted upon hearing the report from the homunculus.
"Chief, the Red Army's aerial fortress is approaching us and is expected to arrive here before nightfall."
"What did you say!!"
As soon as he pushed open the door, Danic's expression instantly became contorted with rage.
Chapter 151 Salvation for the Evil
A thousand meters above the ground, under the influence of magic, this aerial fortress, which shielded the view of Muggles, was moving towards the location of the Yggdrasil Castle at a speed disproportionate to its enormous size. Standing on the balcony of the aerial garden, with Archer's superhuman eyesight, the location of the Yggdrasil was becoming increasingly clear to Arjuna.
Looking down at the divine bow Gandiba, Arjuna's body moved continuously through the shadows formed by the clouds. The living are easily dragged into memories, but the spirits of the dead always live in the past. His fingertips plucked the strings, and the taut strings emitted a long, lingering tremor.
"Are you hesitating?"
Arjuna stopped plucking the strings, enjoying his solitude. He raised his head, covered his mouth with one hand, and looked at Achilles, who had suddenly appeared beside him. There was no light in Arjuna's eyes.
"You saw me smile, didn't you?"
"Laugh? Did you laugh? All I see is a person caught in a dilemma, a hero bestowed by heaven, a hero given charity. The story between you two is truly complicated."
Without answering Achilles's question, Arjuna lowered his veil and turned as if leaving the observation deck. Before the final battle, just as he had a thousand years before, Arjuna once again fell into endless hesitation. But this time, standing beside him was not Krishna, who had instigated him to draw his bow, but a hero from mythology.
"A troubled mind is a great taboo. We all stay for the same reason: I want to fight that great hero, and you want to duel with Karna. Aren't we both trying to make up for our regrets? What is there to hesitate about? Hesitation is something only the living have. We, a bunch of wandering ghosts, only have regrets."
"Regret, is it?"
Arjuna paused, and for the first time, Nanako, who was Karna's only supporter, showed interest in other people's lives. With her back to Arjuna, Arjuna repeated Achilles' conclusion.
"Yes, it is a regret. I grew up listening to the stories of that great hero, from childhood to teachers to the battlefield. His story has never stopped. I didn't have the chance to live, but can't I at least have a moment of satisfaction in death? I have always been following the shadow of that man, and today, I have found him."
"Are you searching for that man?"
With arms outstretched, embracing the sky, Achilles' face revealed an undisguised fervor in response to Arjuna's reply.