"Damn it!"
The Servants each showed their abilities, raising shields, taking it head-on, or dodging, managing to withstand this large-scale purging attack.
Only Karna ignited in flames. Taking advantage of Asterios also being caught up in the attack and unable to focus on anything else, he withdrew from combat in time.
Fearless, he passed through the golden light, like a meteor streaking across the sky straight toward the Greater Grail.
But it was obviously not going to be that easy.
The evil dragon's "Hundred Heads" had no blind spots in vision or perception. No matter where the attack came from or how fast it was, to it, everything was a frontal assault. It only needed to respond calmly.
With the blessing of the two "goddesses," the evil dragon connected to the Greater Grail split off twenty dragon heads, opening their mouths. One by one, complex magic circles appeared within them...
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
Thin beams of light danced along with the movement of the heads, sealing and slicing space into countless fragments.
Deep gouges instantly appeared across the dome and walls, and the Chaldea group in the distance hurriedly dodged to avoid being caught in it.
Even with Karna's mobility, he couldn't evade them all. He was struck again and again, the flames on his body dissipating under the torrent of overwhelming energy. Only his golden armor protected him, though he was still inevitably forced back.
"Roar!!!"
Asterios recovered and, under the witches' control, charged toward Ritsuka and the others.
"Don't even think about it!"
Jeanne stepped in front of everyone, raising her sacred flag with both hands to block the massive battle axe from the abyss.
Despite her exceptional strength and endurance, she could only hold on for three breaths before reaching her limit. Her legs gave out, and she dropped to one knee.
Fortunately, Mash came rushing in at that moment. Leaping high, she swung the tail end of her cross-shaped shield like a warhammer and smashed it hard into Asterios's head.
Bang!
The hard skull and the shield collided with a metallic clang. The thunder-infused monster froze for a moment from the impact.
Jeanne seized the chance to retreat, letting the battle axe crash into the ground, burying itself deep within it.
Whoosh!
An arrow tore through the air, precisely striking Asterios's left eye. Blood splattered as a deafening roar erupted.
"Graaah!!!"
The mad bull's muscles bulged all over his body. He unleashed overwhelming brute force, swinging his twin axes wildly and recklessly, as if he wanted to chop everything around him into pieces.
Mash stood firm with her shield in front of Jeanne, but the force behind the axe swings was beyond imagination.
The impact sent both the Demi-Servant and the saint flying away together with the shield.
Asterios's remaining eye searched through the blood-red haze for his enemy, finally locking onto Atalanta dozens of steps away.
For him, that distance could be crossed in an instant. His powerful legs stomped down, cracking the ground as he charged straight toward the huntress like a war chariot.
"Atalanta, watch out!"
Ritsuka called out in warning, but the huntress seemed not to hear. She calmly continued to draw her bow and nock an arrow...
Whoosh!
A magical arrow tore through the air. That flash of green rapidly expanded within Asterios's single eye.
Having learned its power, the mad bull instinctively tilted his head slightly, narrowing his intact right eye as well.
He planned to take the hit with his hardened bones, then use the momentum to rush straight to Atalanta.
Even with his vision hindered, it would only take an instant for him to tear the huntress's fragile body apart.
But that very instant became a gap he could never cross...
Clang!!!
A clear sword sound rang out. A figure suddenly appeared behind Asterios. Lightning and moisture gathered along the long blade in his hand.
At the moment it was swung, it resembled a giant serpent striking down its prey, the blade acting as the sharpest fang, easily piercing through the monster's back.
'...!'
Asterios's body froze abruptly. Carried by inertia, it continued to surge forward. Atalanta calmly turned her body aside, and the massive white figure flew past her just like that.
Thud!
Asterios slid across the ground for quite a while before finally stopping. The Ame-no-Murakumo sword remained deeply embedded within his body.
"…Farewell!"
Iori's eyes sharpened. The power of lightning surged along the blade, completely shattering Asterios's spirit core.
"…Ah."
The red glow faded from his eyes. Asterios looked at Iori one last time. There was no hatred, no anger, only calm and release.
His white, massive body slowly turned into particles of spiritual light and dispersed into the void~
"Little bull… no matter what, that's one less enemy."
Ritsuka felt a bit of reluctance, but it didn't affect her judgment. The battle wouldn't end here. Compared to the fallen bull, the evil dragon Ladon was a hundred times more troublesome.
"Senpai, look at the Grail!"
"Hm?"
Following Mash's indication, Ritsuka looked over. On the platform, after summoning Ladon, Medea and Circe calmly began interacting with the Holy Grail, as if making final adjustments.
A luxurious and beautiful golden radiance spread from the Grail's core, growing brighter and brighter.
"If this drags on, will the Greater Grail activate?"
"The core of the Greater Grail is one of the 'Five True Magics'... the [Heaven's Feel]."
At some point, Sella had walked over and suddenly spoke, "Medea and Circe are magi from the Age of Gods."
"Their techniques and knowledge completely surpass modern magecraft. Being able to create 'miracles' is no exaggeration."
"However, just as they said, the 'root' environment and magical foundations of the Age of Gods and the modern era are completely different. The concept of 'magic' has also changed significantly."
"In the Age of Gods, they may have had the power to alter celestial phenomena and communicate with gods. But in the modern era… the Five True Magics are the strongest!"
"You're Berserker's… so you're saying they can't fully control [Heaven's Feel] either?"
"If given enough time, they probably could," Sella said in a low voice. "But right now, we still have a chance!"
"Specifically…?"
"As long as you send me inside the Greater Grail, I'm confident I can stop Medea!"
Sella pressed a hand to her chest as she assured, "Because we, the Einzbern, are the rightful inheritors of the Third Magic!"
"Inside the Greater Grail, there are also spiritual imprints left behind by our predecessors!"
"Send you into the Greater Grail…"
Ritsuka's gaze flickered as she thought carefully. "If we go by the original myth, Ladon won't leave what it guards."
"That means its range is limited to around the Greater Grail. With its size, it's practically staying in place…"
"There's a chance! Ruler!"
"I'm here!" Jeanne responded immediately.
"For victory, use a Command Seal on the Servants!"
"Understood!"
Ritsuka gave the order decisively, and Jeanne did not hesitate, immediately using one Command Seal.
"In the name of the Ruler, Rider of Red, Achilles, come forth to protect this world... appear before me at once!"
Buzz!
A green magical glow appeared within the magic circle. A figure formed... it was the great hero Achilles.
However, the fastest Servant looked a bit disheveled at the moment. There were bruises on his face and body… though his presence was still imposing.
"A Command Seal… wait, what the hell is that thing?"
Achilles looked in shock at the evil dragon Ladon. After a brief pause, he quickly reacted, recognizing the infamous beast from myth.
"Why is something like that here too… it just doesn't end!"
"Rider, I hope you can... "
"No need to say more. Even though my Master is that priest, we're on the same side right now. No matter what, we've got to take that dragon down first!"
Without needing further instruction, Achilles immediately activated his [Comet Running], charging toward the platform at a speed surpassing even Karna... he craved this battle!
Back when facing Yamata no Orochi, despite standing at the peak among Servants, he hadn't been able to contribute, watching others claim the glory.
Now that he finally had the chance to challenge another evil dragon, Achilles felt no fear or hesitation. Instead, he was filled with excitement.
"Roar!"
The hundred-headed dragon reacted immediately. Twenty heads split off to target him as before, but they couldn't stop his agile movements!
Achilles and Karna drew closer and closer. The dragon had no choice but to use its heads for physical blockage.
Its long necks, like venomous snakes, constantly tried to devour the two, clashing again and again with metallic force.
Then, the dragon split off another twenty heads for fire support. Coordinating together, they almost completely sealed off the underground space, finally managing to suppress Karna and Achilles.
"That should be about it… according to myth, creatures like this never rest not because they don't need sleep, but because half of their heads stay awake while the other half sleeps to recover."
Ritsuka took a deep breath. "In other words, its attention has limits. As long as we keep it occupied enough, we can create blind spots!"
"Ruler, please, use another Command Seal… this time on Assassin!"
"Assassin?"
Jeanne was taken aback, but quickly understood Ritsuka's intent and nodded in admiration. Then she spoke firmly, "In the name of the Ruler, I command!"
"Assassin of Red, whose true name is Semiramis... the time for judgment has come. Bring forth that garden of vanity!"
Buzz!
A flash of red light indicated another Command Seal being used.
Immediately after, the underground workshop began to tremble. Cracks spread across the solid dome, and chunks of rock fell.
The structure itself seemed to be pulled upward like by a black hole, slowly splitting open, revealing the sky above, covered by a massive shadow...
EX Anti-World Noble Phantasm [Hanging Gardens of Babylon]!
"Just as I thought! Even though it was built with materials from this world, after Asterios's death, the labyrinth's strength dropped, and the temple became unstable as well!"
Ritsuka was overjoyed. "Now's the time... full assault!"
"ROOOAR!!!"
Ladon seemed enraged. The remaining dragon heads all awakened, gathering dozens of EX-level light cannons comparable to Anti-Army Noble Phantasms and firing them at the fortress in the sky.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Amid the surging waves of magical energy, all the Servants launched a full-scale attack on Ladon.
Jeanne even used Command Seals without hesitation to grant a group-wide enhancement to all the Servants present.
Combined with Mash's "protection" ability, the heroes' firepower and defense visibly increased. For a moment, even Ladon seemed overwhelmed.
The saint took the lead, clearing a path for Iori. With her exceptional Magic Resistance and her sacred flag imbued with countless prayers, she blocked wave after wave of light cannon bombardments. Every step was difficult, but she showed no fear.
Meanwhile, Sella was held in Iori's arms. The boy stared at the distant Greater Grail, while Sella quietly looked at him…
Moments later, the silver-haired, red-eyed Master raised his right hand, "By Command Seal, I order you... take me to the Greater Grail, Berserker!"
———
"Gather… Clear Mind Like Still Water!"
As a ripple spread through space, misty vapor rose from the Ame-no-Murakumo sword, then fell to the ground, coating it in a smooth, mirror-like surface that reflected everything.
Resting in Iori's arms, Sella quietly felt the warmth of the boy's body. Right now, just maintaining her own form had already exhausted all her strength. She had no energy left to run and could only entrust all hope to Iori.
The hundred-headed dragon's barrage was fierce and dense. Even Karna, clad in golden armor, couldn't force his way through.
Only through the combined assault of many Servants, along with the interference of the [Hanging Gardens], did this monstrous beast from myth reveal a slight opening.
Beam after beam, shock after shock... every tiny change in space appeared clearly in Iori's mind. His lightning-fast step techniques left a string of afterimages in the air. In the blink of an eye, he crossed the outer edge of the barrage.
'Using a Command Seal to teleport directly near the Greater Grail… that wouldn't work, right?'
Medea and Circe would definitely guard against that. It might even trigger traps the moment he arrived.
And with a hundred heads, Ladon had no blind spots. To get past its defenses, he had to break through head-on.
Faster!
Even faster!
With abundant magical energy, Iori's step technique broke past its limits in frequency, even surpassing the observational ability of the "Hundred Heads."
Like a phantom that didn't belong to the material world, he slipped through the nearly seamless barrage of beams and approached the platform, then escaped the encirclement and strangling assault of dozens of dragon heads.
"Berserker?"
The two witches naturally sensed the approaching danger. Circe glanced at Medea, withdrew her hand from the Greater Grail, and grasped her staff again.
She had no intention of using magecraft on Iori. Setting aside whether it would work, if she failed, at this distance she would surely die.
So she chose the most reliable method.
"Under the glory guarded by Hecate in the heavens, the aura of the ancient Titans flows within my blood."
"Come, let great wisdom take flight as Circe's wings!"
"Noble Phantasm, deploy..."
[Reality Marble, Forbidden Banquet (Metabo Piglets)]!
A grand magecraft elevated from myth, summoning a luxurious banquet space. It holds a lively and noisy feast where one eats until bursting... an intoxicating and dreadful magical banquet.
Those who taste this delight will willingly desire to fall further.
As for those who refuse the invitation, they will be trampled by the witch Circe's beloved pigs, "Piglets".
Proper heroes possess resistance to this Reality Marble. Circe didn't expect to defeat Iori with her Noble Phantasm.
She only needed to buy time. As long as Iori was trapped within the banquet for a while, everything would be over.