Chapter 128: You're looking for Merlin, what's that got to do with me – Lady Avalon?
[It's the classic Onee-san raising a pure little shota!!!]
[This is exactly the kind of person who likes to fool around, raising a little shota only to let the kid run wild all over the world.]
[Trashy woman incoming, I'm dying laughing, even got caught red-handed by Proto-Saber.]
[But looking closely, you can't really blame Saber for this, after all, this kind of seductive older Onee-san is seriously hard to resist…]
[None of you care about that person who claimed to be Arthur? That's a dude!!!]
[King Arthur can't possibly be a man!!!]
[Now it's Mordred's turn to be confused, how can my father be a man?]
[Mordred: Why is Father a man? No, wait, Father was supposed to be a man, right? I'm starting to lose my sense of gender here...]
[Hold on, hold on, let me think this through… King Arthur is a man, Mordred is a girl, Merlin is a girl… mom, what the hell is going on here?!]
[Just fight already, I don't wanna figure anything out, I just wanna see rivers of blood!!!]
...
[System: 'Part-time employee for Counter Force' has sent 1000 Saint Quartz!]
[Message: Boss said today's a day off, let's all do our best!!!]
...
"Fou fou!!!"
Fou suddenly jumped from Mash's body onto Merlin's shoulder.
"Cath Palug?! I see, in this era you got kicked out by my brother, huh."
"Fou… fou!!!"
Fou kept calling out to Merlin, as if trying to say something to her.
"Ahahaha, my brother really is like that, but I'm sure he had his reasons."
"Fou!!!"
"Alright, alright, don't pout, just stay by Master-kun's side for now."
After twirling once, Fou stepped on a flower petal and returned to Ethan and Mash.
"That's really Merlin?!"
Dr. Romani's astonished voice came through the communication device.
"The Grand Magus of Britannia, half-blood between Incubus and human, the one who exalted that Arthur Pendragon as king, later became the Court Magus, one of the greatest king-raisers in the world, and also the ultimate NEET!!!"
Dr. Romani's image nearly flew out of the communication device.
"And even as a Servant? That Merlin?!"
"Thanks for the detailed introduction."
Merlin smiled as she looked at Dr. Romani's image.
"Unfortunately, that person is not me… but my brother."
"Brother???"
The doctor visibly looked confused.
"There's no time to explain, if you want to face this beast, you'll have to go all out. Hey!!!"
The staff in Merlin's hand swung forward, instantly turning the beam of energy shot by the Phantasmal Species into a shower of flower petals.
"Ha a————————!!!"
Once freed from her bindings, Mordred was the first to charge forward, swinging Clarent hard at the Phantasmal Species' body.
The dragon-headed Phantasmal Species immediately opened its razor-sharp jaws, biting down at Mordred from above.
"Crimson Lightning!!!"
Mordred instantly released magical energy, preparing to withstand the direct attack.
"Whoosh————————!!!"
Suddenly, a figure flashed by, instantly slashing across the dragon-headed Phantasmal Species from above.
"Grrrr————————!!!"
The Phantasmal Species all turned their angry gazes toward the figure.
Only to see that person soaring through the air, then leaping in front of Nero, raising the golden holy sword in his hand.
"Haaa——————!!!"
The golden holy sword in his hand burst with light, slashing down forcefully.
"Bang————————!!!"
An invisible barrier instantly appeared in front of him, blocking the blow.
"You've got some skill, wielder of the Holy Sword of the Stars."
Nero stared at Arthur expressionlessly, even seeming to tease him.
"It's just a pity that with your current self, with that Saint Graph, you can't hurt me. Why don't you call on the Counter Force and get yourself a proper Saint Graph?"
"My goal is to destroy you! To protect world peace!!!"
The holy sword in Arthur's hand burst forth with intense light!!!
"Face reality—no matter which world it is, the Sword of the Stars will never let you escape!"
"Crack, crack!!!"
Cracks began to form on the invisible barrier in front.
"Haaa!!!"
Under Arthur's full-power strike, the barrier couldn't withstand it and shattered into pieces!!!
Suddenly, a violent jet of black smoke surged out, hitting Arthur square in the face before he could dodge.
"Saber!!!"
Iskandar, fighting the Phantasmal Species while riding Bucephalus, immediately rushed in upon seeing this scene.
Arthur's body was being wrapped in the black mist, quickly corroded, then torn apart!
But in the very next second, that torn-apart body turned into flower petals, and Arthur reappeared in the distant sky, just in time to be saved by Iskandar.
"Thanks, Rider."
"Hey, don't just rush forward on your own like that. But it looks like there's some deep grudge between you and that enemy."
"That's right. I must defeat that beast—this is the fate I bear."
Arthur looked toward Nero, who remained completely unscathed.
"I'm sorry, Master."
Arthur returned to the frontlines, standing beside Ethan.
"Please forgive my recklessness, but that beast is a being I absolutely must destroy."
"No, I'm just glad you're safe."
Ethan gently shook his head.
Right now, without a Grand Servant, this wielder of the Holy Sword of the Stars was one of the few cards he still held in hand.
If he lost him so easily, the entire game would be over.
"Honestly… you've already passed through so many worlds, yet you're still this hot-headed, Ar… no, Nameless Saber."
Merlin was about to tease Arthur, but she quickly remembered something and changed her tone.
"Whose fault do you think that is, Merlin!!"
Arthur let out a deep sigh.
"Nameless Saber, really? Even now you still want to keep up the act?"
"W-Who's Merlin? I'm Lady Avalon~~~"
Merlin visibly panicked and immediately turned her face away.
"Fine, if you don't want to admit it, so be it."
Arthur knew full well the true threat right now was the Evils of Humanity before them, and as for his business with Merlin, it could wait.
As long as she didn't vanish.
"That Holy Sword Wielder from another world, do you know the true name of that enemy?"
Romani pressed Arthur.
"Ah, I am one who pursues the Beast, journeying across countless worlds, always walking this path… of course I know its true name."
Arthur's eyes locked onto Nero, who was smiling wickedly in midair.
"The one who takes pleasure in observing humanity's 'Depravity', the one who incarnated to savor the sweet fruits of Immorality, the one who injected desire into the grail—Evils of Humanity, embodiment of Depravity——Beast VI, Beast of Sodom!!!"
At the exact moment Arthur shouted the enemy's true name, Nero in midair finally let out an uncontrollable laugh.
"Look, the wave of prosperity so praised by mankind, what cloaks the sky is the filth born from humanity's endless desires. That's right, I am Beast VI／S—here to savor the exquisite taste of the 'destruction of the Human Order'!!!"
Immediately, the seven dragon-headed Phantasmal Species behind her roared madly in unison, while the sea of blood surged endlessly.
"Verification complete—the enemy is confirmed to be the Beast of Depravity——Beast VI／Sodom's Beast!"
"The familiars it possesses include: two dragon-headed magical beasts, two insect-headed magical beasts, two serpent-like creatures with hooked claws at their mouths, and a central entity with a split, elongated mouth! Their magical energy output exceeds even that of the Demon God Pillars!!!"
At last, Chaldea had obtained preliminary analysis results.
"Confirmed: the magical energy of the central beast is continuously growing, currently holding at Third Planetary Class."
Everyone in Chaldea was working under extreme pressure, while Da Vinci continued analyzing the enemy's data.
"How can this be… it's still growing stronger…"
Lines of data streamed endlessly across Da Vinci's eyes.
"This depravity, this arrogance! I shall bring an end to it all today!!"
Arthur aimed his Holy Sword at the roaring creatures ahead.
"Is that so? It would be far too boring if no one showed resistance. Go, my familiars—fight with everything you've got!!"
"RROOAARR——————————!!!"
The seven magical beasts at her side roared and charged again.
Arthur immediately swung his sword and returned to the battle. Jeanne Alter also rushed in alongside him, while Mash took on the support role for the two.
Iskandar, riding Bucephalus, continued backing up Mordred, who was still fighting non-stop.
Aboard the Gordius Wheel, Ethan, Merlin, Waver, and Sima Yi swiftly dodged incoming attacks.
These three non-frontline Servants were always ready to provide battlefield support at any moment.
"Damn it, our magical energy supply still isn't enough."
Ethan clenched his fists.
Even though Mordred and Iskandar were holding the line, the magical energy received from Chaldea was extremely limited, while their consumption kept increasing. At this rate...
Converting Command Spells and points into magical energy only worked for individual Servants.
Wait a minute—wasn't there an exception among their Casters?
"Merlin, can I ask you to supply magical energy to everyone?"
Ethan immediately turned to Merlin, who stood nearby.
"Oh? I didn't expect to get a personal request from my own Master-kun. Looking closer, you're actually quite handsome. Interested in becoming a King?"
Merlin leaned in close, examining Ethan's face with great interest.
"Sorry, NO THANKS!!!"
Ethan rejected her flatly.
Ethan had absolutely no desire to end up like Saber (either gender), whose entire life had been thrown into chaos thanks to Merlin (also either gender).
"Seriously now, I think Master-kun would be tons of fun. But since I've been asked, I'll do my job properly! Hey Yo!!!"
Merlin swung her staff down, and flower petals immediately scattered all around her.
"Faraway paradise. Blossomed hope. Let us send a fragrant shard."
Immediately, a gentle wind carrying flower petals swirled throughout the battlefield, wrapping around every present Servant.
"Surely, it exists yonder. Embrace this omen and walk...,
Utopia That Beckons from the Distance!
Winds of Avalon!!!"
At the moment her chant ended, everyone felt it—magical energy began surging within them.
And as if in their hearts, a soft breeze passed through, sweeping away all the growing anxiety.
"This should allow everyone to hold out a while longer."
Lowering her staff, Merlin smiled as she spoke.
As a succubus, Merlin possessed the ability to interfere with enemies' minds to absorb magical energy, and her Noble Phantasm not only shielded allies but also supplied them with an abundant magical power.
Merlin—this conceptual perpetual motion machine—was certainly worth possessing.
If possible, Ethan truly wished she could stack a few more layers of buffs.
"Magic on this scale completed in an instant?!"
Doctor Romani looked at Merlin with utter disbelief in his eyes.
"Are you sure you're not a Grand Servant?"
"Of course not. Even if I do possess the qualifications of a Grand, that title is far too troublesome. Once you get involved with it, it drags in all kinds of headaches. So unfortunately, for now, I'm still just an ordinary Servant."
Merlin smiled as she denied Doctor Romani's suspicion.
"Fighting a Beast without the aid of a Grand Servant is truly pushing it too far…"
"But still, Doctor, we have no choice but to push forward!"
From atop the Gordius Wheel, Ethan looked ahead, toward the direction of the roaring beasts.
Everyone was still locked in fierce combat with those colossal magical beasts, but thanks to Merlin's support, the situation appeared more favorable than before.
"BOOM————————!!!"
The dragon-headed beast spewed a beam of light. Mordred twisted her body skillfully to dodge, then immediately spun and swung her sword, slashing straight at its neck!!!
"HAHH——————!!!"
A surge of black energy erupted from Clarent, piercing through the thick scales before slicing downward.
"CRACK CRACK!!!"
The scales shattered with a cracking sound under Clarent's force, leaving behind a deep gash across the magical beast's body.
"ROOAAARRRR————————!!!"
On the other side, a serpent-like magical beast with a four-pronged head let out a deafening roar, its body swaying violently as it lunged at Mordred!!!
Unable to dodge in time, Mordred raised Clarent to block, but was immediately pushed back, unable to regain her footing!
"Damn it!!"
Mordred forcibly expelled magical energy, attempting to paralyze the enemy with electricity.
"Zzzzz————————!!!"
Though red lightning crackled fiercely from Mordred's armor and surged into the beast, it showed no signs of stopping.
At this rate… she would be shoved straight into the sea of blood!!!
"CLANG————————!!!"
Suddenly, a golden Holy Sword fell from the sky! It embedded itself deep into the head of the serpent-like beast.
Reeling in intense pain, the beast immediately released Mordred and began convulsing violently.
"Take this—STRIKE!!!"
With a voice filled with spirit, the Holy Sword swiftly cleaved across the beast's head.
"SSSKKRRRREEEEE——!!!"
A pained screech rang out as blood—black and red—gushed from the wound. The beast staggered, then sank into the sea of blood.
"Are you alright, Saber!"
Right after, a knight clad in pristine white armor turned to look at Mordred, extending a hand to help her up.
"Tch, I don't need your help!"
Mordred slapped the hand away.
"I've already taken down two of these things myself."
But quickly, her eyes locked onto the sword in his hand, radiating a familiar glow.
"That sword of yours…!!!"