Chapter 59. The Mystery of Shinomiya Kaguya, Berserker Donning the 『Armor of Fafnir』!!
[Inside the Shinomiya mansion, the lights blazed like daytime, but once again, the usual coldness returned.]
[Just a few hours ago, the atmosphere here was still like a battlefield of love, surrounding Raku Sou were a cute little sister, an adorable kouhai, and two charming Heroic Spirits.]
[But because a strong enemy arrived at the door, all those capable of fighting had gone out to confront them.]
[Only the little sister without magecraft talent remained.]
["How annoying, onii-chan brought back so many women again..."]
["Hayasaka... what should I do, Hayasaka..."]
[Shinomiya Kaguya's frustrated voice rang out as she rolled around on the bed, crying and making a fuss.]
[This image was completely different from her usual graceful ojou-sama appearance.]
[Even though she had already anticipated it, seeing onii-chan bringing back so many women with her own eyes still made her anger flare up, secretly cursing in her heart.]
[Onii-chan no baka, aho, hentai!]
[There was a peerless beauty like her following him around, moreover, a little sister with no blood relation.]
[And yet you... and yet you didn't make a move?!]
[Wait, could it be...]
["Is this the so-called 'home flowers aren't as fragrant as wild flowers'?"]
[Kaguya suddenly realized, as if her neural reflexes were half a beat slow.]
[Then she sighed and no longer dwelled on it.]
[She slowly walked to the dressing table, a small strangely shaped mirror swinging at her waist.]
[She pulled open a drawer, taking out a bottle of green magecraft aptitude potion, dropping a few drops onto her fair and slender right hand, the light quickly dimming...]
["Damn it, failed again!"]
["I've already tried hundreds of times, why won't it light up...!"]
[Kaguya angrily stomped her foot, feeling the malice of fate against her.]
[Seriously.]
[Can't I win just once?]
Seeing this ridiculous scene, many Earth viewers couldn't help but roast her.
"Didn't expect this Ojou-sama Kaguya, who looks so elegant and noble on the outside."
"Turns out she's a complete idiot in private."
...
"That's right, Kaguya-sama in private is exactly like this...!"
In the real world, a blonde maid faintly smiled.
She looked at the silly Kaguya in the parallel world, suddenly feeling extremely close to her.
...
While everyone was animatedly discussing.
The camera shifted to a gloomy street where neon lights flickered.
The great heroes once sung by ancient poets had finally gathered on the modern stage of Fuyuki City, like an epic grandly unfolding, making one's limbs tremble with excitement.
Team Archer...
Team Saber...
Team Berserker...
Many factions converged, cold mist surging; just on the surface, there were already three Heroic Spirits!
The situation formed into a 2 versus 1.
Including Masters, it was 4 versus 2.
The alliance of Saber and Archer, fighting against Berserker!
[Team Saber had serious expressions, Team Archer also carried a bit of gravity, facing the terrifying enemy across the street.]
[Didn't expect to be blocked here...]
["Such a tyrannical aura, the enemy must be Berserker?"]
[Artoria frowned, staring at the burly giant not far away.]
[It was a mighty warrior with bronze-like skin, a cold expression, wearing a majestic golden armor embroidered with dragon patterns. His giant figure exuded an overwhelming presence, like a collapsing tsunami.]
[It brought about an almost unbreakable illusion.]
[No, not an illusion.]
["Such high stats, even surpassing the strongest Saber Class..."]
[Raku Sou furrowed his brows, a sense of danger rising within him, using his Mystic Eyes to examine the attributes of the burly giant.]
[Strength A+, Endurance A, Agility A, Mana A...]
[This was completely a well-rounded warrior with no weaknesses, only hoping that because he was a Berserker, perhaps the Mad Enhancement would strip away his seasoned instincts and refined techniques.]
[Even without combat experience, this Berserker was almost invincible.]
[Just the strength stat alone was at the peak among Heroic Spirits, far surpassing Grand; it was a power only Heracles could possess, and if he advanced another step, enough to go head-to-head with a Beast...]
[That's right, this Berserker was definitely the strongest Servant in this Holy Grail War.]
[A being capable of one against six.]
[Fortunately, he had allied with Yukino, no need to face him alone.]
"Berserker is the strongest!"
At Celestial Curtain, upon hearing Raku Sou's assessment, Natsuki Subaru excitedly clenched his fists.
A wave of pride spread.
It felt like in a game, everyone else drew R cards, SR cards, but he exploded with luck and drew an SRR gold card...
"Hey, Subaru, don't get cocky too soon, being too strong can be a kind of debuff."
"Maybe in this Holy Grail War, everyone will recognize the threat of Berserker, then team up six against one, spam Noble Phantasms non-stop, and you'll be the first one eliminated."
Watching his friend gloat obliviously, Satou Kazuma couldn't help but mock a little.
"But Berserker really is super strong!" Natsuki Subaru mumbled.
"Tch."
Satou Kazuma curled his lips disdainfully, but in reality was gritting his teeth in jealousy.
Damn it, I'm clearly way more elite than Subaru.
Why wasn't I, in the parallel world, participating in the Holy Grail War?!
Behind the scenes!
I, Satou Kazuma, must definitely be the final boss pulling the strings behind the scenes!
Only appearing cool as hell at the climax! It must be like that!
...
However, not all discussions were focused on Berserker Heracles.
Some people fell into deep thought, curiosity sparked about the "Grand" and "Beast" mentioned by Raku Sou.
"What is Grand...?"
"If used to gauge Heroic Spirit power, would Merlin slicing the Pacific Ocean in half count as Grand?"
...
The BGM suddenly dropped low.
A melody full of suffocating despair played, as if a monster were squeezing the heart.
Was a major boss about to appear?
Everyone held their breath nervously.
[From the corner, the Purge King slowly stepped out, wearing a black cloak, cold eyes, deep dark circles as if he hadn't slept for years, exuding a heavy fatigue yet a terrifying clarity.]
[An intense sense of danger rose in everyone's hearts, as if facing a venomous snake baring its fangs.]
["We finally meet, Yukinoshita Yukino."]
[He spoke coldly, standing beside Berserker, his gaze never leaving Yukino from beginning to end.]
[Sure enough, the bloodline of that woman, with facial features nearly identical, even the pure gaze with righteousness in her eyes, was exactly like Haruno.]
[This stirred up both a sense of familiarity and hatred within the Purge King.]
["...Who are you?"]
[Yukino asked tensely under the terrifying pressure.]
[The Purge King coldly replied: "Head of the Einzbern family, you can call me Subaru or Purge King... Are you ready for battle? If you're not serious, you'll die."]
[His words were indifferent but carried an unquestionable tyranny.]
[It was the composed aura possessed only by tyrants who held countless lives in their hands.]
[Facing him as an enemy would naturally cause hair-raising chills.]
"All this talk about killing, this brat is really unpleasant."
In Tokyo, the great yokai Nurarihyon irritably tapped his cane.
At this point, he no longer said things like "If we lived in the same world, I would personally slay the Purge King" anymore, because Berserker was truly invincible, and with his old body, he probably couldn't win.
If Berserker wasn't dealt with, killing Purge King was almost impossible.
...
["Someone from the Einzbern family huh..."]
[As tension filled the air, Raku Sou pondered deeply.]
[In fact, the Einzbern family was one of the original founders of the Holy Grail War, very familiar, old enemies to his own clan.]
[Mysterious, ancient...]
[No wonder they could summon such a powerful Heroic Spirit.]
[Sensing her Master's thoughts, the white-haired Heroic Spirit, still in spiritual form, softly smiled.]
["Master, would you like to retreat?"]
["After all, his target is only Yukinoshita Yukino, just an ally in name. There's no need to risk your life for her against the Einzbern."]
["Even I would struggle against that Berserker monster."]
[Raku Sou raised an interested eyebrow, smiling: "Where there's chaos, no one comes out unscathed. Sooner or later, we'll clash with the Einzbern family anyway. Isn't it better to settle it now while we still have allies?"]
["Archer, I believe in your strength..."]
["You're the strongest one I've ever summoned, the strongest among all Servants!"]
[The white-haired female Heroic Spirit showed a helpless expression, but the corners of her mouth curved slightly: "Really no way to deal with such a capricious Master like you, I'll have to try my best."]
["Archer, show your true power~."]
[Raku Sou smiled faintly, trusting that she would understand his meaning.]
[No need for close combat like with Medusa; instead, he wanted to leverage the Class Archer's specialty: long-range attacks. Saber would be enough to hold Berserker in close quarters.]
["Got it~." The white-haired female Heroic Spirit smirked proudly.]
There wasn't anything else on her flat-chested body that could arch up besides the corners of her mouth...
[But just as she was about to leave, Raku Sou's voice sounded from behind.]
["Archer, your specialty is Projection Magecraft, right? Give me a weapon."]
[Raku Sou's expression grew much more serious as he looked at the towering giant standing in front. He felt he had to bring out his true ultimate technique besides Gem Magecraft.]
["…Be careful not to die, Master."]
[The white-haired female Heroic Spirit frowned slightly, but still condensed her mana in her palms and materialized two Noble Phantasms: the black and white twin blades Kanshou and Bakuya, one male and one female.]
["Don't worry, I'm the strongest Master."]
[Raku Sou chuckled lightly, deftly catching the Noble Phantasms projected by Archer.]
[Perhaps worried for her Master's safety, this time the white-haired female Heroic Spirit had poured a lot of care into her Projection; the power of the False Noble Phantasms almost reached Rank A and wouldn't shatter easily.]
[After giving Raku Sou a deep look, Archer quickly left her spot, dashing hundreds of kilometers away to find a suitable high ground for long-range attacks.]
[That was — the rooftop of the tallest building in Fuyuki City.]
"Finally, the battle between Heroic Spirits!!"
People all over the world were extremely excited, wondering if this time they could witness a Noble Phantasm Clash.
Would that tomb sword Noble Phantasm be unleashed?
...
["Yukino, are you ready...?"]
[Purge King asked doubtfully, but when he saw the girl's gaze growing resolute, the corners of his mouth lifted into an arrogant smile.]
[Excited, he raised his right hand and gave the order.]
["The slaughter can begin — Berserker!!"]
["ROAARR!"]
[The towering giant suddenly roared, his entire muscular body tightening with overwhelming power. His stern aura stirred the cold wind, raising dense mist like an ancient beast awakening from a deep slumber.]
[His strong, bare left foot lifted slightly, preparing to leap.]
[His five toes instantly stomped a deep hole into the ground, scattering rubble.]
["Boom boom boom...!!"]
[In a blink, the ground rumbled thunderously, as if a bomb had dropped.]
[Berserker roared, leaping hundreds of meters into the air in an instant. His massive frame spun like a screw, skillfully adjusting his position, while the stone axe in his hand flashed with cold light, ready to cleave the earth in two.]
[Then, a terrifying explosive sound rang out as the giant hurtled down like a meteorite.]
[Yukinoshita Yukino looked on in horror, unsure how to deal with it.]
[If not for her being a magus, with vision and reflexes far beyond ordinary humans, she wouldn't have even been able to react in time...]
["Yukino, retreat!!"]
[Saber's gaze was sharp as she turned and materialized her Invisible Sword.]
[She was just about to charge forward when she sensed a surge of mana shooting from afar — arrows slicing through the wind with intense threat.]
[Was that Archer's attack?]
[In an instant.]
[Countless dazzling blood-red streaks tore through the sky like falling stars, compressing the air and creating shockwaves as they rained down toward Berserker mid-fall...]
["BOOM...!!"]
[A brilliant explosion erupted in the sky, mushroom clouds rising.]
[The ferocious giant was blown far away, his massive body spinning 360 degrees.]
[As Berserker tumbled, the ground was gouged into a trench hundreds of meters long.]
[Heracles roared, his toes quickly digging into the ground to stabilize himself.]
["Clang clang clang clang..."]
[The sound of clashing metal echoed endlessly.]
[The giant stabilized himself while deftly swinging his stone axe, amidst the rain of debris, batting away countless brilliant arrows made from False Noble Phantasms...]
[But in the end, he couldn't avoid them all — one brilliant arrow exploded!]
["BOOM BOOM BOOM...!!"]
[Flames shot sky-high, another terrifying mushroom cloud slowly rising.]
[This strike unleashed about five hundred million joules of heat, comparable to a fleet cannon's blast, carving out a meteor crater over twenty meters wide and three stories deep, scattering debris hundreds of meters away.]
[The terrifying might from the Servants made people tremble deep within their souls.]
[However——]
["GRRR!!"]
[From within the crater came a chilling roar.]
[The towering giant still stood tall, his eyes filled with ferocity, his entire being radiating a suffocating aura.]
[On his body, a golden dragon-scale armor gleamed, having absorbed most of the damage.]
"No way he came out unscathed?!"
All around the world, countless people jumped to their feet in shock, staring in disbelief at the scene before them.
Even a Demi-God like Heracles shouldn't have emerged completely unscathed from such a devastating attack.
But very soon...
Celestial Curtain provided the answer.
The armor Berserker wore wasn't a sublimation of his own past achievements.
Rather, it had been prepared for him by the Einzbern family — no—
More precisely, by the Purge King himself.
[——B+ Rank Noble Phantasm, 『Armor of Fafnir』]
[This was a continuously active type of Noble Phantasm.]
[Once worn, it could block all attacks from Noble Phantasms and magecraft of Rank B and below.]
[If struck by Noble Phantasms or magecraft of Rank A, it could still mitigate a portion of the damage, downgrading the Rank A power to below Rank A.]
[The only weakness was the back, which had not been bathed in dragon's blood.]
[This Noble Phantasm originates from Norse mythology, the holy relic of the dragon-slaying hero Siegfried from the 『Nibelungenlied』.]
[After slaying the evil dragon Fafnir, Siegfried bathed in its blood and obtained an invulnerable body.]
[Because Heracles also had dragon-slaying feats in his legend, his compatibility with the armor was extremely high, allowing him to wear it without issue.]
...
"How is that even allowed?!"
The whole world was in an uproar, feeling like they were witnessing a complete cheat.
Heracles' Noble Phantasm 『God Hand: The Twelve Labors』 already granted him immunity to attacks of Rank B or lower — now stacked with 『Armor of Fafnir』, it was like Rammus equipping Thornmail, his overall strength skyrocketing.
Not to mention, he still had twelve lives for resurrection, and his four primary stats were all ranked A...
On top of that, the Purge King possessed the talent to boost Servants with magecraft, and commanded an entire army of homunculi...
Who could even stand a chance against that anymore?
Admin, I'm reporting a cheater!