The Great Holy Grail War (Part 8)

"-oppressor!"

The grey figure crashed into the flying castle. The earth trembled, and nature's tranquility was disturbed. The marble pillars, the ancient buildings, the serene gardens, the reversed waterfalls, they were all blown away by the laughing man.

Spartacus leaped out from the giant crater created from his free fall. With a single swing, the Babylonian house in front of him was obliterated. The rubble flew towards all four directions, the ricochets destroying everything in its way.

Like a natural disaster, the catastrophic creature in the form of a Roman gladiator smashed through the historical objects and structures. He has one mission: to dethrone the arrogant Assyrian queen and liberate the oppressed civilians.

"I cannot allow you to run rampant any longer, mad warrior!" An enraged shout sounded out. Magical energy flowed to the region and purple magic circles materialized all around the Red Berserker. Chains shot out of the glowing rings. They surrounded Spartacus, cutting all the possible escape routes he could take.

"These bindings... are merely another trial to my quest for freedom!" The mass of muscles flexed and bend itself. Creeaak. The chains gave out a strange noise. Then, they steadily crumbled under the pressure produced by Spartacus' legendary strength.

Yes, he must advance! Rider told him, told him that the ruler of this castle is an utterly despicable woman. The queen, the queen who oppresses the poor. The queen, the queen who abuses the masses. The queen, the queen who he will slay!

"Just, just what is this strength." Semiramis muttered in disbelief. The power that the mad warrior was showing has surpassed the level she's predicted. It was if he- No. "Don't tell me... his Noble Phantasm...?!"

Crying Warmonger: The Howl of the Wounded Beast.

It is a continuously active-type Noble Phantasm, converting part of the damage inflicted by opponents into magical energy and storing it within his body. The energy accumulated within can be used to boost his physical abilities and self-healing, and the efficiency of the conversion raises more as his physical ability decreases.

Due to [Honor of the Battered], he automatically heals from wounds as time passes, and in the case of him facing a strong Servant, his body itself can transform under constant damage.

They were definitely a dangerous combo.

"Oppressor!" Spartacus gave out a battle cry. His gladius cut down the incoming chains, and his massive body slammed through the obstacles blocking him. He created a hole on the wall, and entered into the fortress' corridors.

All the traps laid my Semiramis were ignored. His body bloated after taking in all the damages caused by the various spells. However, this would not stop the mad warrior. This was a rebellion by Spartacus. A rebellion led by the Thracian gladiator who could not fall!

Soon, he arrived at the throne room.

"Oi!" With a single kick, the massive doors were crushed. He- No, It stepped foot onto the marble floor and gave out a bone-chilling guffaw. His current state truly left Semiramis speechless.

At this point, the mad warrior was not even a human anymore.

He had eight arms. Three of them had no bones in them, let alone joints. They were like octopus tentacles, but when they were swung, they became like whips and smashed through the enemy.

His log-like legs had multiple insect-like legs sprouting out from them, most likely to divide the weight since two legs alone couldn't support him. His head had sunk into his neck, but upper and lower jaws like that of a Tyrannosaurus Rex stuck out from the top of his shoulders.

"...You traitor, giving me this much problem when I have to repair my gardens..." The Assyrian queen frowned after seeing the revolting creature. "Wait, what are you doing-"

'The time has come.' However, Berserker of Red ignored the woman's words. His body was battered. The Prana he gained from Rider's assistance and Assassin's assault has already reached its limits.

It was now the time for the finale.

'This blow will destroy the oppressors, it will annihilate those in power...' He was filled with euphoria that numbed his brain. His final attack would destroy all tyranny and smash all authority.

Of course, he was mad... and even he understood that he was mad. But he wouldn't stop. He was born with this personality that couldn't endure obeying anyone. No, that wasn't it. Being scorned and wounded felt good to him. Making the stagnating things inside him settle like sediments was an irresistible joy to him.

So he continued smiling. And when it reached its critical point, Spartacus rebelled. As long as there were oppressors in the world, neither his joy nor his anger could be stopped.

And now, after having been given a second life, he was trying to throw the most powerful blow of his life. His vision distorted and the pain of having his entire body rearranged by something tortured his mind.

But that was also at an end. This wasn't simply an attack loaded with all his power. It was what could appropriately be called the ultimate destruction that he couldn't achieve unless he sacrificed all of himself.

"This is, SPARTACUS!"

-x-X-x-

"Haah!"

Meanwhile, Achilles was trying his best at destroying the giant golem. His spear obliterated its head, arms, legs, torso multiple times, but all that he did was temporarily disable the primordial giant.

"What's wrong with this thing?!" The Trojan War's hero gritted his teeth and rolled away from a punch. Every injuries he caused were regenerated in seconds. It's as if all his efforts so far equaled to nothing.

"How should I kill this thing... Perhaps taking down its creator will work?" Spotting the Spanish poet, Achilles narrowed his eyes and grinned. "Well, I can't think of anything else so let's give it a go!" Without any delay, he infused Prana into his legs and leaped up. "Your head is mine, Caster of Black!"

"Hm. I have important tasks to complete, so how about you surrender and fall here, Rider of Red?" Avicebron noted the approaching Servant. "Strike him down, Adam." Ordering Keter Malkuth, the golem opened its mouth and gave out a loud cry.

"W-What?!" Achilles cried out in shock as he felt his entire body stunned by the noise. "This kind of attack-" As if colliding with a steel wall, he was thrown back into the air. He was then stepped on by the primordial giant and smashed into the forest floor.

"Argh...!" The Hero of Iliad coughed out blood. 'This... am I being pushed further down...?' Things were not looking bright for him. He felt himself being forced deeper and deeper into the cold earth.

' I can't push back. The golem exceeds me in department of strength.' Achilles took a deep breath as his eyes shone with resolve. 'I guess I must use that... I'm sorry, Master, but this is an emergency, please endure the Prana expenditure.'

"...It's my turn!" Clenching his spear, a vast amount of magical energy leaked out from Achilles' hand and a buckler materialized in his hand. The spectrum of lights reflected on its metallic surface shimmered brightly, transforming the shield into brilliant light particles.

"Swirling ocean currents, benevolent Mother Earth... O' Gods of Olympus, may you bring glory and honor to this battlefield and grant us entry to Elysium." Achilles paid his respects in a soft tone as he moved the shield before his chest. "Behold. This is the world that I lived in-

"Akhilleus Kosmos: The Miniature World Enclosed by the Azure Sky!"

A miracle occurred.

"Be crushed, Caster of Black!" A world emerged from beneath the giant's foot. Without warning, it impacted Keter Malkuth and pushed it back before the very eyes of its creator. The trees in the region all fell down from the earthquake generated by the collision while Adam's Paradise was suppressed by the wisdom of Greece.

"This is the might of Olympus!" The situation has completely turned around. The azure world slammed the golem into the ground and gave it zero chance to retaliate... However, even that was still not enough to finish the primordial giant who was mankind's utopia's origin.

"...If I can't kill you normally, then I'll just have to destroy your whole body with the help of Lancer." Achilles frowned and contacted Karna through their link. Yes, he did not know the way to permanently kill Keter Malkuth, but he knew that the Hero of Charity possesses both an Anti-Country and an Anti-Divine Noble Phantasm.

"Hey, Lancer, I need hel-"

BOOM!

-x-X-x-

"Set."

At Kotomine Shirou's command, several Black Keys that were deflected by his opponent's mace stopped in mid-air. The blades turned towards the sprinting mad warrior and were promptly fired by the magic circles that materialized behind their hilts.

"UuuAah!" Frankenstein's monster gave out a battle cry and slammed her mace onto the earth. The forest roared, and the green electricity generated by Bridal Chest: A Maiden's Chastity destroyed the Black Keys. Thrusting the mace forward, lightnings were called down and assaulted the Asian priest's location.

"That's impressive." The Red Master complimented. He avoided the discharged electricity and hurled more Black Keys at the aggressive Servant.

"Uuu!" Berserker of Black smashed the flying blades away. Green flashes illuminated the entire region as she charged at the smiling priest. It was Mana Burst, no, to be more exact, it was an emulation of the true Mana Burst skill of the Saber of Red.

Her Skill, Galvanism, allows her unrestricted conversion and accumulation of magical energy and any form of electricity. She can also absorb electricity to implement rapid self-repair and physical attribute reinforcement.

"Come!" Alerted by the incoming attack, Kotomine Shirou threw the Black Keys in his hand forward and equipped his true weapon.

Thanks to Shakespeare's Enchant, his favorite blade Miike Tenta Mitsuyo has reached the level of a C-Rank Noble Phantasm. It now carries the magical energy normally found in Noble Phantasms, and it allows him to damage Berserker of Black and receive her blows without damaging the sword at all.

"UuuAa!" The mad warrior slammed her mace into the Japanese katana. The earth groaned from their clash while rock fragments ricocheted all over the place. "Uuu-" However, she discovered that the Asian priest was properly holding his ground. He was smiling in a friendly manner instead of being knocked back like he's supposed to.

"You underestimated me, Frankenstein!" Kotomine Shirou revealed his opponent's true name. Gesturing to his side, six deflected Black Keys levitated and shot towards the struggling Berserker. They pierced into the young girl's back, making the disgusting sounds of flesh being cut.

"Aah!" The mad warrior ignored her wounds. Although it would usually incapacitate an ordinary Servant, she was not a living creature but an artificial puppet that could ignore fatal injuries.

Magical energy overflowed. Frankenstein discharged a massive amount of electricity and forced the Red Master to retreat from his spot. The wounds on her back were healing at a rate that was visible to the naked eyes while lightnings constantly bombarded the Asian priest.

"What a spectacular scene. What do you think, Caster?" Witnessing the young girl's miraculous regeneration, the smiling priest remarked in awe. He was not fazed by the bouncing electricity nor the menacing lightnings, because god was with him.

"Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them! I completely agree, Master." Shakespeare quoted his own work 'Twelfth Night' and materialized on a tree branch not far away.

"Nevertheless, I can't allow you to recover." Kotomine Shirou dashed forward and tossed Black Keys, aiming to decapitate the roaring Servant. Seeing the flying blades blocked by the twisting green flashes, he enlarged them and dropped them onto Berserker.

"I got you." The huge blades encircled the mad warrior. "Set!" As a group, the previously deflected Black Keys floated and froze in the mid-air. They targeted the same places, the young girl's heart and brain, her spiritual cores, and fired all at once without any delay.

"This is the end, Frankenstein!" Following the Sacrament's movements, the smiling priest sheathed Miike Tenta Mitsuyo in order to execute a final strike. It was Battōjutsu, a Japanese combative quick-draw sword technique.

"UuuAaah!" The recreation of Eve howled. Her mace rotating furiously. She was preparing to activate the toned down version of her Anti-Army Noble Phantasm, Blasted Tree: The Lightning Tree of Crucifixion.

"Ooh! Such a magnificent duel!" Witnessing the climax of the battle, Shakespeare exclaimed in glee. "No matter what happens, I must write this down!" Apocrypha or not, he has the duty to record every fantastical moments in history or the name of Shakespeare would be smeared with dirt.

"Die." "UuAAAH!"

BOOM!

-x-X-x-

"...It is, done."

It was a dark room. Shrouded by shadows and covered by stones and concretes, the hidden chamber was located beneath a cave near the Fortress of Millennia.

"Yes, you did a good job." A woman's voice answered the mechanical tone.

There were three people inside the chamber. A white-haired woman who was watching the state of the battlefield through the Remote Viewing spell. A young man who was standing beside her. And lastly, a young woman who was tied up at the back of the room.

"Ah, these are exactly what I'm looking for." Rider of Black accepted a pile of documents and a small glass orb from Caules with a benevolent smile on her face. They were extremely valuable, containing the information of the traps and secrets doors' passwords of the Fortress of Millennia. "Now, won't you be an obedient boy and finish the job?"

"Mmm, mmm! C-Caules!" The young woman, who was bound by ropes managed to pry off her mouth covering.

"...Please be silent, Fiore Forvedge Yggdmillennia." Fenric manipulated the cloth and it shot towards the crying girl's mouth.

"Wait! No! Wh, why are you doing this, Ride- Mmmh!" Fiore cried out as tears rolled down her face.

'...How... Why did this happen?' A day ago, they were caught by surprise and taken down by the silver knight during their retreat from Sighisoara. The plants in the forest moved and attached themselves to the Mages, resulting in her and her brother's capture.

She also knew that her Servant, Chiron, has been killed by Rider seeing that their Master-Servant connection was abruptly cut off at the same time she was bound by the vines. 'Archer...' She received no response no matter how many times she tried to talk to her Servant.

"Go ahead, Caules. I believe Frankenstein would be proud helping the removal of multiple Servants from this war as well." A smile akin to the grace of a saint formed on the woman's face.

"Y-es." Caules- No, he was no longer Caules Forvedge Yggdmillennia. He was merely a puppet, a half-dead revived by the smiling woman's Necromancy. Not an undead, nor a human, but a slave who is absolutely obedient to its master.

"I, order, you, Fran, kenstein's, monster." The mindless puppet lifted his hand. The red tattoos on the back of his hand glowed, signifying the usage of an absolute command. "Use your, Noble Phantasm."

"I order, you, again, Berser, ker." As the first Command Spell disappeared, the dimmed tattoos shined once more. "You must, kill Kotomine, Shirou, without fail."

I, order you, Berserker... Please-" Then, Caules spoke up once more. At the same time, tears fell down his face. Yes, he was crying. Despite being killed, cursed, and resurrected, he was not entirely dead yet. He could not go against Fenric's orders, but he could still feel the emotions of a normal human being.

"Survive."

"What?" The white-haired woman narrowed her eyes and immediately cut off the young man's head with Arondight. 'This... Did my spell fail? No way, that's impossible. On this level, it could be said that I have mastered the art of modern Necromancy. There's no problem with his soul either... was it his spirit?'

"How troublesome." She frowned. 'This is why I do not like the concept of Mystery. I'd prefer to be able to completely understand a spell's structure before invoking them.' As if sensing her irritation, the air turned hot. The heat rise, and orange flames lit up Caules' body, turning him into cinders.

The Magecraft of Nasuverse is different from the magical system of other fictional works. It is based entirely on Mystery and Thaumaturgical Foundations. One's talent is determined at their birth, the usage of Magecraft is decided by the faith of the populace, and not on a Mage's ability and competence.

"Mmmh Mmph...!" Witnessing her brother being burned, Fiore widened her eyes and attempted to crawl to the corpse's remains.

"In the end, I must do everything myself." Fenric sighed and checked the battlefield's state. Her other body was raining down arrows on Karna in order to support the frustrated and cornered Vlad III. Shakespeare was watching Kotomine Shirou and Frankenstein's final showdown.

A grinning Mordred was struggling against Siegfried's cheat-like defensive Noble Phantasm, Armor of Fafnir: Blood Armor of the Evil Dragon. None of her slashes were doing any lasting damage on the Dragon Slayer's body, while Avicebron was-

'Oh? He used it already?' Achilles has used his Barrier-type Noble Phantasm. The azure world locked Keter Malkuth in place, like a prison with no escape.

Such an utilization is surely something that Hephaestus has likely never devised. The shield was being used to 'attack' as Achilles aimed to crush his opponent with the miniature world by continuously pushing forward after its deployment.

"And he's doing his job properly as well." The monitor moved to the Hanging Gardens. "She must have not expect something as crazy as that." Fenric has dropped Spartacus onto the flying castle... but not before injecting massive amounts of Prana into his body, his Noble Phantasm, to ensure the activation of Crying Warmonger.

"A pointblank hit from a blast equivalent to an Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasm..." The white-haired woman nodded in satisfaction. "She's not going to like that. Though she probably won't die from that.." Fenric could not be certain of Semiramis' death, after all, the Hanging Gardens is her domain.

On the other hand, the floating castle would not survive another devastating attack.

"Well then." All of a sudden, the dim chamber was brightened up by immense red lights.

'...Those are...!' The crawling Fiore flinched. She lifted her head, and stared at Rider's back. The smiling woman was giving off a crimson radiance. They are Command Spells. Not one, not two, or three, but over ten of them were being utilized at the same time.

"...Let's end this farce, shall we?"