Traitor

Time back to the present.

"What the heck is going on!" Gordes roared, smashing a golem's head that lunged at him with his magic-enhanced arm. "Why are these golems suddenly attacking us?!"

"Watch out!"

Fiore exclaimed and calmly deployed her Mystic Code, as eight precision mechanical arms, resembling spider legs, unfolded behind her, smashing the surrounding golems to bits.

"What actually happened?!" Darnic's expression twisted. Just when victory seemed within his reach, why did this chaos suddenly erupt?

"Gordes, how's it going on your end?"

At this moment, a sudden voice echoed in Gordes's ears.

"Rider?" Gordes dodged a wolf-type golem rushing toward him, quickly responding. "It's bad! The golems started attacking us without reason."

"As I thought... Caster has betrayed us..."

"What did you say?! Caster betrayed us?! But why?"

*BANG!*

Gordes was startled by Arkhan's words, simultaneously smashing the wolf-type golem's head with his fist.

"It's Archer of Red... Archer of Red infiltrated the Fortress of Millennia and caused Caster's betrayal..."

Hearing that, Gordes was momentarily puzzled, his eyes showing a hint of confusion.

"Huh? Archer of Red? When did..."

"Now's not the time to dwell on that. Just get out of there as soon as possible; it's no longer safe."

Cutting off communication with Gordes, Arkhan looked up at the Hanging Gardens of Babylon steadily closing in on the Fortress of Millennia, his expression gradually darkening.

Now, the situation was clear.

This was all a conspiracy by the Red Faction, aiming to create an opportunity for Archer of Red to seize the Holy Grail!

Though he didn't desire the Holy Grail, his instincts told him that once it fell into the hands of the Red Faction, things would take a turn for the worse!

'In the end, Avicebron still became a traitor like in the original work...'

Arkhan had already attempted to prevent Avicebron's betrayal, yet it still occurred. Too many factors led to this Holy Grail War differing from the original work, especially this mysterious Archer of Red.

'Absolutely can't let you fellows have your way...' Arkhan clenched his fist. "I'm counting on you, Nid."

*ROOOAAARRR—!!!*

Nidhogg lifted her thick neck, emitting a loud dragon roar, and her massive body quickly soared into the sky, rushing toward the floating fortress.

"Tsk, it's you again, you ugly lizard." Semiramis, seated on the throne, sneered. "But the timing is about right."

*Snap!*

She snapped her fingers lightly, and the partially destroyed Hanging Gardens of Babylon trembled slightly.

As if time were flowing backward, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon restored itself, even bringing back the already damaged eleven black panels.

"Though Caster may be weak, her temple she left behind is still quite useful." Semiramis raised her smooth and slender legs. "This war is already in our favor."

Watching the restored Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Arkhan furrowed his brow slightly. This time, the Red Faction seemed to have come prepared.

"But it's not just you who is prepared..."

From inside a wardrobe, Celenike, who had been in a deep sleep, suddenly opened her vacant eyes. She raised her right hand engraved with command spells and spoke in a dazed tone.

"With my command spell, Rider, return to my side immediately."

The void trembled slightly, and Arkhan, who was kilometers away, instantly returned to the Fortress of Millennia, immediately sensing the immense magical energy emanating from underground.

"So it's come to this, huh? In the end, you chose to walk this path, Avicebron..."

Using the power of Cosmic Juggernaut to teleport Celenike outside the Fortress of Millennia, Arkhan, holding Abyss Flower, confidently headed toward the underground.

"Now, it's time for you to pay the price for your betrayal."

===

*Rumble—*

The strides of the giant golem, Adam, resonated through the earth, each step causing an expansion in its size.

With every stride, the area beneath its feet, covered with grass and flowers, expanded, transforming everything around into paradise.

This was Adam's Reality Marble.

As long as Adam stood on the earth, it would continually erode the surrounding land, transforming it into a paradise. Simultaneously, its body would keep growing, eventually surpassing a thousand meters.

When it reached its limit, there would be no power in this world capable of defeating it. At that point, human civilization would be completely annihilated, and the entire world would return to its 'original state'.

This was the mission of Adam, to cleanse all sins, eliminate all traces, and return the world to its origins.

Adam halted in front of a massive bronze gate, covered with intricate magic circles. These were the Yggdmillennia's forbidden magecraft, comparable in power to EX-rank magecraft. Apart from the head of Yggdmillennia, Darnic, no one knew how to open it.

But sometimes, there was more than one way to solve a problem.

"Go, Adam." Avicebron said casually.

Adam's eyes gleamed, lifting a hand.

Soil and stones gathered, forming a sword radiating a dazzling black light.

*GRRRRRR—!*

Adam growled and raised its sword before fiercely striking the bronze gate with it.

*BOOOM!*

A thunderous explosion echoed, shaking the entire underground area.

Soon, a magical beam, as powerful as lightning, shot from the magic circles on the bronze gate, illuminating the surroundings.

*Thud!* *Thud!* *Thud!*

The terrifying impact from the magical beam forced Adam to stagger backward, leaving numerous damaged holes and scorched marks on its body. However, in no time, these wounds and marks vanished as if they had never existed.

The defensive magecraft, having released all its magical energy, was now immobile.

Adam swung its sword again, effortlessly shattering the magic circles protecting the bronze gate.

*BOOOM!*

Lifting a grinding-sized fist, Adam smashed the entire wall to pieces.

Avicebron looked up and saw the sacred creation standing tall on a massive altar.

"Is that the Holy Grail? Truly magnificent... No wonder it's causing mages to go crazy for it..." Avicebron muttered, lost in awe.

Even for him, the moment he laid eyes on that thing, his heart couldn't help but tremble, and an intense impulse to claim it surged within him.

"Unbelievable, this is something mages of this era have created? It seems that no matter the era, genius is never in short supply."

Avicebron took a deep breath, suppressing the greed within him, and directed Adam toward the Holy Grail.

Next, all they needed to do was move this thing and—

*BOOOM!*

A deafening roar suddenly echoed through the air.

Avicebron's pupils suddenly contracted.

*Whoosh—!*

Fiery flames tore through the air like lightning.

Although Avicebron quickly erected defensive magecraft, his thin defense was easily punctured under the fierce assault of the scorching flames.

*BOOM!*

The terrifying heat erupted instantly, and with a thunderous sound, his entire left arm was blasted into pieces.

"Ugh..."

Avicebron grunted and knelt on Adam's shoulder, the lingering high temperature roasting his wound to a charred black, emitting a faint aroma of grilled meat.

He clenched his teeth tightly, looking up and seeing a familiar figure slowly approaching.

"Rider..."

"It seems I arrived just in time..." Arkhan stood his ground, raising Judgment of Shamash in his hand, aiming at Avicebron. "How? Anything else you want to say, Caster?"

Avicebron slowly rose, pressing his injured shoulder.

His injuries were severe.

After all, close-quarters combat wasn't his forte, and with his already frail body, this level of injury was inevitably close to fatal.

"Are you going to kill me? Hmph, that's fine, but—" 

"Even if I kill you, your Noble Phantasm won't stop, is that what you want to say?"

Avicebron wanted to answer but Arkhan interrupted him.

"If you knew, why do you want to kill me?"

Hearing Arkhan's words, Avicebron couldn't help but ask like that.

"Need I say more? I never show mercy to traitors." Arkhan's eyes revealed a chilling coldness. "Especially heartless people like you."

*BANG!*

A searing flame erupted from the gilded barrel of Judgment of Shamash.

Avicebron hadn't set up any defensive magecraft, and as a result, his heart was directly pierced.

"Ugh..."

Though he staggered, nearly slipping from Adam's shoulder, he managed to hold on. However, his Saint Graph had been completely shattered. Even if God intervened, there was no saving him now.

"Maybe you're right, Rider... People like me shouldn't keep on existing... Since the die is cast, I don't intend to defend myself. As long as my Noble Phantasm can activate, I have no regrets."

Avicebron lied.

If given the chance, he would want to see what kind of paradise his Noble Phantasm would bring. He had regrets, many regrets, but having suffered a fatal injury, there was nothing to be done.

Moreover, Rider was right.

Regardless of the reasons, the fact that he betrayed his own Master for the sake of his wish was undeniable and unchangeable. It left an unpleasant feeling lingering in his heart, an itch he couldn't scratch.

Thus, he decided to willingly accept the consequences of betrayal as his atonement.

Death was the only redemption left for him, with nothing else to offer. If there was something, it was only Adam, but he was never going to surrender it.

In sacrificing so much to bring forth Adam, including betraying his Master, who regarded him as a teacher, the only thing he couldn't do right now was give up and declare it over right then and there.

"Adam! The rest is up to you... Surely, you can... you can create a paradise on this earth... Save this world, humanity, and our people!"