Lancer, Retreat! Black Rider is Here!

Hovering in mid-air, Red Lancer Karna looked down at Black Lancer Vlad III, who stared back at him with a cold, murderous gaze. Karna's voice rang out as he chanted his Noble Phantasm's true name.

"O Brahma—!"

Karna raised his Sun Spear high with one hand, and red flames instantly erupted from his entire body.

Thanks to Red Assassin Semiramis using the temple array within the Hanging Gardens to amplify the Red faction, Amakusa Shirou Tokisada could continuously supply vast amounts of mana to his Servants. As a result, Karna, second only to the "mana-devouring bottomless pit" that was Selene, could unleash his full strength in this Romanian Holy Grail War.

Without such support, even a skilled magus from the Clock Tower would struggle to provide enough mana for Karna to unleash his full power without relying on external sources.

It's important to note that mana burst abilities vary depending on their application.

For instance, Red Saber Mordred's Mana Burst primarily amplifies her weapon and her own body, releasing it in explosive bursts that boost her abilities.

Karna, however, though his Mana Burst is the same rank as Mordred's (A-rank), does not use it as a burst but rather as a constant Mana Release!

In addition to enhancing his physical capabilities, Karna consumes a vast amount of mana each time he swings his Sun Spear or uses it to envelop his weapon in blazing flames.

With a near-infinite supply of mana, Karna can even fly by using his Mana Release (Flame) to propel himself at speeds reaching Mach 1. (Mordred would definitely be envious.)

Boom!

A massive amount of flame-infused mana surged into the Sun Spear. In an instant, the spear was engulfed in divine fire.

As the divine flames roared, the very air around Karna began to warp and distort.

The temperature was so high that it far exceeded the melting points of the grass, soil, and even rocks below. Even from a hundred meters away, Vlad could feel the burning stakes he had summoned beginning to ignite and turn to ash.

But even in the face of such divine fury, Vlad showed no fear. His gaze remained steady, his back straight, as he lifted his silver spear high above his head, pointing it at Karna in the sky.

"As expected of the son of the Sun God, Surya. I must admit, if not for the bond I share with this land, I would not be worthy to face you as an opponent..."

"However! This is my homeland! As the ruler of this land, I cannot retreat!!"

"Kazikli Bey!"

Vlad III responded with a resolute declaration. In an instant, the land itself seemed to tremble in response to its monarch, violently shaking underfoot.

Pierce! Pierce! Pierce! Pierce!

Countless massive execution stakes erupted from the ground, glowing with a dark red magical energy, and shot toward Karna in the sky.

Such a noble king...

Silently admiring Vlad's dignity, Karna knew he had to give his all in this battle. Anything less would insult Vlad's honor as a ruler. Without hesitation, Karna hurled his Sun Spear with full force.

"—Curse me, Brahmastra Kundala!!"

In the next moment, the Sun Spear shot forward like a blazing comet, tearing through the night sky and streaking across the entire plain.

For a brief moment, the world went silent.

Then—Boom!

A deafening explosion of flames erupted. A terrifying shockwave, filled with an unstoppable firestorm, swept across the battlefield.

While it's true that intense heat can harden soil, when the temperature exceeds a certain threshold, even the earth itself turns to dust.

In an instant, the ground was torn apart, with molten rock flowing like lava. The scorching flames consumed the land, and as the fiery streak cut through the crimson sky, everything melted in its wake.

In just a moment, all of Vlad's blood-soaked thorns and the massive stakes he summoned were obliterated. Even the layered defenses of wooden barriers and spikes were reduced to ashes under the expanding fireball.

No matter how much mana Vlad drew from the leylines beneath him or how many execution stakes he summoned, in the face of such overwhelming power, quantity alone could not compensate for the difference in quality.

Even with endless mana at his disposal, it was not enough... He had lost. Vlad accepted his defeat without a trace of hysteria, though he did feel a small twinge of regret...

As his silver spear and arms were consumed by the flames, Vlad thought silently to himself.

Then—Crack! Boom!

...

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The echoes of successive explosions reverberated across the plains outside the Fortress of Millennia, causing the entire area to tremble violently.

The oppressive waves of mana, so powerful that they suffocated those nearby, spread across half of Trifas. Countless magi, sent by the Clock Tower to observe the events in Trifas, quickly relayed the information of a full-scale battle back to the association's headquarters.

The blinding flash of light that had shone so brightly before quickly dimming also drew the attention of many ordinary citizens.

For days, the citizens of Trifas and Sighisoara had been living through a nightmare. The constant destruction of property and the looming threat to their lives had left them on edge.

After all, it wasn't every day that gas explosions, building demolitions, forest tremors, and murderous rampages by someone like Jack the Ripper occurred—let alone sightings of UFOs. In just a few days, they had experienced more than a lifetime's worth of chaos.

At this point, many were wondering if the city's feng shui was cursed.

Now, in the dead of night, another series of explosions echoed across the land, waking the citizens of Trifas from their sleep. One by one, they opened their windows and stepped outside.

Those unfamiliar with the situation might have thought that the Ottoman Turks were invading again.

Meanwhile, between Trifas and Sighisoara—

Whoosh!

"Is that a Noble Phantasm? It's at least city-level..."

Selene, hovering in the sky, narrowed her eyes as she gazed at the fading fireball in the distance, sensing the heavy, oppressive atmosphere.

"A city-level Noble Phantasm or higher... That must be Red Lancer Karna, then?"

It seemed the battle had escalated to a full-scale clash of Noble Phantasms.

"However, hmm? Vlad's energy is rapidly weakening... He's fighting Karna, and the commotion just now must have been Karna's doing."

"And now... it's Budo standing between them."

...

Molten lava and sand boiled and flowed across the battlefield.

As the smoke and flames cleared, what was revealed was a landscape of utter devastation.

The earth looked as though it had been struck by a meteor, leaving behind a massive, molten semi-circular trench.

The plains, as if cleaved in two by the fiery sword of a god, were split down the middle by this searing rift of molten rock.

Standing in the center of the scorched battlefield, Karna's heterochromatic eyes were locked onto the area where Vlad had stood.

"Brahmastra... was blocked? No, that's not Black Lancer!"

As the last of the smoke and dust dissipated, Karna finally saw the scene before him clearly.

The first thing he saw was a towering figure, seemingly with horns on its head. Then, there was the crackling of blue-white lightning, which surged like a storm across the figure's iron-gray armor.

The lightning roared, snapping and crackling across the armored giant's body.

"A new Servant? Or one of Black Rider's warriors..."

Faced with this new enemy, Karna immediately assumed a combat stance.

"Lord Vlad, please rest for now," a deep, stern voice called out.

Though the roar of thunder filled the air, the voice was clear and precise, reaching Karna's ears effortlessly.

Cough, cough... "General Budo, thank you for saving me."

Behind Budo's towering four-meter frame stood the heavily wounded Black Lancer, Vlad III.

Vlad's current state was nothing short of pitiful. His once elegant black evening suit was charred and tattered, his pale skin cracked and burned, exposing raw muscle underneath. His long golden hair had been scorched clean off.

Most grotesque of all were his arms, which had been completely burned away at the joints, leaving behind smoldering, exposed flesh and bone.

"It's nothing. Merely my duty. Soldiers, escort the lord back to the castle," Budo commanded.

"Yes, sir!" Two warriors from the Second Astartes Legion stepped forward, laying Vlad on a stretcher and swiftly carrying him away.

Boom!

Lightning crackled violently around Budo's massive arms as he looked down at Karna from above.

"Now then, allow me to be your opponent," Budo said coldly.

At Budos challenge, Karna's gaze locked onto the imposing man before him. His experience told him that this was a true veteran of the battlefield.

As he studied Budo, Karna could feel the overwhelming aura of thunder emanating from him. His expression turned serious. "Very well!"

Without further words, Budo sprang into action.

Boom!

With a thunderous impact, Budo's ironclad fists collided. The two massive metal spikes of his upgraded Thunder God's Rage gauntlets, Adramelech, let out a low, resounding hum.

Crackle! Fizz!

Violent streams of electricity surged forth, forming a four-meter-wide ball of lightning that roared toward Karna. Wherever it passed, it carved deep furrows into the ground.

Karna didn't retreat. Instead, his entire body ignited with crimson flames as he charged forward, swinging his Sun Spear down with all his might.

Clang!

The lightning ball exploded on impact, and Karna, ignoring the thick bolts of electricity crackling around him, continued forward, his golden armor withstanding the damage. His spear shot out with the precision and power of a god.

"....."

Budo remained silent, merely deflecting Karna's attack with a casual swing. Despite Karna's B-rank strength, Budo didn't even flinch, not so much as moving his wrist.

The force of Budo's deflection sent Karna flying backward.

Crackle!

A stray bolt of lightning arced across Budo's hand, and a thick current of electricity surged through the metal spikes of Adramelech, crackling with savage energy as it raced toward Karna's torso.

Budo's iron fist, wrapped in thunder, tore through the layers of blazing flames.

Boom!

Clang!

Spear and fist clashed, producing a continuous series of sharp, ear-splitting sounds.

Ferocious flames and roaring thunder collided violently, each shockwave leaving behind deep craters in the earth.

Bang!

Thunder cracked between fist and spear, the air itself shattering from the impact. The explosive force sent shockwaves rippling across the battlefield, tearing apart the earth beneath them.

However, after each exchange, Karna's arms began to tremble more and more under the immense pressure.

The next moment, both combatants swung their weapons simultaneously.

Budo extended his left arm, using the thick metal gauntlet of Adramelech to block Karna's sweeping strike.

Clang!

"You've slowed down."

Sparks flew as Karna's Sun Spear bent slightly under the pressure of Budo's massive strength. But Budo remained as steady as a mountain, his grip unyielding.

In a swift motion, Budo reversed his grip on the spear and yanked Karna forward. His right fist, already cocked back, shot forward like a cannon.

Whoosh—

The force behind Budo's punch compressed the very air, producing a wailing sound as it tore through the atmosphere.

Boom—!!

The instant Budo's punch connected, Karna's body twisted violently.

An earth-shaking boom resounded across the battlefield, the ground cracking and cratering beneath Karna's feet, sending dirt and debris flying in all directions.

Cough—!!

Karna spat out a mouthful of blood as his entire body was thrown into the air like a ragdoll, spinning out of control.

He tumbled across the battlefield, rolling for several hundred meters before finally driving his spear into the ground to halt his momentum.

Thud—! With his spear planted in the earth, Karna came to a stop, kneeling on one knee, blood dripping from his mouth.

His ribs were broken...

Looking down at the massive bruise covering his upper body, Karna was momentarily stunned. What kind of monstrous strength was this?

If not for the golden armor that had absorbed 90% of the blow, his C-rank endurance wouldn't have been enough to survive. His body would have been shattered.

Moreover, his godly body showed no signs of healing itself, which meant that his opponent also had divinity, or at least a blessing from a god!

Hearing the rumble of thunder drawing closer, Karna lifted his head just in time to see Budo's massive form charging at him once again.

Karna's eyelid twitched. How could someone so large move so quickly?!

Planting his foot into the ground, Karna pushed off with explosive force, retreating to create some distance.

In that brief moment, Karna came to the same realization that Mordred had—there was no shame in using his Noble Phantasm against these towering giants. In fact, it was necessary.

This wasn't about honor or fairness; it was about survival. There was no point in trying to fight them with brute strength when their bodies were like those of titans.

Without hesitation, Karna's clear eyes flickered with flames. His spear radiated a searing light, condensed to its utmost limit, as he aimed it at the approaching Budo.

"O' Brahma, Cover the Earth—Brahmastra!"

"Firing beams from your eyes?"

This was a first for Budo, who had seen countless enemies throughout his long career. He had never encountered an opponent who shot beams from their eyes.

Still, despite his surprise, Budo's hands moved swiftly. He brought his fists together once more, causing the metal spikes of Adramelech to collide with a resounding clang.

Boom—!

The air around them exploded as arcs of blue-white lightning surged outward, crackling like a thousand birds singing in unison. The electricity gathered into a massive lightning pillar, surging toward Karna's fiery beam.

Although Budo couldn't use the full power of his Teigu, Adramelech, due to the limitations of his Servant body, he could still unleash devastating amounts of mana to produce thunder and lightning.

It was an expensive use of mana, but the Yggdmillennia clan had plenty to spare. If there was anything they didn't lack, it was mana.

The compressed lightning and the fiery beam collided with earth-shaking force.

Boom—Boom—BOOM—!

In an instant, the two forces unleashed a devastating shockwave, sending ripples through the atmosphere and producing a deafening roar.

The plains outside the Fortress of Millennia were engulfed in a blinding white light as fire and lightning clashed violently, neither side willing to give an inch.

The explosive energy rippled outward, tearing through the land and creating violent, scorching winds that stripped the earth bare.

Anyone caught in the crossfire would have been torn to shreds.

That night, the plains were plowed over and over.

Boom! Boom!

As Karna and Budo continued their relentless duel, a sudden urgent voice rang out from the Hanging Gardens.

"Lancer, retreat! Black Rider is coming!"

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