C352

Astraea glanced at the smiling expression on his face, feeling a surge of annoyance welling up inside her.

"Do you think that by possessing the God Slayer skill, you can slay an actual god?" she shouted. "Even if you possess a powerful Noble Phantasm, your physical body is nothing more than that of an ordinary human! Bow before the might of the gods!"

"Zra, zra!!"

Raging thunder crackled throughout her body, accompanied by a fleeting green glow that momentarily illuminated everyone's faces.

The furious thunder whipped through the surroundings.

"Boom, boom!!"

The earth transformed into a scorched wasteland. However, when this raging thunder struck the army, it failed to inflict significant damage.

But that was to be expected, as each and every individual within the ranks of the Eternal King's army possessed a name, a surname, and a grand tale of heroism.

In this moment, countless names were still etched onto the faceless statue of the Eternal King, standing tall in Cornwall. Thus, every member of the Eternal King's army had transcended into the realm of Heroic Spirits, no longer bound by the feeble mortal bodies they once possessed.

In addition, thanks to his skill, Imperial Privilege EX, it was simply wishful thinking to believe that the army could be defeated by mere magical thunder.

"Damn it!" She too came to this realization, her teeth clenched and a wave of instinctive nervousness washing over her.

And it was only natural. Just like how Astraea confronted [Evil], or how a dragon faced a dragon slayer, even gods, when confronted by their natural enemies or a god slayer, would instinctively feel a sense of unease.

This instinctual response is deeply ingrained in our biology. Even beings like the Enlightened One, who have transcended the boundaries of the world, cannot escape this commonality and hold a strong aversion to poisonous mushrooms.

With her divine sword in hand, Astraea fearlessly charged into the army, her sights set on the 19th Legion Commander, Ywain.

Her power was on par with that of Arcueid, making it impossible for Ywain, the legion commander, to defend against her. With a swift strike, she effortlessly beheaded him.

"See, humans? The so-called God Slayer is nothing but..."

However, before she could complete her sentence, a sharp "crack" filled the air. Ywain, whose head had been severed, unexpectedly wielded the legendary spear Gáe Bolg and thrust it into her abdomen.

Reacting swiftly, she pulled back, her hand pressed against her bleeding stomach, a mix of shock and disbelief on her face. Her gaze locked with Ywain, whose head had already regenerated, adding to her astonishment.

"How is this possible? You, a mere human, shouldn't possess the power of immortality!" she stared intensely at Ywain, her words laced with disbelief.

Clutching the Gáe Bolg tightly, he leveled it towards her, "My king stands with us. How can we ever be defeated?"

"We shall never be defeated!" The resounding cry of the army reverberated, shaking the very heavens and earth.

She gritted her teeth and launched herself towards the rest of the enemy forces.

However, it happened every single time. No matter who she took down, no matter how she ended them, no matter the extent of her destruction, those soldiers would somehow retaliate and come back to life in the very next moment.

How was this possible? She carefully observed, and it finally hit her. The harm she inflicted on these soldiers somehow got transferred, linked to Shirou at the center!

"This...this can't be...!"

"Hmm? Did you figure it out?" Shirou gripped his sheath, Avalon, and smiled. "That's right. The sins of the past are all borne by the king. If you don't take me down first, then you won't be able to defeat them."

The king bore the weight of past sins, and this was just one effect of his first Noble Phantasm. The damage and negative effects inflicted upon his army were partially transferred to Shirou. Even death itself was redirected towards him, causing harm.

That was the power of the first Noble Phantasm, [The Hour of Decisive Confrontation: I Am the Vanguard of the Century.]

"Now that you've told me, your fate has been sealed! Or do you still believe your army stands a chance against me?"

"Well, the battle isn't over just yet."

"What?" She furrowed her brows.

He stretched out his palm, and within seconds, a surge of magical energy streamed out. In his hand materialized a staff.

It was none other than Merlin's staff.

Harnessing the power of his second Noble Phantasm, he activated Merlin's records and snapped his fingers.

—[Hero Creation EX]!

"Ahhhhhhh—!!!"

A tremendous power emanated from Ywain's body.

Astraea's eye twitched, witnessing the army's power being further amplified!

Then, he infused magical energy into the staff clenched in his hand. With a swift "swoosh," the staff emitted a mesmerizing cherry blossom-colored light.

In the next moment, he brought down the butt of the staff onto the ground.

"Clang!"

"Noble Phantasm Release: Merlin - The Forever-Sealed Utopia!"

Starting from him as the epicenter, a breathtaking and ethereal sea of flowers bloomed outward. In an instant, the army's momentum soared to new heights.

"Ho... how... is this even possible?!" Her eye twitched. The army, against all odds, had been further strengthened!

If earlier, this army was only causing some hesitation due to the [God Slayer] skill, now the strength of this army made Astraea unable to help but take notice.

"But there's more." He grinned, and in the next moment, a shield materialized in his hand. This was the record of Galahad.

He snapped his fingers, "Wall of Firmly Honorable Snowflakes!"

"Wall of Chalk Obscured in Time!"

And then...

"Noble Phantasm Release: Galahad - Now is a Castle of Distant Ideals!"

"Boom—!!!"

With the combined enhancement of Merlin's [The Forever-Sealed Utopia], Galahad's [Now is a Castle of Distant Ideals], and the [Wall of Firmly Honorable Snowflakes], the army's momentum and combat prowess increased to unprecedented heights!

Of all the soldiers, Ywain experienced the most remarkable transformation. Empowered by [Hero Creation EX] and fortified by the [Wall of Chalk Obscured in Time], his combat strength underwent a significant boost.

If he had initially been considered a mere third-rate Heroic Spirit, these enhancements propelled him to the realm of a second-rate Heroic Spirit in terms of raw stats!