C522

Inside the Duel Field created by Achilles' Noble Phantasm, all of Shirou's innate skills and Noble Phantasms were nullified. Even his Mortal series and [Unlimited Blade Works] had been rendered useless. The only exception was his [Evil], which remained untouched by the space's constraints.

It made total sense. Apart from that invisible vortex, [Evil] had pretty much fused with Shirou. Even when he manifested as Eternal King, the [Evil] clung to him as if woven into the very fabric of his being.

If even a powerful manifestation couldn't lock away the [Evil], how could one expect a mere Noble Phantasm to do so?

If there was one that could ever do it, it definitely wouldn't be [Spear-tip of the Star Traversing the Skies]. Perhaps the Noble Phantasm of the Enlightened One could.

Looking at the distressed Achilles, Shirou casually remarked, "You might want to think twice before unleashing such a high-risk Noble Phantasm in the future. Especially when you're up against someone like me."

With a sharp "crackle", yet another black arm emerged from the ground.

The eighth one!

"Could this be... the power of Eternal King? Big sis, this situation... looks really bad!"

Achilles gazed at the eight black arms looming behind Assassin, wiping away the blood that trickled from his lips.

Despite the grim situation, his heart was on fire.

A seemingly impossible challenge.

But wasn't this what every real hero dreams of conquering?

...

Deep in the forest...

Kotomine's fist tightened, a glint of thrill evident on his face.

Victory was almost in their hands!

As soon as Achilles hurled his spear and activated his Noble Phantasm, the objective of this all-out war was accomplished!

Eternal King was undoubtedly on the brink of defeat.

But wasn't it bound to happen?

It was clear to anyone that Eternal King wasn't the type of Heroic Spirit who relied on martial prowess. Instead, he was a royal Heroic Spirit who depended on his Noble Phantasm and innate skills.

While these Heroic Spirits have strong Noble Phantasms and skills, they became defenseless once those were removed from the equation.

Achilles had an ace up his sleeve. His Noble Phantasm could lock away such powers, setting up a confined battle arena just for two. Inside, it was just about raw skill.

A fight to the death!

This was the Reds trump card against Eternal King!

"Hmph." Semiramis lightly snorted, crossing her arms and saying, "At this rate, Achilles is probably giving Eternal King a good thrashing in that space. Quite the sad end for a king, don't you think?"

Kotomine responded with a wry smile, "It had to be done. That king was too big of a threat. Let's just hope he understands."

On this point, she had to agree.

Grand Servants are the absolute top-tier Heroic Spirits within their respective classes, surpassing the capabilities of regular Servants by a significant margin.

His status as a king, combined with his feats in changing the course of Pan-Human History, made him an incredibly imposing figure.

Those who possessed the power to influence the course of Pan-Human History were typically individuals who had reached the truth of the world. However, this king had defied that common understanding, hence the need for extreme caution. Fortunately, they had managed to seal him before he could fully manifest in his complete form.

"With Eternal King out of the picture, Ruler should be our next focus," Kotomine remarked, eyeing a crystal ball that displayed Jeanne standing on the castle's rampart.

Semiramis raised a question, "Archer's close by. Should we send her to eliminate Ruler?"

"She might not agree, but it's worth a try." He nodded in response.

...

Outside the Fortress of Millenia...

"You want me to take down Ruler?" Atalanta raised an eyebrow.

Through a magical connection, she received an order to kill Ruler from Kotomine.

"Alright, I'm in," she agreed with a nod.

Truth be told, she wasn't keen on joining the mission against Ruler at first. However, ever since Achilles' true name and Noble Phantasm were exposed, she had been holding a grudge against Ruler.

And even though Assassin said he was only joking, to her, it felt as if he were covering for Ruler.

A Ruler who casually exposed someone's true names, skills, and Noble Phantasms showed that she had no moral integrity. Hunting her down, therefore, carried no weight on Atalanta's conscience.

She let loose an arrow, aiming straight for Ruler.

Jeanne quickly drew her sword, splitting the arrow in half before it reached her. She glanced at her. "Why are you attacking me, Archer of Red?"

"What do you think? You're a disgrace of a Ruler, tossing professionalism out the window!" Atalanta snapped, her eyes blazing.

Tears welled up in Jeanne's eyes. "Stop accusing me! I have been dutifully performing my role as a Ruler. I never outed anyone!"

Atalanta wasn't having any of it and kept on attacking her.

The thought of a Ruler with questionable morals brought up bitter memories. Yet, there was something about this situation she just couldn't understand.

"If you're siding with the Black Faction, why didn't you reveal Assassin's identity to them?" Atalanta asked while continuing to pepper her with arrows.

Jeanne, parrying and dodging, sounded increasingly desperate. "I have no idea what you're talking about! I swear, I know nothing. Please, stop attacking me."

Even while being hunted, Jeanne clung to her principles as a Ruler and refrained from using her command spells. If it had been Shirou in her shoes, he might have already commanded Atalanta to take her own life.

"You don't know?" Atalanta sneered. "As the Ruler, doesn't your skill let you know that the Assassin is actually Eternal King?"

"Eh? Wha... What?"

Jeanne stopped in her tracks, staring at Atalanta in complete bewilderment. "Wait, did you just say... Eternal King?"

Responding to her was an arrow from Atalanta.

Karna sped across the battlefield like a streak of light, cutting through the enemy lines.

Even Arjuna and Vlad couldn't catch up to him.

He was the first to arrive in front of the Fortress of Millennia. Lifting his gaze slightly, he saw Atalanta peppering arrows at Ruler.

Upon seeing Karna, Atalanta ceased her assault, took a light step, and gracefully landed not far from him.

"Wait, wait, Archer. Did you just mention Eternal King's true name to me? Is that really true?" Jeanne asked urgently.

Atalanta didn't respond to her; instead, she turned her gaze to Karna and asked, "Did you take care of them, Lancer?"

"Unfortunately, no," Karna shook his head. Pausing for a moment, he looked into the distance and said, "They're coming."

True to his word, during their brief conversation, Arjuna and Vlad had caught up.

"You dare approach my fortress?" Vlad shouted, his hand sweeping forward. The sky was suddenly darkened by countless stakes, all heading towards Karna.

"I think you're mistaken. I'm not here for that," Karna responded calmly.

As the stakes came at him, Karna swung his divine spear. Fierce flames turned into a fiery blade, rushing head-on into the sea of stakes.

For a moment, as the two mighty forces met, the world held its breath.

And then—

"BOOM—!!!"

A powerful shockwave rippled outwards, the sheer force causing the ground to heave upwards by several feet.

Atalanta quickly evaded the shockwave.

Karna's battle with Arjuna and Vlad was beyond her league. Jumping in would likely do more harm than good. The intensity of their battle seemed to shake the very foundation of the earth.

Arjuna coldly stared at Karna, drawing his bowstring, and began to unleash his Noble Phantasm.

"Karna, turn to dust in the blazing flames of the Fire God Agni!... No, it's not enough. Oh God of Destruction Shiva, use your power to bring down divine punishment——"

Karna felt the threat of death, his gaze burning as he stared at Arjuna. A rare flicker of concern crossed his face. Channeling his mana into his spear, a blazing aura erupted around him, blinding and scorching like the sun!

Arjuna roared, releasing his Noble Phantasm: "——​Howl of the Flame God!"

"​O' Brahma, Curse Me——!" Karna shouted, sending his sun-lit spear hurling forward.

It was like watching two celestial bodies crash into each other.

For a moment, the world seemed to stand still.

And then.

"BOOM——!!!!"

An explosive sound, echoing like the furious cries of an ocean storm, rippled through the air. An immense pillar of flame erupted from the ground, piercing the heavens and reaching for the black ring in the distance. The once dark night was painted a fiery shade of apocalyptic red.

But in the face of Karna's Noble Phantasm, Arjuna's attack fell just a bit short. The energy from his shot broke apart, and Karna's divine spear loomed, about to claim his life.

In that critical moment, Vlad clenched his fists so hard his knuckles whitened, muscles straining and veins popping on his arms. He powerfully swung his hand down, declaring, "This is my homeland! Don't get ahead of yourself! ​Kazıklı Bey: The Lord of Execution——!"

"Crack crack crack crack——"

The ground fractured in response.

Emerging from the broken earth, an army of stakes, acting as earthen swords, came together in a sheer force of over twenty thousand, directly challenging Karna's Noble Phantasm.

With its power waning, Karna's attack was finally overwhelmed by Vlad's Kazıklı Bey.

The assault didn't stop there. Vlad's stakes, like an unstoppable tidal wave, kept pouring towards Karna.

With no other option, Karna retracted his spear and opted to dodge the sea of stakes.

Three terrifying Noble Phantasms clashed, releasing a surge of energy so intense that it made both the sky and earth tremble.

From her vantage point on the castle, Jeanne could feel the tremors, a sensation that left her in sheer awe.

Atalanta felt the same way.

This wasn't just any battle.

Jumping in would be a fool's errand!

With his God-slaying spear in hand, Karna launched himself at Arjuna.

"Karna——!" Arjuna didn't attempt to dodge or sidestep. Instead, he bravely drew the Bow of the Fire God, ready to meet the his archenemy head-on.

As the divine spear met the divine bow, a metallic song filled the air from their impact.

"We've done what we set out to do, Arjuna," Karna stated with a calm tone.

With a forceful sweep of his bow, Arjuna pushed Karna back a few steps, his eyes instinctively glancing towards the duel field in the distance.

Vlad, shaping stakes into a makeshift spear, spurred his horse forward, lunging at Karna with all his might. 

"Clang——"

Karna's divine spear shattered Vlad's stake-made weapon, but Vlad III was quick to create another.

"What are you all trying to do?" Vlad demanded.

Karna replied calmly, "We were chasing Assassin, but our mission is now over."

"Crack——"

The duel field started to fracture, spreading out like a spider's web.

"It's over!"

From afar, Kotomine pumped his fist triumphantly. "The duel field will dissolve soon. Achilles must have defeated Eternal King. Once he reunites with Karna, they can either make a strategic retreat or set their sights on another target."

"Indeed." Semiramis replied with a graceful smile. "It looks like this mission was a great success."

Karna fended off Vlad and swiftly landed beside Atalanta, stating, "Get ready for Achilles' return and be on the lookout for any sudden moves from them."

She nodded in agreement.

The dueling field would only dispel after someone dies within. Now that it's being dispelled, it's undoubtedly because Achilles has slain Eternal King.

With a furrowed brow, Vlad questioned, "All this show of force... just for the Assassin?"

Karna didn't respond, choosing instead to stay alert, his eyes trained on both Arjuna and Vlad.

Atalanta gazed up at the slowly shattering dueling space.

Jeanne mirrored her gaze.

Did she hear correctly just now?

The Archer of Red spoke of Assassin, going by the name "Fujimaru Shirou", as Eternal King?

As she recalled her memories of being burnt at the stake in front of a statue depicting this very King, Jeanne couldn't help but question: Was he indeed the legendary Eternal King?

The thought boggled her mind.

But regardless of whether it was true or not, this revelation held little meaning now. It seemed that the King in question had already left the stage!

Jeanne's [​True Name Discernment]​ skill of B-rank granted her the capability to determine the true names, skills, and Noble Phantasms of every Servant.

This meant she knew fully well the terrifying nature of Achilles' Noble Phantasm.

A duel that nullified all Noble Phantasms, skills, and blessings.

A true fight to the death!

Pitting a hero against a king in sheer hand-to-hand combat... The odds were overwhelmingly against the King!

So when the duel field shattered, it became evident that Eternal King must have already perished.

"Crack, crack, crack——"

The dueling space was completely shattered.

In the next moment, a body, brutalized beyond recognition, slowly disintegrated as it fell from the sky.

Undoubtedly, that was the remains of Eternal King.

However...

When the crowd finally saw the face of the body, they were filled with complete disbelief.

"How... How is that possible!?" Kotomine's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

Semiramis looked as if she'd seen a ghost.

And they weren't the only ones. Atalanta, Karna, Arjuna... even Jeanne, they were all stunned.

Because the slowly disintegrating body before them was that of Achilles!

This... how could this be...

How did this happen?

Is this even possible?

An overwhelming sense of disbelief washed over all of them.

"So, have you all come to greet me?" Behind Shirou, the black wings flapped, and he flew out from the dueling space, hovering above them with a smile on his face.

...

There's a bonus chapter for reaching 500 and 1000 Power Stones.