Play It Safe—Or Go All In

Gurgle... gurgle...

The Red Rider, Achilles, lay unmoving, his ravaged body slowly sinking into the violet-red "sea" of mana within Selene's Noble Phantasm, Honkai Dimension, as its mana "tendrils" encircled him, his form gradually disappearing into the roiling depths.

"...Sieg."

Selene watched the barren, war-torn earth, abruptly muttering a name out of place and out of context.

"Sieg… Are you referring to our Saber, Siegfried, the Dragon Slayer? Your Majesty, has something happened to him? Or is it that Lord Vlad's assault has encountered difficulties?"

Seeing that the Red Servants had retreated, Black Caster Avicebron approached Selene, bowing respectfully and inquiring about her statement.

"Hmm? Ah… you could say so," Selene replied, somewhat absently. "Their Masters recalled their Servants with a Command Seal, and I made a minor miscalculation. Though I captured the Red Rider, Achilles, the Red Archer, Atalanta, managed to escape."

"Ah, it's a pity," Avicebron sighed, but his regret wasn't due to fear of Atalanta's strength. Rather, it was an expression of his own perfectionist nature.

Drat... just missed a perfect outcome for the mission.

Although he hadn't contributed directly to the skirmish, Avicebron couldn't help feeling disappointed. With Black's Rider Selene, Lancer Vlad, and Saber Siegfried, his confidence in victory was absolute. His only concern now was to whom the Greater Grail would eventually belong.

Selene's casual wave dismissed his disappointment. "There will be plenty of opportunities to eliminate the Red team. And don't forget our other hidden weapon—our giant slumbering at the bottom of the lake."

She lightly waved her lance, Black Abyss White Flower, and with a faint hum, the massive black-and-white spear dissipated into shimmering particles.

"Now… with the Red trio's assault on the Fortress of Millennia thwarted, the Red Lancer, Karna, who went to 'negotiate' with Ruler, must also be recalled."

Gesturing with her hand, Selene continued, "With the numbers now at four to four, or possibly five to four if you count me, Lord Vlad's numerical advantage is gone. Their raid should be over… unless he's willing to start a full-scale battle."

Avicebron nodded after a moment of thought. "Your Majesty, should I inform Darnic to recall Lord Vlad and his team? We've already gained a strategic advantage."

"There's no need for any unnecessary orders," Selene replied. "Whether they press on or withdraw is entirely their decision."

"I understand…" Avicebron replied. Then he gestured to the Red Berserker Spartacus, held by the golden-armored guards. "We've captured the Red Berserker, Spartacus. Your Majesty, how would you like to handle him?"

"That raving lunatic you may dispose of as you wish, but I'm keeping the Red Rider, Achilles, for a particular experiment," she said, her tone piqued with curiosity. "Oh, by the way, have you made any progress on the core you've been seeking? Is it particularly unique?"

Selene's genuine interest was piqued. Her decision to hold off on Achilles' demise had stemmed partly from this. After all, that "Sieg" was an interesting case—but whether he'd be worthy of the name remained to be seen, as she wouldn't hand him Siegfried's heart (or, more precisely, his Spirit Core) so easily.

But the mystery behind how Sieg had survived after inheriting Siegfried's heart, even recreating Siegfried's powers through strange twists of fate, was something Selene was eager to investigate.

Failure was inconsequential; even a partial success could yield benefits.

"Your Majesty, regarding that core…" Avicebron seemed surprised at Selene's curiosity about golem-craft, but he dutifully explained the requirements for his Noble Phantasm and the findings he'd made in the homunculus workshop.

In brief, Avicebron's life's pursuit—Golem Keter Malkuth: Royal Crown - the Light of Wisdom—required a magically attuned heart to drive it, and homunculi were ideal material.

"A core? It requires a particular homunculus to serve as the magical heart?" Selene asked knowingly after Avicebron's detailed explanation.

"Yes, Your Majesty. I've identified a unique homunculus with magical circuits far more refined than most. His brain is notably active, even among homunculi specialized in mana supply…"

"Previously, I attempted using other homunculi for the trials, but they all failed. Perhaps it's because they lacked true self-awareness," he explained, his voice full of anticipation as he spoke of the homunculus who had developed self-awareness, believing that one might finally complete his masterpiece.

The chance to work with a goddess to fulfill his life's work was an irresistible opportunity, so Avicebron spared no detail. Some of the ancient terminology was enough to make even Selene raise an eyebrow, but it mattered little. She possessed an EX-level Imperial Privilege, after all.

Selene nodded, understanding. "Consider me intrigued, Avicebron. But this endeavor needs some groundwork."

Gesturing for him to follow, she added, "Let's head to the homunculus workshop. I might be able to craft a core."

With her temporary knowledge from Imperial Privilege enhancing her expertise in golem-craft, she felt confident. After all, converting and modifying materials with Honkai energy was second nature to her.

"Thank you very much, Your Majesty!"

Meanwhile, in the Sighisoara hilltop chapel—

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Both Red and Black Servants clashed in a chaotic melee.

The Red Caster Shakespeare continued taunting Black Berserker Frankenstein while delaying her with his Noble Phantasm First Folio: When the Curtain Rises, the Applause Shall Be as Ten Thousand Thunders.

The skill let him bolster his allies and Master with magical reinforcement thanks to his Mana Add-Ons ability. While his own power was minimal, his self-preservation skills made him a thorn in Black's side.

With a thunderous boom, two figures, one blue and one red, vanished from the battlefield in a blink.

"Who would have thought that Saber and her Master would actually come to our aid…" murmured Red Assassin Semiramis, blocking incoming attacks with her venom mist and hexagonal fish-scale defense runes.

"Don't be so quick to assume," came Amakusa Shirou Tokisada's calm reply as he knelt beside Red Archer Atalanta, treating her injuries. "Though she may act independently, her presence here is a blessing."

"Bah… More likely, that little girl got a thrashing from Black and came back crying for help, only to stumble into our battle by accident," Semiramis scoffed, her tone laced with scorn.

Suddenly, sparks flew as a series of arrows struck the defensive runes in rapid succession.

Tricky to pin down… Semiramis thought irritably, watching as her barrier began to crack.

She was facing a seasoned opponent. Black Archer Chiron, ever-cautious, hadn't strayed from his support role, shooting with impeccable precision from a distance.

"Such a deadlock... let's hope Black reinforcement doesn't arrive. Master, we should retreat... no, actually, we should leave now," Semiramis said, glancing past the relentless clash of Red and Black Lancers.

Across the battlefield, the duel between Red and Black Sabers was equally fierce. Their fight had stretched the distance to the point where Semiramis could only see the aftermath of their collisions, the rapid afterimages followed by flying debris as they clashed.

"Achoo!"

Who the hell is talking about me?! Mordred thought mid-battle. But she quickly put it out of her mind. The combat unfolding here was what she'd been craving. The previous brawl in Trifas? Mere warm-up!

After all, she'd been either overpowering weaklings (golems, homunculi, Astartes soldiers) or… well, the less said about that, the better.

Boom!!

In a flurry of blows, Mordred and Siegfried's relentless attacks sent dust and rubble flying as they exchanged blows. Fist met sword, leg struck leg—neither held anything back in a fight that churned the ground into a mess of rocks and dust.

Thud!

Dust billowed as they landed a powerful strike, a crater forming beneath their feet.

"Hahaha! This is amazing!" Mordred shouted, exhilarated.

When I face that demon Selene, I have to act meek. But against this silent blockhead of a Saber? I'm all in!

"Hey, Black Saber, I'm getting serious now!" she warned.

Crackle, crackle!

"Come on." Siegfried's response was brief.

Boom!

"Archer, regardless of the circumstances, welcome back."

Wiping the sweat from his brow, Amakusa Shirou Tokisada slowly stood, his serene smile still in place.

"The decaying force in your left arm has been mostly neutralized by my Command Seals. However, those purple-red mana spots on your body… I'm afraid they'll take more time to treat…"

"It's enough!" With a rush of blue mana particles, Atalanta's torn clothing and severed arm regenerated.

Fueled by fury, Atalanta drew her black longbow, placed two arrows on the string, and began chanting with an animalistic snarl.

"With my bow and arrows!"

"I pray for the protection of the God Apollo and Goddess Artemis. I offer thee this Calamity —!"

"Phoebus Catastrophe!!"

As she completed her B+-rank Anti-Army Noble Phantasm, brilliant green light traced her arrows' path. Arrows poured down in a torrent of blazing streaks, like a river of stars falling from the heavens onto the Black Servants below.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Inside Fortress of Millennia, Darnic looked up at the trembling crystal chandelier overhead, then back down at the image on the Encyclopedia of the World Chronicle, where the battle showed no sign of abating.

Darnic was in a dilemma. Ignoring the chaotic scene in the woods was hardly an option, yet… should he press their advantage or pull back?

This could be the perfect chance to play it safe—or go all in.