Chapter 513: Rhongomyniad

Achilles was very displeased at the moment because he had been injured yet again.

Blessed by his mother, resilient against divine flames, and able to withstand non-divine attacks, Achilles' robust body had always been his pride and most trusted asset.

But in this Holy Grail War, his invulnerability had been repeatedly breached. Chiron's arrows and divine constructs were one thing, as he already knew about these weaknesses and was prepared for them. But what about the others?

The mysterious Black Assassin;

The so-called "friendly" vampiric behavior of the Black Berserker who had turned into a vampire;

And now, the spear of this suddenly appearing Black Lancer.

In one night, his invulnerability was breached by three different methods. Even the greatest hero of the Trojan War couldn't help but feel a bit intimidated—was his "Andreias Amarantos" a fake?

Especially the last one. As a demigod, Achilles was sure that the female knight before him had no divinity, the lance that struck his chest wasn't a divine construct, and his widely known weak point hadn't been targeted. So how did she break through his invulnerability?

Though it was just a blunt strike with only slight pain, Achilles' usually steadfast confidence wavered.

Instinctively, Achilles turned to look at Chiron. This was a habit he had developed in his youth—when in doubt, ask Google—cough, Chiron. His teacher was a walking encyclopedia; in Achilles' mind, there was nothing he didn't know.

Karna, Atalanta, and others who knew Achilles' true name and legend were also very curious.

Being stared at with trust and a thirst for knowledge by a disciple who was like a son, Chiron forgot about the distinction between friend and foe and naturally fulfilled his duties as a teacher.

"That indeed isn't a divine weapon. It is a Noble Phantasm created by the planet itself, surpassing divine constructs."

The concept of surpassing divine constructs and being created by the planet itself awakened the knowledge implanted in everyone's minds by the Holy Grail—knowledge about the origin and evolution of deities.

The history of deities predates humanity by far. They existed when the planet was still in its primordial state, manifestations of powers deified into forms.

Later, as natural phenomena became common, most "deities" began to increase in number once settled into stable existences. Human understanding of nature was still shallow, and out of fear of these forces and nature, humans began to worship them. These were the "Nature Gods," defining the Age of Gods as recognized by humans.

As time passed and human society developed, the control of these deities gradually weakened. Humans began to distance themselves from the age of gods, and their perceptions of deities changed, even becoming distorted, giving rise to "Modern Gods."

Modern gods formed from the growing beliefs of humans were either pure creations of belief and fantasy or fictional constructs by those maintaining their rule. Unlike the original "Nature Gods," "Modern Gods" were purely anthropomorphized entities of belief, essentially no different from Heroic Spirits, only differing in nature and rank.

Regardless of the distinctions between "Nature Gods" and "Modern Gods," the original deities were extensions of the planet's power. Noble Phantasms created by the planet were naturally on par with these deities. Achilles' Andreias Amarantos was an extension of divine power. According to the unchanging rule of the mystical world that "a greater mystery nullifies a lesser one," Achilles' invulnerability couldn't possibly withstand Artoria's holy spear.

"If I'm not mistaken, that spear's true form is one of the 'towers' the planet created to stabilize the surface world where humans live."

"No wonder you're highly esteemed by your Master, the great sage," Artoria, whose Noble Phantasm's true form had been revealed, wasn't angry. She only admired Chiron's insight and knowledge.

"Later, there are some matters I'd like to discuss with you and your Master. Please don't refuse," Chiron naturally referred to the contract between Shinji and Artoria.

"My Master must have made preparations if he has summoned me. But before that, I must fulfill my Master's orders first."

As Artoria spoke, she lifted her lance, pointing it at the three Red Faction members who had come to their senses and were about to launch another attack.

"This spear is the Roaring Anchor that binds the stars, the furthest lance that shines, singing the light of the stars. With this ultimate spear, I will protect my master's back."

"If you're going to fight, then fight! Stop wasting time with all this nonsense!"

With his doubts dispelled by his teacher's guidance, Achilles charged forward once again. At the same time, Karna unleashed his indestructible blade, and Atalanta's Seven Arrows of the Big Dipper flew forth, striking first.

The three had resolved to eliminate the obstacle before them as quickly as possible, for it was their only option.

Given Artoria's strength, to hold her off, they needed either Achilles or Karna to remain behind. However, losing either of these two would make it difficult to handle Shinji and Dracula together. To effectively suppress those two, the three of them needed to advance and retreat in unison.

They were confident that no single Servant could withstand the combined might of the three of them.

Artoria was well aware that she couldn't hold them off, so she didn't even try. Instead, she directly unleashed her Noble Phantasm.

"Invisible Air!"

The atmosphere began to expand, and the surroundings started to warp and distort due to the changes in the air.

In the enclosed corridor, the howling winds were completely trapped, allowing their destructive power to reach its peak.

With Artoria's thrusting motion, the air within the corridor was drawn along. The sound of wind crashing like an explosion and the impact of compressed air hitting objects echoed in their ears.

Atalanta's chain of seven arrows, modeled after the Ursa Major constellation, was naturally torn to shreds. The two great heroes had to halt their advance; their golden armor and Achilles' Andreias Amarantos could protect their bodies but couldn't guarantee their balance.

And this was merely the prelude, the safeguard for the Knight King wielding the ultimate spear to focus on unleashing her trump card.

Behind Artoria, indistinct images began to appear.

Among them was her in her youthful form.

There was the knightly flower, holding the sword of the lake

The perfect white prince wielding the sacred sword of the sun.

The first archer with flowing red hair and closed eyes.

The advisor who bore infamy to create an ideal city.

The squire who stayed by her side until the very end of her life.

The brother who grew up with her and guarded her until death.

And several heroic figures whose faces were indistinct due to the distortion of the air.

And the knight with the horned helmet, out of place among the group—this person had also appeared in this Holy Grail War.

These were the immortal legends etched into the land of Britain, the splendid chapters of human history.

A voice rang out, not Artoria's own, but a will emanating from within the holy spear, reaching deep into the soul.

"Oh holy spear, removing anchor... Thrust and feast! Thirteen fangs! Rhongomyniad!!!!"