C415

In the faraway sky, lightning and thunder mixed together, then a startling thunderbolt headed for Miyu.

The blue lightning lit up Angelica's calm face, along with the surprised expressions of Miyu and Gray.

"Boom rumble rumble rumble—"

The natural power crashed down, transforming the nearby earth into scorched soil. The lively celebration suddenly fell silent.

Angelica said calmly, "You went a bit too far, Beatrice."

"Tch!"

A female voice echoed as a red-haired girl landed next to her.

She wasn't much taller than Illya, but her appearance was quite unique.

With twin red pigtails and golden eyes, she wore slightly worn clothes that had a furry and rugged look, giving off a Viking-esque feel. Also, her right arm was incredibly large, resembling a massive hammer.

The girl Angelica called Beatrice seemed unhappy, "You're the one being slow, Angelica! You've found her, so just take her away. Why bother talking?"

Angelica calmly looked at Beatrice without saying anything.

"Hmph. Don't worry, I didn't use too much force. The thunder's power would've maybe cracked open that strange outfit and knocked her out, at most. Hurry up and take her away."

As Beatrice spoke, she moved towards Miyu. But after just a few steps, she paused unexpectedly.

The dust from the thunder settled, revealing something surprising. Instead of the unconscious Miyu she expected, there was a massive shield.

"What is... this?" Beatrice was surprised.

"Of course, it's me! You bastard! How dare you use lightning on me! You strange, red-haired pig!" scolded the shield.

Beatrice was shocked, muttering, "The shield is talking?"

And in that moment, the shield shrank, shaping into a small one on Gray's arm.

It turned out that when Beatrice's thunder hit, Gray had already used her Add-Shield form to block the thunder preemptively.

Gray stood before Miyu, facing Beatrice. She looked at her, teeth clenched, and asked, "Who are you... and why are you attacking us? Why target Miyu?"

"And who are you?" Beatrice asked.

"I... I..." Gray gritted her teeth and responded, "I'm Miyu's friend!"

"Another one of these dull and boring people. Don't think you can stop me from getting back the Grail!" Beatrice's eyes sparked with lightning as she swung her massive hammer. The hammer was enveloped in lightning, then surged like a pillar, aiming directly at Gray!

Gray swiftly transformed her Add into its sword form, the gleaming light matching its transformation, surging forward.

The lightning pillar and the light pillar met in the air, causing even the space to freeze for an instant.

Then, in the next moment —

"Boom rumble rumble rumble—!!!"

A muffled thunder-like sound reverberated, and the tremendous energy left behind a scorching, smoky trail on the ground. The intense storm it created wrecked all the nearby shops.

The lightning and light pillars disappeared.

Beatrice's face was filled with surprise. "She actually blocked the Thunder God's strike?"

"That light... King Arthur's holy sword. Saber's card is in your hand..." Angelica said calmly.

"Who are you...? Who are all of you?" Gray questioned, her expression no longer timid but rather serious.

If she hadn't activated Add's sword form and infused it with magical energy to neutralize that strike just now, she might have been seriously injured or worse.

Miyu bit her lip, "Gray, run! We're not their opponent!"

Gray glanced at her, who was still trembling and hadn't yet recovered. Then she turned her head back, facing Angelica and Beatrice. Holding Add in both hands, her small frame positioned itself between Miyu and them, a determined expression on her face.

Miyu looked at Gray, puzzled, "Why aren't you running?"

"I don't know what's happening, and I don't know what you're afraid of. But I'll protect you because you're my friend," Gray tightened her grip on the sword.

"Friendship?... Tch! Disgusting!" Beatrice snorted, lifting her Thunder God's hammer high, its power enveloped in even stronger lightning.

And then —

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh—!!!"

Over a dozen Noble Phantasms radiating brilliant light crossed through space and aimed at Beatrice.

This made Beatrice use her hammer to both defend and attack against these weapons.

"Sizzle sizzle sizzle—"

The flickering lightning struck down each of these Noble Phantasms one by one.

However, Beatrice wasn't happy and asked, "Who's attacking me?"

No one answered her. Instead, a sword shining with golden light did.

Beatrice swung her Thunder God's hammer, breaking the gleaming golden sword. But in the next moment, a blast of magical energy was shot towards her.

Surrounded by lightning, Beatrice tore through the magical energy blast, then swung her heavy hammer. A terrifying pillar of lightning surged towards the spot where the magical energy blast had been shot.

"Boom—"

Suddenly, the powerful lightning column pierced through a corner of a distant building, vanishing into the sky.

The building's corner that got struck didn't leave debris or rubble. It looked like the lightning had wiped it out down to the molecules.

Azure and golden figures landed beside Miyu.

It was Illya and Chloe. They had been playfully chasing each other earlier, but when they noticed that someone was attacking their friends, they quickly transformed and fought back.

Illya and Chloe asked with concern, "Miyu, are you okay?"

Miyu shook her head, got up, tightened her lips, and said, "I'm okay. We should run, we can't beat them."

"They don't look like Heroic Spirits. Who are they really...?" Illya looked at Angelica and Beatrice, confused.

Miyu pursed her lips.

Chloe felt worried inside, but she glared angrily at Angelica and Beatrice. She said, "I don't care who you are. If you're trying to hurt my friend, I won't let you get away without consequences!"

She opened her treasury and sent more than a dozen Noble Phantasms towards Angelica and Beatrice.

But —

As the Noble Phantasms neared Angelica and Beatrice, they disappeared.

In the next moment, these Noble Phantasms reappeared behind Chloe and headed towards her.

"How...?" Chloe was taken aback.

Gray acted quickly. Her sword transformed into a bright light, slicing through each of those Noble Phantasms.

"That card..." Beatrice looked at Chloe, narrowing her eyes, then turned to Angelica, asking, "Isn't that the card the one you used before?"

Angelica nodded, "This feeling is Gilgamesh. But the card's self-consciousness seems to be gone. Some higher-ranked Noble Phantasms might not be usable."

"And the sword?" Beatrice asked.

"Can't be retrieved either. And even if it could, because its self-consciousness is gone, it wouldn't be usable."

Beatrice chuckled, "So it's like a useless card now, huh?"

Ignoring her, Angelica looked at Illya and the others, saying, "Give Lady Miyu to me. I don't want to hurt any of you."

Miyu tightened her lips, and Illya glanced at her before getting up. She stared firmly at Angelica and said, "No!"

"Count me out too!" Chloe added.

Gray didn't say anything, but her determined look showed her stance.

"Illya..." Miyu gazed at Illya and the others.

Illya smiled, "Aren't we all on the same side? And remember what onii-san said about not being reckless as a Commander, Miyu!"

Miyu composed herself, took a deep breath, and nodded with determination, "I get it."

Beatrice made a frustrated noise and glanced at Angelica, "Why waste time talking? Let's grab it!"

Surrounded by lightning, Beatrice charged towards Miyu.

Miyu stepped back, calmly instructing, "01 and 02, go around her; 04, block her."

"Got it!"

Illya and Chloe moved to the sides, while Gray took a deep breath and turned Add-Sword into Add-Shield, meeting Beatrice's charge head-on.

Beatrice mocked, "You really think you can stop me? Let me show you the power of the Thunder God!"

Her huge hammer-hand crackled with thunder as she swung it at Gray with a loud "boom."

Gray gritted her teeth and lifted the shield.

A muffled "thud" sounded as Gray was pushed back several steps, her arm tingling, as if it might break any moment.

But she blocked it!

"How is this possible?" Beatrice's face was filled with disbelief.