Chapter 26. Heracles!
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"Listen carefully, Illya. There's only one card left—Berserker. No matter what, even if it's just to save face, we "must" get it!"
Today, Tohsaka Rin was seriously training Illya again.
"Eh... Berserker... sounds dangerous."
Illya, transformed into a magical girl, floated in the air, looking hesitant.
"Of course, you could also use the Assassin class card to steal the other class cards," Rin waved the Assassin class card in her hand.
"Let's challenge Berserker!"
Without hesitation, Illya chose the safer option.
"Eh~ Isn't the second option safer?" Rin put her hands on her hips. "You shouldn't underestimate Assassin's Presence Concealment. Even that man wouldn't easily detect you, and they can't always carry their cards with them, right?"
"But for some reason, I have this feeling we'll definitely get caught," Illya scratched her head.
Miyu, who was also training, nodded in agreement. If Illya didn't plan to use the Assassin class card to steal other cards, then there was no need to inform Cyd.
"No worries! You're just a kid, even if he catches you, he won't do anything," Rin gave her a thumbs-up.
"Eh! Using me as bait again!"
"Too terrible! Too terrible, Tohsaka Rin," Luvia waved her hand in disgust. "Using kids again?"
"Then why don't "you" come up with another idea!" Rin replied, not giving up. "We don't have much time. Wouldn't it be easier to steal the cards than to defeat the Servants?"
Luvia fell silent.
Miyu quietly made a mental note to report all of this to Cyd later so he could confiscate their cards.
Night fell, and they were about to face the last of the seven class cards: Berserker.
"Reinforcement, physical protection, healing boost, expanded perception..." Lord El-Melloi II stood with a fan, casting various buffs on everyone present—except for Cyd.
"Such exaggerated reinforcement—this is the power of a Heroic Spirit?" Luvia clenched her fists, intrigued as she studied Lord El-Melloi II.
"It's just basic magic borrowed from a certain individual's power," El-Melloi II waved his fan. "I've added several layers of reinforcement to prevent a direct attack like the one from Saber earlier. If anything seems off, retreat immediately."
"Really? I feel like I could fight a Servant right now," Rin rotated her shoulders.
The many support abilities from Ruby and Sapphire were already enough to grant their contractors power comparable to a Servant. Now, with El-Melloi II's reinforcement, Rin felt even stronger than a magical girl.
As for Illya and Miyu, the actual magical girls...
Luvia and Rin turned simultaneously to look at Illya, who was tilting her head in confusion, and Miyu, whose eyes widened slightly as if she had realized something.
"Illya, fire a shot at that mountain," Rin, unable to suppress her curiosity, whispered to her.
Illya blinked and instinctively raised Ruby towards the mountain.
"Wait!" El-Melloi II's eyes widened as he raised a hand to stop her.
Boom——!
A pink beam shot across the sky, piercing straight through the mountain.
"Oh~ That kind of power. Hope it didn't hit a satellite," Cyd stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"A... a satellite!" Illya's eyes widened in panic. "I can't afford to pay for that!"
"Let's... let's just say it was a natural gas explosion..." El-Melloi II trembled as he raised his fan to cover his face.
The mere thought of leaving a pink beam streaking through space and possibly smashing into a satellite made his stomach churn. But, having been turned into a Servant, he couldn't afford to collapse.
"Not a big deal. I'll just buy the satellite later," Luvia casually waved off the problem. "And for a bit more money, we can cover up any footage. It'll be like it never happened. As for the mountain..."
Luvia pulled out her fan and opened it, covering her face. "I've already bought it."
Is this the power of money?
Though she should have been grateful for Luvia cleaning up the mess, Rin couldn't help feeling like she'd just been shown up again.
Oh well, it happens all the time anyway...
Cyd glanced down at Rin with a sympathetic expression as she started to despair.
"Hurry up and collect the last class card," El-Melloi II swung his fan, ready to stop any further chaos from unfolding.
Like the ripples of a kaleidoscope, magic waves spread from El-Melloi II, covering the area.
"This is the last one!"
Boom——!
As they entered the alternate space, massive stone pillars exploded like cannon fire, flying straight at the stern-faced El-Melloi II.
He twitched involuntarily.
Why do these Servants always love blocking the door?
"Master!" Gray rushed forward to shield El-Melloi II. "Add, First Limit Release!"
With a flash of cold light, the stone pillar was split in two, narrowly missing Gray as it smashed into the nearby greenery.
Crack——!
A towering figure slowly rose from the darkness, blood-red eyes gleaming like a terrifying demon.
This was Berserker—the form of a past hero, shackled by madness. All sense of reason had vanished, leaving only the instincts of a wild beast.
"What... is that?" Rin muttered, staring in shock at the towering figure wielding a sword that looked like a massive battle axe.
The mountain-like muscles rippled rhythmically, and the massive bare feet crushed the ground with ease.
If one had to describe it in a single phrase:
This was an opponent no human could possibly match.
"It's you..."
As a soft murmur echoed, one person walked past everyone and slowly approached Berserker.
When people are overwhelmed by unbeatable despair, a hero will always step forward to stand in front of everyone.
He was supposed to bring a sense of overwhelming reassurance.
But now...
"Cyd?" Gray hesitated as she watched his back.
He was angry.
"This reaction…" El-Melloi II's eyes narrowed sharply.
The Cyd praised in myth was perfect, embodying all human virtues. He was forever untouched by human evil, immune to the seven deadly sins inscribed in human souls.
But even the myths left room for interpretation. Those who envisioned the Pure White Hero had always tacitly acknowledged one fact:
When faced with that man, the great hero of Greece, even the gentle, Pure White Hero would grow angry.
And now Cyd's reaction confirmed that truth.
"Retreat now! What comes next is beyond us!" El-Melloi II quickly cast several defensive magic circles in front of them.
Roar——!
As if provoked, Berserker opened his arms and roared at the sky.
"Anger? Yes, I'm very angry," Cyd unhooked the [Reforged Pandora] and slammed it heavily onto the ground, vivid blood-red patterns spreading along his arm.
"You made my teacher end up like that!"
"Heracles!"