A faint sadness permeated the atmosphere of the sky, with a somber orchestral melody rising and falling like a tide.
It felt as if the blood of the cuckoo was crying, transforming into an inescapable depth of mourning.
This was a lonely and bewildered despair, a cold heart that no one knew.
"It's been ten years, and you still haven't returned."
The Purging King whispered, pulling out a photograph he always carried, smirking mockingly.
He then carefully tucked it into his embrace.
In the photo was a youthful Haruno, her hand resting gently on the head of a child.
At that time, he was nine years old, possessing a unique magical constitution that could amplify Heroic Spirits and magic. Thus, he was taken in by the Von Einzbern family to… undergo inhumane experiments.
Under the torment of the Von Einzbern, he gradually became numb and indifferent.
One day, a woman appeared at the Von Einzbern estate.
In the castle perpetually shrouded in ice and snow...
A single ray of precious sunlight broke through.
She was a mysterious woman, a seeker of justice, carefree, with a smile that lit up the room.
It was later that he learned her name: Yukinoshita Haruno, one of the participants in the Fourth Holy Grail War.
Originally, Haruno had promised to rescue him, speaking earnestly, but eventually, she vanished without a trace... while he continued to be subjected to experiments.
He sometimes pondered that perhaps Haruno had died in the Fourth Holy Grail War, or perhaps there was something she couldn't reveal, preventing her from returning.
In the frigid castle, he sat by the window day after day, hoping… that one day, she would return to the Von Einzbern.
It didn't matter if his face turned to ice.
It didn't matter if his hands became frostbitten.
Even if he caught a cold or developed a fever, he would still wait.
Until he underwent surgery at the Von Einzbern estate, where 70% of his body was implanted with magical circuits, surrounded by the corpses of children like him piled high, all of whom had perished… yet he still lived.
Later, Subaru no longer needed Haruno to save him; he single-handedly brought down the entire Von Einzbern family.
No one could dictate his actions anymore, and no one could look down on him.
The "Purging King" became the ruler of the Von Einzbern family and hundreds of thousands of subordinates.
As time went on, he discovered that while Haruno had died, she had spent her final five years accompanying another child.
…In the eyes of that traitor, perhaps he was just an expendable existence.
That vow made in the snowfall had long since turned to dust, promises made and broken rendered cheaper than yellowed parchment.
He understood deeply that the human world was indeed hell, filled with endless betrayal and boundless hatred.
The instinct to survive drove everyone to slaughter, to scheme, to plot. Oaths could not win hearts, and emotions could not withstand the passage of time; infatuation could not save one from delusion, and in the end… everything turned to emptiness.
He staggered, the world in his eyes gradually fading to colorless shades of black and white.
All living beings were despicable deceivers, nothing was trustworthy.
Silence enveloped the crowd.
All humanity struggled in the sea of suffering, love like snow, hatred like a blade. Beautiful memories did not diminish with the passage of time but rather fermented, becoming indistinct yet deeply etched dreams in the heart.
"Yukinoshita Haruno, you are truly a woman steeped in sin."
Someone muttered to themselves in a daze.
It was her heartless abandonment that plunged a hopeful child into hell.
She gave rise to the tyrant of the magic world, the Purging King, whose countless killings instilled fear.
"Yes, for the Purging King, this waiting has lasted too long, too long to the point of becoming a regret…"
Someone sighed, reflecting on the situation.
Upon witnessing the Purging King's plight, a classic dialogue suddenly came to mind.
How do you create a hero?
You give him an utterly terrible life, along with a little bit of love.
Then how do you create a demon?
You take away that little bit of love.
"Yukinoshita Haruno…"
Someone silently lit a cigarette, sighing softly: "You entrusted others to care for a little girl during the Fifth Holy Grail War, and spent five years before your death accompanying another, yet you never fulfilled your promise to rescue the Purging King…"
…
In the sky world, Haruno stared blankly at the countless messages condemning her.
What the hell.
Is my parallel world self really this terrible?
Promised but unable to deliver, causing oneself to get caught in the crossfire.
"Big sister is truly a piece of garbage,"
Yukino calmly sipped her tea, sneering.
The woman instantly froze, her face turning pale.
—Haruno has sunk!
…
"It's alright."
On the throne, the Purging King coldly gazed into the distance of Fuyuki City: "Once I grasp the Holy Grail, I will personally question… your betrayal back then."
At the same time, a grand and majestic background music suddenly began to play.
The camera slowly pulled back.
Further back.
Revealing before the people the unparalleled tyrant in a world of ice and snow!
The cold man stood at the pinnacle, flanked by the great hero of Greek mythology, Hercules, who roared menacingly beside him.
As if there were no other like him in the world, truly unique.
---
The Final Conquest is Complete!
An Unspoken Shock!
The world fell silent, as if even the flow of air had become deafeningly quiet.
The camera shifted to the brutal figure, and the reality panel reappeared once more...
[Name: Heracles]
[Class: Berserker]
[Height/Weight: 253 cm · 311 kg]
[Attribute: Chaotic Evil]
["Berserker is the strongest!!"]
[Origin: Mythology]
[Region: Ancient Greece]
[Strength: A+]
[Endurance: A]
[Agility: A]
[Magic: A]
[Luck: B]
[Class Skill—Madness Enhancement: B]
This results in the loss of much rationality, raising all stats by one rank.
(It goes without saying that, based solely on the panel, this Servant is overwhelmingly powerful.)
(However, after entering Madness, he loses a variety of sword skills, abilities, and several important Noble Phantasms.)
[Retained Skills—Battle Continuation: A]
Even when gravely injured near death, he can maintain combat effectiveness and significantly reduce the likelihood of dying.
[Mind's Eye (False): B]
A danger-avoidance ability honed through numerous perilous adventures, based on instinct and intuition.
[Bravery: A+]
With a spirit of courage and valor, he nullifies mental interference such as confusion and chaos.
[Divinity: A]
As the demigod son of the chief god Zeus and a mortal, it is only natural for him to possess the highest level of Divinity as a Servant.
[Twelve Labors (God Hand)]
[Rank: B]
[Type: Anti-Personnel Noble Phantasm]
[Range: ?]
[Maximum Capture: 1 person]
A blessing and curse bestowed upon Heracles by the gods, forming a Noble Phantasm of immortality.
—Whoever possesses this Noble Phantasm has a body akin to resilient armor, negating any attacks of B rank or lower, and will resurrect even in death, provided they are not killed consecutively twelve times.
Simultaneously, any attack that kills Heracles can only be effective once.
The second time will be met with significant immunity.
(However, if an attack is overwhelmingly powerful, he may lose multiple lives at once.)
(Although his death count can be restored, it is exceedingly difficult for an ordinary mage, who might spend a lifetime accumulating magic power, to revive him.)
(If he were to be hosted by the Purging King, he could regain a life in just half a day.)
[Nine Lives]
[Rank: C ~ A+]
[Type: ?]
[Range: ?]
[Maximum Capture: ?]
Among the Noble Phantasms that Heracles possesses, this is the one he trusts the most.
It is the ultimate technique he used to slay the Hydra.
To be specific, it involves the 'sacred posture of having a dragon entwined around the weapon,' launching nine attacks that span the sky and devastate the land—a pinnacle of divinity and technique.
After defeating the Hydra, he could replicate this Noble Phantasm's ability using other weapons.
When released with a sword, it manifests as the instantaneous "Nine Strike Sword Dance," and when unleashed with a spear, it achieves the remarkable feat of nine strikes in one blow.
—Even the method of inheritance is elusive, making it a 'myth' created solely by Heracles himself!
(Note: While summoned as a Berserker, Heracles cannot use Nine Lives.)
…
"Holy crap! An A4 panel!"
In the world of the heavens, Hideyoshi Kinoshita was stunned, his eyes wide open.
Where's the GM? Where's the oversight? I'm reporting someone for cheating!
Our sword saint only has agility at A rank; how are we supposed to compete with this?
Hideyoshi wanted to cry but had no tears!
Mouri Ran covered her eyes, already envisioning the scene where the Berserker turns her parallel world father into minced meat.
Yukinoshita Yukino fell silent.
According to the preview, she was also a participant in this Holy Grail War.
So...
Her enemy was the Purging King, who possessed the strongest Servant and commanded hundreds of thousands of subordinates.
What's the point of even playing? Goodbye!
No, it's more like never seeing each other again!
Countless onlookers silently mourned as they looked at her, words of comfort caught in their throats, and some even wanted to laugh.
Natsuki Subaru remained composed, quietly retreating behind the crowd.
As expected, once the plot began, the things he did would undoubtedly attract the wrath of the heavens.
To avoid being implicated by his parallel self, it would be best not to be discovered at all.
Bang~
Did he bump into someone?
He felt a twinge of foreboding.
But suddenly, he heard his troublesome friend Sato Kazuma exclaim, "Natsuki Subaru is here!!"
"Baka!"
Subaru cursed under his breath, nearly fainting from anger.
In an instant, countless chilling gazes turned toward him.
The atmosphere shifted as everyone reacted, suddenly filled with camaraderie.
Consider joining me on Patreon and Ko-Fi For Advance Chapters:
Patreon: patreon.com/JustaPasserby
Ko-fi: ko-fi.com/magicreader
Donations are appreciated:
https://www.paypal.me/LostReader
Donations are highly appreciated but not required^_^