[FDJ]Chapter 106: Good Fortune

The Holy Grail, held by its owner who arrived early in the Holy City, gave rise to a unique distortion in history. With the radiance of the True Cross, seven Servants consecutively descended, along with their Masters who possessed the Holy Grail and the 21 Command Spells. Before the Holy Grail could counterattack, they sealed off the possibility of the Ruler-class Servant's arrival.

To realize the never-ending flag of the Crusaders raised in the Holy City, the light of the Master shall forever shine upon this battlefield. However, devout believers willingly committed errors that would defy human reasoning.

For Richard, it was only a momentary bewildering experience, yet he felt as if everything he had done before was laid bare before the observer, including the parts he had desperately concealed.

"Archer, shatter that bubble!" Upon hearing his actions being defined as errors that defied human reasoning, Richard almost took matters into his own hands but managed to restrain his anger.

As Archer shot the arrow, the bubble willingly burst, and the arrow pierced through the darkness, landing on the magical barrier.

"What's going on?" Even the shadow belonging to Duke Raynard exclaimed in surprise. The clone he regarded as his trump card unexpectedly self-destructed beyond his control, even though he had controlled the knowledge-filled sphere using the methods described in ancient texts.

Flashes of light descended like scattered raindrops in Duke Raynard's courtyard, without any warning. One could say that the self-destruction of that bubble served as the signal for the attack. Archer Tristan, Richard, and everything present in the courtyard became the targets.

When Archer realized what was happening, his entire body was wracked with pain, as if bombarded by high-density hail. Tristan couldn't raise his head or open his eyes for a moment. The uninterrupted flashes transformed the courtyard into an extremely bright day. Based on his memory since entering, he quickly pulled his Master by his side and took cover against the wall.

After the flashes subsided, Tristan kept his eyes closed and confirmed that the entire courtyard had been destroyed in the brief 5 seconds of the unknown assault. Not a single flower or plant remained intact, and all wooden and stone objects had turned into fragments. Only he and his Master Richard remained unharmed.

Shaking his cloak, which had shrunk due to the heat of the flashes, Archer Tristan turned his gaze towards the entrance. The previous presence of the shadow had vanished, and Caster's long-range magical barrier, achieved through the use of familiars and cloth, had also lost its effect.

"He escaped."

"Damn it! Are Berserker and Rider fighting these monsters?" Richard, like Archer, suffered no apparent damage; only the lightweight armor on his body was damaged. He shook his head and turned his gaze towards the main house of the mansion. "Archer, kill everyone in this mansion! The families and servants of the cultists are all guilty!"

Archer Tristan didn't understand his Master's beliefs, but he saw the anger in his Master's eyes and knew what he had to do. He had witnessed village massacres in his lifetime, but he simply didn't bother to tarnish his knightly demeanor by engaging in such acts.

"Master, if you're certain, I will carry out this order." Archer Tristan respectfully responded to Richard, but he still wanted his Master to reconsider, considering that most of the people here were unarmed and still asleep.

Richard sensed a hint of reluctance in Archer's response, so he asked another question. "Archer Tristan, what would your King do in a situation like this?"

"There is no order from the King. Rashly bloodthirsty knights or soldiers with no names would take the initiative to assist the King, sparing him the need to ponder such questions. Most of the time, swords and blades are blind. After the battle, it's enough to properly bury the dead."

"Kill them all! Leave no one alive!"

"I will follow your command."

...

Two beams of divine light traversed through the overwhelming swarm of "bubbles." When multiple tower-like bubbles converged, Rider Baldwin I, charged towards the largest gathering of bubbles in the center, unleashing his Noble Phantasm with its true name. His chariot erupted with an overwhelming force, plowing through all the bubbles in its path and penetrating the center of the "tower."

A sacred white light pierced through every crevice, causing the ground to tremble upon their collision.

In the next moment, the tower formed by the gathering bubbles collapsed with a thunderous roar, and Rider Baldwin I emerged unscathed, driving towards the next tower.

As soon as he saw the formation of seven clusters, without hesitation, he unleashed his Noble Phantasm towards the cluster with the highest number. The reason was simple: he could withstand the burden of using his Noble Phantasm seven times in a row, while his brother Berserker Godfrey could only use his Noble Phantasm a maximum of two times. If one Noble Phantasm could destroy a tower, 9 was greater than 7. The remaining ones could be handled by the swords and spears in their hands.

Under absolute strength, formulating a plan was as simple and convenient as basic arithmetic. Even a berserk Servant, who had lost his sanity, could figure out addition and subtraction. Moreover, among the Servants present, only one Knight had Mad Enhancement.

The scattered bubbles attempted to regroup, but Rider and Berserker, one after another, dispersed them once again with their unleashed sacred light.

The flashes exploded on the two Servants like an itch through their boots. Having a few pieces of armor shattered did not affect the two holy knights who were fervently exterminating heretics with bloodshot eyes. In their previous lives, they had experienced the joy of slaughtering infidels on the battlefield. However, that kind of pleasure lost its charm with repetition. For these two devout fanatics, killing humans was no different from killing cows and sheep. Now, encountering the inexplicable swarm of "bubbles," estimated to be over one hundred thousand in number, brought them immense satisfaction. It fulfilled their instinctual bloodlust, alongside their unwavering piety.

If both of them were in a state of Mad Enhancement and had abundant magical energy, they could shout at the closed "Gate" in the sky: "Double it once more!"

Wielding their swords and brandishing their spears to slaughter heretics was their important way of proving their unwavering devotion to their Lord. The greater the number of heretics, the more it ignited their fanatic desire for battle. The faith in their hearts seemed to transform into solid armor, endowing them with a steel-like conviction. They would never yield, never forgive. Under the radiance of their Lord, all heretical beliefs would receive equal judgment.

And in the far distance, beneath the cloud layer, the demon riding on a monstrous beast witnessed this insanely chaotic scene. The knight who was slaughtering the swarm of bubbles failed to notice that the outermost bubbles had gradually formed a structure similar to a bounded field, even stronger than the tower they had formed.

Completely captivated by the seven clustered towers, the knight fell into a madness he couldn't perceive. Every human has desires, obsessions, and instinctual madness within them, and the bubbles amplified these instincts, trapping the two Servants in a massive barrier that satisfied their bloodlust.

From an outside perspective, the movements of the two Servants within the swarm of bubbles began to slow down. The flow of time inside and outside had already changed. The mysterious bubble creatures showed great interest in the powerful Servants and attempted to capture them both at once.

Realizing that something was amiss, the demon was considering intervening despite the risks. He believed that the two Servants could do better.

At that moment, the same command spell was activated on Rider Baldwin I and Berserker Godfrey. The demon, Eligos, hesitated but ultimately decided not to risk intervening. If something unexpected happened, the loss of one Servant on the side of the Holy City was acceptable. The risk of the demon Eligos intervening was far greater.

The two increasingly valiant Servants suddenly heard a rapid command. Before they could react, their bodies moved on their own, rushing towards the outer perimeter. There were three remaining tower-like clusters of bubbles that they had yet to destroy, but they had enough magical power to crush all the enemies.

"Why did the Master order a retreat?!" Baldwin I momentarily had the thought of disobeying orders and continuing the fight. But he finally realized that the edge of the bubble swarm was much denser than before, forming a barrier that seemed like a cage, blocking their passage.

Unlike Baldwin I, who still possessed his normal sanity, Berserker Godfrey, who only had enough magical power for one more use of his Noble Phantasm, retreated several hundred meters on his initiative. But then he immediately turned his body around, intending to continue fighting the remaining bubble creatures.

He couldn't tolerate retreating in the face of heresy. This command was more agonizing for him than any torture.

"Roar——!"

Berserker let out a howl, defying his Master's command spell with his own will. His greatsword remained sharp, his armor intact, and the slight cracks and damages only fueled his frenzied determination to fight to the bitter end.

He even forgot for a moment that he only had enough magical power for one more use of his Noble Phantasm and didn't notice his brother obeying the command and retreating to the edge.

At this moment, Rider Baldwin I, who was still in the center, and Berserker Godfrey, who had reached the edge, clearly felt the abnormality of magical energy in the air. The external airflow speed was completely different from the inside. It felt like there was a strong wind outside, even though the weather remained calm and windless.

"Time..." After Rider Baldwin I confirmed the anomaly, he forcefully threw his spear. His pseudo-holy spear struck the tightly clustered bubbles, creating a hollow in what seemed to be a sturdy bubble structure. Although the subsequent bubbles attempted to fill the gap, Rider, commanding his iron army-like chariot, successfully created a large enough opening for passage.

As he successfully escaped, he suddenly realized that his brother was still inside and hadn't retreated in the same direction. And when he looked back at the central area where the bubbles were descending, he saw his brother's figure—his fearless madness had become a fatal flaw at this moment.

"Master, please issue an additional command spell. My... my brother hasn't withdrawn!"

However, his thoughts didn't reach his Master through the connection of the command spell. Instead, a low whisper that had become clear again overwhelmed Rider Baldwin I's voice, flooding over most of his consciousness like a tide. For a Servant, this level of mental contamination was nothing, but it was enough to make it difficult for Rider Baldwin I to support Berserker Godfrey.

Inside, Godfrey's movements had slowed down to the point of almost stagnation. He continued his charge towards one of the tower-like clusters of bubbles, withstanding the impact of two consecutive flashes, and his sword was about to make contact with the bubbles in close combat.

Flashes of different colors interrupted the entire process, and a book appeared on the previously empty ground, coincidentally touching Berserker Godfrey amid his charge.

Time instantly synchronized, and the mad Servant crashed into the clustered bubbles in his most barbaric manner, shattering the connected bubbles in a large area.