Trouble

"What's wrong, O Greek hero? Are you hesitating? This doesn't seem like your style at all."

Ozymandias looked down at Heracles with a playful smirk on his face.

"In your legend, you transcended all impossibilities to become a great hero. Yet now, you can't overcome this little difficulty?"

Without warning, Ozymandias's expression turned cold and his eyes narrowed.

"If that's the case, you are truly a disappointing hero..."

Leaning back in his chair, he spoke with a sense of authority.

"Come on, Berserker. This king has set the stage for your revenge. Now, unleash your wrath to your heart's content!"

"AAAHHHHHH—!!!"

Penthesilea roared like a wild beast, eyes fixed fiercely on Heracles, filled with killing intent and madness.

She knew, despite emitting a similar kind of aura in some aspects, the man in front of her wasn't really Achilles who once humiliated her. But even so, she couldn't forgive the one who killed her people, the one who forced her sister to give up her sash in humiliation!

Unforgivable! Intolerable! Absolutely no forgiveness!

Only with fresh blood could her tribe reclaim their dignity!

"It's time for you to pay for your actions, Heracles!"

The immense magical energy converged like a storm toward Penthesilea's body. The blood mist surrounding her instantly thickened, resembling a turbulent sea of blood.

"Die on my rage, Hero!"

Penthesilea covered her arm with bright clawed brilliance, carrying a furious rage and murderous intent as she charged toward Heracles, like a prehistoric beast emerging from the savage wilderness, ready to tear everything in front of her into shreds!

"This feeling... it's a Noble Phantasm!"

Watching Penthesilea charging toward him, Heracles's face couldn't help but stiffen slightly. If this attack hit him, he would lose at least two or more lives!

Just as he was about to unleash his Noble Phantasm, another immense magical energy suddenly rose.

"The evil dragon shall fall, and the world will reach its sunset. I will bring you down—Balmung!"

Like the end of the world, a luminous blue light beam descended from the sky, directly slashing down toward Penthesilea.

Caught off guard, she had no choice but to take the hit.

*BOOOOM—!!!*

"AAAHHHHHH—!!!"

Penthesilea roared in desperation, claws and sword beams clashed, creating a fierce magical energy storm that ravaged the surroundings into a barren wasteland. Unfortunately, she fell slightly short this time due to a lack of preparation.

The sword beam, containing the concept of 'end', nearly tore her in half. Luckily, at the crucial moment, the blessing of Osiris from Ozymandias, once again came into play, pulling her back from the brink of death.

However, this time, she didn't fully recover as before. A deep and lasting sword scar remained on her right arm.

"Sorry Archer, I'm late."

Siegfried stood in front of Heracles, wielding his long silver sword, with the lingering traces of magical energy fluctuations surrounding him.

Heracles looked at Siegfried with a hint of complexity in his eyes. He naturally knew the true identity of the silver-haired figure before him.

Siegfried, the hero who slew the evil dragon, Fafnir, constantly strives to fulfill the wishes of people like a moving wish-granting machine, only to be stabbed in the back by his best friend, hitting his only vulnerability—his heart.

Yet now, Siegfried had turned his back to him.

Was this Siegfried's trust in him?

Heracles, who had been betrayed by someone he trusted the most, knew how difficult it was to trust again after such an experience.

"Well done..." Heracles sighed, approaching Siegfried. "Let's fight together, my friend!"

"Phew, finally caught up..."

In the Fortress of Millennia, Gordes remarked and wiped his sweating forehead. Although uncertain about the situation inside the pyramid, he could sense that Saber had just unleashed his Noble Phantasm, undoubtedly indicating he had arrived at Archer's side.

Fiore, sitting in a wheelchair nearby, finally breathed a sigh of relief, releasing the tension in her clenched fists.

Darnic stood by the French windows, watching the intense battle on the battlefield, a slight smile playing on his lips.

The situation was now clear.

Their side had an absolute advantage.

As long as there were no surprises, victory was undoubtedly theirs, the Black Faction!

With the help of the Holy Grail, he could finally achieve all his wishes, obsessions, and successes. With the Grail, he could continue his family, free from the stigma of the Mage's Association!

—Your bloodline is tainted, at most, it can only last for a few more generations.

Even at the age of eighty, Darnic still vividly remembered the cold tone of the Mage's Association's people when they uttered those words to him.

For that short sentence, he lost everything—his comrades, his confessions of love, the woman who should have been his partner, and even the pride of being a mage, all trampled under the feet of the Mage's Association.

But it didn't matter.

All of that became the driving force behind his efforts. Silently accumulating power for seventy years, now was the time to turn all those efforts into results!

All he had to do now was prepare everything—resources and environment, for the glory of the Yggdmillennia, for the future generations.

From now on, the Yggdmillennia would surpass the Mage's Association and would become a superpower in the world, transcending the rules of the world of magecraft.

They would be the ones to set the rules, not the Mage's Association!

At this moment, Darnic felt as if a heavy stone pressing on his heart had finally lifted. After the release of his obsession, his mood became much more relaxed and had a broader perspective.

However, as he still reveled in his thoughts—

"Ugh!"

Caules suddenly groaned, dropping to one knee, both hands tightly clutching his chest, cold sweat covering his forehead.

"Caules, what's wrong?!" Fiore was startled by her brother's sudden distress, while the rest looked at him with surprise and concern.

"Berserker..."

Caules gritted his teeth, struggling to speak.

"She's in trouble!"