Regardless of whether they were friend or foe, First Folio portrayed its targets as characters in a drama of its own making.
It then confronted them with a harsh trial. For heroes, it was their past regrets or mistakes. For antiheroes, it was the moment they lost their sanity. This was perfect for The Monster. Whether as the father of humanity or as the one who stole the authority of God, this Noble Phantasm remained effective.
Shakespeare could expose the traumas hidden within him through Genesis, ridiculing or censoring them, shattering Adam's heart completely.
This Noble Phantasm inflicted mental damage—despair.
A theatrical Noble Phantasm meant for Heroic Spirits, one that enclosed the world, presented the script, and forced the story to continue.
From the moment the curtain rose until it fell, the target could neither deal nor receive physical damage. Perfect for a Berserker.
The more someone relied on physical strength, the higher the chance of being overwhelmed and trapped within this Noble Phantasm. Everyone knew The Monster's strength had no limit. Even the Evas all boasted tremendous combat power.
The only ones who could overcome this Noble Phantasm were those capable of declaring that they had not a single regret in their lives.
But did Adam have no regrets?
Of course he did. Ever since he usurped the authority of God, he carried more resentment than anyone.
That was why Shakespeare was the perfect nemesis for The Monster.
On top of that, as a writer of tragic dramas, Shakespeare was infamous for the fate of those who inspired him and were written into his works—they always met terrible ends.
And his writings, as literary works, most often became reality. Shakespeare could almost claim he was writing the future itself.
Such was the horror of this tragic writer.
"Ah, Ruler, you're talking about that. Well, I can help with the script, but I must say it—my future script may not be effective..."
Ever since the fate of the world changed and everything was left to chance, Shakespeare's ability to align his writings with the will of the world and alter destiny had become useless.
"What? Are you joking?!"
Without Shakespeare's writing, their chances of victory were slim. Jeanne refused to lose this trump card.
"There's nothing I can do. My writings aren't being 'read.' I'm not the favorite."
The will of the world loved stories. Shakespeare, as one of its children, had once been among its favorites for his tragic tales. Even so, he remained a puppet whose future the world's will could foresee. Faced with a Champion and the added uncertainty, it was obvious who the favorite was.
"Then… there's nothing we can do..."
Jeanne's spirits sank. Shakespeare, meanwhile, opened his book.
"But not all is lost, Ruler. My Noble Phantasms are still here..."
That was right. Even if his future writing no longer worked, he could still trap The Monster within his Noble Phantasm—the greatest threat of all.
"Hm."
Jeanne regained her composure and smiled. This was their best option.
Fummmmm
At that moment, another Servant entered the scene.
"How unlucky. To face The Monster from the very start… you don't seem very neutral, Ruler."
The one who appeared was a woman with beast ears—Atalanta, Archer of the Red Faction.
"Tch, so that's the monster that defeated Achilles."
As Greek heroes, Atalanta had been close to Achilles. He had even called her his older sister. Hearing of his defeat saddened her, if only a little.
"It doesn't matter. Sooner or later, this had to happen."
Following Atalanta, Karna spoke without expression. To him, timing was irrelevant. Facing The Monster was inevitable.
"Mama? Where's Mama?"
"Haha, well done, Ruler. You had good judgment calling me. Don't worry—with me here, victory is assured."
Two more Servants joined them. The first was a silver-haired girl wearing an outfit far too revealing for a child.
She shuddered and looked around, searching for someone. When she failed to find her target, she lowered her head, her presence shrinking further and further.
This girl was Assassin of Black, Jack the Ripper.
The other walked in arrogantly. His red-silver armor creaked under his immense strength, and the sword in his hand gleamed.
She was Saber of the Red Faction, the knight of betrayal—Mordred.
"Thank you for answering my call. As Ruler, I am in your debt."
Looking at the five Servants before her, Jeanne felt a twinge of concern. It was a powerful group, but aside from Karna, there was no Servant capable of matching The Monster's strength.
Bip-bip / bip, bip
Then the sound of grinding metal echoed as the final Servant made his appearance...
Mordred: "What the hell is that thing?!"
Atalanta: "What—?!"
Shakespeare: "Ohhhh, the Guardian! What a splendid surprise. This is getting even more exciting."
Karna: "..."
Atalanta and Mordred could not help widening their eyes. Karna and Jeanne remained calm. Jack shrank her presence even further. Shakespeare, meanwhile, spread his arms in elation at this Servant's arrival.
This was no ordinary Servant. It was a colossus, none other than the Golem of Avicebron.
However, unlike the Golem, this colossus was even more intimidating. It appeared as a rust-colored robot with spider-like legs and a lion-shaped design covered in pistons, wires, and cables.
Each step produced harsh, mechanical sounds. An incandescent glow shone from its eyes, and the distorted groans that occasionally escaped it sounded like a record played with a rusted needle. It was terrifying enough that Jack recoiled in panic.
This was Berserker of Green—Humbaba.
The colossal Guardian.
Its parameters surpassed even Karna's. There was no doubt it was the strongest in the group, aside from Karna himself.
BOOM
At the same time, an explosion rang out against Eggy's barrier.
"Filthy Beast! How dare you roar at me?!"
"Hahaha, the oppressors will fall..."
"Gabriel! Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!"
BOOM
Spartacus had reached the barrier and began smashing it apart. This enraged Eggy, and just as she was about to unleash her Asura claw, Miku was faster.
To her, Spartacus's existence was an abomination. His roar directed at her struck a nerve. An enormous wave of sound burst from Miku's mouth, amplified by the Great Organ. It was enough to send Spartacus flying back toward Jeanne's group.
Watching this, the group frowned. Even a giant like Spartacus could not so much as touch the barrier...
"Attention, everyone. We are facing The Monster, our Progenitors. Please protect your ears. Our enemies use flames and sound to attack. I trust that all of you, as great heroes, know what to do."
Unfurling her Flag, Jeanne stepped forward as the group's leader. In life, she had guided the masses. Her charisma was immense.
Mordred: "You don't need to tell us that, Ruler! Who do you think we are?!"
The entire Red Faction had already been watching the battle thanks to Solomon, so they knew what to be wary of. None of them lowered their guard. Each of them—except Jack—used their own methods to protect their ears from the sound.
"Let's go! This battle is for humanity!"
Jeanne shouted, swinging her Flag, and each Servant charged into battle...
"Reinforcements? Not bad."
There were nine Servants in total, counting Jeanne. A force to be reckoned with, especially with Karna and Humbaba among them.
Those two were stronger than even Kotori herself.
But so what? Kotori wasn't alone either.
"Saaa~ let's go for our next date (fight)."
Plunging downward, Kotori swung her halberd straight at the group. The Servants scattered, and Karna faced Kotori head-on.
BOOM
Their weapons collided, flames exploding outward. They were nearly equal in strength, with Kotori holding a slight edge. That advantage was meaningless against a combat expert like Karna. He absorbed the blow with ease and counterattacked. Kotori stepped back, but she was a Berserker. Her strength and endurance were immense, and the flames on her body rose in temperature. For any other Servant, fighting Kotori meant stepping straight into hell...
Unfortunately for her, Karna was the son of the Sun God. Flames meant nothing to him, not to mention his invulnerable armor.
He calmly accepted each of Kotori's blows and struck back in turn.
"Gabriel: March!"
Without descending, Miku supported Kotori by beginning to play her keyboard.
"Hmph! Beauty, crowds are useless! Gabriel: Solo!"
AAAAAAAHHHHH!
Brainwashing. Anyone with magic resistance below B or Mana below B would be controlled by her. That was why Miku was unconcerned about the reinforcements. They were useless—just as Kotori was unconcerned as well.
But...
"This won't work on us!"
Atalanta leapt forward and drew her bow, releasing her Noble Phantasm.
The arrow gleamed as it locked onto Miku high in Heaven. Among those present, only Avicebron and Karna could fly. Karna was busy with Kotori, leaving Avicebron to fight in the sky. But a Caster could not do so without his workshop, which was a problem. Even so, it was not enough to stop Atalanta. Long-range combat was her specialty. Whether the target was in the sky or not, Atalanta could bring it down with her arrows.
Miku's aerial advantage was useless...
"Phoebus Catastrophe!"
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