Rita went down again?
Selene lifted her gaze.
Well now—judging by the spectacle, that side wasn't lacking action either. The surging tides of mana collided with one another in dazzling displays, painting the shattered battlefield with a palette of chaos: radiant and violent, but undeniably beautiful.
One moment, it was an endless barrage of mana beams forming a golden curtain of rain that blanketed the sky.
Next, a crimson spear burst through the heavens like a comet with a blazing tail, piercing all in its path.
Then, like thunderclaps, the battlefield rang with the charge of ten thousand troops. War cries, galloping hooves, neighs, clashing armor, shouted orders—all blended into a majestic symphony of warfare that surged forth like a tidal wave.
...
Mana waves surged like a black tide. From Selene's perspective, an ancient golden sword towering into the sky was shattered by the converging light of Noble Phantasms from all directions. The cold wave that followed was neutralized. The pure white spirit form began to blur.
Crack!
The unleashed energy from the Noble Phantasms extended across much of Fuyuki City, flickering against Selene's shimmering violet-white serpentine hair. The gale brushed her eyelashes as the clash of divine weapons danced within her crimson gemstone eyes.
In that instant, Selene clearly sensed the faltering auras of Kiana and the others.
Then, a few moments later—BOOM!!
Rita, Li Sushang, and Pardofelis were eliminated.
Now only Fu Hua and Xiaoshi remained, facing overwhelming pressure.
It was obvious: without some external aid, with their outnumbered state and some opponents clearly matching or even surpassing them in strength, defeat was inevitable.
In the epic commissioned by Selene (based on the experiences of Kiana and her companions), the focus was centered on Durandal and Kiana.
Therefore, within the Throne of Heroes, the impressions left behind by their legends were strongest in Durandal and Kiana's Servant incarnations.
Due to limited time and space constraints, and the urgency of Selene's requested delivery, the scholars of the History Academy responsible for compiling the chronicle prioritized available records. With partial access granted to Schicksal's database, they assembled the heroic biographies while working under tight deadlines.
Some prioritization was inevitable.
As for rescuing them?
Selene had no such intention.
The very reason she brought Kiana and the others was so they could gain firsthand experience battling legendary heroes from human history. Fighting, bleeding, killing, even dying—these were all part of the intended experience.
If they died, so be it. It was no different than a hyper-realistic VR game—death was just part of the simulation. Their real bodies remained safe.
If they wanted a rematch, it was easy. Two options:
First, after the objective was met, Selene would tear open the boundary of the world and let their real bodies descend for revenge.
Second, if they were impatient, Selene could simply create a Honkai Beast-like corpse for them to inhabit and rejoin the battle.
Though not as free as a Foreigner-class Servant vessel, it was still a quick and functional method for getting back in the fight.
As Foreigners, their existence was tied to their Spirit Origins. Even if Selene exited the stage, they could remain in the world. With a stable mana supply, they could remain indefinitely, even change Masters and betray Chaldea if they wished.
"You shall not pass here, Rider!"
The shout snapped Selene from her thoughts.
Vmmm Vmmm~!
The sky filled with auto-targeting mana blasts. Amid this barrage, a silver-haired youth clad in radiant armor dashed forward, ignoring the shockwaves and the petrifying gaze of Selene's Mystic Eyes. With unwavering resolve, he raised his fantasy greatsword to meet her.
"Siegfried."
Such urgency—Selene, peering closer, realized that he had misunderstood her earlier glance. Several kilometers away, standing at the edge of the crater, were Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mash, the latter holding her massive shield with vigilance.
Ah, so he thought she was about to attack Chaldea's last Master.
"A treasure that can withstand the Mystic Eyes of Petrification—Siegfried, you are worthy."
Saber Siegfried's Noble Phantasm: Blood Armor of the Evil Dragon (Armor of Fafnir)
Rank: B+
Type: Anti-Unit (Self)
A Noble Phantasm embodying the tale of being bathed in the blood of the evil dragon Fafnir.
It nullifies physical and magical attacks up to Rank B. For Rank A and above, it reduces the damage by a Rank B amount before applying the damage.
As in the legend, due to a leaf covering his back, that spot received no blood and thus lacks protection. It also cannot be concealed.
When wielded by a righteous hero, its effective defense is boosted to B+ Rank. And now, as a hero opposing All the Evils of Humanity, Siegfried was fully buffed.
The Mystic Eyes' petrification effect was directly mitigated by B+ defense. Truly a secret treasure rivaling Karna's golden armor—perhaps even surpassing it in certain aspects.
Karna's armor reduces all damage by 90%, regardless of Rank, while Siegfried's armor outright nullifies anything B+ or lower.
So long as his weak point is protected, he's practically invincible against fodder-tier threats.
"For someone usually so stoic, you care this much for a mere mortal?"
Selene asked knowingly. Her wings ignited, forming trails of glowing violet-red patterns like a circuitry path.
So, he had inherited memories of fighting alongside Chaldea.
The air throbbed with an amber pulse.
"Rider. My mission is to protect him—and to stop you."
As Selene's gaze fully focused on him, Siegfried's silver armor emitted sharp cracking sounds. Stone flecks flaked off his body as he stood tall, unmoved.
The jewel at the center of his greatsword began to shine.
"The evil dragon shall fall."
Those who knew Siegfried understood—he was serious.
Though normally quiet, humble, and disciplined, once a line was crossed, his resolve became more stubborn than anyone's.
"The evil dragon shall fall."
"And the world will reach its sunset."
"Fall—Balmung, Phantasmal Greatsword: Felling of the Sky Demon!"
As a twilight-colored magical wave surged forth, Selene grinned. With her free hand, she swung down to crush it.
The atmosphere screamed. Space itself trembled.
BOOOOM!
The entire world seemed to shudder. Airflows for ten kilometers in every direction howled like typhoons, squeezed by Selene's inhuman force.
The impact was nauseatingly overwhelming.
"Ugh—!"
Crack crack crack!
Siegfried's bones echoed like popping beans. The raw force drove him several meters into the ground.
CRUNCH CRACK CRACKLE—
The earth fractured like a spiderweb, solid rock blasted apart like cannon shells.
"Looks like your dragon-slaying power still falls short."
Feeling a sting in her claws and scales, Selene tightened her grip—her strength rising yet again!
Siegfried's innate skill — Dragon Slayer: A++
A unique ability bestowed upon slayers of dragons. It drastically increases attack and defense against dragonkind.
Thanks to Selene's pet Ao (the Dragon of the Eastern Clouds), her body emitted a strong dragonkin aura, stacking Siegfried's buff even further. But Selene simply chose brute force over finesse!
"Ugh—"
Siegfried clenched his teeth. In an instant, his eyes bloodshot, pain flooded every nerve. Even his iron will couldn't stifle the sharp cry that escaped.
Thud!
One knee dropped to the ground. Every inch of his muscles and cells screamed in agony. His brilliant silver armor emitted a terrible, twisting metallic screech, as if his entire skeleton had shattered.
And yet, though paralyzed like mud, Siegfried held on by sheer force of will. Coughing up blood, he chanted:
"Awaken from golden dreams, be freed from the cradle."
"The evil dragon must be destroyed.."
From afar, Fujimaru Ritsuka gripped his right hand and roared, "By Command Seal, Siegfried—bring us victory!!"
"Phantasmal Greatsword — Balmung!!! AAAHHH—!!"
Vmmmm—!
"Pathetic!"
"Saber!"
Lancer Karna spun his divine spear with one hand. Mana Burst erupted in flames, burning away hundreds of meters of snake hair around him. Without hesitation, he hurled it at Selene's left arm, still channeling magical power into the sky.
"O' Brahma, Curse Me — Brahmastra Kundala!!"
"BE GONE!!!"
Selene's long-charged wings suddenly spread with a shriek, forming thousands of purple-red orbs within the gaps between feathers.
Her inorganic, icy voice echoed as all the orbs activated at once. Blinding light burst forth, illuminating the entire sky like daylight.
Buzz—!
With a casual flap of her wings, the next instant—the heavens exploded.
Each light orb bloomed like iron flowers, forking into countless tendrils.
Hurricanes howled, magical cannons roared. Hundreds upon thousands of fine purple-red beams screamed through the air, converging into an inescapable web of annihilation!
Selene ignored Lancer Karna's attack. Her priority was eliminating Siegfried.
"Goodbye, Siegfried."
Sizzle sizzle—
The massive descending hand, shrouded in crackling violet energy, glowed ominously. The dusk-colored pillar beneath it exploded under the corrosive light.
The hand came down. The world lost all color.
BOOOOMMMM—!!
Blinding light surged from the horizon. Thunder cracked in their ears.
"This is insane."
His eagle shrieked in panic. Facing the incoming shockwave like a typhoon from hell, Rider Astolfo clung to his mount, eyes wide in bewilderment.
Then—Astolfo's thoughts veered off course.
"Wait a minute... that Beast Goddess's aura feels familiar. Let me think..."
"Ah! I remember now!"
Suddenly enlightened, Astolfo nearly stood up in the air—only to almost fall off his eagle. After a brief panic, he gripped the reins tighter, patting his chest in relief.
"That thing killed me once!"
"Oh? That famously unpredictable one."
After forcing Karna back and sweeping aside the stragglers, Selene finally noticed the cross-dressing oddball performing slapstick antics above her head.
Even though she had forcibly replaced him during the Romania Holy Grail War, the summoning catalyst used was undeniably his. And since Astolfo responded to the summon, Selene wasn't exactly surprised by his appearance.
However...
"Die."
Selene had no intention of using this guy—not even as a pawn to provoke Chaldea's Master. He was utterly useless.
More importantly, Selene had no desire to be struck by his ridiculous Noble Phantasm—its damage might be negligible, but its humiliation factor was way too high.
She absolutely could not let him get close.
Fwoosh!
A massive beam of light swallowed Rider Astolfo whole.
"Huh?"
Selene blinked. Her usually cold, petrifying eyes widened in surprise.
She missed?
In the next second, she scoffed. "Dimensional Jump. Astolfo's Noble Phantasm: Luna Break Manual...."
If only spatial lockdown were still usable—let's see him jump then!
Never mind. I'll leave him for Goetia to deal with.
Just as Selene was thinking about wrapping up her side of the fight and debating whether it was time to mock Chaldea with some choice philosophical quips learned from her predecessor...
VWHOOOOOOOM—!!!
A roaring force tore through the sky, seemingly displacing even the magical particles in the ether. From her Mystic Eyes' view, it looked like a spiraling void cleaving through the heavens—heading straight for her.
What the hell is that?
Selene's scarlet pupils contracted as the colossal spinning axe approached. Somewhere deep inside her Saint Graph—specifically the part belonging to the Creation Goddess Tiamat—a wave of instinctual dread echoed.
The Axe of Marduk?
Good!
Rather than retreat, Selene instinctively surged forward, her cross-patterned, kaleidoscope-like red pupils locking onto the axe handle. She stretched out her hand.
But at that critical moment—flash!—a golden shimmer split the space in front of her.
Another dimensional jump spell.
Only a being with full divinity and immortality could appear this close to her petrifying Mystic Eyes without fear.
"Ara~ I thought this might surprise you. Gorgon? Tiamat? What should I call you?"
With a cheerful, almost casual tone, a goddess appeared. Dressed in ceremonial and revealing ancient South American garb, she exuded the warm aura of a caring older sister.
What made Selene's heart truly jolt, however, was the fierce blaze wrapping around her—and that wildly bold, high-flying kick she launched at Selene's face—
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