Jiang You led Minamoto no Raikou and the Hassans toward Camelot. There was no time to gather a larger force, and he only needed support to deal with the fodder enemies. With only Gawain and Agravain remaining as knights in Camelot, Jiang You could confront the Lion King after at most two duels.
The servants, traveling at full speed, arrived at the gates of Camelot after several hours of relentless travel.
The gates were tightly shut, and tens of thousands of refugees had gathered near the walls, desperate to enter the inner city and approach the golden, staircase-like radiance that stretched towards the heavens. Though they knew little of what was happening within Camelot, they sensed this might be their last chance. However, the knights, seemingly under orders, were shooting down anyone who approached within a hundred meters of the walls.
Jiang You and his group concealed themselves in cloaks, blended into the crowd of refugees, and gradually approached the warning line.
"Minamoto no Raikou, can your Noble Phantasm break down the gates?" Jiang You asked.
"Though they appear ordinary, I sense an unusual power emanating from them," Raikou replied.
Even without understanding Western magic, Raikou's martial intuition allowed her to perceive the special energy protecting the gates. "It seems to repel malice. Besides, my Noble Phantasm is better suited for slaughter than destruction."
"So, only those with pure hearts can open them..." Jiang You mused.
Jiang You recalled the lore of Camelot, the city replicated by the Holy Lance. As the prototype for Mash's Noble Phantasm, it had famously withstood Goetia's Human Annihilation Beam, its defensive capabilities beyond question. In the original story, Xuanzang, the virtuous ascetic, had blasted through it with her Noble Phantasm, largely because she embodied pure virtue.
Given that the Allied Forces had attempted to scale the walls in the original storyline, and the Camelot soldiers had defended against them, Jiang You concluded this approach was indeed viable. "Then we'll have to leap over from above."
"Do you possess a flying Noble Phantasm?" Minamoto no Raikou couldn't recall Jiang You ever using such an ability.
"Unfortunately, no. My Noble Phantasms are pitifully few."
Jiang You, a simple servant with only one Noble Phantasm, was a rare breed—almost charmingly old-fashioned.
"But I can call for reinforcements! It's not the first time, after all."
"Sir Gawain!"
A Camelot soldier rushed in urgently. "Massive numbers of masked Hassan have appeared on the west side! Our arrows can't hit them, and they're closing in on the walls!"
"Just Hassan?"
Gawain knew of Serenity's presence and naturally understood that other servants were supporting the Mountain Folk. While ordinary soldiers would struggle against them, it was naive to think these Assassins alone could breach their defenses head-on.
"Yes! Their skills are remarkably similar, and there are about sixty of them."
To the Holy Capital, sixty combatants seemed pitifully few. The city boasted hundreds of knights, not to mention ordinary soldiers. But considering their strength as Servants, it was a terrifying force.
"Then I'll handle this..."
It was broad daylight, and under the sun's threefold enhancement, Gawain feared no one. He believed no Servant could withstand him under the sun's gaze. Even the Lion King herself, without unleashing her Noble Phantasm, would struggle to gain the upper hand against him. However, he quickly realized something was amiss. How could the Mountain Folk possibly command so many Servants? Moreover, if they intended to attack, why would they send only Servants? The Lion King's order to hold the line clearly anticipated a threat from elsewhere. "Reassign some troops from other sectors to reinforce the defenses. Report immediately if anything changes!"
"The archers have been redeployed. It's about time. Medusa, I need your help."
"No thanks are necessary. In fact, I've been wanting to thank you for quite some time."
Medusa hadn't forgotten her sister's request to thank Jiang You. Now that she was thoroughly content with her life, she readily agreed when he appeared.
"Still, with Pegasus's speed, they have no chance of hitting us. You don't need to be so cautious."
After the thanks, Jiang You suddenly received an Affection Reward from Medusa. It wasn't much—not even enough to reach the third tier—but at least it was a new card. However, the strength of Medusa's entire Deck seemed to revolve around the Gorgon cards. Her Spell Cards could directly transform an opponent's servant into a Continuous Spell Card, even bypassing graveyard effects, but without synergy with the rest of her Deck, they'd likely clog his hand, making them impractical for now.
"There's no other way. Maintaining your presence in this world consumes my magical power, and so does activating my Noble Phantasm."
Summoning servants from elsewhere came with a cost, especially since Jiang You himself was currently a Masterless servant. With his C-rank magical power, he couldn't afford to expend too much.
"I can't guarantee my speed. I don't want to end up as a human pincushion."
Jiang You had considered having Medusa reach her third ascension to enhance her support, but since she was currently Sakura's servant and more devoted to her, directly asking Medusa himself risked damaging their Affection. He decided to ask Sakura later; given their close relationship, she would likely agree.
"Then we need to hurry this time," Medusa said, sensing Jiang You's magical power supply. "It's exactly as you described."
"I won't be able to catch you if you slip like last time... Or would you rather sit up front?"
If Medusa's two sisters had said this, Jiang You would have assumed they were teasing him. But this was Medusa—though physically mature, her emotions remained simple and innocent. She was genuinely concerned about Jiang You's capabilities. Any servant could see he possessed only a heroic spirit panel with no corresponding martial prowess or Spell mastery.
Since Medusa had spoken so plainly, Jiang You had no further hesitation. He mounted Pegasus alongside her, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind. His hands felt the firm, lean muscle of her abdomen, surprisingly soft. He began to wonder if Konami was secretly making adult games on the side.
Back during the internal beta, some players had done some weird things to the Black Magician Girl and gotten their accounts banned. Given the current situation, it's not entirely the players' fault.
Just as Jiang You was lost in thought, he received a warning from the System in his inbox. The message, highlighted in urgent red text, essentially warned him not to push the limits of the moderators' tolerance.
Is this thing being monitored by humans or the system itself? Jiang You wondered. It showed up at the perfect time. The System is one thing, but if it's humans... that's terrifying.
"Bellerophon!"
Unaware of Jiang You's thoughts, Medusa controlled Pegasus, transforming the winged steed into a silver meteor that shot toward the heavens. It arced in a perfect arc before crashing straight into the Light Curtain.
"I've been waiting for you!"
Gawain, perched high above, watched the approaching meteor and unleashed his Noble Phantasm.