Unlike the situation in the original story, the Black Faction's Servants currently faced not the basic 15-meter giant, but a large giant that had already undergone one transformation, standing at a height of 30 meters. This was an opponent that the Black Faction's current combat strength simply couldn't contend with.
The golem surveyed the surrounding mages and Servants, finally locking its gaze on Fiore. It raised its right hand, materializing a weapon. A sword reflecting a black luster immediately appeared in its hand.
"?!" Fiore was completely stunned by this scene. The killing intent the giant directed at her was unmistakable.
It seemed that this golem clearly understood that Chiron's Master was her, meaning the opponent possessed clear intelligence.
"Damn it, run!" Astolfo grabbed Fiore's shoulder with one hand and, using the collapsing city wall as a foothold, jumped down without hesitation. The eastern part of Millennia Fortress was a towering cliff. Jumping from the city wall like this meant falling from a height of over a hundred meters.
"Did you consider cushioning the impact of a high-altitude fall!?" Astolfo smiled confidently at Fiore's strong protest. "Of course! Come on, Hippogriff!"
The Hippogriff, flying through the air, allowed Fiore and Astolfo to mount its back, its high-pitched cry echoing through the sky. Easily dodging the golem's attack, the giant black sword narrowly grazed their backs.
"Whoa, this guy's fast!" The golem, intending to continue its pursuit, suddenly stopped, turned, and swung its sword backward. Impact, roar, the air vibrated, and magical energy residue scattered everywhere. The massive obsidian sword was blocked just millimeters from the girl's helmet.
The person standing on the city wall was Jeanne. At this moment, the stone slab her feet stood on had been sliced in half by that blow.
"Avicebron really left us with something troublesome."
Facing a sword capable of splitting mountains, Jeanne steadily received the blow.
"Ruler, hold on!" Chiron would certainly not let this good opportunity pass. He immediately drew his bow and unleashed a full-powered shot. The arrow, striking its eye, made the giant recoil a step. Jeanne roared, then pushed away the obsidian sword, quickly dashing forward and leaping. She spun her entire body, striking the giant's knee with her Holy Banner in a helical trajectory. The giant's joint was instantly shattered, causing it to reel backward.
At the same time, Frankenstein, wielding her hammer of lightning, swiftly charged into the battlefield, unleashing a powerful blow against the golem's leg. The swift lightning instantly shattered the golem's calf.
Chiron on the city wall immediately drew his bow again, preparing to continue shooting, his movements as fluid and swift as flowing clouds. In terms of combat, Chiron had no thought of holding back. His target was still the seemingly eyeball-like part of the golem, and his tactic remained the safe and effective method of "continuously firing arrows from a safe place." However, the giant, entrusted with hope by "Black" Caster, was not an ordinary golem.
"What?!" Despite remaining in a single-knee kneeling posture, the giant batted away the arrow with one hand.
One must know that this was a supersonic arrow that even Achilles found somewhat troublesome! Yet, the giant grasped Chiron's attack trajectory with a single blow, batting away his second arrow.
However, the giant then performed an even more astonishing action. The giant leaped, creating distance between them, and pulled out the arrow that had pierced its eye. The next moment, the giant's wound instantly healed as if it had never been there.
"Healing magic!?" Hearing this exclamation, from an unknown source, Jeanne, with a helpless expression, denied it: "No, that's not it. That's probably a blessing
from the earth."
As an autonomous Reality Marble, the "Original Human," merely existing there would transform the surrounding environment into a different dimension. In this paradise, there were no bleeding or injured people. In other words, its arrow wounds would become "as if they never existed from the start."
"We must defeat it quickly! If the surrounding environment continues to be transformed into paradise, it will become immortal!" Yes, this land, which meant despair for the "Original Human," had not yet been fully transformed into paradise. It was precisely for this reason that it was wounded by that arrow just now. But that was only for a very short period. As the power of paradise gradually strengthened, as long as the giant continued to exist in this world, its recovery speed would continuously increase.
It was natural for Avicebron to entrust his final hopes to it. Facing such an absolutely ageless, immortal, and impregnable giant, humanity probably had no way to win.
Just dodging a downward sword swing from the giant, Jeanne immediately thrust her Holy Banner forward. She naturally couldn't reach its chest, so she could only aim at its outstretched arm. However, the giant swiftly brought its sword back to block the Holy Banner.
In this situation, Jeanne constantly roused her spirit, which inadvertently relaxed due to the giant's god-like radiance, and engaged in a battle of "buying time." That's right, this was purely just buying time. Although their original mission was to buy time, this feeling of powerlessness still made everyone around them feel
incredibly helpless.
Calmly observing the giant with eyes that had discerned countless heroes, villains, and monsters, Chiron continuously analyzed the golem's weaknesses. "The giant's raw materials are wood, stone, earth, and a mage as its 'core.' Of course, its weakness lies in the heart part of the 'core.' As long as one has the power to pierce that part with a single blow, it should be possible to defeat it, right? No, that's not right."
Chiron's eyes, which could see through the essence of all things, could thoroughly analyze and grasp the internal structure of the giant. The heart was undoubtedly a very important organ. Even considering the flow of magical energy, this was absolutely correct. However, the most crucial problem lay in its head and its feet. That giant was more appropriately called a Servant than a golem.
Because there was also a Spirit Core in its head; even if only the heart was pierced, it would be impossible to achieve immediate death because of the Spirit Core in its head. And even more problematic were its two feet firmly planted on the ground. That golem had continuously absorbed vast amounts of magical energy flowing from the earth through its feet. Therefore, to completely crush that "Golem Keter Malkuth" (Crown of Light, Wisdom of the Earth) required three powers simultaneously.
First, a blow that could reliably destroy the Spirit Core in its head.
Second, a blow that could completely destroy the "core" of its heart.
Third, a blow that could separate its feet from the earth.
"Impossible." Chiron knew very well that they couldn't achieve this goal at this time. The giant's legs could be dealt with by Astolfo's Noble Phantasm, "Trap of Argalia." His own Noble Phantasm could deal with the heart or the Spirit Core, but the other weakness had no one to exploit. Frankenstein's Noble Phantasm's maximum power was enough, but that would require her self-destruction, which was even worse than waiting for Shirou to return. After all, they could afford to wait.
"Now, it seems we truly can't do without Shirou's presence. I wonder how things are with him right now!"
"Is everything going smoothly?"
________________________________________
In the forest, without any hitches, the ambushed Atalanta was pinned to the ground.
"Are you targeting me?"
"Of course, Atalanta!"
"Now that you have the advantage of numbers, I naturally have to find a way to cut down your strength first!" Pinned to the ground, in intimate contact with it, Atalanta no longer had any thoughts of escaping. She knew very well that she had nowhere to run. After all, she had already witnessed his speed the first time they met. And his strength was even more astonishing.
"It seems I've reached the end. Kill me!" Hearing Atalanta's frank acceptance, Shirou's lips curved slightly.
"Death, no, Atalanta, your Holy Grail War isn't over yet!" In Atalanta's horrified gaze, a peculiar dagger appeared in Shirou's hand.
________________________________________