Chapter 128: Red Arrives! Black Chaos! Gold Flows!
At dawn, high above Trifas, within the luxurious Hanging Gardens, the atmosphere was as heavy as ice.
"The greater grail's magical energy supply has been cut off."
Kotomine Shirou, standing beside Queen Semiramis, calmly dropped a bombshell.
He surveyed the Servants gathered in the throne room and continued to explain.
"This might be a trump card the Yggdmillennia have been hiding until now."
These words caused Achilles, who had been lying on the ground, to sit up, a defiant sneer on his face.
"Hey, hey, to have our throats choked before the fight even begins, that's not a good sign!"
This was no exaggeration.
For a Servant, magical energy was everything.
Manifesting, fighting, activating skills, unleashing Noble Phantasms…
Each required immense magical energy support.
Now, having lost the additional magical energy supply from the greater grail, even Achilles, who was confident he was second to none, had to proceed with caution.
Atalante, sitting cross-legged beneath a pure white pillar, held her arms, her eyes sharp as an eagle's, her tone icy.
"It doesn't matter. As long as these hands can draw a bow and these legs can run, I will surely shoot through the Black Faction Archer's head!"
Hearing this declaration full of fighting spirit, Achilles's lips curved into a smile.
"What captivating spirit, Big Sister. However—Archer is my prey!"
Atalante narrowed her eyes, snorted lightly, and offered no response.
To her, prey belonged to whoever snatched it first.
Kotomine Shirou pulled out a spirit board from his Pregnant, offering an apologetic smile to the two eager fighters.
"It's regrettable to say that last night, the Black Faction's Assassin, Archer, and Berserker were all eliminated."
At these words, both the restless Achilles and Atalante were stunned.
Even Karna, who had been in spirit form to conserve magical energy, couldn't help but manifest his true form to confirm.
"Including the previous Saber, the Black Faction only has three Servants left?"
Kotomine Shirou lowered his gaze and patiently corrected him.
"Spartacus has not been eliminated; rather, he severed his contract with our side. We must be prepared for him to defect."
He paused, his gaze fixed on the spirit board, where the signal for their Saber was located not far from Millennia Castle.
"Moreover, the Saber team, having deviated from the joint operation plan, has an unclear objective. According to the Clock Tower's probes, they are highly likely to want to monopolize the greater grail."
Hearing this, Achilles clasped his hands, a glint of eager fanaticism flashing in his eyes.
"The worst outcome is facing five Servants at once? Alright, that's barely enough to make me warm up!"
The other Servants were not as arrogant as him; Karna even considered returning to spirit form to reduce magical energy consumption.
Kotomine Shirou's gaze swept over every Servant present, a familiar sense of equanimity on his young face.
"Then, Assassin, begin."
Queen Semiramis, who had been feigning sleep with her cheek propped on her hand, finally moved. She lightly raised a fingertip and lazily gave an order.
"Since it is my Master's command, I shall arrange the battle formation for the foot soldiers."
As her fingers snapped, a magical energy crucible over three meters in diameter suddenly appeared, suspended in mid-air.
It then swiftly shot out of the throne room, the yellowish bone fragments inside exploding like rain, scattering across the land!
Within two seconds, the fallen bone fragments eerily grew into Dragon Tooth Warriors wielding pale white swords and shields, their lizard-like skulls hideously terrifying.
Atalante, whose eyesight was the most exceptional, narrowed her eyes: "Familiars? They look like they'd crumble easily."
Semiramis's eyebrows raised, and she waved her hand dismissively.
"They are merely cannon fodder to consume enemy forces. There are enough of them to tie down their homunculi and golems."
Saying this, she raised her head and declared from above.
"Alright, everyone, display your savage bravery to your heart's content before me."
The usually silent Karna was the first to respond, his divine spear in hand, his glowing shoulder cape scattering fiery motes.
"Lancer, Vlad III, leave him to me."
Achilles scoffed at the Queen's arrogance, whistled, summoned his three chariots, and leaped aboard.
"Since Archer has been eliminated, I might as well turn this foreign land upside down!"
"Wait!"
Atalante suddenly called out to the two preparing to sally forth, her expression grave as she glared at Millennia Castle, a tiny black speck in the distance.
There, shadows as black as ink were continuously appearing, transforming into Servants whose faces could not be discerned!
They wielded various weapons, emitting fierce and violent magical energy fluctuations!
"What a joke! Are those all… Servants? This number!"
…
Millennia Castle, plateau boundary.
Arthur and Mordred stopped observing the Hanging Gardens and simultaneously gazed at the Shadow Servants, who were leading an army of golems and standing ready.
As fakes formed from the remnants of Spirit Origins combined with magical energy and resentment, they were inferior products, not even worthy of being called Heroic Spirits.
Mordred irritably kicked away a loose stone at her feet and cursed under her breath.
"Even if they're just defective products, this number is ridiculous!"
She looked back at her Master, her tone grave.
"Master, can they unleash Noble Phantasms?"
"Well…"
Arthur bent down, picked up Fou, who was lazily rolling on the ground without a hint of tension, and placed him back on his shoulder.
"I haven't fought Shadow Servants before; my companions always dealt with them."
Hearing this, Mordred gripped her royal sword, crimson arcs of electricity surging around her body.
"Perfect then! Let me test their strength! Master, can I unleash my Noble Phantasm?"
Arthur turned his head to look at her, full of fighting spirit, a flicker of thought in his eyes, then gently shook his head.
"No, since the enemy's cards are on the table, there's no need for me to hide anymore."
Mordred was startled, not understanding his meaning.
The next moment, she saw golden specks flying from Arthur's palm, and a dazzling Holy Sword materialized out of thin air.
Though its appearance differed, its radiance was so familiar that she was momentarily lost in thought.
Arthur smiled faintly: "Sorry, Mordred, I've been hiding it from you. I'll answer your questions after the battle."
Before he finished speaking, he had already stepped past the dazed Mordred.
Crimson flames swirled around his body, forming clanking heavy armor, and his indigo cape flapped in the wind.
Arthur raised the Holy Sword above his head, and golden light particles frantically gathered from the mountains, rivers, and vegetation, condensing into a surging torrent that shot straight into the sky!
"Excalibur Soteria!"
Brilliance erupted, a golden deluge roared on the Holy Sword, tearing through every inch of land in front of Millennia Castle!
The unstoppable might instantly engulfed the Shadow Servants army, and its residual power, undiminished, slammed into the castle, unleashing an earth-shattering roar!
At the origin of the golden torrent, the dazed Mordred, superimposing the elegant figure from her memories with the person before her, murmured in a lost voice.
"…Father…"