Chapter 70: Clash of Mental Landscapes!
The situation underwent a sudden and violent change!
"Damn it, why now of all times...!"
Although Waver already understood his own powerlessness, the reaction of failing at such a critical moment still filled him with shame. Just then, a broad, thick hand covered Waver's shoulder, making him start in surprise.
"No need to be nervous. You only need to charge with me."
Rider lifted him up and placed him on the horse's back.
"Rider..." Waver looked at him with eyes full of gratitude, unsure of what to say.
At that moment, Rider had already mounted the horse and snapped the reins.
"Charge!"
The Heroic Spirit army, led by the legendary horse Bucephalus, thrust forward in a wedge formation. Rider, leading the charge, let out a great roar, and the cavalry responded in kind. Even Waver strained to let out a weak shout, joining the thunderous chorus of the raging tide.
"ALALALALALALIE!!!!"
However, all of this came to a screeching halt in the next instant.
"Wait... what is happening over there?!"
Someone saw cracks suddenly appear in the surrounding void and let out a cry of alarm.
"The space is actually beginning to crumble? How is this possible?!"
Some generals saw through the situation more clearly than the soldiers, instantly realizing that this Reality Marble was being damaged by some form of power. Rider, also sensing the anomaly within his own Reality Marble, cast his gaze toward Shirou, who was standing not far ahead. The moment he looked over, Rider's pupils shook.
"That is...!"
In front of the army of tens of thousands, where countless yellow sands were being kicked up, an even more massive gale of magical energy began to surge! That power tore the sky, crushed the earth, and caused space itself to collapse inch by inch!
The person achieving all of this was the youth who had been ignored by the "King of Conquerors" Iskandar and the thousands of heroes in Ionioi Hetairoi. His red hair danced in the wind, and a boundless blue magical energy centered on Shirou's body, spreading outward like crashing waves.
Within the storm of mana, Shirou's raised right arm glowed with a dazzling azure light. Immediately following this, every scene within Ionioi Hetairoi underwent a drastic transformation.
"I am the bone of my sword."
The chanted incantation, propelled by the surge of magical energy, spread in all directions. Everyone heard that voice. As the spell was recited, the clouds in the sky shifted. The desert of swirling yellow sand began to change into a wasteland starting from the ground beneath Shirou's feet, rapidly expanding outward!
"Steel is my body, and fire is my blood."
The wasteland, carpeted with "swords," instantly covered and replaced the desert! However, it wasn't that the entirety of the King of Conquerors' Reality Marble was overwritten; only the terrain was replaced, while the Heroic Spirits within it remained unaffected. A clash between mental landscapes depends on whose conviction is stronger. Even though Shirou's resolve was incredibly firm, the King of Conquerors' conviction was by no means weak.
"I have created over a thousand blades."
Seeing the surrounding space undergo a sudden change, Rider realized his mental landscape was being altered. He looked with surprise at the figure standing in the storm of magical energy.
"That guy... he has one too...?"
Even so, this did not mean Iskandar would feel fear. He shouted a high-pitched order to attack, and the inspired army instantly accelerated their advance!
"Unaware of loss..."
The thousands of men and horses came rushing like a tide, but Shirou acted as if he didn't see them at all, continuing to recite the incantation.
"Nor aware of gain."
Amidst the shaking of the earth, the soldiers finally drew closer to Shirou. They brandished spears, swords, and halberds, charging forward fearlessly, intending to stop Shirou from finishing the chant. Amidst the roars, soldiers rushed Shirou, but most were knocked back by the swirling storm of mana.
"Kill him!" "If we take him down, the overwrite of the Marble will be dispelled!" "KILL!!!"
Seeing that ordinary soldiers were having trouble breaking through, a general stood directly on his horse's back. With a slight bend of his knees, he suddenly leaped high into the air, aimed his long spear at Shirou, and hurled it with all his might!
Swoosh—!
The spear pierced through the air. Although it was mere common iron, because it was used not by an ordinary Heroic Spirit but by a powerful warrior whose martial skill did not fall behind Rider's—and perhaps even slightly exceeded it—its power was immense. It pierced straight through the mana storm, stabbing toward Shirou.
Clang!
The spear that looked certain to succeed was suddenly knocked away by a longsword, followed by a dull thud.
Bang!
A soldier was sent flying backward, knocking down a dozen others behind him. Blonde hair drifted in the air; the girl stood before Shirou, the Invisible Air surrounding her holy sword already dispersed, revealing the blade that emitted a constant, dazzling radiance.
"No one shall pass here!"
At this very moment, Shirou's recitation reached its end.
"Withstood pain to create many weapons, waiting for one's arrival."
Sword after sword appeared in the wasteland, seemingly infinite, extending endlessly toward the horizon. The white clouds in the sky shifted constantly, as if time were flowing at high speed. The orange sunlight illuminated the obscuring clouds, and within the beams of light piercing through the sky, particles of light seemed to float.
"Archers, ready—" "LOOSE!"
Following the command of a general on Rider's side, the archers at the rear of the army drew their strings. Arrows ascended into the sky, blotting out the sun, and fell rapidly like a torrential rain!
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!!!
As the sky-filling arrows descended, even Saber couldn't help but frown. Though she feared no army, under such a dense rain of arrows, she couldn't protect Shirou without using her Noble Phantasm. Just as Saber bit her lip and prepared to release her blade, she suddenly noticed light gathering in the air above her. A massive cherry blossom petal manifested.
Then came a second, a third, a fourth... until a total of seven petals had appeared.
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New Fanfiction!
Hachiman please tone down your Inner Thoughts
While waiting for Yukinoshita in the clubroom, he unexpectedly travels to the world of Classroom of the Elite and becomes the representative of Class B.
Initially, he only intended to keep a low profile while helping Class B escape its tragic fate from the original story, and incidentally saving Ichinose Honami.
However, why these girls seems to know what am I Thinking?
Read ahead (60 chapters) by supporting me on buymeacoffee com/varietl or ko-fi edwriting