Blood erupted from the wounds as Haruka Kasugano gritted his teeth against the searing agony, continuing his desperate struggle against Atalante.
"Hahaha! Haruka Kasugano, I bet you never expected this day would come!" Semiramis, watching from the sidelines, couldn't help but laugh triumphantly. "Are you in despair? This is the price for challenging me!" she continued with a cold sneer.
"A joke! Before absolute strength, your petty schemes are futile!" Haruka Kasugano roared through clenched teeth. He refused to sit and wait for death; he had to turn the tide.
He struggled to raise his hand, preparing to use his Command Spells to summon all his Servants—Melusine, Astolfo, Mordred, and Circe. He intended to gather all his forces to give Semiramis a lesson she'd never forget and make her pay for her arrogance.
Click—
Click...
Long moments passed, but not a single soul appeared by his side.
What? I clearly used the Command Spells, why is there no effect?
Seeing the look on Haruka Kasugano's face, Semiramis erupted into wild laughter. "Were you trying to call Saber? My apologies. Shirou's research into Command Spells is quite profound. He laid down a Bounded Field specifically to nullify them long ago!"
Command Spell nullification? That's even possible? This is absurd! Even with the magical knowledge Amakusa Shirou Tokisada gained from his twin-arm Noble Phantasm, this was too broken!
Thud—!
Atalante's speed was too great; she lunged again, tearing into Haruka Kasugano's leg.
"AAAAHHH—!"
The poison mist was so thick that Haruka Kasugano's reactions were sluggish, leaving him unable to resist her beastly onslaught.
Splat—!
Both of his legs were snapped by Atalante, and blood sprayed from his mouth. He had completely lost the ability to fight back. His consciousness began to fade into a blur. Even as he was being brutally beaten by Atalante, Jeanne remained on the side like a hollow shell, lost in her own breakdown.
"Liar... liar..." she screamed like a madwoman. She was beyond reach.
Dammit... a veteran hunter blinded by his own prey... what now...
Suddenly, Haruka Kasugano's hand brushed against something in his pocket. Hehehe! You forced my hand! I don't care what happens next! In a fit of absolute rage, he pulled out the mysterious potion, [The Hidden Sin Game], and downed it in a single gulp.
BOOM—!
In the blink of an eye, his injuries vanished as if by a miracle.
----------------
The moment he drank the potion, time seemed to freeze. Haruka Kasugano's body was enveloped in a mysterious power. His dying, broken frame began to heal at a terrifying speed; every inch of muscle and bone regenerated as if time were flowing backward. It happened so fast that even Atalante, who was about to deliver the killing blow, was frozen in shock.
But that was just the beginning. Along with his recovery, Haruka Kasugano's body began to emit a heart-stopping, terrifying magical energy. It surged out of him like a violent flood. His physical form seemed to be nourished by this mana, growing exceptionally strong, hiding endless potential. Even more unsettling was the sinister, "Alter-like" quality of this energy—it mirrored the aura on Atalante but was far more concentrated.
At this moment, Haruka Kasugano looked like a man possessed by a demon, radiating a bone-chilling dread. Suddenly, a dull, deafening roar echoed. To the shock of everyone present, Haruka Kasugano's Spirit Origin had transformed in an instant into that of a Servant! And not just any Servant—his parameters matched the most powerful class: Berserker!
This wasn't a simple possession; it was a true metamorphosis. He had become a powerful Servant in his own right. Semiramis, Atalante, and even the broken Jeanne were left slack-jawed, their minds unable to process the impossibility unfolding before them.
Currently, Haruka Kasugano's physical stats—save for his A+ Endurance—had all reached B-rank. However, under the magical influence of the potion's power, every attribute doubled. His Endurance skyrocketed to an impossible A+++, while his other physical stats leaped to A-rank!
Such a terrifying Spirit Origin left the three women speechless. Forget humans; even top-tier Heroic Spirits rarely possessed such raw power.
With a low growl, Haruka Kasugano stood up straight, driven by his now-monstrous core strength. He felt his heart fill with violent, dark impulses. Filthy, aggressive words flooded his mind.
Fuck you, you damn women! How dare you ruin my plans!!!
Empress my ass! I'm going to make you crawl!!!
And you, "Saint," fuck your hate and your betrayal! You were born to sing beneath me—who gave you permission to have an opinion!
And you, damn sow! You're just a pig—who gave you the right to backstab me? Protecting Jack? She's MY woman!
Haruka Kasugano's entire consciousness had been consumed by his dark side. Is this the side effect of the item? Is this my hidden nature? Why do I feel... like this is the real me?!
"Hahahaha!!!!"
Atalante stood before him, her expression shifting to one of sheer horror, but her gaze was fixed downward. "Stupid woman, what are you looking at?" Haruka Kasugano followed her gaze.
Holy hell! It turned out "doubling physical strength" applied to his "2D" as well! Even his pants could barely contain it.
Atalante looked on, stunned. She remembered the scene when Haruka Kasugano had first forced himself upon her. Back then, her slender frame was nearly broken by it—and now, it had been reinforced.
I... I'll die!
A wave of intense fear surged from between her legs. It felt as though cold hands were gripping her body, making her tremble uncontrollably. Her face turned as pale as paper. Haruka Kasugano reached out and grabbed her arm, a cruel, cold smile playing on his lips.
"Don't... I'll die..." Atalante's voice was full of despair and pleading, tears welling in her eyes. She tried to break free, but the gap in power made it futile.
Haruka Kasugano swung his arm with a vicious force, backhanding her.
CRACK—!
Atalante's body flew like a kite with a broken string, slamming hard into the wall. Blood leaked from the corner of her mouth.
"Get lost! I'm not interested in women I've already 'conquered'!"
Haruka Kasugano's eyes glowed a menacing crimson as he glared at Semiramis on her throne. Hahaha! You're next!
Seeing Atalante neutralized in a heartbeat, Semiramis's legs shook like leaves in the wind. "JUST DIE!!!" she shrieked, channeling every ounce of her power.
The entire hall's traps were triggered. The poison concentration increased tenfold; even Jeanne, with her EX Magic Resistance, began to cough up blood. The nine hydra heads hidden in the hall lunged at him like dragons. Semiramis herself rained down magical blasts without pause.
But to Haruka Kasugano, with his A+++ Endurance, this was like being tickled. In the FGO legends, the Gorgon in the Seventh Singularity had A+++ Endurance, and she was an invincible, iron-clad fortress. Without a specific conceptual weakness, nothing could touch her.
Haruka Kasugano was now in that exact state.
Bang! He crushed a hydra head with one hand. Boom! He swatted a magical blast away with a fist. Even when Atalante tried to counter-attack, he simply trampled her underfoot. He was like an invincible Heracles.
Semiramis used every trick in her arsenal, but she couldn't leave a scratch on him. Realizing the situation was dire, her pride crumbled. She dropped her crossed legs and tried to sprint away on her high heels.
"Shirou... save me...!"
Her scream echoed, but it couldn't stop Haruka Kasugano's advance.
Voom—!
Haruka Kasugano appeared before her like a ghost. His hand clamped onto her slender, snowy ankle like a steel vise, dragging her back effortlessly. With a violent shove, he slammed her down onto her own wide throne.
"AAAAHHH... IT HURTS!" Semiramis screamed in pain, her voice thick with terror and despair.