You are very strong, but my painting style is better than yours!

The overwhelming pressure made the dragon-slaying swordsman's expression solemn. He had only just made contact with Karna's spear when he realized that his Noble Phantasm was no match for Karna's javelin.

But it's not time to give up yet!

As an anti-army Noble Phantasm, Balmuk's firepower is only average, but its reload speed is far faster than many holy swords and demon swords.

In his lifetime, Siegfried could unleash the magic sword continuously in the blink of an eye. After being summoned as a Servant, his speed decreased, but Medea's adjustment of the Greater Grail's output power compensated for this.

"Ahhh!"

The aetheric runes on his chest shone with a jade-like brilliance, and a continuous stream of magic power poured into the sword. The fading twilight light flourished again, even surpassing its previous strength, forcefully resisting and pushing back the flame spear originating from the sun god!

Splashy!

"Pretty!"

Seeing this, Karna smiled, a rare occurrence. He felt that accepting the summons to come to the mortal world and participate in this Holy Grail War was the right decision. Not only had he witnessed the demeanor of a foreign king, but he had also been able to fight against such an excellent warrior. It was truly exhilarating!

If he had had more reliable comrades like Siegfried during his lifetime, perhaps his life would have taken a different turn. It's just a pity that there aren't many such silent and perfect warriors, and even fewer who were willing to befriend Karna...

Seeing the Dragon Slayer withstand the divine spear, all enemies must feel powerless, because it means that no one can defeat him head-on!

—Yes, only for “enemies”.

puff!

As the Undying Blade was repelled, Siegfried's pupils suddenly contracted, and the light of the demonic sword in his hand began to flicker erratically.

"——!!!"

To everyone's astonishment, sharp five fingers pierced the great hero's chest from the inside, and a fair, delicate hand, stained with blood, tightly gripped the beating, vibrant heart.

"Noble Phantasm... [Hundred Flowers in Full Bloom]!"

Siegfried was utterly shocked, but incredibly, he quickly calmed down and looked behind him with an emotionless gaze.

"assassin..."

"Sorry, I'll accept the heart of the dragon slayer, Saber!"

Chapter 128: Shuten-dōji: I am a demon!

call!

The golden spear flew back and was caught in the hand of the Son of the Sun. Karna still had the strength to launch a counterattack and annihilate the infighting Black Faction Servants, but he made no further moves. He simply stared at Siegfried and Shuten-dōji with calm but powerful eyes.

Wow~

puff!

Shuten pulled her hand back, the dragon slayer's heart pounding in her grasp, seemingly unaware that it had left her body.

In terms of mainstream weapons such as swords, spears, and bows, Shuten-dōji's skills can be considered first-rate, but he cannot compare with heroes like Siegfried, Achilles, and Karna whose skills reached the "realm of the gods".

But the sneak attack on Siegfried from behind just now was absolutely brilliant, not only in terms of technique, but also in terms of timing and execution!

The seemingly ordinary backstab perfectly seized the gap in Siegfried's energy shift and avoided his perception. While successfully piercing the weak point in his back, the five fingers precisely cut the artery and removed the heart intact, which was equivalent to completing the most difficult surgery in an instant.

【Hundred Flowers in Full Bloom】, originally a torture weapon used to dismember and skin people, has now been transformed into a weapon that can kill in one hit!

It must be said that this is the style an assassin should have. Although Shuten-dōji's "Presence Concealment" is only C, his execution is worthy of a class that walks in the shadows.

"cough!"

Siegfried coughed up a mouthful of blood, his tall body kneeling on the ground, supporting himself with the Twilight Demon Sword. His eyes showed neither anger nor resentment, nor regret, but only a slight sense of doubt.

He really didn't know why Shuten-dōji was doing this.

But questioning Black Assassin at this point seems pointless.

"Betrayal...no, rebellion!"

Joan of Arc and Atalanta, who witnessed everything from the edge of the battlefield, were equally puzzled, with Joan of Arc even stating that Shuten-dōji's actions constituted "rebellion."

Because Shuten-dōji's ambush on Siegfried not only betrayed Black Saber personally, but also damaged the interests of the entire Black faction.

As a magical family, the Thousand Worlds Tree has many internal conflicts, but when it comes to fighting the Association, they will unite to fight against external enemies. The competition between them will only begin after the Red Team is defeated.

However, Shuten-dōji's actions will not only lead to Siegfried's departure, but will also completely destroy the internal understanding of Yggdrasil. The other Masters and Servants will definitely not sit idly by!

It's unimaginable what madness went into Shuten-dōji's Master to give such an order...

wrong!

"Assassin, how could you possibly...?"

"I didn't do anything~"

Shuten smiled calmly, "I merely fulfilled his wish, allowing him to indulge in an eternal dream. This world is so cruel; it's not strange to want to escape reality, is it?"

"You!" Joan of Arc gripped the flagpole tightly, her face contorted with rage.

Although Shuten-dōji's actions were limited to the realm of "private morality" and did not disrupt the balance of the Holy Grail War, they were still unbearable for Jeanne d'Arc.

Atalanta, standing to the side, was more composed. She had already received information from Iori and Sera that the Red Team Masters were being collectively controlled, so she wasn't too shocked to hear something similar again.

Like Semiramis, Shuten-dōji is an expert in playing with poisons. If Semiramis is more versatile, then Shuten-dōji specializes in poisons that induce inertia. With her skill, it would not be difficult for her to assassinate her own Master.

Command Seals are useless in this situation. Shuten-dōji's Master might even have been tempted to drink the poisoned wine on his own... After all, in the original story, Shuten-dōji was a demon who could corrupt people.

"Doing something like this means you've already betrayed the Yggdrasil... all for the sake of the relic?" Atalanta asked loudly.

"Anyway, I have no personal grudge against Saber." Shuten-dōji said nonchalantly. "I'm neither a hero nor a saint, just a monster who wreaks havoc on the human world. Isn't it only natural for me to do bad things?"

"..."

Joan of Arc looked serious and tacitly accepted this statement.

Loyalty is a requirement only for "orthodox Servants." Servants born from monsters or who are anti-Heroic Spirits have always been a double-edged sword, and it is not surprising that they will turn against you at any time. Masters should be prepared for this when they summon them.

“Those things are none of my business, but you ruined my battle with Saber, a battle that should have ended with the defeat of one of us.”

Karna floated in mid-air, his spear pointing at Shuten-dōji: "Fortunately, although you have the appearance of a child, you have the inner nature of a demon—so I can abandon unnecessary pity."

"If you can do it, you're welcome to give it a try!" Shuten-dōji laughed heartily.

However, before the laughter could subside, Karna had already transformed into a falling meteor, crashing down with a speed that was as if he had teleported, leaving no time for anyone to react—

boom!

The golden spear pierced precisely between Shuten-dōji and Siegfried, then erupted with powerful flames, which the Son of the Sun controlled to form a single-direction wave that was released in a concentrated burst!

This scene is reminiscent of an airplane engine, except that the flames are more concentrated, almost as if they have a physical form, piercing through the atmosphere!

Shuten-dōji was engulfed by the flames with almost no resistance. Her petite figure struggled in the flames, letting out a shrill scream, and in just a few seconds she turned into a pile of ashes...

Despite easily defeating the enemy, Karna showed no sign of relief or joy; instead, his brows furrowed slightly.

Illusion?

No, Red Lancer possesses a unique skill called "The Insight of the Poor," so it's not easy to use tricks on him.

Moreover, he was absolutely certain that Shuten-dōji had indeed "disappeared" and was not hiding in the nearby darkness.

But would a monster that dared to betray the entire faction and kill a dragon-slaying hero so easily really die?

"It's a Command Seal!"

Jeanne was the first to react: "If the assassin is secretly controlling her master, then she may be able to remotely activate the Command Spell through some means... She was indeed hit by Lord Lancer's flames, but she did not die. Instead, she shed her skin and moved to another place."

Atalanta was taken aback: "Shedding skin?"

“Like a snake.” Joan of Arc’s eyes revealed a hint of worry.

"In order to prolong their lifespan or to grow, snakes shed their old skin and reveal a new form."

Shuten-dōji...she took the Rhinegold and Siegfried's heart, what exactly does she want...?

-

call!call!call!

Iori continuously used Shunpo (Instant Step), and repeatedly swung her longsword, unleashing a tremendous sword pressure that shattered the layers of barriers in front of her.

But no matter where he moved, the enemy's attacks followed him relentlessly!

Wooden stakes, wooden stakes, wooden stakes... wooden stakes everywhere!

The Grand Duke's Noble Phantasms were systematically wiping out the surroundings like an army. All that could be seen were these execution tools. Although the power and strength of a single one was average, when thousands or tens of thousands were stacked together, even a Servant would be pierced countless times in an instant!

Vlad III was undoubtedly very powerful. These stakes could be used for swarm attacks or combined into thick, penetrating spikes. Moreover, they could be used from any position or angle, and he could create them at will as long as they were on the Grand Duke's territory.

Once hit, regardless of the form or depth of the wound, the enemy will be completely locked in, and the Grand Duke can even create a stake from inside the enemy's body to pierce through it.

Once it becomes like this, there is no way to turn back. The opponent can only struggle in pain until they die. Even the Servant's Spirit Origin cannot withstand a few piercings and will soon collapse completely.

They are invincible on their own turf—this assessment may be too absolute, but it is not an exaggeration.

However, even the Grand Duke probably never imagined that there would be Servants in this world that are "unreachable"!

Iori has unleashed her Zanpakuto; the power of "Storm" allows Iori, wielding the sword, to easily "avoid" the relentless, all-encompassing attacks from the wooden stake.

However, he did not use this ability openly. He still mainly relied on the Instant Step to dodge, using his sword to block and destroy wooden stakes, only using the Invisible ability when necessary, and trying to control the frequency intervals evenly.

—It leads people to misunderstand his abilities!

He was looking for an opportunity, a chance to turn things around, and the same was true for the Grand Duke!

Just as the two were locked in a battle of wits, Iori's expression suddenly changed slightly. She dodged the army of wooden stakes with a quick movement, then gazed intently at the manor in the distance:

"This aura is... a little different from what was planned, but that's perfect!"

Chapter 129: She's a professional at drawing hatred (4K)

call out!

The crescent-shaped sword pressure severed the surging mass of wooden stakes, but in an instant, more stakes filled the gaps, continuing to shrink the circle to completely annihilate the target.

Immediately, a figure leaped out from the gap, unleashing a stream of scorching fire with his backhand, creating a charred hole in the dense, wall-like group of wooden stakes, temporarily halting the attack.

But Iori's enemies were not just wooden stakes. With the sudden rise of hooves and the howling wind, the elegant king had already launched a charge, quickly covering a distance of nearly a hundred meters, and thrusting out his uniquely styled, slender silver spear, viciously stabbing it toward Iori's back.

Clang!

Iori deflected the spearhead with her sword held in reverse, and as she turned, she aimed her left hand at Vlad III—

boom! boom!

Two bursts of scorching crimson flames exploded in the void in quick succession. The distance was so close that the Grand Duke could not dodge, but Iori was also engulfed in them.

call--

call--

The two emerged from the smoke at the same time. The king's mount had vanished, but its speed remained astonishing, as if it were flying close to the ground rather than running, relentlessly pursuing Iori. Its sharp spear thrust out repeatedly, clashing with Iori's longsword time and time again, producing a series of crisp sounds.

The Grand Duke's absolute strength was weaker than Asterius', but his speed and martial arts skills far surpassed Asterius'. With the home advantage of his "territory," he was enhanced in all aspects, and his threat in melee combat was actually greater than that of the berserker.

Iori focused intently on the situation, and although it was tricky, she was able to maintain a balance overall.

"Humph!"

Perhaps tired of this back-and-forth confrontation, the Grand Duke snorted coldly, and the ground behind Iori was instantly pierced by sharp spikes, like deadly venomous snakes baring their fangs at Iori!

Not only from one direction, but the same traps were also being set off from the side, and even from directly above, a massive swarm of wooden stakes was sweeping in!

Vlad III's spear and wooden stakes coming from all directions instantly blocked all of Iori's escape routes—

"Lan!"

Whoosh!Whoosh!Whoosh!

The wooden stakes passed right through Iori's body, but it was as if they were just fleeting phantoms, leaving no wounds and not a single drop of blood.

However, Vlad III was not surprised by this. Seeing the wooden stakes flying towards him after piercing through Iori, he narrowed his eyes slightly, and with a swift movement of his spear, he deflected the thousands upon thousands of stakes around him, sending them circling halfway before they fell back towards Iori.

hum! ! !

Like the turbofan engine of an airplane, the atmosphere was constantly being torn apart, and the dense sound of air being torn apart was superimposed, making the earth tremble as if it were a tangible thing—the boy was constantly surrounded by such sounds, and he couldn't help but click his tongue as he felt the piercing attacks on his body that could not be measured by "number" but by "concentration".

It's fortunate that it was him; otherwise, even a naturally powerful monster like Asterius would have been torn to shreds by those tens of thousands of wooden stakes!

Even Iori couldn't withstand such intense strangulation for too long.

His "etherealization" principle is to turn his body into free energy and then reassemble it. However, because only a small part of the body comes into contact with the attack each time it disperses and reassembles, rather than the whole body becoming energy, it looks as if he is standing there without any change.