Chapter 506: Chapter 506: Saint vs. Poisoned Woman
The Black Faction must reclaim the Greater Grail before it is taken. The Red Faction must defend it until it is completely in their possession.
With the shift in offense and defense, the situation has reversed. The once-impenetrable fortress of the Millennia Castle has now become a useless ruin, and the Red Faction holds the advantage.
However, there is another pressing issue at hand: the presence of the approaching Ruler. Only Semiramis, Shakespeare, and their Master, Father Shirou, are aware of this.
Both the Black and Red Factions, as well as Jeanne d'Arc, understand that this is a race against time. In the few minutes before the Greater Grail is fully extracted and integrated into the Hanging Gardens, they must fight with all their might.
As Jeanne came closer, she was further amazed by the floating Noble Phantasm. Few Heroic Spirits possess Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasms powerful enough to destroy a castle, but they do exist. However, Heroic Spirits who possess a fortress as their Noble Phantasm are exceedingly rare.
The only Heroic Spirit Jeanne could immediately think of with such a Noble Phantasm was the Child of Light from Ireland, and even that was limited to his homeland.
Moreover, a floating fortress was almost unheard of. The most troublesome aspect now was that the master of this floating fortress seemed to harbor ill intentions toward her. Although there were many things she needed to clarify with the Red Faction, she had no time for detours.
But she had a nagging premonition that something crucial was unfolding, perhaps even nearing completion. She forcibly pushed these thoughts aside and sprinted up the walls of the Millennia Castle.
Through a large hole in the Millennia Castle, she could see the Greater Grail gradually revealing its true form.
"...Unbelievable."
It was no surprise she muttered to herself. The oppressive feeling constricting her entire body confirmed that this was indeed the authentic Greater Grail. What was astonishing was the Red Faction's attempt to extract it.
Indeed, this war centered around the Greater Grail. However, this usually happens only after the war's conclusion. Why was the Red Faction so desperate to retrieve the Greater Grail while the battle still raged on?
The problem likely stemmed not from the Red Faction's Servants but from their Master, who appeared to be acting against the Mage's Association's intentions—most probably the young man in a monk's robe she had seen in her vision.
As she reached this conclusion, she arrived at the floating fortress. Water flowed upwards, and trees grew downwards.
"Reverse flow... The Hanging Gardens...!"
"Correct, Ruler."
A mocking voice reached her ears. She turned to see who it was.
Jeanne knew of two Heroic Spirits who possessed the Hanging Gardens as a Noble Phantasm. One was Nebuchadnezzar II, and the other—a legendary empress whose false association with the construction of the Hanging Gardens had been mistakenly recorded as history.
The world's oldest assassin—Semiramis.
"Red Assassin... So, it's you."
"Indeed. Now, Ruler, what brings you to my gardens? I believe I have done nothing against the rules."
Perhaps due to the dim light, her dark and bewitching evening gown almost blended with the night. To Jeanne, this semblance was particularly eerie.
"No, you have."
"Oh?"
Semiramis seemed intrigued.
"So, what rule do you claim I have violated?"
"If you can honestly say you have adhered to the rules of the Holy Grail War, then let me see your Master."
In an instant, Semiramis's gaze shifted from mocking to wary.
Seeing this change in her expression, Jeanne knew she was on the right track.
"...Regrettably, my Master is very busy right now. Besides, he's a very cautious person and wouldn't want to meet with other Servants."
"So, he is hiding in these gardens, then."
Jeanne succinctly pointed out.
Semiramis had already entered a battle-ready state as if to prevent her. The saint raised her holy flag and proclaimed:
"You should know that it's pointless, Red Assassin."
"Hmm, indeed, my magic cannot penetrate your Magic Resistance. It's one of the privileges of being a Ruler, isn't it?"
"There are other privileges too... Red Assassin, please don't force me to use them."
A faint blue light radiated from Jeanne's entire body, causing Semiramis to frown.
"The greatest privilege of a Ruler: the Command Spells that can be used on all Servants, correct? It's quite troublesome, but even if you exhaust all your Command Spells, I have no intention of betraying my Master. If you use a Command Spell on me, my Master will stop it."
"So, your Master is not a puppet?"
"I would like to make him a puppet if I could, but even in these gardens—well, it's pointless to discuss it with you. Just know that I will not betray him."
Hearing Semiramis's words, Jeanne was somewhat puzzled but still took a step forward and declared:
"Then, as of now, you are my enemy."
At this stage, she finally identified Red Assassin and her Master as clear enemies.
In response to Jeanne's declaration of war, the proud Assyrian empress's expression grew serious.
Ordinarily, an Assassin's abilities are incomparable to a Ruler's, and the combination of a magus and a Ruler is particularly deadly. Normally, even without the use of Command Spells, Jeanne wouldn't need much effort to defeat her.
Fortunately, her Master, Shirou, had long anticipated a confrontation with Jeanne and had prepared in advance.
"Oh, really? I am your enemy, then? In that case, I will have to use all my power to defeat you."
As Semiramis spoke, she raised her left hand, her thumb and middle finger poised to snap.
However, Jeanne was even quicker in her movements.
Although her martial prowess still lagged behind heroes like Karna and Achilles, who stood proudly in the Age of Gods, she was by no means ordinary. At a distance of only three meters, she would not give Semiramis any opportunity to cast her spells.
The holy flag billowed in the wind, and before it fully unfurled, its silver spearhead was already descending—this was Jeanne d'Arc's most formidable attack, named "Revelation."
However, this seemingly inevitable strike did not land on Semiramis's head. Just before the flag fell, a piece of black, fish-scale-like armor appeared above Semiramis.
It was this armor that blocked Jeanne's holy flag and gave Semiramis the chance to snap her fingers.
With a crisp snap, Semiramis vanished from her spot, leaving behind only a voice of admiration.
"Should I say, as expected of the Saint? Even the Scales of the Divine Fish barely held up—"
The Scales of the Divine Fish manifested Semiramis's Divinity as a demigod.
Divinity might seem intangible and insignificant, but it is often the source of many heroes' strength. Those with Divinity naturally stand out more than those without it, easily becoming the center of attention. This is evident from the fact that many protagonists in Western myths and legends are demigods.
Different sources of Divinity grant different powers. Karna, as the son of the sun god Surya, received the iconic solar fire; Achilles, blessed by his mother Thetis, possessed invulnerability and the "The Miniature World Enclosed by the Azure Sky" surrounded by ocean currents.
Similarly, Semiramis received unique abilities from her mother, the fish goddess Derketo, one of which was her ability to manifest the divine fish's scales for defense.
"—I wonder how you'd fare against the real divine fish?"
Jeanne furrowed her delicate brows, her sky-blue eyes warily scanning her surroundings.
Suddenly, behind her, the space rippled like water, and a monstrous fish with a grotesque face leaped out.
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