Kapitel 287: Conflict

As evening approached, Arkhan, finding Nidhogg needed rest, left the room alone, intending to take a casual stroll outside.

Coincidentally, as he arrived at the central hall, he bumped into Jeanne and Darnic, who were heading out.

"Oh, it's you, Mr. Rider..." Jeanne's face lit up with joy as she quickly approached him.

Glancing at her bag, Arkhan raised an eyebrow.

"Planning to leave already?"

"Um, I've got a good grasp of the situation here, and it's time to move on." Jeanne nodded with a smile.

Catching a glimpse of Darnic's frustrated expression, Arkhan chuckled inwardly. He knew this stubborn saint wouldn't be easily swayed.

Darnic, equally exasperated, had spent the entire day with Ruler inside the Fortress of Millennia, dropping hints left and right, almost making his throat hoarse. Yet, this girl refused to budge, unwilling to join their faction.

He hesitated to confront and use aggressive approaches on her, aware that she bore command spells that could make her command each Servant two times. Even if they managed to subdue her, it would undoubtedly come at a significant cost.

Moreover, with the Greater Grail buried in this location, the risk of accidentally involving it in the battle was too great. The thought of that possibility made him shudder.

"Alright then, hope we'll meet again someday." Arkhan smiled at Jeanne before turning away.

Seeing him leave, Jeanne's gaze flickered slightly, and she began to hesitate, playing with her fingers.

"Umm... There's actually something I've been wanting to ask you, don't know if you—"

*BOOM!*

Before she could finish her sentence, however, a sudden loud noise shook the entire fortress.

Both Arkhan and Jeanne turned their heads, quickly identifying the source.

"The cultivation chamber!" Darnic frowned. "Has something gone wrong over there?"

Without a word, Jeanne and Arkhan rushed toward the cultivation chamber.

Their powerful Servant bodies allowed them to reach the cultivation chamber in no time, and soon after they arrived, Siegfried joined. They exchanged glances, nodded, and without saying a word, entered the chamber.

The vast room, approximately the size of a football field, was filled with cultivation tanks.

Inside, homunculi immersed in pale green liquid were connected to pipes above, extracting their magical energy to supply Yggdmillennia mages efficiently.

Seeing these homunculi, human in appearance but devoid of vitality, Jeanne clenched her fists tightly as a hint of sadness appeared in her eyes. Arkhan and Siegfried, however, paid no attention to her emotions, proceeding deeper into the chamber.

Seeing this, Jeanne quickly composed herself and followed behind them.

Before long, they discovered the source of the disturbance.

A man with a mask, wearing blue-striped attire and a matching cloak, stood there like an iron tower; his lion-like presence exuded a wild and arrogant vibe. Despite having numerous large golems by his side, their aura seemed to be overshadowed by him.

Archer Heracles and Caster Avicebron, found themselves in a tense standoff, though unsure about the cause.

Jeanne, being a Ruler, refrained from intervening in the affairs of the Black Faction.

Siegfried, struggled with words, uncertain about involvement.

Arkhan, on the other hand, was simply enjoying the show.

"Archer, hand over that homunculus to me!" Avicebron's voice carried a noticeable hint of rage and excitement. "That is my hope!"

Homunculus?

Both Jeanne and Siegfried paused, their gazes shifting to the unconscious homunculus lying behind Heracles's towering figure.

That homunculus was the reason for the confrontation between Archer and Caster?

Looking at the young and pained face of the homunculus, Arkhan raised an eyebrow, and a thoughtful expression appeared in his eyes.

"Impossible." Heracles calmly stated. "This homunculus has developed his own will and thought, undoubtedly a living being. I cannot hand him over to you."

Developed his own will and thought?!

Hearing Heracles's statement, Jeanne and Siegfried's pupils dilated instantly, their emotions surging like a tumultuous river.

"What does that have to do with me?!" Avicebron, now completely consumed by madness, resembled more of a Berserker than Frankenstein. "You have no idea how much effort I've put into achieving that goal! Now... just one step away, just one step away—!"

"What does that have to do with me?" Heracles crossed his arms without care and repeated what Avicebron had said, coldly.

"You!"

Though his expression couldn't be seen, Avicebron must be wearing a furious look as he roared like a wild beast.

"Get that homunculus back for me!"

The large golems on his side had their eyes lit up and immediately charged toward Heracles.

"Stand down."

Accompanying Heracles's cold words, a three-headed black dog emerged from his shadow, rapidly expanding to a massive size of five meters. Its sharp fangs, like an unstoppable divine weapon, swiftly shredded these golems with strength comparable to special alloys.

It was the watchdog of hell, Cerberus!

Seemingly unsatisfied with lifeless objects, Cerberus turned its three heads, greedily fixating on Avicebron.

Watching the conflict grow more intense, Siegfried furrowed his brows slightly. No matter what, Caster was their ally and their strength. If Archer killed him, they would lose a powerful ally.

Just as he hesitated about whether to act, Arkhan suddenly spoke to him.

"Don't worry; Archer knows what to do."

Sure enough, Cerberus only threatened Avicebron and then obediently retreated to Heracles's side.

Seeing this, Avicebron trembled with anger, realizing he had been threatened by a damn dog!

"Teacher!"

A startled cry suddenly echoed as a golden-haired teenager burst in, his face filled with concern. He was Roche Frain Yggdmillennia, Avicebron's Master.

"Teacher, are you okay?!"

"What's going on?" Darnic, who had just arrived late along with the rest, asked bewilderedly as he witnessed the heated scene.

Everyone who had just arrived couldn't help but be dumbfounded.

How did things escalate to Archer and Caster suddenly fighting?

Heracles just stood silent, arms crossed, while Avicebron, overwhelmed with anger, couldn't even speak. Eventually, with reluctance, Arkhan took the floor and explained the situation.

""Homunculus?""

Everyone's gaze immediately focused on the homunculus at Heracles's feet, and at once, their hearts simultaneously skipped a beat.

If this homunculus could grab Caster's attention so greatly, could it be...

"This homunculus is the core!" Avicebron suddenly shouted to everyone. "And the best core at that. With this homunculus, I guarantee we can fine-tune my Noble Phantasm to perfection!"

Avicebron's Noble Phantasm, Golem Keter Malkuth!

Upon hearing Avicebron's reasoning, Darnic's heart raced violently.