Bab 454: Free-for-All Brawl
While Kaguya was away, the Holy Grail War had already begun near the bridge in Fuyuki City, with the battle becoming increasingly intense, reaching a fever pitch.
Nearly all the Masters and Servants were present, including Saber, Kiritsugu Emiya, Tokiomi Tohsaka, Gilgamesh, Rider, Lancer, Berserker, and even Kirei Kotomine, whose Servant Assassin had been eliminated. However, Kirei didn't participate in the battle but instead stood to the side, carefully observing the battlefield.
In the middle of the river in Fuyuki City, a colossal monster appeared. Its body was a dark purple, covered in warty pustules similar to a toad's, with rough, wrinkled skin. Numerous tentacles rose from the water, waving menacingly in the air. With just a casual swipe, these tentacles smashed the concrete and steel-reinforced riverbanks to pieces.
This was Caster Gilles' summoned Sea Demon. Not only was the Sea Demon enormous and powerful, but its regenerative abilities were even more terrifying. Despite being injured by Saber's Excalibur, the wounds healed before their very eyes, and within moments, the gashes had closed entirely, leaving no trace of the previous injuries.
Even more troublesome was the fact that the Sea Demon could absorb human life force. If it managed to come ashore and feed on ordinary civilians, it would continue to grow and evolve. Should it absorb enough flesh and blood, it would become an even more monstrous creature, threatening to destroy the entire Fuyuki City.
Fuyuki City had indeed endured many calamities, narrowly escaping destruction several times. The fact that it hadn't been completely wiped out was, in itself, a miracle.
Earlier, Ryuunosuke Uryuu had been shot dead by Kiritsugu Emiya, causing Caster Gilles to descend into madness. The Sea Demon's magic surged, its body swelling to double its original size, blotting out the sky.
Faced with the rampaging Sea Demon, Saber, Rider, and even Lancer launched attacks. Saber unleashed Excalibur, but because of the nearby civilians on both sides of the river, and even a small boat in the river that didn't exist in the original story, she had to adjust her aim slightly to avoid hitting them. Though this adjustment still dealt significant damage to the Sea Demon, it wasn't enough to completely destroy it. Within a short time, the Sea Demon regenerated again.
Enraged, the Sea Demon became even more violent, forcing everyone into a desperate struggle.
"Let's leave, Tokiomi," said Gilgamesh, sitting on his flying Noble Phantasm, propping his chin up with one hand and holding a golden goblet in the other. "I can't stand watching such filth any longer."
"We can't!" Tokiomi Tohsaka turned around urgently, pleading, "King of Heroes, please wait a little longer."
"Tokiomi, at your request, I discarded four swords for this," Gilgamesh said coldly. "Once touched by such filth, I don't wish to retrieve them. Don't think my tolerance comes so cheaply."
Tokiomi stepped forward anxiously, saying, "Only you, the King of Heroes, can defeat this monster. As long as it can regenerate, we need to obliterate it in one strike. The only weapon capable of that is your Sword of Rupture."
"Stop dreaming," Gilgamesh snapped, hurling his golden goblet to the ground, sending red wine splattering everywhere. "You dare demand I unsheathe Ea for this, Tokiomi? Don't test my patience. For such insolence, even your death won't be enough to atone."
"Yes, of course," Tokiomi bowed deeply, frustrated by his inability to persuade the King of Heroes.
Using a Command Spell seemed like the only remaining option, but Tokiomi knew that doing so would likely cause a rift between him and Gilgamesh. After all, the whole reason they had designed this plan to eliminate Caster was to reclaim the Command Spells. Using one now would be a waste, and it would cost him dearly.
But as the overseer of Fuyuki City and as a proud magus, Tokiomi couldn't simply allow Caster to rampage unchecked.
At that moment, an image of a silver-haired girl flashed in Tokiomi's mind.
If she were here, with her personality, perhaps this situation wouldn't have escalated like this.
After all, that girl always loved meddling in other people's business.
Likewise, Saber, who was struggling in the battle, couldn't help but think of Kaguya. Although they were on opposing sides, Saber found reassurance in Kaguya's character and integrity.
If Kaguya knew how they were evaluating her, she would probably burst out laughing.
"Integrity? Can you eat that?"
At the same time, Berserker, covered in black smoke, appeared, having seized an F-15 fighter jet that had flown over to investigate. Using his ability, "A Knight Does Not Die With Empty Hands," he turned the jet into his Noble Phantasm and engaged Gilgamesh in a fierce aerial battle.
Even with Berserker's madness, Gilgamesh found it challenging to subdue him.
If Kaguya were present, she would undoubtedly mock the situation, saying, "What is this, a scene from a Raiden arcade game?"
Meanwhile, on the ground, Tokiomi faced off against Kariya Matou. Oddly enough, Kariya seemed to have lost his mind, ranting and raving like a lunatic, even more berserk than Berserker himself. Despite his crazed state, Kariya was no match for Tokiomi, whose fire-based magecraft directly countered him. In the end, Kariya's body, engulfed in flames, plummeted from a tall building.
As more participants joined the fray, the Holy Grail War turned into a chaotic, violent melee, tragic and fierce, as though the very air was thick with the stench of smoke and fire.
Rider's Reality Marble failed to subdue the Sea Demon, nor could it contain it. The idea of a giant octopus rampaging in the desert was almost too absurd to imagine.
"What should we do?" Waver's face was filled with anxiety. "If this thing keeps going..."
"The entire Fuyuki City might be destroyed," Irisviel, equally distraught, added. While her concern was partly for the citizens of Fuyuki City, her primary worry was for Saber, still fighting on the battlefield.
With her sense of justice and her honor as a knight, Saber would never allow the Sea Demon to continue its rampage.
However, after using Excalibur earlier, Saber's strength had significantly waned. Sweat beaded on her forehead as she panted heavily, her body drenched in sweat. She was growing increasingly exhausted, struggling to fend off the tentacles attacking from all directions.
Finally, with a loud "bang," Saber was struck by a tentacle, sent flying through the air like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily into the ground.
"Saber!" Irisviel cried out in panic, rushing toward her, only to be stopped before she could get too close.
Wringing her hands anxiously, Irisviel desperately wanted to help, but there was little she could do with her limited abilities.
Saber's slender body was about to be ensnared by the numerous tentacles when suddenly, a brilliant flash of light, like a bolt of lightning from the heavens, struck the Sea Demon, shattering its massive tentacles into pieces.
Irisviel turned her head in shock, only to see a familiar silver-haired girl floating in the sky.
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Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
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