บท 150: The Holy Grail

When it came to Nasuverse, one couldn't ignore the concept of the Holy Grail War.

In the pursuit of the almighty wish-granting machine, humanity degraded and imitated the true ritual created by the planet, known as 'Ritual: Heroic Spirit Summon', originally meant to save the world by summoning Seven Servants known as the Grand Servant.

Through this, humanity summoned legendary heroes, formed Master and Servant relationships, and engaged in warfare against other Masters and Servants. The ultimate victor would gain ownership of the Holy Grail, thus commencing the ritual known as 'Ritual: Holy Grail War'.

However, in reality, the Holy Grail from Holy Grail War was just a replica, a tool for mages to seek the 'Root', with an immeasurable gap from the true Holy Grail.

In Arthurian legend, the Knights of the Round Table were dispatched by King Arthur himself to search for the legendary Holy Grail. In the end, only Galahad, Lancelot's son, succeeded.

However, Galahad himself didn't harbor any strong desire for the Holy Grail. As a result, he returned it to the heavens and followed it there.

Galahad was undeniably the chosen one. From this perspective, he was akin to Solomon, the king who held the Seal of Solomon.

Both were granted the opportunity to fulfill a wish by God, Solomon chose wisdom, while Galahad had no specific desire. Solomon, despite harboring a 'Why?' about the matter, subconsciously felt 'I should have done the same' and developed a sense of inferiority toward Galahad.

The reason Mash Kyrielight, who bore Galahad's power, could create numerous miracles and accomplish unbelievable challenges was also tied to this.

The Holy Grail itself is a miracle.

"It seems you already know what this is..." Vortigern said casually. "To force me to use the Holy Grail, you can be proud of yourself."

He glanced at the Holy Grail in his hand and couldn't help but sigh.

"For fifteen years, I've spent countless resources and effort to establish a connection with the Holy Grail. Although I still can't fully control it, even so, it's more than enough to achieve my long-standing wish. Watch closely as I unleash this supreme power!"

Vortigern raised the Holy Grail high, and a golden torrent surged from its cup, effortlessly breaking through the white bounded field that surrounded Nidhogg's body, connecting to the body slumbering under Yggdrasil.

Soon, the direction of the torrent abruptly reversed. Blood-like black liquid flowed from Nidhogg's body into the Holy Grail through the stream.

"He's stealing my power!" Nidhogg's voice carried a noticeable panic. "What should I do? If he succeeds, I'll disappear!"

Arkhan felt an inexplicable sense of crisis welling up within him. His intuition told him that if Vortigern succeeded in stealing Nidhogg's power, unimaginable things would happen!

He had to find a way to stop him!

Arkhan looked at the golden cross ahead. The only hope now rested on the Zeroth Power of the Oath of Judah!

But the activation of the Zeroth Power required the Divine Key to at least touch him. However, both Arkhan and Oath of Judah were currently bound by the power of the Holy Grail, unable to move an inch.

Arkhan exerted all his strength, yet he couldn't even budge a finger. Though the distance was less than ten centimeters, it felt like an insurmountable abyss.

'Come on, Judah, you're my last hope now. Please, do something, anything...'

Whether it was a response to his plea or just a cosmic coincidence, in this frozen realm, the golden spear on the Oath of Judah suddenly trembled.

A wild joy lit up Arkhan's eyes as he continued to call out in his heart.

'Yeah! That's it! Keep it up! We're almost there, Judah!'

The golden spear stubbornly pushed forward inch by inch. After what felt like an eternity, the golden spearhead lightly touched Arkhan's armor. Then—

"Oath of Judah, Zeroth Power - Elysion Pedion!"

*Crack!*

Like shattered glass, the radiant light that had frozen the entire realm vanished instantly. Twelve golden spears, standing tall on the golden cross, shot out on their own, piercing the surrounding ground to create a bounded field, enclosing Arkhan and Vortigern within a hundred-meter radius.

Next, the handles of the spears unfurled like a spiral, transforming into massive golden gears suspended in midair, completely blocking the sky inside the bounded field.

"What is this thing?!"

For the first time, Vortigern showed a shocked and panicked expression. How could there be a force capable of resisting the power of the Holy Grail in this world?

This was simply impossible!

Thrud, Artoria, and Crimson Moon stared dumbfounded at the golden gears that filled the sky. It was a scene even more mythical than a myth.

Suddenly, a force stronger than before descended from the sky, completely suppressing Vortigern. Everything in him that related to 'Mystery' returned to normal, and his aura immediately became feeble, like that of an ordinary mortal.

Soon, golden chains emerged from between the gears, swiftly binding the powerless Vortigern.

"Bastard!" Vortigern's face showed panic. The developments had completely exceeded his expectations.

As miserable as Vortigern, Arkhan found himself in the same situation. His powers were instantly suppressed, and the black wings on his back and the black tattoos on his body disappeared. Every part of his body was in intense pain as if he had been torn apart.

Now, like Vortigern, he had become an ordinary mortal with no strength.

Gritting his teeth, Arkhan endured the pain. With the spear of Black Abyss in hand, he approached Vortigern step by step.

Crimson Moon's pupils suddenly contracted. She tried to rush into the bounded field to rescue Vortigern, but Artoria once again stood in her way.

"I told you, as long as I'm here, you can't go anywhere." Artoria's amber eyes revealed intense indifference, and the golden sword in her hand gleamed brightly again.

"Get out of my way!" Crimson Moon's eyes showed uncontrollable rage. She raised her hand, and thousands of swords materialized out of thin air, thrusting toward Artoria.

But for Artoria, who possessed Avalon, such an attack was utterly useless. The swords passed through her body without any effect.

Crimson Moon then manifested a colossal boulder akin to a meteor, attempting to suppress Artoria. However, she casually swung Excalibur, which had now released four restraints, to effortlessly split the boulder in half.

Attacks were futile, and she couldn't trap Artoria. Crimson Moon was so infuriated that she almost spat out blood.

"Damn you, Gaia!"

===

Meanwhile, within Elysion Pedion, Arkhan, with Black Abyss in hand, stood before Vortigern.

Vortigern gritted his teeth, his golden pupils returning to their original cyan color as he glared fiercely at Arkhan.

"Why are you doing this?!"

Vortigern roared angrily at Arkhan, his expression fierce and manic.

"The only future for Britain is destruction! Only through the restoration of the Age of Gods can Britain hope to continue! I only want to save Britain, what's wrong with that?! Why do both you and Uther insist on stopping me?!"

"Stop spouting self-deceptive words, Vortigern. You're merely using seemingly noble excuses and tragic rhetoric to mask the despicability within your heart."

Arkhan stared coldly at Vortigern.

"Perhaps you did once harbor a vision of saving Britain, but from the moment you transformed into the White Dragon, from the moment you allowed the Anglo-Saxons to invade Britain, from the moment you betrayed Camelot, you embarked on an inhuman path of no return."

"What do you know?! Even knowing the path ahead leads to doom, should we just sit idly by?! This is the only way to save Britain!" Vortigern argued adamantly.

"Bullshit!"

Arkhan rebuked Vortigern without mercy.

"Because the road ahead is tough, you chose to stagnate and dwell in the past, becoming a puppet bowing under the authority of the gods! Your frailty is the root cause of all this tragedy! The journey to the future can only be forged by humanity itself! Even if the path ahead stretches far and plunges into darkness, humanity has the resilience to prevail! If you don't even have this determination and don't have faith in your own kin, what makes you think you can save Britain?! What do you have to save Britain?!"

Arkhan's profound black eyes glinted with cold indifference as he raised the spear in his hand without hesitation, aiming for Vortigern's head.

"Let's end this farce."

*Squelch!*

The sharp spear instantly pierced through Vortigern's forehead, blood mixed with brain matter oozing out, gradually covering his lifeless eyes.

Arkhan withdrew the spear, and Vortigern's body swayed slightly before collapsing with a thud.

*Cough!*

A red flower bloomed on the ground, vibrant and dazzling. Arkhan half-knelt on the ground, hand covering his mouth, the taste of rust filling his mouth.

The overwhelming golden gears, blocking out the sky, dissipated into countless particles of light. The oppressive feeling gradually faded, and the familiar sensation once again enveloped his body.

A radiant glow covered Arkhan's body, rapidly healing the injuries he endured within Elysion Pedion. After about two or three minutes, he was restored to his peak state.

Arkhan stood up, gazing at the lifeless body of Vortigern on the ground. After a while, he let out a complex sigh. He crouched down, picked up the fallen Holy Grail, and observed the legendary relic.

However, at this moment, the previously dimmed Holy Grail suddenly radiated a bright light again, and the familiar stiffness surged through his body once more.

'What's going on?!'

In Arkhan's shocked gaze, the Holy Grail slowly floated up and arrived beside Vortigern's lifeless body, which immediately disintegrated into countless particles of light, and merged into the Holy Grail.

Then it instantly appeared next to Crimson Moon, who was still in a fierce battle with Artoria.

A faint light soon flashed, casting a white glow over the entire world. As the light dissipated, both Crimson Moon and the Holy Grail vanished from this realm of the dead without a trace.