The sudden change made Shinji dizzy. In the midst of confusion, he heard Yustisa's anxious call.
"Shinji, Shinji, are you okay? Answer me now."
"It's fine... just a concussion."
He pressed his congested head and quickly took control of his body relying on Scathach's trained fighting instincts.
"What on earth just happened? You—"
Before he could finish his words, Shinji froze. The Pegasus he had placed high hopes on had somehow turned back into a spirit, and Pegasus's current state also silently restored what had happened.
Just as Pegasus was about to take off at full speed and accelerate rapidly to hit the Holy Grail, an attack came out of nowhere, first hitting Becassos' body and causing the unbalanced Pegasus to directly crash into Shinji's body.
Although Beccasus eliminated his own entity as soon as he reacted and did not cause further harm to Shinji, the attack from unknown source caused it considerable damage, depriving Pegasus of the ability to fly and fight for a short period of time, and completely clearing the last obstacle blocking the Holy Grail from entering the Aerial Garden.
The man kneeling on the ground looked up at the slowly rising golden sphere, his face full of pain and unwillingness.
"Why is this happening? It's just a little bit more."
The gap between heaven and hell gnawed at his heart. He pounded his fists hard on the bluestone slabs beneath him that had long been smoothed by the light of the stone, trying in vain to vent his frenzied emotions.
At this point, he has no way to stop the Holy Grail from leaving, and can only watch as the Holy Grail sinks deeper and higher. The contract that connects the two of them has also become blurred due to the interference of the Holy Grail's magic.
"Damn it, damn it, damn it!"
He grumbled in his throat, his deep blue eyes bloodshot.
While he was hesitating, Shinji saw a tenacious figure appear beside the ruins of the city wall, like a snow-capped peak standing on the land of Northern Europe.
The most famous hero in Norse mythology, the Dutch Knight, the dragon slayer Siegfried!
With his appearance, heroes gathered one after another, including the great sage of ancient Greece carrying a longbow, the tyrant dressed in black with a majestic spirit, and the leading golem master who was as steady as a rock.
These heroes had different backgrounds and experiences, but when faced with the behemoths overhead, they all showed the same trait—no fear.
Even though the Holy Grail was taken away, even though their advantage turned into a disadvantage, they still did not lose heart and still had no intention of giving up. They leaped up, using the rocks that were suspended due to the change in the laws of physics to gain leverage, and rushed into the sky garden without hesitation. This is heroism, the essence of a hero, and it is also what Shinji lacks.
Perhaps he was strong enough and smart enough, but he still lacked the crucial character.
As Vlad III said, only those who can laugh it off in the face of overwhelming disadvantages and desperate situations are qualified to be called heroes. Although Shinji has suffered all kinds of hardships and encountered many adversities, he has never been forced to despair.
Perhaps it was his personality that made him leave a way out no matter how reckless or risky his actions were. Even when he was the enemy of the "White Winged Lord", he left behind a secret plan to escape by riding a Pegasus.
Once people have room to retreat, they will not have the courage to fight to the end. But now, Shinji has finally been forced into a situation where he has no room to retreat.
Amakusa Shiro can connect to the Holy Grail through the Noble Phantasm and manipulate the Holy Grail. In this way, Yustisa, who also holds some authority, will inevitably be discovered. With Amakusa's decisiveness in killing, if he determines that Yustisa is an obstacle to his control of the Holy Grail, then Yustisa will be dead. Although it is possible to be regarded as a harmless mascot, Shinji dare not gamble, dare not gamble with this woman who is of great significance to his life, even if the probability of failure is very low, very low.
"No, it's not time to despair yet. There's still a chance. As long as we capture the Hanging Garden, we can take back the Holy Grail. Wait for me, Yustisa, I'll pick you up right away!"
The shadow silently clung to Shinji's body, transforming into a cloak while also making the assassin beneath the cloak disappear.
◇◇◇
The Hanging Garden is Semiramis's treasure, and it is also a temple that belongs exclusively to her, a demigod magician. As soon as the black servants led by Vlad III stepped into the temple, they were noticed by Semiramis, and the news was directly conveyed to the red servants who had been waiting for a long time through surveillance images.
The Red Lancer Karna raised the "Immortal Blade" and calmly declared: "I will deal with the Black Berserker Vlad III."
"In my case, it's Black Archer, of course." Red Rider Achilles' target has already been determined.
"Hmm... Actually, I also want to choose Black Archer." Red Archer Atalanta scratched her ears in dissatisfaction. As a fellow archer, she was burning with a strong desire to fight, but -
"Sorry, big sister, I really can't give it to you this time."
"Oh, I know, so I won't argue with you."
During the time that Karna disappeared, Atalanta had already learned the real name of Black Archer and the relationship between him and Achilles. This master-disciple duel had already been destined, and she was unwilling and unable to disrupt it.
"But who should I choose? Black Saber? Or the Black Caster that I haven't seen yet?"
Atalanta was a bit undecided. To be honest, neither Black Saber Siegfried nor Black Caster Avisbronn had good compatibility with her.
There is no need to say much about Siegfried. His impenetrable immortal body combined with the defense of the "Fantasy Greatsword" is like an iron turtle that is impossible to attack.
Avisbronn was similar. As one of the sources of the black side's miscellaneous soldiers and a master of the golem field, Atalanta was the first to disbelieve that he would come alone without golems. Once the number of golems increased, it would be difficult for Atalanta to hold the line - not because she couldn't defeat them, but because the current situation did not allow her to use the kite tactics she was best at.
The premise of the kite tactic is that the enemy is only targeting you, but at present, the black side's primary task is not to defeat the red side's servant but to take back the Holy Grail. If Atalanta dares to fight and retreat, Avisbronn will definitely leave some troops to block the road, and then drive straight in with the rest of the troops.
Her treasure, the "Arrow of Complaint", has been exposed, and among the targets is the golem. As long as the Black Caster is not stupid, he will definitely be prepared.
Inexplicably, this thought popped up in her mind.
"If caster would help..."
Shakespeare's skill "Enchantment" can turn decay into magic, creating some "explosive arrows" that can cause large-scale damage and "armor-piercing arrows" for Black Saber, so Atalanta doesn't have to worry so much.
It's a pity that this great writer with powerful auxiliary ability has always been very willful. As soon as he left Wang Jianjian, he shouted, "Thanks to the Holy Grail, I suddenly got the inspiration for creation. I'll leave now!" and hurriedly returned to the room he called "study", leaving everyone with helpless faces.
As Atalanta hesitated, Karna spoke:
"I have a suggestion."
"Tell me about it."
"No need to choose. The Phantom Puppet will be in the front, and you will be in the back looking for opportunities. This should be your strong point."
"yes!"
Atalanta's eyes lit up when she heard that. She was not alone, the other side had more people and high defense, and her own phantom puppets were not bad either - with a meat shield, she could shoot arrows as much as she wanted.
"Thank you, lancer."
"That's decided. Next, let's do something big."
Achilles picked up the meteor spear made by his teacher and given by his father, and waited for the enemy to arrive.
PS: How can I describe this Holy Grail War? Both sides are just wasting time. If Shakespeare is willing to use "enchantment" to change the outfits of the entire Red team, the Red team's combat effectiveness will at least be improved by one level. Needless to say, Shinji's intentions were not pure, and he did not try his best at the beginning.
PS2: Shakespeare, Andersen, and Dumas are not very useful in regular Holy Grail Wars, but in this kind of faction war, their strength is crucial, just like Kong Ming and Merlin in the FGO game. The difficulty is completely different with or without them.
PS3: According to my understanding, if the purpose is not to fight for the Holy Grail, from a long-term perspective, the three great writers are the most suitable servants to summon. Shakespeare's enchantment and Dumas' ability to create counterfeit treasures that surpass the original ones are very practical, and it has been clearly stated that they can be used by humans, without being restricted by regular treasures. It won't be long before you and your family's foundation will rise. As for Andersen, this usage needs to be studied. It is not impossible to play like Sesshōin Kiara and directly sublimate into a demonic bodhisattva. So support, support, support, it is really important.