Alternate between offense and defense.
Black must get the Holy Grail back before it is taken away from him, while Red must keep the Holy Grail until he completely seizes it.
Along with the change in offense and defense, the situation has also reversed. The Mirenia Castle, which was once known as an impregnable fortress, has become a useless waste, and now it is the red team that controls the home court.
However, there is another problem in the current situation. That is the existence of Ruler who is rushing towards this place. However, only Semiramis, Shakespeare and their master, Father Shirou, understand this.
Whether it was the Black Team, the Red Team, or Jeanne, they all knew that this was a battle of time. In the few minutes before the Greater Holy Grail was stripped of its spiritual veins and completely stored inside the Sky Garden, they had to fight desperately and with all their might.
As the distance got closer, Jeanne was even more amazed at the floating Noble Phantasm. There weren't many Heroic Spirits that had Noble Phantasms powerful enough to destroy a city, but they did exist. However, when it came to Heroic Spirits that had a Noble Phantasm that could destroy a city, the number was probably quite small.
When it comes to the existence of a castle as a Noble Phantasm, the only thing Jeanne could immediately think of was the Son of Light in Ireland. And that was limited to the scope of his homeland.
What's more, it's almost zero for a fortress floating in the air. And the most difficult problem now is that the owner of the floating fortress seems to have ill intentions towards him. Although it's a long detour, there are too many things that need to be clarified with the Red Party.
-but.
Something fatal was going on, or even about to end - she always had this premonition in her heart. She forced these thoughts out of her mind and ran up the wall of Mirenia Castle desperately.
Through the big hole in the Mirenia Castle next to him, he could see the Holy Grail slowly revealing its true form.
"... it's unbelievable."
No wonder she was talking to herself like that. The feeling of oppression that was tightly binding her whole body was telling her that it was the real Holy Grail. What was unbelievable was the red party trying to drag it out.
Indeed, this is a war centered on the Holy Grail. However, that is usually something that happens after it ends. Why are they so anxious to retrieve the Holy Grail when the balance of victory and defeat in the war is still swinging violently
I'm afraid the one who caused the problem was not the Red Servant, but their Master, who was also a person who went against the intentions of the Magic Association - most likely the boy in monk's robes seen in the revelation.
When she had just figured this out, she had already reached the floating fortress. The water was flowing upstream, and the trees were obviously growing downwards instead of upwards.
"Reverse flow... Hanging Garden...!"
"That's right, Ruler."
A mocking voice came from my ear and I looked up.
Jeanne knew of two Heroic Spirits who possessed the Hanging Gardens as a Noble Phantasm. One was Nebuchadnezzar II, and the other was a legendary empress who was falsely accused of building the Hanging Gardens due to old traditions being confused with historical facts.
The world's oldest assassin - Semiramis.
"Red Assassin... So it's you?"
"Yes. So, Ruler. What is the matter with you coming to my garden? I don't think I have done anything against the rules."
Perhaps because of the dim lights, the dark and charming evening dress almost blended into the night. To Joan of Arc, that feeling was really very strange.
"No, you did."
"oh?"
Semiramis seemed interested.
"So, what rule did you say I broke?"
"If you can say with all your heart that you have always followed the rules of the Holy Grail War, please let me see your Master."
In an instant, Semiramis's eyes changed from mocking to vigilant.
Seeing the change in her eyes, Joan of Arc realized that the clue she was pursuing was absolutely correct.
"... Unfortunately, my Master is very busy right now. He is also a very timid person. No matter what, other Servants can't meet him."
"So he is hiding in this garden?"
Joan of Arc pointed out succinctly.
Semiramis had already entered a state of readiness for battle. As if to stop her, the Saint raised the holy flag and declared:
"You should know that's pointless, Red Assassin."
"Well, it's true that my magic cannot break through your anti-magic ability. Is this one of the privileges of being a Ruler?"
"There are other perks... Red Assassin, please don't force me to use this."
Joan of Arc's whole body emitted a faint blue light, and Semiramis couldn't help but frown.
"The greatest privilege of being a Ruler is to be able to use the Command Seals on all Servants? It is indeed a difficult matter, but even if I use up all the Command Seals, I have no intention of betraying the Master. If you give me an order with the Command Seals, the Master will stop you."
"Does that mean the Master is not a puppet?"
"If possible, I would also like to turn him into a puppet, but even in this garden - never mind, there is no point in telling you this, just know that I will not betray him."
After hearing what Semiramis said, Jeanne was a little confused, but she still took a step forward and declared:
"So, now you are my enemy."
At this stage, she finally identified the Red Assassin and her Master as clear enemies.
Even the proud Assyrian Empress looked solemn at Joan of Arc's declaration of war.
Originally, Assassin's ability level was completely incomparable to Ruler's, and the combination of a magician and Ruler was also very deadly. Normally, even without using the Command Seals, it wouldn't take her much time to defeat him.
Fortunately, her master Shirou had already anticipated that he would become an enemy of Jeanne and had made preparations in advance.
"Oh, really? Am I your enemy? Then I will have to use all my strength to defeat you."
Semiramis raised her left hand, interlaced her thumb and middle finger, and pretended to rub them.
However, Joan of Arc was even faster than her.
Although her martial arts skills were far behind those of Karna, Achilles and other heroes who looked down upon the Age of Gods, she was no ordinary person. With a distance of only three meters, she would not give Semiramis any chance to perform magic.
The holy flag fluttered in the wind, and before it was fully unfolded, the silver spear tip on the top had already struck down on the head - this was Joan of Arc's most proficient attack method, which she named "Apocalypse".
However, this sure-win blow did not land on Semiramis's head. Just before the holy flag fell, a piece of black fish-scale armor suddenly opened on Semiramis's head.
It was this armor that blocked Joan of Arc's holy flag and gave Semiramis the opportunity to snap her fingers.
With a crisp sound, Semiramis' figure disappeared from the spot, leaving only an exclamation of admiration.
"Should we say that the Saint is a Saint? Even the 'Scales of the Divine Fish' could hardly resist—"
"Scales of the sacred fish", the "divinity" of Semiramis as a demigod is revealed.
"Divinity" may seem illusory and meaningless, but it is actually the source of many heroes' strength. People with "divinity" are naturally superior to those without "divinity", and are more likely to stand out and become the focus of everyone's attention. This can be seen from the fact that most of the protagonists of various Western legends are demigods.
Because the sources of "divinity" are different, the powers granted are also different. As the son of the sun god Surya, Karna was given the iconic sun fire; Achilles, needless to say, the immortal body blessed by his mother Theseus and the ocean currents entwined outside the "little world surrounding the sky" are the best evidence.
Semiramis also gained special abilities from her mother, the fish goddess Diligent, one of which was to materialize the scales of the divine fish for defense.
"—I wonder what will happen when facing the real divine fish?"
Joan of Arc frowned her delicate eyebrows and stared around vigilantly with her sky-like eyes.
Suddenly, the space behind her vibrated like ripples, and a strange fish with a hideous face jumped out.
PS: Although "divinity" is always ridiculed as a useless skill, it actually plays a big role. After all, no one can deny the power of bloodline.
PS2: Well, I saw many book friends saying that the protagonist is abused, so I would like to advise you to stay calm.
First of all, every step Shirou takes has a deep meaning.
Secondly, this is only good for Erye and no harm. Suffering a little loss now is for better growth in the future - as book friend tzuwei said, Erye had been too smooth before, his strength grew but his mentality did not. The next is the most important transformation of Shinji. With this transformation, Shinji can really no longer rely on the advantages of the plot and various plug-ins to become a real strong man. The protagonist feels depressed when he encounters setbacks, and then abandons the book. I think it's a pity, it's really a pity.
PS3: I can foresee that the subscription will definitely drop in the future, maybe even worse than at the end of the third volume, but after so many ups and downs, I am in a better mood. Since I have written it, I will definitely finish it. If you believe in me, please continue to read. I will describe a wonderful story and make up for Type-Moon's regrets. If you don't want to believe in me, you can't force me to do it. Let's part ways in peace.