This Is My Holy Grail War [138]

The [Hanging Gardens of Babylon] advanced toward the Yggdmillennia stronghold. Under Atalanta’s cover, Karna had torn through the homunculi defensive lines, while Achilles had charged toward the enemy’s base.

However, the grim news of Achilles’ defeat soon reached Amakusa Shirou Tokisada.

“Our connection with Rider has been severed.” Amakusa, seated on the steps below the throne, stood abruptly, his calm demeanor momentarily shaken. He had been preoccupied with Jeanne d’Arc’s movements, but now a vision—an apocalyptic red glow—flashed in his mind. Its meaning eluded him, but he took note to remain vigilant.

“Severed?” Assassin Semiramis frowned, her tone tinged with curiosity and frustration. “Who did it?”

“All evidence points to Saber,” Amakusa replied after regaining his composure. “Before we lost contact, Rider was engaged in combat with Saber.”

“Foolish bastard,” Assassin spat, her teeth clenched in annoyance. “The moment he saw Heracles, he lost his senses. Did he even stop to think about what he was charging into?”

“Had he followed the main force, his survival might have been ensured,” Amakusa sighed. “But now we’ve lost one of our key assets.”

“A disobedient soldier isn’t worth mourning,” Assassin said dismissively, though the movement of the Hanging Gardens suggested she had no time for further commentary. The fortress now hovered directly above the castle.

While ground forces struggled, Red’s aerial dominance was absolute. Like Achilles’ headlong charge, the Hanging Gardens could bypass Black’s defenses entirely.

“It seems your plans to descend have been thwarted,” Amakusa noted to Assassin, though she didn’t seem particularly upset.

“If we don’t act soon, our forces won’t hold,” Semiramis said coldly. Her dragon-tooth warriors were being decimated by the Black Faction’s superior ground Servants.

“Phew, what a relief!” Caster Shakespeare suddenly interjected, his previously subdued presence flaring up. “I was terrified I might have to join the fray. My role is merely to write your grand story. Fighting? Perish the thought!”

Originally, Amakusa had planned to bring Caster to the ground to persuade Black Servants to join his cause. However, Rider’s loss forced him to abandon that idea, accelerating their current strategy.

“Saber excels in close combat,” Amakusa warned. “If she manages to get inside, be on your guard.”

“Rider said that?” Caster asked, his curiosity piqued.

“Yes,” Amakusa confirmed.

“Marvelous!” Caster exclaimed theatrically, his eyes lighting up. “An invincible hero, huh? A classic tale!” But his enthusiasm quickly deflated. “Although… perhaps it’s a bit overdone.”

“Enough chatter. Let’s meet this Saber of Black ourselves!” Caster’s eagerness returned, though tinged with hesitation.

Amakusa smiled. “Together, then.”

“Ehh… wait. On second thought, I’m just a writer!” Caster retreated a few steps, visibly nervous. “I’ll pass, I’ll pass.”

Amakusa noticed Assassin’s disapproving glare. Semiramis seemed unimpressed by Caster’s behavior, though Amakusa paid little mind. His priority was maintaining cohesion among the Red Faction, carefully concealing any internal discord.

He knew such tensions would eventually erupt, but his goal was to delay that inevitability long enough to secure more allies for his cause.

“Begin, Assassin,” Amakusa instructed.

Following his command, Semiramis activated the Hanging Gardens’ Noble Phantasm. A surge of violet light erupted below, accompanied by hurricane-force winds. It was as if the Gardens had extended a colossal hand, attempting to wrench the castle from its foundations.

The gale roared, tugging violently at the stronghold. But a faint, pale green barrier enveloped the castle’s core, locking it firmly in place and resisting the Gardens’ pull.

“What’s this?!” Assassin exclaimed, her eyes widening as a translucent screen materialized in the air. The image displayed below resembled a modern television broadcast, revealing the scene in real time.

Although the Yggdmillennia fortress was being reduced to rubble by the Gardens’ overwhelming force, a single section remained untouched.

“It seems Black was prepared,” Assassin muttered, her brow furrowing. The protective workshop defending the castle was no impromptu construct. Its strength and precision indicated it was the work of a master mage, painstakingly prepared in advance.

Amakusa observed the barrier, noting its seamless, all-encompassing design. While unfamiliar with advanced magecraft, he understood enough to recognize the immense magical energy required to sustain such a defense.

A full 360-degree barrier without any weak points or escape routes—this wasn’t just a defense. It was a fortress embedded within the castle, its craftsmanship almost divine.

What stood out most was how this workshop clashed with the surrounding defenses. It was as if an out-of-place Eastern name had been inserted among a list of Western ones, creating a jarring contrast.

As the view zoomed in, Amakusa caught sight of the central figure: Saber of Black, now taking on the form of Medea. She chanted incantations in the ancient tongue of the Age of Gods, her voice unwavering as she poured her full power into countering the storm.

It was clear that Saber had built her workshop around the Greater Grail, shielding it from the Gardens’ grasp.

“Is that… Black’s Caster?!” Semiramis gasped in disbelief.

“No,” Amakusa replied, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead. “As unbelievable as it sounds… that’s Saber.”

Though Atalanta had speculated on Saber of Black’s identity—a witch from the Age of Gods and a top-tier magus—none of them expected Saber to be so reckless.

“Judging by her stance, is she planning to claim the Greater Grail for herself?” Assassin Semiramis scoffed, her lips twitching in disapproval. “Her barrier work is absurdly excessive. It’s like she’s wrapped the Grail in a cocoon.”

“That’s unlikely. It’s probably a failsafe,” Amakusa replied calmly. “The Greater Grail is far too important to leave under-defended. They’re simply taking every precaution.”

“You’re right, Master,” Assassin conceded with a nod, agreeing with Amakusa’s assessment.

“We’ll ignore Saber of Black for now and proceed as planned,” Amakusa declared. He could feel the powerful magical energy radiating from Saber. As a Ruler-class Servant summoned by the Holy Grail, he was naturally endowed with the ability to analyze other Servants’ parameters.

In her Medea-like form, Saber’s stats had notably decreased—especially in Agility and Strength—while her Magic had increased slightly, though not enough to matter.

Saber no longer felt like a swordsman to Amakusa. She had become something closer to a traditional magus—or more accurately, a Caster-class Servant.

Despite being momentarily dazzled by Saber’s display of magical prowess, Amakusa’s resolve remained unshaken. His objective was clear: the Greater Grail.

“All forces—secure the Grail at any cost!” Amakusa ordered.

Assassin raised her hand, and the [Hanging Gardens of Babylon] unleashed a torrent of violet light.

The gale winds generated by the Gardens, though immensely powerful, were insufficient to penetrate Saber of Black’s barrier. However, as Assassin poured more energy into the Noble Phantasm, the winds grew even more violent.

The ground beneath the castle trembled as if being scooped away by a colossal hand. Entire sections of land were torn from the earth, revealing a massive crater.

With her workshop forcibly uprooted, Saber’s protective barrier shattered. The workshop had clearly been tethered to the local ley lines—an energy source far beyond what even a Servant or homunculus power supply could sustain.

The Greater Grail, the miraculous wish-granting artifact, was finally wrested from Yggdmillennia’s grasp. As the Gardens enveloped it within their gates, Saber of Black wasted no time.

Without waiting for reinforcements, she gripped her staff tightly, spreading her robes like wings. Her form shot upward at blinding speed, her gaze fixed intently on the flying fortress above.

“Stop her!” Amakusa commanded immediately.

“You don’t need to tell me,” Assassin responded sharply.

Just as Amakusa issued his order, a deafening explosion echoed within the Hanging Gardens. The source: the area containing the Greater Grail.

“She blew up her own workshop?!” Semiramis exclaimed in disbelief. “After pouring so much effort into creating it, she just abandoned it? Well… I suppose that’s one less headache for me.”

“One less headache?” Amakusa asked, puzzled.

“Yes,” Assassin replied. “Now I won’t have to waste time dismantling her spells.”

The Gardens’ automated defenses activated, tracking Saber’s rapid ascent. Magic circles lit up along the fortress, converging on her location as Semiramis directed their fire.

Brilliant blue magic cannons roared to life, filling the sky with devastating beams of energy. Enhanced by the Gardens, Semiramis’ attacks reached a level of destructive power unmatched by ordinary magecraft.

Yet, despite the overwhelming barrage, Saber dodged every shot. Her flight path wove through the barrage with uncanny precision, the missed blasts crashing into the earth below and erupting in mushroom clouds that rivaled nuclear detonations.

Far from deterring her, the bombardment seemed to embolden Saber further. Cloaked in Medea’s form, she opened her mouth and began chanting.

A massive magic circle materialized in the air, rivaling those of the Hanging Gardens. Though it lacked the oppressive might of the fortress’ weaponry, its sheer scale was awe-inspiring.

Semiramis’ magic cannons held superior firepower, but Saber’s numbers far exceeded hers.

The Gardens boasted twelve magic circles, each capable of unleashing catastrophic destruction. Yet their firepower meant nothing if they couldn’t land a single hit.

Meanwhile, Saber’s relentless barrage of magical projectiles hammered the Gardens, each strike shaking the fortress. Semiramis, seated on her throne, could feel the vibrations as the impacts grew closer.

Sensing the approaching threat, Semiramis deployed her reserve forces—dragon-tooth warriors concealed within the Gardens.

These weren’t mere cannon fodder. Semiramis had painstakingly refined these bone-winged soldiers, making them far more formidable than standard dragon-tooth warriors.

“They’ll overwhelm her through sheer numbers if nothing else,” Semiramis mused.

But her confidence was short-lived.

Saber, while continuing her magical bombardment, conjured her own dragon-tooth warriors.

Semiramis watched in astonishment as Saber created them at an incredible speed—far faster and more efficiently than herself. To make matters worse, Saber didn’t even use materials. Her creations were formed entirely from magical energy and air.

“What—?!” Semiramis gritted her teeth, realizing her opponent was matching her move for move, perhaps even exceeding her.

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T/N: LMAO AN EASTERN NAME WITH WESTERN ONES...is this... Meta commentary?

also medea on top

This is a fan translation of 这是我的圣杯之战 by 向希望祈祷. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!