"It won't work, Vlad III will lose!"
Sure enough, as the two structures drew closer and closer, the force generated between them kept increasing. The more fragile one, the castle, had already begun to lose large portions of its outer walls.
Just as the [Hanging Gardens] were about to completely crush the spiked fortress, it suddenly stopped.
It had just come into contact with the highest point of the castle, yet instead of pressing down fully, it maintained a rather delicate distance, continuously exerting invisible pressure downward while barely keeping the structure from collapsing entirely.
From a distance, it looked like a spinning top placed on the tip of the castle… like a mushroom magnified countless times.
Considering there was also a labyrinth beneath the castle, this three-layered structure stacked above and below could be called a gigantic spectacle beyond human imagination.
"Did it hold up?"
"No, it feels more like the garden did it on purpose… but why?"
"Forget that for now. While they're locked in a stalemate, let's hurry and pass through here into the labyrinth!"
Ritsuka and the others immediately sprang into action. The collision between the two massive structures had destabilized their main frameworks, and huge cracks could be seen everywhere, saving them the trouble of looking for entrances or passages.
"So this is the labyrinth below?"
They found a deep, dark fissure. Even someone like Ritsuka, only a half-trained magus, could feel the eerie atmosphere seeping out from within.
Rather than a building, it felt more like the stomach of some monster.
"If you want to back out, now's the time."
Atalanta warned them, "Asterios's labyrinth is essentially a closed, independent space. It changes according to the will of its master. There's no such thing as a 'correct route.'
Without a guiding object, or killing the master of the labyrinth, it's absolutely impossible to get out… but those two women wouldn't place all their hopes on Asterios alone. There must be other unknown dangers inside!"
"Even so, we have to move forward, no matter the cost!"
Ritsuka's gaze was firm, not wavering in the slightest. As an ordinary human, his resolve made the Servants look at him differently.
"It's dangerous, but this is the only path. I've already prepared myself to be the first to die, so..."
The orange-haired girl raised her hand and pointed at the blonde holy maiden.
"... Ruler, you take the lead!"
"Huh?!"
"You go first, Atalanta handles scouting, Mash and I will assist. That way we can move the fastest.
With your defense, even taking a direct hit from a magic bullet wouldn't be a problem. You can probably dismantle those traps without much effort, right?"
Jeanne froze for a moment. She had been feeling moved just now, so why was she suddenly the one being singled out?
But after thinking about it, among the four of them, she really was the most suitable to be the vanguard.
After all, Jeanne possessed the highest rank of [Magic Resistance], and her strength and endurance were also top-tier. Even if she encountered traps, they wouldn't be able to do much to her.
The logic made sense…
But what kind of image did she have in Ritsuka's mind? Some kind of iron-headed, steel-bodied person?
She was clearly a young girl in her prime too…
"I-I'll go down first."
Holding her holy banner, Jeanne jumped into the pitch-black fissure with mixed feelings. The other three followed one after another.
At the same time, above them, the castle and the [Hanging Gardens] were about to decide the outcome.
It wasn't that one side was about to collapse. In fact, for the Empress, destroying the Yggdmillennia castle wasn't difficult.
However, if she did so, Vlad III's desperate counterattack would also deal heavy damage to the Gardens... one must never underestimate the explosive power of the "Shield of Christ" when cornered.
There was no need to be so reckless. The Empress and Amakusa had a more efficient way to fight,
Around the outer edges of the [Hanging Gardens], enormous statues of divine fish were arranged in a ring.
Judging by their appearance, they were somewhere between "serpents" and "fish," ancient and imposing.
After colliding with the castle, a black, viscous poison began to pour continuously from the mouths of those statues.
It dripped onto the castle, spreading along the cracks as if it were alive, quickly covering the entire structure like a net.
Vlad III, stationed within the castle, was powerless to expel the poison. Not only was the castle being eroded, even his own Spirit Origin became unstable after coming into contact with it.
This was a curse of corruption!
Semiramis was nearly omnipotent in the domain of "poison." By using the remains of the Yamata no Orochi, she successfully recreated a tangible curse capable of corrupting heroes, invading Vlad III's body in the form of toxins and reversing his Spirit Origin.
"Damn it!"
Vlad III rode atop his golem warhorse, his entire body trembling as he struggled to grip his spear. A bloody haze gradually clouded his vision, and violent, cruel impulses kept battering against the dam of his reason... he knew he was about to lose control.
Because of the slander from enemies and ignorant masses, he had been remembered in human history as the model for "Count Dracula," leaving a deep impression that overshadowed his true historical self.
Even though he was a devout and steadfast believer, as a Servant, he could not resist the influence of "legend." One could say he inherently possessed the potential to fall into becoming a vampire.
And this poisonous curse that could contaminate a Spirit Origin and induce a Servant's fall was practically his natural enemy.
"You despicable coward!"
Vlad III suppressed his bloodthirst as best he could and roared toward the [Hanging Gardens], "Don't you even have the courage to fight me head-on? Coward!"
But he would receive no reply. If the enemy cared about insults of this level, they wouldn't have resorted to such underhanded tactics from the start.
In the end, war had no such thing as justice. Vlad III understood this himself.
"Graaahhh!"
The stone ground split apart, and tens of thousands of stakes formed a towering staircase reaching into the sky, carrying Vlad III toward the [Hanging Gardens].
He couldn't afford to wait any longer. Otherwise, he might fall at any moment. Though his altered mind didn't entirely reject the state of being a vampire, that would only lead him down the same path as his past life.
That priest's "Baptism Chant" was his nemesis.
Even if entering the [Hanging Gardens] meant losing his home advantage, he had to act now, while he still retained his sanity, and end this battle as a hero.
High in the sky, at the edge of the Gardens, the white-haired young priest watched coldly, like a sun god observing Icarus fly toward destruction.
"Sorry, Lancer… I don't want to do this either, but to achieve that goal, even if I must become a demon, I won't hesitate!"
———
"ROOOAR!!!"
A savage roar echoed throughout the entire labyrinth. The pure white giant beast trampled the ground, its chain-wrapped arms swinging with force.
Its oversized double-bladed axe instantly split an entire rock wall apart. Even the Son of the Sun could not withstand this primitive strength head-on.
The crimson flames were suppressed by the shockwave, and a massive crater appeared where Karna stood.
Whoosh!
An arrow shot forward and struck the white beast, but unfortunately, it didn't even pierce the skin before being deflected by an invisible barrier, leaving the huntress clicking her tongue.
"GROOOO!"
The beast swung its arms, chains clattering loudly around its body. The two massive axes, which ordinary people couldn't even wield, were brandished in one hand, stirring up a storm of steel blades as they clashed continuously with Karna's spear.
The red Lancer focused intently. In overall stats, he was far inferior to his opponent. The gap was so wide it was almost impossible to bridge.
Even using "Mana Burst," he was still at a disadvantage. All he could do was unleash the unparalleled martial skills he had learned under the axe-wielding Rama and do everything he could to keep the enemy occupied.
"O Brahma..."
Flames that could incinerate everything erupted from the spear and struck the massive white beast.
The two axes turned red at a visible speed, and the pure white fur was fiercely scorched by the flames… but that was all.
A Noble Phantasm capable of annihilating an army had been endured head-on. The beast forcefully broke through the sea of fire and launched another attack on Karna, like a tireless mad bull!
... Labyrinth Master · Asterios.
Originally a burly humanoid, for some unknown reason his entire body was now covered in pure white fur.
A pair of black, robust horns rose from his head, his physique expanding even further, like a heavy tank standing upright. An uncontrollable brutality burned in his eyes.
BOOM!
The white beast used its own body as a battering ram, smashing through a thick wall together with the Son of the Sun. Stones tumbled everywhere, unable to drown out that terrifying roar.
"Even Mr. Karna can't win?" Mash swallowed nervously.
Ritsuka's eyes showed pain. "Asterios was such a gentle person, and now he's been turned into this…
Was this your doing, Medea?!"
"Hehe… how interesting. I didn't expect to encounter drifters from a parallel world like you in this Holy Grail War."
"But it doesn't matter. My victory is already assured. Even if there are small twists, they won't change the overall outcome."
The core of the labyrinth was a massive temple with a bizarre style. There were stone pillars and statues in ancient Greek style, but also steel machinery from the industrial age.
Magical energy and steam flowed through pipes, and dragon-tooth soldiers and golems were continuously born from enormous crucibles.
The Great Holy Grail, gleaming like it was made of gold, was placed atop "stakes." It was a tall circular platform, its surface engraved with circuit-like patterns, constantly drawing magical energy from the ley lines and channeling it into the furnace core for conversion.
Standing on the platform, to the left and right before the Great Holy Grail, looking down from above at the group, were none other than Medea and Circe!
Ritsuka's group of four had wandered through the labyrinth for quite a while. Thanks to the holy maiden's reliability, they could both quickly find the correct path through [Revelation] and easily deal with all sorts of magical traps and sudden attacks.
Even EX-rank magical cannons and specially modified beasts couldn't cause her any real harm.
With Mash's protection and Atalanta's perception, their journey was practically unobstructed. They also met Karna, who had entered earlier.
The Son of the Sun possessed overwhelming combat power. His ability to break through defenses alone rivaled an entire Chaldea squad. But this labyrinth was not static.
Under deliberate targeting, even he had fallen into a quagmire. Only after Ritsuka extended a helping hand did he manage to fully demonstrate his strengths.
Following Jeanne's guidance, they charged forward recklessly and finally reached the core area.
The moment they appeared, the completely demonized Asterios rushed at them. Even Jeanne, known for her outstanding defense, couldn't stop him as he went straight for Ritsuka.
Only when Karna unleashed an explosive burst of flames did he draw its attention away.
As a Servant, Asterios had top-tier parameters, but his agility and martial skill were not outstanding, so he wasn't a major threat to true powerhouses.
But within the labyrinth, he held absolute home-ground advantage, further empowered by the Great Holy Grail's magical energy and the "blessings" of the two witches.
Completely fallen and transformed into a demonic beast, his overwhelming strength beyond limits forcibly suppressed the Son of the Sun.
Although he had been forcibly twisted and catalyzed into a mindless monster, at this moment, Asterios had undoubtedly surpassed the limits of a Servant.
"I didn't really do anything special. That one is a natural monster. I merely let him reveal the form he was meant to have."
As a magus, Medea saw nothing wrong with this and spoke calmly, "He may be brainless, but he makes a very good guard dog."
"You…"
Ritsuka clenched his fists. "What do you think Servants are?!"
"Tools, familiars, aren't they?" Medea replied with a soft laugh. "It's just that in the domain of magecraft, the one being controlled is the familiar. I'm different from the other Servants."
"That's nonsense!"
Whoosh!
...Clang!
The magical arrow was deflected by a glowing magic array. Unharmed, Medea calmly looked toward an old acquaintance. "Did you think I would forget about you, Atalanta?"
"Tch! Since when did that Medea become so unlikeable…" the huntress muttered in annoyance.
At that moment, Circe spoke up, "A caster on their own cannot match other Servants, especially the three knight classes with [Magic Resistance]. But in exchange, we can use 'territory' to enhance our power."
"Be honored!"
"What you're seeing now is the highest level of territory, the ultimate secret art of magecraft that has completely disappeared in the modern era... "
"'Temple Construction'!"
Buzz!!!
An immeasurable, abyssal surge of magical energy poured out from the Great Holy Grail, as if it were the universe itself.
The magic arrays on the platform lit up instantly, spreading throughout the entire space... from the ground to the walls, all the way to the ceiling.
The countless golems and dragon-tooth soldiers gathered around the platform also lit up with red, ominous glows. Their presence alone had increased dramatically compared to before!
Individually, they might not compare to Servants, but their terrifying numbers more than made up for it.
At that moment, everyone felt an indescribable pressure. Ritsuka nearly dropped to his knees.
"Senpai!"
"What is this absurd amount of magical energy…?!"
"This won't do, we have to stop them!"
Jeanne leapt forward, intending to cross the space filled with magic arrays. The numerous golems and dragon-tooth soldiers were a big problem, but with Atalanta's cover, she could definitely reach the Great Holy Grail... and then...
Buzz!
Suddenly, the Ruler froze mid-air as if she had hit an iron wall. Her entire body was suspended, unable to move even a finger.
But only for a moment.
A cracking sound rang out, and the invisible restraints made of magical energy shattered into particles of light. Jeanne regained her freedom.
"Oh? As expected of a Ruler. Your [Magic Resistance] is that high. I thought fixing the space itself would be enough to trap you, but it seems it won't be that easy."
Medea lowered her hand and looked at Jeanne's beautiful, pure face, a slight smile curling at her lips.
"Very good. You're worth training~"
"Caster…" Jeanne's expression grew serious.
She was not a Servant from the Age of Gods. Her [Magic Resistance] came from faith rather than her body, a kind of conceptual blessing.
That was why she could break free from the fixed space. A normal Servant would probably be like an insect trapped in amber by now.
Even so, she had to remain cautious. Magecraft that could freeze space was already approaching the realm of "miracles." Even with the highest level of [Magic Resistance], she couldn't completely ignore its effects.
"Ruler?"
"I'm fine… be careful. This is the caster's home ground. You could say traps are everywhere here. Some of them, even I can't completely resist!"