Arknights' Lock of Heaven

“Ha, so that’s all…” Charne couldn’t help but laugh out loud when he heard this. “So these seemingly reasonable but actually nonsensical words can bother you?”

"Oh?" Markowitz's eyes lit up upon hearing this.

"nonsense?"

“Of course that’s obvious,” Charnne scoffed.

"The idea is wonderful, but don't you understand the true nature of those companies?"

"If they really had the money to build those warships and fortresses, would they really invest it in military construction and in the territory of their arch-enemy, the Jianzheng Association?"

"If they take the capital they accumulated in Qazimir, make so much money in other countries, and control the economic lifelines of those countries, will they really come back to rebuild Qazimir? Do they still truly belong to Qazimir?"

Do you really think they're good people? Saints?

Charne scoffed. "Don't be silly, my friend."

"Instead of worrying about that, let's think about whether the Radiant Knights or the Blood Knights will win the Major final tomorrow night."

"At least we'll be able to see the results with our own eyes, right?"

259 Sleepless Nights

"It's 8 PM in the Great Knights Territory! Welcome to the 24th Kazimierz Knights Special Tournament! I'm your old friend, Big Mouth Mob!"

Mob's voice rang out as promised.

"Having faced countless challenges and struggles, experienced countless victories and defeats, Casimir will, tonight, after three years, be crowned another champion!"

"Doctor, why are we..." Amiya looked at the Rhodes Island operators gathered around her, puzzled.

The Doctor obtained inside tickets through some transactions and then brought the operators out to watch the Major Finals.

In her words, it was...

"Everyone has worked hard these past few days. How about I give out a few tickets so you can relax and treat the special medical team?"

"That's perfectly normal, isn't it?"

“I have a feeling that things aren’t that simple,” Amiya said, looking intently at the Doctor.

"PhD……"

Amiya looked at Gravel beside her.

Gravel is still a knight of the Securities and Futures Commission and cannot be trusted.

Therefore, there are many things that are difficult to say.

Amiya merely opened her mouth before burying her doubts in her heart.

"Don't worry," the professor reassured her, "Near Light will be very happy that we can come to watch her match."

Gravel raised an eyebrow upon hearing this.

There's definitely something going on here; you can tell just by looking at Amiya's expression.

However, since they are unwilling to talk about it, I won't press them.

Clearly, the fourth-tier warrior knights already had some ideas of their own.

"Tonight! It will be a sleepless night for Kazimierz. Tonight, new legends and heroes will be born!"

Mob's voice still echoed in the arena.

Xia Yu, walking along the streets of the Great Knight's Territory, chuckled as she heard this broadcast on the surrounding giant billboards. A sleepless night, indeed.

I will make tonight truly live up to its name.

"Rider enthusiasts from many countries, including Colombia, Victoria, and Letania, are watching this game right now!"

"And tonight's match will break countless records overnight! Simultaneous attendance! Cumulative foot traffic! Single-day sales!"

……

Just as he said, he didn't know how many viewers were watching the game tonight.

The entire Great Knight Territory was in an uproar because of this match.

In front of the Casimir Legends Champions Wall exhibition hall, Xia Yu stood on the tallest and most dazzling building, overlooking the city.

He was holding a spirit origin model in his hand.

Hassan the Hundred-Faced Man.

In the original history, he was just a schizophrenic, so he could easily impersonate anyone. After he became a Servant, the legend evolved into a Noble Phantasm. His personality is not bound by the shackles of the body, and the split personalities can each have their own bodies as needed.

Because the total amount of spiritual power is still only "one person", when splitting into multiple entities, the ability value of each individual will be so low that it cannot be compared with other heroic spirits.

But it doesn't matter!

Xia Yu possesses the invincible Holy Grail!

It's just magic, right? With the Holy Grail, you can just throw your clone at it and that's it!

It's still possible to stack all the clones to the level that a normal Heroic Spirit should have.

From Hassan's Bond Craft Essence, we know that he has at least eighty-eight clones, and the rest are unknown.

However, eighty-eight is about enough.

Eighty-eight heroic spirits roamed freely in the Grand Knights' territory, ha!

[Pseudo-Spirit Origin - Hassan with a Hundred Faces - Loading]

"—Not only that, but most importantly! Ladies and gentlemen! Every lucky one in the audience! Tonight, even Minos, the goddess of war, would probably have to admit defeat!"

The major championship final was being broadcast on the huge billboard on the building.

Mob's voice continued incessantly.

Dark magic surged in front of Xia Yu, and one clone after another emerged from it.

"This is the first time in nearly twenty years that two former champion knights have met in the finals in Casimir!"

This Noble Phantasm requires other personalities to activate it. Xia Yu is merely simulating it by assisting the Holy Grail, and he doesn't have any other personalities to fill in.

The only way to simulate this is through the Holy Grail.

"Two champions! Two of the most powerful knights in Kazimierz!! For those of you who were fortunate enough to be here, please don't forget any moment you witnessed!"

Amidst the clamor of the stadium broadcast below, the eighty-eight clones exchanged a knowing smile.

Then he changed into the armored uniform that had been prepared beforehand.

"Because at this very moment, you are experiencing the greatest moment in the history of the Kazimierz Knights Tournament!"

Amidst the whooshing sounds of air being torn apart, the superhuman bodies of the heroic spirits began to function, and eighty-eight black shadows darted and weaved above the Grand Knights' territory, rushing toward their respective targets.

Well, Hassan the Hundred Faces' spirit origin... is really convenient and quick for bullying ordinary people like this and for gathering intelligence.

Although the Holy Grail can be used to upgrade all clones to the level of normal Servants, Hundred Faces would definitely not be chosen when facing a powerful enemy.

Only this kind of task can be of use.

After all, a Hassan of average skill level could have easily turned the tables and killed Dog.

Dealing with targets that have already been identified requires very little effort.

-

The infected knights cheered for their hero, "Blood Knight! Blood Knight! Blood Knight!"

The spectators were all shouting, "Blood Knight!"

For no other reason than the presence of infected individuals, the invincible Minoan hero perfectly embodies people's expectations of that nation.

"...The Blood Knight, is he the great knight who created the Infected Knight system?"

Amiya looked at the crimson armor on the field and thought, "I didn't expect it to be such a warrior."

It must be said that Blood Knight Decaeopolis perfectly embodies people's impression of a Minoan classical hero.

"...Listen to this shout, it's deafening."

Shining looked at the Blood Knight on the field, who was invincible. Was this Margaret's opponent?

"The Shining, he's called a hero...?" Nightingale said softly beside her.

“Even though we know very little about him, I cannot deny that he was a hero.”

Shining lowered his head upon hearing this, "A hero of the infected."

"And on the other side!"

"A young legend, the offspring of heroes, burdened with countless legendary stories, he once reached the champion's throne, only to be exiled in an instant! He became a regret in the hearts of countless people!"

"..."

In front of a television broadcast in a luxury mansion, a middle-aged man embraces a glamorous woman, holds a wine glass in his hand, and lets out a disdainful sneer.

"cut……"

He took a small sip of the crimson wine and said flippantly to the woman in his arms, "Just a penniless nobody, and an infected person... This knightly arena is getting worse every year, don't you think, darling?"

Hearing this, the woman in his arms blinked and flattered, "Of course, what knights... they're all old fogies..."