In Britain, the Noble Phantasm: Divine Key

Even so, he could not retreat, because the snow-white girl was still standing behind him.

Absolutely, absolutely not, can't let this guy get close to her...

"Your defeat was already destined, so what? Since you can't escape death, why not lay down your last burden? If you lay down your burden, you might still have a chance to defeat me," the golden king said mockingly, as if he were watching a farcical drama.

The black giant walked forward silently, demonstrating his stance through his actions.

"I see... Then you and your master—die together!"

Golden ripples spread across the air, and golden chains shot out from them, like the most astute hunters, hurtling toward the giant.

The combat instincts honed through countless life-and-death experiences came into play immediately. The giant leaped up without hesitation, trying to escape the chains. However, the chains seemed to have a life of their own, changing direction in an instant and binding him firmly in mid-air.

The seemingly fragile chains seemed to possess some incredible power, and no matter how much he struggled, he could not budge them.

"Berserker, come back!" The girl gritted her teeth, crimson lines appearing on her body. She endured the excruciating pain and summoned the power of the Command Seals, but this time, the "miracle" failed.

"Useless, doll. [Chains of Heaven] is a Noble Phantasm specifically designed to target divinity. The stronger the divinity, the stronger the restraint. How could I possibly allow someone to use a Command Seal for spatial teleportation?" The golden king sneered, making no attempt to hide his mockery of the girl's overestimation of her abilities.

"How could this be...?" The girl slumped to the ground, her face filled with despair. "Berserker..."

"How boring. If you had abandoned your master from the beginning, you might have had a chance to win. You are nothing but a beast, only knowing how to bite. I, the king, had high hopes for you as a fellow demigod, but I never expected you to be so foolish."

The golden king strolled forward, appreciating the giant's grotesque state as if watching a caged beast fight. He casually took out a longsword from the treasury, just like the treasures that had taken the giant's life before; this was a true divine weapon.

"That's enough, Hercules." A cruel smile appeared in his crimson vertical pupils as the golden king raised his divine sword, ready to deliver his final judgment.

However, at this moment, a scarlet light flashed, and the golden chains shattered with a crisp cracking sound. The black giant actually broke free of the chains and stood up, his expression ferocious and terrifying, like a ferocious beast ready to devour its prey. He swung his fists, as big as sandbags, and smashed them straight at the enemy in front of him.

In his haste, the King of Gold had no time to open the treasury and could only use his Noble Phantasm to block in front of him. However, in front of the black giant, a famous sword was of little use. Almost the instant of contact, the sword shattered and the immense force that followed struck him directly.

Like a cannonball going off, the golden king was instantly sent flying backward, crashing heavily to the ground. He spat out a mouthful of blood mixed with fragments of internal organs. He struggled desperately, but couldn't even manage the simple act of standing up. His life force was as weak as a candle flickering in the wind.

This was the most powerful blow ever delivered by the great Greek hero. Even in his lifetime, he might not have been able to unleash such power, and at this moment, this power became the key to turning the tide of the battle.

The Golden King's heart was shattered. Although he was a demigod, his physical body was not much stronger than that of an ordinary heroic spirit. Having taken this blow with his flesh and blood, he had completely lost the ability to continue fighting.

His eyes were fixed on the black giant. He couldn't understand how this guy had broken free from the chains of heaven. It was simply impossible!

However, when he saw the blood flowing from the giant's mouth, he finally knew the answer to the question.

"Battle Continuation..." A complex look flashed in his eyes. "So that's how it is. By shattering your own heart to weaken your spiritual foundation, you can reduce your divinity, then break free from the chains of heaven. Combined with the effect of Battle Continuation, you won't die immediately. Heh, as expected of a battle-hardened hero. This madness and decisiveness are indeed enough to impress me."

"This time, you truly have won, Hercules..."

The golden king lowered his head, his body instantly disintegrating into countless golden spiritual particles, which vanished into the air in the blink of an eye.

"That's awesome! Berserker, you really are the strongest!"

The girl walked forward happily, her tender face flushed red with excitement.

Hercules slowly knelt down and gently stroked the girl's head.

I said I would protect you this time...

......

As the sun dipped below the horizon, its afterglow bathed everything in a dazzling golden light. The clouds on the horizon glowed with fiery red light, reflecting off the branches of the giant trees like clusters of burning flames.

"Time really flies, it's almost evening already." Ned stretched, showing off his curvaceous figure. "It's about time to head back."

"But, but, we want to play a little longer..." the two children muttered.

"Good boy/girl, listen to me. Daddy and Mommy will take you out to play often from now on," Morgan said softly, stroking the two children's heads.

"Really? Really? Dad, will you really take us out to play again?" The two children stared wide-eyed at Yanan, their big eyes shining with hope. Even the most hard-hearted person would find it hard to refuse.

Yanan looked up at the giant tree in front of him, remained silent for a moment, and then a slightly complicated smile appeared on his face as he gently stroked the children's heads.

"I'm sorry, there might not be a next time."

"It's getting late, I should go."

Chapter Fifty-Five: Dawn Has Arrived

——！

The fallen leaves froze in mid-air, the birds were stuck in the clouds, the wind stopped flowing, and the flowers stopped swaying.

In an instant, the whole world froze.

Yanan continued to stroke the two children's heads with a smile, her eyes full of tenderness.

“What are you… talking about?” Ned laughed, but it was a very forced laugh. “Isn’t this your home? Where else can you go?”

“That’s right, we’ve been waiting so long for you to come back, we can’t let you leave again,” Morgan quickly chimed in.

"You...are you really willing to leave us?" Artoria said expressionlessly, but a faint sadness was revealed in her eyes, making it impossible for anyone to refuse.

"No, no!! Daddy finally came back to us, we don't want you to leave!" The two children clung tightly to Yanan's legs, refusing to let go for even a moment.

“I have to admit, although I know everything here is fake, these are indeed the things I’ve always dreamed of.” Yanan’s gaze swept over everyone, a hint of nostalgia and longing on his face. “Family, love, friendship—these things that we take for granted or even think are unimportant in our daily lives, we only realize their importance after we lose them. To be honest, if I had to make the choice again, I probably wouldn’t have the courage to take that step.”

He shook his head and said with a wry smile, "Perhaps this is what they call a bond. In the end, I'm just a mortal."

"If that's the case, wouldn't it be better if you stayed here?" Nidhogg asked, puzzled. "Whatever you want, you can get it all easily here. This is a paradise that so many people dream of, so why do you want to leave?"

“Because I’m not the only one carrying this burden on my shoulders,” Yanan said softly, his eyes gradually hardening. “If I stay here, only I will find satisfaction, and that’s not the kind of satisfaction I need. I embarked on this journey for the future of many others, and they are all waiting for me to return!”

"That's just wishful thinking on your part!" Morgan shrieked, her beautiful face contorted like a demon. "You've been gone from that world for so long, they might have forgotten you long ago, or they might even think you abandoned them and became a despicable deserter!"

“No.” Yanan shook his head, a gentle smile still on his face. “They will not forget me, for their voices still echo in my ears.”

Morgan's eyes suddenly widened; she saw someone.

Countless people.

Inside were noble and elegant magicians, knights in full armor, devout missionaries, loyal soldiers, and ordinary civilians... She even saw herself in them!

An endless crowd stood behind Yanan, all eyes fixed on him, their gazes filled with obvious respect.

As if stunned by the spectacular scene, Nidhogg, Artoria, and Morgan le Fay couldn't help but take a step back. Even the two children couldn't help but show a hint of fear in their eyes. They quickly let go of Yanan's legs and retreated behind their mother, their bodies trembling slightly.

Crimson feathers rained down around Anan, who caught them in his open palm, watching them dissipate into specks of light, and chuckled softly:

Even the most beautiful illusion is still just an illusion, and people cannot live in an illusion forever.

"I believe that one day I will make these beautiful illusions a reality, but not here, not now."

Countless crimson feathers, like burning flames, converged towards Anan's palm, gradually coalescing into a greatsword wreathed in crimson flames. He turned around and looked up at the colossal tree that blotted out the sky before him.

"Now, it's time to wake up."

"and many more!"

"do not want!"

Ignoring the shouts in his ears, Anan raised his greatsword high and swung it forward without hesitation. The rolling flames surged forward like a fiery cloud, covering the tree in the blink of an eye.

Endless light burst forth in an instant, and then, Anahn departed from this world of fantasy.

......

......

In the ruined castle, the black giant crouched on the ground. After a long while, he seemed to sense something and raised his head to look up.

"What's wrong, Berserker?" the little man in front of him asked curiously.

The giant lowered his head, remained silent for a moment, then opened his mouth and said in a low voice:

"It's time for me to go."

The snow-white girl's eyes widened instantly, whether from Berserker's sudden speech or from what he said, it was unclear.

"You're leaving? But... why?" The girl's face showed a pitiful expression, which was extremely heartbreaking to see. "We finally defeated that powerful enemy. Now, as long as your [Twelve Trials] are restored, the remaining Servants will be no threat at all. Then we can easily obtain the Holy Grail, and you can also use this opportunity to suffer the consequences and stay here forever, forever by my side to protect me. Isn't that good?"

Or perhaps...

Crimson lines climbed slowly along her fair skin, like ancient totems. The girl's expression instantly turned as cold as ice: "Your concern for me was all fake. You never wanted to stay by my side. You, like Mom and Dad, only wanted to abandon me and leave me to live alone in this cold castle forever."

Seeing Illya suddenly become aggressive, Hercules' expression remained unchanged, his eyes still filled with gentleness. He gently stroked the girl's head and said, "Illya, my Master, the bond between us is something that even time and space cannot sever. In these endless years, only you remain in my memory. If you wish, I can, of course, stay here with you forever."

“But I know very well that your loneliness cannot be filled by me alone. You have lost far too much. You know what? The reason I responded to the Holy Grail’s call was because I was attracted by your loneliness. I don’t actually have any desire for the Holy Grail. My only wish is that you can take back everything you have lost and fill your life anew.”

"So you should help me get the Holy Grail!" Ilya said angrily.

Hercules slowly shook his head and pointed behind Illya: "What you need is not the Holy Grail, but them."

Ilya turned around in surprise and saw that there were figures standing behind her.

Among them were a middle-aged man in a trench coat with a weathered face, a white-haired woman with a gentle expression and dignified demeanor, twin maids who looked exactly alike, and a young man with short, reddish-brown hair...

They gazed at her silently, their eyes filled with tenderness.

"Dad, Mom..."

Large tears streamed down the girl's face. She reached out her trembling hand, wanting to touch the people in front of her, but she was afraid that it was all just a beautiful bubble, so she could only stand still, hesitant to move forward.

“We’ve always been here, Ilya.” The white-haired woman opened her arms, a gentle smile on her face. “Dad, Mom, and everyone else.”

Seeing that familiar face and hearing that familiar voice, Ilya could no longer control herself. She ran forward, crying, and threw herself into the woman's arms.

"Mommy! Mommy! Ilya is so scared. Ilya doesn't want to be alone in this cold castle anymore, doesn't want to walk barefoot in the snow anymore, and doesn't want to bear any more family obligations. I'm in so much pain, so scared, I really, really miss you all..."

"My Ilya, my poor child..." Tears streamed down the woman's face as she gently embraced her daughter, smiling bitterly. "Mommy promises, Mommy will never leave you again, never, ever again..."

The woman held the girl's hand and walked away step by step into the distance, with the rest of the people following behind them.

The middle-aged man, his face etched with the marks of time, remained until the very end. He gazed at Hercules for a long while, and then nodded slightly.

"Thank you."

After saying that, he turned around and chased after them. Together with his wife, each of them held one of their daughter's hands. The family of three, with satisfied smiles, gradually disappeared into the increasingly dazzling light.

Hercules stood silently like a statue, watching the backs of the crowd, letting the approaching light engulf him.

......

On a landscape resembling Mars, the French saint, holding an iris banner, stands before a "black velvet curtain" shimmering with countless tiny lights, like the vast and boundless cosmos.

"What should we do?" Joan of Arc sighed, her brows furrowed, her pretty face revealing obvious anxiety.

She could clearly sense an incredibly powerful magical aura emanating from this "curtain," which was enough to prove that this was the beast's Noble Phantasm. However, no matter what method she used, she could not interfere with this Noble Phantasm.

She has absolutely no idea what's happening inside. She also doesn't know the current situation of Black Archer and Black Rider. Although both are exceptionally powerful Servants, the enemy is, after all, a [Beast]. Can they really defeat them alone?