Super God: If I punch you, you will die

In other words, they were floating in mid-air—this vain garden was truly floating in the air!

"Surprised? Of course, it's by no means fast in terms of speed."

Assassin infused a hint of pride into that statement.

Semiramis, the Assyrian queen. Her Noble Phantasm, "Hanging Gardens of Vanity," is practically an aerial fortress. However, it cannot be manifested through magic. First, materials such as stone and wood from a specific region must be gathered.

After the materials are gathered, an Assassin performs a lengthy ritual to finally bring the Noble Phantasm to full form. This is because Empress Semiramis in history did not actually build the Hanging Gardens.

She had never actually seen the Hanging Gardens. However, she knew it was etched into her memory as a fantasy, and she also had a physical sensation of it. Although it was a mysterious phenomenon that had been repaired later, the impression of "the Hanging Gardens built by the world's oldest assassin, the legendary empress" was just too strong.

Materials must be gathered. First, real materials based on this real world must be collected: timber, stone, minerals, plants, and water from the land where she used to live.

She reassembles these collected items and uses a ritual to reach a true illusion. It is a false reality, a treasure that could never have existed in the first place.

Therefore, it was branded with the name "vanity." To those who know the truth, this would only become a topic of ridicule, because she never actually built the Hanging Gardens. However, vanity doesn't necessarily equate to weakness. No, in the instant of gathering materials to complete the Noble Phantasm, at least in this era, vanity transformed into reality.

However, this garden, cloaked in fantasy, is far more exaggerated than reality, bordering on absurd.

"Alright everyone, prepare for battle. At this pace, it will take about an hour for them, who are holding out in the city of Milenia, to be within sight of us."

Everyone fell silent. Of course, this wasn't out of fear. It was simply because hearing her mention the specific number "one hour" had ignited a fierce fighting spirit within them.

"Caster, what happened to the knife I gave you not long ago?"

Caster caused the spirit-like object to reappear in its original form and respectfully handed it over.

"Well, it's right here."

"Hey, Shirou."

"What are you going to use that sword for? It can't be...?"

Rider and Archer both wore expressions of confusion. Shirou smiled and drew the sword from its sheath. Although Japanese swords share the same basic shape, they can take on various forms depending on the smith's soul. Some are beautiful and charming, veritable works of art, while others, like the one in Shirou's hand, are bold and unrestrained, designed specifically to kill a particular being.

Even from the perspective of Servants who are well-versed in all weapons from ancient and modern times, East and West, this sword is a top-quality item worthy of being called a first-class item.

"I will act as Caster's proxy. Don't worry, I also have considerable experience in combat."

However, it would be too reckless to equate possessing weapons with participating in war so easily.

0151 The Price [Please Subscribe]

"No, no, no, no. Don't say anything more. You'd better stay here like a Master."

"Rider's right, isn't he? Although you seem to have accumulated a lot of combat experience, you're still ultimately just a human. If you run into their Servant, you're finished."

Rider and Archer hurriedly stopped him, saying, "That's only natural. Generally speaking, a Master shouldn't run to the front lines under any circumstances. A Servant doesn't necessarily only target Servants. If the enemy Master is a rational being, seeing a Master swaggering to the front lines, they would usually order their Servant to kill them. Once the Master dies, the Servant's death countdown begins. At the very least, they can no longer continue fighting at full strength."

Moreover, the next battle will undoubtedly be a decisive one. Not only will Servants clash with each other, but even the Dragon Fang Soldiers, which are used as pawns, will be mobilized in an unprecedented war.

Under such circumstances, it was unbearable for him, a mere human being—at this moment, Caster, as if to stop Rider and Archer, stepped between them and said:

"Gentlemen, I once wrote this: 'The finest courage is the ability to distinguish right from wrong.' Now, in my view, there are very few people who have a better ability to distinguish right from wrong than Father Shirow. More importantly!"

He stared at the sword in Shirou's hand with theatrical movements.

"I applied a little magic to this sword. To put it simply, it's practically equivalent to a C-rank Noble Phantasm."

Everyone except Shirou, including Assassin, froze in shock. A Noble Phantasm—that's exactly what he said. The legendary, deadly relics each Servant possessed—those were Noble Phantasms.

"Ah?"

"What's going on? Can you create a Noble Phantasm?"

"Your inherent skill... should be 'magical enhancement,' right? Could it be that power?"

"Yes."

In response to Assassin's question, Caster proudly puffed out his chest and affirmed.

Strictly speaking, the "Red" Caster—Shakespeare's skill—cannot be called magic. No matter what kind of enhancement magic it is, it is impossible to enhance an object to the level of a Noble Phantasm.

He hadn't actually cast a spell on the sword. He was simply looking at the sword Shirou had given him and "writing" down how sharp it was and how bloodthirsty it was.

However, if the writer is a world-renowned literary giant, that's a different story.

Conceptual Armament—There exists a type of weaponry in the world that works not through physical force, but through the concept of the object itself. With the soul-stirring power of Shakespeare's writing, even a small pebble on the roadside can possess the concept of certain lethality.

"Can I ask you a question? Why don't you use this to fight?"

Lancer, who had remained silent, asked Caster. His question was indeed reasonable. Since mere swords could be transformed into Noble Phantasms, all one needed to do was wield them in battle.

"Zai never writes about himself. That's something called prose. Right now, all I have is the ability to weave other people's stories. I have nothing else I want to write about."

Caster answered in a firm tone. Lancer understood him and frowned, saying:

"So you mean you're afraid of trouble?"

"Well, almost."

Hmm—Lancer nodded to indicate that he understood.

“Then there’s no other way. Your goal is to write the stories of other people besides yourself. Whether the outcome is destruction or tragedy, you have to write to the end. Therefore, surviving to the last moment is your purpose. Fighting on the front lines is naturally out of the question.”

Caster, however, smiled with delight at these cold words:

"That's right, that's exactly it! I really want to witness the end of this Holy Grail War! I have to do it! Whether it's happiness or misfortune, or even the despairing truth, witnessing everyone's story with my own eyes until the very end is the mission I bear!"

As a Servant summoned by the Holy Grail War, this was a completely incongruous line for his role. He stated unequivocally that he would remain an observer until the very end.

Archer and Rider really didn't know whether to feel helpless or angry.

"In short, my combat power is almost zero. So I plan to entrust this important task to Father Shirou, who has the highest combat power among the Masters."

"I don't mind... As long as I have this sword, I shouldn't be easily defeated on the battlefield."

As Shirou said, since we have this sword that is at least comparable to a C-rank Noble Phantasm, dealing with the androids and puppets will be a piece of cake.

"No, no, my power is negligible. It's just that the sword was a rare and famous one. Otherwise, it would never have reached the level of a C-rank Noble Phantasm."

"Because this is a treasured sword that was once loved by a certain swordsman."

Shirou muttered to himself. His expression relaxed slightly, revealing a mischievous smile.

"Then there's nothing I can do. Master, I must stay here to manage this garden, so I can't go to the battlefield to fight. Although I will provide as much support as possible, please don't go too deep into enemy territory, okay?"

"I understand that, after all, I am very clear about my own strength."

Despite saying this, Shirou had no intention of holding back in this war: he had to fight with all his might and seize the Holy Grail. He was willing to risk his life for it, and he would not hesitate to carry out actions that were completely contrary to justice.

"Well, even though all the generals are here, it doesn't look quite right without soldiers. Even just a bunch of androids or puppets would be quite a nuisance if they were all gathered together."

As Assassin said, they don't possess soldiers. Even if the Masters mobilized all their familiars, there would probably be fewer than ten at most. However, she is, after all, Semiramis, the Assyrian Empress, and she can create soldiers at will without any limit.

"I'll go and select some Dragon Tooth Soldiers; three thousand should be enough, right?"

Dragon Tooth Soldiers, created from dragon teeth, are just useless soldiers that are used and then discarded... However, even if they are used and discarded, the number of three thousand is still too abnormal.

"The more the better, of course... but Assassin, that's impossible no matter what, right?"

“Generally speaking, it’s impossible. But as long as I’m in this sky garden, there’s nothing I can’t do.”

To Rider's question, Assassin smiled confidently. "That's right," she said, "no matter which country this Hanging Gardens goes to, it will always function as her domain. All attributes are enhanced, and even magic related to the magical realm can be used with ease."

Of course, this comes at a price. After all, this Noble Phantasm is almost unfair. "Red" Assassin will be rendered powerless once she leaves this garden. However, this garden is a mobile fortress, making leaving it virtually impossible.

0152 A Compromise Solution [Please Subscribe]

"So, who should go first?"

Archer, Rider, and Lancer exchanged glances at Shirou's question. Caster, who wasn't planning to participate, adopted an indifferent attitude.

Lancer shook his head silently—a gesture that seemed to imply, "Please go first." Then, Rider and Archer exchanged glances. Both seemed eager to be the first to charge. Assassin shrugged helplessly, while Caster offered to offer hymns of praise to the vanguard, adding fuel to the fire.

"Please make sure you discuss this peacefully."

Although they did not comply with the request, the two agreed to a compromise.

"I'll lead the way."

Rider seemed determined to take the lead. But Archer summoned his bow, his weapon, and raised it high into the air.

"However, I will initiate the preemptive strike, since I was already planning to unleash my Noble Phantasm anyway."

"Understood, then it's settled."

"So, this is our first collaborative project, right? How about we write a love poem?"

Rider responded to Caster's suggestion with a delighted expression:

"Oh, then I'll leave it to you."

But Archer frowned reluctantly:

"No, let's skip it."

Caster then combined the two opinions and decided to create a poem depicting the sorrow of a heartbroken man.

Shirou, watching their conversation with a wry smile, then turned his gaze to the Milenia fortress that was beginning to appear beyond the darkness.

My heart started to beat faster.

Ah, I know, I can feel it. It is indeed there—in that fortress, in that place, there truly is what I have longed for all these years.

A surge of excitement welled up inside him, and he desperately tried to suppress the urge to smile.

"Even a man like you can't hide your excitement when it's so close. In that respect, you're really like a child."

The trembling and the laughter stopped simultaneously. Shirou cast a slightly displeased glance at Assassin beside him.

"It's nothing. Just being able to suppress the urge to be overjoyed is good enough. Compared to that, Master, your death is my death, and my death means all our plans will come to nothing. You should understand that, right?"

"Yes, of course."

Faced with Master's nonchalant response, Assassin sighed deeply:

"Given all this, you still choose to go to the battlefield. I simply cannot understand it. You are now a Master who commands Servants. You should never set foot on the battlefield under any circumstances. Given this, why do you risk your life to go to the battlefield?"

As a Servant, Assassin is well aware of Shirou Kotomine's strength. He should have no problem fighting against androids and puppets—but the outcome of a battle against a Servant is truly unpredictable.

In short, as long as we are careful, there shouldn't be any problems, but even if there are no problems... there's still a chance of something going wrong. For the Assassins, sending Shirou to the battlefield is something they absolutely want to avoid. However, no matter how many times they tell him, Shirou still won't give up on this idea.

Assassin didn't care about his motives and figured he might change his mind eventually. But since he still wasn't willing to change his mind, Assassin really wanted to get to the bottom of what had made him act so recklessly.

Shirou hesitated for a moment, then, as if having made up his mind, answered calmly:

"If my plan goes against the will of God, I will surely be destroyed on this battlefield. Perhaps I will die in the battle against the Servant, or perhaps I will be killed by the puppet or the homunculus due to carelessness. I might even be caught in the range of my own Noble Phantasm and lose my life."

People die, and Servants die too. It's perfectly normal for a kind person to be caught up in something unreasonable and meet a tragic end.

If one is not a righteous being, then that kind of fate is inevitable.

"If that's the case, I'll accept death honestly. God hasn't forgiven me, and that's something that can't be changed. But, if—if everything goes well..."

Assassin was slightly intimidated by his imposing presence. It wasn't that Shirou did anything; he simply wiped away his usual smile and stared directly at Assassin.

There was no fierceness, madness, anger, or hatred in his eyes; instead, they were as calm as a crystal-clear lake. It was hardly the gaze of someone about to go into battle—it was utterly serene.

"That means God has forgiven what I did and has mercy on all people... My desire to obtain the Great Grail was correct. Once I understand this, I will no longer be confused. Betraying what I should never have betrayed can be considered a reward."

Shirou declared resolutely. According to him, he went to the battlefield to confirm whether his purpose was correct. From the Assassin's perspective, it was simply a reckless and foolish act.

However—Shirou probably has no choice but to do this. It's an extraordinary, compulsive belief that others can't understand. It's an essential ritual to solidify his will to no longer be lost.

"Well, to be honest, I really can't understand it."

"I think so too."

Shirou smiled bitterly. Just as she said, others couldn't understand his thoughts. After all, he was now facing death on the battlefield just to determine whether he was right or wrong.

I initially thought I would face opposition, but Assassin declared in a commanding tone, as if ordering his subjects:

"But if this is the only way you can move forward, then there's no other way, and I allow it. So fight to your heart's content and try to survive."

"Thank you," Shirou said. Instantly, the Hanging Garden slowly stopped moving. The Millenia Fortress was still ahead. Between the Hanging Garden and the fortress were forests on both sides, with a grassland opening up in the center.

In other words, this is the battlefield. The "Red" Servant and Kotomine Shirou, who is also the Master, are gathered at the bow of the ship in the Sky Garden.

"They must be in a state of panic right now."

Archer nodded in agreement after hearing Caster's statement. With her eyesight honed by years of experience as an archer, she could, to some extent, grasp the situation of the fortress shrouded in darkness several kilometers away.

"Ah, the Servants haven't come out to fight yet. It seems they've fallen into chaos because of our sudden appearance... I sense that."