Nobody knows how to be a villain better than me.

As far as the eye could see, the pervasive mist not only severely interfered with perception but also blurred the boundary between the entire mountain and the real world, pulling it into a unique alien space.

Tsk, the entire Yuanzang Mountain has been completely isolated...

Looks like we need to hurry!

In mid-air, the ancient serpent paused for a moment, relying on its old senses, to correct its course. Then it channeled its magic, wanting to accelerate further and reach the true heart of Yuanzang Mountain as soon as possible.

However, just as Samael approached a dense forest, his opening and closing vertical pupils suddenly saw a point of light, seemingly a mirror reflection, flickering in the depths of the mist.

not good!

In a flash, sensing an ominous sign, the ancient serpent folded its wings and plummeted downwards.

"Chi chi chi!"

Almost simultaneously, a whooshing sound arose, and several beams of magic, some purplish-red, some silver-white, and some cyan-blue, arrived with sharp whistles, passing over Samael's head.

Looking in the direction of the attack, hundreds of magic arrays were scattered among the dense forest within the thick fog, overlapping and intertwining with each other, forming a unified whole, like gears on a precision instrument.

hum!

Immediately afterward, as Samael closed the distance again, a strong, synchronized tremor came from ahead. Rows of magic arrays automatically focused and locked onto the two foreign enemies who had entered this airspace. The reassembled magic beams shot forward, dense as rain.

There's one more!

However, the fact that the defense is so tight means that I've chosen the right path.

Seeing this, Samael felt reassured. He immediately flapped his golden wings rapidly, his body as fast as lightning and as agile as the wind. Sometimes he charged straight ahead, sometimes he turned and fell to the side, sometimes he dodged left and right. In this dense stream of light, he constantly brushed past beams of magic and moved forward.

However, just as the meteor rapidly approached the dense forest, a figure in the shadows slowly raised the mercury-silver short sword with a round jade inlaid at its end.

She is a beautiful person.

With its slender, tall frame, it stands on the path leading to the Greater Grail—

His long, glossy black hair evoked images of meticulously woven, fine fabric. He was undoubtedly a man, but some might mistake him for a woman. For Servants whose bodies are composed of ether, biological classification is actually of little significance. Furthermore, he possessed a spiritual realm that transcended gender.

The enemy blocking the way, the heroic spirit of the enemy's magic [Caster].

His real name is Paracelsus von Hohenheim.

Hundreds of years ago, in his previous life, he dreamed of helping the world and saving lives, hoping that every child could one day receive love. Engraved on the altar, he is a heroic spirit who advanced medical development and contributed to humanity, and also a magician who continues to pursue the legacy of the divine age—the starlight. A renowned alchemist.

"All beloved children scattered across the earth are shining stars—Elemental, activate..."

Caster in the forest, wielding a mercury-silver dagger as a wand, chants in a low voice.

Due to a mysterious decline, the atmosphere is now filled with the immense magic of true ether, and the era when the extraordinary gods wisely ruled the earth is long gone.

However, drawn by the mercury-silver short sword, pure spiritual particles, like starlight in the night sky, emerged from all directions and spread throughout the forest.

hum!

At the same time, hundreds of pre-arranged magic arrays echoed each other, transforming into self-disciplined matrix turrets that rapidly switched and combined. Beams of light condensed from true ether shot powerfully from the magic arrays, like the scythe of death, crisscrossing through the air.

The four large Elementals, amplified by the magic matrix, completely sealed off the surrounding airspace and rapidly moved towards the knight. Ultra-high temperature flames, a vast vacuum, diamond clumps, high-pressure water blocks, and other mysterious elemental attacks, formed by pure magic transformed through elemental processes, intertwined and surged forth, creating layers of rainbow-like bands of light.

The person who defeated Archer was indeed very strong, but in the face of the one-handed sword I wield, any myth, legend, or heritage, anything that manifests through magic, will be corrupted.

Moreover, in the territory he has created, the magician may not necessarily lose.

Paracelsus gripped the hilt of his sword, which was engraved with the word "Azoth," and gazed at the dazzling light that almost filled the sky ahead.

Azoth, the prototype for the Mercury Sword, is also the ceremonial attire and scepter he is so proud of.

When the ultra-high density magical crystal "Philosopher's Stone [Elixir]" that constitutes the sword's body is perfectly synchronized with the four Elementals, it can unleash a short-term power comparable to a Noble Phantasm used against a castle. Theoretically, even a Servant of the Three Knights level would inevitably be destroyed by the magical energy that has been transformed into light.

But, the premise is...

In the case of being directly hit.

"Holy Lance, compress!"

However, a majestic low murmur came from mid-air, clear and distinct. As Samael simply raised and lowered the holy spear Rungomminia, an intense tearing sensation pierced through heaven and earth, as if easily drawing a chasm that cleaved the world.

Light--

The light was torn apart.

The bright arc drawn by the holy spear tragically severed the light of the demonic sword in two.

Immediately afterwards, a dazzling stream of starlight swept through the dense forest.

Wherever its sharp edge went, vegetation was destroyed, and the scattered magic matrix collapsed and shattered under the terrifying spiritual pressure, turning into dust and dissipating one after another.

Overwhelming magic.

Power beyond common sense.

Even though it hadn't yet unleashed its true name, a single swing rendered the magic released by the unleashed true name of the Demon Sword completely ineffective.

Not only that, they even launched a powerful counterattack in a seemingly casual manner.

With just this one strike, the entire dense forest was almost leveled, and nearly two-thirds of the painstakingly set up magic matrix was destroyed.

At the same time, the surging stream of starlight continued its relentless assault on Caster, who was vulnerable during the activation of the demonic sword.

The normal attack, which hasn't even been unleashed yet, is incredibly powerful!

As expected of a monster capable of defeating that Hero King.

"...Is this...the light of the star?"

A joyful murmur.

Caster seemed to have forgotten to dodge, standing straight in place.

The expression was distorted.

The corners of her lips turned up, forming a pleasant curve.

As the eighth person monitoring the overall situation, he had already gained a general understanding of the enemy heroes who were fighting against his comrades through his subtle observations.

Both their attack methods and their fighting habits.

Since we have some understanding, we must be prepared.

So, this is what we've been waiting for.

The Noble Phantasm of von Hohenheim Paracelsus, the Demon Sword of the Elementalist—its ability to store magical energy at a high density is merely a side effect, given the Philosopher's Stone, the crystalline substance that constitutes its blade. Its true power lies in using photon crystals, rumored to not even exist on Earth, as a spiritual processor.

That is, massive parallel computing power!

A massive ritual magic-level mystery that can be performed instantly!

That is, the ability to analyze and counter the nature of the magic released by an enemy, erode it, and transform it into one's own. An unstoppable act of takeover.

"Then, nameless knight, I accept your light!"

Just as he was about to be engulfed by the stream of light, the enemy Caster slowly raised the Azoth sword in his hand.

Instantly, the stream of starlight released by the spear at the end, Rungomminiad, was rapidly absorbed and devoured!

This is said to be a technique once used by a great scholar, revered as the "omnipotent one," a scientist and magician. It's a spell created by forcibly imitating that technique. A dramatic reversal, a victory of the weak over the strong. You could say this is the trump card.

However, in the face of absolute power, all tricks are futile.

"Glory, now!"

Accompanied by a low chant, the starlight that had been gradually dimming suddenly shone brightly, and the Azoth sword in the enemy Caster's hand, which was in contact with the pillar of light, shattered inch by inch.

It actually broke through the critical point of Azoth Sword's conversion of ether with just the release of pure magic!

Paracelsus was incredulous, and the bursting, blazing white starlight became almost the only color in his eyes.

"boom!"

In an instant, starlight fell, the earth shook, and billowing smoke and dust rose into the sky.

"boom!"

In an instant, the golden star in the sky folded its wings and plummeted, landing in a cone-shaped crater hundreds of meters in diameter, surrounded by highly crystallized material.

I see……

The ancient snake casually bent down and picked up a tiny, pale red crystal, about the size of a grain of rice, its eyes thoughtful.

The Philosopher's Stone is a mythical substance, the "Holy Grail" of Western alchemists, believed to be able to transform base metals into precious metals (such as gold) or to create elixirs of immortality.

Therefore, it has been called "Philosopher's Stone", "Stone from Heaven", "Philosopher's Stone", "Raw Material for Gold and Silver", "Red Elixir", "Fifth Element", and so on.

In various legends and myths, this substance often appears in different forms, including solid, liquid, or powder, and is considered to be the color of blood, though it mostly appears in the shape of a ruby.

Because of the alchemists' relentless pursuit of this substance, it was bestowed with titles such as great miracle and great creation. Sometimes, these titles were also used to refer to the creators of the Philosopher's Stone, thus vividly representing their position at the pinnacle of alchemy.

It can not only create various alchemical miracles, but even alter the laws of nature and bring the dead back to life.

If I remember correctly, Paracelsus's Mystic Code had one of these things embedded in the hilt.

Tsk, you're lucky.

However, as Samael noticed the few drops of blood stretching into the mist, his slightly furrowed brows relaxed a little.

rustle……

Amidst the misty, tangled bushes, a disheveled figure, clutching his limp right arm with his left hand, staggered deeper into the dense forest.

Because of the haste, the white academic robe was torn and tattered by the vines that crisscrossed the road, hanging tattered on his body. The once elegant scholar had lost all his grace.

so close!

Even though he had retreated several miles, Paracelsus, looking back, couldn't help but feel lingering fear when he thought about the dangerous moment he had just experienced.

It's common knowledge that magicians have weak self-protection.

Therefore, before the war began, he built multiple defensive barriers around himself.

In theory, this defensive system is sufficient to withstand the melee attacks of the Three Knights, who excel at direct destruction. Even against modern weaponry such as missiles and tanks, as long as the incredibly sturdy earth elemental Elemental, equivalent to a diamond shield, is used in conjunction with the barrier, it can remain completely unscathed.

Moreover, it's located on the outer edge of the Greater Grail, where the earth's ley lines are quite abundant.

However, the seemingly comprehensive multi-layered protective barrier was instantly pierced by the flowing starlight, like layers of thin paper.

He would have survived if he hadn't activated the Philosopher's Stone on the hilt of the Azoth sword at the last moment.

I fear that with just this one strike, I will be reduced to ashes by that stream of starlight.

"Master, interception failed. Please evacuate immediately!"

After a difficult journey, Paracelsus, who had temporarily retreated to a safe distance, breathed a slight sigh of relief. He quickly took advantage of the time to recover his magic power and heal his injuries to warn his Master.

After a brief pause, the enemy Caster added in a low, somber voice.

"...the farther the better."

Without waiting for his Master's reply, Paracelsus severed the connection, conserving his remaining mana. He looked up behind him, his eyes filled with apprehension.

Hopefully, the other arrangements can delay things for a while.

"Boom!"

At the same time, the sweeping holy lance, carrying a fierce stream of ethereal light, swept forward, instantly blasting dozens of humanoid white monsters that emerged from the thick fog, along with the surrounding vegetation, into dust.

"Hoo hoo hoo hoo!"

However, just as they cleared away this wave of trouble, low growls rose and fell, and one after another, twisted humanoid silhouettes emerged from the dense forest, the thick fog, the boulders, the swamps, and the caves, seemingly endless.

These things have humanoid shapes, but their black eye sockets are empty and hollow, and their distorted faces are reduced to three holes that can barely be called eyes and mouths.

At the same time, there was no skin tissue on that pale body. Instead, there were piles of muscle-like deposits, layered and intertwined without any aesthetic appeal. The deformed body looked like a lump of white wax melted by flames.

Artificial life forms...

How many of these things did Paracelsus actually build?!

Samael looked at the layers of "white waves" in his field of vision, as well as some hastily made earth and stone golems mixed in, and cursed under his breath.

The topic of artificial life has always been a popular subject in alchemy.

Therefore, many outstanding magicians throughout history have dabbled in this area.

Naturally, Paracelsus, a renowned alchemist in the fields of medicine and life sciences, was among the best.

Moreover, these things in front of us are different from the Einzbern family and the Yggdrasil family, which pursue aesthetics and complete artificial humans.

They are pure weapons that abandon human form and pursue ultimate destructiveness and combat power. Their limbs can be transformed into swords, spears, and halberds. Whether the head and neck are severed or the limbs are cut off, they are difficult to kill. Wounded individuals can also recover by absorbing the surrounding magic.

Only by destroying the core can a fatal blow be delivered.