Nobody knows how to be a villain better than me.

"No, I have a lot of confidence in them."

Meanwhile, the smoke-filled battlefield gradually cleared up.

"Bang! Bang!"

With two dull thuds as heavy objects hit the ground, one blue and one gold object crashed into the earth, creating a crater several meters deep. The object vomited several mouthfuls of blood and looked utterly defeated.

The saintess, who had been watching the battlefield with a hint of anticipation in her eyes, suddenly had her pupils contract sharply upon seeing this.

How can it be!

Joan of Arc stared in disbelief at Ganesha, the elephant-headed god, and Osiris, the god of the underworld, who were approaching her.

Meanwhile, in the war room of the Thousand World Tree Castle, Gord and the others who were watching the battle through a magic projection couldn't help but freeze in surprise.

Why is it that even though the temple that forms the foundation is destroyed, the summoned pseudo-heroic spirits are completely unaffected?

"That's because the temples are merely auxiliary; the key to preserving divinity lies within themselves..."

The ancient serpent in the main hall slowly opened its eyes and murmured softly.

As a relatively conscientious boss, Samael was still kind to those who worked for him.

They take good care of me.

Reines, Gina, and Shion were originally just Masters and had no obligation to fight against Servants. In addition, since they were child laborers, Samael was naturally quite generous with their appearance fees.

That is, the inheritance from divinity and heroic spirits.

In fact, since the last battle in the courtyard, the divinity of Ganesha, the divinity and artifacts of Osiris, the strategist Sima Zhongda, and the wisdom and knowledge of the cunning strategist Sima Zhongda have all become part of the three of them, merging into one.

This reward is quite generous and will benefit them for life.

The only thing that can stop this inheritance is the success of the first "performance." Otherwise, the "actor" who plays the other side of himself will naturally become the "role" itself.

Unfortunately, Danick himself was useless; even flipping the table couldn't outplay him.

Furthermore, the old patriarch, who overturned his fortunes due to arrogance, left this hidden danger to the successors of the Thousand World Tree and Joan of Arc.

At this point, it would be futile to destroy the temple with all our might.

Well, it's not entirely useless; at least one summoned creature will be significantly affected.

Samael looked at the venomous snake Bashum on the lakeshore, who was being brutally beaten by the giant Adam, its outer scales shattered, its body tangled and thrashed about, screaming in agony. He couldn't bear it and covered his eyes, turning his head to the side.

Too miserable, too miserable...

There was nothing she could do; after all, the [Courtyard] was Semiramis's magic workshop, and its influence on her magic was the most direct and obvious.

Sorry, Snake, you should take the lead. The organization will remember your sacrifice.

Facing his fellow warriors being brutally beaten, Samael silently made the sign of the cross on his chest to express his grief, then turned to look at the second battlefield in the magic projection, a pleased smile playing on his lips.

Meanwhile, within the Gothic castles covering the towns, the battle situation for the Yggdrasil race was almost one-sided:

Charlemagne's warrior Astolfo was already a formidable opponent for Mordred, a Knight of the Round Table.

Under its relentless and single-minded pursuit, Astolfo cried out in alarm, like a rabbit being chased by a hound, only able to barely buy time by using his multiple burrows (a variety of props).

The pair of Siegfried the dragon slayer and Karna, the son of God, were evenly matched, exchanging blows and fighting fiercely.

After all, both of them are the type with high health and defense, and they also have unreasonable damage reduction armor such as the [Dragon's Blood Armor] and [Golden Armor], so it is difficult to determine a winner in a short time.

However, in terms of overall strength, Karna is still stronger, so Siegfried gradually became more defensive and less offensive, and showed signs of fatigue.

Although Master Ma and his disciple Heel are confined to the arena and the outcome is not immediately apparent, their relative strength can be deduced based on the original historical trajectory and the different accounts of them in legends.

In terms of education and archery, the sage Chiron was definitely a master, but in a real fight, Achilles was known as the second Hercules and rarely lost.

In addition, due to Avisbro's absence, Atalanta has been freed up and has already taken the lead over the Yggdrasil clan, venturing deep into the basement to pursue the Holy Grail holder, the dragon girl.

Hunting and chasing in the dark is this huntress's forte.

Meanwhile, the dragon girl, who was playing hide-and-seek using the terrain, was also cornered in the basement by Atalanta, making a last-ditch effort to put up a fight.

After enjoying the disarrayed screams of a certain idol singer for a while, Samael turned his gaze back to the main battlefield with satisfaction, watching the isolated and helpless figure under the battle flag. He rested his chin on his hand and spoke softly.

Your Highness, the general has been appointed.

Now, what path do you have left to take?

"Surrender, you have already failed."

As the situation settled down, a certain little fox, hidden among the troops, leisurely stepped out of the camp and began to persuade the enemy on the high ground to surrender.

"Defeat? Cough cough... As long as we... are still alive, there is no... such a thing as defeat!"

However, before Joan of Arc, who was struggling alone under the Holy Banner, could speak, a suppressed and trembling response came from the deep pits on both sides. Two blood-soaked figures, leaning on their demonic spears, stood up from the rubble and mud. Although they were covered in wounds, they stood firm.

Finn...

Diarmuid...

Joan of Arc looked at the Fiona warriors who were flanking her on either side, nearly exhausted, her lips pressed tightly together, and she fell silent like a statue.

Sensing the hesitation in the silence, Finn allowed the spiritual energy within him to continuously dissipate from his unhealed wounds, maintaining his proud stance and letting out a loud roar.

"Fiona's finest men, are you willing to charge with me one more time?"

"Where your sword points, there our hearts will follow!"

The loyal chief knight replaced the two magic spears that still held some magic power with two other spears, responded decisively, and stepped forward without hesitation, standing firmly behind the lord he served.

Having received a reply, the Grand Commander wiped a trickle of blood from his forehead, turned to look at the Commander on his high ground, revealed a hearty smile, and spoke solemnly.

"Then, give the order, Your Highness!"

Joan of Arc broke her silence and slowly raised her right hand, issuing her final command in the name of the commander.

"By command of the Command Spell, all Heroic Spirits shall entangle the enemy at all costs and clear a path for me!"

"By command of the Command Spell, all Heroic Spirits shall entangle the enemy at all costs and clear a path for me!"

"By command of the Command Spell, all heroic spirits will entwine at all costs."

Hold back the enemy and clear the way for me!

As the three black serpentine Great Command Spells dissipated and faded, the magical power within the exhausted Yggdrasil Heroes ignited, like a dying person drinking a potent poison to invigorate their spirit. They suddenly burst forth with a final, invigorating glow, and resolutely faced their opponents.

Joan of Arc, atop the high ground, finally left her post, gripping the holy sword in one hand and raising the banner high in the other. She mounted the bronze golem warhorse that Avisbro had prepared for her and charged toward the half-collapsed temple, launching her final assault.

Chapter 80: Self-Destruction at the Drop of a Hat (4.8k views)

"Stop her!"

When Reines saw that Jeanne was heading straight for her without any regard for the safety of the flanks, her expression changed, and she subconsciously ordered Shion and Gina to come back to her aid.

"Don't think about it!"

However, before the two could extricate themselves, Finn, whose body was ablaze with magic, roared and, together with Diarmuid, transformed into two golden afterimages, creating a series of sonic booms as they leaped forward to block the enemy's path.

Faced with an opponent whose magic power was unleashed under the power of the Command Seals, Shion and Gina were unable to break through the barrier for a time.

Although Finn and Diarmuid successfully bought Joan of Arc time, with each surge of magic, their bodies were on the verge of collapse, bringing them one inch closer to death.

In despair, searching for a sliver of hope, the only bet they can place on the scales is themselves!

At this moment, in the half-collapsed temple pavilion, a playwright with messy hair looked down at the scorching battlefield. Although his eyes were bloodshot with fatigue, a light of inspiration still shone deep in his eyes as his hands flew across the keyboard.

"To be or not to be, that is the question."

Which is nobler: to silently endure the slings and arrows of the tyranny of fate, or to take arms against the endless troubles of life and sweep them away by struggle?

Dead, asleep, everything is over.

But true heroism lies in being able to resolutely say "no" to fate after recognizing the harsh reality...

As Shakespeare wrote this, he seemed to think of something, his brow furrowed, and his hand paused, as he irritably scratched his messy hair.

So, in this story, the tragic hero is admirable, but is the inevitability of fate the greatest injustice?

So why resist when you already know the answer?

The bewildered playwright hesitated, stopping typing and gazing at the dying struggle on the battlefield.

With Finn and Diarmuid fighting desperately, clearing the way, the saintess, waving her banner, charged forward on her bronze and iron warhorse with unstoppable momentum.

That bronze-iron warhorse, meticulously crafted by Avisbro, was made of metal, fueled by mercury, and centered with gemstones; its speed was exceptional.

In the blink of an eye, this special golem, which cost over a billion, pierced through the Dragon Tooth Soldier's formation, carrying its master and crushing all obstacles along the way, advancing all the way to the heart of Reines' territory.

"Trimmau!"

Sensing the approaching danger, Reines subconsciously summoned the mimicry personality model of the Moon Spirit Essence Fluid.

"Automatoportumdefensio (Automatic Defense)!"

"AutonlatoporIunlquaerere (Automatic target acquisition)!"

"Dilectusincursio (Automatic Attack)!"

Accompanied by the trembling sound of mechanical air mixing, the mercury-like maid doll that popped out of the suitcase behind Reines chanted the activation incantation for the Moon Spirit Essence in place of its master, while raising its hand forward.

Instantly, a portion of the mercury-silver liquid flowed forward from the maid Trimmau, completely enveloping her mistress, Reines.

This is a technique that uses hydraulics to rapidly transform mercury into a thin film to withstand attacks. Although it is less than one millimeter thick, its tension, when charged with magic, can reach the strength of a steel plate. In automatic mode, its reaction speed can withstand the shockwaves of bullets and Claymore mines.

Of course, it also has weaknesses. Because the transformation speed of this technique mainly stems from pressure, according to fluid mechanics, mercury cannot react quickly enough to form a strong defensive system when faced with a sudden switch to a high-powered attack. However, it is generally sufficient to withstand most impact damage.

After ensuring her master's safety, the mercury maid Trimmau flicked out several mercury balls from her fingertips, scattering them in all directions to form a resonance matrix. By sensing fluctuations in the air, she determined the heat source of the temperature change and locked onto the rushing Joan of Arc.

Immediately afterwards, the mercury spheres surrounding Joan of Arc's path transformed into various shapes such as whips, spears, and swords, and automatically launched attacks.

The mercury, compressed to a thickness of only a few micrometers, was slashed at the target at high speed under high pressure, producing a sharp explosion in the air.

Wherever it passed, whether it was the dragon tooth soldiers or the androids in its path, they were all neatly split in two.

Clearly, its sharpness surpasses even that of laser beams, capable of cutting through titanium alloys and diamonds.

Joan of Arc, though her eyes were fixed on the front, possessed excellent combat skills and rich experience in battle, allowing her to see in all directions and hear from all sides. With her sword St. Catherine, she slashed and parried attacks from all directions, deflecting them all.

While the Mercury Maid Trimmau's attack speed is extremely fast, her attack patterns are too simple due to her nascent personality. Therefore, experienced players can easily figure out her patterns and find her weaknesses.

The weak points of this multi-layered offensive.

"Scalp!"

Seeing that the powerful enemy had broken through the blockade and was within reach, the mercury maid Trimma behind Reines immediately pushed her power to the limit. Her right arm, accompanied by the chanting of a spell, transformed into a mercury giant sword several meters long, bringing with it a dazzling arc of light as it swiftly slashed forward.

"May the precious blood of the Lord prevail, may the holy name of the Lord prevail, may the Holy Spirit manifest his power and remove all evil!"

Joan of Arc, atop her warhorse, silently recited the holy words. Then, her eyes widened suddenly, and a blazing white flame gathered between the Saint Catherine in her hands as she swung it forward with a fierce strike.

"Dang~!"

The sharp clang of metal echoed across the wilderness as the bronze-iron warhorses galloped past the obstacles in their path, breaking free of the army's encirclement and continuing their advance with undiminished momentum.

"Crack!"

A moment later, half of the mercury blade fell from the smooth cut and limply stuck into the soil.

"Young Miss, I lost, I'm so sorry..."

Mercury Maid Trimma stared at the broken blade remaining on her arm, lowered her head in humiliation, and responded with a hint of human resentment and guilt.

"No, it's okay, we've already done our best."

After a few breaths, Reines, who had just recovered from the shock, rubbed her slightly pale face and muttered to herself, half relieved and half gloating.

"Thankfully, that woman's real target wasn't us..."

Then Reines looked back at the fierce and unstoppable Joan of Arc behind her, and couldn't help but shrink her neck and shake her head to herself.

Sure enough, one-on-one fights are too barbaric and not suitable for me at all.

By comparison, setting traps is much more enjoyable.

Yes, that's right. Planning, strategy, and scheming—that's the magic of a strategist, and a game only ladies should play.

A frightened little girl secretly made up her mind to go further and further down the path of scheming behind people's backs.

Joan of Arc, having forcefully broken through the enemy lines with her own strength, continued her swift advance, stepping into the fallen temple on the plain.

At the same time, the ancient serpent, which had been resting with its eyes closed in the main hall, seemed to sense something, opened its dark, abyss-like eyes, and looked towards the end of the steps leading to the temple, before leisurely opening its lips.

"coming……"

As if to confirm the gods' keen perception, a saintly woman holding aloft a banner appeared at the end of the steps.