As long as Shuten dared to appear on the battlefield, Iori, who had already fought her once and understood her methods quite well, was confident he could use ruthless means to directly kill her.
Even right in front of Vlad III, he had the ability to do it.
After all, Vlad III was a combat-type Servant and lacked support abilities. At a critical moment, he would not be able to protect Shuten Douji.
However, the black side might have also noticed the special connection between Shuten Douji and Iori, and chose to send Asterios into battle.
"In this world, eight or nine things out of ten never go as one wishes~"
Facing the Minotaur's charge, Iori's long sword shimmered with flowing magical light. At the moment the abyssal giant axe came down, he swung the divine sword...
Whoosh!!!
The surging sword pressure not only blocked the giant axe's downward strike, the blade hidden within the light suddenly exerted force.
That powerful strength instantly shifted direction, like an upward gust of wind, knocking away the two giant axes and forcibly blowing aside Asterios' massive upper body, making him lose his balance.
Daily training and accumulated stats, the Berserker class's Madness Enhancement bonus, and the increased parameters after completing his Spirit Origin.
The stacking of these three gave Iori attributes that could be considered top-tier even among the Three Knight classes.
Although in pure arm strength he could not match Asterios with his Strength A++, if skill and magical cannon were included, the result would be completely different.
"Roarrr!!"
The Minotaur let out a furious roar of helpless rage. Though his movement was halted, Iori, who had taken most of the impact, was also forcibly pushed back several meters.
But in that brief instant, massive magical power surged endlessly within Iori, raising his output to the maximum.
Holding the sword with one hand to maintain the sword pressure, he freed the other hand to form a strange hand seal...
"Bakudo No. 63: Chain Binding!"
Clatter~
Thick, snake-like chains flew out from the void, layer after layer wrapping around the Minotaur's upper body.
"Bakudo No. 61: Six Rods Prison of Light!"
Six beams of magical light shot from four directions, piercing into the target's waist and fixing him in place.
"Bakudo No. 62: Hundred-Step Fence!"
Without giving the opponent any chance to breathe, short spears shining with pure white light fell from the sky one after another, continuously stabbing into Asterios' body, aiming to completely lock the joints of this fierce beast.
If someone from Soul Society saw this scene, they would surely cry out in shock.
Not only was the incantation abandoned, but he continuously cast mid-to-high-level Bakudo without interval.
They activated almost simultaneously without interfering with each other, instead stacking their effects…
This was already a level of skill even professional Kido Corps members could not reach, something only the Chief and Vice Chief of Kido could surpass.
With triple Bakudo binding him, even a born king of monsters was firmly restrained. His powerful body trembled and struggled constantly.
The chains and light bands formed by Kido emitted tight, strained sounds, but in the end they held.
Seeing this, amazement appeared in Iori's eyes.
Bakudo was originally designed specifically to deal with spiritual bodies. It possessed extremely strong sealing power.
Besides its inherent strength, it could also interfere with the bound target's spirit particle sequence, indirectly weakening their spiritual pressure.
And this was the same for Servants. At most, due to the characteristics of their Spirit Origin, they had a bit more resistance than ordinary spiritual bodies.
Yet even at this point, Asterios still had the strength to resist. The supposedly unbreakable Bakudo now seemed like rubber bands stretched to their limit, ready to snap at any moment!
A terrifying body... Even Iori had to admit he was inferior.
Strength A++, Endurance A++, along with the inherent skills Natural Demon and Monstrous Strength.
Once activated, he would transform into a tireless chariot on the battlefield, crushing everything. This was not a Servant at all, but a perfect killing machine.
Looking across the entire Greek Age of Gods, among humans or demigod heroes, the only one who could defeat him in close combat was probably Heracles, who perfectly fused heart, body, and technique.
Any other hero who fell even slightly short would be crushed by Asterios' terrifying physical body.
And according to information Iori knew from his previous life, the little bull was actually kind by nature. It was only because he was treated as a monster and raised as one that he became the Minotaur.
In other words, he purely relied on talent and naturally grew into a stat monster…
"Roaaarrr!"
Sure enough, after only a brief moment, when the demonic nature hidden deep within Asterios' body was stimulated, his entire skin turned crimson, and his thick blood vessels writhed like living creatures.
A horrifying monstrous strength burst out from within that massive body, directly shattering the triple restraints on him.
The freed Minotaur let out a thunderous roar of relief. But before he could swing his battle axe and cut Iori in half, the handsome black-haired boy did not retreat or defend. Instead, he stepped forward.
Before the Minotaur could fully raise his axe, the sword blade had already pressed against and blocked a key position, making the Berserker's exertion extremely difficult.
In that brief pause, using Asterios' brute strength, Iori's body spun lightly through the air over the massive figure.
When he landed, another wound nearly twenty centimeters long had opened at the back of the Minotaur's neck.
Whoosh!
The battle axe swept across. Iori blocked with his sword and was blasted away by a volcanic burst of force.
But this did not injure him. Instead, the corner of his mouth curved up as he began preparing a high-power Kido without holding anything back.
Asterios roared and charged forward. Iori faced him without fear, his slender sword colliding repeatedly with the terrifying twin axes.
Though he had to dodge and retreat several times, overall he did not seem to fall into disadvantage.
In a brief gap, he skillfully and swiftly completed the incantation.
Full chanting was extremely rare for Iori. He preferred to use rapid-fire Kido to assist in fast-paced combat.
However, this Kido was different. With his current spiritual pressure, he could abandon the chant, but he would not be able to unleash its maximum power. That would be too wasteful.
This was a high-level Kido capable of directly deciding victory.
"Roar!!!"
It was hard for ordinary people to imagine how someone could continue fighting with such a battered body. Even for a Servant, it would be difficult.
Yet Asterios grew braver as he fought. Though he lacked Battle Continuation, he relied on the mystery and demonic nature inherited in his blood to sustain this fierce struggle.
But he could not touch Iori.
Compared to his mountain-splitting brute strength, his agility was only average. He could not be nimble like Heracles, so he was frequently injured by Iori's varied small techniques.
And when his perfect body finally began to feel fatigue, and the suppressed wounds started to flare up, Iori suddenly moved...
No one knew how he stepped, but with a single stride he arrived almost at zero distance from Asterios.
He raised his hand and, with almost gentle force, lightly placed it on the burning and rough skin...
"Hado No. 90: Black Coffin!"
Pitch-black magical power manifested beneath Asterios' feet, like tombstones multiplying endlessly, spreading upward wildly. In the blink of an eye, it completely swallowed the nearly three-meter-tall Minotaur.
Buzz!
Just as the name suggested, the black rectangular coffin emitted a strange cold aura. Immediately after, waves of magical slashes swiftly and sharply cut through the internal space...
Bang!!!
The Black Coffin shattered automatically, countless black fragments dissolving into base particles.
Standing within, Asterios' entire body was tense, both hands gripping the abyssal battle axes tightly. For some reason, he stood motionless like a statue.
Finally, after the span of two breaths, as if by agreement, thin crimson lines appeared across the Minotaur's body, rapidly expanding and spreading.
A large amount of blood sprayed out, instantly dyeing his body and the surrounding area red…
The metal mask shattered and fell, revealing a face covered in blood marks… yet unexpectedly somewhat delicate upon closer look, completely mismatched with the extremely massive body.
Even so gravely injured, he did not fall. His scarlet eyes stared directly at Iori.
"Roar… aaahhh!"
Each muscle writhed as if alive. The bleeding almost instantly stopped. Driving his battered body forward, Iori only saw a flash of red from the corner of his eye and immediately used Flash Step without thinking.
Whoosh!
In the next moment, the abyssal axe swept through that spot, and only afterward did the terrifying sharp sonic boom finally sound.
In that state, without any prior acceleration, just a single full-force swing actually made a double-bladed axe exceed the speed of sound.
That could no longer be explained by pure arm strength alone.
"Incredible…" Iori flashed ten meters away and could still feel the cold wind, a trace of realization passing through his eyes.
With his super high endurance, even after taking a Black Coffin head-on, the Minotaur could still stand.
Of course, that did not mean he was fine. On the contrary, it was precisely because he was severely injured that he was making a final desperate attack, hoping to drag his enemy down with him.
But if this strike also missed, then the Minotaur's situation would be extremely dangerous.
"In this Holy Grail War, the first Servant to withdraw will be Berserker."
Iori narrowed his eyes and slowly raised his blade toward Asterios. He was confident he could end the battle within ten breaths.
Suddenly, his expression turned cold and his figure vanished from the spot...
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Sharp, massive wooden stakes suddenly burst out from beneath Iori's feet and nearby. If he had not used Flash Step, his thigh would have been pinned here like an insect specimen.
"So even the king of Romania would resort to a sneak attack?" Iori looked toward the castle and sneered.
"If you wanted to fight me, you could have come out from the start. Why deliberately let Berserker test me first?"
"You just wanted to learn more about my fighting style… treating your companion as a stepping stone is quite excessive~"
"There is no justice in war!"
As the words fell, Iori heard a cold snort that pierced to the bone. The sound of hooves echoed from the dark gate.
A general wearing a luxurious black robe and holding a silver-white spear rode a specially modified dragon-tooth warhorse, calmly arriving at the front.
The homunculi stepped aside and bowed halfway in respect.
Berserker's defeat was expected, but being pushed to the brink so quickly was not something the black faction anticipated.
If left alone, Asterios would likely be killed by the enemy Servant, forcing Yggdmillennia to change strategy.
Originally, unless there were absolutely no forces to spare, Vlad III should not act easily. But since it was near the castle, he could guard the Greater Grail while eliminating the enemy.
And after Vlad III appeared, the Minotaur who glared at Iori reluctantly turned into spirit form and retreated under his Master's command.
With the Greater Grail as backing, as long as it was not direct death, a Servant's injuries could recover quickly and would not affect later battles.
"Arrogant one, your provocation is clumsy and crude, but I must admit it is effective. It has successfully stirred killing intent within me!"
"You desire an honorable death? Very well, let me grant it to you!"
Lancer, Vlad III, joins the battle.
Seeing the figure clearly, Iori's expression grew serious, though deep down he felt a bit disappointed.
They would rather send out Vlad III as commander than let Shuten Douji show herself?
After all, Iori had not exposed his true name. He was only suspected to be "Takeru." Though he restrained Shuten, it was not to the level of a natural enemy.
If Shuten were stronger, it was entirely possible she could instead devour "Takeru" and the Ame-no-Murakumo Sword.
Logically, right at their own gate, they should at least try. Were the black Masters truly that cautious…
'No, could it be that Shuten Douji was not in the castle at all, but on the battlefield at the manor?'
'But with her damaged Spirit Origin, why would she actively join that kind of chaotic melee…'
Iori's eyes suddenly lit up as he thought of a possibility, 'Rhein Gold!'
But before he could think further, as Vlad III spurred his horse and thrust his spear, countless wooden stakes surged toward him.
Whoosh!
Flash Step.
Whoosh!
Flash Step.
Whoosh!
Each time he appeared, the tide of wooden stakes like a rain of arrows but far more terrifying swept over him immediately, giving Iori no chance to breathe.
"What are you thinking?" Vlad III thrust his spear, colliding crisply with Iori's Ame-no-Murakumo Sword.
"Focus on the battle. Your only mission now is to allow me to fight to my heart's content!"
———
"Stop! I cannot hand this holy relic over to you!"
In the manor, Jeanne had already transformed into her battle form. Silver-white armor covered her student uniform.
She tightly gripped her battle flag in one hand and protected the suitcase behind her with the other. In front of her stood three Servants from both red and black factions.
Karna, Atalanta, and Siegfried.
The Son of the Sun was the first to arrive here. Amakusa had ordered him to seize Rhein Gold as the core component for constructing the Hanging Gardens.
As long as they could obtain this holy relic and rely on the concept of wealth it symbolized, even if their resource accumulation was insufficient, they could raise the level of the Gardens to the highest, breaking the current stalemate in one stroke.
Therefore, the red faction was determined to get it and dispatched the great hero Karna, whose mobility and combat ability were beyond question.
Red Lancer did not disappoint. Though he encountered long-range sniping from the black faction on the way, clad in golden armor he simply ignored the harassment, striking directly at the heart and blocking Jeanne who intended to leave.
But when he demanded Rhein Gold, he was firmly refused.