In this world, the Holy See had ruled the European continent for so long that it possessed a vast collection of Noble Phantasms.
However, the Church would not entrust its most powerful or precious artifacts to a vanguard tasked with clearing paths and breaking enemy lines.
Thus, when the shining Rhongomyniad descended from the sky, the Vanguard—already having expended much of its reserves—could not even hope to overwhelm it with sheer numbers.
What if they hadn't used their reserves? They would have already fallen to the rain clouds.
A deafening roar echoed as nearly a hundred layers of "Miracle" barriers shattered in a single strike. Fortunately, the knights and priests had abandoned their ships in time, allowing most of the Vanguard to survive. They lost only their cumbersome vessels and the sailors, who were mere servants.
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"Are they innocent? From the moment they set sail under the King's command, they became part of this war. And since they are part of this war, even if they are innocent, the most I can do for them is kill the King who gave them their orders."
"Sir Limio, rally the troops at once! The knights' war begins now."
As The Lance That Shines to the End of the World descended, the mana-draining rainstorm ceased.
Its purpose had been achieved. Having lost their ships and sailors, the vanguard, now temporarily sustained by 'Miracles' on the sea's surface, could no longer return to Gaul by relying on 'Miracles' alone.
'Miracles' were, after all, still Magecraft, and their casting consumed mana.
As the vanguard reformed its ranks, 'Miracles' were bestowed upon the Roman Knights forming a shield wall. At the edge of the dissipating dark clouds, Guinevere's Knight Order appeared in their sights.
Uniform black armor, uniform black warhorses, uniform jet-black lances. Only the leader wielded a Holy Sword, while the one at the heart of the arrowhead formation held a harp bow.
In recent years, the Berserker Knight Order had expanded to a force of one hundred and twenty. Their weapons, armor, and mounts had all been replaced with styles favored by Guinevere.
They continued their advance as the Roman vanguard solidified its formation, gradually becoming an impenetrable tortoise shell.
At a distance of about one kilometer, just as the Roman Vanguard believed Guinevere had no way to act, she raised her Replica Holy Sword—a weapon she had only ever unleashed during practice since acquiring it.
Radiance gathered as Guinevere poured immense amounts of Mana into the blade. Compared to the original Sword of Promised Victory, it lacked the Thirteen Restraints and was not the Holy Sword of the Planet, but it was a genuine Faerie Holy Sword.
When the Sword of Promised Victory was not unleashed as the Holy Sword of the Planet, Guinevere's Replica could match the King of Knights' original blade.
"This sword is sworn to the King, this sword carries my emotions, and this battle paves the way to our future together.
"Therefore, answer me! Display a brilliance worthy of standing alongside the Holy Sword of the Planet!
"Shine forth, Sword of Destined Judgment!"
Guinevere had devised the incantation and named the sword herself, imbuing it with her deepest hopes.
The dazzling light, saturated with her expectations, erupted into an anti-city Mana beam.
As the Holy Sword blazed, a torrent of light surged toward the Roman Vanguard. Their shield wall shimmered in response, unified by Sir Limio, radiating the pride of their Roman legion.
The beam of light crashed into the shield wall, but the hastily formed defense failed to completely block the blow.
When the light faded, Guinevere panted slightly. The wall of mana formed by the shield wall had already collapsed, and over twenty knights at the forefront retreated into the formation, coughing up blood.
Was Guinevere weak? This was a Roman Shield Wall formed by over three hundred remaining knights and reinforced by nearly a hundred surviving mages.
If this probing attack had easily annihilated the enemy, then Rome, which had dominated Europe for centuries, would truly be unworthy of its reputation.
Guinevere was already satisfied. She had shattered the enemy's Collective forces and severely wounded over twenty of them.
Taking a deep breath, she retrieved the gift from the Old Man of the Jewels and cast four standard "Blessings" upon herself.
Lighter body, greater strength, accelerated mana recovery, enhanced senses...
As the four standard blessings took effect, Guinevere raised her free left hand, signaling her Knight Order to prepare for a charge.
With her at the forefront, the berserk mana of one hundred and twenty knights linked together, merging them into a single entity.
As they advanced, the clang of their armor echoed, causing a brief stir within the Roman Shield Wall. The commotion was swiftly silenced by the sharp rebuke of Sir Limio, who had pushed his way to the front.
Against knights united as one, offensive "Miracles"—which were essentially Magecraft—were largely ineffective.
If quantified, both formations likely possessed Magic Resistance at A++ rank. Faced with this reality, many priests, having already applied every possible enhancement "Miracle," now gripped close-combat weapons.
"Brothers, we have only one path to survival: slaughter them all and seize their ships!
"Let us show them what it truly means to be Roman!"
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"Ready! Charge! This is a battle to sever fate!"
Her grip on the Holy Sword tightened. Guinevere exhaled her tension. She had requested this cleanup mission herself, so she would see it through to perfection.
Normally, heavy cavalry would never charge a heavy infantry formation; they would use trebuchets or similar siege weapons. But there were none here. Even if there were, they would be useless against a Roman Shield Wall composed entirely of knights.
Furthermore, Guinevere's Knight Order had never learned to halt a charge or execute flanking maneuvers. They only knew how to follow her lead, forming an arrow loosed from its bow—one that would either pierce its target or shatter.
"Sing of sorrow, play the sound of weeping. Lamenting Phantasm (Failnaught)."
"Resound, resound, resound, O spirits of the sea! Unleash your fury!"
As the charge continued relentlessly, and the arrow volley was a mere hundred meters from the shield wall, tension on both sides reached its peak. Tristan released his Demonic Bow. He plucked the air itself, and countless Vacuum Arrows coalesced into a whirlwind of cutting wind, smashing into the section of the shield wall that Guinevere had already weakened.
Simultaneously, Camelot's fleet arrived. The veiled Lady Morgan wielded a cross-shaped spear-staff that towered half a body over her, using her Water Magecraft to disrupt the 'formation' the priests had established beneath their feet.
As the 'formation' wavered, the seawater beneath the shield wall surged violently, creating a momentary breach in the once-impenetrable defense. And Guinevere's greatest strength lay in exploiting such openings.
If the Replica Holy Sword was Guinevere's first Noble Phantasm, then her Knight Order—sharing her Mana and trusting her completely—was her second.
Just as she wished, she smoothly drew upon the collective Mana of her knights, instantly refilling the Holy Sword in her hand.
Without the need for a meaningless chant, at a distance where she could see the terror in her enemies' eyes, Guinevere unleashed the Holy Sword's second release, fueled by the unified will of her knights.
This time, the Mana—now a torrent of pure madness—utterly shattered the shield wall, consuming nearly half of its defenders.
"Hah! Slaughter them all!"
The Holy Sword struck, but the Knight Order's charge did not cease. Led by Guinevere, they began their harvest, rolling through the enemy ranks like a caltrop tearing through flesh and blood.