"OOOOOHHHHH!!!!" Thousands of homunculi roared back in unison.
Thud!
Vlad III leaped from the castle atop his warhorse, brandishing his lance as he bellowed: "Everyone, CHARGE!"
He led the vanguard, galloping toward the Hanging Gardens. Behind him, tens of thousands of homunculi and golems followed like a tidal wave. Darnic followed close beside him, charging like a trusted lieutenant. Meanwhile, Astolfo flew toward the aerial fortress like a stray moth drawn to a flame.
...
Atalanta arrived on the battlefield and unleashed [Phoebus Catastrophe] into the sky. A single arrow transformed into ten thousand, and green rays of light rained down, piercing through the homunculi and golems like needles through water.
Achilles, riding his chariot, carved through the homunculus army , weaving in and out of the ranks with peerless speed. Vlad III waved his hand, and thousands of stakes erupted from the earth toward Atalanta. This was his Noble Phantasm, [Kazikli Bey], a power that could only reach its true potential on Romanian soil.
Servants vary in strength based on their geographic and historical connection to the land of their summoning. Artoria in Britain or Heracles in Greece would reach their maximum parameters. In Romania, Vlad III gains an incredibly powerful advantage: he can summon stakes without cost, making him virtually invincible on this land.
K-k-k-k-crack!
Thousands of stakes surged toward Atalanta. Boom! At the last possible second, Karna incinerated the stakes with a single blast of his spear.
"Red Lancer? Then let us do battle!" Vlad III roared, frantically summoning stakes toward Karna.
...
Haruka Kasugano arrived near the battlefield with Artoria alter, Mordred, Melusine, Reika, and Jack.
"Artoria alter, take Mordred and join the fight. Pretend to be her Master!" Haruka Kasugano arranged. "The rest of you, standby!"
"Yes!" the girls nodded. Haruka Kasugano himself intended to continue lurking within the Black Faction.
...
At that moment, Fiore was inside the castle, watching the battlefield through the "Clairvoyance" of the golems. Haruka Kasugano stepped in through the window.
"Fiore," Haruka Kasugano smiled.
"Haruka Kasugano... you're back!" Fiore stood up from her wheelchair and hurried over to hug him. Haruka Kasugano immediately began fondling her "fatty tissues."
"Stop... we're in the middle of a war... don't do this..." Fiore said shyly.
-------
"Don't worry, this fight won't end anytime soon. Besides, Archer is so strong he doesn't need your help."
Haruka Kasugano pulled down Fiore's pants and picked her up. While engaging in "deep communication" with her, he kept his eyes on the Clairvoyance screens.
"AAAAAAAAHHH!!!" Suddenly, Fiore let out a sharp cry.
"What is it?" Haruka Kasugano asked.
"You—how did you suddenly get so massive... I couldn't handle it for a second..." Fiore's eyes rolled back slightly, and saliva trailed from her lips.
"Hehehe, do you like it?" Haruka Kasugano gripped her "pomelos" and bounced her up and down.
"Mm-hmm... I love it~!" Fiore was incapable of thought; her mind was entirely filled with pleasure. Her tender feet, overwhelmed by the sudden stimulation, instinctively arched back, her five pink toes splaying out in loss of control.
Because the Yggdmillennia family's magecraft was sophisticated, their Clairvoyance screens were like a high-definition live broadcast. Haruka Kasugano switched the view from Chiron to focus on Frankenstein.
Hehehe, time to focus on conquering Fran-chan.
In the original plot, Shirou Kotomine realized he lacked a Berserker, so he tried to persuade Frankenstein to defect by engaging her in a duel. But Frankenstein had feelings for Caules, so she rejected him. During that process, Jeanne arrived, forcing Shirou to retreat. He then left Shakespeare as the rearguard, who used his Noble Phantasm to break Frankenstein's spirit. Later, Caules used a Command Spell to restore her sanity.
Then Mordred joined the fray, fighting Astolfo, Sieg, and Fran. In the original story, Mordred fought a 1v3 like a superhero and still held the upper hand. Eventually, she pierced Sieg's heart, and Fran used her suicide-attack Noble Phantasm to try and take Mordred with her. Kairi Sisigou used a Command Spell to save Mordred, and Fran's flesh flew into Sieg's wound, reviving him and granting him the power to transform into Siegfried.
Hmm... where should I strike?
Should I intervene when Shakespeare is bullying her, or when she's fighting Mordred? The latter is no good. With Astolfo there, I can't act. Plus, Jeanne would be there to see Sieg... which means I'd have to act for her. No, the best time is when Shakespeare breaks her spirit!
"Ahhh~!" Fiore cried out as Haruka Kasugano injected his essence. She was covered in sweat, leaning against him as she whispered, "You bad man... what are you planning next?"
Haruka Kasugano held her tightly. "Don't worry, you are my woman. I won't do anything to disgrace your family. However, Yggdmillennia's methods are inferior; defeat is inevitable. But I can guarantee your family's survival."
Fiore pouted. "Bad man... if our methods were superior, how would I have been captured by you? I've long been mentally prepared."
"Good. For what comes next, you just need to follow my lead." Haruka Kasugano smirked.
"Mhm." Fiore nodded, rubbing her flushed face against his chest.
...
On the battlefield, Frankenstein was relentlessly slaughtering Dragon Tooth Warriors. However, the warriors seemed to be intentionally baiting her into a dense forest.
Suddenly, Shirou Kotomine stepped out, wielding the katana Miike Tenta Mitsuyo, which had been enchanted by Shakespeare into a C-rank Noble Phantasm.
"Black Berserker, won't you come to my side?" Shirou smiled.
Boom! Frankenstein responded immediately with her hammer. They clashed fiercely. Shirou didn't fight like a magus; he fought like a Servant. Watching through the screens, Caules was utterly baffled.
Meanwhile, Jeanne had caught up to the Hanging Gardens. Semiramis tried to swarm her with Dragon Tooth Warriors, but it was futile. She unleashed the strange chain magecraft from the church, but Jeanne snapped them like twigs. Semiramis even spent the Gardens' mana to fire a light beam at her, which Jeanne blocked effortlessly.
At this point, Semiramis was helpless against Jeanne. And since Jeanne couldn't fly, she couldn't reach Semiramis. Suddenly, Jeanne's revelation told her where Shirou Kotomine was, and she sprinted toward him. Semiramis immediately notified Shirou.
Upon receiving the news, Shirou shouted to Shakespeare: "Caster, take the rearguard. I'm retreating!"
Just then, he received a message from Haruka Kasugano.
"Saber's Master? You... you want Caster to help you capture Berserker?" Shirou was stunned. "Fine, I intended to turn her anyway. If you have a plan, I'll leave it to you!"
He shouted to Shakespeare: "Caster, cooperate with Saber's Master in a moment."
"Oh? Certainly~!" Shakespeare laughed playfully.
Shirou retreated first. Back at the Hanging Gardens, Semiramis asked suspiciously, "Did Saber's Master just contact you?"
"Yes, he wants to help me take down the Black Berserker," Shirou replied.
"Help you? You're helping him! He likes that country bumpkin Ruler; seeing a stitched-up doll like Berserker will surely set his loins on fire!" Semiramis's face filled with disgust. "I'm glad I didn't steal his command rights... using poison on him would be a waste of good toxins! A man with a mind full of filth... revolting! Once I have the Grail, I'll make him vanish from this earth!"
"Hehehe..." Shirou gave a helpless, dry laugh.
In the forest, Frankenstein was still chasing Shirou. Suddenly, Shakespeare blocked her path. He slowly opened his script, chanting: "Give a round of applause~! For the heart-pounding masterpiece that is about to unfold~!"
His Noble Phantasm, [First Folio], expanded, wrapping Frankenstein in an invisible vortex of illusions. In a flash, she was trapped in a dream world, unable to move.
Shakespeare turned and smiled toward the hiding Haruka Kasugano: "Saber's Master, the rest is up to you. It's time for my exit~!"
Whoosh... Shakespeare dematerialized and vanished.
Haruka Kasugano stared at Frankenstein. Her eyes were vacant, her body still. His gaze drifted down to her long, perfect legs—smooth, flawless, and seemingly delicate enough to squeeze water from. Then he looked at her rounded, white "ice creams."
Such an alluring figure was hard to resist. He instinctively licked his dry lips.