Sigismund, Gilgamesh, and Medea stood in a place littered with the decaying remnants of Seiko power armor—the blue-white paint of the Ultramarines, the yellow-black emblem of the Imperial Fists, and the black-green armor of the Sons of Horus, all intertwined with fragments and dried blood.
Broken chainswords, exploding bolt pistols, and power field axes were scattered across the ground. The loyal bones of loyalists lay among the corrupted corpses of Chaos renegades, aberrant aliens, and subspace demons. The air reeked of burning gunpowder, molten metal, and the stench of the warp.
Such a tragic battlefield instantly wiped the smile from Fujimaru Ritsuka's face. He looked up and asked seriously:
"Where is this place?"
Before the words fell, all eyes were drawn to a figure in the center of the battlefield. On the charred deck, littered with corpses, Sigismund supported himself with his black sword. His dark Seiko power armor was still stained with blood that had not yet dried. Even standing still, he exuded an iron-blooded majesty that crushed everything.
He looked down at the group in the distance and answered their question in a low voice, like the rumble of cannon fire.
"Where? Child, if you modern magi put it that way, this is a Noble Phantasm imbued with the core of my beliefs, my life, and my final words—a so-called innate bounded field."
As he spoke, he slightly twisted his wrist and confidently pulled the black sword pinned to the deck from the ground. The sharp sound of the blade cutting through the air drowned out the distant artillery fire. He walked toward them step by step, sword in hand. In the sharp clashing of his armor, an indomitable fighting spirit could be felt. His words carried a bit more fiery sincerity, as well as a piercing hatred:
"To be honest, I am grateful to you. It is you who gave me another chance to wield a sword and show loyalty to the Emperor. It is because of you that I was able to wash away a thousand years of shame."
Thinking of the regret he could not atone for in his lifetime, Sigismund's demeanor suddenly changed.
Only moments ago, with a trace of calm and gratitude, he instantly plunged into a monstrous rage pressed into his bones and blood. His voice was heavy as a cannon's roar, and every word was full of bitter hatred:
"It's a pity that the coward Abaddon is not worthy of being a heroic spirit at all! Otherwise, I would use this body to return to my prime, cut off his head with my own hands, consign him and his weak and treacherous father to destruction—their souls scattered, devoid of dignity, their hearts full of regret that will never be washed away!"
Everyone, completely unfamiliar with Sigismund's past, could not understand the hatred and obsession in his words and could only stare blankly at the completely unfamiliar terms like "Emperor," "Abaddon," and "Astartes."
Only the wise king Gilgamesh, possessing the power of the "Omniscient and Omnipotent Star," had a detailed view of this heroic spirit's lifelong battle and spiritual foundation.
But at this moment, he had no time to explain anything to everyone. His gaze was firmly fixed on Sigismund's figure. When he saw the terrifying parameters on the heroic spirit's panel, far exceeding those of ordinary Servants, his handsome face was already covered in an intangible gloom.
"But from now on, we will have an honest and fair duel of honor under the glorious gaze of the Emperor. I will give my all without reservation. That is my most basic respect for my opponent as a warrior."
As he spoke, he took half a step forward with his black sword. His metal boots stepped onto the charred deck, producing a dull sound that instantly drowned out the distant artillery fire. He passed by the stunned crowd in the hall and continued in an indisputably calm voice:
"However, you are not monks of the Astartes Legion. As the challengers in this duel, the privilege I give you is to choose the order of trials. Now, make your choice."
Seeing that Sigismund was allowing them to choose the order of challenge, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and immediately began to discuss.
Gilgamesh: "Ritsuka, I already understand the other side's situation. His class is Legion, meaning he is not a person but an entire legion. He is a conceptual incarnation of the Astartes Legion, and his true name and class will change with different warriors."
Shirou Emiya: "In other words, if it weren't for this duel, could he choose different classes and forms depending on the class?"
Rin Tohsaka: "But the main problem is that we don't know each other's experience at all and can't find their weaknesses, right? Even if we know his true name, there's nothing we can do!"
Fujimaru Ritsuka: "But now we have the right to decide the order of trials, don't we? Since the other party says they are the angels of the Lord of Humanity, against Chaos and aliens, they might unexpectedly have a special attack against the enemies of humanity. Let's first use that as a goal to test the enemy's intelligence."
As the last Master of Humanity, Fujimaru Ritsuka quickly determined the tactics for this occasion. Everyone agreed, and just as they were discussing, in a place no one paid attention to, a group of people who had secretly come to investigate the Holy Grail War battlefield were inexplicably drawn into this innate bounded field as well.
Among them were non-human beings, guys who had lived for an unknown number of years, magi, and many who knew each other, but they tacitly pretended not to see one another, found a place to watch the battle, and did not interfere.
After a long silence, one of the white-haired girls, who seemed to fear the world would not be chaotic enough, quietly asked:
"Ah, why am I being stopped when I was just peeping outside Fuyuki City?"
After a while, one of the mature men also answered in an internal tone:
"Curious innate bounded field. The scene doesn't seem to belong to the past. Could it be that future heroic spirits have been summoned? This so-called Holy Grail War seems more interesting than I thought. Perhaps it is meant to attract everyone interested in the Holy Grail."
"Will humanity have such a future? It seems the existence of the Dead Apostles is completely unnecessary, and there is no place for our Dead Apostle students in the future."
"This is so interesting! This is a future I've never seen before! Humans can actually get off this planet and break free from the shackles of planetary suppression. I really want to know why!"
As these people hiding behind the scenes whispered among themselves, the Master and the others had already decided to have a Rider fight against a Caster, whose class was restricted.
The Master and the others quickly decided to take advantage of the class restriction and send a Rider to fight the enemy Caster.
Sigismund, having received the definite answer, nodded, and his figure gradually became transparent in the afterglow of the artillery fire.
"As you wish. I leave it to you, Medea."
As he spoke, he transferred all control of the innate bounded field to Medea behind him.
Medea completed the execution of all the authority of the magical ceremony, and the vast flow of magic firmly strengthened this barrier based on the Eternal Expedition. As a witness to this sacred duel, she restrained the witch's disobedience, and only loyalty to the Emperor and the glory of the warrior remained in her voice, word by word echoing across the battlefield:
"Today, in this ring of honor, two soldiers will conduct a fair, just, life-and-death duel in the name of glory, fair and without interference from any external objects."
"Victory or defeat is determined only by will, skill, and strength. Cheating, foreign aid, or despicable tricks are not allowed."
"Both sides must be unconditional, giving their all—their strength and their trump cards. This is a soldier's respect for his opponent, loyalty to honor, and the highest tribute to the glory of the Emperor."
Before the announcement, the Rider, Medusa, was fully enhanced by the second and third spells of Matou Shinji. Her magical energy surged across her body, radiating an unprecedented fullness and sharpness. She suddenly raised her chains, arched her body into a fighting stance, and stared directly at the enemy before her, who was changing form.
That enemy was Mephisto, the analyst associated with the Angel of the Blood Angels.
At the same time, Gilgamesh, who was using the Noble Phantasm Omniscient and Omnipotent Star to see the other side, began to synchronously report the enemy's panel to everyone and to Chaldea.
[True Name: The Emperor's Angel (Mephisto / Callistarius)]
[Class: Legion / Caster / Magus]
[Innate Skill: Black Rage Conqueror A++]
[The only Space Marine in the history of the Blood Angels Chapter to overcome the curse of the "Black Rage." Not only did he escape the madness, but he also received a revelation from the original body, Saint Giles, and gained some unknown power.]
[Innate Skill: Psyker Master A++]
[One of the most powerful psykers in the entire Imperium. He can use telepathy, telekinesis, prophecy, time pause, spiritual physical psychic abilities, and other psychic powers, as well as fight against Daemon Princes and Chaos Daemons.]
[Innate Skill: Avatar of Death A]
[The title "Lord of Death" is embodied. His psychic energy can directly attack the enemy's soul, dealing incurable spiritual damage and granting himself strong vitality and regenerative ability.]
[Master of Both Arts A]
[Mephisto is a powerful psyker and an outstanding warrior, mastering close-quarters and long-range combat with a power sword and plasma pistol.]
[Noble Phantasm: Vita Russ — A+]
[Noble Phantasm: Wrath of the Ancients — A++]
[Noble Phantasm: Soul Reaper — EX]
"Now, in the name of the Emperor, the duel of honor officially begins!"
The moment the solemn announcement resounded through the barrier, Medusa's body exploded with magical energy, transforming into a streak of black light that tore through the air. She pushed her speed to the limit, aiming directly at Mephisto, who was still changing form, intending to use the most powerful surprise attack to determine the victor in a single blow.
However, Mephisto simply calmly opened his eyes.
In the next second, time and space became like a frozen lake, completely still!
The tyrant Gilgamesh crossed his arms, his eyes full of mockery. Seeing that others were suffering as he had, a sense of joy arose in his heart.
Mephisto slowly approached the frozen Medusa. The sword Vita Russ glowed with a soft aura, piercing her chest with an almost compassionate gentleness.
When the world resumed flowing, the holy sword piercing through his body was shocking.
Shirou Emiya, Fujimaru Ritsuka, and the others froze. Their pupils suddenly contracted, their hearts seemed to be squeezed by an invisible hand, and shock overwhelmed everyone.