One homunculus had escaped. Among the homunculi, it possessed sufficient qualities to be used as the core for Avicebron's Noble Phantasm, so the Black Faction had no intention of letting it go.
However, moved by its desire to live, the Black Rider, Astolfo, had been hiding it. The Black Archer, Chiron, cooperated to an extent, but since they were still within the Black Faction, it was bound to be discovered eventually.
Astolfo refused his Master's order to find and capture it, secretly took it, and escaped from the Black Holy Grail.
But it didn't take long for the Black Faction to find out.
Gordolf Musik, who wanted to earn merit, had quickly pursued with the Black Saber, Siegfried. No matter how fast a Rider, with his Master present, he couldn't recklessly summon his Noble Phantasm, Hippogriff. Relying on simple running, he was eventually confronted by Siegfried.
"Run, now!"
"Rider..."
Astolfo, though weak, intended to buy time against Siegfried as a Paladin. But Gordolf had no intention of letting the still-unwell homunculus escape. Although called a third-rate mage, his passion and will were not inferior to a first-rate's.
He tried attacking with all his might using magecraft, but he was not a mage so weak as to lose to a newly born homunculus. It was eventually subdued by Gordolf's reinforced fist.
Similarly subdued, Astolfo asked Siegfried if this was right for a hero.
He pondered briefly, then as if making a big decision, released Astolfo and started to walk away...
"Here you are. Thanks to you, it took time to find you."
""!?""
"An enemy Master!"
A man appeared in the dark night forest. Having felt no presence at all, Siegfried and Astolfo were startled. Since it wasn't Sagara Hyouma, the Black Assassin's Master who hadn't arrived yet, Gordolf immediately concluded it was an enemy Master.
"Saber! Him first!"
"... Understood."
Originally, he would have sacrificed himself to save the homunculus, but doing so with an enemy present would get everyone killed. He had no choice but to stop the enemy first...
"Will you be okay? I think going alone is unreasonable."
Clang!!!
"Ugh!?"
Siegfried, who ranks among the top in defense and skill even among great heroes. However, he was pushed back by an incredibly heavy strike.
"Ah, to feel such emotions towards him when Sigurd is right here, I shouldn't..."
"It's okay, my love. I don't doubt your love."
"You're so considerate... My, my heart is getting all hot..."
"... Run, Master. It seems this place will be my grave."
"What are you saying!? Are you saying you might lose!?"
"I don't think I can handle these two simultaneously."
"What foolish talk!? You're certain of defeat!? Just who are those two!?"
"I'll also help──"
Kang!!!
"If you're not busy, how about taking a little break?"
"Oh my~? Am I, perhaps, dreaming...?"
"It might be a dream, or it might not~☆ Today, I'm a little serious, you see~"
"Serious, you say~? Reminds me of adventuring with Charlemagne?"
Saber Astolfo, swinging a long bastard sword, walked slowly forward.
The Black Rider smiled wryly and drew his lance.
Astolfo grinned and swung his sword. It was Hephaestus's net, which caught Aphrodite and Ares, transformed into a sword.
In short, a Divine Construct.
Since it was originally a net, its reach when transformed into a sword was immense.
*Swish!!!*
He swung it skillfully, the sword lashing out like a whip. Extremely proficient with a sword swung like Altria's, the swordsmanship he learned from her was of a level even the Black Rider, the same person, found hard to read.
"Fast!"
"Just fast~!? Don't underestimate Chaldea's 7-Star Usagi~!"
Bunny 7-Star. It was never officially formed, but it refers to six notable figures with a bunny theme.
Casino OwnerㆍSwimsuit Artoria Ruler, Slaughter BunnyㆍShiki, Murder RabbitㆍPol Bunny, Midwinter RabbitㆍAstolfo, Piercing BunnyㆍScáthach, Rabbit BeastmanㆍCaenis, Lewd RabbitㆍSwimsuit Artoria Caster.
Of course, it was entirely something Astolfo decided on his own. It's no secret Caenis was furious and tried to stab him to death over it.
"What's that!? Amazing!"
"Amazing, right~!?"
"Stop playing around... Really, still no sense of reason. Well then..."
Dumpty moved to retrieve the homunculus...
Crunch!
"... Oh my?"
Immediately, a stake rising from the ground pierced Dumpty.
"An impious intruder, I see. In modern terms, one who has taken the initiative, I suppose."
Vlad III walked into the forest. Along with him came Avicebron, led by his golems, and Frankenstein as well.
"My, was tonight's menu Humpty Dumpty skewers?"
Dumpty, skewered and dangling from the stake. However, the stake did not pierce through him. Only his clothes were slightly torn; Dumpty fell down unharmed.
Thud.
Landing lightly, Dumpty brushed dust off his clothes and looked at Vlad.
"Quite impressive, to be unharmed. You seem no ordinary mage."
"Well~ How about calming down first?"
"Calm down? You who have invaded my territory dare to──"
"Calm down... Everyone, I still have no intention of killing you."
At his words, Vlad was momentarily perplexed, when instantly an immense killing intent filled the entire forest. It was a tremendous killing intent that made even Vlad, who had traversed battlefields, feel his body go numb.
"Don't worry~ Of course, if I had put on a show, who knows what the kids would have done? But right now, my body is damn sturdy."
"... Just what are you."
"Me? Well... Satan?"
"Satan? You dare call yourself that before me?"
Though known as the Impaler, he was a devout believer, to the point of having a fanatical aspect. He frowned at this...
"What's this~ I thought I was just a sidepiece this time, but was I the main event?"
""!!!!""
Thou art the Messiah.
The Red Dragon of the Apocalypse and the Antichrist.
Beast IV/R・Nero Draco
An existence of impossibility beyond the three Neros. An emperor who denied and persecuted Christianity, simultaneously becoming an object of terror within it. Also, the one who executed Peter, the first Pope and first Apostle.
Truly the death and nightmare of Christianity.
From Vlad III, a devout believer, to Avicebron, who sought to recreate the first human Adam, and even Frankenstein, born with the goal of becoming the first woman Eve.
She was an existence that denied their very foundations.
"What is it? Are you afraid? You are feeling fear. You are feeling fear towards me. Truly human-like. However, you lack the courage to overcome it and fight? Of course. I am the Antichrist who denies your very foundations. The Red Dragon itself. Or shall I carve the number 666 upon your foreheads?"
Vlad III felt the words of the Beast Emperor before him were not false. Avicebron was instinctively overwhelmed by the outrageous magical energy, and Frankenstein, though an artificial human, possessed pure emotions and was thus overwhelmed by pure terror, finding it hard even to breathe.
"Ku, kuh... Kuhahaha! How truly laughable!? Just moments ago you treated my retainer as a mere Mage's Association mage, and now you cannot even speak from fear? How foolish and pathetic! How utterly pathetic and pitiful these lives are! Can this be called heroic?"
"That's enough, stop there. It was a somewhat liked outfit, but I have ones I like more, so it's fine. Originally, a man can easily last a week with one or two sets of clothes."
"Do change clothes more often, my retainer. Of course, the longer you wear them, the better your scent clings to the clothes, but that nurse will nag you about hygiene."
"Lately, she seems to have gone a bit crazy; one kiss and she'd probably let it slide. Might even try to assault me under the guise of a thorough examination."
"Hmm, that is a bit serious."
And Dumpty, having such nonsensical conversation and talking calmly with such an existence. On the contrary, that approached as an even greater terror. To anyone watching, an unremarkable layabout conversing with the Antichrist about trivial matters and being called a retainer?
The retainer of the Red Dragon. If he is the retainer of the Red Dragon, equated with Satan... then beyond that, there would be none other than Satan, or further, Lucifer.
Vlad III broke into a cold sweat at this realization, and Siegfried stopped fighting and stood guarding Gordolf.
"Well, this should be enough. Let's go back. Our business is finished. How boring, as expected~"
Dumpty brushed it off, put his hands in his pockets, and left the forest. His Servants disappeared with him, and Vlad III, vexed by the appearance of an outrageous existence, struck the ground with his spear in frustration.
=====================================
"My retainer, have you nothing to say?"
"Hmm?"
On the way from the forest to the lodging.
Draco was hesitantly dropping hints, as if wanting praise from me.
Really, her essence is no different from Nero's.
That such a girl is one aspect of a Beast, and the Antichrist at that. Well, looking at Kama, who is Mara Papiyas, the adversary of Shakyamuni...
None of the proper Beasts are normal.
At this level, even if Manaka appeared as a Beast, honestly, it probably wouldn't be any different.
"Good work, Draco. You saw how they couldn't even speak before the dignity you showed? That's how amazing you are. As expected, you're my Emperor."
Such a spoiled little Emperor.
I'm getting hungry, let's return to the lodging quickly. On the way back, the Nordic couple was flirting as expected. I absolutely do not want to get between those two. If I get between them, my back will break like a shrimp's, and I'll get skewered by Brynhildr alongside Sigurd.
"I'm back~"
"Welcome back, my lord!"
Ushiwakamaru, who ran out first, hugged me, and I patted her head. Following her, Atalanta Alter who ran in also had her head patted, and I went inside.
"You're back..."
"You're looking forward to dinner, right?"
"Th, that's not true!"
Jeanne d'Arc, still playing hard to get. Knowing she would, I prepared my drug.
"Tamamo, that thing... it's ready, right?"
"Of course~"
What Tamamo brought out with a beaming smile was chicken.
And it was bburinkle flavor. This is it. No matter how delicious the delicacies are, one cannot resist modern MSG-laden chicken!
This taste with a glass of cola. For those who like alcohol, beer is the best combination. Korea's national food is chicken. Although it's no longer commoner food these days.
"Haah... This taste. I missed this taste. So, how is it?"
"... I'm sorry, Lord. I have, indeed, fallen in terms of taste..."
Heh, this is the taste of modernity.
"Fufufu, now your body can't live without me."
"Wh, what are you planning to make me do...! Surely, that kind of thing...."
"Ugh, I will absolutely not yield!"
"What is she talking about? With Jeanne here, why would I seduce you?"
"........"
Look at the level of her thinking, truly a virgin saint. Did she come from Hitomi?
"It's nothing much, I just have something I'd like you to accompany me with."
"What is it?"
"Ah, NTL."
"...?"
Jeanne d'Arc's face said she must have heard wrong.
"You heard right. I'm thinking of giving some despair to that Holy Grail-summoning bastard~ I used so many Saint Quartz on him, and he still didn't come. Do you know how much I used? Thanks to that, I lived on instant noodles for a month. Desire Sensor is shit."
"... I don't understand, but is it personal resentment?"
"Sorry, but I'm not a good guy, you see? Play the role of the golden sun for me, will you help? Fair Ruler-chan."
"Th, that kind of thing..."
I handed her a chicken drumstick, and Jeanne d'Arc, who had finished her own portion, gulped and nodded. Too easy. This is why virgin saints are like this.
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