The Final Note

"I am Richard I Lionheart King, Lord of the Crusades, a king like a lion, who has always marched forward with the King of Knights as his idol. This time, I will, together with my companions, display our own glory!"

He loudly proclaimed his true name, Lionheart King Richard I, and began his actions. The next moment, seven beams of light of different colors suddenly emanated from behind him, then condensed into seven different colored phantoms in the night sky, appearing beside him like war gods, and rushing towards Cú Chulainn with him.

[Noble Phantasm: The Lion Roars for the Round Cross!]

This is a special Noble Phantasm that evolved from the Crusaders led by Lionheart King during his lifetime. Its nature is the same as the Ionian Hetairoi. This Noble Phantasm can summon seven Heroic Spirit who are connected to Richard I as Servant to assist in battle. These include: Pellias, the knight who survived the battle on the Battlefield of Camlann; Pierre Basilé, the crossbowman who successfully shot Lionheart King; Wilfred, who impersonated Ivanhoe; Nimue, the Maiden of the Lake; William Marshall, the top cavalryman of the time; Robin Hood Locksley; and so on.

Its effect is similar to the legendary Sevenfold War Gods!

Each time these seven are summoned simultaneously, Lionheart King gains boundless confidence and a significant boost in all aspects of his being.

This time, he will once again crush his powerful enemy, achieve final victory, and let the name of the Crusaders resound once more.

"Very good, that's how it should be! Lionheart King!"

Seeing this, Cú Chulainn gripped his crimson magic spear tightly, and surging magic power swirled around it.

Clearly, he was ready to crush all his enemies.

The reason it is called "no next strike" is not only because of the special nature of his Noble Phantasm, which is a terrifying shot that is bound to hit its mark, but also because he will pour all his power into this strike.

This was his all-out attack; there was absolutely no way there could be a stronger attack.

He wanted to show respect to the opponents he respected through this.

Just as Cú Chulainn's terrifying killing move was gathering momentum and ready to be unleashed, seven illusory figures on the other side, along with Lionheart King, charged towards Cú Chulainn with overwhelming force. Seven golden streams of different colors began to converge on Lionheart King's replica sword blade.

At this moment, although it was merely a metal replica of Excalibur that Reines had commissioned, it radiated an extraordinary brilliance in Lionheart King's hands. The golden light flowing across it was as dazzling as the real Excalibur, illuminating Lionheart King's eyes.

"--Take this!"

Finally, the two of them suddenly spoke at the same time.

The next instant, two guns and swords of different colors suddenly burst forth amidst their shouts.

[--The Everlasting Distant Sword of Victory (Excalibur)!!!]

[--The Gáe Bolg (Gaebolg)!!!]

Under each other's gaze, the two roared and unleashed their strongest attacks.

The dark purple spiral and the golden stream of light suddenly converged in a flash, and in an instant, accompanied by a blinding flash of light, even the entire night sky above suddenly changed color.

Chapter 389 The Final Note

What surges forth is the breath of stars; what shimmers is the torrent of life.

On one side is a crimson demonic light, the strongest, all-consuming strike unleashed by a warrior who has poured all his knowledge into his demonic spear—a unique, single-point annihilation Noble Phantasm.

On the other side, there was a flash of royal light, the blazing radiance of a king who had gathered all his trusted companions and united their strength, carrying with him the longing for his idol. Although the holy sword in his hand was just a fake, the torrent gathered by his sword was a powerful, wide-area annihilation Noble Phantasm capable of destroying everything.

This is a battle that cannot be stopped; the fighting has reached a point where it cannot be easily halted.

Furthermore, due to the release of their Noble Phantasm, the two of them can probably foresee their own fate, something they could see from the very beginning.

Lionheart King's perception was correct; Cú Chulainn's magic spear possessed the power of cause and effect, making it impossible for him to dodge it, even if he combined the power of his seven companions. Although his speed had truly reached its limit at this moment, the same applied to his Ex.

However, he was also glad that he hadn't chosen to run away like a coward, but instead faced it head-on, which gave him the chance to shine one last time.

Seven companions, seven fellow travelers, seven guardians who have been by his side for a long time, have now joined him again on a new and unprecedented expedition, radiating the glory of a king and Crusaders.

Therefore, he had nothing more to say.

All he could do was to display his strength at all costs, so that the expedition wouldn't be so boring or end so sadly.

The power of seven partners is combined.

It imitates King Arthur's Sword of Promised Victory.

At this moment, although he knew that his holy sword was just a fake, Lionheart King believed that his holy sword still possessed power no weaker than that of King Arthur.

This is his pride, his expedition, everything that belongs to him; it is the roar of a lion, and also the cheer of his soul.

Cú Chulainn absolutely could not dodge this sword strike; he too would have to take the hit of his own Noble Phantasm.

Indeed, in Cú Chulainn's vision, the seven figures appearing behind Lionheart King, along with the golden torrent, were already sweeping towards him.

The speed was too fast, the power too great, and the range too wide; even if he wanted to dodge, he absolutely couldn't, let alone...

He had no intention of hiding at all.

On the battlefield, a warrior must bravely advance, and never retreat is the only correct choice. Even facing the demonic spear that meant certain death, that king still chose to fight with all his might. If he had retreated, Cú Chulainn would not have been able to forgive himself.

So, he chose to give it one last shot.

Let's have a close encounter with the torrent of Lionheart King.

Thinking of this, both Lionheart King and Cú Chulainn smiled involuntarily.

It's obvious they all share the same idea.

There's no need to overthink it, no need to consider the outcome. This is a battle where death is inevitable, a battle where mutual destruction is certain.

With guaranteed hits and area-of-effect attacks, their agility was rendered useless; neither could dodge the other's Noble Phantasm, nor did they have the energy to block Noble Phantasm.

They had foreseen this outcome.

However, even knowing they were doomed, they had few regrets.

This is probably because they've met a worthy opponent worth fighting for.

Then there's nothing to regret.

Just thinking about their respective Master made them feel a little guilty, after all, they had both made a promise to help them win the battle.

The fact that he had to be eliminated in the very first battle was something that heroes and kings found hard to admit.

However, that's how war is; no one can predict its course, and life is fleeting, like fireworks. As soldiers, they have accepted this fate.

I will have no regrets even if I die.

However, even if they are unlucky enough to survive this battle, there will still be only one thing they need to do, and that is...

To make the other person die a satisfying death at all costs!!

This is the romance between these warriors and knights!!

A fight to the death, until the very end.

The art of battle between knights and kings.

That's how things should have been, but...

Boom!!

Soon, a deafening roar suddenly erupted on the battlefield, the commotion as loud as a meteorite hitting the earth, sending up clouds of dust.

Even the asphalt, cement, and steel bars beneath their feet were shaken and flew everywhere at this moment.

"What on earth is that?!"

Above the overpass, Shirou stared wide-eyed at the scene below in disbelief.

Although the bridge in Fuyuki City had been demolished due to the hero's battle and would definitely need to be rebuilt, he, as the supervisor, was unable to utter a single word, and even his hands were trembling uncontrollably.

Faced with this unimaginable battle, common sense had long since crumbled, and he was almost speechless.

Shinji Matou, on the other hand, was even more exaggerated; he simply couldn't bear to watch any longer.

Upon witnessing this scene, he realized that the mystical world he had longed for was nothing more than a fairytale kingdom constructed from his barren imagination; what lay beneath was the true cruelty and horror of the mystical world.

Anyone who touches the edge of the vortex will be crushed without exception.

As they watched the final showdown below, the three men on the overpass were completely speechless. They held their breath, observing this battle that was destined to end in death, and dared not utter a sound.

The two fighters battling fiercely below were like gladiators in an arena, giving their all for their beliefs. The scene was solemn and dignified; no sound was needed, only a silent gaze was sufficient—this was a sign of respect for the fight.

The three of them were fortunate enough to witness such a battle, which was a kind of...

Lucky.

That long-dormant heart also felt a long-lost surge of excitement.

Indeed, since ancient times, battle has been the most exhilarating thing.

But just as they silently watched, wanting to witness the final demise of this hero and king.

What should have been a fight to the death was shattered by a black meteorite falling from the sky.

With a deafening roar, a dark figure, stepping on light, burst into the battlefield like a meteor, descending from the sky without warning and landing steadily in the center of the two.

The next moment, he suddenly raised his arms.

At this moment, to his left was a single-point annihilation Noble Phantasm powerful enough to pierce the heart, and to his right was a wide-area annihilation Noble Phantasm capable of completely melting the entire Fuyuki City Bridge.

"What?!"

The scene before them greatly shocked the two combatants.

After all, even an enemy who wants to reap the benefits wouldn't do something so foolish as to recklessly rush into the battlefield. Because if he gets stuck in the middle, there's only one fate for him: first, his heart will be pierced by the Gáe Bolg, and then his body will be pulverized into nothingness by the Lionheart King's golden sword.

Only...

Even sandwiched in the very center, the pitch-black giant, as solid as an iron tower, remained as steady as a mountain. With a bronze giant axe in his left hand and a pitch-black heavy sword in his right, he unleashed his strongest Noble Phantasm in the next instant.

"--Shoot Nine Lives (Nine Lives)."

In the next instant, Hercules slowly raised the giant axe and the greatsword in his left and right hands, drawing conspicuous trajectories in the air at an extremely fast speed. Then, an earth-shattering aura suddenly erupted, crashing down heavily to meet the two attacks coming from different directions.

The Starfall from the Radiant Sword had already washed over his giant axe, but he parried it steadily. Even at such close range, the bursting golden torrent continued to wash over his body, scorching every inch of his skin, but the massive figure did not retreat an inch.

On the other side, the Gáe Bolg, which was clearly heading straight for the heart and was bound to pierce everything, was forced to deviate from its trajectory due to the powerful interference of the greatsword. However, this still could not stop its determination to hit the target. Seeing this, Hercules did not hesitate at all and directly grabbed the shaft of the Gáe Bolg with his other hand. Although the speed was too fast, the heat generated by the rotation was too great, and an extreme heat had begun to erupt in Hercules' palm.

Although it was invisible, Hercules' flesh must have been charred from the rapid spinning of the Gáe Bolg and the intense heat. It's even possible that the outer layers of flesh were being peeled away layer by layer. No matter how you look at it, this was undoubtedly an unimaginable and horrific form of torture.

Even so, Hercules, like a towering giant, remained expressionless. His steps and his hands did not change or retreat. He stood there, transforming himself into an insurmountable barrier, using his body as a shield to withstand the light of the King's Sword. He used his palms as a cage for the Gáe Bolg, completely ending this causal attack. He was the most invincible hero.

Cause and effect, speed, and glory will all be shattered before his invincible power. His very existence is the greatest miracle, and that is Hercules.

"You must be kidding!"

And indeed, when Cú Chulainn saw Hercules's hand, which was already a bloody mess and smelled burnt, but was still tightly gripping the Hercules, his eyes widened in astonishment.

After all, this was the first time in his two lives that he had seen someone so resolute, actually using such a method to withstand the attack of the Gáe Bolg and forcibly stop it.

Although the Gáe Bolg is said to always hit the heart, a shot of cause and effect, nothing is absolute, and the Gáe Bolg is not without the possibility of being blocked.

Although speed is not an option, there have been instances where special defensive Noble Phantasm or luck have been used to determine and dodge attacks.

But...

This was the first time he had ever seen someone use a greatsword to deflect the trajectory of the spear, then use their palm to create a cage, fearlessly forcing the Gáe Bolg to a stop.

Undeterred by the threat of death, they used their own flesh and blood, their bodies, and their will to resist, regarding themselves as a prison, willing to pay the price to withstand the demonic spear. What kind of resolve is this?

What kind of man is this?!

Cú Chulainn stared at the tall man with disbelief.

Meanwhile, Lionheart King and the Sevenfold War Gods behind him were also completely shocked by Hercules.

The sword of kingship and the glory of kings were all cleaved in two by this man's giant axe, and the torrent that erupted was completely blocked by his body, not a single drop was lost, and not even a fraction of it spread out.

Not only was Cú Chulainn's demonic spear shattered, but his King's Sword was also completely destroyed. Even the seven phantom companions behind him were instantly shattered by Hercules' giant axe the moment they clashed with Nine Lives. This caused the Lionheart King, who had lost the blessing of the Sevenfold War Gods, to freeze in his tracks. Even the replica of the Excalibur in his hand was broken as expected.

In that instant, the entire battlefield fell into dead silence.

The demonic spear was forced to stop, and the king's sword was broken.

The torrent of magic ceased there, and all the dazzling light vanished without a trace.

All the kings and heroes were stunned into immobility, while only one towering giant remained standing in the center of the battlefield.

When the smoke cleared, everyone finally saw the figure of the God of War, his body emitting white smoke and his hands revealing white bones.

Lionheart King and Cú Chulainn found it difficult to express the complex emotions they were experiencing.

They intruded into their battle without permission and then single-handedly blocked their strongest attack, a desperate act fueled by their burning fighting spirit. Logically, they should be furious. Their contest, a competition for the path of kings and the name of heroes, had been interrupted, and their fair and unrepentant battle had been destroyed.

But...

Looking at that tall figure, neither of them felt any such emotion.

Their eyes held only admiration, admiration for the strong.

Bystanders are often confused, while those involved see things clearly.

Only the two of them could truly understand the combined power of the two Noble Phantasm. Rune, Gáe Bolg, Sevenfold War Gods, King's Radiance—no one understood the terror of that attack better than them. Yet, the dark giant before them used sheer strength, without resorting to any underhanded tactics, to meet their strongest attack squarely and squarely from the very center.