Who Exactly Is Scheming Against Whom?

Asterios and Heracles fought from the bow of the Golden Hind all the way to the stern, leaving the deck wrecked.

Though Asterios was not very bright, even he could tell that if they kept fighting on this ship, their strength alone would be enough to tear it apart!

The Golden Hind was different from Edward Teach's Queen Anne's Revenge and Jason's Argo. Those were Noble Phantasms, but Drake's ship was an ordinary vessel that genuinely existed in this era.

"AAAAAH—!" Asterios suddenly lunged, trying to tackle Heracles into the water.

But Heracles was incredibly fast. He spun aside, evading Asterios's charge while driving his knee hard into Asterios's abdomen.

"Pfft—Ugh—" Asterios coughed up blood from the blow.

Then Heracles grabbed Asterios's great axe with one hand and kicked him hard in the face with his heavy foot, forcing Asterios to let go.

"Hey—"

Watching Asterios get tossed around by Heracles, Euryale was frantic. She tried to use her enchantment magecraft to help Asterios out of the predicament, only to find that even her high-ranking enchantment magecraft had no effect on Heracles at all!

"Mental magecraft won't work! Hijikata Toshizo, go help him!" Lawrence shouted.

"Release your Noble Phantasm directly and blast Heracles off the ship!" Fujimaru Ritsuka shouted the order.

The Command Spell on the back of his hand lit up as well.

"OOOOOH—!" Under the Command Spell's enhancement, Hijikata Toshizo's eyes turned bloodshot.

"Flag of Sincerity—"

BOOM—

CLANG—!

The katana collided with the great axe. With the Command Spell's enhancement, Hijikata Toshizo could barely contend with Heracles.

"—IS IMMORTAL, AAAAAAH!!!!!!"

Forcing Heracles back a single step, Hijikata Toshizo drew his rifle.

The magical energy concentrated around the rifle was so dense that even Asterios standing nearby felt frightened.

BOOM BOOM BOOM—!!!

At point-blank range, Hijikata Toshizo's Noble Phantasm