Chapter Thirty-Three: The Seven Arrows of the Big Dipper / Chapter Thirty-Four: It's All Emiya's Fault for Feeding You So Well

Atalanta's figure vanished from before him in a flash, shooting rapidly ahead.

"Atalanta!"

Yuxian's rhythm was thrown off by her sudden move. Atalanta had acted on her own, and he had no idea what she intended to do.

"I'm going to take out the Pleiades!" Atalanta's voice carried back from afar. She was so fast that by the time she finished speaking, she had already run a great distance.

Aesthetics of Pursuit—Atalanta always came from behind to take the lead in races. She sped like the wind, and few could match her.

She darted through the battlefield, and the densely packed Gastrea posed no obstacle to her at all.

Her homeland, Arcadia, was a land of towering, unbroken mountains. Since childhood, Atalanta had leaped and played among the cliffs. It was a skill she had honed in the forests and made her own—Crossing Arcadia.

With this skill, she could move through any obstacle, even enemies.

Atalanta soon disappeared from Yuxian's sight. He could only shake his head helplessly at her unauthorized actions.

"Do not worry, Master. Atalanta can certainly handle something as insignificant as the Pleiades," Teacher Chiron said calmly.

Naturally, Yuxian believed Atalanta had the ability to kill the Pleiades. His original plan had been to deal with Aldebaran first, then clean up the Pleiades.

Now that Atalanta had taken the initiative to seek trouble with the Pleiades, that was fine too. They would no longer need to worry about a second round of Light Spears, giving everyone more time and allowing Yuxian to make arrangements more calmly.

"Senpai, Aldebaran is trying to retreat!" Mash had been carefully monitoring the entire battlefield. The moment she noticed Aldebaran's intention to withdraw, she immediately warned Yuxian.

Yuxian's heart jolted. Atalanta had just gone deep behind enemy lines alone to deal with the Pleiades. If Aldebaran and the Gastrea army were allowed to retreat, they would surround Atalanta. That could not be allowed.

No matter how strong Atalanta was, facing so many enemies at once would surely be difficult.

Yuxian immediately made his decision and shouted to everyone, "Hold it back! We absolutely cannot let it leave now!"

As the enemy retreated, they advanced. Seeing Aldebaran's desire to withdraw, the Civil Security Corps pushed forward, moving their line of fire ahead and refusing to let them escape so easily.

Yuxian said to Chiron beside him, "Teacher Chiron, Aldebaran is yours!"

Chiron nodded. The others would have trouble dealing with such a massive creature, so he was the most suitable choice. No matter what, Yuxian would not let Aldebaran leave this place alive.

Chiron accepted Yuxian's assignment and was just about to act when Gretel's voice sounded beside him.

"Come on, let's play together!"

A colorful fairy-tale book appeared in Gretel's hands. This was her true body. Her current appearance as a little girl had actually been transformed based on Alice's appearance. She herself was a Heroic Spirit born from Alice's wish.

The fairy-tale book floated before her, its pages turning on their own. Powerful magical energy radiated from her, immediately drawing everyone's attention.

"Every page whispers, every blade of grass is a bookmark. Every fairy tale is a good friend!"

Nursery Rhyme

Gretel activated her Noble Phantasm on her own at that moment. Yuxian was somewhat puzzled by her actions. Atalanta was one thing, but Gretel had always been obedient, acting like a lady. It was rare for her to make a decision on her own without consulting Yuxian.

"Jabberwocky, go play with that big ugly thing!"

Gretel activated her Noble Phantasm and summoned the Jabberwocky from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. It was an evil dragon, as tall as a dinosaur, with reptilian wings and scales covering its body. Its claws were long and sharp, and it had two tails, one pointing upward and the other downward.

"Master, it seems I will not need to act," Chiron said, shaking his head. The instant he saw the Jabberwocky, he lowered his hands and watched from the sidelines.

In terms of combat power alone, everyone here combined could not defeat the Jabberwocky. There was only one way to bring it down: defeat its master, Gretel.

However, Gretel's other Noble Phantasm—Perpetual Mechanism: Maiden Empire—was an Anti-Self, Anti-World Noble Phantasm that could rewind the time of herself and her summons. If she could not be defeated in an extremely short time, their game would continue forever.

Of course, as a Heroic Spirit manifested from a book, Gretel had a natural nemesis: writers.

That was why Gretel had always disliked Hans Christian Andersen. The endings of the fairy tales he wrote were especially excessive. Since she hated tragedies, she often went to pester him and protest.

"Jabberwocky has not come out to play in such a long time. Master will not be angry, right?" Gretel blinked and looked at Yuxian pitifully.

What could Yuxian possibly be angry about? Still, he kept a stern face, raised his hand, and pretended to be angry.

Seeing Yuxian raise his hand as if he wanted to hit her, Gretel revealed an incredulous expression. Based on her understanding of Yuxian, as long as she acted cute and pitiful, she would definitely be able to get away with it.

Her gaze stayed fixed on Yuxian's hand, following it as it moved. She saw him swing it down heavily, only to gently place it on her head and vigorously ruffle her neatly combed hair into a complete mess.

"Master, you're bullying a child!" Gretel protested unhappily against Yuxian's attempt to scare her. "I'm ignoring you!"

Gretel turned her back on Yuxian and began tidying the hair he had messed up.

Little Jeanne looked at Gretel with some envy. Her Noble Phantasm was meant to distribute gifts to children at Christmas and was unsuitable for the battlefield. Unwilling to accept that, she murmured softly, "I have to learn from my grown-up self and my original self..."

The Jabberwocky went straight for Aldebaran and began playing with it. It really was playing—the Jabberwocky had found an entertaining toy and kept teasing Aldebaran.

Once the Jabberwocky had latched onto it, Aldebaran's hope of leaving became nothing more than a fantasy. It let out an unwilling roar and fought the Jabberwocky with all its strength.

Unable to retreat from the battlefield, Aldebaran caused the entire Gastrea army to abandon its retreat as well. They surged forward once more.

Both sides returned to fierce combat.

Big Dipper Seven Arrows

The Jabberwocky's appearance also caused an uproar among everyone watching the war. A fairy-tale-like little girl had actually summoned such a ferocious evil dragon. It was entirely beyond their expectations.

They could not help wondering what other unbelievable things would happen in this war. What was playing on television no longer seemed like a battle concerning survival or extinction, but more like an incomparably thrilling film.

Everyone eagerly anticipated even more spectacular scenes to come. The tension brought by the war had vanished without a trace.

"Report! We have found the background of the little girl called Alice," a staff member reported. "After comparison, we can basically confirm that she is Alice, the protagonist of the fairy tale Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. The creature she summoned should be the Jabberwocky that Alice killed."

Unlike ordinary citizens watching it as though it were a blockbuster, those in power used the revealed information to investigate Yuxian and the others. It was not difficult to trace Gretel's identity through the Jabberwocky.

Yet the more they learned, the more confused they became. Heroes from mythology, castles from legend, and now figures from fairy tales—everything seemed so unbelievable, as though there was nothing Yuxian could not do.

And what about the others? Time and again, the facts had proven that every person beside Yuxian was extraordinary. By now, no one regarded the other children as ordinary children.

Yuxian himself was even more thought-provoking. What sort of identity did he possess, to gather so many legendary figures around him?

They were intensely curious about Yuxian's identity, but they also became more cautious of him. Their level of vigilance had been raised to the highest degree.

The unknown bred fear.

Yuxian's existence frightened them. Such power would undoubtedly shake the current order. For the time being, they had no idea what Yuxian wanted or what unexpected actions he might take.

Yuxian did not care about that. When he had asked Seitenshi to broadcast this war live, he had already prepared to reveal some information. Once the Aldebaran incident was resolved, it would be time to leave this world.

As for how people might speculate, that was not his concern. Leaving behind a myth-like legend sounded rather interesting.

The war continued. Unlike the viewers sitting before their televisions far away, the combat personnel on the front lines did not relax in the slightest.

Even with the Jabberwocky tying down Aldebaran, it merely increased everyone's confidence. The tension of battle had not lessened at all, and the tide-like swarm of Gastrea had not visibly decreased. They seemed endless, impossible to kill completely.

Atalanta leaped and weaved through the forest like an elf, searching for the Pleiades' exact location.

She was deeply moved by how Yuxian had always accommodated her wishes, and she hoped to contribute her own share. That was why she had come alone this time to eliminate the Pleiades and remove this threat.

As a legendary hero, she naturally possessed her own pride. She also wanted to demonstrate her worth rather than always relying on Yuxian to help her.

It had nothing to do with trust. It was merely a small private desire in her heart.

The Pleiades, the "Seven Sisters" cluster of Taurus—mere Gastrea. Atalanta did not take them seriously.

Among all the stars, the more famous group of seven was the Big Dipper, located in Ursa Major.

Ursa Major had a deep connection with Artemis, the moon goddess. Callisto had originally been one of Artemis's nymph attendants. Because she broke her vow of chastity, she was punished by the gods and transformed into a bear, then elevated into a constellation.

Atalanta had been raised on the milk of a mother bear, so Callisto held a special place in her heart. In addition, because of Artemis, Callisto had always taken very good care of her.

This was also the origin of Atalanta's Noble Phantasm, Big Dipper Seven Arrows. As long as she requested Callisto's aid, the seven stars of the Big Dipper in Ursa Major would fire meteor-like arrows at the target she designated.

Compared with her other Noble Phantasm, Petition Arrow Letter, through which she prayed to Artemis, the moon goddess, and Apollo, the sun god, Big Dipper Seven Arrows was even more powerful.

That was because, compared with the mighty moon goddess and sun god, Callisto of Ursa Major favored her more.

Atalanta understood this well, which was why she rarely used this Noble Phantasm. She did not wish to disturb Callisto too often, a goddess who had suffered such unfair treatment from fate.

The sky gradually darkened, and before she knew it, dusk was approaching. Stars slowly emerged overhead.

Atalanta finally found the Pleiades within a ravine. It was enormous, its limbs completely atrophied, making even movement and feeding difficult. Yet it was precisely this extreme specialization that allowed it to unleash the powerful Light Spear.

A massive group of Gastrea gathered around it, packed tightly together without leaving the slightest gap. They formed a tight defensive ring, protecting the Pleiades at its center.

Atalanta looked down into the valley from above. She could rush down and shoot every Gastrea below. That was not beyond her capabilities.

However, dusk was already close. She had wasted too much time searching for the Pleiades and did not wish to linger any longer. She wanted to return quickly so everyone would not worry.

Atalanta raised her head toward the Big Dipper. No longer hesitating, she designated the Pleiades in the valley as her target and solemnly released her Noble Phantasm.

"Ursa Major shining in the northern sky, beautiful and kind nymph of the moon goddess, Atalanta begs for your aid!"

Big Dipper Seven Arrows

As Atalanta's words fell, seven stars lit up in the northern sky. The spoon-shaped Big Dipper suddenly emitted an exceptionally dazzling radiance in the dim twilight, becoming incomparably clear.

The seven shining stars glittered brilliantly, firing arrows of light like meteors. Seven streaks of light formed a line, tore through the sky, and fell one after another.

The light arrows struck the Pleiades with incomparable precision. A single arrow pierced straight through the entire Pleiades, while the remaining arrows adjusted their trajectories and shot toward the surrounding Gastrea.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

After seven deafening explosions, the entire ravine shook violently. The surrounding mountain walls collapsed from the tremors, and boulders and earth tumbled down in torrents. The Gastrea in the valley fled everywhere, but the narrow space left them nowhere to escape. In the end, they could not avoid being buried.

Atalanta had already gone far away by then. The moment she released her Noble Phantasm, she turned and left without hesitation, racing back at full speed.

No one understood the power of Big Dipper Seven Arrows better than she did. There was no need to stay and watch the final result. The Pleiades' death had been decided the instant the Big Dipper fired its arrows of light.

It's All Because Emiya Fed You Too Well

"Report! Ursa Major was observed shining abnormally just now. The Big Dipper released powerful energy beams, and their target direction was... the Tokyo Area."

Inside a national leader's office, an intelligence officer carefully delivered the report.

"The Big Dipper?" Ever since Chiron fired Scorpio Shot from Sagittarius, high-ranking officials around the world had paid close attention to the constellations in the sky. The ability to draw upon the power of stars was worth observing and studying no matter what.

According to legend, several of Chiron's disciples had eventually become constellation heroes. Those constellations might not remain inactive either.

"It should be that female hero, correct? After all, both she and Ursa Major have deep ties to Artemis, the moon goddess."

"Yes. According to information sent back by personnel in the Tokyo Area, Atalanta went alone to find the Pleiades. The Big Dipper's beams should have been aimed at the Pleiades."

The intelligence officer truthfully reported the compiled information in detail. The Tokyo Area was currently the most closely watched place in the world, so it was only natural for every country and region to have intelligence personnel hidden there.

"Continue observing!"

"Yes!"

The same scenes played out across the world. No one would overlook the power of the stars. Whether in legend or reality, the stars had always been mysterious.

To draw upon stellar power, for beams fired from stars light-years away to reach the ground in an instant—such a thing had already exceeded the scope of modern scientific understanding.

They had secretly conducted a detailed investigation into Yuxian's identity, yet found nothing. It was as though he had appeared in the Tokyo Area out of thin air, with no prior record of existence whatsoever.

Mysterious, unknown, powerful.

These words had all become Yuxian's labels.

Atalanta returned quickly. Compared with the considerable time she had spent traveling out to find the Pleiades, her return journey took only the time it took to drink a cup of tea.

One moment, Yuxian had only just seen the Big Dipper's arrows of light fall. The next, Atalanta was standing beside him again.

"Master, the Pleiades have been eliminated." The instant she returned, Atalanta reported the result to Yuxian.

"Good work."

Yuxian nodded. With Atalanta back, the Pleiades' death was only to be expected. With her strength, failure was impossible.

The sky had already darkened, and night was about to fall. Yuxian did not wish to waste any more time here. He looked up at Gretel and said, "Alice, have the Jabberwocky finish Aldebaran quickly. The sooner we end this, the sooner we can go home."

Gretel turned her head away and ignored Yuxian. She was still angry over what had happened earlier and was sulking.

Yuxian shook his head helplessly. When children threw tantrums, there was nothing he could do. He would never force them through commands.

After all, what child did not throw a tantrum? Gretel acting this way was normal. It made her seem more like an ordinary little girl.

Atalanta had only just returned and did not know what had happened. She was somewhat confused, but after asking carefully, she learned the full story and made no judgment.