The atmosphere in the main hall gradually cooled down after the summoning ceremony ended.
A prolonged silence.
Just as the air was about to completely petrify the entire room.
"Okay!"
A crisp sound, like shattering glass, rang out.
Astolfo jumped up from his kneeling position.
"Now that the summoning ritual is over, shouldn't we do something more meaningful next?"
He stood with his hands on his hips, his large Roland eyes shining like two fully charged gems, and his canine teeth flashed at the corners of his mouth.
For example, introducing yourself!
"I'll go first! One of Charlemagne's Twelve Paladins —Rider, Astolfo! Nice to meet you!"
He bowed so dramatically to everyone that he almost threw himself off.
Celenike's wine-red pupils contracted slightly.
The Bottle of Reason.
The relic pointing to Roland.
It wasn't Roland who was summoned.
It's Astolfo.
He went from being the wielder of the holy sword Durandal to becoming the most famous of Charlemagne's Twelve Paladins... well, how should I put it... the knight known for "retrieving Roland's rationality from the moon".
Celenike's lips twitched.
But she quickly regained that chilling smile.
Her gaze swept over Astolfo from head to toe, as if taking his measurements.
Astolfo was unaware of the gaze directed at him.
He had already turned around and started looking for his next target to introduce himself.
Her Roland eyes swept around the room.
The bronze-skinned giant was enormous; I had to crane my neck to see his face, and his expression seemed rather unapproachable.
The man with long, silver-gray hair was still kneeling, and the aura around him was the kind that said, "Please don't talk to me, I'm socially awkward."
Finally, their gaze fell upon Mukuro Hoshimiya.
1.48 meters tall.
Big, golden curls.
Golden eyes.
A pinkish-purple cheongsam.
She was holding a key-shaped tin staff that was taller than herself.
Between a 2.5-meter giant and a 1.9-meter armored knight, she looked like a convenience store sandwiched between two buildings.
Astolfo's eyes lit up.
"You!"
He darted in two steps to Mukuro Hoshimiya, moving so fast that there wasn't even a sound of wind.
What's your name? What's your class?
The air currents created by the rush of air from the other person made Mukuro Hoshimiya's long golden hair blow backward.
She blinked.
Then he turned his head, looked over Astolfo's shoulder, and looked at Caules standing in the corner.
Caules froze the moment their eyes met.
The meaning in his eyes was clear: May I speak?
Exchanging real names is a major taboo in the Holy Grail War.
But now it's all within the Black Faction, everyone's on their own. And Darnic didn't stop Astolfo from introducing himself, which means he tacitly approved it.
Refusing would only make you seem guilty.
He nodded.
Mukuro Hoshimiya withdrew her gaze and looked again at the pink-haired knight in front of her who was smiling like a sunflower.
" Mukuro Hoshimiya."
"Class: Archer. Can provide ranged fire support."
"It can also help you temporarily improve your physical fitness."
That's about it.
"Marvelous!"
Astolfo clapped his hands together, making a crisp snapping sound.
"Long-range fire support plus physical enhancement! Isn't this the perfect support-type Servant?!"
I'll be counting on you for support from now on, Mukuro! Oh, and could you also help me level up later? I want to see if my coolness rating increases along with my strength!
"I have no idea."
"It's okay, you'll know once you try!"
Astolfo patted Mukuro Hoshimiya on the shoulder.
Considering the height difference, he actually photographed the top of Mukuro Hoshimiya's head.
Having accomplished one goal, Astolfo turned his attention to the next mountain.
Heracles.
He looked up.
His neck was bent backward at about seventy degrees.
"Hey you big guy over there! And you? And what's your name?"
Heracles lowered his head.
254 centimeters versus 164 centimeters.
The line-of-sight difference is nearly one meter.
Berserker's eyes were chaotic and murky; his pupils, soaked in Mad Enhancement abilities, showed almost no trace of human rationality.
This is due to the effects of B-rank Mad Enhancement.
For ordinary Heroic Spirit, this level of Mad Enhancement is enough to make them completely lose themselves.
But for Heracles...
This demigod hero, who completed the twelve impossible trials in mythology, cannot be completely stripped of his sanity even in B-level Mad Enhancement.
He still retained a minimum level of rationality.
He could even manage to speak, albeit with some difficulty.
Heracles looked at Fiore in her wheelchair.
Fiore's icy blue eyes met those murky, enormous eyes for a second.
She nodded slightly.
Heracles looked at Astolfo again.
Then he spoke.
" Hera... Cress."
"Class... Berserker."
Astolfo's Roland eyes widened.
It was filled with pure excitement.
" Heracles! The great hero Heracles! Really?!"
He turned around and shouted at the entire hall, as if afraid that someone might not have heard him.
"We have Heracles on our side! This lineup is too strong!"
Darnic's smile faltered for a moment when the name " Heracles " was shouted out.
However, he did not stop it.
Anyway, it's intelligence sharing within the Black Faction, and this name will be revealed sooner or later.
He silently did some calculations in his mind.
The intended class was Archer, but the actual summoned class was Berserker.
It's crooked.
But thankfully, someone arrived.
Something is better than nothing.
Heracles is Heracles; regardless of his class, he is a mobile fortress wherever he stands.
Darnic quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
at the same time.
Hundreds of kilometers away.
No, to be precise, it should be multiple outposts scattered throughout Europe.
The Mage's Association's intelligence network is now operating at high speed.
The Yggdmillennia wants to summon Heracles.
This information was no secret within the Mage's Association.
To counter this most powerful demigod in Greece mythology, the Red Faction faction's Servant lineup was specifically designed to counter him.
Lancer, Karna.
Son of Surya, the sun god in India mythology, and one of the greatest demigod heroes in Human History, comparable to Heracles.
Clad in golden armor called the " Shemesh Armor," impervious to blades and spears, and wielding Spear of Certain Death, he is capable of slaying gods.
Assassin, Semiramis.
The Assyrian Empress, a pioneer of poison.
Her Noble Phantasm, " Hanging Gardens of Babylon," is a completely independent floating fortress. Inside the garden, she can summon a large number of poison-attribute magical beasts, including Hydra.
The venom of the Hydra is said to be the very thing that killed Heracles.
The relationship of restraint is clear.
Rider, Achilles.
Another top demigod in Greece mythology. Immortal, the fastest human.
The Clock Tower specially prepared a special artifact to summon him, and successfully summoned him as a Rider.
Greece against Greece, demigods against demigods—it's easier to find a breakthrough when power systems share a common origin.
In addition, the Red Faction also provided a Hydra larva to the Free Master, Kairi Shishigou, who was hired to participate in the battle.
As an additional insurance for Heracles.
Karna uses direct pressure to contain the enemy.
Semiramis's Hydra swarm suppressed the poison.
Achilles a high-speed attack, searching for an opening.
As long as these three Servant can work together --
Even Heracles.
perhaps.
Maybe.
It must have been quite painful for them.
The perspective shifts back to the Millennia Fortress.
The real name exchange has reached its final stage.
Astolfo, Mukuro Hoshimiya, Heracles.
The true names of the three Servant have been revealed.
There's only one left.
All eyes turned to the left side of the hall.
The man with long, grey-silver hair finally stood up.
He was about to speak.
"No need."
An anxious voice cut in from the side.
Gordes Musik Yggdmillennia.
"My Saber doesn't need to reveal her real name to you."
The air in the hall instantly transformed from pudding back into jelly.
"Saber, from this moment on, you are not allowed to reveal your real name to anyone."
Gordes turned his head and spoke to Siegfried in a commanding tone.
"And no one is allowed to speak out of turn. Don't say a word without my permission. Do you understand?"
Siegfried looked at his Master.
There was no Wrath, no dissatisfaction, not even disappointment in those eyes that were half-hidden by long hair.
"... Understood."
Quiet.
It lasted for about two seconds.
"Ha?"
Astolfo's Roland eyes were round like two marbles.
He turned to look at Celenike. Celenike's smile had vanished, and a clear displeasure appeared in her wine-red eyes.
"Wait a moment."
It wasn't Astolfo who spoke.
It's Celenike.
She took a step forward, her long, black, curly hair swaying behind her in an arc. The way she looked at Gordes was like looking at a lump of chewing gum stuck to the sole of a shoe.