I Am Honkai

"Cough, cough... Priest, thank you for using the Command Spell to recall me. I acted impulsively," Atalanta said with a few coughs.

"It's fine..." Amakusa Shirou Tokisada, descending the steps, shook his head gently. "But Archer, you should be aware that all three of your Command Spells have been used up now..."

"...Meaning that, Archer, your connection to your Master is now only the magical energy supply. You will no longer be able to receive the Command Spell's abilities for teleportation or enhancement, nor will your Master be able to issue you any further direct orders."

Previously, Semiramis had needed to deal with the sudden assault led by Black Lancer Vlad III and the Yggdmillennia Servants. In her haste, she had used Command Spells to attempt to recall Red Rider Achilles and Red Archer Atalanta.

At that time, Achilles and Atalanta had already been caught within Selene's Noble Phantasm, Honkai Dimension, preventing the Command Spells from taking effect. But Semiramis had been unaware of this and had used two spells in her panic.

Thanks to Achilles' desperate rescue, Atalanta had been saved by the second teleportation Command Spell, while Achilles was completely consumed by the dimensional attack. Even though Semiramis used all of the Red Rider's Command Spells, she received no response.

Amakusa Shirou could already sense the loss of both Red Rider Achilles and Black Assassin Jack the Ripper. Achilles was gone, officially removed from the battlefield.

The only silver lining was that Berserker Spartacus was still in Black's possession. His Noble Phantasm properties posed an opportunity, and if used well, it could deliver an unexpected advantage.

"Ah... I understand. In the next battle, I'm prepared to fight to the death... The final showdown has begun, hasn't it?"

Clutching her abdomen, Atalanta coughed softly as she slowly stood up, her eyes scanning the surroundings.

"This is the Noble Phantasm Assassin was preparing all along, isn't it? Our trump card, finally complete," Atalanta remarked as she took in her surroundings.

What she saw was a vast, empty hall. The structure was domed, with gold and silver fixtures arranged in precise geometric patterns—diamonds and V-shapes perfectly aligned. The floor was smooth and dark-toned, giving the hall a solemn, grand feel.

At the center of the hall stood a massive pyramid-shaped dais, with thick silver lines crossing in complex, interwoven designs. The steps leading up were covered in luxurious red carpets, and at the very top sat an ornately designed, darkly opulent throne.

Seated on the throne was the figure of Red Assassin Semiramis, dressed in her elegant black attire, gazing down like an queen surveying her subjects.

And that made sense—after all, wasn't Semiramis the Queen of Assyria?

"Yes, our trump card is ready. Now, it's our turn to strike back," Amakusa Shirou said with a nod, casting his gaze toward the throne, where the darkly regal figure sat. He smiled softly.

"So, how do you like my garden? The Hanging Gardens of Babylon?"

Hearing this, Semiramis let out a soft laugh. "Though I may only be a half-baked Caster, barely dabbling in magic, this garden of vanity will surely meet your expectations."

"It had better... Priest, I don't want to pour cold water on this, but I should remind you, Black Rider hasn't shown her full power yet. She only used part of her strength to defeat both me and Achilles."

Glancing around at the others in the garden hall—Master Kairi Sisigou, Saber Mordred, and Lancer Karna—Atalanta's expression grew serious.

"That's exactly why we must work together..."

Clap, clap.

"Archer, please share what you've learned about Black Rider's latest abilities," Amakusa Shirou said, drawing everyone's attention.

"Confirmed so far, aside from her massive spear, Black Rider possesses at least four Noble Phantasms. The first is a high-level Reality Marble that suppressed Black Assassin Jack the Ripper's."

"The second..." Atalanta lowered her head, thoughtfully placing her hand on her chin before continuing, "Her silver armor—it's likely a defensive Noble Phantasm on par with Lancer Karna's, possibly even enhanced with more blessings."

"Similar to mine?" Karna, who had been standing stoically, arms crossed, opened his eyes slightly at her words.

"Yes." Nodding toward Karna, Atalanta recalled the brutal and terrifying battlefields she had witnessed in Selene's Reality Marble. She spoke gravely, "Third—a Noble Phantasm capable of summoning a massive army. And fourth, though it's just speculation... What kind of mount does a Rider with divinity ride?"

"I doubt it's anything ordinary. Given her stature as a divine being—no, I'm certain of it—her mount must be of a Divine Beast class."

"Sigh, such a troublesome enemy. This Holy Grail War is overflowing with absurdly powerful combatants..." Kairi Sisigou sighed deeply as he sat cross-legged on the floor. He cast a glance at Mordred, who was still eating non-stop beside him.

Originally, getting Saber—the most balanced and generally strongest class—had given Kairi Sisigou some confidence. But looking at both allies and enemies, he couldn't help but feel overwhelmed.

Among allies: Assassin Semiramis, the Queen of Assyria; Lancer Karna, son of the Sun God Surya; Rider Achilles, one of Greek mythology's greatest heroes. Even though Kairi Sisigou hadn't met him, Achilles' reputation alone made it clear he was an extraordinary combatant.

Among enemies: Rider Selene, an unknown divine ruler; Saber Siegfried, the dragonslayer hero; Archer Chiron, the wise centaur and teacher of heroes…

Gods above—this Romanian Holy Grail War was truly a battle of demigods. In a normal Grail War, summoning any one of these figures would be enough to almost guarantee victory.

"Hmm? Master, do you want some?" Mordred asked, noticing her Master's gaze. She tilted her head, offering him some of her food.

"No thanks, Saber, you go ahead. I'll get you more if it's not enough… You really do eat a lot."

Waving off her offer, Kairi Sisigou lit a cigarette, feeling even more melancholic. Why did this feel like raising a daughter? It seemed like he was the only one in the war buying clothes and snacks for his Servant, playing the part of a caretaker...

"Nom nom nom, alright then, I'll finish it!" Mordred said, shoving the rest of the snacks into her mouth. Standing with her hands on her hips, she grinned, "Heh, Master, eating is my hobby! Besides, I finally have a real body now—I can't waste it!"

"Honestly, where are your manners? Didn't your parents teach you not to litter in other people's homes?"

Semiramis, still seated on her throne, pinched the armrest and pointed at Mordred, a vein visibly throbbing in her temple.

"Alright, Assassin, calm down. Saber is just being playful..." Not to mention, your personalities clash completely.

Ascending the steps to the throne, Amakusa Shirou Tokisada gently tried to pacify Semiramis, speaking with a tone of resignation.

"Hmph."

Wiping the nonexistent sweat from his brow, Amakusa Shirou turned to address everyone. "Our target remains the same—Trifas. We'll make our move before Black Rider can fully deploy. Our first objective will be her Master."

If they couldn't defeat the Servant, they'd have to find another way. Targeting the Master could work—and if they could somehow win Black Rider over, all the better. A divine being's pride and arrogance could be exploited if they found the right leverage.

As Amakusa Shirou elaborated on his plan, Semiramis waved her hand, and three live projections appeared in the throne room—one showing Selene and Jeanne, another of Selene's Master, Celenike, and a third of the Yggdmillennia stronghold in Trifas.

Now that her Hanging Gardens had been completed, Semiramis' abilities, including her magical observation skills, had been amplified manyfold. She no longer needed to rely on familiars like her pigeons. Using magical observation, she could achieve a long-distance surveillance effect similar to Selene's World Chronicle.

After all, her Noble Phantasm, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, was ranked EX. And since Selene hadn't fully encompassed the Yggdmillennia stronghold within her own barrier to block external observation, Semiramis' scrying was effective.

"That woman gives me a really bad feeling..." Mordred said with a look of disgust as she stared at the projection of Celenike—the gray-haired, glasses-wearing woman with a seductive aura.

Mordred's instincts told her that this woman, brimming with a sadistic aura, had an awful personality.

"Honestly," Semiramis sneered at Mordred's remark, "shouldn't we be paying attention to the massive golden-armored giants stationed throughout the stronghold?"

"It's confirmed—those are Black Rider's Noble Phantasm... Truly formidable warriors," Amakusa Shirou remarked.

So, this was the power of the Age of Gods. The towering warriors who had attacked the church earlier must have been Black Rider's summoned soldiers.

In Amakusa Shirou's time, humans weren't anywhere near that tall. The average height back then probably hadn't even reached five feet—certainly not the three-meter giants they were dealing with now.

But just then...

"Ah! Like the very depths of hell, you are as dark as the blackest night! But I find it so beautiful, so radiant in its wicked splendor!"

The door to the hall suddenly swung open, and in strutted Red Caster William Shakespeare, arms spread wide in his usual theatrical fashion as he loudly declared his admiration.

The sudden intrusion left Kairi Sisigou and Mordred bewildered. Was this Caster insane? They both felt an overwhelming sense of unreliability emanating from him as they exchanged confused glances.

Amakusa Shirou sighed and covered his face with his hand. Idiot… well, no—he's more of a freak.

"Finished!" Shakespeare concluded with an exaggerated flourish and a deep bow.

"..."

Semiramis, her head throbbing, let out a long sigh. "Are you referring to me?"

"Of course," Shakespeare nodded enthusiastically, "who else could it be, O Queen of Assyria? Hahaha... Forgive me, everyone. I got a bit too excited. It's been a while since I felt the urge to write."

"You... Ugh, fine, just sit there quietly and don't cause any more trouble! We still have important matters to discuss."

Holding her head in frustration, Semiramis waved him away, thoroughly unimpressed.

"Now, back to business..." Lowering his hand from his face, Amakusa Shirou turned to address their strongest remaining combatant.

"Lancer, I'm afraid your task will be the most difficult. Not only will you need to destroy Yggdmillennia's defenses, but you'll also have to be ready to respond quickly and keep Black Rider in check. Are you up to it?"

"No problem. I will do whatever is required of me," Karna replied, standing tall on the gleaming white-and-gold floor. The golden spear materialized in his hand, and his heterochromatic eyes gleamed with fierce determination.

"Ahhh, how thrilling! The clash of legendary heroes! The curtain has finally been drawn—let the show begin!"

Sighișoara.

"That is—"

Jeanne looked up at the night sky, where a massive floating fortress loomed like an airborne city. "—The Hanging Gardens of Babylon?"

Using her Ruler class ability, True Name Revelation, Jeanne immediately recognized the Noble Phantasm. She gasped, calling out its name in astonishment.

"Red Assassin Semiramis..." Jeanne muttered in disbelief. The sheer madness of such a city-sized construct—it could only be the work of that queen.

"Honestly, with Red pulling something like this, there goes any hope of hiding the supernatural," Jeanne sighed. How could anyone cover this up?

Wasn't the Holy Grail War supposed to be a secret affair?

It had been one thing when Selene's skirmishes had caused local destruction. Those could be dismissed as gas line explosions or other minor disasters.

But this? Semiramis' massive flying garden, suspended in mid-air—there was no hiding it. Even ordinary people would notice.

What kind of uproar must be brewing out there now? The cleanup team must be in a full-blown crisis.

"Well, that's not my problem," Selene remarked as she leaped onto a rooftop, crossing her arms as she gazed up at the garden. "It really is a beautiful and magnificent creation."

Beautiful indeed—but soon, it will be mine!

Selene thought to herself, her eyes gleaming. Her palace complex didn't yet have such a grand floating structure, did it? No way she could let that stand—she had to get one!

Whether it meant having Sebas build one or taking this one by force, she needed it. Otherwise, she'd be left unsatisfied.

"Semiramis... Hmm, I'll have to find a way to extract her Spirit Core. The magical formations and levitation arrays in this garden... they'd be incredibly useful."

Her face lighting up with desire, Selene muttered to herself.

"Rider, aren't you worried? Red has already left Sighișoara—they're heading toward Trifas," Jeanne asked, puzzled by Selene's relaxed demeanor.

"Don't worry, I've left Red a little 'welcome gift'..."

Selene had prepared something special for when Red made their move on Trifas.

The training of her army and generals had yet to fully begin.

Indeed, if Selene had only wanted to "win" the Holy Grail War, she wouldn't have gone through all this trouble.

She could simply have Celenike use her three Command Spells in succession, layer precise directives, and unleash Cold Sun on Sighișoara—a devastating strike that would level the city and end the Holy Grail War on the very first day.

But that wouldn't do. While Selene's goal was partly to leave a lasting mark, laying the foundation for a second invasion, why waste the opportunity for some fun?

"I see..." Jeanne nodded thoughtfully. "But... how do we get up there? The Master, Amakusa Shirou Tokisada, is up in that fortress, right?"

"They'll come to us... Hmm? Darnic? What is it?" Selene said, receiving a communication from Darnic through the World Chronicle.

"Your Majesty, though you've eliminated the rebel Assassin Jack the Ripper, the situation has escalated beyond the point of control. The impact is far greater than the killings Jack caused. The Holy Grail War may no longer remain hidden..."

"Not to mention, Red's recent actions have been more extreme than we expected. Judging by their movements, they're heading straight for our fortress—they want an all-out battle."

"Shall I instruct Celenike to use a Command Spell to recall you?"

Back in Trifas, in the main hall of the Yggdmillennia fortress, Darnic watched the projection of the scene, taking note of the new towering warriors appearing in their ranks. His breathing grew heavier.

After all, facing a massive floating fortress like a military citadel coming straight for them, even a man like Darnic, who had lived nearly eighty years, felt a pang of nervousness. If he failed to survive because of some miscalculation, it would be a devastating loss, even if they ultimately won the Grail.

So despite having the security of an elite force of Astartes soldiers, Darnic's cautious and self-preserving nature compelled him to seek the safety that only Selene's presence could guarantee.

"No need. The Command Spells will have their use later—don't waste them. I'll return on my own."

"As for the defense of the fortress..."

Declining Darnic's suggestion, Selene issued orders to the massive figures standing guard in the main hall of Trifas.

"Budo, Leiva, Alex, Hak Foo... it's all in your hands now."

"By your command!"

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