Even if I don't measure up to the Heroic Spirits recorded in the Throne of Heroes, I still possess a fair amount of combat experience.
Actually, in a way, it's only natural.
'Holy Grail Wars' and 'Singularities' are significant memories for Heroic Spirits, important enough to be engraved into their true selves within the Throne. I have navigated through such grand-scale events so many times I can't even count them on both hands.
As a holder of such combat experience, I would add... that every fight has a certain 'routine.'
Block, defend, strike, hit, retreat.
In my case, I prefer using Shinra Tensei and Bansho Ten'in as a base to destabilize the opponent's defense and crush them with raw output. Aoko-nee focuses on forming a barrage with her Magic Bullets to overwhelm enemies with firepower. Manaka likes to use her 'omnipotence' to trap and toy with opponents within illusions. Alice-san and Touko-san use their Mystic Codes and familiars to systematically seal the enemy's options and slowly bleed them dry.
However, these characteristics only apply when facing someone weaker or roughly equal. When fighting an opponent stronger than yourself, you must employ tactics suited for that purpose.
There are roughly three ways for the weak to defeat the strong.
First is assassination via special means or surprise attacks, such as when Emiya Kiritsugu used Origin Bullets against Kayneth, who was far superior as a magus.
Second is a victory by decision, achieved through negotiation or breaking the enemy's will to fight, a method Waver Velvet often employs.
And third is... a defensive battle, similar to the second method but slightly different—holding out until reinforcements arrive, finding a means to turn the tables, or simply lasting until the enemy grows bored.
In the case of the third method, the defensive battle, this 'routine' becomes undeniably effective.
A formation of sorts where someone covers the front, someone covers the rear, someone handles the enemy's special attacks, and someone focuses on checking the enemy's Noble Phantasm.
A clear distribution of power and division of roles. Though it carries the risk of the formation being analyzed and its weaknesses exploited, the 'routine' is vital in cooperative battles—especially in defensive wars against an endless tide of numbers.
That was exactly the situation we found ourselves in on the Queen Anne's Revenge.
The Servants of the Argonauts were desperately swinging their Noble Phantasms and firing cannons to blast the frogs away. Medea and I repelled the blood-sucking insects swarming so thickly they blocked the sunlight. Meanwhile, Blackbeard and Drake cut through the turbulent waves stirred by the appearing frogs, pushing forward toward Pirate Island.
[It's no use. There's no response from Aeaea Island either. We have about 30 minutes left until we reach Pirate Island... think we can make it?]
"If the source of this shitty curse is there, my Rinnegan won't miss it, Romani. How many locations are left?"
[One on this side, and one we'll have to pass through Pirate Island to reach.]
"Fine."
Right then, Medea's hysterical scream rang out.
"W-Wait a minute! What the hell are those things doing!"
"...Crap, brace for impact!"
In that moment, we saw it.
Two frogs positioned just outside the range of Altera's Prana Burst.
Floating on the water like they had Saber's Protection of the Lady of the Lake, they grabbed the legs of another frog like they were playing on a swing, then hurled it toward the ship with a massive toss.
"Waaaaargh! If something like that hits the ship, even the Queen Anne's Revenge won't come out unscathed!"
Seeing that sight, Blackbeard began screaming and initiated evasive maneuvers. I quickly looked toward Altera.
"Altera, blast those away with Prana Burst!"
"Impossible. The mass is too great. Without a Noble Phantasm, the output of Prana Burst is insufficient..."
"...Damn it! Caenis! Can you bounce those back?!"
"Absolutely impossible! There isn't just one or two of those things! My Noble Phantasm isn't meant for rapid fire! Hey, old man! You do something about it!"
"It's the same for this old-timer... how about Atalante?"
"Is that even a serious question? My Noble Phantasm consists of arrows!"
"Stop the chatter and hold the helm! Turn left, Blackbeard!!"
At that moment, a massive shadow loomed over the ship, and a giant frog began falling toward us.
Hector swung Durindana like a baseball bat, striking the frog, but he immediately groaned and dropped his spear onto the deck. Medea gasped, seeing his arm bent slightly in the wrong direction, and hurriedly cast healing magecraft. In that instant, two more frogs began plummeting down. I was forced to reach out and form a powerful repulsive force. However, as I did, the Bounded Field of Shinra Tensei I had set up earlier broke. Cursed insects, craving human blood, began crawling onto the deck like a dark tide.
Medea quickly formed magic circles to burn and drive the insects away, but through the breached barrier, the hideous bugs continued to flow in like rushing water.
[...It'll be dangerous if the bugs burrow into the ship's interior. We should give up the Queen Anne's Revenge for now and resummon the Argo!]
"No, we have to take this ship all the way. Besides, I can handle the insects myself."
Transforming my mouth into an exhaust port rather than my hand, as I usually did, I began spewing out a thick green gas.
"This isn't dangerous for us, is it?!"
"It shouldn't affect anyone on the level of a Heroic Spirit... probably!"
As the green gas spread, the insects trying to burrow into the ship flipped onto their backs and lost consciousness. The swarms charging nearby also began circling the ship in figure-eights, maintaining a bit of distance.
"Hey, Master of Chaldea! If you had something like that, you should have used it earlier! Why save it!"
"Well, it was technically a trump card... but I used it now, so it's fine, right?"
[Fine, my foot! That's Defoliant, isn't it!!!]
...Crap, did he figure it out?
"Relax, Roman! It's nothing major, just an air freshener... with an orange scent! It won't affect me... probably!"
[Is that supposed to be an excuse?! If that defoliant works even on insects of the Age of Gods, it definitely isn't 'nothing' to 'you,' whose body is still human even if your eyes aren't!]
"Damn it, we were all going to die anyway! If it's really that bad, I'll just ask Ryougi Shiki for a check-up later!"
Just as Romani, projecting the pure fury of the medical staff, was about to unleash a lion's roar, Teach's laughter broke through.
"Found it!!! I see land!!!!"
"...Right, we've reached Pirate Island!"
Drake, who had been atop the mast, jumped down and handed me a telescope.
"Hey, Master of Chaldea! You said your eyes were special. Can you see that 'Altar' or whatever it is from here!"
Even without the telescope, there was no way I could miss a curse placed by Goetia.
His magical energy was sickening and horrific, as evidenced by the Demon God Pillars which were mere fragments of his existence. Through the Rinnegan, it appeared as a nauseating color that felt like it would drive me insane just looking at it.
"...No? There's no reaction there at all."
[...If that place is also a bust, there are two locations left. The place we need to monitor, and a location near Pirate Island.]
"The location?"
[Atlantis. The very place Captain Drake and the Argonauts first fled from to escape the curse.]
"...Should we have checked the starting point first..."
Jason lamented.
[The Demon God King might have read that and installed the Altar elsewhere instead, so it's better to check thoroughly like this. And even if you had read this and gone there early... the Argonauts would likely have been annihilated going alone.]
"Ugh, I can't deny that. We'd better hurry. If it's not Atlantis, it must be that location Chaldea is measuring..."
"Duhuhu, looks like it's time to unfurl the sails again! Hey, old hag, move your butt!"
"Gah, don't give me orders in that tone, you damn bearded bastard!"
As Drake unfurled the sails and Blackbeard turned the helm, the ship swung around instantly, grazing past the island's shore with fluid speed.
Sitting down on the deck for a moment, I happened to look down at the blood-red sea where the frogs were emerging from.
Because I had the Rinnegan active, I could see the unique curse of the crimson waters...
[Do... you think... I will let you go...]
I could see something else as well.
[Do you think I will let you lot live for even a single moment longer!!!!]
A machine god—obsessed with nothing but rage and the lingering desire for vengeance against the hero who had slain it.
========================
The website for reading paid chapters is available on my Patreon. The number of chapters on Patreon: 170
Link: patreon.com/UltraMagnus_T