After Hades left the God Slayer world, Uranus observed another new world. This time, it was a world where many world bubbles formed a chain like a bracelet, seemingly composed of multiple parallel worlds.
Hades wiped the lipstick mark from his face and, looking at the world bubbles chained like a bracelet, said:
"This world looks quite interesting."
Hades cradled that bracelet-like world bubble in his hands, closed his eyes to carefully sense the aura emanating from it, and after a moment, suddenly opened his eyes and declared:
"A familiar aura, it's the scent of greek mythology. Let's go take a look."
With that, Hades immediately jumped into that brand-new world bubble.
The Holy Grail War: a conflict where seven groups of Magi and Heroic Spirits vie for the 'Holy Grail,' said to have the power to grant any wish. In reality, it is merely a vessel for storing the souls of deceased Servants, a necessary device to stabilize the magical channel between the 'greater grail' and the present world and achieve the Third Magic.
After the Fourth Holy Grail War, Romania's Yggdmillennia family (the Black Faction) used the Holy Grail to summon seven Servants and rebelled against the Mages Association. Surviving Magi activated the Holy Grail's fail-safe, and the Mages Association (the Red Faction) also summoned seven Servants. The Holy Grail itself summoned Ruler, Joan of Arc, to adjudicate this seven-versus-seven Great Holy Grail War.
At this time, the Servants of the [Red] Faction had all been summoned, namely:
[Saber] — Mordred
[Lancer] — Karna
[Archer] — Atalanta
[Rider] — Achilles
[Caster] — William Shakespeare
[Berserker] — Spartacus
[Assassin] — Semiramis
Meanwhile, at Millennia Fortress, the stronghold of the [Black] Faction, the Yggdmillennia Clan, four Masters of the Black Faction extended their right hands bearing command spells and chanted towards the Heroic Spirit summoning magic circle before them:
"Let silver and steel be the essence."
"Let stone and the archduke of contracts be the foundation."
"Let black be the color I pay tribute to."
"Let rise a wall against the wind that shall fall."
"Let the four cardinal gates close."
"Let the three-forked road from the crown reaching unto the Kingdom rotate."
"Let it be declared now;"
"thy body shall serve under me, and my fate shall be with thy sword."
"Submit to the beckoning of the Holy Grail."
"If thou wilt submit to this will and this reason… then answer!"
"An oath shall be sworn here."
"I shall attain all virtues of all of Heaven."
"I shall have dominion over all evils of all of Hell."
"Yet, thou serveth with thine eyes clouded in chaos."
"Thou, bound in the cage of madness, I am he who commands thy chains."
"From the Seventh Heaven, attended to by three great words of power,"
"come forth from the ring of restraint, protector of the holy balance!"
As the final incantation fell, several powerful whirlwinds surged from the magic circle. When the whirlwinds dissipated, three new figures knelt on one knee before their Masters and declared:
"We, the Servants of the [Black] Faction, have answered the summons and arrived. Our fate is with you, our swords are your swords."
Currently, the Servants summoned by the [Black] Faction numbered six, namely:
[Lancer] — Vlad III
[Archer] — Charon
[Rider] — Astolfo
[Berserker] — Frankenstein
[Caster] — Avicebron
And [Assassin] — Jack the Ripper, who was summoned elsewhere.
Purple pupils. Dark green long hair tied back with a black ribbon. Tall stature. His appearance looked like a young man in his late twenties to thirties, but his true age was ninety-seven. He wore the black and white uniform of the 'Yggdmillennia' clan, a white cloak, and often carried a cane:
Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia, the patriarch of the Yggdmillennia Clan, looked at the number of summoned Servants, raised an eyebrow, and said somewhat angrily:
"The count is wrong! Why is there no Saber, the strongest class!!"
Soon, all Masters and Servants noticed this issue and looked towards Gordes Musik Yggdmillennia, who should have been the Saber's Master.
Feeling the surrounding gazes, sweat beaded continuously on Gordes's forehead. Flustered and angry, he said:
"This is impossible! The summoning just now clearly succeeded for me too!! The Servant must be hiding by themselves!!"
"Come out! Saber!!" Gordes shouted furiously at his surroundings.
"Stop shouting, Magus. I'm right above you."
At that moment, an extremely cold voice spoke, instantly calming the furious Gordes. All the Masters and Servants present looked up.
There stood a figure clad in utterly lifeless gray armor, with six wings spread behind him like a gray god of death. His features were those of a peerlessly handsome man: hair as black as the deepest night, skin as white as the finest jade, and emerald eyes as profound as a lake's depths, captivating to behold.
The newcomer was none other than Hades. He hadn't expected to arrive in Romania during the Great Holy Grail War, let alone to have replaced Siegfried as the [Black] Saber.
Under the astonished gazes of everyone, Hades slowly descended, crossed his arms, looked at the speechless Gordes before him, and uttered that iconic line:
"I ask of you, are you my Master?"
"..." Gordes was stunned by Hades's appearance, then used his Master's ability to check Hades's parameters and True Name.
After seeing it, his heart began to pound wildly. Hades, King of the Underworld!! Is this a joke?! How could a great god like that become a Servant!?
Hades looked at the Servants gathered around and said, "Let's each introduce ourselves. I am [Saber], Hades, King of the Underworld."
Hiss—!!
Upon hearing Hades's self-introduction, everyone drew a sharp breath, for this was Hades, King of the Underworld, one of the world's most famous deities, the eldest among the third generation of gods in greek mythology. They never imagined such an existence could become a Servant.
At that moment, a man with brown long hair, dressed in ancient Greek-style attire, stepped forward, waved at Hades, and greeted:
"I am Archer, Charon. It's been a long time, Hades."
"Indeed, it has been a long time, Elder Brother." Hades nodded at Charon and said.
Charon, the foremost sage among the Centaurs in greek mythology, was also the mentor of many great heroes like Heracles and Achilles.
Simultaneously, he was a complete deity born between Kronos, the God of Creation and Destruction through Time, and the goddess Philyra. However, in life, after being accidentally struck by a Hydra-poisoned arrow, he relinquished his immortality to escape the agony, thereby also losing his complete divinity, becoming an existence suitable for summoning as a Heroic Spirit. Gods who pitied Charon elevated him to the sky, where he became a star.
He was the half-brother of Zeus and the other gods of that lineage.
Thus, by seniority, Hades should call him Elder Brother.
-------------------------------
Hope you enjoy this fanfiction if you do and would like to read the next 50 chapters in advance, pls do check out my Patreon:
patreon.com/MariaLight
Also don't forget to give me a Power Stone if you do like this fiction. Your support really motivates me to continue doing my best in translating, Thanks!!