Just as Hades finished off Spartacus, Red Rider Achilles and Red Archer Atalanta arrived.
Their primary objective was to retrieve Spartacus while also testing the strength of the Black Faction's Servants.
At that moment, Astolfo and Frankenstein faced off against Achilles.
Astolfo drew a magnificent white knight's lance, and Frankenstein brought out her strange hammer, both launching attacks at Achilles.
With his vast combat experience and raw power, Achilles fought them both single-handedly, relying on his immortality Noble Phantasm, Andreias Amarantos.
Andreias Amarantos
Rank: B
Type: Anti-Unit (Self) Noble Phantasm
Range: 0
Maximum Targets: 1 person
Every part of his body except his heel bears the blessing of immortality bestowed by his mother, the goddess Thetis. It nullifies all attacks. However, this trait has two flaws. First, it is negated against those with a certain rank of Divinity. Second, it does not apply to non-attacks—actions expressing affection, such as a vampire's assimilation, are not blocked. It also loses its effect if the Achilles tendon, his weakness, is struck.
Achilles appeared completely at ease, while Astolfo and Frankenstein looked somewhat worse for wear.
Lacking any strength to counterattack, they looked at Achilles, panting heavily from exhaustion.
"Hahaha!! Is this all the Black Faction's Servants are capable of?" Achilles said with a chuckle, his spear resting on his shoulder.
"Uuuu—!!" Hearing Achilles' words, Frankenstein let out a furious roar.
"Calm down, Fran-chan," Astolfo said, scratching the back of his head. Even with a formidable enemy before them, he maintained his optimistic demeanor.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Three sounds of breaking air rang out, piercing through Achilles' armor and leaving wounds on his immortal body that had been bathed in the River Styx. Three streaks of blood flowed down his body.
"What!!" Achilles cried out in shock as he looked at the blood. For him to be injured, the Divinity of the Servant who attacked him must be higher than his own.
Achilles first looked down to see what weapon had attacked him. To his surprise, they were leaves! Common leaves found everywhere!!
The three leaves were embedded straight into the ground in front of him.
However, as Achilles carefully sensed the lingering aura on the leaves, he felt a powerful magical energy (Cosmos) filled with the scent of Death and darkness.
Darkness and Death, combined with such immense magical power—Achilles could only think of one person in the Black Faction.
Achilles spun around abruptly. Following the trajectory of the leaves, he saw Hades standing on a tree branch, fiddling with a few leaves between his fingers. It was clear those three leaves, sharp as throwing knives, had been thrown by him.
"Achilles, leaving your back completely exposed is a grave mistake on the battlefield," Hades said, his tone like an elder instructing a junior.
Hearing Hades's tone, a chill ran down Achilles' spine. Though it was his first time meeting him, the name immediately surfaced in his mind. Breaking into a cold sweat, Achilles forced a smile and said:
"Lord Hades, King of the Underworld..."
Hades jumped down from the tree, discarded the leaves, and summoned the Hades Sword.
"Black Saber Hades. Achilles, your immortality is meaningless before me. In this Holy Grail War, you shall make your exit."
With that, Hades began walking slowly toward Achilles. With every step he took, it felt as though several mountains had materialized on Achilles' back.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Three sounds erupted as objects flew rapidly toward Hades. Shifting his gaze, Hades reached out and caught the three incoming arrows. Looking at the arrows in his hand, he said:
"The aura of Artemis? It's the huntress Atalanta."
"As expected of Lord Hades, your perception of life is truly sharp," Atalanta said, frowning from her hiding spot on a distant hill. She then moved swiftly through the woods, seeking a new sniping position.
"By my command spell, Rider, be freed from your fear of the King of the Underworld." The voice of Achilles' Master echoed in his mind, using the power of the command spell to break Achilles' dread of Hades.
After escaping the pressure, Achilles gasped for breath.
Another Servant appeared then—Shakespeare, dressed in green.
"Ooh ooh ooh—!!" Seeing Hades, Shakespeare immediately shouted, his tone and mannerisms as exaggerated as a play.
"To think that in the Greece of the Age of Gods, the King of the Underworld whom everyone feared would be such a handsome man!!"
"Your beauty surpasses everything in this world!!"
"Are you finished, Bard?" Hades turned, looking at Shakespeare with a fierce glint in his eyes.
"Caster, there's no time for your sentimentality. Use your theater at once," Kotomine Shiro said, appearing on the scene as well.
"Understood, understood," Shakespeare said perfunctorily.
"My Noble Phantasm is titled: 'First Folio: When the Curtain Rises, the Applause Shall Be as Thunder'! Let the performance begin!!" Shakespeare opened the book in his hand, and instantly, countless pages flew out, enveloping the area around Hades. Hades did not stop him; he simply closed his eyes, wanting to see what play Shakespeare intended to perform.
First Folio: When the Curtain Rises, the Applause Shall Be as Thunder
Rank: B+
Type: Anti-Unit Noble Phantasm
Range: 1-30
Maximum Targets: 1 person
A stage Noble Phantasm that forces the world to follow a script. It possesses power equivalent to a Reality Marble. Under certain conditions and in coordination with the external environment, it can grant an actor playing a specific role their own will. Targeting the subject's obsessions, it erodes the world with their will, reproduces their soul, and transplants their original personality and memories. They appear as a classless Servant, but as the soul of an actor, their body is external to...
When Hades opened his eyes again, he found himself in a field of golden wheat.
"Hades." A voice like a spring breeze came from behind Hades. He quickly turned to see a beautiful blonde figure looking at him.
"Persephone..." Hades lowered his guard slightly as he looked at the peerless beauty before him. At this moment, Persephone was not wearing her underworld armor, but a white Chiton, making her look like a pure, peerless white flower.
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