Chapter 51: Noble Phantasm Duel, A Ceremony Deserves a Response
Silver and black magical energy particles twisted together, surging forward at unimaginable speed, shooting straight toward the castle ahead.
The unfortunate wyverns caught in its path had no time to evade and were instantly engulfed by the energy, burned to ashes.
At the very moment it was about to strike the center of the castle, a magical barrier suddenly appeared, halting the ferocious stream of mana.
BOOOOM———!!!
A deafening explosion resounded, and blinding flashes of light continuously erupted in the sky before the castle.
"Tch, is that all?"
Mordred's expression turned more serious as she immediately poured all her remaining mana into Clarent.
In an instant, red and black lightning surged around the sword, resembling an evil thunder dragon, roaring wildly and tearing at the increasingly fragile barrier.
Crack… Crack… CRACK!!!
At last, the barrier could no longer hold, shattering mid-air.
With the obstacle gone, the colossal wave of mana effortlessly tore through the entire castle!!!
Looking back, the once-magnificent castle now had a perfectly round hole on its left side, a missing chunk from the grand structure.
"Good job! It worked!!!"
Johanna let out a relieved smile.
"Wasn't that obvious?"
Mordred slung Clarent over her shoulder. Before her lay a massive crater over ten meters in radius, the extreme heat having completely melted the stone. At this moment, the scorched ground still flickered with stray sparks of lightning.
The sheer power of this Noble Phantasm had clearly exceeded Johanna's expectations.
However, before long, Johanna turned her gaze toward the distant sky, her expression becoming serious once more.
Accompanied by echoing roars, a massive horde of Wyverns was approaching from afar.
"Mordred-san, please recover your mana first. I will handle these enemies for now."
"It's fine. I can still fight."
Mordred had already noticed the wyverns and remained indifferent.
"Use this chance to restore your mana. Master said that the Fafnir still needs you to keep it in check. Besides, shouldn't the protagonist make their entrance at the last moment?"
"The protagonist?"
Hearing that, Mordred looked pleased and nodded.
"Umu! That's right, a king must face their enemies with composure. That so-called Evil Dragon is nothing more than a flying lizard. The only reason it hasn't been slain by me yet is that it never had the chance to meet me while it was alive, muahahaha!"
With that, Mordred strode toward a nearby Leyline, preparing to use it to replenish the mana she had exhausted from her full-powered Noble Phantasm.
"Alright then, I'll leave this place to you for now. I'll take a short rest."
"Haa..."
Johanna let out a silent sigh of relief.
"If Mordred refuses to follow the plan when the time comes, just say this to her. She will most likely go along with your arrangements."
Before leaving, Ethan had seriously instructed Johanna.
…Sure enough, Master was right.
Now, what she needed to do was eliminate these nuisances before Mordred finished recovering her mana.
That meant all that was left was to wait for the Evil Dragon and the enemy Servant to appear.
Whoosh ———————————!!!
Suddenly, from the half-destroyed castle, a brilliant green light shot straight into the sky.
It's here!
Johanna took a deep breath, then shouted toward the sky:
"I'm counting on you, Tonbi!!!"
"Chiuuuuu————————!!!"
The moment Johanna called out, a silver streak of light zipped across the sky, gradually forming a magic circle.
"Thank you, Tonbi!"
Without hesitation, Johanna struck the ground forcefully with the Silver Cross Staff in her hand.
"This place shall be protected. Those unrelated are forbidden from stepping inside!"
As she finished her incantation, the pre-drawn magic circle on the ground and the newly completed one in the sky simultaneously erupted in a burst of holy light. The radiant force repelled all nearby monsters and Servants attempting to approach.
Johanna's legend granted her the ability to erect a simple yet sturdy barrier within a short time.
But now, what she had to face was not just monsters—it was a long-range attack from a Servant.
A massive surge of mana descended from above, and in the next instant, countless gleaming lights appeared in the sky.
A storm of arrows, as dense as a starlit night, rained down from the heavens!!!
Shaa-shaa-shaa——————!!
The relentless barrage of arrows showed no mercy. Johanna exerted all her strength to protect the area around her.
If she retreated now, she would lose this position. Once the mana supply from the Leyline was disrupted, their outnumbered battle would become even more disadvantageous.
Master and everyone else believed in her.
That was why she had to answer their expectations!
"O' Lord, please grant us Your guidance!!!"
The Silver Cross Staff in Johanna's hands radiated an intense light!
The sacred brilliance expanded continuously, eventually covering the entire surrounding area.
At that moment, explosions echoed repeatedly across the protective barrier above. It took several minutes before the violent attacks gradually faded away.
A while later, the rain of arrows from the sky finally ceased.
Johanna loosened her grip on the holy staff, glancing around.
Aside from a few spots that had been pierced, most of the area remained intact.
The mana-draining formation from the Leyline was still functioning normally.
Good…
Only now did Johanna allow herself to breathe a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, Master had warned her in advance that the enemy Servant might possess a long-range Noble Phantasm, so she had prepared accordingly.
"Atalanta… I never expected her arrows to reach such a level."
—
"How dare they attack my castle? These pests are becoming truly bothersome."
Standing atop the half-destroyed fortress, Jeanne Alter gazed into the distance with an expression of irritation.
Beside her was Archer, who had just fired the storm of arrows into the sky. Due to Mad Enhancement, her state seemed somewhat unstable.
"So, even a long-range Noble Phantasm was useless. Very well then. Archer, you and Saber—head over there and take care of them."
Jeanne Alter immediately issued an attack order.
"Understood."
"Understood."
As the two prepared to depart, Jeanne Alter paused for a moment, then turned to look at Fafnir beside her.
"Wait. You go with them as well."
"GRAAAAHHH————————!!!"
The colossal Evil Dragon let out a thunderous roar in response to its master's command. It then flapped its wings and took flight, carrying the two Servants toward the distant battlefield.
"At this point, let's see what else you can do. The moment you are wiped out, this country will completely collapse."
A sinister smile curled at the corner of Jeanne Alter's lips.
"A requiem for the final cries of this nation—do not bore me too much."