Chapter 226: Counterattack in Desperation!
The Servants who had just rushed forward to fight the golden-furred fox were sealed in an instant.
Mordred and Martha were petrified, standing frozen and motionless.
Draco and Noah fared slightly better, but their bodies also began to lose mobility.
Noah immediately picked up Draco, who was standing beside him, then swung the Demon Sword in his hand toward the golden-furred fox!
"Keng————————!!"
The Demon Sword in his hand was instantly knocked away by the floating mirror beside the golden-furred fox, flying off into the distance.
"Oya, to still be able to move at this point, you really live up to being a Grand Rider, huh? It's just a shame that with your level of power, I doubt you'll be able to harm me."
As she spoke, a talisman shot out from the golden-furred fox's hand, exploding violently around Noah and Draco!
"BOOOOOOOOOM——————————!!!"
Seeing the two of them knocked down, Mash immediately prepared to rush forward to help.
"Don't go over there!!!"
Just as she lifted her foot to charge in, Mash's movement was stopped by a voice from behind.
"Waver-san?! But if we don't help, then…"
"If we recklessly rush in now, we'll likely end up sealed just like Mordred."
Waver pushed up his black-rimmed glasses, frowning as he spoke.
Before everyone's eyes, the shining mirror spun around the golden-furred fox like a deep, bottomless lake.
That mirror was what had restricted the movements of everyone earlier.
"Onii-sama is right."
Reines, who had been joking around this whole time, finally turned serious.
"That mirror looks like a Noble Phantasm from the Underworld capable of reviving the dead. And with her Authority as Beast V, even Heroic Spirits are now imprisoned. That's truly terrifying. If it were placed in the Clock Tower, most high-level Mystic Codes wouldn't even come close in comparison."
"At this point, don't bother mentioning the Clock Tower. Have you thought of any countermeasures?"
"In response to Onii-sama's request, of course the cutest little sister in the world has everything under control."
Reines's pupils turned red.
"As long as we gather enough information—even if it can't directly affect her—it might be possible to seal that Noble Phantasm of hers."
"Ojou-sama, shall I head out to collect data for you?"
The mercury maid standing beside her offered.
"Trimmau, although your suggestion is useful, allow me to speak bluntly—your Noble Phantasm and hers aren't even on the same level. You'd likely be eliminated instantly."
Reines continued observing the golden-furred fox with her red pupils.
"But Ojou-sama, even so, if it would serve you then—"
"Instead of saying things like that, why don't you focus on strengthening your defenses?"
Suddenly, several talismans flew in.
"BOOOOOOOOOM——————————!!!"
Intense light erupted from the talismans!
A golden light burst violently, shaking both Mash, who was holding up her shield, and Johanna, who was maintaining the barrier.
The two of them were blasted back dozens of meters.
Even the wall of the Digital Ocean had begun to crack?!
Unlike Sesshouin Kiara—Sesshouin Kiara had intended to fuse with the MoonCell, using it to complete her transformation into a Beast.
But the golden-furred fox was different.
She had been a Beast since birth.
Her transformation had been complete long ago; she had merely remained hidden somewhere until now, revealing herself through the existence of Tamamo no Mae.
Because Tamamo no Mae was originally a part of her.
Just the consciousness of one of her tails.
More accurately, to her, MoonCell was merely an amusing place—even if it were to collapse, she wouldn't care.
"Ethan, we've detected disturbances in the Digital Ocean on your end. The data stream seems to be malfunctioning. If this keeps up, MoonCell won't hold out much longer!!!"
Doctor Romani, after checking the data, had beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead.
'System, how much longer until the next temporary Grand Servant summoning can be performed?'
Facing the steady approach of the golden-furred fox, Ethan immediately asked with tension in his voice.
[Cooldown time remaining for temporary Grand Servant summoning skill: 8 minutes 45 seconds.]
Eight minutes left?!
No matter how he looked at it, there was no way they could hold out for another eight minutes.
"BOOOOOOOOM————————!!"
Another wave of violent assault!!!
The strained expressions on the defenders' faces were clearly visible.
After all, the opponent was Beast V. Although she currently maintained a human-sized form, if she were provoked into revealing her true form after fully transforming—
Our side would be annihilated in an instant, right?
We have to summon that Servant by surprise.
"Heracles!!!"
Ethan immediately turned his head toward Heracles, who was drawing his bow to fire arrows.
"What is it, Master?"
Heracles had just loosed a sharp arrow and promptly responded to Ethan's call.
"Can I ask you to fully release your Noble Phantasm and buy us a little more time?"
Anyone else might not be able to do it, but even though the Heracles before them had been summoned in a human-like form, his true being still possessed divinity.
If there was anyone here who could stall the golden-furred fox even for a brief moment—
It had to be Heracles.
"I understand."
Heracles gave a slight nod.
He tightened the belt around his waist, then took a deep breath, in that moment absorbing a massive amount of divine energy!
The bronze muscles all over his body began to swell continuously, and the divine power flowing through his veins radiated an earth-shaking force!!!
"Well then, I'll be back after I go."
Heracles lowered his stance, then gathered power in both legs.
"BOOM————————!!"
Like a flash of light, in the next second, he had already shot forward!
"Oh? I thought they were all just a bunch of cowards."
The golden-furred fox narrowed her eyes, smiling at the burly man charging toward her.
"BOOOOOOOOM——————————!!!"
Heracles swung the longbow in his hand like a melee weapon, striking forcefully toward the golden-furred fox!
But she merely flicked her sleeve lightly and blocked the attack.
Immediately after, the mirror beside her reflected toward Heracles, attempting to seal his movements.
However, Heracles instantly used a golden pelt to cover his face, preventing the enemy from fully capturing his image.
And right after that, he hurled a punch straight at the golden-furred fox!
A punch powerful enough to crush mountains and shatter the earth—was easily dodged by the golden-furred fox.
"You're the great hero from mythology, huh? Interesting. But judging by the looks of it, your Saint Graph has been severely degraded."
She smiled, and then something seemed to be gathering in the sky.
"BOOOOOOOM————————!!"
A terrifying bolt of lightning immediately struck down!
Heracles was hit directly, and the violent lightning strike created a thick cloud of smoke!
In the next second, a Hydra roared and burst out from the smoke, flying straight toward the golden-furred fox!!!
Nine heads, each bearing venomous fangs—this very poison had previously broken through Sesshouin Kiara's defenses—and now, they were once again preparing to unleash a lethal strike upon the golden-furred fox!!!
"At this level, you think you can kill me?"
The golden-furred fox waved her sleeve forward, and the mirrors flying out from her sleeve absorbed the ferocious Hydra entirely.
Heracles was about to continue attacking—but suddenly realized that at some point, his legs could no longer move.
"Don't worry, I won't kill you."
The golden-furred fox looked Heracles up and down.
"After all, I've heard that the great Greek hero has twelve lives. Although to me, killing you twelve times is as easy as flipping my hand, it's just far too time-consuming."
"You are a god, so why are you so determined to destroy the future of humanity?"
Heracles channeled power into his legs, struggling to break free from the bind.
"Why, you ask? Though you too are a god, you're still one who broke the laws and became divine from human origins—completely different from me—a god born a god from the beginning."
Like those before her, the golden-furred fox curled her lips in scorn.
"More accurately, only when one exists with a specific purpose can that be called the correct way for a god to live. Isn't there a god in Greece as well who does whatever he wants? You know that even better than I do."
After saying those words, the golden-furred fox began walking toward Ethan.
The mirror beside her easily shattered the Chaldeans' defensive barrier.
"Don't always think you can get by with cheap tricks. To me, humans are nothing more than insects I can crush at any moment."
The golden-furred fox's gaze landed on Ethan.
"Instead, wouldn't it be the greatest honor for you to obediently become my 'collectible item'?"
"I don't think so. Honestly, your taste is just way too bizarre."
Ethan immediately retorted.
"Your idea of fun, to be honest, is beyond my comprehension."
"My taste?!"
Hearing Ethan question her sense of aesthetics, the golden-furred fox couldn't help but frown.
"Listen carefully. Good and evil, law and lawlessness, the strong and the weak, the oppressor and the oppressed—I have nothing to do with any of those reasons. I am simply the embodiment of Human Evil in that place. And gods are nothing more than a truth that exists there, a phenomenon."
Her gaze turned prideful.
"I've gathered too many memories—prayers for peace, hatred from massacres—no matter what I think, nothing can be changed."
"If it's an era where peace has value, then I'll collect human vitality—production, belief. But if it's a meaningless era of war, then I'll take the end, the killing, and the hatred of humanity."
"My good and evil as a god relate only to humans of that era. So for the malicious era you all are living in, this is simply the form I take."
The golden-furred fox continued speaking as she stepped toward the barrier ahead!
"Crack!!"
In an instant, the barrier was shattered—a terrifying pressure burst out immediately after!
"Protect the Master!!"
As Jeanne Alter rushed in first, the other Servants around Ethan followed suit—however, less than a minute passed.
And the only one still able to move beside Ethan was Mash.
Both Hohanna and her White Owl had already lost all vitality.
"So now, are you ready to obediently become my 'collectible item'?"
The golden-furred fox smiled, once again stepping toward Ethan.
"Fouuuuuuuuuuu——!!!"
Suddenly, Fou, who had been resting on Mash's shoulder, leapt high into the air, swinging its tail to strike the golden-furred fox!
Ethan watched closely.
Beast IV was finally taking action—if that's the case, then at the very least, she could be stalled for a bit...
"BOOOOOM——————!!"
An explosion rang out, followed by Fou's cry.
"Fou~~~~~"
But it was instantly blasted back?!
"Sorry, I think I just kicked away some little creature—though at this point, that thing doesn't even count as a juvenile."
The golden-furred fox smiled, lightly waving her hand.
"Now's the time!!!"
Suddenly, Ethan shouted a command.
"This is the ultimate formation of the Great Tactician!Unreturning Formation!!"
A bagua formation suddenly appeared, trapping the golden-furred fox inside, and at the same time, a silver illusory moon emerged at the center.
"Seven holes are bored into primordial chaos.There are poisonous women to great men.Never is there a time when neither sun nor moon is set.Behold my tactics—Primordial Formation!!"
Two great tacticians activated their formations simultaneously, locking the golden-furred fox inside.
"If that's the case, then she shouldn't be able to move. Even for a 'Beast', this should take a considerable amount of time…"
Just as Reines was about to let out a breath of relief—golden light burst from within the formation!!!
"What the—?!"
Before anyone could cry out, the two overlapping layers of formation collapsed in the blink of an eye!!!
The golden-furred fox, with nine golden tails gently swaying, stepped out from within.
An expression of anger was clearly visible on her face.
"I already told you, stop thinking you can pull petty tricks."
Her gaze once again turned to Ethan, who was hiding behind Mash's shield.
"Even divine patience has its limits. How long do you intend to drag out this meaningless struggle?!"
The magical energy radiating from the golden-furred fox's body made it almost impossible for Ethan to breathe.
His body wanted to resist, to turn and run.
But he clenched his teeth and stood firm beside Mash.
"Human actions have never been meaningless. For thousands of years, countless people of mankind have stood up without regret, fighting against the rule of the gods!"
[Temporary Grand Servant Summoning System is ready. Would you like to spend livestream points to summon now?!]
'Yes!!!'
The moment he heard the system's voice, Ethan immediately raised the hand marked with a Command Spell and shouted:
"Here and now, I declare!!"