The Holy Grail War Blessed by the Gods

Manshu spent a few minutes taking a detour to the side, while observing who the enemy was.

Although some of the Lostbelt Servants were unfamiliar to him, there should still be some that he could recognize.

While such a reaction is hardly normal, at least being able to gather some information can put oneself on an advantageous side.

"Sigurd?"

Uncle Man glanced over and immediately recognized the other person as Sigurd, one of the strongest heroes in Norse mythology and the protagonist of Volsunga Saga, known as the King of Warriors.

The opponent is indeed an extraordinary hero, undoubtedly standing at the very top among the top-tier Servants.

But his current state is clearly not right. Although Sigurd obtained the dragon's magic core by swallowing the dragon's heart, it is impossible for him to possess such a huge amount of magical power.

"Is it an enhancement from the Lostbelt? Hmm. But the opponent doesn't have a weakness like Siegfried."

Knowing the other party's identity, but not being a Servant with significant weaknesses, still provides an advantage in terms of information.

Faced with such a powerful warrior, Manshu had no intention of being polite. Since she basically knew the opponent's skills and treasures, there was no need to do anything to test him.

虽然没必要搞2卫生的9偷袭，但也可４以抢占先机０。4<３[5∴＿6√￠四∶≮

"Sigurd, son of Siegmund! Hero who slays dragons to gain wisdom, who crosses flames to save the Valkyries! Now come to face the dragon's breath, cross the flames once more! Gorinich, go!"

Manjushri dispelled the invisibility effect of Amun and raised his trident, shouting loudly.

The three-headed dragon Gorinich appeared in his voice, and three streams of dragon breath immediately roared and rushed toward Sigurd.

"A Heroic Spirit. But not a pure Heroic Spirit, but a hybrid mixed with superfluous elements. Interesting."

Sigurd turned his head and saw Manjus's spirit foundation at the same time.

That was undoubtedly a mixture of elements from multiple Servants, yet it formed Manju's spirit origin in a completely normal way.

The dragon's breath was nothing to Zigerud; he didn't even make any extra movements, but simply swung the demonic sword that emanated an ominous light.

The name of that demonic sword is Gram, the sun sword that the great god Odin planted in a tree and gave to his father Siegmund.

He imbued the sword with immense magical power, unleashing it directly as a burst of magic. The massive wave of flames severed the evil dragon's triple breath.

"Oh dear, because you possess such immense magical power, your attacks, displayed in the form of magical energy release, have already reached the level of an army commander?"

Seeing that the three-headed dragon's breath had been severed by the opponent's sword, Manju stopped using the Noble Phantasm's pursuit effect and retreated to the side.

It's really not easy to deal with an opponent who possesses such a massive amount of magic power.

"Responsibility is my identity. After witnessing my power, are you going to prepare to run away with all your might? That's the choice a rational person should make."

Seeing that Manshu had stopped, Sigurd said indifferently.

"This is nothing! I was just figuring out how much force to use to defeat you without humiliating you too much. It seems that even your wisdom gained from swallowing the dragon's heart and those annoying red eyes aren't all that useful."

Manshu wasn't quite sure what Sigurd's eyes were like, and he couldn't even remember the color of Sigurd's eyes, but in his mind, Sigurd's wisdom was manifested through his glasses.

Therefore, Manshu simply assumed that the red glow in Sigurd's eyes at that moment was the effect of his wisdom.

"However, if you are willing to obediently give way and not block our way, I am not unwilling to let you off the hook."

The pre-battle trash talk was just something he did casually; Sigurd didn't seem like the kind of person who would be easily mocked and have his mindset affected.

"Do you want me to let you go? Unfortunately, I'm also pursuing my own goals, and you have something I need. So I must kill you and take it from you."

Chapter Twenty-Three: Twists and Turns

"It seems you think I'm joking? It appears that the dragon's wisdom isn't exactly a useful thing."

As Manshu spoke, he began to re-examine Sigurd, who seemed somewhat different from the great Nordic hero he remembered.

"But since you've misunderstood, I'll say it again: retreat now and I might spare your life, Sigurd!"

"Oh? A hybrid, unable to grasp the difference in strength?"

Sigurd glanced at him dismissively, but as if he had noticed something, he still assumed a fighting stance.

"But since you dare to make such a boast, then reveal your name. That's what so-called human heroes usually do, right?"

"That suddenly makes sense. Since we're in Northern Europe, there's no need to use the name Volga anymore. Just call me Hafdan, or Gram. That's settled then, my name is Hafdan Gram."

Since the other party has asked the question sincerely, and at least it seems like they intend to have a serious fight, then there is no need to respond.

When it was mentioned before, Manshu also wanted to change the name, but there are quite a few names that can be used for the land of Northern Europe.

Manshu originally intended to call himself Siegfried. He had a deep impression of the demonic sword that emitted a twilight-colored aura, and he had even wielded that sword himself. Moreover, the other party was not someone who would mind such a thing.

Since we've already encountered Sigurd, it's clearly better to abandon this option.

Since that's the case, let's choose a name that's more prestigious but less well-known, a name that shouldn't be found in Japanese search results and shouldn't be associated with the person in question.

The name Hafdan is not uncommon in Norse legends; it even appears in the story of Beowulf.

But Manshu was referring to a king even older than that, whom the Germanic people regarded as Manus, the grandson of the supreme god Ers, and the ancestral king revered by the Germanic tribes.

In Teutonic mythology, he is described as the son of Thor, the god of thunder, and the ancestor of heroes who conquered all of Norse mythology. He adopted his father Bogard in the human world, who was one of the earliest ancestors of the Teutons.

Halfdan's most famous feat was the Winter War, in which two giantesses turned the world's millstone, disrupting the order of the universe, and the frost giants launched a massive invasion of the gods' territory.

Hafdan led his army to drive the frost giants out of Midgard, and the glory of his battle even illuminated the entire Asgard.

But it was in this battle that Hafdan abducted Ovandro's wife, Groya, and released their child, Svepdag.

The final story is that 8th Swipdagh, wielding the sword of victory, shattered Thor's warhammer and defeated Hafdan.

However, most of the legends about Hafdan cannot actually be considered true, because Hafdan himself was of the same nature as the hero Swipdagh who defeated him.

It is a re-creation of the pre-Nordic stories in the Danish mythology compiled by later generations.

Therefore, this is not a story that appears in the Edda or the Saga, or it may simply be a story that existed in later times and was recreated using the name.

"I heard it, but I'll forget it soon."

Sigurd merely imitated the hero's actions by asking the opponent's name, showing no interest in what the opponent actually wanted.

"It doesn't matter. You're about to return to the Throne of Heroes anyway, so you probably have no interest in revisiting the memories of your shameful defeat. There's no point in memorizing this name now."

"Inflation, arrogance, complacency. Humans are always the same, humph, just like the gods."

Sigurd's words seemed to be presented from a different angle from the beginning, as if he were not human.

Is it the same situation as the Storm King? Manshu wondered to himself.

Sigurd possessed an abundance of divinity. As the son of the great god Odin, unless his divinity was stripped away like Brunhilde's, he would never be inferior.

Therefore, Manju couldn't determine whether the other party's spirit origin had undergone any qualitative change, but if it was like the Storm King, it would completely explain the incredible and enormous magical power within him at this moment.

Moreover, it's not unusual for something like this to happen in this Lostbelt. After all, Ivan the Terrible transformed into a divine beast over hundreds of years of growth.

"It seems you harbor deep resentment towards the gods. Since I've taken this name, let me do something to uphold the spirits of this place. What should I invoke? Shall I ask for my father's thunder hammer?"

Although Manju said it with a smile, and his tone seemed joking, lightning did indeed leap from his hand. (8)

However, it wasn't Thor's lightning, but rather the power wielded by Shiva's trident. (v)

Manju wielded his trident and charged forward, intending to see if he could change the spirit origin later, replacing it with something Nordic-style to make the art style look more appropriate. 7.

Although he was wielding a trident, what fell was indeed lightning, so there seemed to be no problem. 6

"He who wields the trident! Unleash your divine power, slay the black demon in mid-air. I call upon you to manifest, the supreme divine authority." (vi)

Manjushri didn't know much about Shiva and couldn't think of many words at the moment, so he simply modified a hymn by Indra and used it as a praise to Shiva. 3

Anyway, it doesn't make a huge difference; he's not the only one doing it, other people have done it too.

The magic unleashed amplified the trident's power; the great god's strength instantly imbued the weapon in Manjusaki's hand, which he swung towards Sigurd, intending to crush him.

"It's truly astonishing that he is indeed a qualified soldier, but a pathetic existence indeed. It's meaningless."2

Sigurd swung his magic sword Gram again. It was a simple way of releasing magic, but it was enough to make his magic sword difficult to stop.

At least for now, Chaldea probably has no way to stop the advance of this Warrior King. If they just sit and wait for their deaths as they did before, their journey will probably come to an end here.

Manju's trident clashed with the sword, unleashing a violent surge of magical energy.

"How can it be……"

The moment the two weapons collided, Man Su felt a terrifying force transmitted through his weapon, causing him to stagger backward.

This is still quite surprising. Not to mention that Manshu himself enjoys the enhancement of his abilities under the sun, he also has A+ level strength.

Aside from monsters and the Earth Mother Goddess known for their strength, he was surprised to lose in a contest of power.

Manshu even began to doubt whether there was something wrong with the information he had about Sigurd, or if it was runic magic. (8)

Just then, a beam of light shone from behind Manshu; it was not hostile, nor was it aimed at Manshu. (5)

That was Holmes launching the attack using his formal attire; it seems he too came from the submarine, choosing to join the battle to assist Manjus. 7

“This is a bit unnecessary, Detective.” 6.

Manshu showed no joy at the sudden arrival of reinforcements, but rather doubted whether Holmes could join their fight.

Holmes isn't exactly a Servant with outstanding combat abilities; at least not on this battlefield. Even a first-rate Servant would likely be unable to intervene in most situations.

Sigurd's sword was incredibly heavy, yet swift and sharp; such an attack would likely slice an ordinary Servant to pieces within a few moves. 4

“A nuisance.” (4)

Sigurd didn't seem to like the intruders either, and actually unleashed the magic sword in his hand.

A surge of magical light flowed across the magic sword, and Holmes was positioned directly in the direction of the submarine.

Once Sigurd's magic sword is unleashed, Holmes aside, the submarine will likely be in serious trouble.

But it seems that Holmes's skills were still in effect, allowing him to keenly observe the changes in magic and rush over quickly.

"As a Heroic Spirit, I am more skilled in hand-to-hand combat. Let me stop your demonic sword from activating! Tomoejutsu!"

Holmes planned to use his renowned martial arts skills to interrupt Sigurd's unleashing of his demonic sword Gram, but his combat abilities were probably meaningless compared to those of a truly top-tier Servant.

Even a top-tier swordsman like Yagyu Munenori could only watch helplessly as the heroes of the Age of Gods clashed, believing he was powerless to intervene.

His opponent was Sigurd, who was undoubtedly among the top heroes of the Age of Gods and was even stronger than in his normal state.

But at least he did achieve his goal: Gram's magic was deactivated, and Sigurd raised and swung his sword instead.

"Shut up."

With a simple swing, Holmes's outstretched right arm was severed, and he fell to the ground in the snow.

"I told you you shouldn't have interfered..."