FATE: Target of Grand Master

Ivan the Terrible remained silent for a long time in response to Xia Yan's answer, and ultimately did not continue to discuss the topic.

"In that case, let's see if you have the ability to take the crown on my head."

Ivan the Terrible tapped his scepter, preparing to unleash the giant mammoth's attack once more.

Although Anastasia had defended against the attack, Ivan the Terrible had an advantage over the princess—magical power.

The majority of the magic power for the Noble Phantasm was provided by the giant mammoth, which is why Ivan the Terrible could immediately unleash a barrage of Noble Phantasms. However, Anastasia's Noble Phantasm consumed a great deal of her magic power, and she would need time to recover her magic power in order to unleash the same defensive Noble Phantasm again.

This is also why Xia Yan was willing to communicate with Ivan the Terrible before; he wanted to buy Anastasia some time.

Of course, Ivan the Terrible could easily see through this little trick.

"Old friends, give them a quick death! Noble Phantasm! My Beast that Accompanying Me on My Journey!"

As Ivan the Terrible gazed at the sphere of magical energy that had coalesced before the giant mammoth, he was now absolutely certain of victory in this battle.

However...

"roar--!"

A flash of cold light appeared, and the giant mammoth's trunk, which had a sickle-shaped weapon, was as if it had been cut open by some sharp weapon and fell off. The beast's blood immediately gushed out, staining a large area of ​​forest red.

boom!

Not only the elephant's trunk, but even the magic ball that was about to be launched was cut in two and exploded in front of the giant mammoth.

"How is this possible! Who are you?!"

In fact, Xia Yan had his followers disperse while he was talking to Ivan the Terrible, waiting for an opportunity to attack the giant mammoth.

Standing atop the giant mammoth, Ivan the Terrible naturally saw them too, but he didn't take these smaller Servants seriously. His mount was a divine beast from the Age of Gods; how could it possibly be harmed by a mere human Servant?

This is why he is so shocked when he looks at Musashi, who is suspended in mid-air and has severed the elephant's trunk with his sword.

"Miyamoto Musashi! He's just a mere warrior. Since I received Xia Yan's reward earlier, I have to make a good impression."

Ivan the Terrible was completely baffled by Musashi's seemingly nonsensical words, but his attention was soon drawn to the two rapidly rising streams of magical energy below.

"Admire my talent, listen to the thunderous applause! Then praise, praise this golden theater! The glorious empire sung by young girls!"

Nero activated his Noble Phantasm first, and a magnificent Roman theater rose from the ground.

Raising his greatsword "Primordial Flame," which was covered in flames, Nero swung it, tearing a gash in the giant mammoth's body. Then, Nero ran forward, leaving a deep and long wound on the divine beast from front to back.

The wound was also accompanied by intense burning, which caused the giant mammoth to let out another miserable howl.

"Now it's my turn!"

After Nero finished unleashing his Noble Phantasm, Ereshkigal followed suit.

"Please, Meslamthea! Feel the protection of the underworld! Appear, Temple of Fever. This is my Spirit Peak Embracing the Saddle of the Underworld!"

Ivan the Terrible and the giant mammoth below suddenly felt their bodies falling continuously, as if they were about to fall into the underworld.

When the feeling of falling finally stopped, countless spears imbued with chilling magic sprouted from the ground.

These spears easily pierced through the skin that had been blasted apart by Morgan's Noble Phantasm, causing a large pool of blood to seep out beneath the giant mammoth.

When the number of spears reached its limit, the magic power attached to them burst forth, unleashing a sky-piercing magic power similar to Morgan's previous Noble Phantasm.

Although it was not as powerful as Morgan's Noble Phantasm, for the giant mammoth that was already badly injured, especially with its lower body in a mess, the pain and damage it caused was no less than the impact of Morgan's Noble Phantasm when it was in its fully intact state.

"roar--!"

Only now did Ivan the Terrible realize that he had miscalculated, and by more than one measure.

He initially thought these Servants wouldn't cause much damage to the giant mammoth, but the continuous attacks made him realize that although these Servants weren't as powerful as the witch who had used her Noble Phantasm to severely injure the giant mammoth, they were still top-tier Servants.

Another miscalculation he made was that he thought the witch would have no further impact on the battle after she returned from using her Noble Phantasm. However, Morgan's previous Noble Phantasm not only severely injured the giant mammoth, but also provided guidance for the subsequent attacks of several Servants, namely, the lower half of the giant mammoth.

"Leave the final blow to me!"

Musashi, who landed from mid-air, retrieved his sword and began to increase his magical power.

"Namo, O Great Free God. Hayagriva, who cuts through all evil with wrath. This strike is my path of emptiness, my very life! Ishana, Great Celestial Phenomenon—!"

The colossal Fudo Myo-ō (Acala) tolled the final bell for the already dying giant mammoth.

After the four enormous sword blades slashed down, Musashi unleashed his ultimate sword strike, capable of cleaving everything in the world.

"roar--!"

With a roar that clearly showed the giant mammoth was losing its strength, the trunk, from which Musashi had cut off the tip, drooped helplessly to the ground, signifying the passing of its master.

Just before Musashi's Noble Phantasm struck the giant mammoth, Ivan the Terrible, sensing the danger, had no choice but to use a displacement magic to transform himself into a bolt of lightning and appear in front of Xia Yan and Anastasia.

"To be honest, I did underestimate you."

As Ivan the Terrible spoke, he unleashed a bolt of lightning from his scepter, intending to strike down Xia Yan, the core of the team.

"dimension!"

However, with Anastasia by his side, how could the Thunder Emperor possibly succeed so easily?

An ice wall appeared in front of Xia Yan. Although it shattered and disintegrated immediately upon encountering the lightning, it successfully withstood the attack.

Realizing his sneak attack had failed, Ivan the Terrible stopped wasting his energy and turned his attention to Anastasia.

"In the previous battle, I used a mount, and you had a companion, so it was a bit of a stretch. But if you want to become the King of the Lostbelt, you must have a one-on-one battle with me. Little girl, do you dare?"

"Of course, that was my original plan."

Anastasia readily accepted Ivan the Terrible's provocation.

Xia Yan, who was standing to the side, did not stop them.

On the one hand, given Anastasia's personality, if she wants to become the Queen of the Lostbelt, she cannot be content with just doing defensive tasks; she must be the one who personally defeats the Thunder Emperor.

On the other hand, in order to gain the support of the people and to obtain "extraordinary power" from Ivan the Terrible, Anastasia also needed to gain Ivan the Terrible's approval.

This battle, which will determine who becomes the King of the Lostbelt and the future of the Russian Lostbelt, is about to begin.