Thanks for the invitation. I'm in Type-Moon, inheriting the legacy of Zi-O.

"Time reversal... a resurrection magic? A Noble Phantasm activated at the moment of death... I hope they don't come any closer..." Wiping the sweat from his brow, Nian Zhuo raised his trembling right hand, while his left hand appeared boneless, prompting a helpless smile. "Compared to that, is my left hand completely useless now...?"

Then, Nian Zhuo saw that Hercules' body, which had been cut in two, was healed as if time had reversed, and Hercules, whose eyes were completely filled with madness, stretched out his right fist.

"Boom—" Like the roar of a cannon, the extremely high speed brought tremendous kinetic energy, instantly sending Nian Zhuo flying.

"Pfft...!" Nian Zhuo felt as if his already crippled left hand was about to be separated from his body after being hit hard on his left shoulder. The fist even ripped through the air when it hit him, and he was sent flying into the air like a piece of junk before crashing down in front of Mashu and the others.

"Mr. Nianzhuo...!" The next moment, Ritsuka immediately caught Nianzhuo, who had fallen to the ground, and called out anxiously.

At the same time, Mash, Drake, Artemis, Orion, Euryale, and Asterius all focused their gazes on Nianzhuo.

The W armor on his body gradually turned into purple and green data streams and disappeared, revealing Nian Zhuo's battered body in its entirety to everyone's eyes.

"—!" Then, Nian Zhuo suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, and his body, which was about to stand up, fell heavily to the ground again.

"Hey! Nianzhuo! Are you alright!" Even Mary, who was in Chaldea, was startled by Nianzhuo's sudden change.

"It's alright... I won't die for now." With great effort, Nian Zhuo opened his eyes, wiped away the spurting blood with his only remaining right hand, and looked up at Hercules, who was standing there for some reason, radiating magical heat. "In fact, I'm alright for now."

"Clap—clap—clap—" The sound of clapping reached Nian Zhuo and the others' ears. Looking towards the source of the sound, they saw that the blond youth had somehow arrived at the bow of the Golden Deer and was clapping his hands with great enthusiasm as he looked at Nian Zhuo lying on the ground.

"Yo yo yo, working hard, you worthless heroic spirit." The blond youth—no, Jason—walked up to Hercules with a cruel smile. He tried to pat Hercules' body but was burned by the heat of magic and quickly pulled his hand away. A hint of murderous intent flashed in his eyes as he looked at Hercules, but it quickly turned into a smile as he looked at the disheveled group in front of him.

"You guys really did a great job~" Just seeing Nian Zhuo lying on the ground coughing up blood made Jason, who had been mocked by Nian Zhuo before, very happy. "Then let me tell you some important information!" Then, Jason carefully pointed to Hercules beside him, making sure he wouldn't be burned by the other's magic.

"—Hercules, he's immortal, you know?"

"Huh...!?" Mashu's eyes widened as she stared at the jet-black giant beside the blond youth, her mouth agape. "How could this be...!"

"The most famous legend of Hercules is the twelve trials the gods gave him." Jason patted his chest, speaking loudly as if boasting, "Having completed all the trials, he was rewarded with life. Didn't that bastard spirit of yours just kill Hercules?" Jason pointed to Nianzhuo lying on the ground.

"That means you have to defeat him eleven more times." Then, without even looking at the disheveled group behind him, Jason waved goodbye and said, "Good luck."

“How could this be… that we have to defeat him eleven times…” Even Mashu was at a loss, her hand gripping the shield trembling.

"No... that can't be...!" Mary exclaimed directly in Chaldea, "How could... how could even Nen-cho defeat him once and it still not be enough... eleven times or something? This ability is just too overpowered!?"

"...Retreat." Even Drake, now only able to choose how to escape from the enemy, reached out and shouted to his idle henchmen, "Retreat, everyone! Quick! Even abandon ship! Just get as far away from that monster as possible!"

"Hahahaha! Not bad, not bad! Absolutely fantastic!" Jason stood at the bow of his ship, looking at the chaotic people opposite him and laughing happily. "To drive out the enemy with absolutely overwhelming violence! That's the essence of 'justice'! Don't you think so? Right, my dear Medea!"

"Your will is my will, Lord Jason." The purple-haired girl who had followed him bowed slightly, her sweet smile unchanged.

At the same time, she presented a golden phantom with both hands, speaking in a humble yet respectful tone.

"Lord Jason, here you are, this is the Holy Grail." He presented the golden phantom from Blackbeard.

"Oh, so this is the Holy Grail?" Looking at the golden phantom in his hand, Jason placed it into his body without hesitation. A surge of magical light instantly made him smack his lips in satisfaction. "Alright, this means I'm now recognized by this world and qualified to be its king, right? It's a pity that the Holy Grail was previously possessed by a foolish pirate. Next, if I can obtain Euryale and—[the Ark of the Covenant], I'll have it all!" Seeing his goal about to be achieved, Jason's expression became even more arrogant.

"The Ark of the Covenant...?" His voice was naturally heard by everyone on the Golden Deer, and Mash murmured the last two words.

"What! It actually mentions the Ark of the Covenant...?" This time, even the sound of Mary slamming her hand on the table from Chaldea could be heard.

"Lord Jason, is it really a good idea to expose our objective?" Medea looked at Jason beside her, her expression unchanged.

“It’s alright, my dear Medea.” Jason waved his index finger at Medea as if he didn’t care. “They don’t understand anything anyway! They don’t understand this world! This era! Or our true purpose!” Then, Jason swung his hand down hard, and at the same time, Hercules, who hadn’t moved until now, picked up his axe and let out a fierce battle roar.

"Come on, Hercules! Give them a real, fatal blow!"

"——————!" Roaring, the black giant moved again, its broad axe blade heading straight for the head.

“…!!” Mash was shocked by the fact that the berserker had awakened. As soon as she raised her shield, she felt a gust of wind. “Oh no…!” She quickly looked behind her.

"Damn it...!" Drake belatedly tried to draw her gun, but then her hand suddenly slipped, and the flintlock pistol slipped from her grasp.

"Eureka! Run!" Ritsuka, though human, somehow already guessed who Hercules's target was and hurriedly shouted to the goddess who was standing still.

“…!!” Asterius, who was half-sitting on the ground, also felt Heracles’ fierce killing intent. Just as he was about to sit up, he saw Heracles’ body rush past him. “Wait, stop!!”

"Oh... my dear!" Artemis and Orion were too far away to come and help even if they wanted to.

“…!” Euryale’s eyes widened after Ritsuka’s exclamation, and the next second Hercules’s dark and tall figure appeared in front of her.

"Ah, no... I can't take it anymore." Looking at the cold glint of the black-clad hero's axe blade and the sharp aura of his sword, Euryale closed her eyes in despair. "Am I... really going to end like this...?"

However, the most anxious were not Nianzhuo and the others, but Jason on another ship.

"Aaaaaah! Damn it! Hercules, what are you doing!" Jason's furious shouts were extremely shrill, and he even stomped his feet repeatedly. "How could this be? Stop right now, Hercules...!! You've got it wrong! It's not that woman, aaaaaah!" Watching the tall figure swing down with the axe blade, Jason looked like everything was over and pulled at his cheeks.

Time seemed to slow down dramatically, and Euryale could only watch helplessly as Hercules' axe blade drew ever closer to her neck.

"Ah... I imagine the blood would have splattered horribly if I'd been slashed..." In her final moments, she tried to close her eyes. "I'm sorry, Asterius... and Nianzhuo, everyone." Finally, the goddess closed her eyes and released the golden shortbow from her hands.

"Swoosh—" The familiar sound of flesh being pierced rang out, and blood stained the ship's deck as if it were free.

"...Eh?" After waiting for a long time, Euryale did not feel any excruciating pain. She opened her eyes shakily. "...Eh?" Another scream came out.

“…Ah.” Mash, Ritsuka, Drake, Artemis, and Asterius, who was about to stand up, were all stunned by the scene before them and fell into a brief daze.

The heavily injured Nian Zhuo, who should have been lying on the ground, somehow appeared in front of Euryale, blocking the fatal blow from Hercules.

As a result, Hercules' massive axe blade pierced through Nianzhuo's entire torso and emerged from behind him.

On the blood-stained tip of the axe blade, drops of Nian Zhuo's blood were dripping down.

“…Ah.” Nian Zhuo wanted to say something, but as soon as he opened his mouth, he saw blood gushing out of his mouth uncontrollably. Without any armor, Nian Zhuo gripped Hercules’ axe blade with his bare body.

"Ugh—Aaaaaaah!" Then, Nianzhuo took another step forward, and Hercules' axe blade wreaked havoc inside Nianzhuo's body, but Hercules was unable to pull out his weapon in time.

Then, Nianzhuo roared, gripped the axe blade that had pierced his body, and pushed forward with all his might.

It wasn't that she wanted to push the axe blade out of her body, but rather to push Hercules and Nencho away from Mash and the others.

"No, Nianzhuo! Don't do this!" Clutching her clothes, Euryale's sobbing voice was heartbreaking. "No, don't do this! We are no match for him! We... cannot beat him!" However, seeing Nianzhuo resolutely push Hercules away along with herself, Euryale murmured, tears streaming down her face.

"It's clearly impossible! I clearly can't do it. Why...! Answer me! Nianzhuo!" The girl's scream echoed throughout the entire ship.

Naturally, it also reached the ears of the boy who was fighting on the other side.

"Ha... What nonsense are you spouting, you stupid goddess!" Nian Zhuo turned to look at Euryale. Even though blood was spurting from his chest and his right hand was almost ruined, he still gripped Hercules' weapon tightly and pushed him away from everyone.

"I can't win at all, I don't understand!!" the boy roared, increasing the pressure on his hands.

"If you could kill me over something as trivial as this, what kind of hero would I be!" The boy then pushed the berserker with all his might, but as his senses gradually returned, Nian Zhuo kept clenching his teeth.

You won't feel pain when you're first cut because the rapid release of adrenaline puts you in an excited state. But once the adrenaline wears off, the pain will come like a tidal wave.

"Ugh—Aaaaaaaah!" The pain of broken bones, the pain of flesh being torn apart, the pain of having one's hands slashed open while gripping Hercules' weapon all rushed in at once, almost causing Nian Zhuo to loosen his grip on Hercules' weapon.

"You're quite clever! You third-rate Heroic Spirit!" Jason muttered resentfully, then looked at Medea beside him. "Go, my dear Medea, go and retrieve Euryale!"

"Yes, Lord Jason." The girl bowed slightly, then her figure fluttered up again like a purple butterfly. "I heard your name is Nianzhuo, is that right?" Medea nodded gently as she looked at the heavily injured boy who was clinging tightly to Heracles.

"As expected of a Heroic Spirit, you are a true hero." But he still raised his staff and pointed it at Euryale. "Although you only succeeded once, you were able to successfully repel Hercules before you died."

"No, I won't let you succeed...!" Drake picked up the flintlock pistol that had fallen to the ground, his arm trembling with rage. He aimed at the girl in mid-air and pulled the trigger without hesitation, shouting at the goddess who was standing there, stunned and weeping, "Come here! Euryale!"

"...?" Medea was puzzled. Looking at the pirates who were protecting Euryale, Ritsuka, and even Asterius, the girl questioned, "Why are you protecting her so diligently? You pirate who knows nothing of love and only cares about lust, what is your reason?"

"Ha, don't you understand?" Drake raised an eyebrow, as if to say, "I'm not exactly a saint, but this girl's beauty is genuine! Especially her heart! Unlike your blind faith. In other words, it's only natural for me to protect her!" With a stomp of his foot, Drake looked at Medea in mid-air with a triumphant smile.

"Eureka is our treasure! We won't let that kind of man touch a single hair on her head!"

“Drake…” Euryale wanted to say something, but she was already sobbing uncontrollably.

"Miss Euryale! Please step back!" Mash stepped forward, shield in hand, her face streaked with tears, but she gripped the shield firmly. "You are their target! And I will protect you, just like Mr. Nianzhuo!"

"What are you doing, Hercules! Medea!" Jason stamped his foot in anger, his face full of rage. "Ugh, damn it, why are all the guys except me hopeless idiots!" He then shouted at Hercules, who for some reason had not retaliated.

"Hercules, take care of that third-rate Servant! But you're not allowed to attack Euryale!"

"————!" However, for some reason, Hercules let out a battle cry after hearing Jason's command, but the strength with which he gripped the axe blade did not change, and he let Nian Zhuo push him away.

"Damn it! They didn't obey my orders, you bastards!" Jason turned his gaze to Medea. "Hmph—! Medea! Get rid of them! I get really irritable if things don't go according to plan, that's just my personality. I especially can't stand disorganization on my own side, people who don't follow orders are more disgusting than the enemy."

“Yes! I understand! Lord Jason!” The girl nodded to the blond youth behind her, waving her staff in mid-air.

Dozens of magic arrays instantly appeared in the air, all condensing purple magic orbs, as if they would turn into a destructive torrent in the next second.

"Well then, I apologize to everyone! Fully activate the entire spell!" the girl shouted, and lightning-like patterns appeared on the purple magic circle.

“It’s over…it’s all over…” Mary, far away in Chaldea, clutched her head in despair. “Nen-cho…no, no…Nen-cho…!” she cried out, calling out the name of her Servant.

"Ha, don't give up, Mary, it's not time to give up yet." As always, the voice of her servant that appeared in the communication device was as steady and reliable as ever, which made Mary raise her head instantly.

His own servant was covered in blood, and Hercules' weapon was still cutting into his body, so why—

Why was he still able to laugh?

Or—with a smile that suggests victory?

"There's another trump card?" Nian Zhuo looked at Hercules's crimson eyes and smiled broadly. "That kind of thing! We can have as many as we want!" Then, a colorful card appeared in Nian Zhuo's hand.

"Hey! You blond scum over there!" For some reason, Nian Zhuo suddenly looked in Jason's direction.

"Huh?" Jason shifted his gaze with a disdainful expression. "What, you worthless Heroic Spirit, you think you can ruin my plans? Don't be ridiculous, you piece of trash."

“A third-rate hero… Ah, perhaps you’re right.” Nian Zhuo raised his head, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth, and smiled bitterly. “After all, even this power might belong to someone else…” As he said this, the boy suddenly widened his eyes.

"But—!" The boy raised the colorful card in his hand, his body gleaming in the sunlight!

"This body! It is a glorious body recognized by many knights and heroes!" Holding the colorful card in front of him, Nian Zhuo grinned and tore it to shreds.

"Therefore! Before this body is completely consumed by flames! I will inflict upon you immense pain once more!"

"Witness my soul, my passion, and my very existence!"

Five-colored energy appeared in Nianzhuo's chest.

"Life! What an eye-opener!"

The infinity of the Infinite Soul is the infinity of humanity!

Before Hercules was about to break free of his bonds, Nianzhuo thought a lot.

Is it worth it? — Yes.

Is it worth it? — Yes, it is.

Is it worth it? —————— Yes.

Is it really worth it? ————……Yes, it is.

I said I thought about it a lot, but really I was just enduring the excruciating pain to consider whether or not to do it.

"...Host, is it really worth it?" The system's emotionless voice echoed in his mind, constantly questioning whether Nian Zhuo had the corresponding awareness. "Your spirit core is already on the verge of shattering. Is it really worth it?"