In Britain, the Noble Phantasm: Divine Key

boom!

Even the solid gold could not escape the fate of shattering under the power of a demigod, and the golden throne, a symbol of authority, exploded instantly.

Ozymandias touched the wound on his face expressionlessly, the blood from his fingertips bright red and conspicuous.

“Very good. As expected of a great hero who completed the twelve impossible trials, to be able to harm me under these circumstances, you have much to be proud of.” Ozymandias looked down at Heracles. “However, how long can you hold on?”

"How much better are you than me?" Hercules said calmly. "Maintaining such a large Reality Marble must be quite taxing for you. Under normal circumstances, my arrow just now shouldn't have hit you."

“You’re right, I really don’t have much time left.” Ozymandias frankly admitted Heracles’ statement. He was a proud king who would never lie about such a thing. “However, the little time I have left is enough for me to deal with you.”

He raised the scepter in his hand, and countless bolts of lightning converged, gradually expanding into a huge ball of lightning. The dazzling electric light illuminated the entire temple as brightly as day.

"Let me send you to hell with this final blow, great hero of Greece!" Ozymandias smiled cruelly as he swung his scepter, sending the thunderball crashing down.

As the massive ball of lightning slowly descended, Hercules lowered his eyes slightly. His strong battle instincts warned him that if he were to take this hit, he would almost certainly die.

The battle with Penthesilea had already used up nearly half of his resurrection chances, and the probability of successfully surviving this attack with the few remaining resurrection chances was extremely slim.

But... so what?

Hercules drew his bow and arrow, his calm eyes fixed on the enormous ball of lightning that was so close at hand.

I am Hercules, the Greek demigod, the hero who accomplished the impossible twelve times in a row!

I will not fall until I reach my goal!

Rumble—!!!

As the lightning ball fell, a torrent of violent lightning erupted instantly, its dazzling light blinding people. The terrifying power raged everywhere, as if to transform the entire world into a sea of ​​lightning.

More than ten minutes later, the lightning gradually dissipated, and Ozymandias coldly stared at the spot where Hercules had stood, where there was no longer any sign of life.

"You are a hero who has turned the impossible into the possible twelve times in a row. Your bravery is truly admirable. But unfortunately, before the King of Kings who conquers all, courage and faith will not bring you victory."

Ozymandias lowered his scepter, preparing to dismantle the Great Composite Temple of Radiance. The previous attack had consumed most of his remaining magic power, and he needed to save some to face the enemies to come.

But the moment he lowered his guard, a piercing sound of something cutting through the air came rushing in.

Chapter Forty-Four: What is Hell?

Objectively speaking, although Ozymandias was a proud and arrogant monarch, he was by no means someone who would easily underestimate his opponents. Ordinary enemies did not even qualify as opponents to him, so those who could be considered opponents by him must be people he recognized in some way.

Therefore, when facing such an opponent, he would restrain his arrogance, not only to pursue victory and uphold the dignity of the King of Kings, but also to show respect for the opponent.

Ozymandias never underestimated Heracles. To deal with this great Greek hero, he used almost every means at his disposal. Even after defeating him, he only lowered his guard after confirming that the other man was truly without any signs of life.

But we must admit that life is sometimes so dramatic. When the coin of fate has not yet fully landed, no one can guarantee what changes will occur.

The sharp arrow, like a raging dragon, tore through the air and hurtled towards them. Without any fancy techniques or magical effects, it was just a simple arrow that, at the last moment, reversed the balance of victory!

boom!

Ozymandias's golden scepter, which he hastily used to block, was instantly pierced through, but the arrow's power was not diminished in the slightest. Its powerful kinetic energy gave it unparalleled destructive force, and it instantly pierced through Ozymandias's body!

Boom!

The arrow was deeply embedded in the wall, and the blood seeping down its tail feathers. Ozymandias lowered his eyes slightly, the fist-sized wound in his heart deadly and conspicuous.

He raised his head and looked down. On the land ravaged by lightning, the black giant stood like an iron tower. Although his body was covered with countless charred wounds and his obsidian longbow was almost broken, he still stood there, as unyielding as his stubborn will!

“I see.” Ozymandias slowly sat on the throne, resting his chin on his hand, speaking calmly as if he had not suffered any serious injury. “A desperate counterattack, a fight to the death. I never expected that at this final moment, you would be able to transcend the shackles of life and death and complete the thirteenth trial that had never been accomplished before.”

The obsidian longbow shattered bit by bit. Hercules lowered his head slightly and said in a hoarse voice, "Because... I have a reason to win."

“I have already realized that if you did not have such a resolute belief, how could you have shot this arrow?”

The magnificent temple gradually dissipated in the radiance of the spirits, and the dazzling golden light illuminated Ozymandias's figure as he gradually turned into nothingness. Even in the final moments of his life, this pharaoh who created the most prosperous dynasty in ancient Egypt still appeared calm and composed.

"I am Ozymandias, the King of Kings who reigns above all the gods. As long as the sun has not yet set, I will once again reign over this land. Cherish this victory, great hero of Greece. The next time we face each other, I will show you what the deepest despair is."

The light of the spirit gradually faded, and the red team's Rider, the King of the Sun, Ozymandias, thus exited the stage.

The ancient and magnificent temple vanished, and the deep twilight once again enveloped the earth. Hercules released his grip, and the obsidian longbow fell to the ground, shattering into countless fragments and dust. This weapon, which had followed him in creating countless victories and miracles, finally met its end.

Hercules walked heavily, step by step, toward the distance, until he finally stopped beside Siegfried.

“Congratulations, Archer.” Siegfried’s usually stern face broke into a faint smile. “This is your victory.”

“This is our victory.” Hercules knelt down and gripped Siegfried’s hand tightly.

The light of the spirit particles rose up like fireflies, and his back was severely injured. This was an irreversible end for Siegfried. If it weren't for his indomitable will to "witness the end," he would have disappeared long ago.

"It may be irresponsible of me to say this, but I'm entrusting the rest to you." Siegfried gripped Hercules tightly. "My Master, and those homunculus humans too."

“I will,” Hercules nodded.

"Thank you."

Siegfried nodded, looked up at the dark, deep night sky, and a satisfied smile appeared on his lips:

"That's wonderful. To be able to defeat a powerful enemy alongside trusted friends in the end. I have no regrets..."

The radiance of the spirit merged into the endless night, and the Black Saber, the dragon-slaying hero of Norse mythology, Siegfried, thus exited the stage.

"cough......."

Hercules' body went limp and he knelt on the ground, coughing up crimson blood.

Although he miraculously completed the Thirteenth Trial at the last moment with his indomitable will, the damage inflicted on him by the Pharaoh was still undeniable. It was already incredible that he was still holding on and hadn't collapsed.

The only thing that can pull him back from the brink of death is the Command Seal.

Hercules calmed himself and contacted his Master through the contract. A moment later, he suddenly opened his eyes.

No response.......

Although he could definitely sense Master's presence, he couldn't contact him. It was as if an invisible wall stood between them, preventing them from communicating.

What exactly happened...?

call out!

A crimson spear hurtled in from afar like a meteor, its scorching flames distorting the air, and the extreme heat spread out at an alarming speed, as if to set the entire world ablaze.

This is the karmic fire from the sun god, the spear that once slew gods. The lurking spy has seized Hercules' weakest moment and intends to use this strike to end him completely!

"Don't try to succeed!"

A deep voice echoed, the earth rumbled violently, and countless black iron stakes emerged, forming an incredibly thick barrier in front of Hercules, blocking the fatal blow for him.

Vlad III descended from the sky and stood before Hercules, his towering figure like a pillar supporting the heavens and the earth, giving people an unparalleled sense of security.

"Rest assured and recuperate, my ally. Leave the rest to me!"

"Did it fail again?" Kotomine Shiro sighed softly. Commanding Karna to launch a sneak attack on Heracles was the last chance he could find, but even so, it was still thwarted by that Grand Duke Varajva.

Without Rider, do they really still have a chance to win?

"Honestly, didn't I already say that until the very end, no one can guarantee anything..."

Sesshouin Kihara chuckled and turned her gaze to the distant hills shrouded in thick fog.

"Who will be the final victor?"

"Where exactly is this place...?"

Mordred, holding the magic sword, warily surveyed his surroundings.

Everything familiar had vanished, replaced by an exceptionally cold city filled with icy fog, permeated with a nauseating stench—the stench of rotting flesh, vomit, and viscera—surrounding them.

The pedestrians on the street walked stiffly, and no one looked at them. Everyone's eyes were as empty as sharks, making people feel uneasy and trembling from the bottom of their hearts.

Is this an endless nightmare, or a bottomless hell?

The biting cold wind stung everyone's skin, and crumpled newspapers fluttered down to their feet.

Koles picked up the newspaper, and the first thing that caught his eye was a line of large print:

"From Hell" — Jack the Ripper.

“Hell…” he murmured the word, and suddenly felt a chill creep up his spine.

What is hell?

Is it endless despair, endless killing, or perpetual torture?

Perhaps all of the above are true, or perhaps none of them are. Any place can be called hell, and everyone's view of hell should be different.

So why is this place called hell?

Suddenly, their vision distorted, the scene shifted abruptly, and in the time that followed, everyone finally witnessed it firsthand—

A true hell.

They saw it with their own eyes.

I saw a young girl being assaulted by a burly, hairy man in her struggle for survival. I saw a boy beating a girl with a stick to steal her bread. I saw the bread the boy risked his life to obtain snatched away by adults using cruel methods, and finally, the bread ended up in the hands of someone utterly meaningless.

Seeing the fetuses, seeing these innocent lives abandoned by the world.

In this hell, children are not killed, but consumed.

And so, the light in the children's eyes gradually dimmed, and the world, like a spider's web, entangled them, leaving them unable to move as they were swallowed up by a monster called "the times."

London, the Foggy City, is undoubtedly hell for certain people. Simply surviving is incredibly difficult, let alone living with dignity.

In a world where a nine-year-old girl is forced into prostitution, what dignity can be found? The stench of the skinning factory and meat processing plant permeates the air constantly, and rats and cockroaches scurry happily in the filthy corners. There are no strong people here, only miserable weaklings, pitiful victims, and cruel perpetrators.

Yes, hell.

This is hell, this is hell.

Besides hope, this place is filled with everything Pandora's box. All sorts of disasters and despair flow in and accumulate, like sludge being constantly spilled.

These prostitutes, monsters both inside and out, sell their bodies and use the money they earn to strangle the lives born from such acts.

Squeeze it until it's crushed and broken.

Repeatedly.

Squeeze it until it's crushed and broken.

Take care of it.

The flesh and blood flow into the river, and since the factory is also discharging wastewater, it doesn't matter if a little more protein is added.