Zongman: The post-2D era

In front of the pancake stall, the golden pancakes were sizzling on the iron plate, and the aroma was fragrant. Students lined up in a long line, excitedly waiting for this simple but tempting delicacy.

Feng Feng looked at Altria with a smile, his eyes full of teasing and admiration:

"Look, the drama this morning has made you a star in the school. Even the owner of the pancake stand looked at you a few more times."

Upon hearing this, Altria's cheeks slightly flushed, but she pretended to be calm and responded: "It's just a performance, but your cooperation makes the whole show more vivid."

The two smiled at each other. That tacit understanding and friendship seemed particularly warm and precious in this noisy school festival.

Altria held a bamboo skewer with a few strings of golden takoyaki on it, which were steaming hot with a delicious seafood flavor. A satisfied smile hung on the corner of her mouth, and she took a nibble from time to time. Her happy look seemed to move the whole world.

Feng Feng, who was standing aside, looked down at the fried noodles, oden and other snacks in his arms, a gentle arc appeared on the corner of his mouth, and he made a secret decision in his heart.

He gently turned sideways and walked through the crowd, searching for Yukino and Illya. They were walking over from the broadcasting room not far away, having a heated discussion.

The sun shone obliquely, casting a soft edge on their figures. Their laughter was clear and pleasant, like the flowing water of a summer stream.

Feng Feng quickened his pace, patted Altria's shoulder, and motioned her to follow. The two of them walked through the bustling crowd in tacit understanding and headed towards Yukino and Illya.

Altria, Yukino, and Illya sat in a circle, their laughter as clear as silver bells, interweaving into a joyful melody in the sunlight.

Xue No's eyes sparkled with curiosity, and she suggested, "I heard that the haunted house of Class 3 is super scary, why don't we go there to explore first!"

Illya was excited, clasping her hands together, her eyes full of anticipation: "But the maid cafe in Class 2 sounds fantastic too, I've never experienced it before!"

Just as the two of them were at odds and hesitant, Feng Feng came over with a smile, holding a few steaming snacks in his hands, and said softly:

"Don't argue. Let's replenish our energy first, as the delicious food is in front of us."

He handed the fried noodles in his hand to Illya, the oden to Yukino, and left a string of takoyaki for Altria. His movements were natural and his eyes were full of concern for them.

In the afternoon, the sunlight gradually softened, coating the stage of the school festival with a warm golden color. In the center of the stage, the huge banner with the words "Knight King's Death" shone brightly, attracting the attention of many teachers and students.

As waves of warm applause and cheers rose, Feng Feng and Altria stood side by side at the forefront of the stage, their figures standing out particularly tall under the lights.

Altria was dressed in exquisite silver armor, holding a long sword, and her eyes sparkled with the determination and honor of a knight;

Feng Feng was dressed in simple servant attire, his face filled with deep respect for Altria and a tacit smile.

They slowly turned around, faced the full audience, and bowed deeply in unison, like real knights and squires.

Behind the red curtain, dim light shines, giving this small space a mysterious hue.

Altria lost her stage glory, and her heavy knight armor made her look even lonelier in the dim light. Her eyes were filled with complex emotions, including relief that the performance was over, but also deep confusion and self-blame.

She slowly raised her hand and lightly touched Feng Feng's face with her fingertips. The coldness passed through her fingertips to her heart, making her tremble slightly.

"Feng Feng, why...why don't you abandon me, an incompetent king?"

Her voice was low and trembling, and every word seemed to be squeezed out from the deepest part of her heart, carrying an indescribable heaviness.

"I am just an incompetent king, burdened with a heavy past. I cannot give you more..."

"Just like in the play, I rejected your 'correct' advice three times, and finally died in the woods as you said, and the sword in the stone was buried in the lake."

Feng Feng gently held Altria's slightly cold hand and lightly placed it against his warm cheek. His eyes were firm and full of encouragement, as if they could penetrate all the haze.

"Altria, do you feel it? This applause, this cheer, they are not only for the Knight King on the stage, but also for you, for you who did not give up in the face of adversity and had the courage to face your past."

"You are not an incompetent king, but the eternal knight in our hearts, the light that guides us forward."

"Listen, they are calling your name. They are cheering for every decision you make and every battle you fight. What you have given is far more than you can imagine."

Altria blushed, pulled her hand away, listened to the sounds outside, and smiled with relief. That smile stunned Feng Feng and also made the classmates who were secretly observing them on the ladder dumbfounded.

Altria's smile was like the gentlest breeze in spring, gently blowing across Fengfeng's heart. At that moment, he seemed to be in a sea of ​​gorgeous flowers, and all his worries and haze disappeared.

Her cheeks were lightly flushed, and her eyes sparkled with an unprecedented light, which was relief, confidence, and infinite longing for the future.

That smile was so dazzling that even the faint light peeking through the gaps outside the red curtain was eclipsed.

In this warm and quiet moment, a sudden "ouch" broke the silence.

A curious classmate was so focused on the scene that he accidentally slipped off the ladder. The mobile phone in his hand drew a funny arc in the air and finally fell to the ground with a "pop", causing laughter from the people around him.

Chapter 838: Death of the Black Magician

Friday, October 21

Illya and Yukino were doing the finishing work for the school festival, but their hearts flew to Feng Feng in the Type-Moon world.

In the Type-Moon world, Artoria and Feng Feng walked on the streets of Fuyuki City, each of them being wary of attacks from other Heroic Spirits.

"Strange, the Hero King didn't stand on the street lamp arrogantly, and curse at the miscellaneous cultivators."

Altria walked past a woman who was carrying a basket and looking hurried. Her eyes showed some tenderness and helplessness. She said softly to Feng Feng:

"Feng Feng, even we must abide by certain bottom lines. Although the Holy Grail War is cruel, innocent people should not become victims. This is our duty and pride as Servants."

Feng Feng heard this and looked into the distance with deep eyes. The street lights of Fuyuki City lengthened the shadows of the two people in the night. He shook his head slightly, and a hint of unruly smile appeared on the corner of his mouth:

"Altria, I understand your persistence, but the Hero King Gilgamesh, the guy who calls himself the king of kings, never follows common sense. In his eyes, mortals may just be ants, and rules? They are just toys to be broken."

After saying this, his eyes became sharp, as if he had foreseen that an unexpected battle was about to break out on this quiet street.

The thin moonlight sprinkled on the intricate alleys of Fuyuki City, adding a touch of mystery to the night that was about to fall into a storm.

Altria and Feng Feng walked side by side, their pace unconsciously quickening. The tense atmosphere between the two was replaced by the unknown challenges that were about to come.

Feng Feng pointed lightly with his slender finger, pointing directly in the direction of an old and huge mansion in front of him. Under the night sky, the outline of the mansion was looming under the dim street lights, and the three big characters "Matou Family" on the doorplate looked particularly eerie.

The air around seemed frozen, even the sound of the wind was silent. The windows of the mansion were tightly closed, and not a single ray of light could be seen through the heavy curtains, as if a sleeping giant beast was waiting to wake up at some point.

Altria frowned slightly, with a hint of doubt in her eyes. She stopped and turned to look at Feng Feng, her voice low and firm:

"Feng Feng, why do we come to the fallen Matou family? As far as I know, the Matou family is not a clear participant in this Holy Grail War."

Feng Feng's eyes flickered in the night. He slowly turned around and stood face to face with Altria. The night seemed to add some unspeakable depth to his words:

"Altria, things in the world are often not as simple as they seem. Although the Matou family seems quiet, the original plot... ahem. There are often unknown secrets buried under the dust of history."

"I sense that there is an unusual aura here. Perhaps this is the key clue we are looking for."

"Moreover, every time traveler who came to the Fourth Holy Grail War would come here to save a little girl named Matou Sakura and kill Matou Zou Shuo."

"Kill me? You're so arrogant!" Matou Zou Shuo walked out from the shadow inside the iron gate.

The iron gate slammed open, and Matou Zouken walked out slowly from the shadows. His figure was made particularly eerie by the night, and his black robe was like the night itself.

There was a faint wriggling sensation under the hem of his black robe. It was countless engraved insects circling around him, flashing a faint green light, like the whisper of the god of death.

Upon seeing this, Altria's eyes instantly turned cold. She gripped the hilt of the sword tightly with her right hand and pulled it lightly. The "Sword of Promised Victory" was instantly unsheathed. The sword body shone with dazzling blue light, as if it could cut off all the evil in the world.

The tip of the sword trembled slightly, pointing directly at Matou Zouken, and a suffocating tension filled the air.

At the same time, Feng Feng moved and tapped his fingertips. A golden light flashed in the void, and a chain made of gold - the Chain of Heaven - appeared out of thin air and wrapped around his slender arms, emitting a solemn and sacred light.

His eyes were sharp and the chains danced, as if ready to restrain the approaching darkness at any time.

"Hand over Sakura Matou and die!" Feng Feng waved the Chain of Heaven.

The golden Heavenly Chains seemed to come alive under Feng Feng's control. They were no longer just chains, but turned into endless golden light. They instantly split into two, and then two into four, and so on, until they filled the entire night sky.

The Heaven's Chains transformed into a sky full of golden spears, each of which shone with a sacred and majestic light, as if the army of heaven had descended to the mortal world.

These spears cut through the air, making sharp whistling sounds, and rushed towards the Matou family from all directions with irresistible force.

They precisely avoided the surrounding buildings, but covered every corner of the mansion without omission. From the roof to the ground, from the windows to the doors, the golden light intertwined into an impenetrable net, tightly surrounding the Matou family.

"Gilgamesh, this Heaven's Chain is far more terrible than it was in your hands!"

On the distant mountain peak of the Matou family, another Matou Zouken and the Hero King were observing Feng Feng.

Behind the two of them, Sakura Matou, with a dull look in her eyes, was being held and toyed with by a heroic spirit. He was a black magician, and everything Feng Feng attacked was a trap he had set.

"When those two guys enter the Matou residence, we will win."

The golden Heavenly Chain froze in the air for a moment, and then as if pulled by an invisible force, it slowly retracted into Feng Feng's arm, wrapped around him, and resumed its solemn and silent appearance.

Feng Feng's brows were furrowed, and an indescribable solemnity flashed in his deep eyes, as if he had glimpsed some truth beyond common sense.

Under the moonlight, his figure appeared particularly tall, yet was also shrouded in a layer of faint worry.

Upon seeing this, Altria stepped forward and asked with concern: "Feng Feng, what's wrong? What did you find?"

Although her voice was soft, it revealed unquestionable determination and trust.

Feng Feng slowly turned around, his eyes passing through the illusion before him, straight into the depths of the seemingly calm night sky.

His fingers gently stroked the Heavenly Chain, and the golden light danced on his fingertips, as if telling an unknown secret.

"The power here... does not come entirely from the Matou family."

He whispered, with a hint of disbelief in his tone, "The reaction of the Sky Chain seems to be... warning us that everything here is far more complicated than we imagined."

Feng Feng suddenly opened his eyes, a determined light flashed in his eyes, and he took a deep breath, as if he wanted to take the heaviness of the night into his chest.

"All under heaven belongs to the king, the chains of heaven will punish my enemies!"

As he stretched out his arm, the Heavenly Chain came to life again. It was no longer a simple chain, but turned into a golden snake that shuttled through the invisible void with unparalleled majesty.

The snake-like chain drew brilliant tracks in the air, moving so fast that it was almost indistinguishable to the naked eye. In the end, it miraculously passed through layer after layer of illusions and headed straight for the black magician, who was feeling smug, at the edge of the distant mountain.

It pierced through the black magician's chest silently without causing any sound, but it instantly froze his sneering face, his eyes filled with unbelievable fear.

Chapter 839: Matou Sakura's Rebirth

Saturday, October 22

In the Type-Moon world, Altria and Feng Feng stood by the bed in the bedroom of the Matou residence in Fuyuki City, observing Matou Sakura who was lying on the bed like a puppet.

"Did you accidentally hurt her when you used the Heaven's Chain to save her?"

Altria asked Feng Feng softly, her eyes full of love for Matou Sakura.

Sakura Matou was lying on the bed, wearing a spotless white nightgown gently draped over her body, like a lily quietly blooming under the first snow of winter.

Her eyes were empty and dull, but miraculously she caught a glimpse of movement in the room. That was where Feng Feng was standing.

In Matou Sakura's dazed eyes, Feng Feng's image was infinitely magnified. One of his hands was tightly wrapped around the Heavenly Chain that was flashing with a faint blue light. The chain seemed to contain an ancient and mysterious power.

"I guarantee that Gilgamesh did not hurt her. The Heaven's Chain was originally a treasure created by the gods to kill him."

His back was tall and straight, with the Mountain Sword lying across it. The blade vaguely reflected a cold light, outlining his figure like a savior from ancient times, majestic and lonely.