You are very strong, but my painting style is better than yours!

"No, Vlad III will lose!"

Sure enough, as the two buildings drew closer, the forces they exerted became stronger, and the outer wall of the more vulnerable one—the castle—began to crumble in large sections.

Just as the Hanging Gardens were about to completely crush the spiky fortress, it suddenly stopped.

It had just touched the highest point of the castle, but instead of leaning on it entirely, it maintained a rather subtle distance, continuously exerting invisible pressure on the ground below, which prevented it from completely collapsing.

If viewed from a distance, it looks like a spinning top placed on the tip of a castle... or a mushroom magnified countless times.

Considering that there is a maze beneath the castle, this combination of three buildings can be described as a colossal spectacle that surpasses human imagination!

(Judging by appearances, only a certain dragon girl's illegal building can compare to it)

"Did they hold on?"

"No, it feels more like the garden took the initiative... Why is that?"

"Let's put that aside for now. While they're locked in a stalemate, let's hurry and get through here into the maze!"

Ritsuka and the others immediately sprang into action. The collision between the two buildings had caused the main structure to become unstable, with huge cracks visible everywhere, saving them the trouble of looking for the main entrance and passageway.

Is this the maze?

The group found a deep and dark crevice, and even Ritsuka, a half-baked magician, could feel the eerie atmosphere emanating from it.

It's less a building and more like the stomach of a monster.

"It's not too late to quit now."

Atalanta reminded everyone: "The labyrinth of Asterius is essentially a closed and independent space that can change according to the will of the labyrinth's master. There is no such thing as a 'correct route'."

Without a guide or by killing the labyrinth's master, it would be absolutely impossible to find one... but those two women couldn't possibly place all their hopes on Asterius; there must be other unknown dangers within the labyrinth!

"Even so, we must move forward, no matter the cost!"

Ritsuka's gaze was firm, her eyes unwavering, yet as a mere mortal, she commanded the attention of her Servants.

"Although it's dangerous, it's the only way. I'm prepared to be the first to sacrifice myself, so—"

The orange-haired girl pointed at the blonde saint.

"Let Ruler lead the charge!"

"what?!"

"You go first, Atalanta will be in charge of reconnaissance, and Mash and I will provide support. This way, we can advance the fastest."

"With your defensive capabilities, you shouldn't be a problem even if you get hit head-on by a magic bullet. You could easily dismantle those traps, right?"

Joan of Arc was taken aback. She was feeling touched, so why was she suddenly being talked about?

However, upon closer reflection, among the four people present, she is indeed the most suitable to serve as the vanguard. After all, Joan of Arc possesses the highest level of [magic resistance], and her strength and endurance are also top-notch. Even if they were to encounter a trap, it would be difficult to harm her.

That's the logic...

But what image does she actually have in Ritsuka's eyes? A head of bronze and arms of iron?!

She's clearly a young girl in the prime of her life...

"I...I'll go down first."

Joan of Arc, holding the holy banner, jumped into the dark crevice with mixed feelings, and the three of them followed suit.

Meanwhile, the battle between the Upper Castle and the Sky Garden is about to be decided.

It's not that one side is going to collapse. In fact, it wouldn't be difficult for the Empress to destroy the Yggdrasil Castle. However, if she did, Vlad III's desperate counterattack would also cause great damage to the Garden—the power of the "Shield of Christ" in a desperate situation should not be underestimated.

There's no need to be so aggressive; the Empress and Amakusa have more efficient fighting methods:

Around the outer edge of the Sky Garden are rows of huge divine fish statues. Judging from their appearance, they are mythical beasts that are somewhere between "snake" and "fish", ancient and majestic.

After colliding with the castle, a black, viscous venom began to flow from the statue's mouth, dripping onto the castle and spreading along the cracks as if it were alive, quickly covering the entire structure like a fishing net.

Vlad III, though stationed in the castle, was powerless to expel the venom, for not only was the castle corrupted, but even his own spirit core became unstable after being contaminated by the aura.

This is the curse of depravity!

Semiramis is almost omnipotent in the field of "poison". Using the remains of Yamata no Orochi, she successfully reproduced the physical curse that could corrupt heroes and invaded Vlad III's body in the form of poison, reversing his spiritual origin!

"hateful!"

Vlad III, riding his golem warhorse, trembled so badly he could barely hold his lance. Blood gradually clouded his vision as his mad and cruel emotions assaulted the banks of reason—he knew he was about to collapse.

Because of the stigmatization by enemies and ignorant people, he was used as the prototype of "Count Dracula" and left a deep impression on human memory, so much so that it overshadowed the true face of history.

Even though he was a devout and steadfast believer, as a Servant he could not resist the influence of the "legend," and it could be said that he inherently possessed the potential to fall into vampire.

This curse, which can corrupt the spirit origin and induce the servant to fall, is practically his natural enemy!

"rat!"

Vlad III struggled to suppress his bloodlust and roared at the Hanging Gardens, "Don't you even have the courage to fight me head-on? Coward!"

But he won't get a response. If the other party cared about this level of insult, they wouldn't have used such despicable tactics in the first place.

Ultimately, there is no justice in war, a fact that Vlad III himself understood.

"Ohhhhhh!"

The bricks and stones cracked, and tens of thousands of wooden stakes formed a staircase that shot straight to the sky, carrying Vlad III toward the Hanging Gardens.

He couldn't wait any longer, or he might fall into depravity at any moment. Although his mindset had been altered and he wasn't too opposed to the vampire state, that would only lead him down the same path as in his previous life.

That priest's baptismal chant was his nemesis!

Even if entering the Sky Garden would mean losing his home-field advantage, he had to act now and end the battle as a hero before he lost his senses!

High in the sky, at the edge of the garden, the white-haired young priest coldly watched this scene, like a sun god watching Icarus head towards destruction.

"I'm sorry, Lancer... I don't want to do this either, but to achieve that goal, I'm willing to become a demon!"

Chapter 148: As everyone knows, invincibility is a debuff.

"hold head high!!!"

A ferocious roar echoed throughout the labyrinth. The pure white behemoth ravaged the earth, its arms, bound with iron chains, swung with force, and its exaggeratedly long double-edged axe instantly sliced ​​through the entire rock wall. Even the Son of the Sun could not withstand this savage power. The crimson flames were suppressed by the shockwave, and a huge crater appeared where Karna stood.

call out!

The arrow struck the white behemoth, but unfortunately, it didn't even penetrate its skin before being deflected by an invisible shield, leaving the hunter speechless.

"Hoooooooooooooooo!"

The behemoth swung its arms, the chains on its body rattling, and wielded two two-handed battle axes that no ordinary person could handle with a single hand, creating a storm of steel blades that clashed continuously with Karna's spear.

Red Lancer focused intently on his opponent. His overall stats were far inferior to his opponent's, a gap so large that it was difficult to bridge. Even using "Magic Release" would put him at a disadvantage. He could only unleash the unparalleled martial arts he had learned under Axe-wielding Rama, doing his utmost to entangle with his opponent.

"Brahma—"

Flames that could incinerate everything erupted from the spear, striking the massive white beast. The two battle axes turned crimson at a visible speed, and the pure white fur was scorched by the flames... but that was all.

The Noble Phantasm, powerful enough to annihilate an army, was actually withstood by the enemy. Its tyrannical power clashed with the sea of ​​fire and launched another attack on Karna, like a tireless mad bull!

—Asterius, Lord of the Labyrinth!

Originally a robust humanoid figure, he was now inexplicably covered in pure white fur, with a pair of black and powerful bull horns. His body had swelled further, resembling a heavy tank standing upright, and an uncontrollable aura of savagery burned in his eyes!

boom!

The white behemoth used itself as a ramming log, carrying the Son of the Sun as it broke through the thick wall, sending rubble flying, but unable to drown out its terrifying roar.

"Even Mr. Karna couldn't win?" Mash's throat bobbed, looking somewhat nervous.

Ritsuka's eyes were filled with sorrow: "Asterius was such a gentle person, yet he was turned into this... Ugh!"

"Did you do this, Medea!"

"Hehe... How interesting. I didn't expect that this Holy Grail War would have drifters from parallel worlds like you. But it doesn't matter. My victory is already secured. Even if there are some minor setbacks, they are destined not to affect the overall situation."

At the heart of the labyrinth is a bizarrely styled large temple, with ancient Greek-style columns and statues, as well as steel equipment built in the industrial age. Magic and steam flow through pipes, and dragon tooth soldiers and golems are constantly born from a giant crucible.

The Great Grail, seemingly cast in gold, was placed on a "wooden stake," a towering circular platform with circuitry engraved on its surface resembling a circuit board, constantly drawing magical energy from the earth's veins and channeling it into the furnace core for transformation.

On the platform, standing on either side of the Greater Grail, looking down at everyone from above, were Medea and Circe!

Ritsuka and her group of four wandered around the labyrinth, but thanks to the Saintess's great help, she was able to quickly find the right path with the help of [Revelation], and easily deal with various magical traps and sudden attacks. Even the EX-rank magic cannon and the specially modified magical beast could not cause any real damage to them.

With Mash's protection and Atalanta's insight, the group traveled smoothly and encountered Karna, who had arrived much earlier.

The Son of the Sun is incredibly powerful; his individual attack capabilities are comparable to the entire Chaldea team. However, this labyrinth is not static, and he too gets bogged down in a quagmire when deliberately targeted. Only after Ritsuka lends a helping hand can he successfully utilize his strengths and, with Jeanne's guidance, charge through the maze until he finally arrives at the core area.

As soon as it appeared, the completely demonized Asterius charged forward. Even Jeanne d'Arc, known for her excellent defense, could not withstand it. It went straight for Ritsuka, and Karna had to unleash a fireball to draw its attention away.

As a Servant, Asterius has top-tier stats, but his agility and martial arts are not outstanding, so he is not a significant threat to truly powerful individuals.

However, he held an absolute home-field advantage in the labyrinth, and with the magical power of the Greater Grail and the "blessing" of the two witches, he completely fell from grace and transformed into a demonic beast, using his superhuman power to forcefully suppress the Son of the Sun!

Although it is a monster that has been forcibly twisted and catalyzed and is devoid of reason, Axterius at this moment has undoubtedly transcended the boundaries of a Servant!

"I didn't do anything special. That guy is a born monster. I just made him show his monstrous form."

Medea, being a magician, didn't think much of it and said quite frankly, "Although they're not very bright, they're still quite good for guarding the door."

"you……"

Ritsuka clenched her fist: "What do you take Servants for?!"

“Tools, familiars, isn’t that how it is?” Medea chuckled softly. “However, in the realm of magic, the one being dominated is the familiar. I am different from other Servants.”

"What nonsense!"

call out!

——Zheng!

The magic arrow was deflected by the glowing magic array, and Medea, unharmed, calmly looked at her old acquaintance: "Did you think I would forget your existence, Atalanta?"

"Tsk! How did Medea become so unlovable..." The huntress was very annoyed.

Circe then chimed in, "Casters cannot contend with other Servants on their own, especially the Three Knights who possess [Magic Resistance], but we can also use 'territory' to enhance our own power."

Feel honored!

What you are seeing now is the ultimate level of magic, a technique that has completely disappeared in modern times—

'The temple is completed!'

hum! ! !

An immeasurable, seemingly cosmic, immense magical power overflowed from the Greater Grail, instantly illuminating the magic array on the platform and spreading throughout the entire space, from the ground to the walls and then to the dome.

Surrounding the platform, the densely packed puppets and dragon tooth soldiers also lit up with a fierce red light, their aura alone was much stronger than before!

While a single Servant may not be as powerful as a single Servant, their sheer number more than makes up for it.

At that very moment, everyone felt an indescribable pressure, and Ritsuka almost knelt on the ground.

"senior!"

"What's going on? What is this unreasonable magical power...?"

"No, we have to stop them!"

Joan of Arc leaped forward, intending to traverse the space filled with magical arrays. The numerous golems and dragon-tooth soldiers posed a significant problem, but with Atalanta's cover, she was certain she could reach the Greater Grail, and then—

hum!

Suddenly, Ruler was suspended in mid-air as if he had hit an iron wall, unable to move even a finger.

But just moments later, a cracking sound rang out, and the invisible shackles made of magic crumbled into particles of light, and Joan of Arc regained her freedom.

"Oh? As expected of the Ruler, your Magic Resistance is so high. I thought I could trap you by simply 'fixing' the space, but it seems it's not that easy."

Medea withdrew her finger, looked at Joan of Arc's beautiful and pure face, and smiled slightly.

"Very good, worth training~"

“Caster…” Joan of Arc’s heart sank, and her expression turned serious.

She is not a Servant from the Age of Gods; her Magic Resistance comes from faith rather than her physical body. In a sense, it can be said to be a blessing from the mind, which is why she was able to break through the fixed space. If she were an ordinary Servant, she would probably be like an insect in amber by now.

Even so, she had to be careful. The magic of freezing space was close to the category of "miracle," and even the highest level of [anti-magic power] could not ignore its effects.

"Ruler?"

"It's alright... Be careful, this is Caster's home turf, it's full of traps, some of which I can't even avoid!"