A thunderous roar echoed from the main gates.
While another sun floated in the hollow sky, making it impossible to tell whether it was day or night, the crusaders of the Holy Grail—looking disturbingly like 'real humans'—shouted in unison as they prepared their siege engines, indifferent to the celestial anomaly.
"...It is highly unlikely they can pierce a Noble Phantasm, yet they struggle desperately, as if merely to take even one more life before the end."
Constantine XI, Dragases, the last Emperor of Rome, stood atop the walls of Jerusalem—now the battlements of Camelot—and offered a succinct evaluation.
He had once faced crusades that reached their twentieth iteration, fighting until his dying breath. In the art of weighing an enemy’s strength against his own, his capability was no less than that of Zhuge Liang. Of course, one had to account for the status corrections afforded to him as a Servant.
"Gawain, I assume the Numeral of the Saint is active?"
"There is no issue. My holy sword is also functioning perfectly. Any enemy that dares approach shall be reduced to nothing but molten slag."
"That is sufficient then... Their siege engines include trebuchets, catapults, and even the Great Bombards the Ottomans used... Since they may be imbued with Magecraft, our Purging Knights will have to deflect them directly."
The battering rams were not a concern. Crude rams and testudos would first be halted by the ramparts, which 'those of good and righteous heart' could never pass. Even if they reached the gate, they would have to break through a Knight of the Sun who had received a Gift.
Furthermore, beyond the walls reinforced by the expanded Rhongomyniad lay the reinforced triple walls generated by Constantine XI’s Noble Phantasm. Though the perimeter was vast and the enemy forces numbered in the tens of thousands—making a complete blockade difficult—their current military strength was incomparable to the tragedy that was the Fall of Constantinople.
The Knights of the Round Table and the Purging Knights of the Lion King stood ready.
Much like Edward Teach’s Queen Anne's Revenge, the effectiveness of the triple walls increased with the number of souls within. Even the postern gate—his only legendary weakness—was now firmly secured.
"...However, the enemy numbers are far too great."
The attackers had not even begun their primary assault, yet their catapults, ballistae, and siege cannons already surrounded the entire perimeter of the walls.
Percival, having rushed to the battlements, ordered the archer-knights to gauge the distance, but it seemed impossible to intercept those siege engines unless one was an Archer of Tristan’s caliber.
"Would it not be better for Sir Lancelot to organize a detached force and demolish those siege engines?"
"It would be simpler for the King to deliver Divine Punishment. No matter if Sir Lancelot is the greatest knight of Camelot, even he lacks the means to slaughter that horrific mass of meat and return unscathed."
The Knights of the Round Table gathered one by one at their respective posts.
The moment Ritsuka, carried by Mash, arrived at the wall, a piercing whistle sounded—and then, a chorus of thunderous explosions erupted simultaneously.
Boulders engraved with runes, witchcraft, and various curses flew toward the wall. Heavy knights wielding black shields stepped forward to block with their bodies, only to be knocked off the battlements.
"Archers, draw your bows! Lancers, repel those attempting to scale! Do not retreat a single step!"
The main wall did not crumble, but the inner buildings—erected by human hands rather than the power of Rhongomyniad—took damage every time a shell landed.
Boulders laden with curses and dark Magecraft either exploded upon impact or transformed into grotesque golems that began to run amok. The Purging Knights stationed inside with Gawain quickly charged out to butcher or shatter the rock monsters.
"Heave-ho!!! Hey, Gawain! Shouldn't we be cleaning these guys up before worrying about the wall?!"
"I leave that to you, Mordred! If we leave the walls empty now, there is no telling how they will exploit the opening!"
"Damn it... those bastards, they picked the perfect timing!"
"...It may not be a coincidence. As long as they possess a Holy Grail, it means they have military strength at least on par with 'the King'!"
"Stop joking around!"
As the initial bombardment intended to test their defenses ended, two more sharp whistles blew.
[Seize the fortress of the heathens! Reclaim Jerusalem and plant the banner of the Cross!]
"...They are coming."
Boom! Boom!
Accompanying a roar far louder than before, massive siege engines imbued with medieval Magecraft began to slowly advance. Battering rams meant to shatter stone, massive siege towers built taller than the walls of Rhongomyniad, and archers wearing light armor stationed atop them.
The core forces summoned via the resources of the Holy Grail were each equipped with armaments engraved with mystical circuits. Unlike the wall, which was conceptually indestructible, the internal structures of Camelot were steadily suffering from the directed strikes.
"Wait!"
Dragases shouted.
The archers held their breath, arrows notched tightly, and Gawain merely raised Galatine, which was brimming with Prana. No one attacked yet. Like a rubber band stretched to its limit, they were only absorbing the enemy’s pressure, withholding their counterstrike.
"...Kiyohime, get ready. When that handsome Emperor-san gives the signal... blast the base of those siege towers with fire."
"Understood, my dear husband!"
The siege towers drew closer and closer.
Though they appeared to be made of wood and thus flammable, their interiors were literal war machines saturated with occult materials and layered with protective Magecraft. Ordinarily, each would be treated as a treasure-class Mystic Code, but before the Grail of the King of Mages, they were merely mass-produced expendables.
And that was true for...
"Now! All forces, fire!"
The Servants who could unleash the power of Noble Phantasms as well.
At Dragases' shout, arrows as large as pikes soared into the air...
"Kiyohime!"
[Sammadhi of Kindled Dragon!]
Almost simultaneously, a creature resembling a blue serpent manifested atop the wall.
An Imoogi, or perhaps a great serpent. With massive flames coiled in its maw, it unleashed a deafening roar and a deluge of fire upon the siege crews who had reached the very edge of the battlements.
For the tenth, or perhaps the twentieth time.
The moment the siege, which had continued without rest since the Singularity's arrival, began anew.
*
The gate is secure.
That was the instinctive conclusion Ritsuka reached the moment she saw the scene. Perhaps that was why Ritsuka had followed Gareth up to the battlements rather than staying behind the safer gates.
"Master! Please, get down from the wall immediately... Damn it, Miss Kiyohime! Please take the Master and leave!"
"Yes, husband! Since I have used my Noble Phantasm to set their towers ablaze, there is no longer any reason for the Master to remain on the wall!"
But Ritsuka could not descend.
The Purging Knights were blocking the incoming boulders or deflecting them with their bodies, and the Knights of the Round Table were parrying them with sword and shield, but there were countless moments when even the knights atop the wall were in mortal danger.
How much more so for a Master who was merely a 'normal human'?
Of course, she was only watching the battle from a distance, not in the thick of it, but she was just as susceptible to a stray shot as anyone else.
"No, Kiyohime. I can't back away from a place like this."
"Master!"
"Gareth is a Knight of the Round Table and a Servant sent by the Lion King, so she's an exception, but you are a Servant I summoned. And to maintain you, I must be by your side."
Ritsuka said this, pointing toward the burning siege towers.
"The Heroic Spirit most capable of dealing with the enemy right here and now is you, Kiyohime."
"Husband..."
"If I go down, you have to come down with me. It’s easy to see; as long as that knight is guarding the gate, it won’t break... Kiyohime, I need you to protect this wall right now."
"Ah... husband... Kiyo, Kiyo values my husband's life above all else!"
However, Ritsuka shook her head and spoke.
A boulder flew over her head and crashed into the center of the village; an enraged Mordred swung Clarent, reducing the rock to dust before it could even explode.
Ritsuka flashed a smile.
In the distance, she could hear Mordred laughing like a maniac and yelling at her to keep her head down, but Ritsuka ignored it and spoke to Kiyohime.
"Kiyohime, I command you through a Command Spell... Breathe the flames that will turn those siege engines to ash."
"...You truly have no intention of retreating."
Kiyohime, having returned to her human form, spoke as blue flames began to flicker within her body once more.
"...My beloved husband, whom I love without end... Husband, Anchin-sama, my love... why do you give Kiyo such a cruel command...? Husband, are you not afraid? If you stay here, you might die before Kiyo can protect you."
"I'm scared too. But there's no other way, right?"
Ritsuka said plainly.
"So, Kiyohime, burn them all with a flame as strong as your love for me. So they can't fire those damn rocks at the wall anymore."
In that moment, Ritsuka felt a sensation as if something was being hollowed out.
Along with the feeling of her Prana or life force vanishing in a massive chunk, the form of a dragon-serpent—at least twice as large as before—manifested atop the wall.
[The heathens are using sorcery! Ballistae, aim for that demonic serpent!]
"Protect the Master and Kiyohime! Intercept the enemy ballista fire!"
At Dragases' shout, the archer-knights drew their strings again. The pike-like bolts from the ballistae clashed with the rain of arrows from the knights, and Kiyohime slowly charged her magical energy using their arrows as an umbrella.
Those who sought to destroy, and those who sought to defend.
"My lady, lower your head for a moment. I shall take it from here!"
A brief exchange of fire was blocked by Lancelot, who leapt from the wall swinging Arondight. He stepped onto the head of the enlarged Kiyohime and shouted as he jumped again.
"Go forth, my lady, braver than any dragon! Unleash the flames of victory!"
[Hehe, what a kind knight. But for me... I only have a husband whom I love as much as these flames.]
Immediately afterward.
[SAMMADHI OF KINDLED DRAGON!!!]
A torrent of fire poured down, hot enough to melt the siege towers in their entirety.
Even the defensive spells meant to resist the radiant heat of Gawain’s sun melted helplessly. The numerous ballistae and archers stationed atop the towers were engulfed in flames, falling to the ground in a desperate struggle or simply vanishing into nothingness.
Hearing the cheers from the wall over the screams of the burning, Kiyohime smiled bitterly. Gasping for breath, she looked back at her love, who was barely standing while clutching the battlements, and whispered softly.
[...Hehe. As much as the fire I just breathed... I shall expect a proper response, husband?]
Comments (0)
Please log in to leave a comment. Login or Register