CK Simulation, Creating the Style of Tsukino Fumi

Page 106

Don't think I'll fall for the same trick twice!

The holy sword, imbued with murderous intent, clashed with the king's sword. Mordred glared angrily at Europa II, who was lunging at her again. Due to the power of the true world constantly damaging his body, Europa II's movements slowed down significantly. Mordred, still empowered by Morgan, reacted to the attack and countered it.

Completely disregarding the consumption of magic power, Mordred, who was releasing magic power with all her might, successfully blocked the holy sword that was pressing down on her neck. However, the continuous pressure once again put her at a disadvantage.

But Europa II's attack ended there. Quinn, who was already on guard against a sneak attack, reacted immediately and mercilessly slashed Europa II's head with his sword. Under the sharpness of the real world, the human skeleton was no different from the papyrus. With the bridge of the nose as the dividing line, the emperor's head was split in two. If this scene were seen by some pirates, it would surely draw a shout of "Good skull, good wine cup!"

Europa II lost his strength and began to fall backward. But in less than half a second, Europa II, who had lost half of his head, suddenly jumped back a few steps and landed steadily. The skull that was spinning in mid-air seemed to receive some kind of summons and flew straight back to its original position to reunite with the other half of his head. The clean and neat wound that the true world had cut out quickly healed into a thin line and then disappeared without a trace.

"It hurts a lot, Father."

As if she hadn't been hurt at all, Europa II let out a charming complaint, her originally golden eyes turning crimson.

"...She's becoming more and more like a beast."

Artoria's voice trembled slightly. This scene had exceeded her comprehension. Although there were quite a few immortal beings in the history of Type-Moon, Europa II's current immortality had reached an absurd level. Even if she regained the Holy Sword and Holy Lance, she could not guarantee that she could kill him.

If it weren't for the ongoing damage caused by the liberation of the true world, Artoria would have thought that Europa II wouldn't have been injured at all.

"She's not a beast yet; it's all magic."

Quinn's resolve remained unshaken. While Europa II's immortality was troublesome, it wasn't entirely insurmountable. The pop-up windows constantly appearing in his field of vision were proof that the damage he could withstand was eventually coming to an end. At this moment, the structural framework of this independently divided world was crumbling. Theoretically, as long as Europa II's body was continuously destroyed, making it impossible for the Britannian Empire to withstand any more damage, Europa II would be unable to repair himself.

But theory is just theory. Even if they keep unleashing their Noble Phantasms, it will be difficult for them to achieve this. After all, Europa II is not a target. She is constantly learning and improving. Now, she can replicate her own skills. If she dies a few more times, even Quinn cannot predict how much she can improve.

Besides...

Quinn charged forward again, and with Mordred and Artoria holding him back, he severed Europa II's neck once more. When Europa II repaired herself, her eyes had turned completely blood-red, and the marks on her body that symbolized the malice of a beast had increased considerably.

Each time Europa II suffered a serious injury, his body drew ever closer to transforming into a beast.

Realizing this, Quinn had no choice but to temporarily withdraw from the battlefield, entrusting the task of suppressing Europa II to Artoria, Mordred, and Morgan, while he immediately joined up with the fairy Lily.

"The decapitation operation failed. We need to activate the backup plan. Lily, have you found the magic core located inside the palace?"

[In the battle just now, the fairy Lily of Paradise did not intervene at all. She neither assisted you in attacking Europa II nor provided any support. Her participation rate was 0%, but this does not mean that she was useless.]

The reason you brought this fairy along is to ensure the smooth implementation of the registration process.

[A decapitation strike is your optimal solution, but you haven't placed all your hopes on it. Thanks to the intelligence you've gathered over this time, knowing that the world's independence is built on the grand magical barrier cast by Europa II, you've prepared a backup plan in case Europa II can't be dealt with quickly—to destroy the core of the grand magic located in the London Palace, directly terminating the operating world-class magical barrier.]

[Originally, the best person to be in charge of this filing should have been Morgan, or at the very least, Half-Nightmare Merry. After all, these two are currently the strongest magicians in Britain, and they are the optimal solution when it comes to finding the core of magic. However, the problem is that the former, as the mother of Europa II, would attract Europa II's attention if she did not participate in the battle, while the latter... even now, she has not yet gained your trust.]

When neither Morgan nor Merry could lead the implementation of this plan, Lily, second only to them in the field of magic, became the best choice. She also possessed considerable magical skills and would not attract Europa II's special attention, making her the best battlefield observer.

"It's probably been found."

Lily's forehead was also covered in sweat, and her tone was not very confident.

In her eyes, the true ether and fairies floating in the atmosphere were darting around this battlefield, leaving behind countless intricate geometric trajectories. Finding those stable, hidden magical trajectories leading to the core of magic from this chaotic scene was not easy. "I'm not sure if my judgment is correct."

"Don't be afraid, just speak."

"Destroying the Dragonbone Throne won't break this magic. That thing is just an amplifier to expand the magic's range. The true core of this ritual is the Holy Lance. The reason Europa II hasn't used the Holy Lance yet is definitely because she needs its anchoring properties to anchor herself to Britain. Theoretically, even without finding the magic's core, as long as we can destroy the Holy Lance, we can weaken Europa II's anchoring connection to the entire Britain, but..."

The fairy in the paradise swallowed.

"After the anchor was broken, I was not sure if Europa II's original will could still hold on to himself under the corruption of the beast."

Quinn frowned. "Why do you say that?"

Lily raised her hand and pointed to the sky. Quinn looked in that direction and saw two giant dragons fiercely fighting each other high in the sky, which was covered with dark clouds.

That was the shadow of Melyuchina and the unformed great red dragon.

"The sixth beast is almost fully formed."

Chapter 250 Five seconds is too short, ten seconds is more than enough

The battle between the two dragons was extremely conspicuous, and the dragons' breath flashing in the high sky could be clearly seen even on the ground.

Quinn could tell at a glance that Melyuchina was already at a disadvantage. The great red dragon formed from flames was obviously not the Sixth Beast's true form, but a magical creation distorted by the beast's malice. Even so, it was still closely related to the Sixth Beast and enjoyed the same immortality as Europa II. No matter how hard Melyuchina tried to destroy the great red dragon's body, it would be intact again in the next moment.

But that's not the most important thing.

The important thing is the shape of that big red dragon.

The great red dragon, which was supposed to be born with seven heads and ten horns in the Bible, now has a complete neck for its seventh head, which is not yet fully formed. At its neck, the faint shadow of another head can be seen. Clearly, the sixth beast is only one step away from being fully born.

"The Holy Lance, as an anchor point, not only anchors Europa II to Britain, but also anchors her own will. Once this anchor is broken, Europa II will no longer be able to maintain her sanity through this anchor. If she's lucky, she'll at most temporarily lose consciousness, causing the Sixth Beast to completely take over her body. But if she's unlucky..."

Lily expressed her concerns, "The Sixth Beast will directly devour her soul and will, and the two will completely merge into one."

Quinn was silent.

A myriad of thoughts swirled in his mind. He gazed at Europa II, who was still locked in battle with Mordred and Artoria. In a daze, the mature emperor's figure became petite, her armor transformed into a magnificent gown, and the traces of the beast disappeared. She was no longer the emperor, but the young heir she once was. But the next moment, the figure of the emperor, now possessed by the beast, once again filled his vision.

“Then destroy the Holy Lance.” Quinn closed his eyes, his heart heavy. “This is our only chance. We have no other choice, and besides…”

I trust her.

If anyone in this world can resist the corruption of beasts and maintain their true nature, then Europa II's name must be among them.

Quinn was so convinced that even if this time it was no longer a simulation, he was willing to trust, or rather, he chose to trust precisely because it was not a simulation.

“But what if we fail…” Quinn no longer hesitated, but Lily hesitated instead.

“Then I’ll take the blame for the Sixth Beast’s contamination,” Quinn replied. “I kept that nightmare as insurance. I am also Europa, the emperor of this empire, and naturally I also have the possibility of being parasitized by the Sixth Beast. Rather, I am the most suitable host.”

You have made up your mind. You will save Europa II and your daughter. You are willing to give anything for it.

This is why the Half-Nightmare has been following you. For the Nightmare, who can see into people's hearts, that woman with a twisted sense of humor, who enjoys watching heroes meet their tragic end, had already foreseen this situation. You were no different; you were prepared for the worst—to trade your life for hers, to exchange yourself for your daughter.

Lily stared at Quinn, who seemed to be saying something unimportant, but ultimately couldn't offer any more words of advice, only letting out a complaint.

"You could have just not told me this. You're being a bit annoying."

“I can’t help it. I’m a person too. I don’t want to die either. I have my own selfish reasons. I still hope that if I really die, someone can tell that child that I died to save her.” Quinn smiled. “You are the most suitable person to do this. If it were anyone else, they definitely wouldn’t help me. But you are different, Lily. We haven’t known each other for long and our relationship isn’t close enough. You can be ruthless.”

The fairy's cheeks puffed out as she turned her face away, unwilling to see Quinn's expression.

Quinn paid no attention to any of this, simply reaching out to lift Lily up and heading straight towards the towering Tree of Light. Their departure instantly drew the attention of Europa II, who was still entangled with others.

As Quinn disappeared into the distance, Europa II's face contorted with rage. She tried to catch up with Quinn, but Artoria, Morgan, and Mordred gave her no chance. They knew that Quinn must have found a way to suppress Europa II by leaving the battlefield. Although they didn't know what that method was, their duty was to stop Europa II from interfering with Quinn.

"Go away!"

Enraged, Europa II roared and brandished her sword, attacking her opponents hysterically and recklessly, putting immense pressure on the two knights. Fortunately, Artoria and Mordred withstood the pressure and prevented her from breaking through their defenses. Then, a series of magical reinforcements from Morgan relieved the pressure on the two.

The magical chains forged by fairies, the sword energy unleashed by the dragon-slaying sword, and the radiant light shining from the king's sword repeatedly hindered Europa II's progress, but they were merely obstacles.

Without Quinn's suppression, Europa II's strategy of trading injury for life quickly overwhelmed the three.

Neither Artoria nor Mordred possessed near-infinite stamina. In terms of physical attributes, Europa II, who was already on par with the two, was only matched by Quinn with the help of the beast. Before long, Mordred was the first to be caught off guard. However, this time, Europa II had no intention of killing her. She simply kicked Mordred in the abdomen, knocking her unconscious, and then seized the opportunity to rush towards Quinn's location.

However, before she could take more than a few steps, magically forged chains tightly bound her ankles.

"I won't let you interfere with Quinn."

Morgan's forehead was covered in sweat. The continuous and high-pressure use of magic had nearly depleted her magical power. However, in this kind of intense battle, even a delay of one or two seconds could have a huge effect. Therefore, she poured all her magical power into this binding so that Quinn, who was out of the battlefield, could achieve his goal.

This desperate, all-or-nothing spell did indeed work.

Despite the excruciating pain coursing through his body, Europa II struggled to break free of his restraints, but the chains only groaned a few times under the strain and cracked before giving way.

Realizing she couldn't escape quickly, Europa II went completely hysterical. A massive surge of magic erupted from her body, further aggravating the wounds inflicted on her by the True World. Ignoring this, she relentlessly absorbed the Empire's spiritual veins, transforming them into True Aether and releasing it from within. The immense True Aether, capable of forming magical tides, tore at her body and shattered the chains binding her. (The last two lines appear to be unrelated and possibly machine-generated text.)

One second, two seconds... in just ten seconds, the chains binding him were completely destroyed.

But for a father who has made up his mind, ten seconds is enough.

The radiant light of the true world's renewed liberation soared into the sky, standing in stark contrast to the towering Tree of Light that reached into the clouds.

Chapter 251 A Life for a Life

The sword energy swirling from the true world easily pierced through the Tree of Light, which resembled a pillar supporting the heavens, carving a huge gap in the trunk formed of pure energy. And in that gap, at the center of the Tree of Light, was the dazzling Holy Spear.

The ribbons of light that emanated from the tip of the spear, like woven silk, spread outwards and connected with the colossal tree, providing nourishment for its growth.

Upon seeing the Holy Lance, the fairy Lily of Paradise grasped Quinn's hand.

In an instant, Quinn saw the same vision as Lily—the unique vision of the fairies of Paradise, who were tasked with forging the Holy Sword. Through this extraordinary vision, Quinn saw the flow of energy in the Holy Lance, saw through the weaknesses of the weapon forged on this planet, and…

The divinity and consciousness preserved within that weapon.

As the most supreme creation in the Type-Moon universe, the Holy Lance Rungomminiad is not only a weapon of immense power, but also a star anchor that holds the world's surface together. Its uses are not limited to being a beam cannon. In FGO Chapter 6, under Goetia's influence, the Lion King, who believed that humanity had lost its future, attempted to use the Holy Lance to collect the last remaining humans on Earth, recording them as specimens within the Holy Lance.

[And at this moment, you discover that Europa II did something similar.]

As a crucial core of the entire grand magic ritual, the Holy Lance not only served as an anchor point, binding Europa II and Britannia together, but also stored Europa II's will and soul. She inscribed a part of herself into the Holy Lance, enabling the entire grand magic to function. The strands of light that split off from the Holy Lance were the chains Europa II used to bind the various ley lines of the European continent.

Having witnessed all of this, you finally understand why Europa II was so obsessed with Mordred, constantly trying to ambush and kill her.

[Because the weapon that can destroy this ritual, the weapon that this world has already been forged by you, the royal sword that can usurp the imperial law in Europa II's hands, and the soul that wields this sword, which is similar to Europa II himself, are the tools that can destroy this holy spear and destroy the entire grand ritual.]

As for you... while your True World can also destroy the Holy Lance and the ritual, it would also destroy, at the same time, the pure soul of Europa II, uncorrupted by the Sixth Beast, preserved within the Holy Lance. You would never do such a thing.

Therefore, there is only one path before you.

"Merry, you're watching this place, aren't you?"

Quinn whispered, and sure enough, a half-nightmare's laughter filled the air.

"Your Majesty, what are your orders?"

"I'm going to be Emperor of Britain again. Please pass on a message to Mordred."

"Which Mordred?" The scumbag woman feigned ignorance, trying to provoke Quinn, but this time, Quinn was too lazy to get angry.

"You know which one it is. Tell her that since the sword is in her hands, she knows how to become Empress of Britain. Go do what she's best at." (The rest of the text appears to be gibberish and unrelated to the previous sentences.)

Without waiting for a reply, Quinn walked straight to the Holy Lance, reached out and grasped the rare treasure. With the blessing of the fairy's vision, the structure of the Holy Lance was no longer a secret to him. He saw the concept within the Holy Lance, and the anchoring spell used to bind Europa II to the Britannian Empire.

Quinn wasn't a great magician like Morgan; his mastery of magic wasn't particularly profound. He couldn't sever this binding connection that had been functioning normally for thousands of years in an instant. But... he could do something that even Morgan couldn't do. He cut open his own arm, letting his blood stain the Holy Lance. The blood of the former Holy Lance Master, the Emperor of Britannia, turned the Holy Lance crimson.

The next moment, the Holy Lance emitted a piercing, mournful cry.

The divinity of the goddess within the spear was stimulated by the blood and reactivated, along with the consciousness residing within the spear. The Holy Spear began to resist Quinn, attempting to expel Quinn's blood, but the Holy Spear could not do so, nor could the consciousness within it.

From the moment Quinn completed the trial of the Lake Goddess and personally brought the Holy Lance out of Avalon, he was the master of this spear. When Quinn personally established the legal claim of the Britannian Empire, he was the most powerful claimant of this legal claim. Even after a thousand years, Quinn is still the undisputed number one in terms of legal succession. Whenever he wants, he can launch a claim war at any time, just as he is doing now.

[You begin to fight for ownership of the Holy Lance, you begin to fight for the legal claims of Britannia.]

Because of your "Acuity" trait, you projected your will into the Holy Lance. Facing the not-yet-fully-awakened consciousness of Europa II, before he could fully recover, you squeezed your own consciousness into the Anchoring Ritual, taking over a place that once belonged to Europa II in the entire Anchoring Ritual.