Chapter Two "Zeus New Plan"
The Servants of Chaldea stood firm atop their unshakable fortress, weathering the relentless assault of Falmart's magical beasts like an immovable rock against the crashing waves. Princess Pina Co Lada watched in stunned disbelief as the otherworldly heroes unleashed their awe-inspiring might against the endless horde.
Goblins charged mindlessly ahead while hulking orcs lumbered behind, lizardmen skittering between them, but they were mere distractions to the Servants - chaff before the incomparable skill of these weapon masters and archmages.
Wyverns, griffons, hippogriffs and giant birds of prey blotted out the sky, raining fire and diving to attack, their cries adding to the deafening roar of battle. But the Servants answered in kind with blinding displays of power.
The knight's sacred sword gathered light until it shone like a second sun before crashing down, its blazing arc cleaving the very air, felling wyverns from the heavens with a tidal wave of force.
Arrows flew from the green-clad archer's bow with impossible accuracy, each one spelling doom for an airborne foe. The woman in the shimmering dress danced through the mayhem, her every step leaving a trail of glittering motes that petrified dragons into stone as they fell like meteors.
On the blood-soaked ground, a Servant with a great axe traded blows with bellowing minotaurs, a warrior wreathed in lightning skewered pouncing manticores, and the Servants stood unshakable against the ceaseless tide of trolls, giants, and nightmares made flesh.
The Heroic Spirits moved with superhuman grace and speed, their every action a masterpiece on the battlefield. Swords flashed faster than the eye could see, tracing silver arcs as they carved through the ranks of monsters. Spells of immense power reshaped the landscape – lightning seared the sky, razor winds shredded flesh, and pillars of flame turned creatures to ash.
But for every foe vanquished, two more took their place. The horde besieging the hill was endless and varied – a nightmare menagerie come to life. They came on in a never-ending tide of fang and fury, heedless of their losses, driven by insatiable bloodlust.
The Servants were unfazed by the flood that would have crushed the Saderan Empire's military many times over. In fact, many relished the challenge. In life they had trained for days like this – to etch their names into legend with one more heroic feat.
Princess Pina watched in stunned silence, cursing the goddess Hardy for her foolish deed. The phrase "don't be a fool like Hardy" was becoming a common saying across races. All of Falmart faced an unprecedented apocalypse. Every territory, whether human or not, suffered disasters brought by foreign gods or bloody massacres wrought by their otherworldly minions.
Pina wished her people had even a fraction of the invaders' power. Then so many of her Empire's subjects wouldn't be dying like ants. More could be saved, and the situation wouldn't weigh so heavily on the Empire's leadership.
"Pina," said General Gray, her second in command. "What are your plans?"
"We will continue observing," Pina replied, watching the Servants fight. "I will not throw lives into the meatgrinder when the magical creatures are doing that for us."
The battle raged on, the Servants of Chaldea standing firm against the unending horde. As the enemy pressed in from all sides, the Heroic Spirits knew the time had come to unleash the full might of their Noble Phantasms.
Arturia stepped forward, her sword pulsing with an magical energy. She raised the blade high, its golden radiance outshining even the sun above. "EX-" she began, her voice ringing out across the battlefield. "-CALIBUR!"
With a mighty swing, Arturia brought the sword down, and a blinding beam of pure energy erupted from its tip. The Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasm cleaved through the ranks of the monstrous horde like a scythe through wheat, vaporizing thousands of creatures in an instant. The very earth trembled beneath the force of the blast, a great furrow carved into the ground as far as the eye could see.
Not to be outdone, SHIROU stepped forward. "I am the bone of my sword," he intoned, his voice low and steady. "Steel is my body, and fire is my blood."
As he spoke, the air around him began to shimmer and distort, countless weapons materializing out of thin air. Swords, spears, axes, and arrows, each one a perfect copy of a legendary weapon, hovered in the air around SHIROU, ready to be unleashed.
With one mental command, SHIROU unleashed his arsenal, each one streaking towards the monstrous horde with unerring precision. A storm of copied Noble Phantasms rained down and annihilating scores of creatures. Wyverns were skewered in mid-air, hippogriffs were cut down in mid-flight, and whole groups of orcs and goblins were reduced to bloody mist.
Other Servants joined the fray, their own Noble Phantasms adding to the carnage.
The spear-wielding warrior, Cu Chulainn, charged into the fray, his weapon glowing crimson with magical energy. "GAE BOLG!" he roared, throwing the spear into the air. The Anti-Army Noble Phantasm streaked through the air, hails of thorns raining down from the sky and tearing every magical creature it touched like a virus as the thorns multiplied inside the hosts and rippled them from the inside.
The beautiful woman in the purple-colored robe, Medea, raised her staff, ancient words of power falling from her lips. The ground around her began to glow with arcane sigils, each one pulsing with an eerie light. With a final shout, Medea slammed her staff down, and the sigils erupted upward, rays of magical energy burning everything it touched to cinder.
One Servant after another unleashed their Noble Phantasms. Against the overwhelming firepower that could annihilate entire armies and fortresses, none of the Falmarts magical creatures survived. In fact, most of corpses were reduced to blood and gore. By the end, nothing survived except for the Servants and land scarred by the crystallization of legends.
Pina's eyes widened horrified awe. She knew that her Empire stood no chance against such might, that any resistance would be futile. The Princess knew the last-ditch plan to force the otherworlders to the negotiation table by invading their home was impossible. Only the destruction of the Saderan Empire.
General Gray turned to her, his face grim. "Your Highness," he said softly. "What do we do now?"
Pina was silent for a long moment, her eyes fixed on the distant figures of the Servants. "We survive," she said at last, her voice barely a whisper. "And we pray that these gods have mercy upon us all."
Deep down, Pina didn't pray to the Falmart gods. Instead, she turned to the Old Faith - the ancient pantheons her ancestors worshipped before being forced to abandon them. The Falmart deities had shown divine miracles, while the Old Faith gods remained silent. As Pina prayed, her gaze drifted to several Servants who matched the legendary heroes of the Old Faith.
"Interesting..." A divine presence washed over her. "I didn't expect anyone in the Saderan Empire to still worship me and my pantheon."
Pina fell to her knees, head bowed in religious fervor. "Lord Jupiter! I am honored by your holy presence."
Zeus, taking the form of his Roman counterpart Jupiter, glanced down at her. "How many still believe in my pantheon?"
"I'm not sure about the numbers outside my royal family," Pina replied honestly, "but many of us still worship you."
"If I made you my… I think it is called Apostle in this world… Would you spread my faith?"
Pina's eyes flashed with excitement. "I would be honored, Lord Jupiter!" she cried out joyfully, relieved that converting to the Old Faith could offer her people a path to survival. "I will ensure every Saderan worships you as the one true King of Gods."
Zeus stroked his beard, muttering, "Excellent... This gives me an edge over the other Pantheons. Falmart will be mine." His gaze fell upon Gray and Pina's hundred thousand frozen soldiers, all motionless under his divine power. "Begin with your army and send them forth. Spread the worship of my pantheon, and I shall protect them."
"At once, Lord Jupiter," Pina declared, her eyes fixed on her loyal troops. "Forgive me, for I only seek to save you all. Please, convert so that you and your loved ones may join in your devotion and be shielded by Lord Jupiter's divine might."
Several kilometers away, Heracles frowned, his gaze fixed in the direction where he sensed his father's presence.
"What's troubling you?" Achilles asked, noticing his companion's concern.
"My father, Zeus, is up to something," Heracles grunted, his brow furrowed.
Achilles raised an eyebrow. "Lord Zeus? Why does that bother you? It's not like he's going to suddenly go on a rampage." A thought struck him, and he glanced at Heracles. "Wait, are you worried about getting more siblings?"
"I hope not," Heracles sighed. "If more of my siblings start appearing in this modern era, Earth is going to be an even bigger mess than it already is."
Jason, overhearing their conversation, chimed in, "What are you two discussing? If it's something serious, we should inform our Master. As his Servants, it's our duty to keep him informed of any matters that could impact the future of humanity."
Heracles and Achilles exchanged a meaningful look, silently debating whether to involve their Master in this potential divine mischief.
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