Fate: Question And Answer System of Traversing Heroic Spirits

"Invisible Air!"

A sharp collision rang out as Artoria forcefully shoved Siegfried aside and rushed toward the palace. However, her opponent quickly recovered and intercepted her once more.

"Damn it..." Artoria muttered.

She knew full well that Siegfried was simply stalling for time, yet she couldn't break free from his relentless engagement.

—

"It's been a long time since I've seen those swords," Fionn mac Cumhaill remarked, his eyes locked onto Diarmuid, who wielded both a spear and a sword. "You're a Lancer, aren't you? Why are you still carrying them?"

Diarmuid remained calm. "My apologies, my former king. We now serve different Masters. I can't provide an answer."

Fionn chuckled. "Still the same as ever, I see."

With that, he hurled his weapon, a two-meter-long purple spear.

This Invincible Purple Clover was Fionn's treasured weapon, a spear said to have defeated the fallen god Ornn. Not only could it autonomously attack its targets, but it also nullified mental interference.

Like a living entity, the spear adjusted midair. When Diarmuid dodged, it swiftly twisted and lunged at him from behind.

But Diarmuid was no stranger to his former lord's weapon. In a seamless motion, he struck it aside with his sword and immediately lunged forward, thrusting his Yellow Rose of Mortality at Fionn.

However, the Invincible Purple Clover returned to its master's hand just in time, blocking Diarmuid's strike before he could land a decisive blow.

It was clear—this battle wouldn't be decided quickly.

—

Elsewhere, others found themselves in similar deadlocks. Their opponents weren't aiming for victory, only to delay them, ensuring they couldn't come to Chihiro's aid.

Hassan of the Hundred Faces had made it all the way to the palace unchallenged, only to be confronted by Karna, who stood at the entrance like an unshakable guardian.

The Sun's Son had seemingly taken on the role of gatekeeper, allowing no one to pass.

Meanwhile, Chihiro's group after being teleported into the Hanging Gardens of Babylon found themselves missing their strongest combatant.

Gilgamesh was nowhere to be seen.

That wasn't entirely surprising. Given his personality, even if he had arrived, he'd likely just watch from the sidelines. No point relying on him.

—

"Boom!!!"

A sudden explosion rocked the palace, flames swallowing the structure in an instant.

Karna, still standing at the gates, blinked in confusion.

"...I was assigned to guard the entrance. Why did they blow themselves up first?"

—

Ten Minutes Earlier

Chihiro found himself fending off a combined assault from Amakusa Shirou and Semiramis when countless sheets of paper began floating around him, forming a massive ring.

First Folio.

Shakespeare had activated the same ability he had once used against Frankenstein in the video.

The Caster's Noble Phantasm relied on understanding his opponent, constructing illusions powerful enough to shake their resolve.

But Chihiro wasn't worried. There was no way Shakespeare knew his past.

Nothing about his memories could be used against him.

"Let's see what hidden weakness lurks inside you," Shakespeare mused.

Chihiro didn't notice that as the Noble Phantasm activated, the card in Shakespeare's hand glowed red, light pouring into his eyes.

Images flashed before Shakespeare's mind, one after another.

He blinked, momentarily stunned by what he saw. But he quickly composed himself and began weaving his performance.

Chihiro's surroundings shifted—morphing into a place both familiar and distant.

His home.

His home from his previous life.

Before he had arrived in this world, before everything changed, he had spent most of his days confined to a hospital due to leukemia.

Nineteen years had passed since then. His memories of home had long begun to fade.

He hated hospitals. Their atmosphere felt suffocating, oppressive. His greatest wish before dying had been a simple one—to return home, healthy.

But reality had been cruel.

"Son, come eat."

A voice from the past.

Chihiro turned.

At the dinner table sat his parents and younger brother, their faces warm and familiar, smiling at him.

"..."

He said nothing.

His fists clenched tightly.

"BOOM!!!"

The illusion shattered in an instant.

The people before him were nothing more than puppets, and everything returned to nothingness.

—

"So fast?!"

Shakespeare's eyes widened in disbelief.

He broke free from the First Folio already?!

What Shakespeare didn't realize was that Chihiro's training in mental fortitude far exceeded normal standards. His sheer force of will had torn through the illusion before it could even take hold.

Not that it mattered now.

Because when Shakespeare looked up, Chihiro was already staring directly at him.

Eyes burning with murderous intent.

Shakespeare barely had time to react before Chihiro launched forward.

—

"Boom!!!"

In a blur, Chihiro closed the distance, his sword swinging straight for Shakespeare's head.

But Amakusa Shirou was already moving, intercepting the attack.

The sheer force of the strike sent him skidding backward, but he managed to hold his ground.

"Rise, Hydra!"

Semiramis, seeing the situation unfold, lashed out.

Chains shot toward Chihiro, seeking to entangle him.

At the same time, she summoned a monstrous serpent—a creature with nine heads, each one twisting and writhing with hunger.

Hydra.

A monster of Greek legend—one that grew two new heads for every one that was severed.

Had Chiron been here, he might have found some poetic irony in facing the beast that had led to his demise.

"GRAAAAAGH!!!"

The Hydra roared, nine heads lunging toward Chihiro at once.

He swung his blade, slicing through several in rapid succession.

But his focus faltered for a moment.

A single head broke through his guard, sinking its fangs into his shoulder.

Fortunately, his armor held firm.

Had he not been wearing the Qilin Armor, he would have lost an arm.

Wasting no time, Chihiro swung again, decapitating the beast.

But almost instantly, the wound regenerated and two more heads sprouted in its place.

Just like the legend described.

Chihiro narrowed his eyes.

"Right… if that's the case, then dealing with you should be easy."

Chihiro inserted the Seal into the Fire Qilin Sword. The moment his hand swept across the blade, scorching flames surged forth, engulfing it entirely.

Without hesitation, he thrust his sword forward. The fire erupted outward, taking the form of a blazing qilin, which lunged toward Hydra like a living entity.

The massive serpent immediately spewed venom in an attempt to stop it, but the flames burned through effortlessly.

In an instant, the Fire Qilin crashed into Hydra, igniting its entire body in a raging inferno.

The once-mighty serpent writhed and thrashed, its flesh blackening and cracking under the unbearable heat.

According to legend, Heracles had his nephew Iolaus cauterize Hydra's wounds to prevent its severed heads from regenerating.

If fire could halt Hydra's restoration, then its greatest weakness was clear.

A monster weak to fire had no chance of surviving against him.

As she watched Hydra burn to death, Semiramis' expression darkened.

She hadn't expected a creature as powerful as Hydra to be annihilated in less than a minute.

Even its infamous venom had proven completely ineffective.

That armor… it was proving to be far more troublesome than anticipated.

Still maintaining her assault with relentless chain barrages, Semiramis also summoned waves of Dragon Tooth Warriors and Flying Fish, clearly attempting to wear Chihiro down through sheer numbers.

No—this wasn't just about depleting his stamina.

She was buying time.

Buying time for Shakespeare to finish his Noble Phantasm.

Chihiro narrowed his eyes.

He could see exactly what they were trying to do.

"Not happening."

If they wanted time, he'd just burn it all down.

A golden barrier expanded outward, encasing him entirely.

It wasn't that he couldn't block their attacks normally—he was simply preparing something bigger.

"Take this—Inferno Sea!"

Chihiro raised his hands into the air, rapidly forming intricate seals while chanting.

Then, with a sharp exhale, he slammed both palms onto the ground.

The earth rumbled.

Then, all at once—fire erupted from below.

Blazing torrents of flame shot upward, instantly consuming the Dragon Tooth Warriors and Flying Fish alike, reducing them to ashes within seconds.

But the flames didn't stop there.

They continued to spread, surging higher and higher, as if the inferno itself were alive devouring everything in its path.

Within moments, the entire palace was engulfed in a hellish blaze.

And it didn't stop.

The fire began to expand outward—toward the entire Hanging Gardens.

"Damn you!!!"

Semiramis gritted her teeth.

In an instant, she activated a teleportation array, pulling Amakusa Shirou and Shakespeare out of the palace before they could be caught in the flames.

At the same time, she deployed a defensive barrier, sealing off the fire inside the palace to prevent it from spreading any further.

This was the scene Karna witnessed—the moment the palace exploded into an inferno.

The sudden eruption of flames immediately drew the attention of all Servants.

A moment later, feeling the steady flow of mana within them, Artoria and the others sighed in relief—confirming that Chihiro was still alive.

"Die!"

Amidst the raging sea of flames, Chihiro wasted no time.

He had already drawn one of the God Force form—an enchanted bow.

Locking onto his target, he drew back the bowstring, nocked an arrow, and—

"Twang!"

—released.

The projectile shot forward like a streak of golden light, aiming straight for Shakespeare's heart.

"Not so fast!"

Karna arrived just in time, responding to Amakusa Shirou's urgent command.

Without hesitation, he stepped in front of Shakespeare, his golden armor gleaming as he took the arrow head-on.

Chihiro frowned.

Their actions only made him feel more uneasy.

Shakespeare was clearly preparing something dangerous, something he wanted no part of.

He needed to end this.

Chihiro's entire body flickered before vanishing into thin air, completely invisible.

Then, bypassing Karna entirely, he rushed straight for Shakespeare.

"Can't sense him? Doesn't matter."

Semiramis quickly adjusted.

Since her magic couldn't detect Chihiro while he was cloaked in invisibility, she switched tactics, summoning dense chains to form an impenetrable barrier around Shakespeare.

Chihiro narrowed his eyes.

"Isn't this an additional attack in the game? When did it become a defense skill?"

***

For every 200 PS = 1 extra chapter. Support me on patreon to read 50+ advanced chapters: patreon.com/Blownleaves.