Chapter 226: Captain of Argo.
[Heracles had charged right before you. When you were nearly out of options…]
[Caren suddenly stepped forward, declaring she could wipe out all opponents in three seconds…]
"!"
The Berserker's blade swung down violently, so sharp it screeched as it cut through the air.
Facing the giant blade descending upon her, Caren calmly lifted the Book of False Attendant.
"Come out, Illya."
A Servant summoning circle appeared, and a small white-haired girl dressed like a Magical Girl, innocent and youthful, appeared before everyone's eyes.
"Uh… Caren-sensei?"
The Magical Girl named Illya looked around blankly.
Meanwhile, the blade of Heracles' Axe-Sword had already swung down violently.
In that instant, it seemed the berserked Greek hero's blood-red eyes opened slightly wider.
Eikou instinctively wanted to rush forward to pull Caren and Illya back, and all the spectators in the arena simultaneously raised their hands to cover their eyes, unable to bear watching the sight of the two girls being cleaved apart right in front of them.
And then…
"Boom!"
A heaven-shaking impact!
A heavy explosion echoed throughout the arena, the shock so intense it made people's hearts seize up.
The horrifying noise of the attack pierced through everyone's eardrums like a spear, their souls trembling twice before only a buzzing remained in their ears. Time seemed to freeze in that moment.
The audience stands fell into a deathly silence, no one daring to make a sound. Even the microphone in the commentator's booth had been knocked over by the shock.
A moment later, the dust from the impact gradually settled.
Lord El-Melloi II grabbed the microphone and hurriedly turned toward the devastated arena to confirm the casualties.
"The Berserker on the field… he…"
He raised his eyebrows, speaking with disbelief.
In the dust-covered arena, Captain Jason had been smacked backward by the flat side of the massive blade, leaving him dizzy and knocked out temporarily!
His cuckolded teammates didn't escape either — all of them had been knocked to the ground by Heracles' absurd and completely unexpected swing.
"At the decisive moment, Heracles twisted his wrist and threw the Axe-Sword back at Jason? Unbelievable! Even the Berserker who seemed the most reliable turned against him on the spot!"
Just as Caren said, they really were annihilated within three seconds!
Heracles ended up betraying them in the end!
"In the end, your entire crew ended up having even your male teammate stolen from you. Your unbreakable bonds? They look even more miserable than before!"
Lord El-Melloi II, feeling exhausted from commentating, helplessly lit another cigar.
"This doesn't feel like a normal battle anymore… more like seeing who can steal people faster. Whatever, I guess this is just their style."
"How chaotic… it pleases me…"
While all the spectators' gazes were fixated on the dramatic reversal happening on the field, in a corner of the arena, a tall woman with a serpentine lower body and purple skin quietly sighed.
Nobody noticed her presence, but all her attention was fixed on the competitors in the arena.
El-Melloi and the others did not detect the snake-woman either; they only watched the chaotic situation with deep confusion.
"But I don't quite understand — Berserker betraying them at a moment like this? Leaving aside the effects of Madness Enhancement, he doesn't look like the kind of man who'd be swayed by women."
"Haha, it's not because of women — maybe it's because he's simply righteous by nature,"
Merlin said with a smile. "According to Chaldea's records, even when Heracles loses his sanity due to Madness Enhancement, he will proactively help weak young girls. And this Servant named Illya seems to have had a very strong bond of companionship with him."
"Is that so..."
"Though I'm not doubting Heracles' feelings toward Jason... but on one side is a pitiful-looking white-haired girl, and on the other is a blond guy who looks like he deserves a beating — hitting him a few times won't hurt anyone. Tell me, who wouldn't instinctively choose to help the girl first?"
"Umu, that does make sense."
Lord El-Melloi II nodded.
"..."
Beside them, Eikou was speechless. He had already guessed that Caren's book held more than one Servant — there was definitely an even stronger trump card.
The reason she had been holding back the entire time was either because she didn't want to reveal her trump card too early, or simply because she enjoyed watching Eikou struggle in despair.
At the same moment, Artoria's Holy Lance had finished charging.
The warhorse of the Knight King dashed like the wind, the Holy Lance carving a sharp, blazing golden arc across the sky — like an arrow, like a falling star — locking onto Charlemagne as the spearhead descended with terrifying mana.
It was the Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasm – Rhongomyniad!
Even if Charlemagne and his teammates wanted to dodge, under this enormous attack range there was absolutely no way to escape. Absolute defensive skills or evasion were meaningless in this situation.
"Artoria's Holy Lance not only has extremely high mana regeneration efficiency, but can also pierce through any form of defense. Combined with the massive mana from the Command Seal, that means…"
Merlin explained while staring directly at the falling spear.
"If it goes off successfully, Charlemagne and the others won't be able to withstand it."
Boom!
The light of the Holy Lance descended like a meteor, the torrent of radiance exploding across the grand arena. The sound pierced straight into the soul, flames and dust rising instantly.
Amid the scorching sunlight-like radiance, Artoria turned her body on horseback, calmly returning to stand beside Eikou.
The dust settled, victory and defeat were decided.
Merlin held the microphone and declared in a firm, resounding voice:
"Trainer Charlemagne, defeated!"
"Trainer Jason, defeated!"
"The winners are Mochizuki Eikou and Caren Hortensia! Please give them a round of applause for clearing the first trial!"
Immediately, the entire arena erupted in cheers, waves of sound crashing forward.
The two victors stood on the field, basking in the applause. Hearing the decisive announcement, they couldn't help but breathe out in relief.
"Haa… we finally won..."
Eikou let out a long exhale and turned to the Servants who had been with him since the beginning.
"I was only able to win because everyone supported me wholeheartedly."
His gaze moved to the Knight King and Medusa. "Especially you two. Thank you, truly."
"This is what we should do, Master,"
Artoria replied with a gentle smile.
Medusa simply nodded calmly.
[You have cleared the first trial.]
[As a reward, you have received one Encouragement Dice. Congratulations on advancing to the next stage.]
[Now that the match has ended, as a friend, you help Charlemagne—who collapsed beside you—stand up so you can escort him to the medical room.]
[At this moment, you notice Jason struggling to crawl out from beneath the Axe-Sword.]
[Jason stands motionless without saying a word, bowing his head. He seems to be thinking about something… or perhaps the previous blow simply left him stunned.]
[The Argo crew members, along with the temporarily summoned cuckolded ones, have all disappeared.]
[Could this have dealt him a huge psychological blow?]
[One crewmate after another was pulled away from the Argo. Even Heracles betrayed him at the critical moment. This feeling of being abandoned by everyone must be deeply traumatic for Jason.]
[…]
[You suddenly feel a little soft-hearted, a faint guilt rising within you, so you walk straight toward him.]
"Captain Jason…"
Eikou stepped forward a bit awkwardly.
Before the other party could say anything, Eikou immediately apologized:
"I know how important the Argo is to you, and how important your crew members are as well. We pulled them away from your side by any means to win this match. I'm really sorry."
"..."
Jason said nothing, still keeping his head lowered.
"Of course, I don't regret doing it. If I had to do it again, I still would — because I have to win this match. But I know it wasn't the right thing to do, so no matter what, I have to apologize to you."
Eikou said.
"..."
Jason still refused to speak, and the silence was driving Eikou insane.
"Say something already. Or just punch me if you want."
"I'm telling you, you must have seen it just now…"
Jason finally opened his mouth.
He lifted his head, looking toward the tall figure of Heracles, his face filled with awe. His green eyes were overflowing with reverence and admiration.
"Heracles was clearly Berserked already, yet he still didn't hesitate at all to protect that girl over there. Damn it, he's way too cool, isn't he?!"
"? Go hug your Heracles and drown together!"
[You realize Jason is completely unworthy of sympathy.]
[Or rather, no one needs to sympathize with him at all.]
[Having lost friends and lovers, experienced the feeling of being abandoned and mocked, and tasted the tragic fate of falling from the peak into the abyss — he has gone through all of that already, so what happened today is nothing to him. And it is precisely those hardships that shaped the current Jason.]
[That is why he is the Captain of Argo.]